Deadly Safari by Lisa Harris

Author:Lisa Harris
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Steeple Hill
Published: 2013-09-10T04:00:00+00:00

NINE

Two police officers met them back at the lodge for questioning, looking to gain new information about the poachers. An hour after that, Alex stood beside Meghan in the lodge kitchen, heating water for the rooibos tea he remembered his mother drinking, hoping it would calm both their nerves. They’d missed dinner hours ago but, like Meghan, he wasn’t particularly hungry.

The electric kettle clicked off, and he poured the hot water into the two mugs, then handed Meghan the pink polka-dot one. Her hands shook as she tried to take it from him.

“Whoa.” He set the mug back down on the counter. “You okay?”

She looked up at him, her lashes laced with tears. “Yeah.”

“No, you’re not.” He grasped her hands, which were trembling. “It’s okay to be upset. Today was traumatic.”

“I know.” Meghan let him hold them for a moment before pulling away. “I can’t stop shaking, and unfortunately it’s not from the cold.”

She dropped a tea bag into each of their mugs.

“Milk and sugar?” she asked.

She was changing the subject, but he didn’t blame her. She grabbed a canister from one of the shelves, clearly working hard to pull herself together.

“Have you ever eaten a rusk?”

He eyed the hard, rectangular-shaped biscuit. “I don’t think so.”

“Think biscotti with a South African twist. You dip them in your tea. I like them so much I’ve seriously thought about taking a suitcase full back to the States with me when this project is over.”

He laughed with her, knowing she was searching for a way to cope. And wishing he could whisk her away somewhere safe where there were no poachers and no threats against her life.

Ian walked in from the dining room. Lines of fatigue were etched across his forehead. They weren’t the only ones feeling the stress of today. “I know the two of you missed dinner. There’s some homemade butternut soup and roasted chicken I can warm up if either of you are hungry, along with a couple slices of milk tart.”

Meghan dipped a rusk into her tea. “This is all I want. Well...this and a good night’s sleep.”

Alex leaned against the counter and took a sip of his tea. He didn’t want to sound like an interrogator, but he needed answers. “What did you find out there tonight?”

Ian helped himself to a slice of the cinnamon-dusted tart. “One of the rhinos had been darted in his side, but thankfully, Oscar’s security team scared off the poachers before they were able to kill him or saw off the horn.”

“What about Oscar’s family?” Meghan asked. “Were you able to get ahold of them?”

Ian nodded. “I spoke to his wife. She’s been visiting her mother for the week and will return tomorrow.”

Alex nodded, praying that Oscar would make it through the night to see his wife and daughter tomorrow.

Ian rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m frustrated because we’re not doing enough to stop them. Frustrated because one of my men was wounded—possibly fatally—tonight. Losing an animal is devastating, but to lose one of my men.

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