Scott’s body strained under the bus. He quickly looped his legs onto the front axle, his hands clung like a monkey to small ridges underneath. Within seconds the wheels of the blue vehicle cruised past, showering the bus in dust as it veered to the right and off the bitumen road to pass. Then it stopped and began a slow reverse back to the front of the bus. A pair of dusty brown crocodile-skin boots exited onto the road. Thick hairy legs sprouted from the boots. They approached Elliott, who was making a show of checking the rear tyres.
‘You gotta problem?’ the man asked in a heavy Afrikaans accent.
‘I thought I had a rock stuck between the tyres,’ he heard Elliott say. ‘But there is nothing. I knew I shouldn’t have gone off the road earlier to get a better look at that snake. There’s an American on the bus who’s been wanting to look at snakes all day.’
Scott could picture Elliott shaking his head as if he didn’t believe snakes were good enough to watch all day, and the woman had been wasting everyone’s time.
‘Look there, she is taking pictures of you and I talking now through the window. She’s a writer, a journalist or something.’
Scott smiled at Elliott’s ingenuity at ensuring the tree-trunk legs realised he was being monitored from the bus. Everyone knew there was no slipping anything past a journo.
Elliott said, ‘Perhaps the tyre pressure is not correct, and the inside one is going flat. Do you have a pressure gauge?’
‘Yous stupid or somethink? You can’t check that with a normal gauge. That’s a bus not a taxi, kaffir.’
‘Perhaps I should get back to the hotel so the mechanics can check it out. Thanks for stopping.’
‘Ja. I wanted to know if you saw anyone in the reserve today? Someone try flag you down to stop for them?’
‘No.’
‘I’m looking for my friends who was hunting last night outside the boarder. They didn’t return to camp. I thinks they gotted lost.’
‘I’ll keep a look out for them. I can ask the other drivers for you on the radio?’
‘Nee, is okay. They probably back at camp now laughing because I is looking for thems.’
‘Hope so. If not, call the hotel and we can organise an official search party for them.’
‘Ja.’
The boots walked down the length of the bus towards Scott’s hiding place, then stopped and turned back towards Elliott. ‘Hey, if you sees them, bell me on the local CB frequency. My name is Meneer Lawrence.’
He walked back to his bakkie and drove off.
Ashley returned to her seat like a zombie. Obviously, as discussed, she was to go to Hwange Safari Lodge.
The bakkie must have been trouble. She felt panic rise in her throat. Telling Scott she was okay was one thing, believing it was another. She was alone in what she had so recently learned was a hostile country and the one person she’d depended heavily upon throughout the last twenty-four hours had just deserted her.
Left her alone.
On a bus in the middle of the bush.
The same bush that held the poachers who were trying to kill them.
She sat down heavily and forced herself not to look back to where Scott might be in the bushes somewhere. She had to survive this last section of the trip back to Delmonica. Scott had to survive too.
She felt the bus accelerate again. The speed limit in the reserve was sixty kilometres an hour, but at that speed the tourists would hardly see the game. Elliott was pushing hard, trying to make up time for the long detour and still get his guests out of the reserve by closing time.
‘Madam Ashley?’ He called to her.
‘Yes.’ She crossed the aisle to sit directly behind him.
‘Mr Decker will move fast in the bush now. It’s good you come to the lodge, safe with me.’
‘Thanks.’ But she didn’t feel safe from being left by Scott.
An elderly woman tottered to the front of the bus, the telescopic lens attached to the camera around her neck nearly the size of a football. ‘Excuse me, Elliott, but I thought I saw the game guard get out, and he didn’t get back in.’ She sounded distressed at the thought of leaving anyone behind.
Ashley frowned.
‘That’s correct, Madam,’ he said. ‘There is a man-made waterhole nearby where we stopped. He wanted to check it was working, and his colleague here will collect him from there later, when she has reliable transport again.’
‘Oh, as long as he’s all right,’ the woman said, sounding happier for the knowledge.
