The Perfect Witness

by Iris Johansen

  Keep going.

  Gates of Heaven.

  Head exploding. Brain matter flying.

  Father Elwyn smiling at her with loving kindness.

  Keep swimming.

  She could see the bank up ahead.

  Mandak had already reached the bank and was waiting, treading water.

  She warily surfaced beside him.

  No shooters on this bank. They must have been drawn to the far shore.

  “What’s happening?” she gasped. “Who are they?”

  Noise, and crashing brush on the far shore.

  “The tall man in the camouflage uniform is Aman Kobu, one of Praland’s officers. I don’t know the rest.” Mandak’s hands were on her waist, preparing to lift her. “Get out and run into the brush,” Mandak said. “Fast. Keep low. I’ll be behind you. We’ll circle around toward the helicopter.”

  She nodded, and the next instant, she was on the bank and heading for the brush. It was only seconds until she was out of sight in the thick shrubbery.

  “Run,” Mandak said curtly. “Low and fast. I’ll be covering you.”

  She knew he had a gun, but he’d been in the water. Would it still fire?

  She wasn’t going to question him.

  Run.

  Brush was scraping her face and arms.

  Her shoes were wet and muddy before she’d gone a hundred yards.

  She couldn’t hear Mandak behind her.

  Keep running.

  She was almost there.

  A bullet splintered the wood of the tree next to her.

  But the bullet came from in front of her, not behind, not from the far shore where there were screams and shouts.

  Why would it—

  “Down, Allie!” It was Mandak but he’d somehow managed to circle and get in front of her. He was only yards from the helicopter. “Down!”

  She fell to the ground.

  Another bullet whistled by her shoulder. She rolled to one side into the shrubs as she saw the shooter.

  It was a brown-skinned man in loose jeans with a bare, tattooed chest. He was standing beside the helicopter, his white teeth gleaming as he let off another round of shots.

  Mandak was dodging bullets himself as he weaved in and out to avoid them.

  Then he was on top of the shooter, his knife slicing at the man’s throat.

  But there was another man in a yellow shirt coming out from the other side of the copter toward the struggling figures with a pistol in his hand.

  “No!” She instinctively jumped to her feet. She couldn’t stay here hiding. Gun. She had to have a gun. Where was—

  She had slipped Renata’s gun into her jacket pocket.

  And that jacket was in the helicopter. She ran through the brush and around the other side of the helicopter.

  More bullets.

  She glanced over her shoulder to see that Mandak had pulled the body of the man he’d knifed over his body to protect his body from the bullets of the new threat.

  God, let her get to her jacket. Don’t let there be any more of Kobu’s men blocking her way.

  She almost stumbled over the body of Thorne, the pilot, who was huddled beside the door. His eyes were staring straight ahead. He had a bullet in his forehead.

  Don’t look at him. Don’t feel anger or sadness. Get the gun.

  The next instant, she had the Luger in her hand.

  She moved around the helicopter.

  The shooter’s back was to her, and he was moving forward, toward Mandak, his gun still spitting bullets.

  Stop him from firing at Mandak.

  Don’t think about anything else but keeping Mandak alive.

  No, now was also the time to think about Thorne, the pilot who had been murdered by that shooter.

  Now was the time to remember the priest’s kind smile before they’d shot his head off.

  She started firing.

  She saw blood blossom, spread, on the back of the man’s yellow shirt.

  The man whirled, his gun aimed at her.

  She kept firing.

  She blew off the hand holding his pistol.

  He screamed.

  She took another step forward.

  Gates of Heaven. Gates of Heaven.

  She aimed carefully.

  She could see the fear in his eyes.

  Gates of Heaven.

  She shot him in the heart.

  She watched him fall to the ground.

  “Allie.” Mandak was on his feet. The next moment he was beside her, grabbing her arm. “Come on. We have to get out of here.”

  “Thorne is dead,” she said numbly as he pulled her toward the door of the helicopter. “They killed him.”

