CHAPTER 7 #2
Once Falcon and she have done their thing, they clamber down from the back of the truck.
I’m there to help her down. She’s still smiling from ear to ear.
“Did you see that, Skinny? How awesome was that? And wow, Jaq,” she turns to look for her, finding her standing in the shade of a tree drinking a bottle of water.
“Jaq, can I just say wow, the way you fly is amazing.”
Jaq laughs softly and replies to Josie’s exuberant statement, “Thanks, Josie, I love what I do.”
Taking hold of Josie’s hand, I walk us over to where Jaq is standing and grab a bottle of water from the cooler box and tell her, “I’m glad you’re having a good time, baby. Come on, let’s get something to drink and find out what’s going to happen next.”
It’s only just gone nine in the morning, but it’s hot as Hades, and the sweat is running down my face.
Opening the water, I hand the bottle to Josie before grabbing one for myself and downing it while I watch Anton talking to the driver of one of the trucks.
Before long, the trucks are moving out along with the other vehicles that had carried all the helpers.
The silence that followed their exodus was peaceful, and slowly the noise of the bush started coming back with the sound of insects buzzing, baboons barking at each other, and in the distance the sound of a fish eagle’s cry.
“If I haven’t said it before, I’m so glad you moved us here,” Josie whispers as she leans against me.
Lifting my arm, I wrap it around her shoulders and press my lips to her head.
I’m happy to know that she loves living here as much as I do.
That’s not to say that some days I don’t miss the UK because I do, but those days are few and far between.
“Okay, are you ready for the next one?” Falcon asks as he walks up to us and takes the bottle of water that Jaq holds out to him.
“Anton and Luca are going to follow on by car, but they won’t make it in time to start the next one, so Dex and Zane are waiting for us at that one and then Joel and Duke are at the next one. ”
“We’re ready,” I tell him, finishing off my water. Holding out my hand to Anton and then Luca, I tell them, “Thank you for today and for stocking our reserve.”
“No problem, brother. We’re happy to help. It’s good that they’ll be going to a reserve that will care for them.”
We say our goodbyes and climb back into the chopper. “I’m going to have to fill up at the next one,” Jaq tells Falcon, who nods. “No problems, love, Dex has that covered.”
It doesn’t take long for us to arrive at the next site, and it’s the same ritual as this morning.
The Sanctuary guys are well- organised and work like machines.
They send off the last trucks just as the sun sets.
It would be late by the time they made it home, but I know that Bull and the others know and are ready and will be expecting the late arrival.
It was only us and the last of the rangers and volunteers left now that the trucks had driven off.
We were deciding what to do because the chopper had not run as smoothly this time, and Jaq didn’t want to chance flying us back home.
“We can take them home,” Shadrack, the man in charge of the trainees, says to Falcon.
Falcon looks over at Josie and me, “Are you both okay with that? We can get you home in the morning, but it’s a four-hour drive back to ours, or you can go with Shadrack and be home in three. It’s up to you.”
Josie and I share a look. I know she wants to get home so that she can get right to work on the new animals that we’ve just moved. “We’ll take Shadrack up on his offer. We’d like to get home tonight if we can.”
“Okay,” Falcon nods. “Thanks, Shadrack, and thanks for all your help today.”
“It was good training for the new park rangers. If you do this again, I’d like to bring a few others,” Shadrack replies, shaking Falcon’s hand. Saying our goodbyes, we get in the front of Shadrack’s vehicle, and the recruits pile in the back, laughing and chatting.
I hadn’t realised how far into the bush we were until we started the drive out.
It was pitch black out and the road was horrendous.
Not only was the road full of potholes, but in places, it was almost completely washed away, leaving me wondering how the trucks managed to get in and out.
But it seemed like they did, because we were an hour into our trip and had yet to see another soul.
It was a hot, stuffy night. We were driving with the windows open as this vehicle didn’t have any air conditioning.
It was like we were the only people left on the planet—with how quiet it was, and if it wasn’t for the flashes of eyes we saw whenever the headlights from our vehicle hit them, you wouldn’t know how much wildlife there was out there in the bush.
As we drive, Shadrack points them out to us and slows down so that we can have a look.
“You’re good at this,” Josie remarks.
