Chapter 14

As Leah jerked the cyclic back, Ash’s hand fell away from the dual cyclic on the right-hand side. Ash was slumped in the seat; he was out of it and Leah saw blood bubbling on his lips. The right part of his flight suit was soaking with an ever-enlarging dark patch. Ash was shot, but from where the shot came Leah did not know. She needs to get control of the aircraft, and quickly!

Leah regained control of the helicopter only metres above the tan-yellow sand of the desert. The main rotor downwash blew up a cloud of dust and sand, blinding sight from the back. This helped obscure the aircraft from the shooter on the roof of the old building and aided them in getting away from the hot zone. Leah centered the cyclic and increased power. The helicopter responded and flew out level, still low but high enough to clear obstacles in its path.

This was close. Lucky that Ash jerked the collective up, thereby increasing the pitch on the main rotor blades. The helicopter surged up, but still with a nose-down attitude. From the back of the cabin, dull tuts were heard, and she knew that the strike team was returning fire to wherever those shots came from. How the hell they could see where to shoot in all this dust was a mystery to her. They were just wasting ammunition.

Controlling the helicopter was now first priority. Leah retracted the gear, thereby cleaning up and streamlining the helicopter. She banked to the left and opened the throttles to the stops. The Puma responded and clawed skywards, coming around to the south. As the helicopter came abreast of the old building, more fire streaks blasted out from the left-back door, in bursts of three. As Leah turned her head towards the left, she saw in her night-vision goggles one figure on the top of the building reaching up, then his lifeless body fell lazily over the slight parapet to crash head first into the ground below.

“TC! Get the doc up here fast. Ash was hit!” Leah said into her boom mike.

“Can’t you put this thing down? We can’t reach him while flying.” TC answered over the intercom.

“I’m getting us out of the hot zone,” Leah said.

“Go south. There’s an island to the south, about ten klicks away.”

“Can we land there? Ain’t it just rocks sticking out of the ocean?”

“No. There’s an abandoned fishing thing of some sort there.” TC said.

“Good. We’re four minutes out. Get someone up here to look at Ash. He’s bubbling blood.”

“Shit!” TC exclaimed. “Silver! Go! Go see to our pilot.”

“On it Major!” Silver returned, and unbuckled, grabbed his gear, and scrambled forward towards the cockpit.

While Silver was looking Ash over, Leah was concentrating on getting the helicopter out to Possession Island as fast as she dared to fly the bird.

“Major! The captain’s got a chest wound, and it looks like a sucking wound! I need help to strip his flight suit so at least I can get to the wound!” Silver exclaimed.

“Cut the damn thing!” TC shouted back.

The AS332J Super Puma is a big machine, but as with all aircraft the front “office” is a little cramped for space. Silver was not a big man, but not small either. There was just not enough room to be able to get to Ash’s wound. He needed to unbuckle the harness, and a loose body could lead to disaster with all the g-forces of flight dynamics working on the unresponsive man. If Ash’s body fell onto any of the flight controls, real disaster would result.

“How long till we land?” Silver asked Leah.

“Two minutes!” Leah said.

“Okay, I’ll just press down on the wound, but get us there quick!”

“I’m doing my utmost fucking best!” Leah spat.

Leah saw the eastern side of the island coming up, and she slowed the helicopter down. She spotted an open flat area just south of some buildings. Yes, that will do; wide and long enough. She then pointed the helicopter into the wind and dropped the gear. With a nose-high attitude, she brought the helicopter in over the open space. No time to check for any loose debris or shit lying around. She just has to estimate the size of the landing spot and check tail rotor clearance. This landing will be a tricky one, but she’s a big girl; she can do it.

Dust and loose stones went flying around and away from the helicopter in a blizzard as first the main wheels and then the nose wheel touched down. Dropping the rotor speed to ground idle, Leah switched on the main overhead cockpit lights. The white glare washed through the cockpit, and both Leah and Silver saw for the first time the damage to Ash.

Ash’s lips were blue and his skin pale white and glassy. With every suffering breath he took, blood bubbled out his mouth, but at least he was breathing.

