03-04-2019, 04:50 PM
"Yeah, I don't think we're going to get that one back. Listen, Igazi has a summit meeting of the warlords tomorrow. That's what he wants me for: to get them to agree to make him their king. The shack that Maria is being held in is right next to the water tanks. There were two guards armed with AK-47s watching her when they let me see her. Have you found a way in?"
"The perimeter is well-guarded. Strangely, many of them are looking toward the compound rather than away from it."
"Oh, those are probably the ones with their weapons trained on the room I'm in. Apparently, putting one shack on top of another makes it a tower. I'm being kept in the shack on top."
"And they gave you a telephone?"
"We're getting closer to that talk about the things I can do, Ramirez, but not now. My part of the plan should kick in around midnight. Though it sounds like if we wait until morning, we can take out Igazi and wipe out most of the warlords in the region."
"And what if the other warlords bring their own men? Who knows how many we may be facing then?"
Helena took in his words, thinking of how her friends had told her in the past about her tendency to push things too far. She decided he was right; getting Maria to safety was the top priority. Bloody vengeance on Igazi and cleaning up Africa could wait until she was out of harm's way. From out the window, she could see men laughing and smoking, a few of them walking toward where Umiwama was servicing the three men to take their turn.
"All right, screw the summit. Maria comes first. How are the others?"
"They made it in," Ramirez replied. "They'll emerge when the time is right."
Helena took a deep breath. It wasn't time to relax yet, but even here, in the cell, things were happening. She was doing something now. She heard the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs.
"Someone's coming. Go for midnight." She hung up and stuck the phone behind her back, under her shirt as the food slot opened in the door and a tray slid in. Between the glass of dirty water, the fried leg of an animal she didn't recognize, and a handful of wild grubs was a note. She picked it up and read it: "Present for you under the cot."
The Moon moved across the sky and its light began to enter the shack. Helena bent down and looked under the cot. Strapped underneath by two pieces of duct tape was her gun. She pulled it loose and checked it. The gun was still loaded. Helena smiled. Her wild card was still in play. She tucked the gun into her waistband and checked the time on the phone. Four hours until midnight.
She lit a cigarette of her own and produced the worry beads from the pouch. Nothing to do but wait. Helena took a sip of the almost tea-colored water that she knew contained no tea. Not the hot cocoa she would have preferred about now, but it would suffice.
"The perimeter is well-guarded. Strangely, many of them are looking toward the compound rather than away from it."
"Oh, those are probably the ones with their weapons trained on the room I'm in. Apparently, putting one shack on top of another makes it a tower. I'm being kept in the shack on top."
"And they gave you a telephone?"
"We're getting closer to that talk about the things I can do, Ramirez, but not now. My part of the plan should kick in around midnight. Though it sounds like if we wait until morning, we can take out Igazi and wipe out most of the warlords in the region."
"And what if the other warlords bring their own men? Who knows how many we may be facing then?"
Helena took in his words, thinking of how her friends had told her in the past about her tendency to push things too far. She decided he was right; getting Maria to safety was the top priority. Bloody vengeance on Igazi and cleaning up Africa could wait until she was out of harm's way. From out the window, she could see men laughing and smoking, a few of them walking toward where Umiwama was servicing the three men to take their turn.
"All right, screw the summit. Maria comes first. How are the others?"
"They made it in," Ramirez replied. "They'll emerge when the time is right."
Helena took a deep breath. It wasn't time to relax yet, but even here, in the cell, things were happening. She was doing something now. She heard the sound of footsteps on the wooden stairs.
"Someone's coming. Go for midnight." She hung up and stuck the phone behind her back, under her shirt as the food slot opened in the door and a tray slid in. Between the glass of dirty water, the fried leg of an animal she didn't recognize, and a handful of wild grubs was a note. She picked it up and read it: "Present for you under the cot."
The Moon moved across the sky and its light began to enter the shack. Helena bent down and looked under the cot. Strapped underneath by two pieces of duct tape was her gun. She pulled it loose and checked it. The gun was still loaded. Helena smiled. Her wild card was still in play. She tucked the gun into her waistband and checked the time on the phone. Four hours until midnight.
She lit a cigarette of her own and produced the worry beads from the pouch. Nothing to do but wait. Helena took a sip of the almost tea-colored water that she knew contained no tea. Not the hot cocoa she would have preferred about now, but it would suffice.
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