Julian breathed a sigh of mixed anxiety and relief. "Now she really has me by the balls."
He waited for his breakfast, hoping the sausages were as good as the menu claimed them to be. After breakfast he had three days to "lie low". He would stay away from the mansion upstate and he decided to use the time to enjoy the city. He twirled the wad of cash Lucille had given him on his arrival with his fingers.
"What can the Big Apple give me for twenty thousand bucks, hey?" Then, remembering that he was off the hook, he called the operator again and cancelled the flower order.
******
Karen was bored. Her father was on his honeymoon, his fourth honeymoon, and she had the whole estate to herself but for some reason she didn't feel like doing anything. There were two outdoor swimming pools as well as one indoors, the four tennis courts, the stables--all kinds of things to do but none of it interested her.
"Summer depression," she said, sitting on her bed, "and fucking Noel is on leave!"
All of her friends had gone on a trip to South America. They were going to visit Macchu Picchu, feast on the famed Chilean cuisine--and wines--and chew actual coca leaves. She wanted to go but her father forbade it. He was overprotective of Karen at times and Karen expected him to be so. She knew what being an only child, and a daughter at that, was all about.
Suddenly she leaped to her feet. She had an idea. Maybe the guy who was filling in for Noel was even cuter! She headed out to the gardens.
Julian had rented a car and was almost at the Stevens estate. He blew most of his 20K over the last three days, probably because he ended up in Atlantic City with a girl who's name he'd forgotten. When the rental agent showed him their "most affordable" sports car, a black late model Mazda convertible, he didn't think his six foot two would fit. Prodded by the agent he got into the driver's seat and found that the car did seem bigger from the inside. He'd broken the speed limit twice on his way here--apparently the little car was fast as well--but he tossed the tickets away as soon as the cops let him go. Tickets don't follow you to Africa.
Pulling into the long drive that lead to the main entrance of the mansion, he wondered if Karen liked sports cars. If, for some reason, she wasn't keen on a hunting trip to Africa, father's blessing or not, he'd have little more than this car and what he had at the debut to convince her otherwise.
Karen was stepping out of the door and she spotted a cool looking car coming up the drive. Adventure. An unknown visitor. Just what she needed today.
Julian pulled to a stop gently and stepped out. He'd bought a new pair of H.H. Brown's and a long cut leather jacket. He hoped she wasn't one of those animal rights freaks.
Karen saw Julian step out from behind the glaring windshield. Oh, it's him again. What's he doing here? Hmm, he is kind of cute. Nice boots. Jacket's a bit retro 90's but it'll pass. Too bad he's a boor.
"I come bearing gifts, and an apology," Julian said as he took the front steps gracefully. He first presented Karen with a single bloom from a Rothschild Lily. "Here's some red that won't stain your dress. Watch out for the yellow pollen though." Without smiling at his own quip he held out a bag. "For someone who likes dresses." He said simply.
"A Vizarra," Karen admired, "Queer eye on a straight guy?"
Julian smiled, "Definitely straight. The lady at the boutique said the young ladies were wearing that brand now. It's a dress after a fashion. I'd enjoy it here. It won't be much use to you where we're going--if you'd like to go, that is." He pulled out the plane tickets and letter from his jacket and handed them to her.
"A letter from Daddy." Karen tore the envelope open. "It's pretty long. Come inside--I didn't catch your name at my debut."
Julian held out his hand, "Julian Apler, a friend of the Van Meers."
Karen took his hand, "Karen Stevens. Come in, please. Would you like a drink?"
"That would hit the spot, thanks. Just not a bloody mary."
Karen turned and looked at Julian. Her eyes pierced but her mouth smiled.
They stepped inside the cool house. Julian noticed the air conditioning.
Karen motioned to the mansion's front sitting area. "There's a bar in there. Fix yourself anything you want. I'll just read Daddy's letter...but first..." She opened the bag from Vizarra. "A mini!" Then, with a suspicious look at Julian, "Did the lady at the boutique tell you I liked minis as well?"
Julian took a sip of bourbon. "No. She said you loved them."
