The Cull

by Tony Park

Mario smiled and shrugged. ‘She’s tough, that girl. She’s wormed her way into Peves’s affections. He’s shown me the red card, threatened to hurt me if I touch her again. Tema’s saying she doesn’t want to see me, so we’ve got an asset inside, but I’m persona non grata.’

  Sonja shook her head. She would have laughed if the situation wasn’t so dangerous.

  ‘I’ll set up camp,’ Hudson said.

  ‘All right,’ said Sonja. ‘I’ll go check in. Mario, don’t let yourself be seen with us.’

  ‘It’s OK,’ he said. ‘I’ve established a daily routine. I go for a walk past the campground – I spoke to some Australians who were here yesterday – and then to the village. Tema’s probably telling Peves I’m trolling for young girls.’

  Hudson was unfolding the roof-top tent from the Land Rover, behind them. ‘Makes sense to have a cover based on truth.’

  ‘What did you say, Brand?’

  Hudson lowered the ladder support of the tent to the ground and wiped his hands on his shorts.

  ‘I said you’re a cocksucker, Mario.’

  Mario started towards him, but Sonja stepped in front of him and put her hand up on his chest. ‘Stop.’ She looked over her shoulder. ‘And you zip it as well, mister. Sheesh, it’s like dealing with two little boys.’

  Sonja could see that Mario was seething. He’d been able to brush off his beating from Tema, but the animosity between him and Hudson was palpable. She’d tried to draw Hudson out, on the long drive, but he’d refused to give any details about his history with his one-time fellow officer. ‘Go for your walk, Mario. Ask around in the village, see what they think of Peves, the new lord of the manor here.’

  Mario and Hudson glared at each other for a few seconds, then Mario continued on his way.

  Sonja walked down to the reception area and found a barman who took her booking for the camping site. She asked if the owner was around and was told he was at his residence, but would be at the lodge later.

  ‘We have a problem with our Land Rover. I’d really like to talk to him now, if I can, to see if he can recommend a mechanic. Can you take me to him, please?’

  ‘OK, madam,’ the barman said.

  Sonja followed him along a path that led away from the beachfront suites. They walked past a couple of small thatched bandas with sun beds. The clear waters of Lake Tanganyika looked cool and inviting after the long hot drive in Brand’s un-airconditioned vehicle, but Sonja’s first priorities were Tema, and the mission.

  The path meandered through a stand of reeds and emerged at a beach that was smaller, but just as pristine as the one in front of the lodge. Set back from the sand, flanked by watered green lawns, was a lovely, single-storey whitewashed house.

  On the beach in front was a thatched banda and under it Tema reclined on a sun bed. A multicoloured cocktail topped by a little umbrella rested in the shade on a carved wooden side table.

  Tema, her young body brilliantly framed by a starkly white bikini, lowered her big sunglasses and regarded Sonja. She gave no sign of recognising her, but set down her copy of Vogue magazine and started tapping something on her phone.

  Sonja bit her lower lip to stop from laughing.

  Nikola Pesev came out of his house wearing swimming trunks and a blue T-shirt. Sonja recognised him from the pictures. He raised a hand to shield his eyes against the glare from the lake and the white sand. ‘Hello?’

  ‘Howzit,’ Sonja said, ‘I’m sorry to bother you at your home, but I need some help. We’ve got a problem with our vehicle.’

  ‘Hello. There are no problems here at the Paradise Bay Lodge.Please, come in.’

  ‘Hi there,’ Tema called from her sun bed. ‘Is that a South African accent I detect?’

  ‘Ja,’ Sonja said, laying it on. ‘We’re from Nelspruit, here on holiday.’

  ‘O. M. G. I’m from Hazyview.’

  ‘No ways,’ Sonja said.

  Tema got off the sun bed and Sonja noticed the way Nikola’s eyes followed every sway of those hips.

  ‘Howzit, I’m Beauty Baloyi,’ Tema said, using her cover name.

  ‘Ursula Schmidt.’ Sonja had used her favourite aunt’s name often when working in similar situations.

  ‘Lekker to meet you.’

  ‘Come in, come in,’ Nikola said. ‘It’s not every day I get the company of two damsels in distress.’