  “I was afraid they had. Kobu would have had to plug that exit.” He opened the door and lifted her inside the copter. “But it was safer to chance it than risk being run down on foot.” He started the engine, and the rotors whirled. “It was lucky they only assigned two men to guard—”

  A bullet splintered the helicopter windshield!

  “Shit!”

  Allie could see Kobu and the other men pouring back around the edge of the lake toward them.

  The helicopter lifted jerkily.

  Another bullet struck the door.

  “Let’s hope they don’t hit the gas tank,” Mandak said grimly, as they climbed through the torrent of bullets.

  “Stop him!” Kobu was screaming frantically as he ran toward the helicopter. “Do you know what you’re doing to me? You fools, stop him!”

  But it was too late. They were over the trees and out of range.

  Mandak waited until he’d gained more altitude before he turned to Allie. “Are you okay?”

  “No,” she said jerkily. “But I’ve not been shot if that’s what you mean.” She looked at him. “You have blood on your chin.”

  “Not my blood.” He wiped his chin with his shirtsleeve. “It happens when you cut someone’s throat.”

  “Does it?” She glanced away from him. “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never done that.”

  “I know.” He muttered a curse as he banked the helicopter. “And you’ve never killed a man until today.”

  “No. I’ve never done that either,” she said dully. “I thought he was going to kill you. I had to stop him.”

  “And you did.” He said roughly, “And just look at you. It’s nearly made a basket case of you.”

  “No, it hasn’t.” She reached up and rubbed her temple. “I can’t let that happen. That would destroy me. They killed that priest, they killed Thorne. They tried to turn something beautiful and sacred into pure ugliness. They tried to kill you, Mandak. It had to stop. I had to stop it.”

  “And you did,” Mandak said quietly. “And, if you think it was the right thing to do, then give yourself a little time to answer all the whys. I wish to hell it hadn’t happened, but it did.” He took her hand and gently squeezed it. “And I’m grateful you think that my neck was worth the saving.”

  “It had to stop,” she whispered. She pulled her hand away and looked out the window. “We’ve lost altitude. Why are we flying so low? What’s that road down there?”

  “It’s the road that leads to Dar es Salaam.” His lips thinned. “I sent McKeller back to the embassy. I’m just checking to make sure he wasn’t on Kobu’s hit list.”

  She tensed. She felt suddenly cold. Not again. Her eyes were straining on the snakelike road below them. “Phone him.”

  “I will. But I’d feel better if I saw—”

  “Smoke!” She saw the gray cloud of smoke before she saw the fire. “Around that next turn. Is it the SUV?”

  “I can’t tell.” The vehicle was completely engulfed in flames. “But it would be too much of a coincidence if it wasn’t.”

  “Land,” she said. “He might still be alive.”

  “I can’t risk you. Kobu’s men could still be down there. I’ll phone Renata to have one of her people in the area go check and see—”

  “No. That migh
t not be in time. Cruise low and see if you can see any threat.” Her hands clenched. “But regardless, we’re going to go down there and see if we can save him. No more deaths, Mandak.”

  “Allie, the chances are that he’s already—”

  “Did you hear me? No more deaths.” Her eyes were blazing into his. “You wouldn’t even think twice if I wasn’t with you. You know you wouldn’t. But because you think I’m so important because of that damn ledger, you won’t do it.”

  His lips tightened. “Would it be too much to believe that it’s not all because of the ledger?” Then he was suddenly smiling recklessly. “I guess it would, considering what I’ve put you through today. So what the hell.” He banked the helicopter. “I feel lucky. Something has to go right today. Let’s go see if McKeller survived that bonfire.”

  * * *

  MANDAK DID TWO TURNS OVER the wreckage before he landed several yards up the road from the burning SUV.

  “Stay close,” Mandak said. “I want you within an arm’s distance from me.”

  Thick smoke.

  Heat.

  Acrid chemicals.

  Smothering.

  Allie’s eyes were stinging as she got closer to the pile of burning metal. The gas tank had already blown, and the heat was almost overpowering.

