Chapter One
Life in Africa
Getting use to life in Africa has not been easy. The landscape and the animals can leave you breathless, they can also be very deadly. My fiance, Jackson Oz, knows this all to well. He is one of the safari guides, in fact that's how the two of us met. I was on a family vacation to Botswana from New York. I have to say, it was a rather nice change of pace from city life. But Jackson was something else. His confidence mixed with good boy charm and good looks, with his toned and well built body, chiseled jaw, dark brown eyes, shaggy brown hair with a beard to match, made him hard to ignore. To make everything better, he singled me out of the group.
When he wasn't out giving tours and I wasn't on family outings, we spent as much time together as we could. My parents thought it was a nice little summer fling. But it ended up to be so much more than that, after I left Jackson and I kept in touch, though letters or the occasional phone call, when he could get cell reception and our relationship kept growing. A year and a half after Jackson and I met I decided to move to Botswana to be with him. Crazy, I know, but what can I say? I was in love and it turned into one of the best decisions of my life.
Once every few weeks, Jackson and his friend Abraham Kenyatta, another safari guide who is a botswana native and whom is a rather large man, with very short, almost buzzed black hair, with a small, well kept beard, and brown eyes. They are normally only gone for a few days but it never goes by quickly, the passing of a few days, feels like a few weeks to me. However, the morning he was due to arrive home. When I heard the car arrive and head out, excited to see Jackson again, I quickly notice that something isn't right. Jackson is covered in mud, blood, and scratches. His clothes are completely destroyed. As I look over to the jeep Jackson had arrived in I notice that several men are helping to bring Abraham into the medical tent.
As I step out of our tent I see Jackson get back into the jeep with the other men and they head out again. Soon after I head over to help Jackson's mother, Dr Elizabeth Oz, the camps doctor. Since I was an emergency room nurse in New York, I take on the responsibility of helping her whenever she needs it. Dr. Oz and I work on Abraham for a few hours, stabilizing him and patching up his wounds, it takes about thirty minutes after we finish patching up Abe, for Jackson and the other's to return. During which time Dr. Oz, explains to me what Jackson had told her, while was very little.
As the group returns Abe's younger cousin Daniel, comes in.
"Jackson and the other's are back."
As we hear this Dr Oz and I both jump up to head outside, leaving Abe, with one on of the other nurses there. As we make our way across the boardwalk to Jackson and the other's, Jackson turns and sees the two of us walking toward him. When he does he starts running towards his mother and I. Once he reaches us he hugs me tightly, almost knocking me over, before turning and hugging his mother. As he and his mother step apart Jackson gives her worried expression.
"How is he?"
"Abe's gonna be fine. No internal injuries, no bite marks, Several lacerations, just some cuts and bruises."
"Can I see him?"
"In a couple hours, We gave him a sedative."
As we start to walk Jackson places his arm around me, and Jackson asks what's on everyone's minds.
"How is it possible?"
His mother turns to us.
"How is what possible?"
"Somehow, those lions dragged him up into a tree."
I look over a Jackson, gripping the hand he has on my shoulder.
"Well, it's hardly inconceivable, they do that with their young, by taking the back of their necks."
Dr. Oz turns to walk again and continues my thought.
"Sure, Abe is considerably larger than a lion's cub."
Jackson shakes his head.
"But it's as though they purposely went out of their way to not mortally wound him, not to kill him."
I look over at Jackson.
"Then he was incredibly lucky."
Just then his mother stops in her tracks.
"So did you find the others?"
Jackson shakes his head and sighs.
"Yeah, twenty-two dead by the river delta."
"Oh, No."
"Well, if the bodies are gonna start arriving, we need to start preparing loved ones."
"Are you okay Jackson?"
"I'm fine. Really, guys, I'm fine."
I nod before Jackson and I share a quick kiss before his mother and I start to look over the bodies so that we can informed the loved ones, while Jackson and the other men begin unloading their bodies.. After a little while, Jackson and his mother head into the medical tent, to see Abe, while I stay with the loved ones of those who had passed. Later that afternoon when I get to our tent to see Jackson, who is cleaning up and changing into new clothes.
"Are you really okay."
He stands in front of me shirtless and smiles, turning around.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
I lean my head against the door frame as he puts his shirt on and walks over to me, placing his hands on my waist.
"Really, Kat, I'm fine. Trust me."
I nod slightly before placing my forehead, against his. Just then one of the other camp nurses comes up.
