window well in the rear arcade of the building. The openings were barred
but without glass, so vermin could pass through unimpeded. All three
prisoners had been terrified by the sounds of scampering creatures,
especially since they’d seen several tarantulas before the lights had
been turned out. The only source of comfort had been that they could
easily talk to each other.
The first five minutes of the evening’s ordeal had been the worst. As
soon as the sound of the burst of machine-gun fire died out, Kevin and
the women were blinded by large hand-held lights. When their eyes had
finally adjusted, they saw that they’d walked into an ambush of sorts.
They were surrounded by a jeering group of youthful Equatoguinean
soldiers who’d delighted in casually aiming their AK-47’s at them.
Several had been brazen enough to poke the women with the muzzles of
their weapons.
Fearing the worst, Kevin and the others hadn’t moved a muscle. They’d
been scared witless by the indiscriminate gunfire and terrified it might
begin again at the slightest provocation.
Only at the appearance of several of the Moroccan guards did the unruly
soldiers back off. Kevin had never imagined the intimidating Arabs as
potential saviors, but that’s how it had turned out. The guards had
assumed custody of Kevin and the women. Then the guards drove them in
Kevin’s car, first to the Moroccan guard building across from the animal
center, where they’d been placed in a windowless room for several hours,
and then finally into town, where they’d been incarcerated in the old
jail.
‘This is outrageous treatment,’ Melanie persisted.
‘On the contrary,’ Siegfried said. ‘I have been assured by Mustapha that
you have been treated with all due respect.’
‘Respect!’ Melanie sputtered. ‘To be shot at with machine guns! And kept
in this shithole in the dark! That’s respect?’
‘You were not shot at,’ Siegfried corrected. ‘Those were merely a few
warning shots directed over your heads. You had, after all, violated an
important rule here in the Zone. Isla Francesca is off-limits. Everyone
knows that.’
Siegfried motioned to Cameron toward Candace. Cameron opened her cell
with a large, antique key. Candace wasted no time getting out of the
cell. She hastily dusted off her clothes to make sure there were no
bugs. She was still dressed in her surgical scrubs from the hospital.
‘My apologies to you,’ Siegfried said to Candace. ‘I imagine you were
led astray by our resident researchers. Perhaps you were not even aware
of the rule against visiting the island area.’
Cameron opened Melanie’s cell and then Kevin’s.
‘As soon as I heard about your detention, I tried to call Dr. Raymond
Lyons,’ Siegfried said. ‘I wanted to ask his opinion as to the best way
to handle this situation. Since he was unavailable, I have to take
responsibility myself. I am releasing you all on your own recognizance.
I trust that you now know the seriousness of your actions. Under
Equatoguinean law it could be considered a capital offense.’
‘Oh, bull!’ Melanie spat.
Kevin cringed. He was afraid Melanie would anger Siegfried enough to
order them back into the cells. Benevolence was not a part of
Siegfried’s character.
Mustapha extended Kevin’s car keys to him. ‘Your vehicle is out back,’
he said with a heavy French accent.
Kevin took the keys. His hand shook enough to cause them to jingle until
he got his hand and the keys into his pocket.
‘I’m sure I will be speaking to Dr. Lyons sometime tomorrow,’ Siegfried
said. ‘I will contact you individually. You may go.’
Melanie started to speak again, but Kevin surprised himself by grabbing
her arm and propelling her toward the stairs.
‘I’ve had enough manhandling,’ Melanie sputtered. She tried to pull her
arm from Kevin’s grasp.
‘Let’s just get into the car,’ Kevin whispered harshly through clenched
teeth. He forced her to keep moving.
‘What a night!’ Melanie complained. At the base of the stairs, she
managed to yank her arm free. Irritably, she started up.
Kevin waited for Candace to precede him, then followed the women up to
the ground floor. They emerged into an office used by the Equatoguinean
soldiers that were constantly seen lounging in front of the town hall.