  Dear God, how could anyone survive this?

  “The SUV was taken out by a short-range missile.” Mandak was examining the wreckage. “Kobu must have wanted to make a clean sweep of everything connected with the funeral service. He’s always been desperate to please Praland.” He stared thoughtfully at the flames. “That missile might have been be a good thing.”

  “How?”

  “If the SUV exploded immediately, Kobu’s men wouldn’t be likely to attack the vehicle or McKeller after the missile hit. They’d assume their job was done.”

  “And they’d be right.”

  “Not if McKeller caught sight of them before they loosed their missile.” He was kneeling on the road examining the swerving tracks on the dirt road. “Not if he jumped out on one of those curves. It looks like no one in the SUV was in control for several yards along this stretch.”

  Hope. Please let it be true.

  “Then where is he?”

  “I’ve no idea. But, judging by the distance McKeller traveled on the road before the explosion, Kobu must have sent a team of men to follow McKeller even before we went out on the lake. We’ve just got to hope that Kobu believed the report he received that McKeller was dead and didn’t try to take him captive.” He added bitterly, “Kobu knows how much Praland loves to toy with prisoners. He might think that he’d be excused for not bringing him bigger game.”

  She remembered Kobu’s frantic expression as he’d been running toward them. “He seemed desperate.”

  “I’m sure he is.” He was moving toward the side of the road. “Stay close. I’ll cover this side of the road and— Allie!”

  “It’s quicker if we split up.” She was already moving to the other side of the steep incline on the opposite side of the road. “Even if he didn’t die in that explosion, we don’t how badly he could be hurt. Maybe they shot him before…” She trailed off as she slipped and slid down the incline. “I’ll call out if I see him.”

  She could almost feel Mandak’s impatience and exasperation. Too bad.

  Couldn’t he see that she had to do it?

  If there was the slightest chance McKeller was alive, she had to move fast, they had to find him.

  No more deaths.

  But she could see no sign of life. No crumpled body, no McKeller struggling to crawl up the incline. She moved toward the edge of the jungle.

  Nothing there either.

  “Allie!”

  “Here!” she answered Mandak. “Did you find him?”

  “No, get up here, dammit.”

  “I’m going back to where the road curves. There’s so much deep shrubbery and palms down here, he could be anywhere.”

  Not in the inferno in that SUV, she prayed. Let him have had his chance. Let her find him.

  But even if he was hurt, he might be able to hear her.

  “McKeller!”

  Nothing.

  No sound.

  “I’m on my way down,” Mandak called. “I’ve checked out the other side of the road and incline. He has to be on this side or nowhere.”

  She paid no attention, as she tore through the palms. “McKeller!”

  No answer.

  Or was there?

  She stopped to listen.

  Nothing.

  But there had been a sound, she knew it.

  And it came again.

  Low, more like a grunt than a call for help.

  Where …

  To the left, up closer to the road, where the grass was high and thick.

  “McKeller!” She tore up the incline, pushing through the tall grass. “We’re here. We’re coming. Let me—”

  Then she saw him.

  Blood. McKeller’s face was bruised and bloody. His clothes were almost torn from his body from the sharpness of the rocks and the edge of the high grasses. His shoulder was twisted at an odd angle. His eyes were closed and they didn’t open as she ran forward to drop to her knees beside him.

  “No,” she said fiercely. “Open your eyes, McKeller. I heard you. I know I heard you. You’re not going to die. Do you hear me? It’s not going to happen.”

  “Allie.” Mandak was suddenly there, dropping down beside her. “Easy. Let me take a look at him.”

  “I heard him, Mandak. That’s what brought me here. He’s going to be—”

  McKeller’s eyes were slowly opening. They focused on Mandak. “Missile…”

  “I know.” He was examining the wound on McKeller’s temple. “You jumped?”

  “It seemed to be the thing to do.” McKeller’s gaze went to Allie. “I … heard you calling. I don’t think I was even conscious. But you seemed to want so badly … for me to answer.”

