"Now would be a good time to take your gun out and take it off safety Alex."
"Not a chance. You do it. I'll wait, thank you. But what if it's my father? Be sure not to just shoot at anything that moves Quinn. We don't want any deaths on our hands."
"Have you forgotten I'm a doctor? I took the Hippocratic oath. I'll shoot to incapacitate only. And then I'll probably run over and fix him up."
"Shh. Now's not the time for jokes Quinn. What we're doing here is very serious."
"Okay, okay. Just saying."
"We need to try to get upstairs. We have eyes on every corner from up there. If my father is here, he would have seen us by now already. Someone else is here."
"Who else knows of this place?"
"No one. Just my father and I. And my mother knew of course, but she's, well, you know?"
I still can't bring myself to say it out loud. My Mum is dead. No longer with us. However, you want to sugarcoat it. Gone.
"I don't see anyone though. It could have been a rat or the pigeons or something. Let's take a chance and head up the stairs."
Quinn leads us up the stairs. My heart pounds in my ears again, and my palms feel clammy. I feel that familiar feeling of fear grip on my neck. I need my pills. Crap. I can't believe I lost it. That's what got Jelani killed. You don't need it Alex. Look how far you've come. Push on. You can do this.
A sea of speech flood my brain in sheer panic. I take a deep breath and hold my hand over the small square on the wall at the top of the door and listen out for the soft click to release the door.
"Amazing." I hear Quinn whisper behind me. "It's like being inside Pharaoh's tomb or something? You're one heck of a family that's for sure."
With the door firmly closed behind us, I walk over to the room's single window and pull the curtain away. There is no sign of anyone outside. The bathroom looks like it has been in use and there's fresh food in the fridge. What the...? The bed stands dressed in clean linen on too, but the place is empty. I rush over to the CCTV cameras and look through every inch of the warehouse for signs of anyone. That noise came from somewhere.
Nothing and no one in sight... anywhere.
"Well, I hate to break it to you, but it very much looks like someone is staying here and whoever it is, has a map and several notes on Rhapta."
"What?" I rush over to Quinn's side by the desk and rummage through the umpteen notes and scribbles.
"These are my mum's notes. It's her handwriting. Someone stole all her research. What the...! Who the heck would do such a despicable thing? And how? How would they have found them?"
"She must have had them on her when they took her, or they came back for it afterward."
"No. I don't think so. She didn’t have it on her and we were practically asleep when... when. It's not possible. Mum's bag with her journal was on the floor, unopened."
"Well, someone is living in this place. It's not the cleanest, but you can most definitely see someone is living here. Look. There is half a sandwich here, and it looks only about a day or two old."
I walk over to the monitors to see if I can spot anyone downstairs.
"See anything?"
"Nope. Nothing. I'm not convinced that noise was a rat or a pigeon. I'm telling you. We're not alone in here.
"I thought you said only you, your Dad and Mum knew of this place?"
"Yes, and my Dad's back home and my Mum is gone, so that leaves an intruder. Let's wait it out. Sooner or later he would have to come upstairs. We'll be here to surprise the living daylights out of him."
Chapter Twelve
Charles
The stabbing pain in my feet stints my running. It doesn't help that the boots are about two sizes too big either.
"Bloody shoes of a dead man." I scoff.
How the hell did it get to this? Archaeology has been my life, and I have had my fair share of hair-raising digs but this? Life and death. Death in Izzy's case. My dear Izzy. Death in exchange for what? A quest to chase some myth? It's real though. I know it.
We came too close, and that's why she died. If I hadn't left, they might have killed me also. They must know something we don't or perhaps they have found a piece of the puzzle. I've got to get to safety and then attain the truth. I can't let her have died in vain.
It's pretty dark now, and the massive trees above my head shade the little bit of light from the moon. The grass and bushes are dense, and I smell of fresh blood. Out here in the African jungle, alone at night, it means I am any carnivore's open target. I have to move quickly and quietly. Remain focused and keep my eyes sharp. As sharp as I can at least considering they are still swollen half shut from all the punches. But I'm alive, at least for now, and that is all that counts.
