by D. V. Berkom
The man took several steps forward, and then stopped. The driver, now outside and leaning against the vehicle, called to him, urging him to continue. The passenger paused for a moment before a strange look washed over his face, and he turned and quickly walked back to the car. When he reached the vehicle, the driver shook his head and climbed back behind the wheel. The passenger got in and slammed the door closed. The car hacked a U-turn and sped back the way they’d come. Derek let out a low whistle.
“Did you see that guy? It’s like he sensed something bad would happen if he came any closer.”
“I’m relieved he didn’t. We don’t have time to dick around with the police.” Leine wasn’t sure she trusted how Derek might react in a stressful situation. Would he have shot the two policemen? How could she know? She’d only just met the man a couple of weeks ago. Not for the first time, Leine wondered if she’d made the right decision to work with the poacher.
Derek waved the insinuation away. “Nah. He wouldn’t have walked any farther. See this?” He grabbed a handful of the straw-colored grass. “Lion habitat. It’s great cover. He didn’t look like he had a gun on him. Probably just thought better of walking through high grass without his side arm.”
Leine stiffened at the mention of lions, her hand moving reflexively to the gun in her holster. She quickened her pace and scanned the terrain.
They were three-quarters of the way back to the Rover when Derek stopped and drew his forty-five. Leine slid her gun free, despite what Derek had said about the smaller caliber weapon not being effective against larger predators. At least it was something.
“What?” she whispered, nerves tingling.
Derek remained motionless for a few more seconds, then relaxed and slid his gun back into his holster. “Nothing. I thought I heard something.”
“You thought—” Leine glanced at him, catching his smile before he looked away. She rolled her eyes. “Okay. I get it. Freak out the American who’s never been on safari.” She shook her head and slid her gun back into her waistband. “You want predators? Come to LA and I’ll show you predators—the kind that shoot back.”
Derek laughed. “Sorry. Couldn’t resist.”
They headed back to the Rover and Derek stopped again.
What now? Leine stepped past him to see what had brought him up short this time and froze. On top of the Rover lounged an impressive looking lioness, her huge front paws draped over the roof, tongue lolling to the side. Sharp, intelligent eyes studied Leine as if the large feline were contemplating a morning snack. Leine’s breath caught at the sight of the impressive animal, and she reached for her weapon. The small movement caught the interest of the lioness. Her tongue disappeared as she tracked Leine’s hand.
“Don’t. Move.” Derek muttered under his breath. Leine checked at his words, her fingers inches from her gun.
The big cat kept its gaze riveted on Leine and rose to all fours. Powerful muscles contracted and shivered beneath her pelt as her tail twitched. A low growl emanated from deep within her chest.
“Shit,” Derek said, his voice tight. Leine attempted to swallow, but her throat had gone dry.
Was this it? Her last hurrah? Former assassin, Leine Basso, mauled by a lion while traveling through Tanzania, carrying a phony passport, in the company of a notorious poacher.
Not the kind of death she would have chosen.
Something crashed through the brush toward them and the lioness turned her head. Leine and Derek drew their guns as an enormous male lion, brown mane flowing like a living headdress, barreled through the grass toward them with a tremendous roar. Before either one could fire a round, a rifle blast thundered through the trees, flushing a flock of birds from the understory. The male skidded to a halt, flipped around, and loped away. The female leaped off the Rover and disappeared into the high grass behind him.
Derek’s mouth gaped open in surprise.
“Where did that come from?” he asked, searching the area for the source of the blast.
“I don’t—”
“That was close.” A man with a rifle stepped from the grass behind the Rover.
The man was clean-shaven and appeared to be in his mid-forties. Easily six feet tall, maybe more, and close to two hundred pounds, his dark brown eyes looked as though they missed nothing. He wore a park ranger’s uniform.
