Nature of the Lion by T. M. Clark

Author:T. M. Clark [Clark, T. M.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B07DKWQPLT
Publisher: Mira
Published: 2018-12-02T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER

23

They headed north-west for two hours, bumping along the old dirt road, before Filipe spotted the RENAMO soldiers blocking the way. As had become the practice, he got out and approached them alone.

Enoch and Xo watched from the front of the truck. There was lots of head shaking going on, and no back slapping.

Enoch said into the radio, ‘It does not look like Filipe is winning this time.’

‘Agreed,’ Nick said, watching through the airholes in the top of the truck.

Khululani cocked his .303.

‘No, wait; hopefully, it won’t come to that,’ Nick said.

Ethel put her hand on Mike’s arm to reassure him, and Chloe smiled at her. Ethel had coped so wonderfully with the travelling, despite her years. Chloe thought maybe that Ethel had now found her calling, being a healing gypsy on safaris.

Filipe threw his hands in the air, then he walked back to the truck. He opened the passenger door and said into the radio, ‘There has been a message from General Vareya. The soldiers here need to take the truck. They said we can keep the contents. They have to head south-east immediately. He apologised for borrowing your truck, but he said that he needs it and he would not ask if it were not urgent. He said that as we are so close to Zimbabwe, the horses will be able to carry us from here. He guarantees that all the possessions you remove from the truck will be safe, and no one will take anything, and you can return with another vehicle from Zimbabwe and collect them once we get there. He also said that if he can ever return your truck, he will.’

‘What? And you?’ Enoch asked. ‘What are his new plans for you?’

‘I’m still your guide. I stay with you until the end, until you have come back and collected your belongings.’

Enoch climbed out of the truck and went to the back, opening the tailgate to let the others climb out. They all stood together, where the RENAMO soldiers couldn’t see them.

‘We are only a few more days’ ride from the Zimbabwe border if we leave the excess from the truck here,’ Enoch said. ‘Once we are in Zimbabwe, we can call Grace. She will bring Delaware’s cattle truck and collect us. We come back, fetch our belongings, and then go home.’

‘And Vareya helps himself to a second truck?’ Chloe said. ‘Him breaking one promise and taking my truck is bad enough.’

‘General Vareya would not do that,’ Filipe said. ‘He would not be taking this truck unless the need was very great. The debt he owed Khululani was very big.’

‘But not big enough that he won’t still take the truck?’ Chloe said.

Filipe put his hand on his head. ‘I tried to argue, I told them everything that I could, even that the Caçador Escuro was after us because we shot at him. But they are still taking the truck. We have to unpack. There is nothing more I can do,’ Filipe said.

‘Oh, you didn’t fail.

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