I have managed to run a fair distance into the bush and am pretty sure no one is following me. Still, I can't help myself from turning and looking back every couple of minutes just to check if they are after me. I'm pretty sure no one saw me flee. The giant was the only one standing guard, and well, he isn't coming back anytime soon, that's for sure. That bullet hit him squarely between his eyes. The shooter seems very skilled indeed. Like a sniper or something.
Shite, my lungs are flapping like two headless chickens. It's all those days at my desk lately. Izzy at least kept me outdoors but since she's gone, what's the use? I need to get back to the gym. On the other hand, if I keep this up I might never need the gym again.
I look back again. Yup, the coast is clear. Do they even know I'm gone yet? With any luck, they're all dead. Shot by the sniper. I decide to choose the latter theory and stop turning every two minutes to check. It's utterly pointless in any case. It just makes me lose my balance each time, and then I miss time trying to get up again. My body can't move anymore. I am beyond exhausted.
"Keep going, Charles. You can't stop now." I chant to myself.
Over and over. I stumble a couple of times over sharp boulders and tree roots. Or perhaps it's my two new shoes. Who knows? It's too dark to see correctly and without my glasses, I'm in essence blind.
My body aches and my mouth is dryer than a wicked martini. Now there's a thought. As a whiskey man, I'll even drink a bloody dry martini right now. Hell, anything would do!
I can't stop. I just have to keep running and gain as much distance as possible in the event my kidnappers come looking for me in the morning. They need the key. A bloody key that doesn't even exist. It was the cypher code we happened to guess might be the Key. Nothing more. But if there were a key, now that's a different story.
And now, because of my fabricated confession of Izzy being alive with a Key, they will hunt me down until the end of time. Even more-so than ever before; As long as I keep Alexandra safe and out of it. What an idiot I was to call her. I just wanted to say goodbye. I do hope she isn't on her way here. She can't be. I never told her of this trip or my reasons for coming here. As far as she knows I'm just on one of my regular uni excavations somewhere.
I stop for a brief moment to catch my breath and lean against a tree trunk. I definitely need to get to the gym when I get back home. Panting to regain my breath I hear a sharp hissing sound in front of me. It's quite dark under the tree, but the moonlight hits the spot about half a meter in front of me. Bloody hell it's a Cobra! His head is pulled up revealing his ginormous flat hood and yellowish underbelly almost glowing in the faint moonlight. His fangs are the size of croc teeth. Bloody hell it's an Egyptian Cobra; Massive one too.
I think I stopped breathing altogether. I can't move or even flinch. Shite. These buggers are as fast as lightning, and I'll be dead in half an hour. My eye catches movement to the left of him, and I see a giant rat heading straight for him freezing much the same way I did when he spots him. I must have scared it out of hiding with my thumping. The rat is enough of a distraction to the snake who is now weighing up his options swinging from side to side between rat and human. Think snakey, I might look like I'm a threat to you, but trust me. I’m not. The rat, on the other hand. Well, that's fast f
ood to last you days out here. Come on, old buddy. Let's do the smart thing here okay. Think about it in detail now. I 'm too big to swallow, so the rat is your obvious option. You can have him all. Go on. Take him Mr. Cobra; I mentally teleport a conversation to the snake and seconds later, thankfully, he decides to strike at the defenseless rat.
Occupied with his large catch I retreat slowly and once out of reach, start running as fast as my two lacerated feet can carry me. Blimey, that was close. Mrs. Parson's cat next door has lost all nine his lives having to dodge the traffic on her doorstep. Perhaps I might have used most of mine by now too. I keep running. Lady luck must be on my side.
Trying to gain my bearings I stop for another brief second making sure not to lean against any trees again. I have no idea how deep into the bush they took me, but they would have needed water, so they had to have been somewhere near a river. It was late afternoon when they took me. I was sitting on the right side of the car in the full sun. That means, with the sun setting in the West, I was heading North up the river.
