Elephant Murders by Susan Hunter

Author:Susan Hunter
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: zambia, endangered animals, international crime, elephant poaching, crime action adventure, detective adventure, african detective, crimes against animals, elephant extinction, elephant thriller
Publisher: Susan Hunter

28 | A Large Bite of Sandwich

“What took you so long, you conniving bastard?” the General said.

Elvis blinked. Eighteen hours in the wilderness had not changed his uncle one bit. “Have I ever told you what a sniveling whore your mother was?” Elvis bit his tongue. This was going to be a bad one, but his uncle needed to blow off steam.

“Uncle,” he said in a low tone, interrupting the General’s tirade. “You have to get out of the sun and drink a lot more water. Look,” he said, pulling the bottle of cognac from the car, “we’ll put the brandy with it. I’ve got some ice.”

His uncle stopped pacing and looked greedily at the cooler. The frown on his face smoothed at the thought of a cool drink of alcohol. Maybe it would stop the infernal itching under his arms and in his crotch. His gout was kicking up, too, aggravated by dehydration. He peered into the cooler. “You brought some sausage sandwiches,” he said with undisguised pleasure.

Elvis fished one out, pulled off the wrapping, and handed it to him. “Look, Uncle,” he said. “I don’t know what got into me last night. I’m sorry I left you out here.” He grinned as he bit into his own sandwich. “You didn’t miss much with the girls, by the way. They were too young to perform. One got very drunk and threw up in the bathroom and the other passed out on the bed after the evening news.”

His uncle laughed, tearing a large bite from his sandwich. “Not much choice on girls,” he confessed. “Itezhi Tezhi doesn’t have a big supply. But wait till the Chinese start building the power plant.” They both laughed.

“Stephan called me last night,” Elvis said.

“What did he want?”

“He wanted to know when the tusks were coming through the airport so he could be ready.”

“I didn’t think he was so conscientious,” the General said, licking the tips of his fingers. He glanced up at Elvis and held out his plastic tumbler. “Get me another drink, would you, son?”

Elvis smiled at the filial reference, knowing it would disappear once they reached Lusaka. He handed his uncle another stiff cognac and water. The General was smacking his lips together absently.

“Would you like another sandwich, Uncle?” Elvis said and the man jerked awake. His lips stopped moving, and formed into a smile. “I could eat the whole lot,” he said, “but I’m too exhausted. I didn’t sleep last night for all the scavengers that hung around drooling over our cargo.”

He stood up and yawned, his protruding stomach flattening a bit as he stretched. “While you drive us back to Lusaka, I’m going to lower the passenger seat and get a nice long rest.” He yawned. “We’ll leave your car in the power company compound. The manager’s an old school mate of mine. I’ll ask him to fetch it from here, clean it thoroughly, and guard it for you until you can come back.”

Elvis packed what remained of the sandwiches and helped his uncle with the seat belt.

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