by Damien Dsoul
They ate breakfast and sat watching CNN on cable TV while the hour approached 9:00 a.m. when it was 9:26 a.m., Raheem knocked at their door and stuck his head in and told them the safari vehicle was ready and waiting downstairs. They trooped out of the room and went to the elevator; Catherine was hopping against all odds that she’d run into Duro again, but such wasn’t the case this morning. They went down the lobby and Tim left their apartment key with the front desk. Their safari transport vehicle was in the parking lot waiting for them.
There were two other couples in there with three teenagers. One of them were a newlywed - James and Shania Legonias. They came from Wisconsin, mid-twenties both of them. To Pamela they still looked like kids with their fresh smile and cute, innocent faces, both spotting fair blonde hair; Catherine thought they looked more like brother and sister the way they clung to each other. So how had they decided on choosing this spot of the world for their honeymoon, she asked them afterwards when they were on the road. Simple: Shania had worked in the Peace Corp before and had been to Ghana on numerous occasions but never Nigeria, even though she’d always wanted to visit here. She had worked her way into her husband’s heart and cajoled him into them coming here to see the carnival show as well enjoy a safari trip.
The other couple was a wife and husband in their mid and late-fifties - Amber and William Merrick from Portland, Oregon. They’d made the journey with their three kids: two girls and a young lad. The girls were Kriss, Elaine, and Stephen. Kriss and Elaine were in their mid to early-twenties, while Stephen was nineteen and looking like he was going to grow up being a conniving character. Kriss was raven-haired just like her mother, while Elaine had the sand-peppery blonde hair that her father possessed. Catherine sat in the backseat with them while Tim and Pamela sat upfront with their parents; the newlyweds sat in the middle, both holding hands and smiling almost every minute at each other’s face.
Raheem sat in the driver’s seat and started the engine. He turned around to enquire if everyone was well seated. Everybody announced that they were. The van then drove towards their impending destination.
The same man with the facial scar who’d watched the Morgans last night stood under the shade of a tree not far from the parking lot and had stood sentry there watching the white family hop into the safari van before driving off. He dialled a number on his cell phone and continued watching the van as it drove out of the resort’s premises into the main road. Seconds later someone at the end of the line answered.
“Sir, it is me. They’re on their way right now.”
Done with his message, he stepped into the sun and walked towards the resort building’s entrance.
LOST
We never saw the resort again. It was the last time either of us got to stay at the resort, though we couldn’t have know that. It was the last time we got to feel like we were a loving family... I know the other couples too felt the same thing. Never would any of us had foreseen what would happen to us, that our worst nightmare was about to come through the minute we got into that safari van and drove of out the resort’s gates. If only I could rewind what happened, if my parents hadn’t decided on us travelling to Nigeria to spend our summer holiday, none of what happened ever would have. We would still have been happy ... together.
***
The sun was a round ball of yellow and it stood majestically raining heat wave down on whomever. The occupants of the safari van admired the vista around them. They were driving out of the city, away from the modern houses and crossing through a rural neighbourhood where majority of the houses were made of brick and mud all of them in clustered formation. The roads were of red earth and the terrain grew rougher as they drove further along. There was the occasional mosque with the muezzin announcing the hour for prayers and the congregation spreading their mats. The air conditioner was turned on full; the windows wound up to stop dust from entering the vehicle. Inside the van, the newlyweds kept pointing at whatever outcropping of landscape that passed their way, giggling back at each other. Catherine left them alone, was now lost in gossip chatter with the Merrick daughters while their brother Stephen opened and closed a Robert Ludlum novel in his hand, groaning from being left out their talk. Pam and Tim made conversation with the Merricks and occasionally threw one or two questions at Raheem concerning the area they were travelling.
It was sometime past noon that they left the city behind them. They were now travelling down a lone paved road that led further and further into the open desert-like country that was around them. The heat in the van grew stifling even with the AC unit cranked to the highest; the sun seemed to grin at them with a smile. They passed rural travellers on the way: old women in native outfit, all looking like refugees, carrying big items on their heads not making as if they noticed them. Pamela whipped out her camera and took shots of several of them.
Raheem announced an hour and half later that they were approaching one of the resort’s safari retreat venue and would be there in the next hour or thereabouts; a sigh of relief and happiness went round the van as everyone couldn’t wait to come down and stretch their legs.
They arrived at the retreat camp forty-something minutes later. It was situated in the midst of a wide clearing with surrounding bush and trees around it. There were seven pitched tents there with a wide circle built in the midst of the clearing. At the far end of the retreat was a lake; the sun’s glare shimmered over its pristine waters. The camp was furnished with everything to make visitors feel welcome, and there was a lake nearby should they wish to use it. The van drew to a stop and while the couples took out the little luggage they had arrived with, the girls with Stephen ran in the direction of the lake. Raheem assigned each couple to their specific tent. The plan was for them to spend three nights here at the safari retreat; their journey into the wild would commence from tomorrow as it was obvious they were pretty winded from the ride.
Each tent was big and divided into two separate rows with a conjoining zipper cloth for cases of privacy. Pamela and Tim would stay in one room while Catherine would remain in the other.
