Chapter 2
CHAPTER 2
T he walky-talky in the clinic crackled and Robert’s staticky voice could be heard over the soft whir of the ceiling fan. “Come in, Lexi? Are you there?”
“I’m here, Robert.” She picked up the device and held it to her ear. There was no cellular reception in the jungle, so the rangers, carers and other staff relied on two-way radio handsets to communicate.
“I’ve sent Hawk and his crew down to you, but there’s been an incident in the field that requires your immediate attention.”
“What’s happened?” Her heart jumped as it always did when there was an incident involving the gorillas. Field interventions were almost always conducted by the field veterinarian, Noah, and his team, as they required hiking out to far-flung sections of the park, sometimes near the outer borders. It could be a day’s hike to get to the injured gorilla, then they had to treat it, which often required anesthetics, and a certain degree of monitoring afterwards, and only once that was done could they make their way back to the center.
“The adult female mountain gorilla in Bongi’s clan has an injury. One of the rangers reported her limping and trailing behind the rest of the family. It could be a snare wound.”
She cringed at the thought of the animal suffering.
Those damn poachers!
“Where’s Noah?” she asked. The field veterinarian had more experience than her at handling interventions, and being local, as well as a man, he was less vulnerable than she was. It sucked, but that was the reality out here.
“His father passed away last week so he’s gone to his mother’s village to attend the funeral.”
“Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t aware.” Poor Noah. Her heart went out to him. He was a man of few words, but an excellent vet. His loyalty lay with the endangered mountain gorillas he treated. He hardly ever came into the sanctuary, preferring to sleep in the wild or in make-shift shelters with his beloved animals.
She took a fortifying breath. “So what do I need to do?”
The last field operation she had attended was three months ago, and she’d only assisted Noah then. This time, she’d have sole responsibility. Gulping, she tried to keep her nerves in check.
“Luckily, it’s not too far away,” Robert was saying. “Bongi and his family were reportedly ranging near the Elila River estuary, twenty miles south of here. You can take the Jeep for the first fifteen—after that you’ll be on foot. We have rangers operating in that area, so you shouldn’t encounter any resistance.”
Thankfully, there was a dirt track that ran south. There were no major transport links through the jungle, but Robert had tried to clear a small network of tracks to different sectors of the park, mostly to enable the rangers and medics to get to the gorillas quickly in just such an emergency. Unfortunately the rebels had cottoned on to this and also used them as short cuts. Part of the rangers’ duty was to prevent this from happening.
“I’m going to need a field team,” she said, thinking ahead. “One of the rangers for close protection and to dart the mother, and an assistant to help with the procedure once she’s sedated.” She wasn’t taking any chances with the rebels or with the injured gorilla. An adult female, particularly one in pain, could be extremely volatile.
Robert didn’t argue. He knew the drill. “Edmond can accompany you. He’s on his way down with Hawk and the crew. Get one of the carers with medical experience to assist you.” He hesitated, then said, “It might be a good idea to take Hawk with you. Give him a first-hand account of the work we do in the field.”
Shit. Really? Like she wasn’t nervous enough without that judgmental idiot looking over her shoulder. Still, she supposed she could see it from Robert’s point of view. Their new benefactor was coughing up a hell of a lot of money for the sanctuary. He deserved to know what it was being used for.
“Sure, Robert. I’ll let him know he can tag along.” Maybe he wouldn’t want to? Then she gave a derogatory sniff. Who was she kidding? He wouldn’t miss an opportunity to take a peek at the land and all those lucrative natural resources.
Suddenly, there were a hundred things to do. Lexi asked Patrick, one of the other resident vets, to send her a junior who could assist with the treatment. Patrick was in charge when she was away, so he had to remain at the sanctuary.
Next, she dashed to her room to change. Denim shorts were not conducive to jungle treks, unless she wanted her legs ripped to pieces. She checked her hair, wiped a dirty smudge off her face, and exchanged her surgical shirt for a lightweight rain jacket. It would help keep the mosquitos at bay, as well as keep her relatively dry in the likely chance of a sudden downpour.
Back in the clinic, she packed the medical kit, including animal tranquilizers from the locked office cupboard, along with the dart gun.
