Africa (Complete)

Chapter Nine

As usual, Bill awoke before everyone else. He was in the control room at the helm, attempting to get any kind of update he could.

"Looks like another meteor shower occurred last night," Charlie said. "It may have taken out our satellite systems. We no longer have internet, so we're sailing blind over here as well."

"If this communication line is still working, I suspect we are pretty close to each other," Bill said. "Who knows for how long though."

"If I lose you, it was nice chatting with you, Bill," Charlie said.

"You have been a tremendous help," Bill replied. "In more ways than one. So, thank you, Charlie."

"Same to you."

Kam entered the cabin and asked for an update.

"Looks like the satellites are out. Our guy Charlie no longer has internet, but he said last he checked — Colorado was quickly vanishing."

"What about Africa?"

"It's still there, but losing ground quickly as well. He said the Democratic Republic of the Congo is a safe bet due to its high mountains and rich bio diversity."

"The Congo?" Kam repeated with reservation. "Look, Bill. We obviously don't know what the situation will be once we arrive, so we should probably come up with a game plan."

"Like you said, it's really impossible to know until we get there."

"In a worst case scenario, do you have any means of protection on this boat?" Kam asked.

"Like weapons?"

"Yeah."

"I have one handgun with a couple boxes of bullets, as well as a rifle. I also have a machete, a diver's knife, and some steak knives."

"How many bullets do you have for the rifle?"

"Couple boxes — each box has fifty bullets."

"So that's one hundred rounds for each gun."

"Last I checked, why?"

"I think we each should fire off some rounds, just to get comfortable with the guns, Nancy too."

"That's not a bad idea," Bill thought intently.

"Hopefully we will never have to use them, but just in case, you know? I don't want to be unprepared."

"Right."

"Also, what do you know about the Congo — climate, terrain, people, food sources... anything you can think of," Kam asked.

"I couldn't tell you much other than they have dense rain forest, they have gorillas, and it's where the second largest river in the world is located."

"What's it called?"

"Congo River."

"Makes sense," Kam said. "Okay, so to give ourselves the upper-hand, we may want to ditch the boat at some point near the coast, and then swim the rest of the way."

"We're not all Olympic champion swimmers," Bill replied.

"I brought three sets of dive gear, remember?" Kam said. "We can pack up everything we need, dive at night, and then disappear into the jungle. We have weapons, a little bit of food and supplies, binoculars, first aid... We can observe from a distance and ensure we're not walking into a trap."

Bill looked at Kam, but didn't reply right away. He was processing the plan. Eventually, he nodded in agreement.

"We should also think of all the potential scenarios we may encounter, and come up with a strategy for each."

"Wow, you're really treating this like an Olympic competition."

"Of course, I'm all about five Ps — Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance."

"That's a good motto."

"I'm going to be honest with you, Bill — I'm scared. I don't know what the future will hold and I'm afraid the best days of our lives are behind us. There may even be a time when we look back and cherish being on this boat. This may be much better than what's waiting for us."

"That is a very pessimistic, but understandable, way of thinking. I assure you, for all the fear and anxiety you're feeling, Nancy and I are feeling even worse. You are young, athletic, of African descent... and you only have to care for yourself."

"That's not true. I have you two. Like you said, we're family now."

Once Nancy woke up, they gathered on the back deck with two guns and a handful of ammunition.

"Has either one of you shot a gun before?" Bill asked.

Both Nancy and Kam shook their heads.

"Okay, let me show you how to load it."

Bill picked up the handgun first, showed them how to release the clip and how to load bullets into the magazine cartridge.

"It takes twelve bullets, so if you ever have to fire at something or someone, it's a good idea to count how many shots you've fired. That way, you know how many bullets you have left. When you need to reload, the magazine slides out, you can swap it with a full clip, and slide it back in. Did you hear that — it clicks into place."

"Now, some basics about gun safety," Bill continued. "First, always treat your firearms as if it is loaded. That means, never point it at anyone you do not intend to shoot. Finger off the trigger and outside the guard until you are ready to fire. Be mindful of your surroundings. Know your target, your line of fire, and what lies beyond your target. You don't want any bullets to miss your target and hit some unintended target. Who wants to go first?"

"I'll go," Nancy said.

She approached Bill from behind and he gently placed the gun in her hand. "It's heavier than I thought," she said.

"That's it," Bill said, coaching her the whole way. "Keep your trigger arm rigid, but with a slight bend in the elbow to account for recoil. Your other hand is placed underneath to support. Hold it up at eye level and look down the barrel to aim. When you're ready, place your finger on the trigger, let out a deep breath, and firmly squeeze the trigger."

Bill and Kam stood back and covered their ears. Nancy took her time and squeezed off one round. The bullet blasted out of the barrel and the gun slightly kicked back. Nancy looked at Bill with a huge smile on her face.

"That was fun!" she said with delight. "Can I do it again?"

"Yes, go ahead."

Nancy let off three more rounds, this time in succession.

"That was so much fun," she gleamed.

"You're a natural," Bill said, taking the gun from her.

"How did it feel?" Kam asked with a smile.

"I felt a rush of adrenaline. Like, I had so much power. We should have done this before."