With the helicopter safely on the ground, all the members of the strike team were out and covered the area around the helicopter in a defensive attitude, guns at the ready. Thus, they were trained; old habits never die. TC and the other medic on the team were at Silver’s side in no time flat. TC opened the right-hand cockpit door and looked in.

“What you got?” TC asked.

“Two hits. One grazed his helmet, and one went in his back, through his shoulder blade, and out the front. I think his chest cavity is punctured. His lung might be hit.”

“Shit! Is it bad?”

“Only if his lungs collapse. We need to get a breathing patch on the front exit wound. Mike, if you could solidly seal the back entry wound, I think we will then be in the clear.”

“Good! What else we need?” TC asked.

“Oxygen. We need to feed him oxygen.”

“There are three bottles on the back bulkhead, I’ll get them,” Leah said and jumped out the left-hand side.

“Move, Blondie!” TC shouted. Lucky Leah was already away on her quest, and the swirling rotor blades in ground idle damped out TC’s voice, else he would have been the second patient that night and might be in need of oxygen too.

Everything went in a blur as Silver and his buddy Mike secured the wounds and treated Ash with oxygen. With effort, they got Ash out of the cockpit and into the cabin where they could make him more comfortable and had more room to tend to him.

“Where do we take him? He needs medical care,” Gretah Rothman asked, standing next to her husband, Friederich, holding on to him. TC looked over at the two medics.

“Will he be okay to get to Windhoek?”

“Well, his colour is almost normal, and his breathing stabilized. His heart rate is still a bit high, but yeah, we can reach Windhoek.”

“Good. I don’t want to leave him around Lüderitz. I don’t trust the facilities here,” TC said. “Let’s get to Windhoek. Leah?”

“Fuel and the bird are good. Mount up! Let’s go,” Leah said, this time getting into the right-hand seat. She might as well fly the bird from a familiar seat.

“Sorry to bother, Miss. But I can help in the cockpit. If you want. I’m a pilot and have flown helicopters before,” Friederick Rothman said to Leah.

“Well, this ain’t your regular Robinson R44 or Bell 206, but yeah. You could lend a hand. Even if it’s only to read the checklists,” Giggle.

“You haven’t touched the controls in a while, and you want to fly this thing?” Gretah asked.

“Not fly, my dear. Not fly, but help. This bird is like a Boeing 737, with many more dials and switches than an average Bell 206, and what’s more the lady needs help. It’s the least I can do after they saved our butts! There’s a lot to do upfront in the office of this bird.”

“Yeah, yeah. I believe you. Go fly us home...” Gretah smirked and followed TC back to the cabin. Leah looked at Friederick.

“You could, you know. Fly us home. It’s like riding a bicycle: you get up and go...” Leah tittered.

“Come show me!” Friederick said as he got into the left-hand co-pilot seat, and harnessed in.

“Let’s go.”

Back in the cabin, Ash was breathing slow and shallow. The colour of his skin and fingernails was not optimal, but for now he was at ease; not aware of anything going on around him or the drama that has just played out.

(Halali Camp, Etosha, Namibia. 05:10)

The early grey light in the sky of the breaking dawn came slowly to the camp; just starting to light up the surrounding landscape. Early rising birds were singing their happy tunes welcoming the new day. All over the veldt, animals were waking and starting their trek towards the nearest watering holes. Those that were on the hunt during the night started to go hide out the day in the cool surrounding trees, rocks or high grass.

The aromas of the veldt of Etosha: a whiff of freshly dropped elephant dung, the sweetness of the mopane shrubs mixed with the smell of the promised heat of the day, lay like a blanket on the morning air. Yet it was still cool after the night. Overhead the stars retreated and blinked out in the early light of day.

Lorie blinked as her cell phone vibrated on the bed stand next to her. Instantly she was awake and reached for the phone.

“Lorie,” she said softly into the device.

“I take it you’re still in bed?”

“Yes ... Yes, I am. It’s damn well just past five,” Lorie said as she sat up and looked over towards the clock on the wall by the door of her bedroom.

