Safari To Slaughter{On Hold. }

Chapter 7

Garry sat down.  He now regretted laying Toni an hour ago. He felt a little deleted and he has an idea that this fat little man wouldn't  have much time for depleted applicants for the job he was offering.  Garry sat upright and tried to look intelligent.

Shalik sucked in a rich smelling smoke and allowed it to drift from his mouth like the smoke from a small,  but active volcano.   He picked up a sheet of paper which Garry recognized as his letter of application  and he studied it for several moments,  then he tore it up and dropped it into a hidden wastepaper basket.

"You are a helicopter pilot,  Mr.  Edwards? ".

"That's correct.  I saw your ad and I thought..... "

The chubby hand lifted,  cutting Garry off.

"This nonsense you have written about yourself..... at least, it proves you have imagination".

Garry stiffened.

"I don't get that.  What do you mean? "

Shalik touched off his cigar ash into a gold bowl at his elbow.

"I found your lies amusing,  I have had you investigated.  You are Garry Edwards,  aged 24, and you were born in Ohio,  USA.  Your father ran a reasonably successful service station.  When you were sufficiently educated,  you worked with your father and you came to know about motor cars.  You and your father didn't get along,  probably fault from both sides but that us of no interest to me.  You had opportunities to fly: you took it.  You were arrested,  your co-pilot managed to sell your plane and banked the money for you to have when you came out of the French prison after serving a three year sentence.  You were deported from France and you are here".

Shalik stubbed out his cigar and looked at Garry.
"Would you say my information is correct? "

Garry laughed.

"Dead on the nail".  He got to his feet.  "Well,  it was a try.  I won't take up any more of  your time"

Shalik waved him back to the chair.

"Sit down.  I think you are the man i am looking for.  You can satisfy me that you have a pilot's license and that you can handle a helicopter?"

"Of course" Garry returned and mugged out a plastic folder which he had brought along and laid it on a desk.  Then he sat down again.

Shalik examined the papers which the folder contained.  He took his time,  then returned the folder.

"Satisfactory. Mr Edwards am i right to think that you will be able to handle a job that is not entirely honest as long as money is right? "

Garry smiled.

"I'd like that qualified. What do you mean.... not entirely honest?"

"Difficult,  unethical work that does not involve the police in any way,  but pays handsomely. "

"Can you make it clearer than that? "

"I am offering three thousand dollars a week for a three-week assignment.  At the end of the assignment you will be nine thousand dollars better off. There are certain risks,  but I can promise you the police wont come into it. "

Garry sat upright. Nine thousand dollars!

"What are the risks? "

"Opposition. But life is made up of opposition,  isn't it,  Mr. Edwards? "

"Just what do I have to do to earn this money? "

"That will be explained to you tonight.  You will not be alone.  The risks and responsibilities will be shared.  What I want to know now is if you are willing to do three weeks work for nine thousand dollars"

Garry didn't hesitate.

"Yes...... I am"

Shalik nodded.

"Good.  Then you will come here at 21:00 hrs tonight when I will introduce you to the other members of the team and I will explain the operation".  The chubby hand made a slight signal of dismissal.

Garry got up to his feet and left the room.

The girl at the desk got up and opened the door for him.  He didn't bother to smile at her,  his mind was too preoccupied.  Nine thousand dollars!  Wow!!

The girl watched him enter the lift and them returned to her desk.  She sat for some moments listening. Then gearing nothing from the inner room,  she softly opened a drawer in her desk and turned off a small tape-recorder whose spools where conveying tape through the recording head.

Hey guys 👋 👋 👋
I'm back,  I know you must hate me😪😪
I have been super busy I haven't been updating but I  hope you like this chapter tho.
I love y'all ❤️ ❤️ ❤️
Thanks for reading and commenting on my book it means alot to me.....
Till next time 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗
Niella_xx  out😘