Karen laughed. "If I didn't know better I'd say you were stalking me."
"You like it."
"Are you kidding? I love minis! They're my summer thing."
Julian sat down in a window seat as Karen read the letter. After a few minutes she looked at him.
"So, you're the best safari guide in all of Africa?" Karen squinted.
"Is that what the letter says? Last time I checked I was second best. Yay for me," Julian smiled.
Julian's unplaceable accent was beginning to grow on the debutante. Julian saw his charms working and decided to press home.
"So, walking around in the bush and shooting innocent animals is your thing too?"
"They're not so innocent if they're up in a tree hunting you, ready to pounce, are they?"
"Ah, you were listening to my story."
"How could I not? The entire ballroom could hear you. Are we going hunting for leopards? They sound dangerous--but I like that. When do we leave? Oh, I have to go into New York and shop for stuff to wear and--wait, animals can smell blood, right?"
"Most can, yes. Why do you ask?"
"Oh, nothing. I mean, there are thorn bushes and all that. I might get a cut, and, well, you know."
Julian smiled. "I wouldn't worry about that. It will be a few days before we're actually in the wilds of Africa." he said, looking at the young girl. He wanted to laugh but his task weighed heavy on his mind. All of eighteen. Already excited about going hunting. Walking straight into his--Van Meer's trap. He felt slightly eased by that mitigating fact. Better to kill a kid than to vex Van Meer. That should be the goddam family motto.
"We can buy most of what you need in Cape Town. Not all of Africa is Jungle, you know." Julian wanted to go and get this over with as soon as possible.
"Do they have stores with mosquito repellant in Cape Town?" Karen asked innocently.
Julian stared into his bourbon and wished he had the heart to laugh at this child.
"I'm sure we will find one," he replied quietly.
Chapter 3
Karen may have been groomed since birth as the heiress to a gargantuan company, however she was still an eighteen year old girl going on safari for the first time. Julian, not wanting to play daddy lest she resent him, let her have as much of the free champagne and sushi in first class that she could take. Karen became quite talkative and had a million questions about guns and stalking prey and what to do once the animal was dead, trophies and such. Julian humored her and kept reminding himself that this was not a junket with some girl whose pants he wanted to get into but a job, a mission--one that would end in Karen's death. Julian was not attached and he did all he could to prevent that from happening. Still, Karen would say something once in a while that would make him want to laugh and it was all he could do not to grab her and kiss her on the forehead.
Munching on a piece of raw salmon dressed with caviar, Karen queried, "Wouldn't it be easier to kill a lion, or any other animal, during mating season? I mean, you know, shoot them when they're fucking? Wouldn't that be a sure thing? And two for one, too." She waited for his answer wide-eyed.
One of the passengers behind them cleared his throat.
Julian explained about the regulations on hunting seasons for various game animals to her in his most professorial tone, just to keep from doubling up. After a while the champagne took its toll and Karen drifted off to sleep, her head coming to rest on his shoulder after a minute or two. Not having the heart to wake her and fit her with the complimentary neck pillow, he leaned back in his seat and though
t about what Van Meer would do to him if he went soft and began falling for this quirky girl. Van Meer would make sure that he was permanently soft after that. Julian had seen Van Meer slice off a man's balls once, when he was about Karen's age. No one ever really thinks of the Dutch Mafia, but in Julian's experience, no other criminal organization could compare when it came to sheer brutality.
Karen began snoring. She even snored cutely. Dammit! Julian ordered a triple shot of whiskey, downed it, then shut his eyes. He had to get this done quickly.
******
After the bustle at the airport and the shopping that Karen had to do for "Jungle Gear" as she called it, they boarded a twin engine Beechcraft at a local single-runway airport and were on their way north to the hunting grounds.
"Oh, we're not taking a Land Rover or something? I thought safaris were all about Land Rovers." Karen spoke as they boarded the four-seater aircraft."
