Classic maneuvers of some of these militia groups was to raid in one country, and then cross over the border into another where there was no jurisdiction, or where there was less cooperation. There was also the possibility that they’d run into one of these, either fleeing one country or just arriving in another. They would be heavily armed and ruthless, working by their own rules of engagement and more or less autonomous.
Their driver, Adaze, was Nigerian by birth, but his mother was from Benin. Sven had selected him because he seemed to be more friendly than some of the others, plus he was fluent in French. It turned out that he had an uncle he stayed with for several years as a youth in Paris. Sven and Andy could only understand about half of what he said, but he painted quite a picture for them both, chasing girls, getting into small-time trouble, until the family sent him back.
He told them it had always been a dream of his to join the police force, but working for the UN, while perhaps as dangerous, was a better steppingstone for a better life for he and young son. His wife had died after the baby was born, so while on assignment, his son was cared for by his mother’s family nearby. He tried to go home as much as possible.
Andy determined he’d been a good pick for two reasons, he seemed genuinely honest about doing good things for his mother’s country, and he had good local connections they could rely on.
He told them he was already putting out feelers to some of his family to help the Americans find the hostages. He noted that because the militia group was so hard to find, they obviously had either money to hole up somewhere, or had bought themselves some powerful connections.
“Either way, it smells like money,” he said in his heavily accented English, holding his fingers up to his nose. “But they can’t hide forever from the little people. They can control many, but not all the little people.”
That confirmed what Andy wanted to believe, that most the population was tired of the carnage and wars. They had never aspired to collecting huge sums of money because it wasn’t as valuable as their freedom was. In most cases, the more westernized part of the population had huge appetites for goods from Europe and the U.S. A pair of Nikes would sell for more than a month’s salary, but in many portions of the country, it was more a status symbol than having two or three wives.
Sven laughed at that, disagreeing with him. “You should see the Norwegian girls, Adaze, if you had one of them as a wife, you wouldn’t say that, my friend.”
They had a spirited discussion on the value of women. Andy didn’t agree with either one of them but held his tongue.
Adaze lifted the cuff on his pantleg and revealed he wore Nikes. “Gift from Gunnar.”
He laughed easily, which was refreshing. “I am going to pass them down to my son.”
Andy wondered how many shoes he’d discarded, just thrown away and never bothered to take to the Salvation Army, because it was something he’d have to get in the car and do. One of the best things about his travel was that he’d become very grateful for how he got to live, especially when he compared it to people trying to live and raise families in a war zone.
They were stopped at a police checkpoint, which was the only indication that there had been some militia activity in the area. A European businessman had been killed in a kidnap attempt, Adaze told them. This was information he obtained from the guards. His credentials were an easy ticket through the checkpoint, with an admonishment to be careful, signed off with a peace symbol for benefit of the Americans.
It was an easy cover to say they were American contractors, and most probably believed them, since SEALs didn’t normally travel in such small groups. But Sven had been right, having Adaze with them did give them better creds.
As they were driving away from the roadblock, Adaze noticed they had picked up a tail. Someone in a lorry converted to a make-shift camper was following a good distance away.
“Shall I burn some rubber?” he asked, and then gave them a belly laugh.
Before Sven could give permission, he’d floored it, and left the entire countryside covered in red dust. With only the major highways paved, burning rubber on a dirt thoroughfare was nearly impossible, but he gave it a good try. After they took a fork in the road, they slowed back down to a cruising speed. They were making excellent time and might arrive before it was too dark outside. That was the hope, anyway. They might even beat Tucker and the rest of the crew coming in.
They stopped for a quick bite to eat at a palapa-covered open firepit type kitchen run by a local family their driver knew. Andy tasted some of the hottest chicken he’d ever had, and he wondered how long it might take before his tongue and cheeks would stop throbbing afterwards.
Sven wasn’t affected at all. Adaze had dared them to use some of his friend’s “special green sauce”, but they both declined while he piled it on. Only after he finished did he tell them it worked as a good barrier for fire ants and other pesky bugs.
“Good to know,” Sven had said, shaking his head.
This part of the trip was downhill, and they were nearing the outskirts of Kandi, a fairly large city in the province. Instead of arriving from the North, Tucker and the team were arriving direct from France on a chartered flight provided for by Mr. Riley, right into Kandi. Their transport was already taken care of, so Adaze avoided the main center, and headed up the hill toward their complex.
By foot, this had taken a day, but with the truck, merely five hours.
The first thing Andy remarked was that several of the men stationed at the complex had been pulled off the job. No one was guarding the gate in front, and while nothing appeared out of the ordinary, no one was paying attention like when they’d stayed there before.
He noticed the room he’d set up had been ransacked a bit. He was glad he’d not left any of the expensive medications and equipment, but some of the non-essential medical supplies had been used. Several dirty and bloody bandages remained on the floor. Worst thing about it was that no one knew or would admit to who had done this.
Sven pressed one of the guards Andy recognized from before. “This place was bought and paid for by Uncle Sam. What the hell happened? Where are your men?”