Ashley smiled brightly at the woman, who nodded at her. ‘He’s ruggedly handsome, isn’t he?’ she said, a dreamy tone to her voice. ‘Wouldn’t want to lose him.’
‘I won’t,’ Ashley answered and grinned.
Ashley looked at Elliott, who was smiling broadly. She didn’t understand what he was so happy about. She was going to a safari lodge she’d never heard of, with a man she’d only just met, not a credit card on her person and the only thing that was more important in her mind was that out there in the bush, Scott was running for his life, again.
But this time he was alone.
After watching the bakkie speed away, Scott checked the oncoming road and, while the bus was moving slowly, dropped down onto the bitumen and remained as still as possible as the huge metal beast drove over him. He stood up and saluted to Elliot as he drove off. Scott knew he’d seen him, as the speed of the bus immediately increased. Hating watching Ashley being driven away from him, he turned into the bushes. He had to get off the road and out of sight.
Scott headed north. He could travel much faster without Ashley, and he knew that she’d hold her own. She learned fast, didn’t panic, and he missed her presence already. But he had needed to put her safety first.
Two hours late, he finally began noticing familiar landmarks. He headed into Zebra Pan, and directly into Tessa’s office.
Tessa was on her executive tilt-back chair, her feet crossed over each other and propped up on the desk. Kevin was perched on the corner of the desk.
‘Scott, what the … ?’ Tessa asked as he entered after one sharp rap on the door.
Scott closed the door behind him. Kevin looked at him and raised an eyebrow at Scott’s appearance, his torn clothing, sweat stained shirt and stress ravaged face.
‘Hey Tessa, Kevin. How much information do we have on those rangers from Kenya?’
‘Nothing. They’re staying here, waiting to hear from you about the last killing spree those poachers went on –’ Tessa began.
‘The ring is huge. Well connected. Top dignitaries from Zimbabwe are involved. I wonder who in the Kenyan government is also in on it. No wonder we can never catch them, they are in the goddamned political loop.’ Scott’s fists bunched up and the muscles in his forearms corded.
‘When did you last eat?’ Tessa asked, already picking up her phone on the desk. ‘Yellow, please bring a large steak burger with chips and salad to my office. Thank you.’
‘Ta, Tess,’ acknowledged Scott, taking the drink that Kevin had just placed in his hand and flopping down into the visitor’s chair.
Digging in the fridge for a beer, Kevin said, ‘Care to start at the beginning?’
Scott filled them in on the last twenty-four hours.
‘So where is Ashley now?’ Tessa asked.
‘Hopefully at Hwange Safari Lodge.’
Tessa shook her head. ‘You idiot. You actually left her?’
‘No. Elliott’s with her. I told you. And the last thing those poachers would have expected me to do is to place Ashley in someone else’s care – find her protection anywhere else but with me. Elliott will look after her, make sure she is safe until we can fetch her – once these poachers are rounded up. She isn’t anywhere near them.’ Scott pulled his hand through his hair in frustration.
‘Elliott isn’t you, Scott. Are you mad or just plain stupid? You should have seen how she looked at you at the dinner. It reminds me of how Kevin looks at me. I’m not even sure she knows it yet. And after everything you have gone through she’s now counting on you, and you’ve deserted her.’ Tessa’s voice rose in volume and pitch as her anger showed. Kevin put his hand on her arm to quieten her.
‘Scott, I’ll fly to the lodge and collect her. Lady Luck is with us – yesterday I brought home our new chopper. She handles like an eagle, smooth as. Tessa, you and Scott get hold of Themba Sazulu, the police member in charge of Hwange. I’ll collect him after Ashley, and bring him here. He’s an old-style, play by the rules type person, and I wouldn’t think he would be involved. The chopper seats four, but he’s a big man. Hopefully I’ll still have enough light left to fly over Shumba. Zol should recognise the markings on the chopper; perhaps I can save him a long walk. And while I’m gone, please have a bath. You stink, buddy.’
