Chapter 23

Don sat in the study taking care of a few things that needed immediate attention; things like where his next paycheque will come from. He knew where it will come from, but not how much it will be. With the markets in such a volatile state right now, his investments need frequent review and maybe adjustment. The old guy managing the investment portfolio has been doing a good job, but Don felt the need to keep an eye on it; you know, trust but verify.

His cell phone rang and the display showed “Mai-Loan”. Is something up? Mai-Loan and Laura went over to the airfield to make morning holes in the sky, while Olivia, Leah, and Darya were taking the horses out for a ride on the farm. Tracy was doing something around the house. The poor old Cessna was neglected in the hangar of the “Old Boys,” for years; now it flies almost every day.

“Hi there, sweetness,” Don answered the call.

Giggle. “Not THAT sweetness, but ME!” Laura said. “Mai is driving and her phone is not connected to my car’s Bluetooth. Besides, I left mine at home.”

“Oh, well, hi, love of my life. What’s up?”

“Better be the love of your life,” Giggle. “We saw a car parked, half-hidden in the bush, on the corner next to the turn-off to the airfield. Looks too new to be abandoned.” Laura said.

“Do you have a registration number?” Don asked. “I’ll get Joe to check it out.”

“Yes, I’ll WhatsApp it to you,” Laura responded. “Just funny that it’s abandoned here; windows all frozen with last night’s frost. So, it’s been standing here for some time.”

“Good observation from you girls. I’ll get Joe on to it. Enjoy your flight.” Don praised.

“Yip! Mai will check me out for a flight test. I’m a little nervous.” Laura said.

“Don’t be. It’s as Dave’s Lucy said, like riding a bicycle, you get on and go!”

“Yeah, yeah! Let me go now. I’ve got a thousand things to think about.”

“Good, go break a leg!” Don said.

“Hey! I’m not going to do a movie!”

“Nah. It’s the same thing. Just relax and do your best. I know you will. I’ve seen you fly before.”

“Thanks. I’m sending the number. See you later. Love you. Oh, Mai sends kisses too.” Laura purred.

“Tell her, I love her too. Now let me go.” Don said.

“Bye Don,” Laura said and disconnected.

A few minutes later Don’s cell phone chimed with an incoming WhatsApp message. Don read the message and forward it to Joe. It could be nothing, but one never knows.

(On the Hill overlooking the airfield.)

Daiki had a fitful sleep. It was cold. Only after he had opened the packet with the space blanket, and draped it over himself, did he get any sleep. Now he awoke and sat shivering in the tent. Time to make something hot to drink and something to eat; then to see if the bitch is going to show up on the airfield below. He needed to find out what she drives, and how regular she comes to the airfield.

He unzipped the back of the tent, the part away from the airfield. Crawling out of the tent, he felt uneasy, as if he is being watched. He looked up and froze. A pair of yellow eyes were staring at him. There in the tree, about ten metres away, crouched a huge cat, yellow with black spots, in the tree, the yellow unblinking eyes watching him. The mouth hung half-open with the fangs showing white against the black lips and the pink flesh inside.

The cat gave a soft snarl and its tail flicked from side to side. A leopard! In the tree. Next to it was the leopard’s kill for the night. A deer, half-eaten and dried blood staining the tree branches. There was also dried blood around the leopard’s face and head.

It was the first time he had seen an African leopard so close. He knew that he had a big problem. Although the leopard had killed a deer and had a meal, Daiki knew that the leopard would protect its kill. He needed to get away from here, and fast.

He knew that the leopard would attack if he made a threatening move. He crawled gingerly back into the tent. The leopard snarled again, louder this time. Daiki got inside the tent and slowly started to zip closed again. Outside no movement or sound from the cat could be heard.

Wiping his face with his right hand, Daiki started to shiver. What now? What if the leopard came down from the tree and ripped the tent open?

He had to get away from here; leave all his stuff, and just get away. He looked around the tent. Most of his stuff was inside, but what to take and what to leave. His wallet was lying on the bedding, so he reached out, took it, and slipped it in his back pocket. Now, to get some other necessary stuff and get away from here, out the front of the tent.

As his fingers closed on the zipper of the front of the tent, Daiki heard a soft plop, out to the back of the tent. His worst fears were happening. A shadow fell on the side of the tent. The leopard snarled again, close by. Too close for comfort. What now?

(Dave’s place.)

