03-04-2019, 04:49 PM
"You just finished telling me that I am not a stupid man. The girl remains my prisoner until I get what I want. Then she is free to go. My men shall deliver her to your embassy. For now, you have been on a long journey, and tomorrow will be a busy day for you. Make whatever preparations your magic requires." He turned to the Englishman. "Take her to the Tower for now."
The Englishman pulled out his revolver and pointed it at her, indicating with it that she was to come along. Helena got up and walked toward him, then stopped and turned to Igazi.
"If you expect me to prepare my magic, I'm going to need my fetish."
The warlord thought for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled the leather pouch out, tossing it to her. Helena opened the pouch and made sure the beads were still on their string. She closed it and put it in her pocket.
"I told you I'd want these back," she said as she allowed the Englishman to escort her out.
* * *
The Tower was somewhat misnamed. A small metal shack stood on top of a larger shack with some hastily crafted stairs leading up to it. The Englishman led Helen across the courtyard and up the stairs as she took note of the guards watching them from the walls, their guns trained on her. Lights were being turned on around the compound as the sun set.
As she walked, Helen thought that she might be able to yell a command to everyone in earshot and the guards might abandon Maria and join the rest of the men in storming Igazi's hut and tearing him to pieces with their bare hands or being compelled to eat him alive. That "might" didn't outweigh the risk that they might not hear, see the others behaving strangely, and carry out Igazi's orders to shoot Maria. The Englishman broke the silence as they ascended the stairs.
"So, hearing the other fellas round the campfire, you're supposed to be some kind of spirit or witch. That what the Big Man wants ya for?"
Helen nodded. From the vantage point of the top of the stairs, she could see Umiwama surrounded by three men undoing their pants, a big, welcoming smile on her face. She looked away and let the Englishman lead her to her room.
It looked a lot like the shed they were keeping Maria in, but with some changes. There was only the cot inside, and the walls had thick plastic windows all around so the guards on the towers could see in during the day. A slot on the door for sliding food trays, and other smaller slots around the surface could only be opened from the outside. Helen reasoned that the smaller slots were about the right size for sticking gun barrels through and executing the occupant from outside the room. Helen entered the shack and sat on the cot.
"I'll arrange some food and water to be brought to ya," The Englishman said as he was about to close the door.
"Wait," Helen said before he shut it. He opened it back up again a little. She gave him a sweet smile. "You should give me back my phone. And the battery. You saw your boss give me back my beads, so it must certainly be ok for me to have my phone."
The Englishman thought for a second, then said "Yeah, all right," and retrieved the satellite phone and battery he'd taken from Helena's bag and handed it to her. She gave him the sweet smile again.
"Thanks. Remember, we're not telling the Big Man about this." He nodded his understanding and closed the door, the wiggling knob on the closed door indicating that he'd locked her in.
When he was gone, Helena popped the battery back in the phone and waited for it to power up. An unforeseen benefit to removing the battery was that it hadn't drained much since she'd charged it before leaving the embassy. When it didn't sound like anyone was walking around outside, she dialed a number.
"Si," said the voice of Capitano Ramirez on the other end.
"I'm in," she replied. "I know where they're keeping Maria. This is my first moment not at gunpoint to be able to talk, and I don't know how long we have."
"I understand, Contessa. We were able to follow the tracker you swallowed."
Helena took the phone away from her ear and walked to the window overlooking the toilet. There was no light in her room, so she covered the screen with her hand to keep any guards from spotting the phone's light. On the walls, she could see the men enjoying the cigarettes they'd taken from her bag when she arrived.
The Englishman pulled out his revolver and pointed it at her, indicating with it that she was to come along. Helena got up and walked toward him, then stopped and turned to Igazi.
"If you expect me to prepare my magic, I'm going to need my fetish."
The warlord thought for a moment, then reached into his pocket and pulled the leather pouch out, tossing it to her. Helena opened the pouch and made sure the beads were still on their string. She closed it and put it in her pocket.
"I told you I'd want these back," she said as she allowed the Englishman to escort her out.
* * *
The Tower was somewhat misnamed. A small metal shack stood on top of a larger shack with some hastily crafted stairs leading up to it. The Englishman led Helen across the courtyard and up the stairs as she took note of the guards watching them from the walls, their guns trained on her. Lights were being turned on around the compound as the sun set.
As she walked, Helen thought that she might be able to yell a command to everyone in earshot and the guards might abandon Maria and join the rest of the men in storming Igazi's hut and tearing him to pieces with their bare hands or being compelled to eat him alive. That "might" didn't outweigh the risk that they might not hear, see the others behaving strangely, and carry out Igazi's orders to shoot Maria. The Englishman broke the silence as they ascended the stairs.
"So, hearing the other fellas round the campfire, you're supposed to be some kind of spirit or witch. That what the Big Man wants ya for?"
Helen nodded. From the vantage point of the top of the stairs, she could see Umiwama surrounded by three men undoing their pants, a big, welcoming smile on her face. She looked away and let the Englishman lead her to her room.
It looked a lot like the shed they were keeping Maria in, but with some changes. There was only the cot inside, and the walls had thick plastic windows all around so the guards on the towers could see in during the day. A slot on the door for sliding food trays, and other smaller slots around the surface could only be opened from the outside. Helen reasoned that the smaller slots were about the right size for sticking gun barrels through and executing the occupant from outside the room. Helen entered the shack and sat on the cot.
"I'll arrange some food and water to be brought to ya," The Englishman said as he was about to close the door.
"Wait," Helen said before he shut it. He opened it back up again a little. She gave him a sweet smile. "You should give me back my phone. And the battery. You saw your boss give me back my beads, so it must certainly be ok for me to have my phone."
The Englishman thought for a second, then said "Yeah, all right," and retrieved the satellite phone and battery he'd taken from Helena's bag and handed it to her. She gave him the sweet smile again.
"Thanks. Remember, we're not telling the Big Man about this." He nodded his understanding and closed the door, the wiggling knob on the closed door indicating that he'd locked her in.
When he was gone, Helena popped the battery back in the phone and waited for it to power up. An unforeseen benefit to removing the battery was that it hadn't drained much since she'd charged it before leaving the embassy. When it didn't sound like anyone was walking around outside, she dialed a number.
"Si," said the voice of Capitano Ramirez on the other end.
"I'm in," she replied. "I know where they're keeping Maria. This is my first moment not at gunpoint to be able to talk, and I don't know how long we have."
"I understand, Contessa. We were able to follow the tracker you swallowed."
Helena took the phone away from her ear and walked to the window overlooking the toilet. There was no light in her room, so she covered the screen with her hand to keep any guards from spotting the phone's light. On the walls, she could see the men enjoying the cigarettes they'd taken from her bag when she arrived.
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