Scott gave his armpit a sniff, and wrinkled his nose. ‘Yeah, I do.’
Kevin kissed Tessa quickly and mumbled quietly, ‘See you later, love.’ He walked out of the office calling at the top of his voice, ‘Sipewe. Come.’
Tessa glared at Scott. ‘I agree with Kevin, you stink. I hope that by the time Ashley gets here, you have a really good speech for her, because if I were her, I’d be packing my bags and flying back to Australia tomorrow –’
A knock on the door interrupted Tessa’s lecture. Yellow entered, grinning, and gave Scott his food.
‘Thanks, Yellow,’ Scott said, as he took the tray from her.
‘Once you are fed, use one of the showers in the pool area. I’ll send some clean clothes from the safari shop for you.’
‘Thanks, Tessa. But Elliott will protect her.’
Tess shook her head. ‘You have no idea about female logic, do you?’
‘Obviously not, since you still think I did the wrong thing by Ashley.’
Eating fast, he’d soon devoured the burger. He dipped the last chip into the tomato sauce and popped it into his mouth.
‘Exactly just how involved are you and Ashley?’ Tessa asked.
‘What do you mean?’ Scott didn’t look at Tessa, not wanting her to see his feelings. She was one of his best friends, and would read him clear as a conservation chart.
‘Well, that answered that one. Now you’re a rat too. Come on, arguing is getting us nowhere. Go and shower. I’ll send one of the guys with your clean clothes.’
He looked at his long-time friend. She was the closest he’d come to having a sister, and he knew she could see through him. ‘Thanks, Tess. I care for Ashley. I think maybe I’ve fallen for her to be honest, I don’t know. The shift in the status of our relationship has been complex, and it’s all happened so fast. But she is so strong, and so alive, and patient. The whole time she never complained about the conditions of running, she just did what she had to do to survive with Zol and I. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone quite like her. I really like her, Tess. She’s different from other females. Not complicated. Just Ashley. And wanting her to survive, and stay here with me longer to explore what we have wasn’t something I thought would ever happen to me.’ He looked at her then, the truth shining through on his face.
Tessa smiled. ‘Oh Scott, that’s so sweet.’ She placed her left hand over her heart, its large solitaire diamond engagement ring flashing in the sunlight.
‘Yeah, well don’t go blabbing to the world, would you? I’ll tell her in my own time, okay?’
‘Just make sure you do. I know how emotionally constipated you are. You always have been. But she doesn’t know you well enough yet to “get it”. Don’t expect miracles from her. You are going to have to be honest with her. And I’m assuming that she feels like this about you too. Remember I’m going on how I saw her look at you at dinner before the poachers hit the elephants. And you guys have had time together since then. I’m happy for you, Scott.’
‘Humph. Together but not together.’
Tessa shook her head. ‘Shower, Scott.’ She pointed in the general direction of the pool.
‘I’m going.’ He headed towards the pool area of the lodge, and a refreshing shower.
By the time he emerged from the ablution block, with his hair untidy but clean, wearing khaki pants and a t-shirt advertising ‘Zebra Pan Lodge, the heart of your safari experience’, he was feeling like a new man.
Tessa was sitting on a lounger, waiting for him. ‘Ashley rang while you were in the shower. She was safe in a hotel room. Then Kevin radioed through that they are airborne and on their way to collect Themba. But he’s worried about the light for looking for Zol.’
‘Zol won’t complain if it gets dark and we can’t look for him. Hell, he could surprise us and be here in person before the morning. That old man’s stamina is still amazing.’
‘You’re lucky to have him. I know how much he means to you.’
‘Thanks. For everything.’ He pulled her to him and hugged her, roughly rubbing his hands up and down her back.
Tessa broke the hug. ‘I haven’t spoken to the Kenyans yet. I wasn’t sure what to say to them. I kind of hoped you might like to …’
‘Sure. What rondavel are they in? I’ll go and knock on their door now.’
‘Pan Bushman.’