With breakfast out the way and a fresh mug of Kenya’s best, I was doing the flight planning for the upcoming trip to Upington. The cargo was 15 tonnes. The Herc could handle 23 tonnes, while we, the shareholders of the new company, set the limit on 20 tonnes. That left a safety margin of 3 tonnes. Weather in South Africa can change by the minute, so better be safe than sorry.

I had a great software package where you entered the parameters, selected your departure airport and the destination airport, and hit “Calculate” The system works out all you need to know; cruise altitudes, IFR settings, climb, rate, top of climb, point of decent, decent rate, and the lot, based on the aircraft limitations and performance data, as well weather data collected over the net.

The terrain clearance map helps me decide on the cruise altitude, only if the damn USA government doesn’t decide to shut down. That closure shut down even the access to the latest topographic data, and that just leaves a big red blob of topographic data of no use.

But there’s a way around that too, just don’t tell the USA government. They think they are smart to deny us, peasants, the satellite data, but there is a feature “Download to Local disk,” only you must do it on a regular basis. Then, if the US government shuts down, the earth doesn’t change that much overnight! Okay, they found, on the latest data, that Mount Everest is in fact four feet higher than the last time it was measured.

But 4 feet don’t make much difference, and I don’t fly near that part of the world. Great, but still, I need to check on the findings of the artificial intelligence. Chuckle. Table Mountain down in Cape Town could have grown overnight. Print out the data sheets and upload it to the flight plan filing website. Last-minute changes, mostly weather, will be incorporated prior to the flight.

My cell phone started jumping around on the desk. ‘I must switch off the vibration thing,’ I thought as I grabbed the phone, just before it jumped off the desk. The display said ‘Don’.

“Top of the morning to you!” I said into the phone.

“And the rest of the day to you! Just don’t let the Irish catch you saying it. They don’t like it,” Don greeted.

“And you would know, with that Irish sweetie next to you,” I retorted and heard Tracy giggle. Okay, I was on speaker.

“So, what’s biting you, or are you just missing my conversation,” I asked.

“Nope! New developments in the safety and security department,” Don said.

“Okay ... Problems with the airworthiness of the Herc?” I asked.

“No. The girls found a car this morning, hidden along the road to the airfield. Turns out to be a rented car. Rented by a one, D Nakamura,” Don said.

“Wow!” I exclaimed. “The turds here?”

“Probably watching us. Out on that darn hill next to my place. I must really put some security crap up there,” Don said.

“So, what are we going to do now?” I asked.

“The girls are out flying. Keeping their distance from the hill but looking to see if they can spot anything.”

“And if they do? What will you do?”

“Is your bird out at Wonderboom, or with you?” Don asked.

“Out at Wonderboom.”

“Shit! I wanted you here pronto, but I’ll have to come to fetch you now,” he said.

“No. I’ll have Pete fly it over here, Jake can pick him up by car. It will be faster that way.”

“Okay. Good. Bring Nadia along,” he instructed.

“On my way!” I said and disconnected.

“GIRLS!” I yelled.

There was a flurry of activity as the girls charged down the stairs and barged into my study. It being a little cooler this time of year, they were dressed warmly, mostly in jeans, long-sleeved woollen shirts, and boots.

“What? You sound panicked.” Lucy demanded.

“Don and his girls have a problem,” I answered as I punched up Pete on the cell phone. “That Japanese guy is out somewhere on the hill between the airfield and Don’s place.”

Pete answered and I gave him a run down. He promised to be on-site in 10 minutes and disconnected.

“Nadia, I want you with me. Lisa, Lucy, stay put, but be ready to come over to Don’s place at a moment’s notice,” I said. Lisa and Lucy looked at me with eyes that looked like they were about to pop their sockets.

“Dave, be careful,” Lisa whimpered, hugging me, “We need you...”

“I’ll be okay, now just stay calm. I’ll let you know what is going down.”

Nadia just looked at me. Those green eyes looked even more green.

“What do I need to bring?” Nadia said.

“Just yourself, I need your eyes on the lookout, when we’re up there. The guy is hiding in the bush. We need to find him. Pronto!”

“Then let’s go find a worm!” she growled and strutted out to the patio, tying her loose red hair into a ponytail.

I hugged the other two and followed Nadia. The chopper would be here shortly.

No time to change into flight suits; jeans, woollen shirt, and boots will have to do. Headsets will be in the helicopter.

Pete knows his stuff and was only one minute late in touching down outside on the grass strip. A hot change-over of the flight crew and we were on our way. Pete will have to enjoy the company of Lisa and Lucy, while he waits on his transport back to Wonderboom.

