Jackal's Dance (60 page)

Even if he took offence, the soldier said nothing.

Tully turned to Dan. ‘We saw where you spent last night.'

Gayle leaned forward. ‘Matt? Did you find Matt?'

Standing behind her, Dan shook his head and frowned a suggestion of silence.

But under Gayle's imploring eyes Tully could not bring himself to lie. ‘I'm sorry. There was nothing there.'

Gayle stared at the ground. ‘Oh!' she said in a small voice before turning and raising a trembling hand to Dan.

He sat down beside her and placed an arm around her. ‘Remember what I said? Matt has moved on.'

Gayle nodded, her eyes briefly closed. ‘Poor Matt,' she breathed softly.

One of the two soldiers sent to check on Fletch returned. ‘He's still alive.'

‘Bad?' Tully wanted to know.

‘Not real good, sir. Lung shot. There are a couple of people with him.'

‘Send them back here. You and Sharman stay with him. Do what you can until the choppers get here.'

‘They won't leave him, sir.'

‘Fair enough. Don't pressure them. Either of them need medical attention?'

‘Both, sir, by the looks.'

‘Serious?'

‘Hard to say, sir.'

‘See what you can do, there's a good chap. I'll be along in a minute.'

‘Sir.' The soldier turned and jogged back to the wounded student.

Tully got busy on his radio again, speaking first to the Medi Rescue team, then army headquarters. ‘And let that girl at Okaukuejo know her friends are safe,' he concluded.

‘Girl? What girl?' Angela, Troy and Josie crowded the army officer.

He smiled. ‘Megan Ward. She's safe. It was Megan who raised the alarm.'

‘How did she –'

Tully held up a hand for silence. ‘She can tell you that. Personally, I think it was a case of divine intervention.' The major smiled again as Troy and Angela celebrated with some high fives. Then he addressed everyone. ‘You've got a couple of hours before the choppers arrive. My men will stand guard. I suggest you all get some rest.'

He knew they'd been to hell and back. Surveying the exhausted and soundly asleep group some ten minutes later he had a sense of satisfaction that the mission had been successful, not to mention a profound admiration for them all.

At first light, the choppers landed in a clearing nearby. Fletch and James were stretchered into one. Walter, Jutta, Kalila, Thea and Gayle walked to the
other. Caitlin wanted to go with Fletch but Tully, seeing her obvious distress, said it wouldn't be possible. He didn't like the wounded student's chances. Those left on the ground experienced a strong emotion of separation as the helicopters took off.

Tully received a radio message that Fletch died twelve minutes into the flight. He kept the information to himself. These people didn't need any more bad news. With a sensitivity he was not normally known for, by encouraging them to talk about themselves the major kept everyone's mind away from their ordeal as they waited for the helicopters to return.

Sitting secure within a circle of soldiers, one by one they spoke of their lives. Tully knew these people would have to deal emotionally with the terrible memories. But for now, recalling family, friends, home and lifestyles was the first step towards recovery.

The world's media, by now well over a hundred strong, were waiting for them at the airstrip at Okaukuejo. They were less than impressed when Major Tully, who had joined the remaining hostages in one of the helicopters, refused them access. ‘Give them a break. You'll get your story but right now these people need showers, food and bed rest.' Cameras captured the bedraggled group as they were whisked away in vehicles to the rest camp.

After making sure his charges were secure and comfortable, Tully gave a brief statement to the
media. He carefully avoided any mention of sensitive military matters and refused to be drawn into giving any but the most impersonal details of what the hostages had gone through. Even so, coupled with Buster's information about Megan, it made a story guaranteed to lead the news in every corner of the globe.

Dr Adams, after saying goodbye to Megan when she flew to Windhoek with the injured, found he'd gained ten new patients. Aside from exhaustion, and God knows what they needed psychologically, he pronounced each well enough to get on with their lives. Phone calls to relatives were arranged but everything else was placed on hold. For now, safety, something they'd all taken for granted in the past, was the most precious thing in the world.