‘Thanks.’
Scott strode purposefully towards the rondavel.
A tall black game ranger, with native beading around his neck identifying him as from the Masai Mara Game Reserve in Kenya opened the screen door. ‘Hello, Scott. Come in, come in. You have news?’
Scott stepped into the rondavel hoping to begin to unravel the hierarchy of the poachers, but mostly to question the loyalties of the visiting Kenyan game rangers.
Scott paced next to the bakkie, waiting for the helicopter to touch down. Hunched over, he ran towards the craft while the rotor blades still turned slowly, his eyes on Ashley in the front passenger seat. He yanked open her door and noticed that already she’d flipped the earphones off her head and was attempting to exit, only to be held back by the seatbelt.
Fighting with the safety harness she’d forgotten about, he helped her unclip it quickly and she leapt out into his waiting arms. His reward for being there to meet her was a deep, soul-seeking kiss.
He kissed her. Losing himself in the warmth of her mouth, trying to tell her without words that he’d missed her, that he was sorry to have been separated from her. Show her that he cared. He ran his hands lightly down her back, over the ethnic pattern of the dress she was wearing, and pulled her closer to him. She didn’t attempt to pull away at all, she’d crossed a bridge when they were talking up that tree.
‘Enough of that, you two. Come on, we need to get back to the lodge.’ Kevin interrupted them with a smile. Themba Sazulu was lumbering out the rear door of the helicopter.
Zol was conspicuous by his absence. Scott questioned Kevin with a frown.
‘Lost the light. I did a small flyover towards Shumba, but other than plenty of jumbos and a huge herd of buffalo, I couldn’t see much. We’ll leave first light to search.’
Scott shook his head. If Zol could have, he would have revealed himself to Kevin’s chopper. Searching for him would prove futile. When he could, Zol would make contact again. Until then, Scott could only pray he came to no harm and returned safely.
Scott held Ashley’s hand tightly on the back seat of Sipewe’s open-backed, game-viewing bakkie. Kevin sat as passenger in front with Sipewe.
Themba had the middle seat all to himself, spreading sufficiently to occupy two seats. He stretched his huge arms out behind him over the seat, the light blue fabric of his short-sleeved shirt straining at the seams. ‘This is the life. Night-time game viewing, a helicopter ride. My children are going to be so jealous when I tell them about my day at the office.’ He began laughing at his own joke.
Scott thought kids all over the world would probably be jealous of the police chief’s afternoon’s activities, but definitely not of the situation he was about to handle. He wondered if Ashley grasped the irony of the situation too, that it was dire and yet aspects of the day were so magical.
He sneaked a peek at her. She wasn’t smiling. ‘You okay?’ he whispered.
‘No, no I’m not.’
‘I’ll explain it all, I promise. Just let us get through the next hour or so, then we will be on our own and I can explain. Okay?’
‘Not really. But I don’t have a choice, do I?’
‘Not unless you want everyone to hear.’
She shook her head.
He smiled at her and squeezed her hand in reassurance, then lifted it to his mouth and kissed the knuckles, one by one.
As they came around a bend near the waterhole, Sipewe stopped the bakkie. ‘Look.’
At the edge of the water was a white rhino and her small calf.
‘Oh my …’ Ashley said.
Scott smiled at the gestures of the cow towards her baby, and could tell they were those of a protective and nurturing mother. He put his arm around Ashley’s shoulders as they watched the rhino mother gently run her square jaw reassuringly over the little one’s back.
‘They don’t often come up this far north. It’s good to see them here,’ Scott said, but he wasn’t looking at the rhinos anymore. He had turned to watch Ashley’s expressions, and the pure excitement written on her face.
She’s one amazing woman, he thought. To still find it in her heart to look at the surrounding beauty that is Africa and delight in it, despite what she’d just been through.
Together the occupants of the bakkie watched in silence, as the copper sun slunk away from the African sky and the water turned blood coloured. The rhino and her calf eventually ambled away from the waterhole and into the bush.