“Where is she anyway?” Tim enquired as he was putting his things away.
“I heard her and the Merrick kids heading down into the lake. Which reminds me, I too need a shower.” She plumped herself down on the thick mattress bed, opened the top buttons of her shirt to fan herself. “Can you believe how sweaty I am?”
“I sure can, honey. And it makes me so horny for you even now.”
Tim pulled her up into his arms and fought to kiss her but Pamela pushed him away.
“For God’s sake, Tim. Catherine might walk into us any minute.”
“Okay, I’ll deal with that for now. What you say we go shower up and maybe later if we’re alone and everyone’s asleep, we do some hanky-panky.”
“We’ll just have to wait and see,” she sniggered.
Raheem’s own tent was situated at the north side of the camp and it was a smaller one compared to the others. He watched the tourists scamper to swim in the lake. He smiled to himself; neither of them knew what was waiting for them when tomorrow comes. This wasn’t the first time he’d been involved in such an operation. The couples were all soon to have a life-changing experience like they’ve never had before. It was unfortunate he wouldn’t be there to watch it all unfold; he would be required to return to the resort to keep up appearances as well tidy up whatever loose ends are there. The couples’ rooms would all be emptied of their belongings. Their names erased from the resort’s computer database; the staff would all forget that they had even done any booking there. It would be like they arrived into the country and then upped and vanished to God knows where.
He stood by his window, parted the curtains aside just an inch to watch the young girls swimming and laughing in the lake. There was a stirring in his jeans and he unzipped and pulled out his cock and stroking it hard while still observing them. How he’d love to
get a taste of their skin. Maybe his boss might grant his wish somehow.
A bonfire was lit in a clearing and everybody huddled a few feet from it while Raheem prepared a barbeque roast for the party. It was past seven in the evening and the sky had turned purple with dusk. Flies danced above their heads but stayed away because of the fire; crickets chirped in the distance. They formed a sort of circle around the bonfire, all of them wearing long-sleeved clothing to get away from the disturbing flies around them; they had each sprayed mosquito repellents over themselves. Drinks went around and when the food was ready they each had a full plate while they took turns regaling each other of places they had each been to and what it was like. The croaking sound of frogs coming from the lake nearly superseded their conversation. Raheem brought out bottles of wine and went around pouring them into individual cups. Unknown to everyone else, the drinks were all spiked with a mild sedative to get them more relaxed till morning. Morning was when the real fun was bound to start. He made a toast with them and watched with his cup hovered between his lips as he watched them all drown their drink. He turned around and emptied the content of his cup in the nearest bush.
“Well honey, I think it’s time we hit the hay,” William Merrick said to his wife beside him.
“Need to get ready for tomorrow,” Amber acknowledged as she got up. Her daughters and son followed suit as well. They waved goodnight to Tim and Pamela and to the newlywed couple who lay on a mat some feet away from the fire.
Catherine was unhappy to see her new friends go and couldn’t wait to be with them again in the morning. She watched her parents cuddling beside each other. Her Dad made like he was whispering into her Mom’s ears and she couldn’t stop giggling and slapping his arm, telling him to stop it. It got her feeling alone and sad that she was the only one amongst them who didn’t have company. She got up, told her parents she was going inside and left them before they could say anything. She went into the tent to her own room and searched inside her handbag for her dildo. She turned off the lamp beside her and lay on the bed and pulled her shorts off her legs and began playing with the dildo underneath the covers. She was rubbing the tip of her dildo against her clitoris and was getting deeper into her actions when she heard a scuffling sound coming from outside the tent. Catherine stopped what she was doing as she listened to the sounds of her parents’ laughter as they came into the tent. She heard them bumping against things in their side of the tent. Her Mom giggled like a school girl; apparently they sounded drunk or close to it. It sounded like they were scuffling on the bed. Catherine recognised the sound of her parents kissing when suddenly her Mom stopped.
“Hold on ... wait ... wait a minute, Tim. You sure Cath’s asleep right now?”
“Yeah honey, I believe she is,” her father answered. His voice sounded impatient. “Come on, let’s get you out of those clothes. You’ve got me feeling nasty all day.”
“I know.” Another fresh set of giggles. “You had me feeling nasty too. Thanks God we’re alone now.”
