by David Nees
Discussing how they’ll cross. They know it’s an ambush point.
Suddenly the tracker tapped Marcus’s sleeve. He pointed to the left and right across the creek. Marcus watched his silent animation. They’re fanning out along the creek. If they’re ambushed, they charge across and try to trap us. Roland was right. They had to hit hard and run like hell.
The two men waited. When the rebels were in position, they would start to cross. He and Roland would only have a moment to fire, then they had to move fast. Their twenty to thirty-yard advantage was not much protection.
The first men advanced. They were spaced apart and looking nervous. Marcus noticed that other soldiers had appeared to his right, farther up the stream. The same movement was going on to his left.
When the first man was nearing the shore, Marcus dropped him with one shot and quickly swept the others in the stream. Gunfire erupted from the brush on the far side. It was not well-aimed. Marcus figured the shooters could not see him or Roland from where they were hidden. Marcus turned his AK to his right and swept the men trying to flank their position. Roland had followed Marcus’s shots immediately and also swept the soldiers to his left. A few made it across the creek. Now the fire was more concentrated and others started rushing across the creek to each side.
“Time to go,” Marcus said. He backed up and motioned to the tracker. They started up the slope at a run, dodging through the underbrush with no worry about the trail they were leaving. Speed was the key now. They had to put some distance between them and the others before they reorganized. As the three of them pushed through the brush, they could hear the pursuit. Occasionally a short round of gunfire came from the men chasing them. They couldn’t see who they were chasing, but even random shots might find their mark.
“You keep going,” Roland said while they ran along. “I’ll wait here and take the closest ones out. That’ll slow them down. Fire and retreat.”
“You’ll lose us in this undergrowth.”
“Not likely, we’re just bashing through. I’ll catch up. Take out one or two and they’ll slow down.”
“I’ll stop fifty yards ahead of you. If they follow right away, I’ll open fire. We’ll work our way back, cover fire and retreat, until we can run again.”
Roland nodded and stopped behind a tree. Marcus and the tracker went another fifty yards.
The first of the rebels came into sight, and Roland took him out. The other dropped and started shooting. Roland pushed back through the brush and Marcus started firing. Roland passed him and then stopped. Marcus now retreated. He heard Roland open up as the rebels started forward again. When Roland got up to retreat, Marcus laid down cover fire.
Now Marcus couldn’t see anyone advancing. He dropped back to Roland’s position.
“They’re flanking us. No one’s coming up our trial.”
Roland nodded. “Time to run, again.”
The three men got up and began racing through the jungle forest, now oblivious to the trail they were leaving. After an hour of running, they slowed down. They could hear no sound of pursuit, so they began to move more stealthily again. They continued through the rest of the day. Before it got dark, the tracker led them to a particularly dense area of brush, similar to where they had camped before attacking the compound.
“Guess we stop here for the night,” Marcus said.
He gestured to the tracker about going on through the night. The man shook his head, indicating a strong disagreement with that idea.
“Probably worried he can’t keep on the trail,” Roland said. “We lose the trail, we’ll never find them.”
“That or the night spirits. We don’t have Dan’s status.”
“Yeah. He’s mister sorcerer. Who would have guessed?”
The pygmy went to work building a small hut for himself. He offered to do the same for the two men, but they indicated they would wrap themselves in their ground cloths and sleep next to his shelter.
Roland set out three MREs. The tracker watched, wide eyed as the packets heated. He enthusiastically dug into the food when it was ready.
“Now I’ve got the magic touch,” Roland said. “I make heat without fire.”
“You just might make a sorcerer yet,” Marcus said.
That night rain came. Marcus and Roland sat up with their backs to a tree and their ground cloths over them in a vain attempt to keep dry. Sleep came fitfully, and the morning brought little relief. The skies remained cloudy, and the jungle steamed as the temperature rose.
Chapter 44
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D ieu Merci Bakasa finally was dropped off back in Goma a shaken man. His mistress asked him where he’d been for a day and a half. Dieu did not answer except to say that it had been government business. General Zhang had made it clear that he was to not process any more claims for Mputu and that he was to start shifting the rebel’s claims over to Zhang. If not, Zhang said he would disappear. The strong-arm tactics were quite illegal, but with the police not being that powerful and trustworthy, he didn’t dare report the actions. Instead, he would find a way to maneuver himself into safer waters. He knew people in Kinshasa; he could contact them for help. His problem was that Zhang also knew officials in the capital…and Zhang had much more money and therefore influence.
Dieu Merci Bakasa was in a tough spot. He had to navigate between the warlord Mputu and the powerful executive Zhang while he tried to find some leverage for himself.
*
Dan and the group followed Muko through the jungle forest in a westward direction. They moved carefully but steadily. Muko had to go slower than he normally would. Dan knew the pace he could travel. Even with the reduced pace, they were leaving a trail that was easy to follow. The best course was to put distance between them and the soldiers, taking advantage of Marcus and Roland’s efforts to slow their pursuers down.