  ‘You’re in trouble?’ Sonja asked.

  Tema rolled her eyes. ‘Long story. Man problems.’

  ‘Can I get you a cold drink?’ Nikola asked Sonja. Tema held up her cocktail to show Nikola she was still fine.

  ‘A Coke Zero would be great if you have one.’ Sonja took off the grime- and dust-encrusted baseball cab she’d been wearing.

  ‘Nothing stronger?’

  ‘Well, if you happen to have Klipdrift?’

  ‘Ha! Brandy and Coke, the national drink of South Africa.’

  Sonja laughed. Peves seemed charming and convivial. When he turned and went to a heavy wooden sideboard that served as a bar, Sonja raised her eyebrows in a question to Tema.

  He’s nice, Tema mouthed.

  Sonja wasn’t so ready to judge Peves by the way he presented himself to a couple of women. All Paterson had been able to tell them about his sexual preferences was that he was straight. He’d been married in the past and had relationships with two fellow UN co-workers, both of them African. He was believed to be single at the present time.

  ‘So what’s the problem with your vehicle, Ursula?’

  ‘We’ve had a couple of punctures so we need two new tyres, and there’s a problem with the steering.’

  ‘Ah,’ he said. ‘Are you heading down the lake?’

  ‘Yes, back towards Zambia, then Zimbabwe, Botswana and home to South Africa.’

  ‘The next large town is Sumbawanga. There’s a good tyre place there and a couple of mechanics. I can have my workshop guys take a look at it for you if you wish?’

  ‘That would be great. Can I ask, what’s your accent? You don’t sound like you’re African.’

  He smiled and handed her a drink. ‘In my heart and soul I am, but, no, you’re right. I’m from Macedonia. I came here with the UN, and after buying this lodge I’m just about to retire.’

  ‘You look very young to retire.’

  ‘Ha, thank you. You’re too kind. I’ve had a good working life and I like to think I’ve done my bit. But now the rest of my life is for me.’

  Sonja looked to Tema. ‘You must love living here.’

  Tema shook her head. ‘Oh, no. I’m not staying here. I’m actually sort of in transit. It’s complicated.’

  ‘If you’d like to explain over dinner, perhaps you’d like to join my boyfriend and me. Nikola, do you eat with the guests?’

  He sipped a sparkling water he’d poured from a Perrier bottle. ‘I am still new enough to the hospitality business that I love meeting new people and dining with my guests. My friends who work in hotels and safari lodges tell me I will tire of this, but for now I am enjoying it.’

  ‘Great, then if you’d like to be our guests, Mike and I would love to buy you dinner.’

  ‘I eat for free every night,’ Nikola said, ‘but I accept your kind offer. Perhaps I can bring the wine.’

  ‘Lovely,’ Sonja said. ‘It’s a date. Now, if I could take you up on your offer to get your workshop man to . . .’

  Nikola’s phone rang. He answered it, in Russian, and said a few words.

  ‘Excuse me,’ he said to Sonja.

  ‘Sure,’ Nikola turned his back on her, walking deeper into the room. Sonja took out her iPhone, found the voice recorder app and hit the red button. She put the phone down on the bar, behind the bottle of brandy, and dropped her baseball cap on top so that it partially covered it. She walked out, motioning with a flick of her head for Tema to come with h
er. They left Nikola in private.

  ‘Is that Russian?’ Tema asked.

  ‘It is.’

  ‘Wow.’

  ‘Why wow?’ Sonja asked.

  ‘I mean, we knew from the briefing that he can speak Russian, and now he is, just like the leader of the Scorpions.’

  ‘This is all still conjecture,’ Sonja said, taking Tema by the elbow and leading her further away from Nikola’s bungalow. ‘He could be talking about anything.’

  ‘Will you be able to translate what he’s saying, from your phone recording?’

  Sonja shook her head. She tipped most of her drink onto the sand. She needed to keep a clear head. ‘No, but I’ll find someone who can. Paterson flies in later today. He’s got all the electronic surveillance gear so we can plant a proper bug and if Peves does some more talking we’ll have more material to work with.’

  ‘I sent James a WhatsApp message when you arrived, updating him. He also knows I’m here in the house.’