The following morning, the press could no longer be denied and a joint interview was set up in the dining room. The question frenzy soon subsided, became positively subdued and finally fell into awed silence as details of the hostages' ordeal became known. In the interest of privacy, mention of rape was not made. If it came out at all it would be up to the individuals concerned.

Later in the day, army vehicles drove everybody to Windhoek where accommodation had been arranged at a luxury hotel. Debriefing took two days. After that, all were finally free to go home.

It was difficult to say goodbye. They'd been through so much together and now this group of one-time strangers was fragmenting again. Keen as
they all were to find normality there was also a reluctance to part.

Friendships had been formed that were too new to be easy and too intense to let go. After the first day of probing questions by army intelligence officers, with each member being debriefed independently of the others, the group came together quite naturally, as if by a prearranged agreement, in a private conference room that had been reserved for them. They were all drained of energy, a combination of delayed action and being forced to relive their experience.

Angela nearly fell into Troy's arms, so pleased was she to be back in his company. He had come to represent a haven, and although the danger was over his strong body and the caring look in his eyes was essential. Troy sensed this. Angela was emotionally fragile and her hostage experience could easily snap the fine thread that held her together. He made sure he kept physical contact with her – a touch on her arm, a squeeze of fingers or his hand lightly on her neck. He was careful to keep all intimacy out of his body language, voice and eyes. She needed a rock. He would give her one.

Dan went to Caitlin and wrapped her in a bear hug. No words were needed. Caitlin cried against his chest. She had liked Fletch and found him attractive. His death was shocking to everyone, coming so close to their ordeal being over. On top of that, Caitlin had come so close to being raped. Her emotions were complicated by this, plus uncertainty over Fletch. Was she grieving for a man she barely knew, for what might have been? Or
were her tears a reaction to his death shared by everyone – sorrow for a young life so callously snuffed out? Caitlin didn't know and she suspected it was this fact that caused her the most pain. Dan's strong, silent hug told her he understood.

Felicity and Philip drew together. She felt frozen, unable to think beyond the fact that she was safe. It was Philip who let go, tears running down his cheeks. Speaking softly, his face averted from all but her, he put into words the terror and rage in him as she had been dragged towards the fire. ‘You were so brave,' he choked. ‘It was then that I realised how vulnerable you really are.'

His words cut through her emotional paralysis. She'd been vulnerable all her life but a sophisticated facade meant that few people realised it. She turned into him. ‘Thank you,' she whispered, her own tears starting. ‘You give me no place to hide.'

Philip's arms went around her. ‘You have no need to hide from me.'

‘I know. Thank you.'

Billy sought out Sean. ‘This may be over, Hudson, but I intend to make sure you never work as a ranger in this country again.'

Sean looked at him. Of them all, Billy was the only one who hadn't sought or given comfort. Perhaps that made him stronger than everyone else. A superman with no human frailties. Perhaps. ‘I feel sorry for you, Billy,' Sean said quietly before moving away.

Josie found herself standing alone. She looked at the others, most of whom had found solace with
someone, and then she noticed Chester standing with his back to the room, staring through the window. Needing company, Josie joined him. ‘That was a bit rough today.'

He turned to her, emotion working his face as he tried to remain calm. ‘It was my fault. Everything that happened. I'm to blame.'

She saw guilt and the strain of it. ‘What do you mean?'

Chester knew it was only a matter of time before his involvement with UNITA became known to the army. If one of the hostages didn't let it slip, Ace would be quick to inform them. He needed to talk to someone and poured his heart out to Josie about the Portuguese pair who stayed at Logans Island Lodge. ‘If only I'd stopped to think,' he said finally. ‘If only I'd had enough sense to realise there was something strange about the questions they asked. All this could have been avoided.'

‘You weren't to know.'

‘I should have,' he burst out. ‘I was with UNITA long enough to recognise their methods.'

‘You were one of them?' Josie was shocked and couldn't hide the fact.

‘I was a soldier, not an animal. I fought other soldiers, never civilians.' Chester rubbed a weary hand over his eyes. ‘Yes, I see your revulsion. I don't blame you for that. I don't expect you to understand, but I believed in the fight for freedom and I thought Jonas Savimbi was the right man for Angola.'