Back at Zebra Pan Lodge, Scott, Ashley and Themba made their way to the bar area which had been converted into a ‘conference room’. Tessa, always the perfect hostess, had drinks ready on a tray and snacks on the coffee table, which were being enjoyed by the Kenyans. A whiteboard had been brought in. They had already pieced together what they knew of the poaching net, making the information on the board look like an organisation chart with spider’s legs.
‘Please to meet you.’ Seli, the older of the two Kenyan game guards, pumped Themba’s hand in greeting.
‘Likewise. I’m hoping it will be mutually beneficial to both countries,’ Themba replied as he sat heavily on an animal-print lounge chair. He waved his fat arm at the board, still keeping eye contact with Seli. ‘Can you explain these links, and who these people are?’ Although he smiled at the command, everyone present realised that he was taking control of the situation. This was his territory.
Seli cleared his throat. ‘It’s frightening that someone as high up as Eric Mbeki, the commander of the Zimbabwe President’s Guard, is involved. It makes me wonder who in Kenya would be his counterpart.’ He looked at the second guard.
‘I agree with my colleague.’ Sambo nodded as he took a seat opposite Themba. ‘I do wonder too, but my main concern begins lower down the ranks. During our investigations over the years, all the rangers gave their information to our senior game guard, Elias Kitia. It was his responsibility to monitor poaching in the Masai. But there was no record of any incident at all when I took over his position one month after he disappeared. Not a single file for the last ten years findings.’
‘You suspect him?’ Kevin asked.
‘I don’t know. I must believe in the good of the man first, that is our way. Since we don’t know where Elias is, and by law we are supposed to be innocent until proven guilty, perhaps . .. But perhaps not. The fact is, Elias isn’t here. It’s now my responsibility, and we only have a few facts that we have been able to reconstruct.’ He looked at Seli, as if questioning whether he should carry on exposing the skeletons within their own organisation.
Seli nodded.
Scott smiled as he saw the exchange from the elder man, silently giving permission to the younger man to speak out against an older person in their tribe. The acknowledgement of the traditional value didn’t go unnoticed by the other men in the room either.
Sambo took a deep breath and blew it out through his lips. ‘Elias was the head ranger for almost ten years. In that time the poaching grew worse in the park. We have lost many elephant, rhino and other animals. Once poachers even killed a whole pride of lion that a British wildlife documentary team was following. They shot the couple involved during the night, along with the lions. It was very bad publicity for Kenya.’
‘I remember that. So you think this is the same ring?’ Themba asked, no emotion readable on his face.
‘They appear to have the same tactics. They’re not afraid to kill people, leaving no witnesses to talk,’ Seli answered. ‘I’ve been a ranger for nearly forty years, and I’ve seen a lot of things during my time. But our lion killings and your elephant cull the other night, they’re the same. Helicopters brought into the reserve, silencers on their weapons, every bullet casing removed after the attack, nobody living near the parks hearing anything – it’s professional. I studied the elephant photographs you gave us; each one brought down with precision to avoid breaking tusks. Like our lions, each male killed with a single shot, skinned on-site, for its head and skin. Deadly accuracy and planning. They must have night-vision scopes. These poachers know the animals and whoever set up these operations has lots of money to equip them with the latest technology with which to hunt them.’
Scott nodded. ‘I agree. Of the five who were following us yesterday and today, there were two white men, one old, one young; two black men, southern African origin; and one very black man, Kenyan or Ethiopian origin. They carried Russian assault rifles – various versions of the AK47s – and Zol swore he saw an old South African R1. The origins of the guns mean nothing as everyone has access to so many weapons these days. All had telescopic scopes attached, even the semi-automatics. Some of the weapons were older, but they were all well maintained. That screams money and time, as if they are not in a hurry. It’s that combination that is going to be our enemy in this ring. If we spook them, and they go underground again, there is no saying where they will pop up next, in whose territory, but it will be devastating again. We need to get them now.’