Okay, think. So then I'm North of Dar es Salaam and the village South. I might be helluva off here for all I know. I haven't eaten in days, and my brain could be severely lacking any sense right now. I recognized there to be dense bush north of Dar es Selaam so that means the village would indeed lie south. The ocean would lie to the East of the mainland so logically then most rivers should at some point meet at sea.
I look up at the stars between the tall trees. I'm going to have to get to a clearing so I can see the constellations better. Perhaps I can find my way East. Happy with my conclusion, I start running again. I don't know how long I can keep this up. My body is close to collapse, but I push. I have to.
What seems like hours later, I finally get a large clearing of grassland. It's yellow and dry not green and lush which means I most probably ran too far off. I pause for a minute surveying the area accurately. I am not the only creature seeking out clearings. Lions and Rhinos like them also. I don't see any, so I walk out into the middle of the clearing and look up.
The stars are incredibly bright and clear, and I recall the last night Izzy, and I spent under the stars before I left for home. She didn't want me to go. How could I have been so stupid to leave both my wife and only child behind? Perhaps if I didn't then, she would have still been alive, and Alexandra would not have fallen ill. I didn't fulfill my promise of protecting them. My heart is heavy. Gripped with sorrow. I still ache for her. She was my best friend, colleague, and wife. Sometimes I can hardly believe she's gone.
A single tear roll down my cheek. I search the stars and spot Orion's bent hourglass torso. There it is. Mintaka, the rightmost star in Orion's belt which sets within a degree measure of true east or west. I stack my fists hand-over-hand from the horizon until I reach Mintaka, calculating the degrees of angle measure. It hasn't been dark for long so by my calculations that should be East. I feel a flicker of hope, so I set off at a more relaxed pace attempting to give my aching feet a slight bit of relief.
It's dark now, and the conditions of my escape push my severely dehydrated and exhausted body beyond endurance. It must be long past midnight. Or somewhere in the early hours of the morning. Keeping my eyes peeled for wild animals, I focus one step at a time. I need to stay sharp and keep going. No point in giving up now. I have come too far. Hopefully, some of the crew survived also and I'll send one of them to make contact with Alexandra. My dear sweet girl. She has gone through too much in her young life. There is not a chance in hell I'll have her lose another parent. Not as long as I have breath in my flapping lungs.
My thoughts are all that keep me going. I spot several Rhino under a tree. Hmm... animals only hide under trees if they expect bad weather. I look up again. There's not a cloud in the sky, but there they are. Huddled together under the tree. Their horns look like beacons in the moonlight. How sad that barbarians are slaughtering them just to sell their horns on the black market. I need to keep clear of them though. You best not get on the wrong side of a rhino that's for sure. They might look big and stocky, but boy do they run fast.
I should check in with Keating to see if the uni made headway with the 'Save our Rhino' campaign once I get back.
The trees grow dense in some places where I can barely walk through them. We might be close to water then. I wonder if I can still climb a tree? I should rest. Just a little. The cobra pops up in my mind's eye. The savannah is snake country out here, and I might encounter some of the tree climbing ones. No. That was too close for comfort, and I decide to continue a little further.
I can't be too far off. I've been walking for hours on end. A sudden lightning bolt flashes straight ahead lighting up the entire horizon. Well, what do you know? Out of nowhere, with not a cloud in the sky. Bloody smart little buggers these Rhinos. Moments later another bolt flashes and then another and another. Several loud thunderous rumblings in between more lightning bolts and then, a raindrop wets my cheek. Out of nowhere, the heavens open up and dumps bucket loads of refreshing rain over me.
"Ha-haaaaah! Yes! Open your floodgates!" I shout out loud, but I keep walking.
If I stop, the rebels might catch up with me. I stick out my tongue in desperation of getting some water to moisten my parched throat. The rain feels heavenly on my drought-stricken body and somewhat soothing on my still swollen and bruised face. Absolute bliss. I know I should run for cover from the lightning, but I can't help it. My body is beating my logic. Hands-down. I need water, so I fall to my knees and stretch my arms wide. I throw my head back and open my mouth as wide as I can. Like a river of pure gold flowing over me and down my throat. More.... I need more!