Adaze drifted into the crowd, making like he was looking for some food and water, but he’d promised to listen to what the others were saying in non-English dialogue. Andy figured it wouldn’t be safe for him to focus too much on his actions, and just trust the affable UN soldier.
The man with the dark glasses and stoic features was extremely tight-lipped, indicating he understood little of what Sven was asking, which they both knew was only part of the truth. He did look under extreme duress.
“They will be back. Tat’s all I can say, Sam.” He used the term “Sam” in addressing all the Americans. Andy didn’t get that it was used as a sign of disrespect.
While Sven spoke with the guard and two others who had come over to help with this little situation, Andy retreated to the room he’d set up for a treatment and possibly surgery center, if needed. He hoped that Tucker and the rest brought more supplies, because being spread so thin between the two camps was taking a toll on what services he could provide. But it was important to be ready and since this was to be closest to the eventual extraction site, the most necessary.
He’d left a small, locked metal locker the Team sometimes used for storing explosives, and that had now disappeared. It contained vials of antibiotic and a few for pain. Even though it was heavy, Andy now wished he tried somehow to take it along with him. He was good on disinfectant, tape and sterile sutures and still had a dozen bags of saline for emergency hydration. He’d wrapped a set of surgery tools, including a small saw and several scalpels in a baggie, and had wrapped the roll of garbage bags around it so it had remained undetected. He was relieved to find that it was still there.
They heard a truck pull up and Andy saw two young local women, both dressed in scrubs, jump out of the back, pulling large backpacks behind them. Sven knew one of the ladies and helped her with her things
.
“Andy! Good news!”
When he rushed outside, Sven was the happiest he’d looked in days.
“Flora and I used to work at the mission in Nigeria back in the day,” he had his arm around her chubby shoulder as she put her palm up to her face, embarrassed. “She has the best hands, and demeanor, Andy. I used to call her Florence Nightingale.”
“Nice to meet you,” Andy nodded to both of them.
Sven walked them over to one of the other rooms that was being used for food storage. Diku, the guard who appeared to be in charge, shouted instructions and soon a couple of folding cots were installed in the cool cinderblock room. A piece of blue plastic tarp was installed over the doorway to give the women privacy.
Andy headed back to the surgery. Sven followed him inside.
“So, what do you think? He asked Sven.
“I’m delighted with the nurses. Not quite sure on the story about the men and vehicles missing, but it could be as he said. They might have been needed elsewhere. We need Adaze’s take on things.”
“I’m sure he’ll be over soon. I agree it was a stroke of genius bringing him along. We want to make sure they don’t understand we trust him so, right?”
“My thoughts exactly. So, what’s going on with the medical supplies?”
“Lost my antibiotics and some pain killer vials. I still have the pills with me. Still got good surgery tools, disinfectant, saline, but someone came in here and helped themselves to bandages and shit, but nothing we can’t live without. I’m sure hoping Tucker will be bringing me more morphine and antibiotics.”
“Roger that.” Sven scratched his chin. “What are you thinking?”
Andy looked outside, trying to find Adaze. “I want to hear from the driver first, but I’m thinking I should call Peterson and let him know some of these guys went MIA. How did the ladies show up?”
“Diku said someone local asked for them, to help out. Flora is here visiting family and she was conscripted to come up here. She didn’t know who ordered it, but the director of her mission in Nigeria knew she was here and sent her over.”
The two men stared at each other.
“Which means word has gotten out we’re here,” Andy muttered to a nodding Sven.
“It does. God, that’s what I hate about this place. You just don’t know if they’re trying to help you or hurt you. Now, if we had fifty guys, well, we’d get a perimeter set up, you know, go to town. But here, out in the bush, we’re on our own.”
“Well, we are trying not to become a target.”
“Which means they can’t arrive too soon. We gotta get the hell out before they’re told it’s just us.”
“Agreed. So, let me know what Adaze says, and I’m going to keep working here. Can you grab me some food?”
“I’ll go find him and yes, bring you back something. You got waters?”
“Hell yes.”
A few minutes later, Andy had the room straightened and had done a quick clean. He covered surfaces he wanted to stay relatively sterile, knowing he’d have to do it all over again, but it was also a way to track if someone had messed with his stuff. All the garbage was stuffed into a white bag, tied and left outside. He opted not to burn the bloody bandages out of expediency.
Sven brought a paper plate filled with some fried banana-like foods, some local squash, and a skewer of some variety of small fish. A small ball of white rice was set in the middle of the plate for use in eating with his fingers.
“Eat up, then we’ll talk,” Sven whispered.
All of it, thankfully, was not very spicey and satisfied. It was gone in mere seconds.
“So here’s the deal. Word went out about the kidnapping down south. The crew here, when they heard about it, thought it was one of us, and some went to investigate and give assistance. I hate to think the poor bastard lost his life because of us, but he was traveling the same route we were, but we’d stopped, remember? He had a German bodyguard, for all the good it did him, and he had a local driver. The coincidence is stunning, Andy.”
“Holy shit. Do you suppose they know about Tucker and them arriving today?”
