Blood Trail

by Tony Park

  ‘You cannot keep saying or thinking that, Mia. It has happened. Laura is gone, as are the tracks of the men we have been following and searching for. It is their magic.’

  ‘Bongani . . .’

  ‘No, listen to me, Mia. You have to understand. Something is affecting us, or hampering us, and it is not our lack of skills, or bad luck, or anything like that. Think about it. We were both ill.’

  ‘That’s got nothing to do . . .’

  He held her gaze.

  ‘Really?’

  Bongani shrugged. ‘Do you think it was just a coincidence?’

  ‘I did, but do you think it’s possible we were deliberately poisoned, by someone working for the poachers?’

  He nodded emphatically. ‘I am certain of it.’

  ‘That doesn’t explain this afternoon . . . I was feeling fine after a bit of rest, weren’t you?’

  ‘No,’ Bongani said, ‘my heart was heavy.’

  Mia tried to concentrate on the tracks again, on tangible evidence. How did a person, a girl, disappear into thin air?

  Mia snapped her fingers. ‘Air!’

  ‘What about it?’

  Mia pointed up to the sky. ‘Thin air. Laura disappeared into thin air.’

  He blinked at her. ‘I don’t understand.’

  Mia unclipped the radio from her belt. ‘Sean, Sean this is Mia, over.’

  She waited a few moments then tried again.

  ‘Mia, this is Sean. Go.’

  Mia smiled at Bongani. ‘Sean, we need to talk to Julianne’s helicopter pilot.’

  *

  Sannie and Sean, along with his anti-poaching rangers, made it back to the spot where Laura had disappeared just as the sun set.

  Sannie was relieved to see her crime scene investigation unit pull up, finally.

  ‘Sorry, we got lost on the way,’ the sergeant in charge said to her.

  Sannie hid her annoyance. ‘No problem. Just get to work, please.’

  Another vehicle from Kaya Nghala Lodge had arrived to collect Julianne and Sue who, despite initially insisting that she stay on the scene, agreed to be taken to her accommodation after she began feeling faint and nearly collapsed. Sannie had taken statements from Elizabeth and Samantha, then allowed them to go home from the lodge.

  ‘What’s all this about the helicopter pilot?’ Sannie asked as she, Sean, Mia and Bongani came together in the light cast by Mia’s Land Rover’s headlights.

  ‘Mike,’ Sean said. ‘He’s new, a temporary replacement, as it happens. He only started a month or so ago. Rick, the normal pilot, came down with bad food poisoning and ended up in hospital in Joburg. After he recovered, he couldn’t cross the provincial border back into Mpumalanga to come back to work. Mike showed up out of the blue, looking for work.’

  ‘I saw the chopper touch down, briefly, while we were chasing the poacher,’ Mia said, ‘after I had shot that guy.’

  ‘Yes,’ Sannie said. ‘Sean and I also saw that. It wasn’t far from us. He said he’d seen something, a flash of colour that caught his eye.’

  ‘It was a plastic bag,’ Sean said for Mia’s benefit.

  ‘And then?’ Mia asked.

  ‘Then he took Phillip and his dog, Askari, outside the reserve, where an ambulance collected them. After that he returned to his search,’ Sean said.

  Mia looked to both of them. ‘The action all took place so close to the perimeter fence that it would only take him a minute or two to come and go from the reserve.’

  ‘Plenty of time to fly a poacher out, as well,’ Sannie said.

  ‘He took his sweet time getting to us in the first place,’ Sean said.

  Mia nodded. ‘Meaning that while we were tracking the two guys with the impala, the helicopter could have been picking up Laura and our disappearing old guy.’

  Chapter 15

  The police crime scene investigation unit set up under floodlights, with much tutting and muttering about the number of people who had trampled the area where Laura had last been seen. Sannie did not hold out much hope that they would discover anything useful.

  She decided to drive to Kaya Nghala Lodge. Sean Bourke travelled with her and made a couple of calls to try to ascertain the whereabouts of Julianne Clyde-Smith’s relief helicopter pilot. He ended a call.