‘Doesn't this make you an enemy of the state or something?'

‘Probably. Depends which way the political wind is blowing. Right now, yes, my involvement with UNITA will be regarded with suspicion.'

‘What if the army finds out?'

‘There's no doubt that they will. Dan and Sean both know. I didn't try to hide it from them. Ace knows too.'

‘They'll arrest you, won't they?'

Chester blew air. ‘More than likely.' He gave a cynical laugh. ‘Funny how things work. Once upon a time UNITA were allies.' He shrugged. ‘Politics,' he said sarcastically. ‘Today's friend is tomorrow's foe. Truth doesn't come into it.'

‘Truth,' Josie said reflectively. ‘I don't know much about Angola but after the past few days I sure as hell don't have any sympathy with UNITA. I hear what you're saying, Chester, but you must hear what I'm saying too. I don't think I want to talk to you any more.' Josie moved away.

Chester turned back to the window. He understood Josie's reaction but he lacked the energy to try to explain the complicated issues that brought Angola to the state it was in today. He would be perceived by the Namibian army as being a potential threat to the security of this country through his UNITA connections. He regarded himself responsible for the entire hostage-taking exercise. Chester glanced around the room. Everyone was occupied, together in small groups. He knew that tonight, or maybe tomorrow, there was every chance he would be arrested.

No-one noticed Chester leave. He wasn't
missed for some time. Even then, they assumed he had gone to his room.

The remaining nine eventually gathered together in one group. Conversation was limited. No-one wanted to be there, yet they all needed each other. It was Josie who pointed out that, of the eighteen taken hostage, only half remained. That's when Chester's absence was noticed. Sean went to the fully stocked bar and offered drinks. Dan suggested they ask for a video machine and a selection of tapes. No-one could be bothered to do anything about it. Food, in the form of a cold buffet, was brought in by waiters. It was picked at. Despite their hunger while the captives of Ace and his men, appetites were not great.

Then Billy took it upon himself to deliver a short castigating lecture about the risks they took in drugging the terrorists. ‘You should have listened to me. I'm the lodge manager, the authority was mine. If you'd listened, that student wouldn't have been killed.'

Surprisingly, it was Angela who stopped him. ‘Shut up, for God's sake. Would you rather more of us were raped?'

‘Don't be ridiculous. All I'm saying is that we should have had a leader to make decisions.'

‘We did,' Angela snapped. ‘Troy was the only one with balls enough to do something. Why don't you just back off?'

Billy took offence and left the room.

‘I'm sorry,' Angela apologised. ‘I couldn't stand listening to him.'

‘No need,' Sean said lightly. ‘Neither could the rest of us.'

Caitlin joined Angela and Troy. ‘Tell me about Fletch,' she said suddenly.

Troy knew him best. Caitlin listened while he told her what he knew of him, her eyes not leaving Troy's face.

‘Thank you,' she said when he fell silent.

The room went quiet again until Josie spoke up. ‘Does anyone mind . . . It's just that, I've never told anyone and I need to. Do you mind?'

Seven pairs of eyes looked towards her. ‘I'm gay,' she blurted. ‘I've known for some years. That's all I wanted to say.'

‘I knew,' Troy said.

Josie stared at him.

‘Doesn't make any difference to me.'

‘Me either,' Angela chimed in. ‘You're gay, I'm scared of men. So what? You are what you are.'

Troy half-expected that Angela would mention her rape, but she didn't. The room fell silent again.

Finally Felicity stood. ‘Sorry folks, I'm tired. See you all tomorrow.'

One by one the others left. Being alone was difficult, but not nearly as hard as being together.

The debriefing continued until midafternoon the next day. Chester's defection was met with surprise by the group and frustration by the army. Neither Dan nor Sean mentioned Chester's previous involvement with UNITA but obviously Ace had and the army wanted to question the African.

Major Tully, who had no part in the intelligence gathering process, when informed of Chester's past simply shrugged. ‘I'm prepared to bet everything I own that he had no part in what happened.' The other officers didn't quite see it that way and a low-key bulletin for Chester's apprehension went out.