“Hello?” Hawk’s deep voice rattled from the front entrance. He rapped on the door as if to confirm his presence. “You ready for us?”
Lexi emerged from her little office, backpack slung over one shoulder. “There’s been a change of plan,” she told him, watching his eyebrows shoot up. “There’s a field emergency I have to attend to. One of the mountain gorillas has been injured. I’m sorry but we have to postpone your tour of the clinic.”
Hawk didn’t miss a beat. “Sure. Your work has got to take priority.”
Beside him, Jeremy breathed a sigh of relief.
“You’re welcome to tag along,” she offered, gritting her teeth.
Please say no .
“That’s okay.” Jeremy balked at the prospect. “We don’t want to get in the way.”
She smiled, genuinely this time. “It’s probably for the b?—”
That deep, gravelly voice. “I’d love to come along, if you have space.”
Ugh.
“You sure? It’s a hike.”
“Wouldn’t miss it.”
Damnit.
“Fine. You can keep watch while we perform the intervention.”
“Keep watch for what?” Jasper’s cheeks had turned bright pink from the humidity.
Lexi kept her voice even. “When we treat a member of a gorilla family, the head of the clan can sometimes act aggressively. They’re very protective creatures. If he goes into a charge, we want to be sure we know he’s coming.”
Jasper glanced at his boss. “Are you sure this is a good idea, Hawk?”
Lexi was enjoying herself now. “There are also the rebels that we have to watch out for. Sometimes they trespass on sanctuary land and use the roads to cut through the park. They can be a dangerous, unpredictable bunch.”
Jasper shook his head. “Hawk, I strongly feel you should rethink this.”
Annoyingly, his boss didn’t so much as flinch. “I’ll be perfectly alright, Jasper. It’s a great opportunity to see what my money is going towards.” He turned toward Lexi. “This is what you do, right? This is it—the real deal.”
“Yep.” Lexi gave a curt nod. “The real deal.”
Jasper threw up his hands. “Fine, don’t listen to me.”
Hawk patted him on the back. “Your concern is noted.”
Lexi wondered at their relationship. Jasper seemed more of a friend than a PR Manager, but it was clear Hawk did exactly what he pleased, regardless of his friend’s advice.
The task ahead was strenuous and risky. How would the pampered businessman fare? Hopefully, Hawk would get that kick up the butt sooner than she’d anticipated.
A short time later, one of the park’s all-terrain Jeeps rolled to a stop in front of the clinic. Hawk was waiting outside, but Jeremy had disappeared, along with the rest of the crew, who’d gone on a scouting mission with Robert.
The driver’s name was Edmond, one of the courageous park rangers who saw off poachers and rebels on a daily basis. He was a tough ex-soldier in his early thirties and had been working at Usala ever since she’d been here.
“Habari, Edmond.” Lexi greeted him in Swahili, his native tongue. It was one of the few words she’d learned, but in this region, almost everybody spoke it. Most locals were fluent in French, too, but she wasn’t any better at that.
Edmond gave her a friendly nod, then eyed the newcomer. “This is Hawk Anderson,” she said by way of introduction. “He’s a benefactor,” she added, unsure whether the ranger would know what that was in English.
“Bienfaiteur,’ Hawk said in perfect French. “Comment allez-vous?”
Lexi arched an eyebrow. The man could speak French. She was even more surprised when Edmond replied. He didn’t usually talk a lot, even to his fellow rangers.
Where had he learned that?
Going back into the clinic, she picked up the two medical backpacks. She hadn’t gotten farther than the porch, when Hawk lifted them off her shoulders.
“Thanks,” she said, her entire body tingling at the sudden connection. Out here, she’d gotten used to pulling her own weight and didn’t need the help, but the bags were heavy, so she wasn’t totally ungrateful for his assistance.
Hawk handed the bags to Edmond who secured them in the back of the vehicle. The ranger had come prepared, and wore a tactical vest, pouches brimming with spare magazines and a compact radio.
Her assistant, a junior field veterinarian called Philipe, hurried out, carrying a folded-up gurney and the rifle. These went in the back too.
Lexi nodded to Hawk. “Time to go.”