With an eye on the fuel gauge, I lifted off. There was fuel for about an hour and a half. More than enough. Nadia flipped her ponytail to her back and took out some Aviator Ray-Bans out of her shirt pocket. Smiling at me, she placed it on her eyes, presenting me with a vision. That fire red hair in a ponytail, the Ray-Bans on her face: If I wasn’t flying, I would have devoured her right there and then.

“Good, I can see clearly now,” she said.

“I know that song too,” I chuckled.

“What song?” Nadia asked.

“Song by Jimmy Cliff: I can see clearly now the rain has gone. I can see all obstacles in my way...” and I recited the rest of the first verse of the song.

“Sounds good. I must find it and listen to it,” Nadia giggled.

“It’s in my collection. I’ll download it to your phone for you,” I said as I banked to the right on a direct course to Don’s place. Far out to the west I saw the three hills around the airfield and Don’s place. About six minutes away. It would have taken forty minutes to drive.

“Thanks, I would like that. I don’t have that much English language music,” Nadia said and lightly touched my arm.

I looked over at her and smiled. “My pleasure, sweetie pie, I must see to it that you get some good music. It’s food for the soul.”

“And now that it’s becoming cold here, what about that oxtail stew you were bragging about,” she asked, “That feeds the tummy, you know.” Giggle.

“You’ll have oxtail stew before the week is out. Just let us get back from Upington,” I said.

“That’s why I love you. You always come through on your promises.”

By that time, we were getting close to Don’s airfield. I could see Laura and Don’s SUVs parked next to a hangar. I also saw the Cessna out on a circuit to the west of the airfield. Just then a call came over the radio, set to the Unicom frequency.

“Foxtrot Alfa Juliet Golf traffic. Sierra Tango Pappa is Cessna 172 on final for runway 09. Five kilometres west for full stop landing.” Mai-Loan’s voice. I transmitted over the same frequency.

“Delta Alfa Victor, have traffic in sight.”

“Sierra Tango Pappa, Final on runway 09, Four kilometres out.” Mai-Loan transmitted.

“Sierra Tango Pappa, Go on landing 09. Delta Alfa Victor will sequence in behind you for landing Heli Pad north,” I transmitted.

“Sierra Tango Pappa, copy you,” Mai-Loan transmitted.

“One of these days, that will be me,” Nadia said.

“Yes, you seem to enjoy the flying. I’ll support you, Lisa, and Lucy fully. It will be nice to have you all sharing the passion,” I mused.

“I want to be able to fly the Impala. It looks like such fun. I like going up and over, seeing the world upside down.” Giggle. And she smiled a 1000-watt smile, hidden behind the Ray-Bans, green eyes laughing with her smile. “Now let’s get down and see how things are going with Don and the gang.”

(How is Daiki fairing with the leopard?)

Daiki sat quietly. Afraid to even breathe. The shadow on the tent wall came closer. It stopped so close that he could smell the stinking odour of the big cat. It was the most dreadful smell he had ever smelled in his life. He felt a fear he had never felt in his life. If the leopard came through the tent, ripping the fabric, he would be trapped with nothing with him to defend himself.

The shadow on the tent wall moved slowly, smelling at the tent. He could hear the leopard’s breath. Then the shadow moved away. Slowly getting smaller. Then the shadow was gone. Daiki breathed a deep breath. Has the leopard moved off?

Daiki remembered something he had read once. The leopard would not attack him while he was looking at it; they always attack from behind. As long as the leopard could see his eyes, it would not attack.

He thought about unzipping the front of the tent. Slowly he moved towards the front of the tent, reached out, and slowly unzipped the zipper. The sound of the zipper moving down sounded like thunder. Did the leopard hear it?

Then a new sound came to him, the sound of an approaching helicopter. He froze again. There was a light aircraft flying around. He heard that sound. The light aircraft was flying in circles around the airfield. While Daiki was being entertained by the leopard, could the aircraft have spotted his camp?

He decided to move. Things were getting out of hand. He could not see the leopard, the aircraft, nor the helicopter. He will never know if he was spotted, so he must take a risk. How far can he run before the leopard caught him? Between the leopard and the possible detection by the aircraft, he must deal with the immediate threat – leopard first.

Daiki opened the tent front. Cautiously he looked outside but could not see the leopard around the front of the tent, nor down the hill towards the airfield. Did the leopard go back into the tree?