“I’d love to be a guide,” he answers.
“You’d be a great one,” I tell him. “You’re very knowledgeable.”
He laughs, “I’ve lived in the bush most of my life; in fact, I grew up on the Sanctuary properties. It’s why Falcon knew to contact me. One day I’ll move back, but for now, I’m good where I am.”
“Well, if you ever decide to give it up, get in contact with us and we’ll see what we can do,” I tell him.
“Thank you, I’ll keep that in mind,” he assures me.
Josie is starting to nod next to me, and lifting my arm, I wrap it around her shoulders so that her head is cushioned by my chest. It doesn’t take her long, and she’s asleep.
It was always the same when we got in a car of any kind, it lulled her to sleep quickly.
I feel safe enough on the back roads to remove my seatbelt as we weren’t going at great speed and there was no other traffic.
I’d put it back on when we got to the main road where there would be other vehicles.
Shadrack and I go back to talking quietly, letting her sleep.
We were halfway through our journey when something runs straight into us.
Shadrack curses and hits the brakes, but it was too late.
Curling my body around Josie to protect her as much as I can from the flying glass as the windscreen shatters, I brace myself, but with no seatbelt on, I hit the dashboard headfirst, making me see stars.
Josie lets out a loud scream as she comes awake with a jolt, whimpering into my chest and gripping onto my shirt.
“Jesus,” I whisper as I cling to her just as much as she’s clinging to me.
When we finally come to a stop, whatever hit us slides off the bonnet and hits the ground with a loud thud.
Whatever it was, it was big. From the back of the vehicle, there are shouts of pain and cursing.
It was an open vehicle with no restraints.
I hope that they managed to not get flung out of the back.
“Are you both okay?” Shadrack asks shakily, brushing glass from his shirt and looking over at us. Blood is dripping from his head from where he must have hit it when he’d had to brake suddenly.
“I think so,” I reply. Turning towards Josie, I start to run my hands over her.
“I’m okay,” she whispers shakily, grabbing my hands and squeezing them. “We need to get out there and check on the others; it sounds like they’re hurt.”
At her words, Shadrack is out the door and moving towards the back of the vehicle.
I can hear them conversing, but I don’t understand what they are saying because they are speaking in the local vernacular.
Opening my door, which groans on its hinges, I cringe at the noise as it pierces my aching head.
Putting my hand up when something drips down my face, my fingers come away coated in blood.
“Let me look,” Josie says, pushing my hand away. She’s found a torch from somewhere and shines it in my face. “You’re going to need stitches,” she mutters to herself. “Did you pack a first aid kit into the backpack?”
“Of course,” I respond, ripping my shirt off and holding it to my head to stop the blood dripping down my forehead and into my eyes.
“Be careful of the glass, Josie,” I warn her as she turns and starts rooting around on the floor of the vehicle for our backpack.
Now that I’m outside, I can see the damage, and it’s not good.
The impact must have been with something large; the car’s front is caved in, and the windscreen is shattered.
Shadrack is farther down the road checking on one of his guys who is moaning in pain.
They’d been sitting in the open back, and I’m assuming that a few flew out at speed when we were hit.
I move to help but have to turn my head to the side as my stomach rebels at the sudden movement, and I spew whatever we had for lunch.
“Here, sit down,” Josie says softly, helping me down to lean against the back wheel. “Don’t move. You have a concussion. I need to check on the others, then I’ll be back to stitch you up. Keep that compress on your head.”
“Be careful,” I warn her, hating that I’m not able to go with her but knowing I’d be more of a hindrance than a help between the double vision and the pounding in my head.
“I will,” she assures me. “Here, take this. I’ve got the other one.” My hand wraps around the familiar feel of my handgun, and I lean forward slightly and slip it in the back of my shorts.
“I’ve checked our phones and there’s no signal out here. I’ve sent a text to Bull anyway; hopefully, it will go through eventually.” We can hear groans of pain and soft crying coming from down the road, so I’m not surprised when Josie says, “I have to go and see if I can help, Skinny.”
“I know, baby, I’m sorry I can’t help.”
“Don’t be an idiot. You protected me and our baby. I’ll be back soon,” she whispers, her lips fleetingly meeting the side of my head, and all I can hear is her footsteps retreating.