Africa (Complete)

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Despite bracing for impact, Kam was rattled. He had hit his head on the over-sized steering wheel and was in a daze. He looked over at the passenger seat and the soldier was no longer in there. Since he had not been wearing his seat belt, the guard had been launched forward and had crashed through the front windshield. His lifeless body lay to rest on the crumpled hood with his legs sticking through the smashed-out window.

Kam unbuckled his seat belt and exited the vehicle. His head was throbbing as he clutched the side of the Jeep, bracing himself as he walked back to the road. He just needed a place to rest, but knew he would be eaten alive if he were to lay on the forest floor.

It was late and he was exhausted, but his night was far from over. Looking around, he felt a sense of freedom, but also vulnerability. He had no place to call home, no friends, nowhere to go or means of getting there — he was all alone. He was a man without a country, without a home. Everyone he ever cared for had been ripped out of his life abruptly.

He desperately clung to the hope of one day being reunited with Cara, but he knew he had better odds of finding a needle in a jungle. It was a sad realization that he would likely never see her again, but it was the reality he was facing. The only choice to make was which direction he should take — head back the way he had come, or continue west until he reached the shore. He figured he must be at least halfway. He recalled the last time he traveled this road, there were at least two security checkpoints.

In the hazy red glow from the brake lights, he found his way back to the Jeep and removed anything of value from the soldier, including a rifle, a hand gun, knife, and a small flashlight. He then went back to the driver's side and removed the key from the ignition, cutting the power to the vehicle. His surroundings went black immediately. He was careful not to use his flashlight as it would draw unwanted attention to himself. There was a small amount of light coming from the moon, which was enough to guide the way.

During the long and lonesome walk, he had a lot of time to reflect on his next course of action. His best bet was to find a boat and head up the coast. With a little luck he would find a nice civilization that would take him in and offer him food, shelter, security, and companionship. He figured there had to be at least one such community.

Coming around a bend in the road, he heard some talking and saw some lights. The voices didn't sound like the Congolese soldiers, but whoever was out in the middle of nowhere this late at night was likely to cause trouble for him so he had to be cautious.

Running into the trees, Kam hid behind a bush. From where he was, he couldn't quite hear what was being said, so he inched closer. As he took a step, his foot snapped a branch, drawing attention in his direction. He was quite well covered, but even still, he didn't want to engage with anyone. The group grew suspicious and headed over in Kam's direction to investigate the noise. Whether another human or animal, they needed to be sure nothing was stalking them.

They shined their flashlights in his direction and walked closer. There was nowhere to run, and soon, they would discover him hiding. He was running out of time and options. He needed to think quickly.

"Hey!" one of them shouted. "You, right there. I see you. Stand up slowly."