Ashley accepted another Diet Coke, which she swirled around in the can. Tapping her foot she looked at the information on the whiteboard. It was simply notes with no logic.
‘Scott, do you mind if I show you something with that information on the board?’
‘Go ahead. Any help we can get is accepted,’ he said.
‘Great,’ she smiled at him briefly and then stood and walked to the whiteboard. She swung it over and addressed everyone.
‘All right, this is an FMEA: Failure, Mode, Engineering and Analysis. It’s an analytical tool. Work with me here.’ She drew a small square on the board.
As a group, they followed her lead and worked together as she first filled in the blank side of the board, and then flipped it over again and continued her mapping. When they were finished, all the information previously scribbled on the board was in a coherent order.
‘So that’s what they teach you in engineering school?’ Scott asked.
She gave him the best dumb-ass look she could. ‘We have gone through logically and put all the information in where we know it goes, and taken into consideration the pros and cons of each situation.’ She pointed to a box. ‘Do you go after them now? Yes or no? If you say yes, you follow it through here.’ She motioned where to follow the lines. ‘Here are the outcomes we need to achieve, and here are the risks. Now we work out how to achieve them with minimal loss of time, and minimal use of resources.’
‘Amazing,’ Kevin said. ‘Do you know, the aeronautical engineers are always rattling on about those things, but I never took much notice of them.’
Ashley grinned at him. She understood this type of environment, the business ‘find a solution’ styled meeting, however out of kilter she felt with the uncharted territory of poaching. She was good at finding solutions.
‘Right. The next logical step,’ she pointed with her marker to the FMEA behind her, ‘is to wait for Zol. Alternatively, we go after him in the helicopter tomorrow at first light. Depending on the information he has, we modify our plan of action accordingly. We already know the location of the poachers’ last camp, from the unit before the ambush. The aim is obviously to go in there and …’
Scott knew he was beaming. This was a side of Ashley he hadn’t seen: the high-powered, do-it and get-it-done woman. He liked it.
‘Okay, everyone.’ Themba called a halt at last. ‘It’s late. I need to call Elmon Muleya, Zimbabwe’s Army Brigadier. I know that he hates the commander with a passion and would love nothing better than to see his downfall. Perhaps, Kevin, we can fly him from Harare tomorrow? Having Elmon on a small private charter flight wouldn’t bring about as much suspicion as bringing in an army helicopter.’
‘Sure,’ Kevin said.
Themba nodded. ‘I’ll phone him and tell him as little as I can, we don’t know who is listening on his phone. We all need to get some sleep and there is nothing we can do until the morning.’ He stood up, nodded politely to everyone, and left the room.
The Kenyans followed suit, walking, with their small paraffin lamps glowing softly in the darkness, down the path towards their rondavel.
Ashley copied the FMEA onto an A4 pad and wiped the board clean.
‘You sleeping here tonight, or do you want to borrow a bakkie and drive home?’ Tessa asked Scott.
He glanced at Ashley. She looked exhausted, with black circles under her eyes making their green colour like the pool he’d seen as a boy deep in the Chimanimani Mountains. ‘If there is a spare bed going, I reckon we’ll take you up on it.’
‘The Elephant rondavel is free, it has two bedrooms. My bakkie’s in the workshop, if you want it in the morning. Otherwise breakfast’s at six. See you then.’
‘Thanks, guys, for everything,’ Scott said. Taking a lantern, he led Ashley to the Elephant rondavel.
Kevin held Tessa’s hand as they watched the departing figures. He said quietly, ‘I think they’ll be all right.’
‘I hope so. I like her, and hope she stays around. But sometimes Scott is so dense, almost naive where females are concerned. He hides on his ranch.’
‘Do you think she’s only after a holiday fling?’
‘No. She seems too level-headed for that. I think she’s fallen for him too. She wouldn’t have forgiven him so easily for separating from her otherwise.’
