46

The disheveled group of sister, brother, bodyguard and Batwa girl trekked slowly across the blisteringly hot savannah, keeping a clear distance from Dead Man’s Hill as they made their way along the roundabout route to the lodge. Unnerved by the sheer brutality and savage swiftness of the leopard attack, their eyes constantly darted from bush to tree to scrub, alert for the slightest sign of danger.

“I think it’s poetic justice,” Amber declared as they passed safely through a thicket. “The hunter killed by the hunted.”

Connor was inclined to agree. He held his father’s knife close, having no intention of falling prey to the next predator they encountered—whether that be lion, hippo, hyena, snake or rebel soldier. “The Wolf deserved what was coming, that’s for sure,” he said. “But we must remember, he did help us in our time of need.”

“I suppose so,” said Amber reluctantly. “Of course, he then tried to kill us.”

“Seems like everything in this country is trying to kill us!” remarked Henri with a weary laugh.

Connor was heartened to find Henri still had a sense of humor despite his recent ordeal. The boy limped ahead of him, the welts from his beating obviously causing him discomfort. And although Henri didn’t complain, the sight of his suffering stirred up a tight knot of anger in Connor’s belly. The cruelty inflicted by Blaze on a defenseless boy deserved retribution. And Connor hoped that the rebel had gotten his comeuppance at the hands of the government troops.

He wondered if the battle was over by now, with General Pascal either captured or dead. At the time, the fighting had been too chaotic to see who had the upper hand, but the government soldiers had secured the advantage of surprise, and it seemed highly unlikely the rebels would survive the attack.

Zuzu suddenly signed with the flat of her hand to get down. The four of them crouched behind a bush as an open-topped jeep crested the rise ahead. The vehicle drove hard and fast in their direction.

“Should we run?” suggested Henri, his voice tight with fear.

Connor shook his head. “They’ll see us if we do.”

The guttural roar of the diesel engine drew closer. Connor peered through a gap in the bush as the 4×4 skidded to a halt a stone’s throw away from where they were hiding.

The driver stood up in his seat and scanned the terrain with his binoculars. “Damn it!” he swore.

“It’s Gunner,” hissed Amber in shocked delight.

Connor put a hand on her shoulder, preventing her from rising. She frowned in confusion. Connor shook his head and put a finger to his lips. After all they’d been through, he was wary of anyone they encountered in the park—especially an unexplained survivor of the ambush.

“Connor! Amber!” shouted the ranger, his tone urgent.

When no one appeared, Gunner shook his head in frustration and put the jeep into gear. At the very last second, Connor decided that answering the ranger was worth the risk. They were tired, hungry and hurting, and far from the lodge. They couldn’t afford to miss a genuine chance of rescue. As Gunner was about to drive off, Connor stepped out from behind the bush and called to the ranger.

Gunner’s craggy face broke into a relieved smile. “Connor! Thank God you’re alive. I’ve been looking for you everywhere. Where are Amber and Henri?”

“How did you escape the ambush?” Connor questioned, his knife behind his back.

“By the skin of my teeth,” Gunner replied, grinning. “I hid in an aardvark burrow. But it was a close call. Are Amber and Henri with you?”

Connor ignored the question and asked his own. “Why did you and Buju stop the safari convoy?”

Gunner’s eyes narrowed at the surprise line of questioning. “Buju spotted a land mine. We were trying to establish if it was from the war or had been recently laid when the attack happened. Now tell me, are the Barbier children alive or not? Their parents are sick with worry.”

Amber stood up with Henri in astonished disbelief. “They’re alive?”

“Yes!” Gunner replied, hurriedly clambering out of the jeep to greet them, his glee turning to a mild look of surprise as Zuzu also emerged from behind the bush.

“But we saw their Land Rover crash and burn,” said Connor, still cautious.

“I did too. So, while the rebels were slaughtering the presidential guard, I left my burrow and pulled them free.” Gunner stared gravely at Amber and Henri, the siblings clasping hands. “I’ll be honest; your parents weren’t in good shape. But they could just about walk. It took us all night and most of the next day to reach the nearest medical center. The good news is they’re recovering fast. But their major concern was for you two. I promised on my life to find you. And here you are!”

Turning to Connor, Gunner half raised his hands in surrender and smiled. “Now, Connor, are you going to put that knife of yours away or not? I have no wish to get stabbed trying to rescue you.”

After a moment’s deliberation, Connor decided to give Gunner the benefit of the doubt, at least for now. He produced his father’s knife from behind his back and sheathed it.

“I don’t blame you for not trusting me,” said Gunner, patting Connor on the shoulder. “Given the situation I don’t trust anyone either. That’s why I admitted the Barbiers to the medical center under a false name. Now let’s get back to the lodge. Your friend too. This park is swarming with soldiers, and we don’t want her mistaken for a rebel.”

Amber explained the danger to Zuzu and, after some uncertainty on her part, managed to persuade her to climb into the jeep with them. The ranger gunned the engine and they shot off at high speed.

“Time is of the essence,” said Gunner as he drove straight over some bushes. “I have a plane on standby to take us to the capital. There you’ll be reunited with your parents.”