Tall, Dark and Deadly

by Madeline Harper

  “Hippos,” she called out. “Look, Alex! There’re hippos feeding.” She was suddenly a tourist again, and she wanted to get closer. “This is fantastic,” she said as she began to back paddle.

  “Head for the opposite bank,” Alex ordered.

  She turned toward him. “No, I want to see the hippos—”

  “Don’t argue with me, Dana. Just paddle.”

  “But people don’t see this kind of thing outside a zoo, and we’re so close. They’re not dangerous like crocs—”

  “Do as I say.” Alex was shouting now. “Those cows have calves, and they’re protective as hell.”

  Just then more hippos materialized from under the muddy water. Less fascinating now, they seemed gigantic to Dana, powerful and awesome. Their sudden roars filled the air, and their great mouths opened, as cavernous as horrible, fleshy dungeons. They shook their heads from side to side, spewing river water in great shining arcs that glistened eerily in the sun.

  Dana needed no further urging. She dug her paddle into the water, finding renewed strength as she kept in rhythm with Alex and headed toward the sandbar where a dead tree had lodged. It could provide a screen between them and the feeding hippos.

  But Dana’s hesitation had cost precious time, enough for one of the four-ton cows to come bellowing angrily through the water toward them. The hippo’s roar was deafening, the power of her body terrifying. Huge waves rocked the canoe in her wake. While Dana and Alex fought to hold steady, the waves hit them broadside, splashing into the shallow boat. For a moment Dana was sure they would swamp, but she kept paddling even as the muscles in her shoulders and arms screamed out in pain, even as the huge beast closed in on them.

  Then they reached the fallen tree and slipped the canoe into a narrow channel between it and the sandbar. The cow’s way was blocked, and she bellowed once more in warning, impotently, and then turned and lumbered back toward her calves, now on the opposite bank.

  Dana relaxed but only until Alex yelled out more orders to her. “Keep on paddling. We want to get as far out of their range as possible.”

  The hippos thrashed in the water and roared out their territorial rights, but there were no more charges. Alex and Dana guided the canoe around one bend and then another with the sounds of the animals fading in the distance.

  Finally, she dropped the paddle in the boat, relaxed her tense shoulder and let out a deep shaky breath of relief. “I had no idea that hippos were so dangerous.”

  “They didn’t look it at first, did they? Appearances again, eh, Dana? Just because they seem harmless in a zoo doesn’t mean they are. A hippo can make splinters out of small boats. They’re as deadly as crocs.”

  Dana shivered under the bright sun. Nothing in Africa was harmless, she decided. Danger was all around, lurking in wait for the uninitiated tourist. Well, she was a tourist no longer. A traveler, not a sightseer.

  “Pick up the paddle again,” Alex advised after a moment. “We still have a long way to go.”

  Dana nodded, but she’d lost her concentration. She was tired. No, not tired, exhausted. She couldn’t lift the paddle one more time; she couldn’t even think. She shut her eyes, only for a moment, hoping to regain her momentum. But it was no good. She was finished for the day, and if Alex had any compassion at all, he would let her stop.

  “Alex—” That was all she got out as a sudden jolt shook the boat. Her lapse of concentration caused them to collide with a heavy log. The impact sent them spinning toward the bank, and when she leaned over to steady the boat with her paddle, the center of gravity suddenly shifted. Water taken on in the hippo attack sloshed to her side, and Dana slipped over, tipping the canoe with her. She didn’t even have time to call out as she found herself sliding into the Lomami River, followed by Alex and a canoe full of supplies.

  Chapter Five

  Dana felt the river rush over her. She gasped, held her breath and struggled frantically for air. Overhead, she could see light through the murky water. She fought to get there, to breathe again.

  Finally, she broke the surface, inhaled deeply and looked around, her mind filled with images. Hippos with gaping mouths. Crocodiles with slashing teeth. She’d seen them before, fought to flee them. Now she was in the water where they lived. She was in their territory, and her only desire was to get away, get to dry land.

