Secret Safari (5 page)

EJ looked at the message.

Rafiki walked over to EJ just as EJ's screen flashed and the message appeared.

‘I can help you with the drawings,' said Rafiki. ‘They are Adinkra symbols from West Africa, where I am from originally. If this message was intercepted on the Ivory Coast, whoever sent it would know them well. Each symbol has its own meaning and they are printed onto cloth and often used to tell stories. You can search for the meanings on the Internet.'

EJ took out her phone, keyed in ‘Adinkra symbols' and waited. She soon found a website that showed all the symbols and their meanings.

‘The first one is “
Boaa me na me mmoa wo”
which means “help me and let me help you”. That makes me think that Adriana is working with someone. And the second symbol means “
sankofa”,
meaning “return and get it”.'

‘I've seen that one before,' said Hasi. ‘It is about learning from the past.'

‘That's not Adriana's strength,' said EJ. ‘I think whoever sent the message might be using it in a different way. I think “return and get it” is a clue to how to read the message, a clue on how to get it. We must return, go back.'

‘I'm not following you,' said Hasi.

‘Let's see what happens if I write the rest of the message backwards,' said EJ. ‘I have a code app for that.' EJ keyed in the four lines and the app converted them to backwards writing. EJ looked at her screen hopefully. ‘That's better,' she said, grinning.

‘That confirms our fears that Adriana is hunting wildlife to sell,' said EJ. ‘And now she is being told about more black. In Bwindi.' EJ thought back to the briefing movie she had watched on the plane. ‘Bwindi is home to gorillas, the black gorillas. I'm pretty sure this message is telling her to go to Bwindi and get a baby gorilla. We are not going to let that happen. I need to get to Bwindi,' said EJ.

‘It will take hours to get there by road,' said Rafiki.

‘I was thinking of going by air,' said EJ, fingering her balloon charm.

EJ stood in the pilot basket of a now fully inflated and bright yellow hot air balloon. The hot air balloon was different from an ordinary hot air balloon in that it had both a motor and steering mechanism built in. The balloon would allow EJ to blend in with the tourist safaris that criss-crossed the park but she would be able to steer exactly where she wanted to go and at speed, regardless of what the wind was doing. EJ was excited, it was her first solo flight. SJ, however, looked a little nervous.

‘I wish I was coming with you, EJ,' she said, ‘but I can't leave the rhino.'

‘Don't worry, SJ, I'll be fine,' said EJ. ‘I do missions all the time by myself and you heard A1, I got perfect marks in my flying test and the plan was always for you to stay at SWR where you are needed. Now I need to beat Adriana to the Bwindi Forest and get to the gorillas before she does.'

SJ sighed but then smiled as EJ untied the rope and felt the balloon lift from the ground. She pulled a lever up and the balloon continued to rise upwards. In seconds EJ was floating above the compound huts and seconds later above the acacia trees that ringed it. As she looked down and waved she could make out her mother mouthing, ‘Be careful!'

EJ steered the balloon west and increased the speed. The balloon glided over the savannah and EJ had, literally, a bird's-eye view of all the animals below.

Before long she approached a huge lake. EJ checked her map. ‘That's Lake Victoria,' she said to herself. ‘I'm getting close. The Bwindi Forest is over the other side.'

Almost as soon as EJ had cleared the lake, the landscape changed as the yellows and browns of the grass plains gave way to trees, dark green trees and moss-covered rocks. The flat plains were replaced by ever-steeper hills. It was increasingly difficult for EJ to steer the balloon so she looked for somewhere to land. She saw a break in the trees and set the balloon down and then pressed the recall button. As she fitted the charm back onto her bracelet, she looked up at the densely forested mountain. There were four documented gorilla families in the forest and tourists often hiked up the mountain to watch them. EJ had a map from SWR showing the gorilla families and the hiking tracks most likely to lead to them. EJ began to walk but as she did, she noticed her sandy brown safari gear made her stand out amongst the dark green of the trees.
I need to blend in,
she thought as she once again took a charm from her bracelet, this time the button charm. EJ twisted and a button with a clip on the back appeared.

Well, that won't do much good,
she thought, looking at the button. As she turned it over she noticed a small camera in the button and some tiny writing.

EJ followed the instructions and heard a whirring noise and then a click from the button and then watched in delight as her shirt changed to the dark green of the forest. She was camouflaged and would be able to move through the trees without being seen.

She began her walk up the mountain, the path becoming steeper and muddier the further she went. EJ checked the dial on the side of her
SHINE
-issue boots and selected ‘mud-slide suction'. Now her boots gripped through the mud and stopped EJ from slipping down the hill. She climbed on, often grabbing bamboo branches to keep her balance. The higher she climbed, the thinner the air became and EJ had to stop to get her breath. Everywhere she looked was lush, green leaves, vines entangled around moss-covered branches and giant drooping flowers. The foliage was thick and dense and it was impossible to see more than a few metres ahead. And then, quite suddenly, she came to a clearing in the trees with large, flat rocks dotted around as if they had been dropped from the sky and flattened on their way down. The air was even thinner now and it was getting even more difficult to breathe but on those rocks EJ saw something that took her breath away altogether.