  ‘That was Alison Byrne,’ he said to Sannie, ‘Julianne’s super-efficient lodge manager. She says Mike flew to Nelspruit this morning, to the local airfield there, where some avionics guy was going to fix his radio, which wasn’t working properly. He returned this afternoon, as we saw, then picked up my dog, Benny, from my house and dropped him with my guys, out in the field. However, he’s now on his way to Nelspruit to fix something else. She’s given me his cell phone number.’

  Sean put his phone on speaker and dialled the pilot. The number went through to a computer-generated voicemail, giving the number of Mike’s phone.

  ‘We need to talk to this guy, ASAP,’ Sannie said.

  ‘Seems like it,’ Sean said.

  ‘The poacher was heading west when we lost him,’ Sannie said, thinking aloud. ‘I’m going to find some more officers and go to Killarney. We’ll see if anyone saw anything.’

  ‘Let me know if I can help,’ Sean said.

  Sean and Sannie arrived at Kaya Nghala, and Sannie parked in a visitor’s spot near the thatched portico. They got out of the car and nodded to Mia and Bongani, who were standing, waiting, by their Land Rover. In the reception area, they spotted Julianne leading Sue Barker, now wrapped in a blanket, into her office. A few moments later, Julianne emerged from the office alone. ‘She’s calling her husband. I think she’s in shock.’

  Sannie nodded. ‘I need the full name of your helicopter pilot and his date of birth.’

  Julianne ran a hand through her hair. ‘I’ll have Audrey print out his employment record. Do you think he’s in on it?’

  ‘Maybe,’ Sannie said. Julianne spotted Mia outside and called her over to join them.

  ‘Yes?’ Mia said.

  ‘The captain wants to talk to Mike, the new helicopter pilot. Was he involved in your contact with the poacher this morning?’

  ‘It was Mia who came up with the theory that the pilot may be involved,’ Sannie said.

  Julianne nodded. ‘Good work, Mia.’

  ‘Mike was in Nelspruit this morning. He took off at dawn, as we were leaving to go on our game drive,’ Mia said.

  Sannie took out her notebook and started writing.

  ‘Could Mike have touched down and picked up the poacher and taken him away this morning?’

  ‘I think it’s possible,’ Mia said. ‘The bush was quite thick where we lost him, and we got sidetracked, following a second man. Mike was supposed to be in Nelspruit by then, but who knows if he actually went?’

  Sannie looked up. ‘Could he have landed, though, if there was no open space?’

  ‘He wouldn’t have needed to,’ Julianne said. ‘I had the Robinson, the chopper, fitted with a winch and a jungle penetrator, at Sean’s suggestion. The penetrator looks like a little bomb on the end of a cable, but it has four flaps that fold out so an anti-poaching ranger, and a dog if required, can be lowered or extracted through the treetop canopy.’

  ‘I’m afraid that’s true,’ Sean said, ‘it was my idea, but I didn’t think it’d be used to help criminals get away.’

  ‘So, the pilot could have extracted the poacher, and not even have left much evidence on the ground, like wind-blown debris or what-what-what?’ Sannie said.

  Julianne nodded. ‘Exactly.’

  ‘Alfred was following a poacher who also seemingly disappeared,’ Mia said. ‘When a rhino was killed, three or four weeks ago.’

  ‘Alfred?’ Sannie said.

  ‘One of our other senior rangers,’ Mia said. ‘He claimed it was the poacher’s muthi
that turned him into water so that he could not be recognised. The chopper was up during that contact, helping us look for the guy. And Captain . . .?’

  Sannie looked up. ‘Yes, Mia?’

  ‘It could be a coincidence, but Bongani and I both came down with food poisoning earlier this afternoon. It was only a mild dose, but it might be worth us checking the source of the former pilot’s poisoning.’

  Julianne had her phone out. She dialled a number and waited. ‘Audrey? I need our new helicopter pilot’s full name, date of birth, contact details – everything you have on him.’

  A camouflaged anti-poaching vehicle pulled up outside under the portico and Sean went out to meet it. On board were Oscar and Graham, and another man in the back of the vehicle, with a dog. As soon as the black and tan Malinois jumped out and ran to Sean Sannie recognised it as Benny, Sean’s personal dog. Sean spoke to the men, took something from one of them, then came back inside, with Benny trotting happily alongside him.

  ‘Anything new?’ Julianne asked, a mix of hope and desperation plain in the question.

