Chapter 2

The Smiths showed everyone around the town introducing the townsfolk's homes, hospital, school, inn, and stores.

"Cody, why didn't you tell us that Rosa was going to look like a hippy?" Greg whispered.

"I didn't know!?" Cody replied back quiet, "I'm not judging how she looks either! Like I said, we haven't seen each other for twelve years. I was sorting of expecting her to look different."

"We're not saying she is a hippy dude," Fred added, "It's just we don't see girls like that back at school."

"Also there are some hot women among the hippy population." Stan mentioned, "But Rosa here is exquisite specimen of hotness.

Cody didn't like where Stan is getting at.

"She has an excellent 'A+' bod along with a perfect 'A-' sized br—"

Cody then gave Stan a venomously dangerous glare in which his friend stopped talking immediately.

"I don't care about any of that!" Cody said, "I'm just happy to finally see her after all this time."

"What are you guys talking?"

"AH!" Cody and his friends gasped in unison as Rosa spooked them from behind. Rosa responded to their reactions with a teasing smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping your parents with tour?" Cody asked.

"Daddy says I can hang out with you guys since you're all slightly lagging behind." Rosa replied, "Also I want to know more about your friends besides what you wrote about them apart from Greg being the smart one, Fred the athletic one, and Stan-"

"Dashing, attractive, and good-looking." Stan said with a confident smile, "Everything else good about me I hope."

Rosa responded with her eyebrows lowered forming a straight line while wearing a unamused expression on her face. "... Something like that."

Stan obliviously took that as a compliment while Cody and the rest of his friends rolled their eyes at his reaction.

"We also like to know what it's like when you grew up with Cody?" Fred asked, "I've bet you got some good stories you can tell us."

Oh no! Cody thought with his eyes wide.

"You bet I do."

Cody quietly whined until Rosa spoke up "Oh, there's the daycare!"

Phew!

"My word Terri, it's beautiful." Jane complimented.

"The children love it." Terri said.

"It's great and all, but I couldn't help but notice some men with guns roaming around town." Milo said which got everyone's attention.

Everyone else then noticed white men in black camo shirts, black tactical vests with a small patch of Britain's flag on the right torso area, black pants, and black leather boots while each carrying either a L64 Rifle, a L65 Machine Gun, or a Woodsmaster Rifle (with a ten-round magazine) along with a sidearm on the side.

"Should we be concerned?"

Both Steve and Terri looked at each other for a moment as he then faced them and replied "A year ago, we've been hearing rumors of rogue guerrilla skirmishes attacking small towns and villages."

Everyone was alarmed while Rosa had the same expression as her parents.

"So six months ago a mercenary company from Britain offered this town, among the other vulnerable ones in Kenya to Tanzania, their protection."

Milo then turned to Tony with a annoyed frustrated expression. "I thought you said this trip was safe!?

"I said it should be safe." Tony corrected, "Were you expecting this place to be like? Hawaii?!"

Milo was about to retort angrily until Liz said with a frustrated warning voice "Milo don't!"

"Besides, we never had problems ever since we moved here twelve years ago." Terri added in a calming tone, "We just have them just a safety precaution just in case."

"Who's leading the the mercenaries here anyways." Jack asked.

Steve was about to reply until he spotted someone behind as he then said "There he is right now."

Everyone turned around as they saw a man dressed in the similar garments like the other mercenaries except styled in a British safari like attire. He appears to be around his fifties, has slicked-back hairstyle with very British mutton-chops beard overall colored dark brown with grey in the sideburn areas to the lower part of his hair on the back.

"Everyone," Steve began to introduce as the man approached, "This is—"

"Kane Burton." Tony loathed.

Everyone was surprised (except for Steve, Terri, and Jane), especially Cody, by Tony's behavior. Cody has never once known his father to address someone so hatefully in his life. Except for criminals, but this man didn't look like one to him.

"Anthony old bean, I didn't expect you to be here." Kane said with welcome as he approached him with an outstretched arm, "Put 'er there."

Tony just there stood still glaring him for a moment as he then turned to Steve. "Why the hell is HE here?!"

"Tony let me explain—"

"Your still not blaming me for what happened are you?" Kane asked with a raised eyebrow.

"BLAME YOU!?" Tony retorted, "YOU WERE—"

"TONY, PLEASE!" Jane pleaded, "Not here!"

Tony looked into his wife's pleading eyes as he then turned towards to everyone else, especially to Cody.

He sighed as he calmed down.

"Uh, who is he to you." Mei asked with concern.

"He's..." Tony replied without looking back at Kane, "... an a former acquaintance."

"I was going to say friend but-"

Tony glared at Kane again as the British mercenary commander remained unaffected by his intimidation.

Terri then turned to Rosa and asked "Rosabel dear, can you finish the tour with Cody and rest of his friends ahead of us? We'll catch up with you later back at the inn."

"Sure mom."

Rosa grabbed one of Cody's hands with both of hers as she began to drag him playfully. "Come on guys!"

Greg, Stan, and Fred quickly ran to catch with both Cody and Rosa. When they stopped running, Rosa let go of Cody's hand as his friend caught up with him.