“There’s been a development.”

“What development?”

“Rothman and his wife were secured this morning just past 03:00.”

“Oh goody! Angie will be pleased.”

“There’s also other news.”

“What news?”

“The pilot of the helicopter sustained a gunshot wound and is now being treated in Windhoek.”

“Ash?”

“Yes. He is stable but unconscious.”

“Good God!” Lorie was out of bed in a flash. “I need to go.”

“No! You will stay put. And don’t tell the girl. Under any circumstances, don’t tell her.”

“Where are her parents?”

“In Windhoek, at the safe house.”

“She’ll want to see them.”

“I know. But let us first establish the extent of Ash’s wounds and his recovery.”

“You said he is unconscious. That means he’s in serious condition!” Lorie started to tremble. Her brother is seriously wounded and in hospital, and she has to keep her poise for Angie’s sake. Damn this cat and mouse game-play. It’s time she and Ash get out of it.

“I resign! I’m no longer part of this. I’m going to my brother!”

“Request denied! You will stay with the girl and protect her. You can’t do anything at the hospital, and I will keep you updated.”

“It was not a request! I ... I ... quit!”

“No, you’re not. Listen to me, Lorie! The best thing to do now is to wait. I will keep you updated. By 12:00 we will know where this is going. Just wait until 12:00.”

“And then?”

“I won’t be able to keep the girl or her parents apart for much longer. Wait until 12:00 and I’ll let you know what new instructions there will be.”

“Are you implying that we might be recalled to Windhoek?”

“Maybe. Just sit tight and see to it that the girl is okay.”

“Okay...”

“Good girl. You were always the more intelligent one.”

“Ash will kill you if he hears that!”

“If he can find me.” Chuckle.

“He’ll find you. Keep on bugging him, and he will find you!”

“I doubt that.”

“Oh, he will. I will bet my next pay on it!”

“He has tried before and failed.”

“How bad is Ash, really?”

“Oh, he will survive. Little puncture, entry and exit wounds. Nicked his lung, but not serious. The EMS doctor said that the x-rays show a slight nick on the top of the right-side lung. He’ll heal pretty soon. No need for any surgery at this time.”

“So, he is ... not critical?”

“Stable. The next few hours will tell. And the strike team is guarding him.”

“Okay...”

“Lorie, we all pray for him. He’s in good hands. Just don’t let anything slip. You never know how that redhead will react. We don’t want complications now. Roland and company are now considered a wounded lion. Be careful.”

“Okay.”

“Good.”

“Chat soon. Keep me posted.”

“You bet I will.” And Grumpy broke the connection.

Lorie sat back down on the bed, drawing her slender legs up under her. The sunlight came in stronger through the gap in the curtains. With unseeing, moist eyes, Lorie looked out the window. Her brother is injured, shot by some crooks, and she can’t go to him. Nor can she say anything to the redhead sleeping peacefully in the room next door.

12:00. She must wait until Grumpy calls with new instructions. What to do now? Her sleep was interrupted. Coffee ... she’ll get up and get coffee.

Lorie got up from the bed. It was already warm in the room. Barefoot on the stone tiles, she walked out of her bedroom towards the kitchen.

“Who was that? Your boyfriend?” Angie said behind Lorie and Lorie jumped. She did not expect Angie to be up.

“Good God, girlfriend! You want to give me a heart attack?”

Giggle.

“Come, I was about to make coffee. You want some?”

“Yes, and then you can tell me all about your boyfriend calling you this early,” Angie said, and Lorie relaxed a bit. If Angie thought it was her boyfriend, then maybe she could use that as an excuse to put Angie’s curiosity at ease. Yip! Put the redhead at ease while she, Lorie, is breaking up inside about her brother.

“So, what are we doing today?” Angie asked as she placed two mugs on the little kitchen counter.

“There’s an early morning game drive at 07:00. Would you like to go?” Lorie asked over her shoulder while putting water into the kettle.

“Should be fun! I wanted to go swim, but I forgot to pack a swimsuit,” Angie said.

“Ditto, girlfriend. I forgot mine as well, but I think the shop will have something.”