  She began to swim through the thick tepid water, grimy and filled with weeds. The shore wasn’t that far away. She could make it. Then she saw Alex. He’d managed to grab the canoe, hold on and keep it from drifting away.

  “Dana,” he called out. “Help me right the canoe.”

  Still frantic to get out of the water and onto the shore, she forced herself to swim toward him instead.

  “Get on this side,” he ordered, “and we can turn it over easily.” She did as she was told, and with their combined weight, the boat was upright. Luckily, most of their plastic-wrapped supplies were still lashed inside.

  “Good job,” he said. She had managed to stay afloat, even though exhaustion was closing in on her. “Collect the rest of the supplies, and I’ll tow the canoe to shore.”

  Bundles wrapped in plastic floated all around them, and Dana realized that this time she wasn’t going to obey his command. “No way,” she said adamantly. “I’m not risking another minute in this slimy river waiting to be eaten by a croc or a hippo. I’ll tow the boat, get it ashore and unload. You go after the supplies.”

  Just a few feet from him, frantically treading water, she watched in amazement as he began to laugh. She would never understand him. Never.

  “Alex—”

  “Go ahead, tow it,” he said as he shook his head, flipped away the water and swam after the rest of their supplies.

  Left to prove herself, Dana reached for the rope on the bow of the canoe, grabbed hold and began to swim with one-armed strokes, awkwardly pulling the canoe behind her. Finally she reached the shore, and as her feet found the bottom, she dragged the little boat behind her. Sinking deep into the mud, she slowly crawled ashore.

  For a long moment she lay collapsed on the bank, still holding tightly to the rope. Finally she struggled to her feet and wrapped the rope around the trunk of a rotted tree. Once the canoe was secured, she looked out to the river and saw Alex swimming after the other supplies. Even though she really wanted to crawl into a safe place and sleep, Dana knew she had to do her part. She was responsible for the accident; the least she could do now was to complete her assignment.

  She began to unload, pulling out the contents, unwrapping the plastic coverings and spreading everything out on the bank to dry under the hot sun. Among the supplies was her backpack, including her father’s notes and her tape recorder. Alex had insisted she wrap the pack under her seat in the canoe. He’d been right, she admitted as she removed the tape recorder, clicked it on and found to her relief that the battery was still working. She might be able to record some of the Mgembe language—if they found the Pygmies. If they weren’t captured first. And if they could stay alive....

  After she finished unloading, Dana looked out at the river, expecting to see Alex’s dark head bobbing along in the river.

  He wasn’t there. He seemed to have vanished around a bend in the river. Her heart caught in her throat. She didn’t trust him, but she needed him, and she didn’t want him to die—or to escape alone, if that was his agenda.

  Dana rushed to the edge of the river and peered downstream. No Alex. She waded a few steps farther out, trying not to think about the dangers to herself, worrying instead about him. What could have happened? Suddenly she found herself alone—and afraid. She waded even farther. Nothing mattered now, not when she was faced with the possibility of being stranded—alone in an unfamiliar jungle.

  “Alex!” she called out.

  “Missing me already, Dana?”

  She swirled around and saw him coming toward her, striding along the riverbank, carrying their supplies over his shoulder.

  “I was a little concerned,” s
he admitted, adding, “because I need you in order to survive. Like it or not.”

  Alex dropped everything onto the bank. “And the need is mutual—like it or not.”

  Dana tried not to stare at him, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. He stood before her, water dripping from his hair, his chin and down his clothes. His shirt and pants were molded to his body, which only emphasized the muscles of his chest and legs.

  Even wet, he had an undeniable power. It was both physical and emotional, and it was impossible to ignore. Especially here on the desolate riverbank. And since she was the one responsible for putting them in the middle of this situation, Dana said what was on her mind. “I’m sorry. About tipping over the canoe. It was a stupid mistake. I guess the hippos unnerved me.”

  “Forget it,” he said tersely. “It happened. I’m not thrilled about it, but we can deal with the problems. The canoe came through in one piece. I managed to round up almost all the food and supplies.”

