Army of Sin - Season 3 - Africa and Her Secrets

Episode IX - Tigress In A Business Suit

Location: 20,000 feet and descending...

Odinga's eyes were open before the hand of the air hostess could make contact with her shoulder, "Yes?" She asked in heavily accented English.

"Pardon me, Madam but I need you to fasten your seatbelt for the descent," the hostess replied, using her professional smile to smother her initial look of surprise.

"Okay. Miss, a word of advice, do not attempt to wake the others by touch."

"Thank you," the hostess replied.

"Stay away from the tall one, it is said he can get you pregnant with just a look," Odinga added with a wink that drew a giggle from the other woman.

Looking through the window, she looked at the carpet of lights that drew closer as the plane descended.

As the ambassadors of the San village, Odinga and the four other warriors were no strangers to flying, but this transit via private jet was definitely a first to them. The comfort was certainly not lost on her, yet she already knew purchasing a jet for her own would be impractical. The San were not flaunters of modern technology but guardians of ancient history. Fastening her seatbelt as the hostess had instructed, the lone female warrior took a look around at the grim faces of her brethren occupying the cabin. There was no fear or excitement but a look of determination to accomplish the task at hand before returning to the warm embrace of Africa.

They had flown in the previous night and conducted their own recon of the building they would be entering; looking for weak points of the large corporate compound dwarfed by the an even larger processing plant that stood behind. Now, on the rare chance that the meeting turned violent, contingency plans were already in place to extract the team and usher them safely out of the country. Nodding at the faces that looked back at her, Odinga's teeth jarred as the plane made its first contact with the runway before smoothing out to taxi over to the private hangar and the pearl white luxurious sedan that stood awaiting their arrival.

"Thank you for flying with us, welcome to London," the stewardess Amelia announced above the hiss of the door opening to grant them exit.

"Thank you," Odinga replied before sliding her arms into the sleeves of her black business jacket.

They were dressed in similar black jackets with white cotton shirts worn below; the image of all five of them imposing as they came to their feet in unison. Taking their exit from the plane, they each passed Camille, the other hostess at the door, returning her bid of farewell. Only one of them lingered near the door - the tallest of the warriors, Amari as he paused at the top of the stairs leading out into the chilly London night. The warrior looked at her from head to toe, flaring his nostrils slightly as if he could smell curiosity wafting from her pores. His eyes trailed the blush of red that stole up her neck as her eyes darted across his face to zero in on his full lips.

"Amari, behave!" Odinga called out in their mother tongue.

"Bye," the only word Amari uttered as he obeyed the order.

"Goodbye sir," Camille choked out, eyes trailing that tall muscular frame that went to join the four others waiting for him at the base of the steps.            

➖➖➖

The convoy of the two pearl white sedans passed quietly as the others sat in silence. They had eaten none of the meals offered nor had they drunk, their only source of nutrition being the small nut of flavoured tobacco the herders of the village produced. Ever so often, one of them would shift the flavoured mass to another side of his mouth. The vehicles rolled to a stop outside a tall building that glittered like a sapphire. Slipping the button into place, Odinga stepped free of the rolling death cage to take a deep breath of the crisp night air. Perfect time for a hunt, she thought to herself.