The nearby tree's bark is peeling off in places. I rip a hollow piece off and hold it at the opening of my mouth as I wait for the rain to collect in it. It fills quickly, and I gulp it down. I never knew rainwater could taste this good. Instantly I feel refreshed and rejuvenated.
The last time I danced in the rain like this was when Izzy and I first started dating. We managed to get a booking in that fancy French restaurant in Covent Garden. I had saved all my money just for that dinner with her. We hit a downpour just as we stepped out onto the curb. She wasn't like the other girls who squealed at the slightest drop of rain ruining their hairdo's and fancy clothing. Instead, she opened her arms much like mine are now and danced pirouettes around me. We were soaked, but it was one of the happiest times in my life. That's when I knew I needed to spend the rest of my life with her. And now look at it. I'm alive, living out my days and she's gone.
"Is this you Izzy my love? Is this you opening up the heavens and helping me through?"
I can't help but wonder if she is behind all this beautiful rain, reminding me of the good times we had. They say losing someone will get more comfortable. I beg to differ! What I wouldn't do to dance in the rain with her again.
Deciding to risk the lightning storm I keep moving forward toward the dense bushes and trees. The night is a cold and wet one, but at least the rain contains the animals (and snakes) and quenches my sore and bruised body.
It has been almost twelves days since being captured and tortured. I think. I've lost count. I have to rest. I fall down and stay down. My legs can't take one more step. Just for five minutes. I decide to take my shoes off and try to wash my wounds. The boots come off quickly without having to untie the laces, but the sock bandages stick solidly to the dried blood. If I rip it off now, it will open the wounds, and the injuries would start bleeding all over again. So I spread them out in front of me to try to soak them in the rain. It works, and the socks come off instantly.
Soon, the rain stops and the sun threatens its rise just beyond the horizon ahead of me. I have lived another day. At least I now know I am heading East.
I giggle to myself. Izzy would have been so proud that I used the stars to navigate my course.
'Mark my words, Charles Benjamin Hunt. One day is one day you'll need those stars to show you the way' she once said when I argued the purpose of
learning the constellations. Well, Izzy my love. You were right. As always.
Time got the better of me, and I guess I must have slipped off into a sound nap (or a coma, who knows), and I wake with a prodding stick in my side. Fully alert I sit up. The sun's bright rays force my eyes closed and I stumble to my slashed bare feet.
Kids! It's kids! There are kids laughing and giggling all around me. Well color me pink and call me a daisy. Never in a million years have I been happier to see these little monkeys. Where on earth did they come from?
"Take me to your village. Please. Take me to your village." I'm not even sure my broken Swahili is understood. They're dancing around me as if they have just found treasure.
"Your village. Chief. Help." I try again.
One brave boy, about school going age, pulls me by my forefinger and before long I am pulled across the savannah by a creche of kids. One of the kids managed to snatch my boots and are now proudly wearing them. My feet shoot stabbing pains through my legs as I walk barefoot across the grassland but I let him have the moment. And there it is. The village. Bloody hell. I was only about fifty meters away from it last night when I collapsed. My feet hurt so badly that I barely make it to the fire pit in the center of the village and fall on the tree stump. The wounds on my feet are gushing fresh blood.
The kids scream and shout for the women who rush to my side with a clay jar of water and crushed aloe plants which they wrap tightly around my feet.
"Charlie-boy!"
I hunch over, head buried in my hands in outright relief as the Chief comes up towards me and takes his seat next to me.
"Charlie-boy! We think you dead? You okay! You safe Charlie-boy. We so happy."
"Hello, Chief. Are you a sight for sore eyes!"
"Where you been Charlie-boy?"
"The damned River Rebels were behind it. They think I have the Key. Or more accurately, Izzy has the key.
"Izzy? What you mean old friend. Izzy with gods no?"
"Sadly, she still is yes Chief.
ALEX HUNT and the Chase for Rhapta_A Relic Chaser Adventure Page 12
