Part 31 (1/2)

”The pygmies did it for the money,” Delani said. ”Don't bring them into this.”

”Even so,” Ike said, stepping closer to Delani.

”I'm worried about getting my company to safety,” Delani explained softly and dangerously. ”If there is an easier way to do that, then let me know.”

”There's another way we can go,” Ike reasoned. ”The militia army hacked us a trail straight through the forest. You can bet it leads to a road.”

”That would be suicide,” Delani argued.

”Once we're out there we can lose them and make for the village.”

”Enough, Ike, there's nothing here for us. I'm not risking our lives anymore.”

Ike turned to Gilles. ”Help me out, mate.”

Gilles held his hands up. ”This place is cursed, Ike; the sooner we are out, the better.”

Ike shook his head. Brandon thought about the militia attacking the village; if that happened he'd have no way of finding Sam.

”I can't . . .” Ike began.

”You can't?” Delani asked. ”If you can't, Ike, then by all means do what you want. Stay here and fight. Maybe the lying American or the drunken Frenchman will help you, but Gilles and I are leaving.”

With that Delani gestured for Gilles to pick up his pack and they headed east along the river. Raoul glanced back and forth between the mercenaries, confused and wide-eyed. Brandon's attention stayed on Ike, who shook his head and clenched his fist.

The AK-47 dropped from Ike's shoulder and came up in his hands, c.o.c.ked and ready. Ike stared down the barrel at the back of Delani's head.

Brandon's eyes went wide, but he didn't intervene.

”Delani!” Ike yelled.

The South African turned around. The moment he saw the gun pointed at him he reached for his pistol, but thought better of it as Ike took aim. For a few long seconds, the river trickled in the distance. Somewhere a cackle rose and fell silent, a distressed animal.

”Take one more step and I'll put two bullets in your head,” Ike warned.

Brandon felt too close to Ike's line of fire and wanted to back away, but he feared any movement would bring attention to him.

”I can't let you do it,” Ike said. ”I can't let you. Not today. I've done it before. I've just sat by and watched, but I can't do it anymore. I don't have it in me.”

”What are you talking about?” Delani asked, his voice wavering.

Ike used the back of his forearm to wipe sweat from his brow so he didn't have to divert his weapon. ”I'm staying. You can bet I'm staying, mate. But it won't do any good if you go leading them straight to the village anyway. So I'm going to have to shoot you if you try.”

”You wouldn't dare.”

”Of course, I would,” Ike replied immediately. ”You don't believe me? I'll tell you why. Because you and me and Gilles, we're killers. Worse, we're hired killers. Those people back in that village are nothing of the sort. They went through that whole trouble of hiding themselves, just so they could live in peace and not have to kill. That puts their worth above you and me, if you ask me.

”I'd value just one of them above us three at this point. h.e.l.l, Brandon here's worth more to me than us. So is the drunk. We're a sorry lot, mate. The world would never miss us. We're nothing if we're not protecting them as far as I'm concerned. You might be here for the money. Maybe your contract is up. That's not why I'm here. If you do it. If you take one more step in that direction, I will put you down and I won't hesitate. Or you can forget about it and come along with me. What do you say? It's your choice.”

Brandon read the look in Delani's eyes and realized the inherent flaw in Ike's tactics. The moment Ike lowered his weapon Delani would raise his.

”Two hundred thousand dollars,” Brandon blurted.

The two mercenaries refused to turn from each other, but both looked at him out of the corners of their eyes.

”I'll pay you two hundred thousand dollars if you go with Ike's plan. I don't have it with me, obviously, but I'm good for it. Ike knows-he's seen me on television.”

”That's true,” Ike said quietly.

Delani's cold gaze fell on Brandon.

”Two hundred thousand dollars for a couple of days in the jungle has to be worth it,” Brandon said.

”It won't change our odds,” Delani replied.

”Well, that's okay. Ike's got a plan,” Brandon countered. ”I'm gonna guess it's a good one. Raoul's in. I can't ask him, but I know he is. I'll do everything I can to help. Anything you ask. I'll even write up the check now. That way, if something happens to me, you're still guaranteed the money.”

”You have a check on you right now?” Delani asked.

”It's in my pack,” Brandon promised. ”I'll go get it.”

He headed to his pack. Two hundred thousand dollars was a small price to see his wife back safely. He'd go much higher if they asked. When he looked back at them, he witnessed an exchange between the mercenaries.

After several moments, Ike lowered the AK-47.

They followed the river west, staying along the north bank. While they took a roundabout route, straying far into the forest, Ike broke away from them and skirted the riverbank. He hoped to spot the militia soldiers pa.s.sing on the opposite bank. They needed the rebels to see they had turned around or else the army would follow the river straight to the village anyway.

He needn't have worried.

Around mid-day, Ike spotted the trailing militia soldiers, but not on the opposite bank. Somehow they had crossed the river and now moved behind the mercenaries, heading west. And so as Ike planned, he would lead them straight back to their own camp.

Ike met up with the others soon after spotting their pursuers. Delani gave Ike a look that said he had better know what he was doing. Ike's plan put them right between the main militia body and the a.s.sault group dispatched to hunt them down. A small mistake would leave them surrounded and doomed.

By mid-afternoon, they again crossed the river, this time not far from the pond. They easily found the trail cut in the forest and, while Gilles helped by carrying Nessa, Ike took a point position. Smoke from campfires gave away the army's position, so they stopped in the nearby jungle while Ike went on ahead.

As the Australian mercenary crept through the brush toward the encampment, the sky finally began to darken. And as had happened every night for the previous month, before the stars began to s.h.i.+ne, dark storm clouds gathered above. But that night, as thunder rolled across the distant hills, and Ike watched blue shafts turn deep indigo, he began to think that this storm wasn't like the previous storms. Something more menacing, something more spectacular awaited.

He couldn't know how right he was.

28.

Mind control: Alfred's words reverberated in Sam's mind. He uses the river as a sounding board, but a sounding board for what? She clutched her useless cell phone as if it held untold answers as she followed Guy through the rain. She had to stand close to him to stay under his umbrella. An Mbuti guard was never far away.

The words ”mind control” were firm in her mind for other reasons as well. Like some cult leader, Guy kept her isolated, forced her to depend on him, and invoked her name like it held some sort of magical power.

By the time they returned to the meeting hall, the thick rain and the dark sky blotted out the enormous elephant skull, except when lightning flashed and the haunting eyes flared to life.