  ‘Yes and no,’ Sean said. ‘Oscar and Graham said Mike was in a hurry to get away from the reserve after he dropped Benny off to them. Get the mother for me, please.’

  ‘I’ll go,’ Mia said. She walked towards Julianne’s office.

  Sean held out a woollen beanie. ‘Benny found this, near the waterhole where we lost the second guy, in that clearing where the chopper touched down.’

  Hearing his name, the dog looked up at them.

  ‘One of the other handlers took Benny to the termite mound, where Laura was last seen,’ Sean said, ‘and he went crazy, indicating all over the place. He had her jacket to work off.’

  ‘And then?’ Julianne pressed him.

  ‘They followed the trail to where Mia killed the one guy, then further on, and Benny picked up the girl’s scent again near where the chopper landed, and found the beanie.’

  ‘So, if the poachers didn’t have Laura they at least took her beanie?’

  Sean shrugged. ‘Looks like it.’

  ‘To fool the dog, maybe, with a false trail?’ Sannie realised they couldn’t wait around until they got all the details on the helicopter pilot and started an official criminal record check. She moved a few paces away from the others, took out her phone and called Henk de Beer in Nelspruit.

  ‘Henk, there’s a chopper heading for the general aviation airfield at Nelspruit. I need you to send a car there and pick up the pilot for me. The helo belongs to Lion Plains Game Reserve.’

  ‘Jissus, but we’re busy, Sannie. Is it urgent?’

  ‘This is important, Henk. We’ve got another missing kid, Laura Barker, a Brit.’

  Sannie could hear a sigh down the phone line. ‘All right, then, you’ve got it, Sannie.’

  ‘Thanks, Henk. I owe you. Call me when you have the guy. I need to talk to him, as soon as possible.’

  ‘Hundred per cent. Oh, and I meant to say this morning, I’m sorry about Tom. We’re all praying for you.’

  The good thing, Sannie thought, about being busy in this crazy time, was that for a few seconds every now and then, she did forget. Of course, that just made it harder when someone said something nice.

  ‘Thanks, Henk. Let me know how you get on with the pilot.’

  ‘Will do.’

  Sannie ended the call and then dialled her son Christo’s cell phone.

  ‘Hi, Mom.’

  She heard gunfire in the background, but assumed it was Call of Duty. ‘How are you, my boy, and how’s Tommy?’ Sannie saw movement out of the corner of her eye; Mia escorted Sue Barker to Sean, who was showing her the beanie.

  ‘Ja, I’m fine, Mom. Tommy went to bed early. He’s not so good, you know. Crying again. I made him dinner.’

  Sannie closed her eyes; Christo’s words pierced her. ‘Thank you, my angel, you’re a good brother. I’m tied up on a case and I’m about to make my way to Killarney. I don’t know when I’ll get home.’

  ‘No problem, Mom.’

  ‘You sure you’re OK?’

  ‘We’re fine, Mom. Bye.’

  Sannie ended the call. Mia was leading Sue back into the lodge. Sean walked over to her.

  ‘The beanie?’ Sannie asked.

  ‘Laura’s,’ Sean confirmed. ‘Did you say you want to go to Killarney?’

  She checked her watch. ‘I do.’

  ‘Then let me and Benny ride along,’ Sean said.

  Sannie pursed her lips. ‘You don’t have any authority outside the reserve, Sean.’

  He let a small grin escape. ‘Hasn’t stopped me chasing poachers there before.’

  ‘Ja, no, well, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. Fine. But I call the shots, OK?’

  ‘OK. This poacher got away somehow – even if we don’t know how. I’ll have my guys and the other dog and handler, when they get here, keep checking this side of the perimeter fence, though it’s dangerous for the dog at night with leopards and lions and such around.’

  ‘Worse for Laura.’

  ‘True. I’d love to know how these guys are getting in and out. If it’s that chopper pilot I’ll moer him myself.’

  ‘Well, someone from the organised crime division in Nelspruit should be questioning him soon.’

  They made for the entrance as Mia returned and intercepted them. ‘Where are you going?’

  ‘Killarney,’ Sannie said.

  ‘Bongani and I will come with.’

  ‘No,’ Sean and Sannie said in unison.