  ‘Good work,’ Sonja said. She liked Tema’s initiative and thought she had done a good job getting so close to the target so soon, even if it did increase the risk to her. ‘What have you been able to find out so far?’

  ‘Well, like I said, he is actually a very nice man. Not sleazy, like Mario.’

  ‘Did Mario hurt you, Tema?’

  ‘I hurt him.’

  Sonja nodded. ‘And Peves?’

  Tema shrugged. ‘If he wants me he hasn’t made a play for me yet.’

  Sonja looked her up and down. ‘You’re not exactly playing the shrinking violet.’

  Tema winked at her. ‘Well, I think he likes looking at me. I’m not going to have sex with him, not even for the mission, in case that’s what you’re thinking.’

  ‘Absolutely not,’ Sonja assured her. ‘And don’t. I’ll get you out before that happens.’ Sonja had been in that situation herself, when she was a young undercover operative for the British Army in Northern Ireland, tracking a dangerous IRA bomber. She wouldn’t wish that predicament on anyone.

  ‘He ducks away every now and then to make calls, but never in front of me, nor does he seem to like to take calls in front of his staff.’

  ‘Anyone visited the house?’

  ‘No, just me. From what I’ve seen he’s very hands-on in the management of the lodge, very particular. He was showing the waiters how to measure the distances between knives, forks and spoons and the plates this morning. I got him talking about his time in the UN.’

  ‘And?’

  Tema shrugged. ‘He was very passionate about the UNHCR and the work they do with refugees. He’s also worked for their education arm, UNICEF. He says he’s enjoyed travelling all over Africa but wants to settle down now.’

  ‘Signs of wealth?’

  ‘I took a walk around. He does OK, very, in fact. He’s got a Range Rover, late model, out in a garage behind the workshop, and a Discovery 4 kitted out like a safari vehicle, so he’s got money. He’s also got a fishing boat and a luxury motor cruiser, and a couple of jetskis. He offers snorkelling and diving trips and he told me he likes driving the boats himself. He’s offered to take me out, but I don’t know if I can handle it after the trip over. I almost lost my lunch.’

  ‘Do it,’ Sonja ordered. ‘If you can keep him out on the water for a few hours, say, tomorrow morning, it will give Hudson and me time to plant the bugs and have a good look through this place.’

  ‘He’s coming,’ Tema whispered.

  ‘Sorry about that,’ he said, putting his phone in his pocket. ‘I hate to keep a lady, or ladies, waiting. Shall we go to the workshop, Ursula? I can introduce you to my mechanic.’

  ‘Sure.’ Sonja started to walk ahead, then stopped. ‘Oops, sorry, I think I left my hat inside.’

  ‘Let me get it for you,’ Nikola said.

  ‘I’m closer,’ Tema said quickly. ‘Do you remember where you put it?’

  ‘On the bar, I think,’ Sonja said. The girl was fast thinking.

  ‘So,’ Sonja said, wanting to keep Nikola engaged, ‘my boyfriend and I wanted to stop at Katavi National Park on the way down here but I was worried about the vehicle. I’ve heard it’s pretty remote and the tsetse flies are bad, and so is the poaching. What do you think, Nikola? Should we have risked it?’

  ‘Well the tsetses are murder there. As for the poaching, yes, it happens. It’s something that sickens me, the amount of elephant ivory poaching here in Tanzania. It’s dire in the Selous National Park and spreading around the country. It’s unspeakable; I don’t know how anyone could kill an elephant.’

  ‘Well, in South Africa, in our Kruger Park, the authorities say there are too many elephants and they should be culled. Same in Zimbabwe. We stopped in Hwange National Park on the way up and you should see the damage to the environment that too many elephants have caused.’

  Nikola smiled, but shook his head. He wasn’t taking the bait. ‘Call me romantic, but I think we must find a way to live with nature, to make room for those elephants to move. The peace parks initiatives down your way need more time to work before we even contemplate deliberately killing such beautiful animals.’

  ‘Here you are.’ Tema returned and handed Sonja her hat, with the phone wrapped inside.

  ‘Beauty, do you want to come with us for a walk?’

  ‘I think I’ll just stay here, maybe move inside into the shade and read, if it’s OK with you, Nikola?’

  ‘Fine.’

