Part 2 (2/2)

Delani repeated the cry, his tone growing more desperate. As the South African's voice filled with grief and anger, bile rose in Ike's throat. He wished for the strength to lift the Jeep and tug Kipwe to safety.

Ike spotted movement through the trees. He could see up the slope to the curve in the road where they had flown off. Two vehicles were parked; the one in front had the mounted gun. One of the militia soldiers was lining up the long barrel in their direction.

Ike fumed at the rebels who moved through the forest in a swath of destruction. Their bloodl.u.s.t had taken the life of Kipwe. Ike pulled his Desert Eagle from the holster and angled the pistol at the trees, then he paused; they were too far off. The action would be futile. And meanwhile, the man standing at the other end of the .50 caliber machine gun took aim.

”We need to get going,” Ike said.

Delani stood up, vengeance in his eyes. ”I need my gun-”

A line of bullets tore through the Jeep. Metal and gla.s.s flew in a stream of death cutting toward Delani and Ike.

”Not enough time,” Ike yelled.

He grabbed Delani's arm, dragging him through the jungle, bullets ripping through branches and pounding up mud behind them.

3.

Sam stopped and looked over her shoulder. Behind her, the leaves swayed in a dance of light and shadow. White sunlight cut through the trees, more playing with her vision than providing light to see. Animal calls sounded all around and every bush seemed to conceal a lurking predator.

Something was out there. She was sure of it now. They were being followed. She felt its eyes on her as she stepped carefully through the twisting vines and bushes.

She spun again, scanning the dense foliage. Was it above her? Was it hunting her? Perhaps it was some predatory animal, or perhaps the rebels had found them and were waiting for the opportunity to strike. She looked up at the canopy, noting the play of light. There was something else. The leaves should not block the light quite so much. There was something palpable and thick in the air. A dark cloud hung over everything, lurking like some otherworldly presence.

They were not alone.

”Sam?” Brandon called from up ahead.

All around them the jungle loomed. The wild calls of unknown animals echoed. Occasionally she heard sickening screams or a growl. It felt strange and unnatural.

Everything was wrong.

”Sam, we have to keep moving,” he insisted as he walked back to her, stepping carefully between a ma.s.s of shrubs.

Following the river proved to be more difficult than it sounded. The plants grew thickest right along the water, preventing the couple from staying too close, and when they moved away it was difficult to see the river clearly.

”I think we're being followed,” Sam told him, as she scanned the foliage. ”This is a bad idea,” she said. ”We never should have left the plane. What if night comes and we're still out here?”

”We'll make a fire to keep the animals away,” he offered hopefully. ”We'll stay inside the tent.”

The thought did little to comfort her. A lit fire would throw off their night vision and inside the tent they'd have no chance of seeing their stalker approach. Still, she accepted his plan and they began walking again, this time side-by-side. They moved cautiously, watching where they placed each foot, having heard stories about dangerous plants and insects.

As hours pa.s.sed, they hurried their pace, letting the undergrowth rip at their ankles. They spoke only when necessary, not wanting to attract attention. They drank bottled water and snacked on energy bars. Sweat trickled under their clothes. Sam's s.h.i.+rt clung to her skin. Her shorts kept her legs cool but did nothing to protect her from the thras.h.i.+ng plants and biting insects.

”I have a headache,” she said.

”I do too. It has to be the humidity and the heat,” Brandon reasoned. ”Or we could be getting dehydrated. Do you want to take a quick break?”

She agreed and they found an old log. She sat down, taking off her pack. The air felt good on her back and helped relieve the strain in her shoulders. Instantly she felt better.

”We're going to be okay,” Brandon said, taking a seat next to her. He offered her a sip from his water bottle.

”It's just another hike through a forest,” he went on. He shuffled closer and wrapped a hot arm over her shoulders.

”I know. I'm not worried,” she a.s.sured him with a smile. She wrapped her arm around his back that was wet with sweat.

They sat, talking in quiet voices. Brandon explained his plan to find a village and hire someone to help them get the plane out. Even if the engine was ruined, the body of the plane was still intact which meant the whole thing could be salvageable. Or, if they were lucky, the engine might still be repairable, but that would mean they'd need to find an aircraft mechanic. Chances of that were slim.

She was beginning to feel comfortable with their resting spot when a blood-curdling scream cut through the forest. She and Brandon both froze. For several seconds, she tried to hear past her own heart beating. She couldn't tell if the noise had been animal or human.

”Maybe we should get moving,” she said nervously.

Brandon got up and retrieved his pack, when Sam stopped him by placing a hand on his shoulder. ”Hang on. I have to pee.”

She glanced around the forest near the log, wondering where the best spot was. The forest looked back at her with eyes of its own.

He sensed her trepidation. ”Just go right here,” he said.

She considered that. The idea of going too far out of sight unnerved her, but that meant she had given in to her fear.

”I'll be fine,” she said and hopped off into the forest. She found a patch of empty dirt where the undergrowth wouldn't brush against her. She pulled her shorts down and crouched, listening to the sounds of the forest as her bladder found relief. Once finished, she reached for a nearby frond to wipe with.

She paused, her hand inches away from the green leaf. Crawling insects swarmed across the plant. Disgusted, she pulled her hand back and began searching for an alternative. She couldn't identify any of the plants near her and she had no idea what any of their properties were. She imagined every form of poison or allergic reaction imaginable, spreading about in her most sensitive region.

She recoiled at the thought. With her pack out of reach around the corner, she searched her pocket and found a rolled up dollar bill. After a brief debate with herself about what was worse, the foreign leaf or the possible germs on the paper money, she finally settled on the latter.

After putting herself back together, Sam turned to head back, but a movement to her right made her pause.

A creature hopped between a pair of bushes. At first it looked almost canine, with its jutting snout, long tail, and four-legged movement. A black fur coat covered it from head to toe and its yellow eyes were tiny and round, set close together on its face.

The creature, a baboon of some kind, didn't even reach her waist in height, but it opened its jaws and displayed a row of sharp canines to her, undeterred. The animal let out a hiss and took a few threatening bounds. Sam backpedaled instinctively, pressing her back against the bark of a knotted tree.

A second baboon crawled forth from the undergrowth, joined a moment later by two more. The small animals surrounded her, hunched as if ready to spring. Two moved directly in front of her and the other two crept around to either side, clearly meaning to trap her against the tree.

The tiny dog-like primates didn't seem the least bit afraid of her. Sam stepped up onto the roots of the tree, her palms pressed against the trunk. Four sets of yellow eyes looked at her. Their mouths opened, showing sharp teeth. Sam wondered if she should scream. Maybe the noise would frighten them.

Or maybe it would provoke them to attack.

The first baboon, and the one that seemed to be the leader, glared at Sam with hateful yellow eyes. His snout curled in a snarl as he let loose with a sudden bark. The noise was like a gunshot to her nerves, and she raised both hands in front of her protectively. At the same time, the baboons at either side of her began to move.

They closed quickly, hopping across the roots of the tree. Sam raised her left arm up as one leapt, bouncing off the bark of the tree and reaching out with his forelimbs. He gave a vicious snarl, his tiny hands closing around the fabric of her s.h.i.+rt at her arm and collar. The weight of the animal almost tugged her down to the ground. She pushed hard at him with her forearm.

He clung to her. The claws of his hind legs dug into her abdomen, his tail whipping back and forth. She felt something tugging on her shorts as the second primate grabbed on, his little claws pinching her thigh. The weight of the two animals pulled her back against the tree.

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