“So, game drive, shop, and then swim. Sounds like a plan.”

“So, there’s a day for you. Let’s get going.”

“Yeah, anything to pass the time until Ash gets here. I can’t wait. I miss him.”

Ash! There, Angie said it. If only she knew. Damn this redhead. But okay she doesn’t know, and it’s going to be hard to keep it from her.

(Meanwhile in Lüderitz.)

The sun just peeked out over the desert to the east. Early morning light washed over the already awake town. Shops were being prepared for the day and cars were kicking up dust as they negotiated their way into the central business district. Along the seawall by the harbour, some people were walking dogs or just strolling along, enjoying the early sun before it gets to be too hot. Last night’s overcast was gone, blown inland by the ever-present southwester, or just burned away by the sun.

Roland was out on the patio of Schloss Meer Sicht, enjoying breakfast prepared by Cookie. Roland was in a jovial mood. He will, after breakfast, go out to the ship and depart for his closest concession.

Smiling to himself, Roland thought of how easy it was to get the package. Those two bozos didn’t get the girl, but they got the package. Inside that package were enough diamonds to tide him over for a long while to come. Yes, he has to fork over some cash to Max, but Max has no idea of the real value inside that old bank bag. Yes, life is good, and it seems like things will now start to fall into place. Only the girl needs to be secured. Why did he not foresee that she might run?

It was the work of that damn pilot guy. Windsor. How did he influence the girl, or had she influenced him? They planned all along to take the damn aircraft out together. Shit! They were together in the Land Rover all the way to Dooievlei. And that note Windsor left. How did he know about Max meeting him out there on the way to Dooievlei? Unless, yes, unless he saw Max out there.

But that is now Max’s problem: get The Rothmans to talk. He only needs to get the diamonds “mined” and sold. Easy.

On the table next to the morning paper, Roland’s cell phone rang. Roland picked it up without looking at the display.

“Rothman. Good morning,” he said into the phone and sat back in the patio chair.

“There’s nothing good in this morning!” Max shouted into Roland’s ear.

“Woah, there. What’s going on?”

“That bitch! The conniving little bitch!” Max screamed. Roland got up from his chair, suddenly he felt a cold feeling taking hold around his heart.

“What’s wrong, Max?”

“That little bitch knew all along that her parents were alive and where they were! She sent in a bloody swat team, killed my men, and took her parents out!”

“What!”

“Yeah! What! They came in last night with a damn helicopter and stormed the place in Elizabeth Bay. Killed my men and took the Rothmans out.”

“My God. You sure it was Angie?”

“Who else!” Max hissed. Roland sank back onto the patio chair. Suddenly his world started to cave in around him. Did he underestimate this child? Why suddenly is she all over Max and him?

“What now?” Roland whispered, his hands shaking. The little bitch. How did she know? How did she organize the hit? What resources does she have to help her?

“Now? Now, you ask? Well, I tell you we have more trouble than we can handle. She has a whole war team at her beck and call. Twelve men attacked the compound. There was at least one sniper on the dune overlooking the place. He took out three of my men!”

“How do you know?”

“One guy came out. They missed him. He said they came in by helicopter and dropped onto the roof, using stun grenades, and worked their way down to the cellar. Killing as they went!”

“You have a plan going forward?”

“No!”

“Well, let me think about it. I might have a solution. I think we must use our resources to find the girl. Let me call some old friends that owe me some favours.”

“Keep me updated,” Max said.

“I will,” Roland grinned. “I think I have just the thing to catch her out.”

“You sound positive, what are you going to do?”

“No. No, I’ve got an ace up my sleeve. I know just the man to help us catch a fly. Speak to you later. Maybe sooner than later,” Roland said and disconnected the call. Yes, there’s someone that owes him a favour. A big favour. Someone in information technology. Someone that knows how to trace cell phone calls. Why did he not think of it sooner? Yes, Angie girl, I think I’ve got you.

Roland chuckled softly to himself. This will be an epic payback. He’ll get her solid, and this time she’ll be in for more than just a whipping!