Catherine remained still on her bed; underneath her covers her dildo remained still at the junction of her crotch while she listened to the sound of her parents fondling each other. She could just picture what they were doing on their side of the tent: her father struggling to help her mother out of her clothes - the sound of the bed groaning under them along with her Mom’s still giggling voice told her they were about to get it on. Catherine wished she could get up to watch them. She pictured her Dad now out of his clothes and climbing on to the bed. Her Mom gave a groan-type of sound - her Dad had just struck home inside her. The sound of their mattress groaning under the weight sounded in the room. Her Dad’s voice added to the mix; the sound of their lips kissing. Catherine listened to everything. Her mind projected what was happening in their tent bedroom while her hand slipped the head of her dildo around her pussy entrance. She caressed her tits with her other hand. She conjured the image of Duro in the room with her. She widened her legs under the sheets, pictured his face pressed between her pussy. She’d sworn off having sex, yes, but he had no grievance against having her pussy licked, although Michael was yet to do this to her. Now would have been a great time for him to make her feel complete. Him ... or Duro. Yes, she saw Duro before her right now, eating her pussy and then slipping his finger into her cunt. The sound coming from her parents’ room was getting frantic: the bed was groaning deeper, and she vividly heard her Mom gasping. She dropped the dildo and instead found the knob of her clit with her fingers and rubbed at it hurriedly. She moaned from her actions; it seemed to merge with that of her parents’ groaning voice. She pulled the sheets off her legs and pushed herself some inches up the bed as she quickened her clitorial stimulation. It was like daggers stabbing into her brain. It merged with the picture of her parents fucking in the next room and that of Duro/Michael on top of her, driving their cock into her pussy. Taking away her virginity. She felt it pushing her towards the edge ...
“Awwwnnnn, Tim! Ohhh Tim!” her Mom wouldn’t stop gasping.
Catherine stopped what she was doing. She wiped sweat off her brow and pulled the sheets back on top of her and turned to her other side and tried to get some sleep. The sedative that was in the alcohol she’d drunk was already at work and it didn’t take long for her to slip into dreamland. Her parents followed suit ten minutes later.
Outside the camp fell dead quiet except of the endless croaking of frogs. The bonfire had died to a few embers with smoke curling out the drying pieces of wood and mixing with the air. Raheem reconnoitred the camp with a torch in his hand, listening to the sound of the night and taking solace from it. This was his country, he was born in this land. It beat like a drum in his heart. Nothing here could ever hurt him - he was one with the land. He checked on each tent to make sure everyone was asleep. He listened to their snoring voices and that brought a smile to his lips; this was almost too easy.
He went to where he’d parked the van and opened the hood and made some wiring disconnections. He felt his hand in his pocket and was rewarded with the feel of the car keys in there. Done with making sure everything was in place, he walked out the camp’s gate and into the night.
***
Her dream had been pleasant but that was when she fell asleep. During the moments prior to her eyes coming awake her dreams turned into a purveyor of the nightmare she was about to step into: there was a monster in the room with her. She couldn’t make out its face because it was midnight and everywhere was covered in darkness. The monster grabbed at her. She yelped, struggled, and ran from its grasp. It chased after her. She ran into the night; she heard the monster roaring after her. Its fingers touched her hair. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. She was gasping with fright ... too late the monster’s fingers wrapped around her throat ...
That was when Catherine’s eyes opened to the nightmare standing beside her bed.
The black man gazed down at her with fiery-type eyes. For a second she thought she was back in her dream. Her mouth opened to say something, to scream, but all that came out of her lips was a dry croak. The black man had a cloth covering half his face but his eyes burned down at her. The arm sleeves of his shirt were torn off and he wore camouflage pants; an army belt held his pants together from which hung a pistol pouch and a machete. What brought fright to Catherine was the assault rifle he cradled in his hands, aiming it at the far wall of the tent.
“Get up,” he said to her. His voice was deep and ominous.
Catherine blinked once and then twice, coming out of her sleep stupor - her mind assured her that this was all real. Slowly she pulled herself up from the bed. Suddenly as if to add clarity to her nightmare, someone screamed aloud. The man turned his head towards the sound’s direction. The scream was followed by a whacking sound and someone gruffly ordering whoever it was to shut up. Catherine recognised the sound of the person screaming as that of her Mom.
“Mom!” she jumped up b
ut before she could rush out of the room she cried out when the black man grabbed her arm and brought her to a standstill. “What the hell - ”
The man swung the back of his hand across her face. Catherine tasted bile and sweat on her lips and her face reeled from the force of the slap.
“Shut up, bitch! Get dressed and not another word out of you.”
The man grabbed a handful of her clothes from her bag and threw them at her. Catherine sobbed as she turned around and wore on her jeans and changed her shirt; the feel of his hand still ringing in her ear. The man gave her no privacy and when she was done putting on her sandals he grabbed her arm and pulled her forcefully out of her corner of the tent and out into the sun.
There was a crowd of black hooded men standing in the open courtyard of the camp, all of them dressed as militant terrorists and nearly all of them carrying fearsome weapons. In their midst seated on the ground were the other couples and the young adults all looked scared and frightened and crying almost at the same time. The man threw Catherine amongst them and ordered her not to remain quiet. Inside her tent a scuffling sound was still going on. She saw her parents being pulled out of it. Pamela was screaming as a huge black man with bullet treads criss-crossing his torso pulled her along with his hand grabbing a handful of her hair. Catherine wanted to go to her but one of the terrorists aimed his weapon at her and told her to remain at her place. She watched with crying, shocked eyes at the sight of her parents being dragged roughly out of the tent. Her father had two men pulling him out. He had both arms twisted behind his back and he cursed at his assailants to let go of him. Catherine went to her Mom when the man brought her over. They were both crying and frightened in each other’s arms. They turned to see Tim being beaten up by the men who held him.