"Your father insisted we go in style." Julian answered. Actually, James made a point of as little land travel as possible. He didn't want them being attacked by wild animals on the ground as much as possible. Julian was just happy they would get to their camp quickly. The pilot, a good friend of Julian's was hesitant to fly them to an area Julian hadn't hunted in much. Julian jerked a thumb at Karen and said something in one of the local dialects that could be roughly translated as "insistent brat" as he rubbed his fingers together. The pilot smiled and shook his head.
Almost as soon as the wheels were up, Karen's forehead was glued to the window and she asked him about every single thing she saw.
"What are all those?" she tugged at Julian's sleeve.
"Ah, the vast herds of wildebeest. They gather in the hundreds of thousands--safety in numbers and all that. They stretch all the way to the horizon, if you'll notice."
"Wow. Wildebeests spread across the savannah as far as the eye can see. We're gonna get some of those, aren't we? There sure seem to be enough of them that the herd can stand to lose a few. Can you get a good steak off them? I had bison once. Yummy."
"Actually, they do make good eating, yes. That's one of the main reasons I hunt them myself."
Karen stared out the window at the unending blanket of bovines, "Yay, wildebeest steak! Oh, damn, we should have picked up some A1 sauce in Cape Town--Ooh, giraffes!--We're not gonna kill any of those are we?" Karen looked at Julian pleadingly. "I had a story book about a baby giraffe when I was a girl. I couldn't bear to shoot one of them." Then her look hardened. "Have you ever shot a giraffe, Julian?"
Julian had killed more giraffes than he could count. They were tasty as well and their pelts brought in good money. "No. Me? No, never. I think they are most graceful animals. I could never bring myself to shoot a giraffe. I mostly shoot ugly animals like the wildebeest down there."
Karen looked out the window, "Ya, they are kinda nasty looking, those wildebeests."
The pilot told Julian that they were about to land. Julian sighed in relief.
Upon landing on the vast plain, Julian and the pilot brought down the gear. Julian checked his radio, held up three fingers to the pilot and the pair watched the Beechcraft taxi and take off.
"That means three days?" Karen ventured.
Julian looked at her. "Yes. Bush signals. It's a sort of shorthand we use."
"I'm learning already. So, are we going to cache most of the stuff here and hike with just the necessities to the camp?"
"This is where we camp, Karen. I told you, we're doing this in style."
"Oh," she mumbled, looking a bit disappointed.
"Don't worry." Julian consoled her. "This is just our base. We'll be doing plenty of walking when we track. First, we have to set up camp though."
"Don't you love camping, Julian? Daddy used to take me when I was a girl. I have a surprise for you after dinner. Oh! Are we going to hunt for our dinner?"
"I'm afraid it's beans and jerky tonight. We can't camp too close to where the animals are and setting up camp will take most of the day. Tell you what, though. We'll go after a wildebeest first thing tomorrow and we'll grill some for lunch."
Karen jumped up and down and clapped her hands.
Julian did most of the heavy work, including putting up Karen's room sized tent. Karen insisted, though, on setting up Julian's pup tent. He let her and figured he'd have to redo it, but when she went off to take a pee, he twanged the lines, taut from poles to stakes. "Not bad for a New York girl."
Karen had carried the latrine blinds with her. He saw her young figure rise from the tall grass after a minute, buttoning up her shorts. She called to Julian, "How deep should the hole be? The ground is tough."
"Two feet is good. I can dig if the ground is too stony."
"No prob. I can do it." She bent down and began to work the shovel. After a few minutes he saw the canvas sheets going up and soon she was trotting back to camp.
"Good job," Julian commended. "It looks sturdy from here. All 90 degree angles."
"Told you I learn quick. What's next?"
"We're about done. I'll get a fire going. It gets cold at night--quickly. You might want to unpack your jacket.'
Karen walked over to her tent, saying over her shoulder, "Daddy taught me how to build a campfire too."
Julian picked up the shovel Karen had used and dug a wide, shallow pit. Then he went over to the pile of brushwood he had cleared from where he set up Karen's tent and soon had a cheery blaze going.
