appear between the branches of the overhead canopy of trees.
‘What do you think they are going to do to us?’ Candace said. ‘I don’t
want to go back in that jail.’
‘Let’s hope they just fire us on the spot,’ Melanie said. ‘I’m ready to
pack my bag and say goodbye to the Zone, the project, and Equatorial
Guinea. I’ve had it.’
‘I can only hope it will be that easy,’ Kevin said. ‘I’m also worried
about the animals. They’ve been given life sentences.’
‘There’s not much we can do,’ Candace said.
‘I wonder,’ Kevin said. ‘I wonder what animal-rights groups would say
about this situation.’
‘Now, don’t say anything like that until we get the hell out of here,’
Melanie said. ‘That would drive everybody bananas.’
They entered the eastern end of town, passing the soccer field and
tennis center on their right. Both were in use, particularly the tennis
center. Every court was taken.
‘An experience like this makes you feel less important than you thought
you were,’ Melanie commented while glancing at the players. ‘You’re
hidden away for two agonizing days and everything goes on just as it did
before.’
They all pondered Melanie’s comment as they unconsciously braced for the
sharp right-hand turn they knew was coming up to take them to the animal
center. But instead, after the truck slowed, it stopped. Kevin sat up
and looked ahead. He saw Bertram’s Jeep Cherokee.
‘Siegfried wants you to drive directly to Kevin’s house,’ Bertram called
to Dave.
‘Okay!’ Dave called back.
The truck lurched forward as Dave pulled out behind Bertram.
Kevin lay back down. ‘Well, that’s a surprise. Maybe we’re not going to
be treated that badly after all.’
‘Maybe we can get them to drop Candace and me at our places,’ Melanie
said. ‘They’re more or less on the way.’ She looked down at herself.
‘The first thing I’m going to do is take a shower and change clothes.
Only then am I going to eat.’
Kevin got his legs under him and kneeled behind the truck’s cab. He
rapped on the rear window until he got Dave’s attention. He then relayed
Melanie’s request. The response from Dave was a wave of dismissal.
Kevin repositioned himself on his back. ‘I guess you have to go to my
house first,’ he said.
As soon as they hit the cobblestones, the ride was so jarring that they
all sat up. Rounding the last turn, Kevin looked ahead expectantly. He
was as eager to take a shower as Melanie. Unfortunately what he saw was
not encouraging. Siegfried and Cameron were standing out in front of his
house along with four heavily armed Equatoguinean soldiers. One of the
soldiers was an officer.
‘Uh-oh,’ Kevin said. ‘This doesn’t look promising after all.’
The truck came to a halt. Dave hopped out and came around to put down
the tailgate. Kevin was the first to climb out on stiff legs. Melanie
and Candace followed.
Preparing himself for the inevitable, Kevin walked over to where
Siegfried and Cameron were standing. He knew Melanie and Candace were
right behind. Bertram, who’d parked in front of the pickup truck, joined
them. No one looked particularly happy.
‘We had hoped you’d taken an unannounced holiday,’ Siegfried said
scornfully. ‘Instead, we find you have willfully disobeyed standing
orders not to trespass on Isla Francesca. You’re all to be confined to
quarters here, in this house.’ He pointed over his shoulder at Kevin’s.
Kevin was about to explain why they’d done what they had when Melanie
pushed past him. She was exhausted and irate.
‘I’m not staying here and that’s final,’ she spat. ‘In fact, I quit.
I’ll be leaving the Zone just as soon as I can make arrangements.’
Siegfried’s upper lip hiked itself up to exaggerate his sneer. After a
quick step forward, he backhanded Melanie viciously, knocking her down.
Reflexively Candace dropped to one knee to aid her friend.
‘Don’t touch her,’ Siegfried shouted, as he drew his hand back as if to
strike Candace.
Candace ignored him and helped Melanie up into a sitting position.
Melanie’s left eye was beginning to swell, and a trickle of blood slowly
ran down her cheek.