“Who knows? This crew probably does. Let’s hope they get here quick so we can get out before they figure out they got the wrong guy.”
“They probably figured it out that a rescue attempt might be made. They were expecting something, right?” Andy asked.
“Maybe. Hard to say. But I’m thinking we need to act fast and then get out of this place. We got one chance. Not like we can hole up for the right time.”
“Right.”
“I told Adaze to stay with the men and learn everything he can. I’m going to order him around, and warned him about it, not treat him as a friend so he’s more useful to us.”
“I completely agree. So I need to call Peterson, then?”
“Yes, do it from the ladies place. No one needs to see you with that SAT phone.”
Andy crossed the center of the complex on his way to the ladies’ place. He noted that there had been posted guards on the front gate, which pleased him. He gave a casual wave to Diku, more as a show he had confidence whatever had been amiss was now repaired. He got a small nod of the head back in return.
“Flora,” he called out to the blue tarp covering their doorway.
“Yes, sir. You can come in, if you like.”
Andy pulled the screen back and found the other nurse lying on her back, rubbing her belly. He hadn’t noticed before she was several months pregnant. He admired her all the more for working so hard, riding in the back of a truck while in this condition. He gave her a confident smile and a thumbs up, then tapped his belly. She giggled, rolled to her side and covered her face just as Flora had done earlier.
The protector in him rose up, grabbed his heart, and gave it a squeeze. He was in awe that these two willing countrywomen would put themselves and their unborn families in danger to help the mission. It reminded him of the humanity he shared with every peace-loving person around the globe. It was why he did what he did.
A force for good.
“You want something?” Flora asked.
“Did you bring any antibiotics? Mine seemed to walk away while we were on the trail.”
“I have a little in my kit, sir, but only a very little. We don’t travel with drugs, usually, less dangerous that way.”
“I understand. Well, I’m out completely. I’ll see if I can get you more when we meet up with our friends.”
“Yes, I was told this is an important mission.”
“Flora, I’m sure Sven told you we’re trying to do this in secret, or as much as possible.”
Her smile widened. “I understand, sir, but this is Africa, sir. Even the birds and the trees talk, they whisper. Impossible to do anything in secret here.”
Andy was counting on that very thing.
“So you know we’re looking for these bad people. You know about the hostages.”
“Yes, and I have asked my mother’s people for help. Gossip is a big-time interest in my tiny village. Not all the peoples here think you are the enemy. They will be careful, sir.”
“Don’t do anything stupid, though. Don’t risk more than you can afford to. We want you to be safe as well.”
“Thank you,” she said as she put her hands together in prayer and bowed. “We will do our best. We always do. God is in charge, even though there would be others who think they are.” She winked at Andy, leaning in, whispering, “Even though there are those who think otherwise.”
“You are Catholic, both of you?” he asked.
“No sir. We are Free Will Baptist. But I work for a Catholic charity. But I don’t speak about it and you mustn’t either.”
Andy was so grateful for a helpful soul he could have hugged her, which would have completely ruined everything.
“So, Flora, I have to make a phone call.”
“You want me to leave?”
“No, but I want you to close your ears.”
“I understand, sir.”
She showed Andy a chair, and then turned, leaned over her co-worker and began whispering, the two of them giggling like two small schoolgirls.
Peterson picked up before it rang.
“Give me a SitRep.”
Andy could tell the stress was getting to him.
“We’re back at the Kandi base. We’ve lost some men here, and they got into some of my medical supplies, but it’s all fixed now. I’m stripped of antibiotic and pain meds. We’re awaiting Tucker and them to arrive. You have any idea when?”
“Shouldn’t be too long from now. So your drive was uneventful? Thank God you’re safe. When we heard about the other attempted kidnapping, we feared the worst.”
“Kind of a daily occurrence, I’d say. Here’s the thing. The guy was a Dutch or Belgian businessman traveling with his German bodyguard, in a small vehicle like we were in, and they had a local driver. Sven and I think the group thought they were us. That’s the biggest takeaway and what has us concerned.”
“Roger that. I’m going to send this upstairs. They’re tracking the phone, so if you lose it, use your regular phone in an emergency. Somehow, you have to get a signal and let us know. And I’m asking for more drones, see if we can follow your group as you head south.”
“Right. That’s good to know.”
“As soon as they arrive, we’re taking off. I just don’t feel safe here, especially since the area was expecting us. We were followed for a bit at a checkpoint, but our driver lost him, we think.”
“Did he work out, then?”
“Couldn’t have been more perfect. We’re trying to make sure he’s not compromised.”
“Okay, so let me know when you’re on the road. I’ll see if I can get some help with the meds up there.”
“There are a couple of nurses from Nigeria. Sven knows one of them. It’s great to have them, but did our guys send them?”
“Not that I know of, but I better ask. Can they be trusted to receive the meds?”
“I’d say so, yes. And send a couple protection details for them, too. One of them is pregnant. They’re defenseless without any of us around.”
The House At Sunset: SEALed At Sunset - The Beach Renovation (Sunset SEALs Book 5) Page 14
