The Greatest Enigma

15. Jeep

Wolfsbane had been wondering how they were going to make the 50 miles to Dagger before nightfall since she realised they had left the bentley at the airport. Obviously they hadn't been able take the car on the cramped, private plane. After breakfast they all headed to a tent on the outer edge of the cirlce. They was a large sheet, the same material as the tents, covering something just inide the circle.

"Drum-roll please!" Paddy cried as he lifted the sheet in one graceful sweep. I guessed he had been hoping for a better reaction as while he paused for ovation, the group started clambering into the open-topped Jeep. They didn't even bother to open the doors.

Paddy just stood there whilst everybody got comfortable.

"What do you want, a medal?" Jack asked sarcastically.

"I deserve one", Paddy muttered, "built it myself".

"It really is very nice" Wolfsbane told him. And it was true. The exterior was a sandy beige for camolflauge and it had big chunky wheels that looked like they could make it over anything.

"And I understand that it is the only one of it's kind in the village. It was very generous of you to let us borrow it" said E.

"You're very welcome" Pappy replied. He spottd Jarvis climbing into the front seat and rushed to stop him.

"Woah. Hey, listen. Some of those sand dunes out there can be pretty rough. Even an experienced driver like me has a bumpy ride. I'd think it would be best if I took the wheel, don't you?". It was a rhetorical question of course but after a few moments of Jarvis staring at him like he was speaking a foreign language (although there were few that Jarvis wasn't fluent in), he spoke.

"No"

"You coming?" E asked Paddy from the passenger seat. Paddy sighed and clambered over the side into the already overflowing back of the Jeep. He didn't open the door in case the taskforce spilt out into the ground. Jarvis put the car into gear and away they went.

It took less than an hour to drive to where Dagger was last seen, with Jarvis rolling along at a constant speed. To Paddy's surprise and annoyment the ride had not been bumpy at all. It had been so smooth that everybody had managed a little nap on the way. Everybody, that is, except Wolfsbane. She didn't want to risk being traumatized right before an important operation such as this. E also stayed awake to keep her company. He never seemed to sleep... So some people had managed a quick power nap and now Wolfsbane helped E and shake them all awake. Fortunatly, Jarvis was still awake and he stayed to look after the car. Wolfsbane was worried about leaving an old man alone in the middle of the African desert with a killer roaming around it who stabbed his own family to death. Despite her concerns, E was fine to leave his oldest friend with a rifle and Wolfsbane with the fact that it had a scope and that Jarvis was an excellent marksman. So, reluctantly, she turned to follow the others, whom Paddy was leading towards a dark speck on the horizon. She squinted against the sun and marched on to meet Dagger Mc.Grin.