  She nodded. “I had to find you.” She turned to Mandak. “We have to get him out of here. What if Kobu’s men come back? Can we move him to the helicopter?”

  “It appears we’re going to do it whether we should or not.” He looked at McKeller. “I’m going to try to cause you as little pain as possible. I think your arm is broken and it may be out of the socket. You probably have a concussion. We’ll take care of all of that when we can. But we’ve got to get you out of here.” His hand went to McKeller’s neck. “It’ll just be a little twinge…”

  “I don’t know what—” McKeller’s head slumped to one side. He was unconscious.

  “I’ll need you to help, Allie.” Mandak was already levering, lifting McKeller’s limp body. “I want to damage him as little as possible, so I have to bear most of the weight of this broken arm and shoulder on this side of his body. Get on the other side and support him. It’s going to be a hell of a job getting him up this incline.”

  She was already on McKeller’s other side, draping his arm over her shoulders. Limp. Very heavy. And Mandak was bearing most of his weight. “I can help more. Let me do it.”

  “Too late.” He was dragging McKeller up the incline. “I don’t want to readjust. Just keep up with me.”

  And that was more than enough challenge, she found. She had to keep her footing and try to bear what weight Mandak would allow her. It took fifteen minutes to get up to the level road and another twenty to reach the helicopter.

  She was panting as she helped him arrange McKeller in the rear seat and fasten the seat belt. She shuddered as she looked at that crooked, broken shoulder. “That’s going to be agonizing. How long will he be out?”

  “Probably not long enough.” He was getting into the pilot’s seat. “I can’t take him back to the embassy. He’s a target now. We just have to keep Praland thinking that Kobu managed to take him out.”

  She fastened her seat belt. “So where do we take him?”

  “Sargol, it’s a village on the coast where Renata has
set up a clinic.”

  “Safe?”

  “Yes. It’s handled entirely by the family. We had to have a place in this country that would be safe from Praland.” His lips thinned. “There’s been a need in the last nine years. That’s where we took those children we rescued.”

  “But McKeller will wake up before we get there?”

  “Yes. At least thirty or forty minutes before we get to the village.” He lifted off. “Nothing I can do about it. I couldn’t take a chance on putting him out any longer. I can’t be certain he doesn’t have a concussion.”

  “You did what you could.” She leaned back in the seat, trying to ward off the sudden exhaustion. “They didn’t kill him. That’s all that’s important. He’s alive. We’ll make sure he stays alive.”

  “And you did more than your part to guarantee that, Allie.” He asked quietly, “Can you rest and trust me to make sure of that from now on? You know I can make all this go away for you.”

  “No, don’t you dare do that!” He didn’t understand. Death was all around them. She couldn’t let go until at least McKeller was safe.

  Or maybe he did understand. Because he turned away and looked straight ahead. “I’m familiar with every corner of that mind of yours. It’s going to be very painful for you when you see how much McKeller is going to suffer. If you change your mind, let me know.”

  “I won’t change my mind.”

  “I know,” he said grimly as he turned east toward the coast. “That would be too much to expect. And that only means I’ll have to watch both of you going through hell.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  WHEN THEY LANDED AT SARGOL, four techs with a gurney ran out to the helicopter pad the minute it touched down.

  “Get him to surgery.” Mandak jumped out of the helicopter and ran around to where they were trying to gently get McKeller out of the seat. “Is Megan here?”

  “She’s on her way. She’s in surgery,” one of the techs said. “She had a gunshot wound to—”

  McKeller screamed.

  “You’re hurting him.” Allie was out of the helicopter, her eyes blazing. “Be careful. Can’t you see that his shoulder is—”

  “They see,” Mandak said. “He’s safe now, Allie. They know what they’re doing. You can let him go.”

  “They hurt him.” He was in such terrible pain. He’d been moaning and gasping for the last thirty minutes. And every minute had been a burning wound for Allie. And now he was still in agony. “How can I be sure that they know what they’re doing?”