we leave. These guns have quite a range.'
Scarface barked something at the man holding Alex. Alex was released. He backed away.
Joe Chandler and Hex lowered their hands and stepped slowly back towards the Jeep. Joe's hand shook for a moment as he reached for the driver's door, but then he steadied it and got in. He was a tough guy but this had shocked him.
Hex climbed into the passenger seat. Amber hopped into the back, keeping her attention fixed on the poachers.
The man with the scar spat some words at her in his rough language. Amber gave him some back in plain English.
Joe gunned the engine and they sped away.
Amber leaned out of the back. Making a support out of her elbows, she kept the flare gun trained on the poachers. Just you try going for a weapon, her feral smile said, and I'll fire. They glowered at her, their faces tight with rage.
Joe hammered the Jeep at full speed. At last Amber decided they were far enough away to be out of range of their machine guns. She turned round and handed the flare gun back to Alex. 'Patrick was right. These do have all sorts of uses.'
Joe was looking at a far point on the horizon. 'I really thought we'd had it then. I've never got that close to them. Amber, you were brilliant.'
'I would have thought they'd stay out of sight,' said Hex. 'Surely they don't want to be caught.'
'Yes, they normally keep well away from us,' said Joe. 'That is, until recently. Lately they've been getting a lot more aggressive. They must have wanted us out of the way so they could pursue those elephants, and they weren't prepared to wait till we left of our own accord. We've got three guests coming this morning. I hope there's no trouble when we take them out.' He sighed; a long, drawn-out sound as though he was trying to bring his pounding heart back to normal. Then he looked at his three passengers. 'Now you've saved my life as well as Tessa's.'
9
FEAR
Something was really wrong with Li, decided Paulo. As they travelled back with Patrick, she talked about the lions, bombarding the ranger with questions. Paulo couldn't get a word in. But he didn't want to - he was too worried about Li. She was talking nineteen to the dozen, as if to stop anyone thinking about what had happened on the ladder. Patrick must have seen Paulo lower her down. Was she scared he might ask about it? Or was she more scared that he, Paulo, might?
Patrick drove the Range Rover up to the front door and braked. 'I'll drop you guys here. I've got to go and see to something in the workshop.'
Li jumped out. Paulo followed. 'Thanks, Patrick,' he said. 'The lions were great.'
'Yeah, thanks,' said Li. 'See you later.'
At one of the upstairs windows, a curtain twitched. 'Is that Tessa's room?' asked Li. 'She'll want to hear about it. Let's go and keep her company.' She strode into the lodge, energetic as always when she had a purpose.
Paulo's eyes narrowed. Was that purpose to run away from him? He caught up with her in the foyer. 'Li,' he said. His eyes were earnest. 'We've got to talk.'
Li stopped. When she replied she was biting her lip. 'Later. Maybe.' She started to move off again.
Paulo skipped in front of her, blocking her way. 'No, Li. It has to be now. What happened out there wasn't just a one-off; it happened in the race and I think it's happened before then, too.'
She looked away from him, as though she couldn't face his searching eyes.
Paulo had to choose his words very carefully. It would be so easy to put too much pressure on her and scare her into denying anything was wrong. But he couldn't let her go on bottling up a problem like this. He put a hand on her arm and squeezed it reassuringly. 'I don't mean to be harsh. But this isn't just your problem. What if my life depended on your skills? Or Alex's life, or Amber's, or Hex's?'
Li stared past him for a moment, then nodded.
She wanted to go somewhere utterly private. Amber was due back soon, so their room wouldn't do. The same went for the boys' room. So they made their way to
Scarface barked something at the man holding Alex. Alex was released. He backed away.
Joe Chandler and Hex lowered their hands and stepped slowly back towards the Jeep. Joe's hand shook for a moment as he reached for the driver's door, but then he steadied it and got in. He was a tough guy but this had shocked him.
Hex climbed into the passenger seat. Amber hopped into the back, keeping her attention fixed on the poachers.
The man with the scar spat some words at her in his rough language. Amber gave him some back in plain English.
Joe gunned the engine and they sped away.
Amber leaned out of the back. Making a support out of her elbows, she kept the flare gun trained on the poachers. Just you try going for a weapon, her feral smile said, and I'll fire. They glowered at her, their faces tight with rage.
Joe hammered the Jeep at full speed. At last Amber decided they were far enough away to be out of range of their machine guns. She turned round and handed the flare gun back to Alex. 'Patrick was right. These do have all sorts of uses.'
Joe was looking at a far point on the horizon. 'I really thought we'd had it then. I've never got that close to them. Amber, you were brilliant.'
'I would have thought they'd stay out of sight,' said Hex. 'Surely they don't want to be caught.'
'Yes, they normally keep well away from us,' said Joe. 'That is, until recently. Lately they've been getting a lot more aggressive. They must have wanted us out of the way so they could pursue those elephants, and they weren't prepared to wait till we left of our own accord. We've got three guests coming this morning. I hope there's no trouble when we take them out.' He sighed; a long, drawn-out sound as though he was trying to bring his pounding heart back to normal. Then he looked at his three passengers. 'Now you've saved my life as well as Tessa's.'
9
FEAR
Something was really wrong with Li, decided Paulo. As they travelled back with Patrick, she talked about the lions, bombarding the ranger with questions. Paulo couldn't get a word in. But he didn't want to - he was too worried about Li. She was talking nineteen to the dozen, as if to stop anyone thinking about what had happened on the ladder. Patrick must have seen Paulo lower her down. Was she scared he might ask about it? Or was she more scared that he, Paulo, might?
Patrick drove the Range Rover up to the front door and braked. 'I'll drop you guys here. I've got to go and see to something in the workshop.'
Li jumped out. Paulo followed. 'Thanks, Patrick,' he said. 'The lions were great.'
'Yeah, thanks,' said Li. 'See you later.'
At one of the upstairs windows, a curtain twitched. 'Is that Tessa's room?' asked Li. 'She'll want to hear about it. Let's go and keep her company.' She strode into the lodge, energetic as always when she had a purpose.
Paulo's eyes narrowed. Was that purpose to run away from him? He caught up with her in the foyer. 'Li,' he said. His eyes were earnest. 'We've got to talk.'
Li stopped. When she replied she was biting her lip. 'Later. Maybe.' She started to move off again.
Paulo skipped in front of her, blocking her way. 'No, Li. It has to be now. What happened out there wasn't just a one-off; it happened in the race and I think it's happened before then, too.'
She looked away from him, as though she couldn't face his searching eyes.
Paulo had to choose his words very carefully. It would be so easy to put too much pressure on her and scare her into denying anything was wrong. But he couldn't let her go on bottling up a problem like this. He put a hand on her arm and squeezed it reassuringly. 'I don't mean to be harsh. But this isn't just your problem. What if my life depended on your skills? Or Alex's life, or Amber's, or Hex's?'
Li stared past him for a moment, then nodded.
She wanted to go somewhere utterly private. Amber was due back soon, so their room wouldn't do. The same went for the boys' room. So they made their way to
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