When night came Muko stopped; he didn’t want to travel through the night, even with Dan, who he thought had some association with the forest spirits. He relented after Dan’s spirited argument, delivered through Santu. They kept moving after a brief stop for some food and water. Dan could tell Muko was nervous; he insisted Dan walk directly behind him.
The monkeys had quieted down for the night. Throughout the day they had surprised different troops of them but didn’t slow their pace. They just passed under while the monkeys who scolded them from the trees. Now the group passed without protest. The only sounds were the night birds calling out their territory in the dark.
Once they heard a pig squealing in the night, well off to one side of the group. Dan looked at Santu, who shook his head.
“Bush pig?” He asked Muko.
He nodded. “Chui, leopard,” Muko answered in Swahili, indicating the reason for the squeal.
“It’s good,” Santu said. He was walking close to Dan. The rest of the hostage group followed in single file with the rear brought up by the other tracker. “He will not be hungry for us tonight.”
Dan grinned to himself. They walked on in silence. At midnight, Dan called a halt.
“We’ll stop for a few hours. Tell Muko we’ll go again when the moon comes up.”
Everyone dropped to the ground. The two pygmies began clearing the forest floor, making sure they weren’t going to sit on an ant colony. Then they spread large leaves for the hostages to lie on. When they finished, they arranged some leaves for themselves as a bed and immediately lay down and fell asleep. The others sat or lay on the leaves and talked quietly with each other.
“Get some sleep. We’ll be walking again soon,” Dan said as he lay on the ground.
Yvette came over to him. “Will Roland and Marcus be okay?” Dan looked up at her. She was kneeling by his side. He propped himself up on his elbow. “Yes. They’re experienced. And they have one of Muko’s trackers to help.”
“But there’s so many soldiers and only two of them.”
“They are used to being outnumbered. They know how to even the odd
s.”
“I can’t help but worry. You found us, saved us. And now Roland and Marcus put themselves in danger for us.” She paused, “Why do you do this?”
Dan thought for a moment. “Because it’s the right thing to do. Also, because Roland would not let me ignore your plight.” He smiled at her. “You’ve made quite an impression on him.”
“La même chose pour moi, the same for me,” she replied.
“Get some rest. We have to do our part and get safely out of here. If we don’t, all that Roland and Marcus risk will be for nothing.”
Yvette went back to the others and lay down. Dan put his tactical jacket under his head after removing the magazines and tried to find a soft spot to cradle his head. Then the rain came and everyone huddled together, spreading their jackets over them as best they could. After a half hour, Dan got everyone up. There would be no sleep tonight. They started walking again.
The morning came with a dull grayness and the wet jungle steaming in the rising heat. By now the group was stumbling along, fatigued and half awake. Muko and the other tracker seemed unaffected by the walk and the weather. Muko had kept them moving west, according to Dan’s compass, how, he couldn’t imagine, since the entire night had been dark with rain.
Finally, Muko stopped an hour after the sun came up. He spoke with Santu, who reported back to Dan.
“Muko says we can turn north now and later back to the river. He knows of a small village north of the one we were in. We can find canoes there. We will pass near of the rebel camp, but he doesn’t think anyone will be there.”
“We can get someone to take us downriver?”
“Muko says you and me must speak to those in the village. They won’t listen to him. They don’t respect pygmies.”
“That’s too bad.”
Santu shrugged. “It is the way for most blacks and pygmies. They are used to it and don’t expect better.” He thought for a moment. “There are no pygmy politicians in Kinshasa to speak for them. They don’t really care if they are let alone to live in the forest. But, according to Muko, it’s sad for them when the Bantu enslave them and make them work in the city or villages. And both the blacks and the whites kill their game in their forests. Muko says they need stronger spirits to protect them. He hopes you can help.”
“Damn. I’m afraid I’m going to disappoint him. I’m not a shaman or a sorcerer.”
“Yet you have power. I saw it. The old man saw it…the one you called a Watcher. That power will help us get away. I’m counting on it and so is Muko.”
Dan just shook his head. “Tell Muko we’ll follow him and you and I will get the canoes when we get to the village.”
They started north and in two hours, Muko turned back towards the river. He tried to keep up a fast pace, but it was slower than he could go. Even moving slower, the NGOs were sloppy and left an easy trail for any experienced tracker to follow. Their safety was not in losing the soldiers that were pursuing them, it was in staying far enough ahead of them to get on the river.
The overcast sky broke up in the afternoon. There would be thunderstorms later, but now the sun came out. And with the sun, came greater heat. Muko had to stop often to find vines to cut for the others. Dan gave out purification tablets and everyone filled their water bottles at a stream they crossed.
By late afternoon, the exhausted group stopped. Dan pulled out his MREs and distributed them around. Muko and his other tracker got one to share. Again, the pygmies were impressed by Dan’s “magic” of making heat without fire. Muko spoke rapidly to his tracker, as if confirming Dan’s powers and how they would protect all of them.
