Trial by Fire by Don Pendleton
Author:Don Pendleton
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Worldwide Library
Published: 2011-01-15T00:00:00+00:00
10
âSarge!â Johnsonâs voice rose in urgency. âSarge!â
âRude, eyes on our six!â
âCopy that, Sarge!â Bolan loped back to the front of the column. Niner Squad had made contact. They stood in a clearing with their weapons leveled. What appeared to be a prune with eyes, nose and mouth stared back in trepidation. The old man wore an old jean jacket with no shirt, cargo shorts and what looked like locally manufactured sandals. The manâs rail-thin body resembled beef jerky. He held up his hands. In his left he had a string of a dozen rope squirrels. In the other he held a single barrel shotgun. Around his neck he wore a Roman Catholic cross, and an old French Lebel revolver hung by shoelaces from its lanyard ring.
âI donât think heâs Godâs Army, Sarge.â Johnson looked at the man curiously over the front sight of his rifle. âBut I thought you said there werenât any villages nearby.â
Bolan eyed the antique revolver and noted the squirrels had all been taken with clean head shots. The primitive shotgun was leopard insurance. âHeâs a hunter in the bush-meat trade. That means the river is close. Heâll have a boat. He hunts for a day or two, mostly small game, and then sells the meat and skins downriver. Everyone lower your weapons.â
Niner Squad lowered their muzzles. Their guest lowered his shotgun and his squirrels. âParlez-vous anglais?â Bolan asked.
The hunter gave a not-so-much shrug. âVous? Français?â
Bolan shrugged back. âMr. Pakzad, translate for me.â
âAs you wish.â
Pakzad translated nearly as fast as the two men spoke.
Bolan introduced himself. âIâm the sergeant.â
âI am Franco.â
âWeâre lost.â
Franco smiled to reveal mostly missing teeth. âOh?â
âWeâre hungry, too. How much for the squirrels?â Bolan asked.
âWhat do you have?â
âDo you take dollars?â
âI prefer euros.â
Bolan reached into his pocket and pulled out a coin. âHow about gold?â
Franco regarded the gleaming, Islamic dinar between Bolanâs thumb and forefinger. âEveryone likes gold.â Caution and cupidity fought across his face. âYou must really like squirrel.â
âI prefer cane rat. Pangolin is even better.â
Pakzad stumbled a little on cane rat, but Franco nodded at Bolanâs taste in bush meat. He seemed hypnotized by the coin. âI am tracking a herd of red river hogs. Do you eat pork?â
âThereâs no time.â
Francoâs eyes flicked between Bolan and Pakzad. âOh?â
âJulius Caesar Segawa is coming this way.â
Francoâs eyes bugged out of his wrinkled face as he began babbling something in the local dialect.
Pakzad rolled his eyes. âFranco is alarmed to the point he has lost his French.â
Franco shook his head and got it back. âCaesar never comes this far west, not since the soldiers from Kisangani beat him a year ago.â He gave Bolan a hopeful look. âThey were trained by Americans.â
âCaesar comes for us, Franco.â Bolan gestured at the ground. âNow that your tracks are mingled with ours, I am very sorry to say heâs coming for you, too.â
Franco threw a miserable glance at his feet. Most were missing nails, and the left was missing the ring toe. âThis is not good.â
âYou have a boat.
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