Karen had decided to unpack some of her things and she rolled up her surprise for Julian in one of her shirts. It was a package of Graham crackers, a bag of marshmallows and several bars of Hershey's chocolate. "I bet you haven't had a s'more before, you boor." she said to herself, smiling as she exited her tent. Julian was standing beside the campfire, facing her, staring down the barrel of his hunting rifle.
"Don't move." He said in a steely voice.
Karen froze. Julian pulled the trigger and a flock of birds getting ready to roost for the night took flight from the copse of trees to the north of the camp as the shot echoed over the dusky savannah.
******
"I did it." Julian said out loud, almost unbelieving.
"Besides making me wet my pants, what exactly did you do?" Karen said, irritated now after the initial shock had passed.
"I made your wish come true. I just shot us our supper." Julian had lowered the rifle and his eyes were fixed at some point behind her and only slightly to the left of her tent.
Karen walked around as Julian came up to her, "A small springbok, female most likely. There must be a watering hole about a hundred yards that way. If the water's clear you'll be able to bathe too. Not a bad spot Nyemi picked for us, hey?"
"I can't see it." Karen squinted.
"It's fallen in the grass. C'mon, let's go get our dinner!" Julian jogged towards where the fallen animal lay and Karen followed excitedly.
Karen overtook him in her eagerness and when she came to the edge of the watering hole, there indeed was one there, she stepped around a group of bushes at its edge and stood over the kill. "It's so cute." She said wistfully.
"It tastes like venison. Only ten times better. Oh, and I have something better than your A1 sauce in my pack for this." Julian remarked.
"Ten times better than venison with special African sauce, huh?" Karen said thoughtfully. "Law of the wild, I guess." Looking at Julian she said, "Thanks. I really did want to feel we were more in the wild. I don't know how to clean animals though. Daddy never took me hunting."
Julian smiled. "I'll take care of it. I was right, a female so no trophy antlers but the water looks clean. You can bathe if you want while I get dinner ready. It'll be dark--and cold--soon."
"Is it safe to bathe here?" Karen asked.
"I can stand guard for crocodiles if you want," Julian teased.
"Boor," Karen said, as she ran to her tent for the biodegradable soap and shampoo she bought just in case.
Julian slung the springbok over his shoulders and made for the campfire. By
the time Karen had come back from her bath he had two nice roasts on spits over the blaze. He was basting them with his special sauce. Karen walked up, tied up in a bathrobe and rubbing her hair with a towel.
"What makes that stuff better than A1?" Karen sounded genuinely interested.
"Ah," Julian said, hovering over the meal he was preparing, "This is a naturally jellied mix of mint and African herbs and roots."
"Funny, no one thinks of African spices," Karen mused.
"No, you're right. That's why this is one of the best kept secrets of the Dark Continent. I get this from a friend of mine who lives out near the Zulu reserve. He gathers the wild mint and other ingredients fresh and pounds them in a mortar made from a human skull." Julian stared into the fire.
"You're shitting me. I bet you I could find that at any grocery store in Cape Town." Karen countered.
No, I'm serious. He is a respected Shaman. He says the skull gives the sauce some of the power of its owner. You tell me if you don't feel like you can take on the world after you've had some of it." Julian said seriously.
"I don't believe in all that Voodoo and magic stuff." Karen said, drying her hair.
Julian tended to his meat. "You live out here long enough, Karen, and you'll see all kinds of magic with your own eyes you never even knew existed. And soon, you will believe."
They both watched the meat sizzle with the sauce in silence before Karen went off to get dressed and Julian unpacked the mess kits. He set up a Petromax for brighter light on a pole beside the fire. It was full dark now.
When Karen came out of her tent, a small folding table and two chairs were set up beside the fire. Julian had laid out the joints on metal plates. The basted springbok legs shone in the light of the campfire and the overhead Petromax.
"Smells yummy," she smiled. "If nothing else, your Shaman friend knows his spices."
"He is skilled with herbs," Julian said pulling out her chair. But poisoning you is out of the question, he thought bitterly. Van Meer said accident, and when Van Meer speaks, the waters go calm to listen, to heed--and then they do as commanded.
Saving The Game Page 3