  ‘We can’t just sit around here twiddling our thumbs. Bongani’s from Killarney; he’s well respected there. People will be more likely to talk to him than you, Captain.’

  Bongani joined them. ‘Let us come with you, Captain.’

  ‘No,’ Sannie said again.

  Bongani looked to Mia. ‘We have information,’ he said.

  Mia looked up at the thatched roof and Sannie noticed her cheeks colour. ‘What is it, Mia?’

  Mia shot Bongani a disapproving glance, then turned back to Sannie. ‘There’s a young man.’

  ‘What young man?’ Sannie asked, impatient.

  ‘When our volunteer, Sara, was wounded in the attack this morning, we tracked two poachers. They both got away, but I got a look at one of them.’

  ‘He is just a boy,’ Bongani said. ‘We planned on going to visit him in Killarney, to get him to tell us about the poacher who has been eluding us. Then all this happened.’

  ‘This boy might be able to give us some information,’ said Sannie. ‘What’s his name?’

  ‘I don’t know,’ Mia said, too quickly for Sannie’s liking, and she noticed the funny look Bongani gave Mia.

  Sannie had no time for games. She would get the name from her, but they needed to get moving. Mia was probably right, as well, Sannie thought, about the benefit of having Bongani with them to help put the community more at ease. ‘Very well, follow us, Mia, but you are to point this young man out to us, or take us straight to him.’

  ‘Yes, Captain.’ Mia jogged off to her Land Rover before Sannie could admonish her further.

  Sannie drove through the night with Sean and Benny the dog, who, with his head out the window and tongue lolling, barked at an elephant when Sannie stopped to let it cross the road. At least someone was having fun, she thought.

  Sannie gripped the steering wheel hard. Driving after dark in the bush posed extra dangers, because animals could wander out onto the road without warning. The speed limit was there for a reason, but she again felt her patience wavering. When they exited the gate she pressed the accelerator pedal into the floor as she changed gears. Sean, she noticed, was holding on to the armrest.

  Ten minutes later she slowed as they entered the village of Killarney. A dog barked at their approach, but other than that there was no sign of movemen
t on the darkened street. Mia and Bongani had been hanging back in their open vehicle, to avoid Sannie’s dust, and she waited for them to catch up.

  ‘Do you know the boy’s house?’ Sannie asked as they pulled up alongside her.

  ‘Third on the right,’ Bongani said, ‘the one with the blue door. He’s a strange child; they call him “the snake boy”.’

  ‘Snake boy?’ Sannie said. As she suspected, Bongani and Mia knew exactly who their prospective quarry was. Sannie recalled her interview with the girl, Sonto. ‘Is his name Sipho?’

  ‘Yes. You know of him?’ Bongani asked. Sannie nodded. ‘He collects reptiles. Most of us are terrified of snakes, but this boy likes them.’

  ‘He’s got a pangolin in there somewhere as well,’ Mia said. ‘He was carrying it this morning.’

  ‘Great,’ Sannie replied. ‘We can probably take him in for questioning based on the pangolin alone.’

  ‘Let’s leave the vehicles here,’ Sean suggested. ‘Go in quietly.’

  They got out and Sannie drew her Z88 pistol from its holster. Sean clipped a lead to Benny’s tracking collar. Mia and Bongani followed them as they moved quietly down the street.

  ‘Take Benny around the back, Sean,’ Sannie whispered, ‘in case anyone inside makes a run for it.’

  A dog somewhere nearby started barking, perhaps catching Benny’s scent. The noise set off a rooster from the yard of the house next to the one with the blue door.

  Sannie went up to the tin door and banged on it. ‘Police, open up!’

  Sannie heard a noise inside, like scuffling feet, then the squeak of another door opening somewhere. She tried the handle in front of her; the door was locked so she rammed it with her shoulder. It was solid, so she stepped back half a pace and shot the lock, then kicked it open.

  ‘Benny!’ Sean called from the rear of the house. ‘Rim hom!’

  It was the command, Sannie knew, for the dog to attack. As soon as she stepped into the small house, however, her pace was checked by the sight of a Mozambican spitting cobra rearing up at her from the floor, its hood flared.

  Sannie had the presence of mind to turn her head to one side and bring up an arm as she took a step back and collided with Mia and Bongani. ‘Snake!’