  “Almost?”

  “Lost one tent. That’s all.”

  She sighed. It wasn’t so terrible after all. “You’re not angry?” she asked.

  He shrugged. “Sure I am, but that doesn’t help the situation, does it?” He walked to the edge of the river and looked upstream. “I don’t think we can get any farther today, even though I’d like to.”

  Dana didn’t tell him that she couldn’t paddle another yard, much less another mile, whether he’d like to or not.

  “So we’ll make camp, dry off and fix something for dinner.”

  Dry clothes, food—and then sleep. The combination sounded heavenly to Dana.

  Alex handed her a nylon duffel bag. “I expect the clothes in here are dry.”

  “Thanks.” She untied it and pulled out a pair of shorts and a shirt. “Dry as a bone.” As she stood up, she found that he had already begun to undress. She watched openmouthed as he stripped off his shirt, draped it over a tree limb to dry and turned toward her, a half smile on his face.

  Seeing him almost naked was just too much. His upper torso was sleek and tanned with well-delineated muscles and broad shoulders. A dusting of dark hair began on his chest and tapered downward toward his belly button. Her eyes stayed there, even though she willed them to move upward.

  He caught her glance—and made the most of it, reaching for the zipper of his pants.

  Dana backed up a step. “I’ll change somewhere—” She looked around. “Somewhere else.” With that she turned quickly and headed for a tall screen of bushes.

  “You don’t have to run away, Dana,” he called after her. “We can both change here. I’m not a prude—”

  He was right about that, she thought as she trudged on.

  “All right,” he said. “But don’t forget—”

  She stopped. “What?”

  “When you change your socks, be sure and put your shoes back on. There’re lots of snakes around.”

  She stopped short, peering warily into the thick green vegetation. “Poisonous?”

  “About half of them, I imagine, but it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to find out which—”

  “Don’t worry,” Dana said as she looked anxiously around. “I’m getting dressed quickly. I hope you’ll do the same.” She began to unbutton her blouse. Now it had begun, she and Alex alone together in the vastness of the rain forest.

  Just then a troop of monkeys swept by in the trees overhead, screaming out their irritation of the strangers’ intrusion. Dana smiled and pulled off her soaked blouse. Alone, but not totally.

  * * *

  THE FIRE flickered brightly in the black night. They’d made camp, talking only when necessary, and eaten dinner, a meal part fresh but mostly packaged.

  After they finished, Alex cleaned up while Dana, giving in to her exhaustion, stretched out and watched night fall over the river, a swift, impenetrable darkness that descended like a curtain once the sun was down.

  She closed her eyes—just for a moment—and when she opened them, Alex had put up one of their tents. She looked around for the other one and remembered what had happened. They’d lost a tent to the river. At first she hadn’t realized what that meant. Now it was suddenly very clear to her. Tonight—and all of the nights to come—would have to be spent together in a single dwelling.

  She was wary but in a way also relieved to know that they would be close together during the black jungle nights. Right now he and the fire were her only protection. A few feet away the jungle threatened, its sounds magnified in the black night. She moved a little closer as strange calls echoed through the trees and unknown rustlings moved the bushes. Each unfamiliar sound made the hairs along her neck rise and her imagination run wild.

  “Snakes and what else in the bush?” she asked uneasily.

  “Leopard. Water buffalo. Elephant. But they’re as afraid of you as you are of them. They’ll stay out of our way. I’ve always said that the most dangerous predator in the Congo is man.”

  “Kantana, you mean.” Again, she felt the need to move closer to Alex. “He’ll be after us soon, won’t he?”

  Alex shrugged. “Probably. There’s nothing we can do about that now. Except keep going. Stay a step ahead.”

  She looked at his profile in the flickering firelight. Shadows played along the strong planes of his face. He looked handsome—and a little sinister. There was a golden glow about him that was terribly appealing as well as a hardness that made her uncomfortable and wary.

  “Do you ever have regrets, about anything?”