  As Nikola led off Tema caught Sonja’s eye and winked.

  Be careful, Sonja mouthed.

  *

  The sight of James wincing as he put his shirt on gave Julianne another little tingle of satisfaction. ‘I didn’t hurt you too much, did I?’

  Reclining on the bed, Julianne caught sight of herself in the full-length mirror. The corset she’d brought with her to Tanzania, just for this sort of play, enhanced her figure nicely.

  ‘I thought that was the point, Jules?’ He pulled up his underpants.

  ‘I love that you indulge the sadist in me, but you get your turn, sometimes.’

  He gave a little sneer as he zipped up his chinos. It was how they played. She would dominate him, tie him up, tease him, hurt him, and then there would come a point when the roles were reversed. He would unleash the beast inside him; Julianne would let him know when she was ready, and then it would be done. But there was no time for that now; he had a plane to catch. Julianne enjoyed the thought of him leaving knowing she’d had the last word.

  She leaned over the side of the bed to where she’d dropped the riding crop, picked it up, then got up on her knees and flexed it in both hands. ‘Whether Nikola Pesev is the head of the Scorpions or not, I want that lakeside real estate of his. I need it if we’re going to expand the chimp camp in Mahale.’

  ‘You don’t have to tell me again,’ James said.

  She reached out a hand to him and he came to her, took it, and kissed her fingers. The smell of their sex was on her. She raised the crop with her other hand and touched the leather end of it under his chin, tilting up James’s face. ‘I know, James. Just make him an offer he can’t refuse.’

  ‘You know me.’

  Julianne pulled him closer. ‘Yes, I do, you’re irresistible.’

  He leaned over and kissed her. ‘I need to go.’

  ‘I know you do, my love.’

  ‘My love?’

  She could feel her cheeks turning red. Damn. ‘It slipped out.’

  ‘Do you, Jules?’

  ‘Do I what?’ She knew very well what he meant.

  The ceiling fan above the four-poster bed turned slowly, stirring the mosquito net. Outside, beyond the balcony, Africa stretched away, beautiful, wild, yet dangerous.

  ‘Do you love me?’ he asked.

  ‘You know our deal.’

  ‘Yes, I do.
We’re colleagues first, you are my superior and I am your head of security and, of late, new business development.’

  ‘Yes, and while you have also become my lover . . .’

  ‘We will not fall in love. I remember the rules,’ he said. ‘I was in the army, I’m good at following orders.’

  He pulled away from her and Julianne slumped back against the bedhead. ‘And then I go and call you “my love”.’

  James laced his boots. ‘Is it that bad?’

  Julianne ran a hand through her hair. ‘I kind of like the sound of it. Just don’t ask me to marry you, all right?’

  ‘I don’t like taking no for an answer so I rarely ask a question I don’t already know the answer to,’ James said. He stood.

  ‘Thank you. I mean, I’m not saying that one day if someone asked me that question I would automatically say no, but . . . well . . .’ The control she’d felt just a few minutes earlier was slipping away. She was freefalling and her stomach lurched.

  ‘I know what you mean, Jules. We didn’t set out to become lovers or fall in love, but these things happen. I work for you, and I like my job. I see it as something more, in fact. It’s a rush, what you do, what we do.’

  Julianne took a deep breath to steady herself. Yes, a rush. She blew him a kiss. ‘Travel safe.’

  James walked out the door, then paused and looked back at her. ‘I’ll deliver Nikola Pesev, one way or another. I know what you want.’

  She nodded. Julianne got what she wanted in life, every time, no matter what it took.

  Chapter 23

  Hudson sat at the bar in the lounge area of the lodge, nursing a Kilimanjaro Lager and checking his emails on his phone.

  His WhatsApp beeped and a message popped up from Captain Sannie van Rensburg. I have questions. Are you on?

  He replied. Yes, and wi-fi works here. Talk?

  Her voice call came through a few seconds later.

  ‘Howzit?’

  ‘Lekker, sort of, how’s Tanzania?’ She pronounced the second half of the country’s name to rhyme with ‘mania’, in the way most South Africans did. Locals, he had learned, pronounced the zania as ‘zan-ear’.

  ‘Nice. Roads are rubbish, though.’