In front of EJ was a large, black and hairy face with big, dark brown eyes, spaced quite widely apart and a large, flattened nose, its wide, open nostrils dropping down to a big mouth with thick black lips. And, all around, shaping the smooth grey skin of its face were long, black hairs. But it was the eyes fixed on her that EJ couldn't stop looking at. She slowly stepped back, keeping low; she wanted the gorilla to know she was a friend, that she wouldn't hurt it. If it did think she was a threat, EJ would be in trouble. She would be no match for this huge beast with its black barrel of a chest and thick hairy arms and legs. But it didn't look like it wanted to hurt anyone, none of them did. They were like gentle giants. They sat in the grass, picking things from each other's fur, scratching themselves, scratching each other, chewing on bamboo sticks. EJ felt incredibly lucky to be so close and watching them but she remembered Rafiki's advice to keep her distance from any wild animal. She would be no match for an angry gorilla.

The map from the refuge said there were ten gorillas in this family and that was the number EJ counted, which meant that this family, at least, were all safe. She slipped silently back from the clearing and hiked on in search of the next family. Maybe she had got here before Adriana? Maybe all the gorillas would be safe?

EJ checked her map. There was supposed to be another, smaller family, with just four adults and a baby, close by. EJ would check on them next. She was trudging along the path, pushing past the vines and branches, when she heard something.

 

phtt

 

What was that? It sounded like something whizzing, flying through the air. And then EJ heard another, heavier noise.

 

THUD

 

It was the sound of something big falling. EJ stopped in her tracks.

 

phtt! phtt!
THUD. THUD.

 

There it was again, and again. EJ ducked down. She began to crawl slowly and quietly forwards. Then she heard the sounds a fourth time.

 

phtt!
THUD
.

 

EJ froze. Then she lifted her head. She was approaching another small clearing with more large rocks and grassy mounds, just like where the gorilla family had been resting. EJ moved slowly up to get a better view into the clearing. She now saw four large gorillas lying down in the grass. EJ felt her mouth go dry. Was she too late? EJ stood up and took a cautious step into the clearing towards the gorillas. And then she took another. As she took her third step, she heard a familiar voice.

‘That's far enough, EJ12. I should have known my sister would send her pint-sized animal protector. Well, too bad, this baby's mine.'

It was Adriana. The short, rather large woman, dressed all in black, with a black pendant hanging from a long chain around her neck, stepped out from behind the sleeping gorillas. With her black hair swept up in the same messy hairstyle, Adriana was unmistakeably A1's sister. They both shared the same nose and mouth but whereas A1's eyes were blue and kind, Adriana's were almost black and mean. And whereas A1's fingernails were sensibly short and unpolished, Adriana's were long and painted, some with black and white stripes, some yellow with black spots. She was holding a baby gorilla in one hand with what looked like a rifle in the other.

‘Are you admiring my safari nails, EJ?' said Adriana. ‘Or my latest catch?'

‘Hello, Adriana,' said EJ. She was determined to appear calm, even though she could feel the butterflies starting to fly around her stomach and her mouth beginning to dry. ‘I see you're feeling better. A1 was sorry you didn't say goodbye before you left.'

‘Very funny, EJ,' snapped Adriana. ‘But I can't say I completely regret my time at
SHINE
. If I hadn't been kept there I wouldn't have heard about the cream and SWR.'

‘The cream?' asked EJ.

‘Yes, the silly cream that makes animals feel better faster. It made me think that if other people were hunting the animals, particularly all those lovely black animals, perhaps I should too. You know how I like black, EJ, don't you? I never realised there was so much money to be made from smelly, mangy animals. So I planned my own SWR. Why should A1 have all the fun?'

‘What have you done to the gorillas?' said EJ. ‘Have you killed them?' The butterflies were like jet planes in her stomach but now she was also getting angry.
What makes Adriana think she can do what she wants with these beautiful animals?

‘No, just shot them with sleeping darts,' replied Adriana. ‘They were irritating me. It seems they didn't want me to take their baby.'

‘And you can't take it!' cried EJ, stepping towards Adriana.

‘That's far enough! Of course I can,' snapped Adriana. ‘There are people who will pay an awful lot of money for a baby gorilla. So there are awful people like me who will supply them. Ha ha! That's what SWR does.'

‘What do the initials stand for?'

‘Goodness, you are getting slower and slower, EJ. It seems anyone can win Shining Star of the Year these days. It's obvious, really. SWR stands for
SHADOW
Wildlife Retail. But I haven't got time for this, I have a lot more on my list and you're starting to bore me. Sending me to sleep nearly …There's an idea …'

Adriana looked straight at EJ and smiled a thin, mean smile. EJ gulped as she watched Adriana raise her dart gun and aim it at her.

‘You'll never get away with this,' cried EJ.

‘Really? Oh, dear, when will my sister learn not to send a girl to do a woman's job. Nighty-night, EJ zero.' And with that, Adriana shot a dart that hit EJ in the leg.

‘Adriana, you can't …' began EJ. But then she felt incredibly drowsy and her legs went from underneath her. The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was Adriana's mean cackle of a laugh.