relative safety of the city.
“I took Joseph up the mountains to where his family lives.”
Lived.
The veins in Stephen’s neck pulsed. “I told you to leave it alone. There’s no such thing as Ghost Soldiers.”
“Don’t be so sure.” Natalie watched his face, gauging his reaction. Disbelief? Fear? She wasn’t sure at this point. “They’re real, Stephen, and I have proof.”
Stephen ran his hand across his short black hair. “Natalie, leave it alone. Sometimes you have to overlook things—for the good of everyone.”
“For the good of whom, Stephen? A little girl ripped from the only home she’s ever known? A grandfather killed because he’s not strong enough to work?” Her heart thumped. She wanted to scream at the way everyone tried to bury the problem. “How does that work for the good of everyone?”
“I’ve talked to Patrick—”
“Maybe Patrick cares more about his position as a government official than looking at what’s really happening out there.”
“He assured me they were only rumors—”
“Look at these.” Natalie began dropping the photos one at a time onto her desk in front of him. “Then tell me if you still think the existence of the Ghost Soldiers is nothing more than a rumor.”
NINE
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 11:39 A.M.
KALAMBALI SQUARE, KASILI
Stephen set down his briefcase and moved over to Natalie’s desk, picking the photos up one by one. The familiar pang of guilt wrenched through his gut. There was no denying the story the pictures told—the faces of the victims wouldn’t let him.
For a moment, he was back on one of the street corners of the capital, seventeen years ago, on the eve of another presidential election. All public meetings had been banned. Hospitals were paralyzed as doctors and nurses went on strike. Curfews were imposed and food was virtually nonexistent.
He’d lost Camille that day, and his heart had never completely mended. Maybe if he’d believed her, believed that together they could make a difference in changing this country, things would have turned out differently. He’d prayed every night since then that God would let him relive that one moment over and find out. But God apparently wasn’t in the business of redeeming lost souls. And his was certainly lost.
You’re a coward , Stephen Moyo.
“Stephen?”
At Natalie’s voice he jerked his head up. “What did you say?”
She leaned against the wall cabinet, irritation evident in her gaze.“I said, what do we do now? You have the contacts in the government. We can’t just look away and pretend this didn’t happen.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t want you involved either. I’ve got to think.”
But not here—it felt like the cement walls were closing in on him. Ignoring Natalie’s surprised look, he shoved the photos into his briefcase and walked out.
As he stalked down the hallway, he forced the past away and focused on the present. The question was what was he going to do? He didn’t believe Natalie. He couldn’t. Even the blatant proof he carried couldn’t erase his doubts. Patrick had assured him that there were no grounds to the circulating rumors.
Still, he envisioned the horror on the face of a young girl in the photos. Something was wrong. Very wrong. What would Patrick have to gain in covering up something like this?
Unless he was somehow involved…
Stephen pushed the implications aside and instead threw open his office door.
Natalie was right behind him. “I won’t forget what I saw.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“I mean it, Stephen. You can’t just walk away from this.”
He froze at his desk, letting his briefcase crash to the floor as her words reverberated in his mind. A fresh flood of memories…
“You can’t just walk away from this.”
Camille had said the same thing to him. She’d stood in front of him, the wind whipping against her long skirt. Ebony skin. Wide smile. Broad cheekbones…
He couldn’t shut out the
“I took Joseph up the mountains to where his family lives.”
Lived.
The veins in Stephen’s neck pulsed. “I told you to leave it alone. There’s no such thing as Ghost Soldiers.”
“Don’t be so sure.” Natalie watched his face, gauging his reaction. Disbelief? Fear? She wasn’t sure at this point. “They’re real, Stephen, and I have proof.”
Stephen ran his hand across his short black hair. “Natalie, leave it alone. Sometimes you have to overlook things—for the good of everyone.”
“For the good of whom, Stephen? A little girl ripped from the only home she’s ever known? A grandfather killed because he’s not strong enough to work?” Her heart thumped. She wanted to scream at the way everyone tried to bury the problem. “How does that work for the good of everyone?”
“I’ve talked to Patrick—”
“Maybe Patrick cares more about his position as a government official than looking at what’s really happening out there.”
“He assured me they were only rumors—”
“Look at these.” Natalie began dropping the photos one at a time onto her desk in front of him. “Then tell me if you still think the existence of the Ghost Soldiers is nothing more than a rumor.”
NINE
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 11:39 A.M.
KALAMBALI SQUARE, KASILI
Stephen set down his briefcase and moved over to Natalie’s desk, picking the photos up one by one. The familiar pang of guilt wrenched through his gut. There was no denying the story the pictures told—the faces of the victims wouldn’t let him.
For a moment, he was back on one of the street corners of the capital, seventeen years ago, on the eve of another presidential election. All public meetings had been banned. Hospitals were paralyzed as doctors and nurses went on strike. Curfews were imposed and food was virtually nonexistent.
He’d lost Camille that day, and his heart had never completely mended. Maybe if he’d believed her, believed that together they could make a difference in changing this country, things would have turned out differently. He’d prayed every night since then that God would let him relive that one moment over and find out. But God apparently wasn’t in the business of redeeming lost souls. And his was certainly lost.
You’re a coward , Stephen Moyo.
“Stephen?”
At Natalie’s voice he jerked his head up. “What did you say?”
She leaned against the wall cabinet, irritation evident in her gaze.“I said, what do we do now? You have the contacts in the government. We can’t just look away and pretend this didn’t happen.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t want you involved either. I’ve got to think.”
But not here—it felt like the cement walls were closing in on him. Ignoring Natalie’s surprised look, he shoved the photos into his briefcase and walked out.
As he stalked down the hallway, he forced the past away and focused on the present. The question was what was he going to do? He didn’t believe Natalie. He couldn’t. Even the blatant proof he carried couldn’t erase his doubts. Patrick had assured him that there were no grounds to the circulating rumors.
Still, he envisioned the horror on the face of a young girl in the photos. Something was wrong. Very wrong. What would Patrick have to gain in covering up something like this?
Unless he was somehow involved…
Stephen pushed the implications aside and instead threw open his office door.
Natalie was right behind him. “I won’t forget what I saw.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“I mean it, Stephen. You can’t just walk away from this.”
He froze at his desk, letting his briefcase crash to the floor as her words reverberated in his mind. A fresh flood of memories…
“You can’t just walk away from this.”
Camille had said the same thing to him. She’d stood in front of him, the wind whipping against her long skirt. Ebony skin. Wide smile. Broad cheekbones…
He couldn’t shut out the
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