"Jackson. Katherine, Dr. Oz needs to see the two of you as soon as possible. She's in the kitchen."
The two of his break apart and head into the camps kitchen area, where she is waiting for us. When we get there she is leaned against a small table and has her arms crossed. We can tell from her expression something is weighing heavily on her.
"Fourteen years out here, I've seen five bodies mauled by lions. Today, nearly two dozen."
Jackson shakes his head, as I take a deep breath.
"It's tragic."
"Yes, it is."
Dr. Oz Continues
"But that's not what concerns me. Lions kill for two reasons, but these people, they didn't pose a threat and they weren't killed for food. Something else. When lions kill, they go for the throat. It's quick, it's efficient. But these bodies, everyone of them has the femoral arteries slashed."
I nod.
"I noticed that too, but I didn't think anything of it."
Jackson looks behind him at me, then back to his mother.
"With one kill and one lion, you wouldn't. But with multiple kills and multiple lions it's a very low chance of all of them changing the way they kill."
Dr. Oz nods and continues.
"These people, they died slow, painful deaths."
Jackson looks at her confused.
"How would they all change the way they kill?"
"They wouldn't and yet, they did."
Dr. Oz goes silent for a few moments before looking at Jackson.
"You've always had a lot in common with your father, Jackson. Even when you were a child, you were brilliant like him and curious and determined. We're all a product of nature and nurture, of our genes and our experiences, and I've already lost one of the men I love to this. I know it's irrational, but now I'm afraid I may lose the other."
As she says this, she writes something down and hands the paper to Jackson.
"Tokyo? What's in Tokyo?"
"The flash drives that you have, they were sent to us by Harvard. They were among the things your father left behind when they asked him to resign. At some point, your father found his way to Japan. Whatever is left of his research, this is where you'll find it."
Jackson looks between the two of us.
"If something's really wrong with the lions, I'm not just leaving you two here. Once it's safe, then I'll go."
His mother shakes her head.
"I don't think there's time for that. Look, I'm not saying that I think your father was right. In fact, I pray to God he wasn't. But if he is, this isn't gonna stop with just the lions."
"Okay."
Jackson nods and heads back to our tent, while I stay with his mother.
"That boy is just like his father."
"Is that a good thing? From what I've heard it's not."
"Oh, in Jackson's case it is. I see the best of his father in him. Anyway, you should go and make sure he gets ready to go."
I nod and smile softly, giving her a quick hug, before heading back to the tent Jackson and I share. When I get there he is slowly packing up a few duffel bags.
"Need some help?"
He looks over his shoulder at me and chuckles softly.
"Uh.. no, thanks."
I nod and smile.
"Do you really think I'm staying here."
He stops and turns towards me.
"What?"
"Do you really think I'm staying here, without you."
He looks at me with a rather confused look.
"Uh.. I guess I do."
I shake my head and walk over to him.
"That's where you're wrong Mr. Oz. I'm going with you."
He chuckles softly and shakes his head.
"I don't suspect there will be any talking you out of it, is there?"
I shake my head and wrap my arms around his neck as he places his hands on my waist.
"No there isn't."
He smiles and nods.
"Alright, then I guess we're going to Tokyo."
I smile and kiss him softly, pulling him close to me. We continue kissing, as our kisses become more passionate.
The next morning when we wake after a very passionate night together that we normally share once Jackson returns from his safari trips. Once he is awake, he looks over at me.
"Good morning, beautiful."
I smile up at him.
"Good morning."
When Jackson looks around the room at the bags he had started to pack, he chuckles.
"I guess we need to finish packing."
I nod and chuckle as well.
"Probably."
The two of us slowly get up and start to get things around to leave as quickly as we can.
Once we have finished getting our things together, Jackson and I begin packing up the jeep we are going to take to the airport. Soon after we start, Abraham heads over to us with a few bags as well.
"Rafiki."
"Hey, should you be out here?"
"No. not at all. But I spoke to your mother and she told me about Japan."
Jackson shakes his head and raises his hands in protest.
"Abe, No."
"If you go, I go with you."
"I don't think so."
"I appreciate you have known me for a dozen years now. Do you know me to be a man that is easily dissuaded?"
I chuckle and nod.
"He does have a point Jackson."
"Besides I find Japanese women very sexy."
The three of us start laugh as Jackson shakes his head.
"Yeah, I'm sure they're gonna find you sexy too. In a beaten-up kind of way."
"Yes, I am a very rugged man."
The three of us continue laughing as we finish packing up the jeep and head to the airport.