  “I try not to. It serves no purpose,” he answered easily.

  “No regrets about leaving the hotel?”

  His laugh was sardonic. “None. I won the damned place in a card game so I don’t have much invested in it.”

  “In a card game?” she repeated.

  “It’s a long story,” he equivocated.

  “Tell me. After all, we have lots of time, the whole night ahead of us.” Dana knew she was avoiding spending the night in their shared tent, and for good reason. She had shared a small space with him only once before—the closet at the Stanley Hotel. That episode burned in her memory. She and Alex had been pressed against each other, their bodies almost entwined, and her emotions had almost gotten out of hand. She didn’t want to take a chance like that again. So she preferred to stay here, close to him, but in the open next to the fire.

  “I guess that’s true. We can’t go anywhere in the dark of night.” He shifted slightly and settled back against a tree. “I never planned to end up in Porte Ivoire. I followed someone there. A woman.”

  She wasn’t surprised. “A tourist?”

  “No, she was a doctor. I was in North Africa working in import-export when I met Giselle. She had a strong desire to heal the whole world. You’ve probably heard of Médecins sans Frontières—Doctors Without Borders. Giselle was sent through the organization to train medical assistants for Father Theroux’s mission in Porte Ivoire. At about that time, it was suggested that I remove myself from Tunis.”

  “The police threw you out?” Here she was again, Dana thought, face-to-face with more about his unsavory activities.

  “The authorities weren’t pleased with what I was importing—or exporting. So I decided to tag along with Giselle.”

  “Were you in love with her?” She was surprised by the bluntness of her question.

  Alex chuckled. “You’re awfully nosy, Dana.”

  “I didn’t mean—” Just then a scream reverberated through the jungle, and she moved instinctively closer to him.

  “Who is it?” she cried.

  Alex laughed. “Not who, but what. A night bird.”

  “Bird!” Dana couldn’t believe it.

  “They’re noisy creatures,” he said. “So are monkeys. Hyenas. You name it. The animals of night are a rambunctious bunch. So relax and adapt, Dana. This is just the beginning.”

  She tried to take his advice, moving away from him, but not too far away, and getting back to the conversation. “Ab
out Giselle—”

  “I suppose we were in lust, not love. We were both too self-centered to fall in love, but things were great at first. She worked at Theroux’s clinic, I took over the hotel. We met at night in bed.”

  She looked at him in the firelight and saw a smile creep across his face. “I usually don’t talk about myself.”

  “I’d like to hear the end of the story,” she insisted.

  “Why not? I’ve gone this far.” He settled against the tree comfortably. “Giselle completed her assignment and was ready to move on. But I was just getting the Stanley operable again. Tourists were stopping for the day and deciding to stay overnight. The hotel business was beginning to seem like a lot of fun. So she went, and I stayed.”

  “And you have no regrets.” It was a statement rather than a question.

  “Not a one. She’s happy, I guess. As for myself, I had a good time for a while, and now I’m on my way out of the Congo.”

  “On your very secret mission,” Dana continued, unable to keep the sarcasm out of her voice.

  “You sound skeptical.”

  “Maybe just a little doubtful,” she admitted.

  “That’s your prerogative, Dana.”

  “Well, since I’m involved in this scheme, don’t you think I should know more about it?”

  “Knowing more could put your life in danger.”

  “Like I’m not in danger now?” She was incredulous. “I’m in this thing up to my armpits, so I’d like to know more about those so-called secret documents.”

  “An adamant woman,” Alex said with a sigh as he stared into the darkness. He could see the faint gleam of the Lomami River in the moonlight and the silhouette of giant trees against the sky. The setting was dramatic and beautiful; so was the woman. The firelight drew them together in an intimate circle of warmth—and all she wanted to do was interrogate him.

  Well, that wasn’t going to happen, Alex decided. Talking to her about Giselle was harmless. But there’d be no discussion of Louis or his particular mission or the circumstances that led to his death. That would be treading on dangerous ground. He wasn’t going to indulge her.