She got into the front passenger seat beside Edmond, who was driving. Hawk, much to her dismay, sat directly behind her, alongside Philipe. It was probably her imagination, but she could feel him staring at the back of her head as they set off along the muddy dirt track.
The frequent rainfall and brutal humidity had pockmarked the ground, and the Jeep danced over potholes and cracks like it was on springs. Lexi knew to hold on, acutely aware of Hawk bouncing around directly behind her.
“Do you go out in the field often?” he yelled, over the roar of the engine.
Lexi half-turned in her seat. “Not really. Noah, our in-field vet, usually does these interventions, but he’s unavailable.”
“So your job is mainly in the clinic on the base?”
“That’s right.” She frowned, swinging back again. Did he have a problem with that? She might not have a lot of field experience, but she was a qualified veterinarian from one of the best colleges in New York state. Lexi braced herself as they went flying over some exposed roots. There’d been no question that she’d go to college, although her parent’s had been startled at her subject choice.
“I’m not paying a goddamn fortune so you can work on a farm,” her father had complained when she’d announced it.
Luckily, her mother had intervened. “It’s unique, dear. It’ll make her more interesting, and there’s a lot of money in ranching. She might be able to find a husband that way.”
As it turned out, Charles was the furthest thing from a rancher, unfortunately. He was a politician with grand aspirations. She was just a means to an end for him. Her father was his way in. He’d never loved her, despite what he’d said. She just hadn’t seen it.
Lexi shook her head at the memory. She saw it now, though. Crystal clear.
Thankfully, Hawk fell silent after that, because it was impossible to hear anything over the metallic whine of the engine. Leaves the size of frying pans slapped into the sides of the vehicle and low-lying branches scraped across the roof. The Jeep creaked and groaned but kept going at a steady pace.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity but was just shy of forty-five minutes, Edmond slowed to a halt and killed the engine. After the roar, the sudden silence was deafening. Lexi let her ears adjust to the rhythm of the jungle—the chirrup of insects, the rustling of leaves, and the occasional bird song.
“Are we there?” Hawk leaned forward to peer through the windshield. Ahead was an impenetrable wall of dense foliage.
“No, but we’ve run out of road. It’s on foot from here.”
Climbing out, she went around to the back and opened the door. Grabbing a medical backpack, she hauled it onto her back, while Philipe took the other, and picked up the gurney. “I’ll take that,” Hawk offered.
At his surprised look, Hawk added, “I’m not carrying anything.”
Lexi masked a grin. Fine. Let him struggle with that. The jungle was hard enough to trek through without having your hands full.
She turned to Edmond, who had removed a semi-automatic rifle from behind his seat and slung it over his shoulder. “Ready?”
He nodded, securing the dart gun into a side compartment of his well-worn pack, the tranquilizer darts nestled beside it.
“Is that an SA58?” Hawk asked, studying the weapon on his back.
Lexi frowned. He knew guns? The smooth-talking, corporate New Yorker looked like the last person on earth to know weapons.
Edmond patted the stock of the rifle and replied in French, words she didn’t understand. Hawk nodded, and pursed his lips, clearly impressed
Lexi narrowed her gaze, their mysterious benefactor was full of surprises.
“Let’s go.” She glanced at the gathering clouds. It looked like rain. Not surprising out here, where it rained most afternoons. Sudden, drenching downpours that didn’t last long but often took you by surprise. She’d gotten used to them now, along with the humidity and the bugs.
Edmond gave a gruff nod and set off down a barely discernable track that led deeper into the jungle. Lexi followed, keeping a sharp eye out for hostiles—both human and animal. The foliage clawed at her legs, and she was glad for the cargo pants. The first time she’d done this, she’d been cut to shreds.
Hawk followed behind her, carrying the gurney, while Philipe brought up the rear.
They weren’t even ten minutes into their walk when a loud, booming explosion overhead made them halt.
“Was that thunder?” Hawk asked, incredulous. He looked upwards, surveying the darkening sky.
“Yeah.”
Everything out here was louder, bigger, or more extreme than anywhere else. The jungle seemed to pause, as if drawing a breath.
Any moment now.
Lexi pulled up the hood of her rain jacket and seconds later, the heavens opened.