After the machine-gun fire, the details of the previous night were murky
in Kevin’s mind.
Guessing they were getting close, Kevin moved forward so he could see
out the front windshield between the two front seats. Despite the
noontime sun the ability to see into the dense jungle lining the road
was hardly any better than it had been the evening before. Little light
penetrated the vegetation; it was like moving between two walls.
They drove into the clearing and stopped. The garage stood to their left
while to the right they could see the mouth of the track that led down
to the water’s edge and the bridge.
‘Should I drive down to the bridge?’ Melanie asked.
Kevin’s nervousness increased. Coming into a dead end bothered him. He
debated driving down to the water’s edge but guessed there wouldn’t be
enough room to turn around. That would mean they’d have to back out.
‘My suggestion would be to park here,’ Kevin said. ‘But let’s turn the
car around first.’
Kevin expected an argument, but Melanie put the car in gear without so
much as a whimper. They left unspoken the fact that they would now have
to walk past the spot where they’d been fired upon.
Melanie completed her three-point turn. ‘Okay, everybody, here we are,’
she said airily, as she pulled on the emergency brake. She was trying to
buoy everyone’s spirits. They were all tense.
‘I just had an idea which I don’t like,’ Kevin said.
‘Now what?’ Melanie asked, looking at him in the rearview mirror.
‘Maybe I should quietly walk down to the bridge and make sure no one is
around,’ Kevin said.
‘Like who?’ Melanie asked, but the thought of unwanted company had
occurred to her as well.
Kevin took a deep breath to bolster his sagging courage and climbed out.
‘Anybody,’ he said. ‘Even Alphonse Kimba.’ He hiked up his pants and
started off.
The track down toward the water was so thickly shrouded with vegetation,
it was even more like a tunnel than the track in from the road. As soon
as Kevin entered it, it twisted to the right. The canopy of trees and
vines blocked out much of the light. The center strip of vegetation was
so tall that the track was more like two parallel trails.
Kevin rounded the first bend, then stopped. The unmistakable sound of
boots running on the damp ground combined with the jingling of metal
against metal made his stomach turn. Ahead, the track turned to the
left. Kevin held his breath. In the next instant, he saw a group of
Equatoguinean soldiers in their camouflage fatigues, rounding the bend
and coming in his direction. All were carrying Chinese assault rifles.
Kevin spun on his heels and sprinted back up the trail like he’d never
sprinted before. As he reached the clearing, he yelled to Melanie to get
the hell out of there. Reaching the car he threw open the rear door and
dived in.
Melanie was trying to start the car. ‘What happened?’ she screamed.
‘Soldiers!’ Kevin croaked. ‘A bunch of them!’
The car engine caught and roared to life. At the same time, the soldiers
spilled into the clearing. One of them yelled as Melanie stomped on the
accelerator.
The little car leaped forward, and Melanie fought the wheel. There was a
burst of gunfire and the rear window of the Honda shattered into a
million cubic shards. Kevin flattened himself against the backseat.
Candace screamed as her window was blown out as well.
The track turned left just beyond the clearing. Melanie managed to keep
the car in the tracks and then pushed the car to its limit. After they’d
gone seventy yards, there was another distant burst of gunfire. A few
stray bullets whined over the car as Melanie navigated another slight
turn.
‘Good God!’ Kevin said, as he sat up and brushed the glass from the rear
window off his torso.
‘Now I’m really mad,’ Melanie said. ‘That was hardly a burst over our
heads. Look at that rear window!’
‘I think I want to retire,’ Kevin said. ‘I’ve always been afraid of
those soldiers and now I know why.’
‘I guess the key to the bridge is not going to do us much good,’ Candace