When they had eaten, Dan roused the group to continue. The two pygmy trackers seemed indefatigable. They expended little energy. Their movements were small and efficient. Dan wondered if that wasn’t one of the adaptive principles that had resulted in their diminutive race. That and their smaller size making it easier to move through dense foliage.
It was late that night. Dan had kept the group going. He needed to gain as much separation as possible. Muko suddenly stopped and crouched down. Everyone followed his example. Muko gestured for Dan to follow him and they both went forward in a cautious crouch. There was a clearing ahead. When they reached the edge, Dan recognized the rebel camp even in the dark of the night.
The moon was coming up and cast a pale light around the compound. Dan and Muko watched for signs of human presence. Did the commander leave anyone behind? The last thing Dan needed was a firefight with him having the only weapon. He spoke to Muko with gestures and told him to go around to the right to look and listen for any humans. He would do the same, going to the left. They would meet back at this spot.
The two separated.
The camp was silent. Dan could see a lump on the ground in the area where he had shot the soldiers. One seemed to be missing? Carried off by an animal? The silence remained undisturbed. Dan and Muko returned to where they had split up. As they were about to go back into the forest, they heard a man scream from across the compound. The scream was followed by a low, guttural cough or growl. Then nothing. After a moment there was a faint dragging sound that faded into the forest. Dan looked at Muko.
“Chui,” the tracker said. A leopard must have taken one of the wounded who had survived for two days.
They rejoined the group.
“Ask Muko if it is safe to go into the camp,” Dan told Santu.
There was a short, quiet conversation and Santu said it was safe.
“Muko says the leopard is satisfied and will not bother us. They are very solitary, so we can be sure there are no others in the area. He wouldn’t allow it.
“Let’s go. I want to see if there're any supplies we can take with us.”
Yvette came up to him with Reichard, the group’s leader. “No one wants to go back into the camp. Let’s just leave it.”
“We will. After I check for any supplies we can use.”
Dan led the group into the camp. The hostages stayed close to one another and avoided the few bodies lying around. There was an acrid smell from the fire. The hut was now just a charred and flattened ruin. The other structures had not burned. Dan guessed considerable effort had been expended to save them from sparks. The ammunition going off would have helped spread the fire.
There were some additional bodies in the compound, victims of the blown-off ammunition. Dan grabbed Santu.
“Let’s go inside the commander’s house and see what we can find. He turned to Yvette. “You and Reichard please look into the barracks and see if there’s any food or water we can take with us.”
She gave him a look of apprehension.
“Take my flashlight.” Dan reached into his pack. “You don’t have to spend much time in there, just take a quick look.”
After Yvette headed off with Reichard, Dan and Santu entered the house. With their headlamps, they could see the interior spotlighted against the surrounding darkness. The inside showed itself in small pieces with each turn of the light.
“Look in the back for any water or food,” Dan said.
He went over to the desk and started looking through the drawers. There were a few papers that didn’t tell him much. They looked like notes about the mining concessions. Santu came back with a pack of bottled water and set it on the floor.
“We should take this?” he asked.
“Yeah.” Dan was looking through more papers. “Well, I’ll be damned,” Dan exclaimed.
“What’s up?”
“Looks like we struck a blow with this rescue. According to this document, General Zhang has been working a deal with this commander, his name is Mputu, to take over the artisanal mines.”
“I’ve heard of him. Mputu is one of the biggest warlords in the area. He’s ruthless. We could be marked men now that we’ve attacked him.” Santu sounded genuinely worried. He could get to us, even in Goma.
“He doesn’t know who we are, and I don’t plan to announce our mission to the rest of the world.”
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“Still, he has ways of finding out.”
“Santu, we’ll worry about that later. Let’s get going.” Dan stuffed some papers in his pack.
“You spoke of General Zhang? He’s a general?”
“Yeah. I forgot you didn’t know that. The Chinese often send their military officers to front their business operations.”
“Are you in the military? Do you work for the U.S. Army?”
Dan shook his head. “Just trained by the military. That’s why we’re still alive.”
He started for the door.
“Wait.”
Dan looked at Santu.
“There, on the shelf.” He aimed his headlight on a set of shelves along the back of the room. There were glasses on one shelf and a closed cabinet above them. “Might be something inside.”
Santu forced the cabinet door open. Inside were two bottles of Johnny Walker Black Label. He pulled them out.
“Twelve-years old.” Santu smiled.
“What do we want with that? I’ll buy you a bottle in Goma.”
“We use this to pay off the village chief. Remember the last village?”
“Good point. Pack it up.”
Santu brought out another bottle. “Tanqueray gin. We should take this as well.”
“Bring it,” Dan said.
Chapter 45
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M arcus and Roland kept going the next day with their tracker following the faint, but recognizable trail. They moved quickly and the two men hoped they were putting some distance between themselves and the rebel soldiers.
“They need to move slower since we’ve ambushed them. They can’t risk losing more men,” Marcus said when they had stopped to drink and rest.
“Yeah. But they’ll get bolder as the day goes on. We aren’t ambushing them now.”