“There is plenty to eat out here. I’m not sure why they picked on you,” he said, his gaze tracking the lion’s exit. He turned to them and cocked his head when he noticed Leine’s gun. “A nine millimeter won’t do you much good out here.” He squinted at Derek, studying him. “Do I know you?”
“Doubt it,” Derek replied. He stuck out his hand. “I’m Derek. And thank you. I don’t usually go into the bush without my hunting rifle.”
“Naasir.” Naasir shook Derek’s hand and studied him for a moment longer before directing his attention to Leine. She stepped forward and offered her hand.
“Claire. And that was my first encounter with a lion.”
“Welcome to Africa, right?” He shook her hand and laughed. It was a big, booming laugh that flushed the last of the doves from the trees surrounding them.
“Thanks,” Leine said, glad the standoff was over.
“What are you two doing out here?”
“Claire hasn’t ever been on safari, so I thought we’d head into the reserve, show her some of the wildlife.”
He nodded behind them. “Ngorongoro Crater is that way.”
“I wanted her to experience the wilderness.”
Naasir slung his rifle over his shoulder. “She will see that. Although, I’d suggest visiting the crater. It’s an amazing place, and the roads are better.” He eyed the gun in Leine’s holster. “You know how to fire your weapon?”
“I’m licensed to carry in the States, why?”
“Just like to know whether you two will need my services again. Wouldn’t want you to end up as a meal for a hungry predator,” he replied with a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes. Naasir paused for a moment, obviously sizing them up, and then smiled, breaking the tension. “Well, have fun, but be careful. You never know what could jump out at you.”
With that, Naasir disappeared in the same direction as the lions.
“I wonder where he came from?” Derek frowned as he opened the door of the Rover. “He wasn’t what I’d call a typical park ranger. Besides, I know quite a few of them. There aren’t many that work out this far.”
“Good thing he was close by,” Leine said. “I think we should do what he suggested and leave.”
Derek smiled. “Before those two cats decide they lost out on a good snack, you mean?”
“Exactly.”
CHAPTER 23
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, Derek pulled off-road and parked in the shade of an acacia tree. Leine helped him haul out a camp table and two chairs, and put water on to boil. When the water was hot enough, he reconstituted a couple of freeze-dried dinners in their pouches. Leine chose the beef stew and stood up to eat, enjoying the reprieve from the Rover.
Leine had been fascinated throughout the drive. They’d passed herds of zebra, impala, and buffalo and had to wait for a family of elephants to cross the road in front of them. Giraffe sightings became almost routine, and they’d spotted a pride of lions. Leine marveled at the diversity of wildlife, wishing Santa was there to see it all.
After lunch, Derek pulled out a cigar and offered it to Leine. She shook her head. He shrugged and lit the end with a waterproof match.
“We’re getting close to the region where Wang likes to set up camp,” he said, a cloud of smoke encircling his head.
“I assume we’re talking about a large area?”
Derek nodded. “Yeh, it’s large, all right. A few thousand kilometers.”
“A few thousand,” Leine repeated, unsure she’d heard correctly. “Then we’ll need a plan. I’d rather not waste time driving without some idea how to find the place.” Leine didn’t like winging it, not when there
were lives at stake. Improvisation had its place. Just not at the beginning of an operation.
“Don’t worry so much. I’ve got a plan,” Derek assured her.
“Were you going to let me in on it, or do I have to guess as we go along?” Her cheeks grew warm, a sure sign her blood pressure was on the rise. Calm down, Leine. Derek just approaches problems from a different angle than you do. She inhaled deeply and waited.
“Ja, ja. See,” he leaned forward and picked a twig off the ground. “Here’s Wang’s natural habitat.” He drew a rough rectangle in the dirt. “And here,” he tapped the upper left quadrant, “is where he likes to be. The wildlife is abundant, and the few park rangers who patrol the area are known to accept bribes.” Derek leaned back. “So, all we really have to do is find a willing ranger and pay him more than Wang.”