‘Come on, Tess. I know someone else who is neglecting someone tonight …’ He kissed his fiancée. He felt her pinch his butt cheek affectionately, and he smiled at her.
Tessa rested her forehead against his. ‘I guess since your business partner is sorted out now, my hot-shot flyboy, what are we standing around in the bar area for?’
He let her lead him towards her own cosy cottage, set a little way from the tourist lodges, but if truth be known, he was almost pushing her along in front of him to get her there faster.
Ashley watched Scott as he stopped to open the screen door and then the door. But then he held it ajar with his foot, blocking her entrance into the rondavel with his body.
‘Hold this,’ he said, passing her the lantern. As she took it, he bent slightly and lifted her up in his arms. With one arm snaked around his neck, she hung on tightly, her other hand still holding the lantern, their only source of light.
She looked into his face. Being carried like this she was level with him, eye to eye. She wanted to ask so many questions, but didn’t voice them for fear of spoiling the moment. Ghosts of past relationships haunted her, when she had spoken at inappropriate times.
‘Spit it out, I won’t bite,’ Scott joked softly, his face serious but gentle.
‘I want to say things but I can’t.’
‘Can’t or won’t?’
‘It’s not that … I just don’t want to spoil the moment.’
‘Nothing you could say would spoil this. You want to say something to me? Say it.’
She hesitated, chewing the inside of her lip. ‘This is nice. I’ve never been carried before. I’m no lightweight. You make me feel like a princess, rather than a giant Amazon.’
‘An Amazon warrior … that has possibilities. But tonight, African princess does kind of suit you, so may I carry you in now?’ he asked, softly brushing her lips with his as he stepped into the room.
He saw the flash of her smile as he carried her inside. The screen door bumped back into place with a dull thud. Scott strode through to the master bedroom and gently placed Ashley on the king-size bed. He took the lantern from her and put it on the bedside table and followed her down, not wanting to let go of her for a second.
‘I was so scared when you left me on the bus,’ Ashley admitted.
‘I’m sorry,’ he murmured. ‘It wasn’t an easy choice.’
‘I know.’
He tried to hug her to him, but she resisted slightly. She was staring at him, her green eyes slanted in silent question, her brow slightly creased in a frown. ‘I’ll always protect you, Ashley,’ he said. ‘Getting you out of the bush and into the civilised world was my priority. If I was on the bus, and the poachers recognised me, I would have been putting not only your life at stake but also all the tourists on the bus. Leaving you was hard. I wanted to take you in my arms and wrap you tightly, keep you safe from everything. And not just as a woman, but as my woman. I recognised what we have is more than just a moment. But if the poachers had found me on the bus, a massacre could have occurred. And I can’t lose you, Ashley. Besides the damage it would cause to my volunteers program, it would break me as a man.’
She reached up and smoothed his cheek, a small smile of forgiveness and understanding ghosted across her lips.
Scott gathered her now unresistant body close to his. ‘It’s my job to protect what is mine. It always has been. Since the first time my dad Charlie left me in charge at Delmonica while he went off to war somewhere, I have been the protector. The last move the poachers would ever expect from me was to pass “my woman” on to someone else to look after. They would have been counting on me keeping you close, and keeping you safe. You were my biggest weakness. To put you in the bus, and leave you in Elliott’s care, I increased both our chances of survival. They wouldn’t be looking for us separately, only as a pair. But it was a tactical decision, one that I was torn in two making. And I’m sorry. Despite knowing what you have been through, how you react to adversities, I left you on the bus. Tessa was right, I should have believed in your strength and given you the chance to come with me. I’m sorry.’
‘Me too.’ She was still hurt, but his explanation made sense. And in the end, she was all right, he was okay, it was just Zol they were waiting to hear from. ‘Promise you’ll never do it again.’
‘Forever’s a long time to keep a promise, even to a princess,’ he said as he nipped her ear. Already he could feel the change in her mood.
‘Forever’s not so long, depends on how we spend it,’ she said and pulled his mouth to hers, confident that this was what she wanted.