The Lodge by Miranda Rijks

Author:Miranda Rijks [Rijks, Miranda]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2023-07-25T23:00:00+00:00

17

ANNA

As I’m standing scanning the horizon with the binoculars, I wonder about the coincidence that Clayton is here. Could he have planned all of this? He’s conniving and controlling. Could he somehow have persuaded Joel to leave me so that he can swoop back in as the hero? But no. That is so far-fetched, and although Clayton has shown his skills at shooting, what does he know about living out in the South African bush? Besides, he’s here with Lois, his girlfriend, and the more I think about the two of them, the better suited they seem. She doesn’t appear to mind all of his macho and controlling behaviour. In fact I think she handles him well, rolling her eyes at him and not rising to the bait when he says something particularly obnoxious.

I have to sit down again as I feel faint from worry. Joel must be in terrible danger. He would never just disappear. I pray for his safe return yet the kernel of terror inside my stomach is growing minute by minute. And then I see dust rising in the distance. I stand up and lean against the barrier. It’s a vehicle headed this way.

‘Thank goodness,’ I mutter. I can’t wait to throw my arms around Joel and tell him that if he ever does anything like that again, I’ll divorce him. And maybe we should bring our marriage forward. We don’t need a big, fancy wedding; I just want to be married to him now. No delays. It’s one of the lodge’s Land Rovers, driving quickly, but from this angle I can’t tell if it’s Nancy or Ntando. I drop the binoculars onto the sun bed and hurry through the building to the entranceway where the vehicles are parked. It’s Nancy.

And she’s alone.

‘What’s happened?’ I ask, dismay making tears spring to my eyes.

‘I’m sorry but we haven’t found Joel,’ she explains. ‘There are a number of vehicles out there looking for him and they’ll carry on until they find him. We have excellent trackers here so you mustn’t give up hope. I’ve come back to ring some more people to help in the search.’

‘And then what?’

‘I’ll go back out again.’

‘I want to come with you,’ I say.

‘I don’t think that’s –’

‘It’s non-negotiable,’ I insist. ‘This is my fiancé we’re looking for and I can’t just stay here doing nothing. Please.’

She hesitates but eventually says yes.

‘Meet me here in fifteen minutes,’ Nancy says. ‘I’ll ask Lulama to put some sandwiches and drinks together for us. Bring plenty of clothes. The weather is changing.’

It’s true; the grey sky is getting more oppressive and I wonder if it’s going to storm. That will make things even worse for Joel if he’s out in the bush, hurt.

Nancy drives quickly. Faster than Ntando, and the Defender jumps up and down over the rocks and sandy track, throwing up big plumes of dust behind us. I’m using the binoculars but it’s almost impossible to focus on anything with the jagged motion of the vehicle.

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