“Fine. Say we find the camp. How do we get inside without Wang’s knowledge? He knows us both. I assume it’s billed as the ultimate experience, right? Where servants are at your beck and call, no request too outrageous? Won’t they alert Wang if we’re recognized?”
“We won’t have to worry. Wang hates the rainy season. He only visits in early fall and occasionally in December. Bangkok’s more his style, although he has been known to come out looking for trophies, so in theory, anything’s possible. I thought we’d pose as a married couple looking for an ‘authentic’ experience. The ranger will contact the camp for us. The trick is finding the right ranger. Not all of them are corrupt, although in that area they are more often than not.”
“Have any idea who you’re going to ask?”
“Don’t worry.”
“Let me guess. You have a plan for that, too.”
Derek smiled. “Why yes, I do. Thank you for asking.”
She groaned inwardly. “Can we please just do this?” After so many years of being a free agent, Leine found it difficult to work with someone else. Especially a person like Derek, who was apparently more concerned with fitting into his exclusive neighborhood in Dar than rescuing people who’d been trapped for days inside a shipping container.
Derek sighed and stubbed out his cigar. “I guess we’ll be on our way, then.”
“I guess.”
***
They drove for two more hours before Derek stopped outside a village of mud huts and thatched roofs. Men and women wearing brightly colored clothing regarded the Rover with mild interest. A number of goats ambled through the village staying just out of reach of a young boy.
“Maasai,” Derek explained. “A friend of mine lives here. He has his ear to the ground and might know where Wang’s camp is.”
Derek exited the vehicle and walked toward one of the buildings. Leine did the same, and several of the younger children crowded around her, laughing and vying for attention. The older children kept their distance, mimicking their elders.
One of the villagers, a younger man with finely braided, ochre-hued hair and dressed in a brilliant red shuka, broke free of the crowd and walked up to Derek. The younger man’s expression was anything but happy, and Derek let his arms fall to his sides, his friendly smile replaced by uncertainty. They walked a short distance away from the rest of the village to speak to each other while Leine played with the children, letting them lead her around the village.
After a short conversation, Derek and the young man returned to where Leine was admiring one of the women’s elaborate beaded collars. The young man broke off from Derek and pulled a satellite phone from the folds of his shuka. Derek joined Leine.
“Your friend doesn’t look happy,” Leine said.
“Ja, well, it’s just a little misunderstanding.” Derek waved it off. “It seems that one of my investment recommendations didn’t go over very well with the elders.”
“Does he know where Wang’s camp is?”
Derek nodded. “He said he saw it last month, although Wang likes to change things up a bit. I don’t think his camp has stayed in one place longer than six weeks. My friend wasn’t sure how long the compound had been there when he ran across it.”
“Did you tell him why we’re looking?”
“Don’t worry. He hates Wang. In fact,” Derek nodded at the villagers, now going about their business, uninterested in Derek and the mzungu woman. “Everyone here hates him. Last year he burned down their village to get access to Maasai land for his camp. My friend is quite happy I no longer work for him.”
“And nothing happened to Wang for doing that?”
“Couldn’t prove it was him, although everyone here knows it was.”
“I’m surprised they haven’t retaliated. I always thought the Maasai were renowned as warriors. Or has that changed with the times, too?”
“Oh, believe me, they have done, but Wang’s well connected. All retaliation is met with the same or worse. Usually it’s worse.”
“A tyrant, then?”
“You could say that.”
“Then it’ll be doubly satisfying when we find his camp and rescue the men and women he kidnapped.”
Derek raised his eyebrows. “I think I’m beginning to like you, Claire Sanborn.”
They paid their respects to the village chief and Derek left packages of gum and jerky with the children.
“They invited us to stay overnight, but I politely declined. Didn’t think you’d want to sleep in a mud hut on cow skins.”
“I’ve done worse,” Leine replied.
“Yeh, but have you ever slept on a layer of dried cow shit? They claim it keeps the mosquitoes away.”
“I’ll bet.” Leine shifted in her seat. Another night in the back of the Rover was going to hurt. “I don’t suppose there are any lodges between here and our destination?”
“You know me.”
“You have a plan?” Leine asked.
Derek nodded, grinning. “Yeh. I do at that.”
They bounced along the pothole-filled road for an hour, something Derek referred to as an “African massage,” and created each other’s backstory for when they infiltrated Wang’s camp. Derek would be an adventurous, wealthy businessman who’d sold his company to a software giant, and Leine would play his long-suffering girlfriend who hated hunting, which would allow her to remain in camp while everyone else went on safari. Besides, Leine doubted she’d be able to stand by and watch a group of spoiled billionaires firing automatic weapons at terrified animals from a helicopter without wanting to shoot one of the billionaires.
Derek was in the middle of recounting an amusing story about a time when he shot at what he’d thought was an impala but was actually the rear end of one of Wang’s clients, when they rounded a bend and Derek stopped talking. He stepped on the brakes, bringing the Rover to a halt, and stared out the window. Leine followed his gaze to see what had interrupted the story. The breath left her body.
“Oh, my god.”
Dozens of elephant bodies lay strewn in front of them—some large, some small, some in the middle of the road, with others off to the side and facing away, as though caught trying to escape.
“Fuck.” Derek stared at the carnage.
Leine’s throat constricted as she tried to pull in a breath. She had a hard time reconciling what she was seeing now compared to the peaceful, turf-eating families of pachyderms they’d passed earlier.
One of the larger victims had a gaping, crimson hole where its face had been sawed from its skull. Many of the others were missing the lower half of their jaws, making tusk removal easier for the poachers. Some had their feet cut off at the knees, leaving bloodied stumps.
Leine’s chest squeezed tight, stunned at the scene before her. “How—?”
Without saying a word, Derek opened his door and exited the Rover. He walked first to one, and then another of the dead, his grim expression conveying conflicting emotions of sorrow and anger. Leine climbed out of the vehicle and moved between the gigantic beasts in silence, tears pricking her eyelids.
Derek squatted near one of the larger elephants who was missing its face, and po
inted to several bullet holes pockmarking its side.
“Machine guns and machetes.”
“My god. I had no idea…” Leine couldn’t finish. No stranger to blood and death, what she saw in front of her was a scene she would never forget.
“Poachers used to use poison arrows.” Derek shook his head and stood. “This is why Africa is losing her wildlife.”
Leine remained quiet, opting out of reminding him of his former trade. He cut his gaze to hers and lifted his chin.
“I know what you’re thinking. You believe I had a hand in creating this” —he glanced at the bodies lying at his feet— “this slaughter mentality. But I didn’t. I was one of the good guys. The one who did what needed to be done, but in a sustainable manner. Besides,” he continued, his tone hardening, “if I didn’t supply Wang and the others, someone else would have.”
“You can’t excuse yourself from being a part of this, Derek,” Leine said. “You were. Just like everyone who buys a trinket, or piano keys, or religious icons made of ivory is an accessory. Doesn’t matter if it’s certified or not. Poachers won’t stop until the demand disappears. It’s simple economics.” Her gaze settled on one of the smaller of the dead, its ears brutally sliced from its skull. “But it’s a vicious circle. How can the demand disappear if ivory continues to be available?”
A pained expression crossed his face. Closing his eyes, he bowed his head.
“Remember what I said before?” Leine added. “It doesn’t matter what you’ve done. It’s what you do.”
Derek opened his eyes and squared his shoulders, turning to look at the bodies scattered along the road.
“Come on,” Leine said, her voice quiet. “I’m sure there’s someone you can notify about this, right?”
Derek nodded.
“Let’s go,” Leine said gently.
He paused for a moment longer as though to commit the scene to memory. Then he turned and walked back to the Rover. They both climbed in and Derek started the engine.
Leine glanced at the bodies lying on the ground in front of her.
Whatever it takes.