"What the heck was that!?" Fred asked, "I've never seen your dad like that before."

"Me either." Cody replied.

"It was... really unsettling." Greg added.

"I agree with you." Rosa agreed, "This is the first time I've ever seen him act like that."

"Whatever his deal is, let's hope this doesn't escalate during our time here." Stan said.

"I don't think dad will ruin the vacation just because of what ever beef he had with Kane." Cody replied, "He's not like that."

As Rosa resumed the tour, Cody couldn't help but feel like that Kane was also looking at him when he extended his hand to his father.

Dusk began to set when Rosa just finished the tour with Cody and his friends as they then started their walk to the inn.

"So that's what a hippy is?" Rosa said.

"Yup." Greg said.

"Well, I may appear to look like one, but I am certainly not going to be like them! Some of them sound like nutcases! Even though most of their motives are good."

"So this 'bunting' thing you were doing with Cody," Stan asked, "It's a form of an animal greeting? I thought it as an affectionate thing."

"It can be, but I would advise not doing it with other girls." Rosa said, "It's a thing that Cody and I did when we were younger."

Cody is happy that Greg, Stan, and Ryan are getting along with Rosa. He then turned his attention to the African plains as he stared at the sun.

So this is what Ariel sees everyday during her time here in Africa. Cody thought with a small sad smile. He was so memorized by the setting sun, that he didn't pay attention where he was walking as he then bumped into a African man, in his late thirties while wearing a hat entire hiding what ever style of hair he has, as they both fell onto the ground.

"Sorry about that!" Cody quickly and sincerely apologized.

"It's alright." The man said with a medium African accent. He then helped Cody up as he then stared at the teenager's chest with wide eyes.

Cody raised his eyebrow why he was staring at him like that as he then realized that his necklace was no longer underneath his shirt but atop of it.

"Cody, what's the hold up?" Fred called out.

Cody was about to reply until he noticed that the man he bumped into was gone! He stood there baffled wondering where the man went and how he disappeared that fast.

"Are you alright Cody?" Rosa asked as she and the rest of Cody's friends approached him.

"Huh? Yeah I'm fine." Cody replied as he snapped back into reality, "I just bumped into this guy and then he just... disappeared."

"What did he look like." Fred asked.

Cody began to describe the African man as Rosa then spoke after he was done speaking. "I saw him once this morning when he was helping building the daycare. He must be one of the volunteers from the neighboring villages. He seems nice."

"Well he stared at my pendant funny."

"Your sister's pendant!? You still have it?!" Rosa said with surprised tone. Cody nodded as he then was about to place the pendant back under his shirt until Rosa prevented him from doing so.

"Please don't." Rosa said with a hint of begging, "Ariel wouldn't want to you to hide it forever. Besides it looks good on you."

"Well that didn't stop some jerks back in elementary from trying to steal it."

"Oh yeah, I remember that." Fred recalled, "We arrived just in time before they were about to beat him up for it."

"Then a legendar fight ensued." Stan added, "We later got in trouble, but in my book we won that fight."

The boys smiled at that memory.

"But sadly, my suit jacket was the only fatal casualty." Stan sniffed, "He was barely a year old."

"Seriously!? I was mostly beaten up during up that fight!" Greg argued, "I was covered in bruises for days! Your jacket is nothing compared to that!"

"He died for a good cause!" Stan argued back. Everyone rolled their eyes. "That's why I always take off my suit jacket before a fight."

"Still, it's sad that Cody sister died." Fred said.

"Yeah." Stan agreed.

"If she didn't died in that car crash, it would be great to know her." Greg said as both Fred and Stan nodded in agreement, "Plus I would learn some interetsting topics about zoology from her."

"Car crash?" Rosa with a puzzled tone. Her eyes then lit up as she then said "Oh right. That was a very tragic day."

Rosa then gave a Cody a quick disapproving frown which his friends didn't see. Cody gulped knowing why she gave him that look.

Then everyone all heard the sound of distant giggles. They turned around to the source and saw a group of young African children hiding from the corner of a house.

An idea struck Rosa as she mischievously smiled. She then called them over wordlessly without Cody and the others noticing. The children ran to them as they began asking Greg, Stan, and Fred questions. Rosa then took Cody a few distance away them as she began to reprimanded him. "You said were going to tell them what actually happened to Ariel the last time we wrote to each other!"

"You know why I didn't!"

"You act like you're the only one that has experieced this kind of ordeal! There are plenty of people that went through the same thing as you!"

Cody remained grudgingly silent as Rosa then sighed.

"Cody, they'll understand." Rosa said sympathetically, "Your friends won't treat you differently if they do."

"It's not just that!" Cody added, "What if they stop being friends with me if I told them?"

"If they're truly your friends, they won't leave you."

Cody wasn't convinced as he remained silent for a while until he said "I'll tell them before the trip is over."

"You promise."

"Promise."

Rosa smiled as she then asked "So... about Stan..."

"Relax, he's harmless." Cody reassured, "He's a great person once you get to know him."

"I hope so." Rosa said still looking unsure, "But I swear if he does anything—"

"Uh guys," Fred called out to them," a little help here."

Rosa smiled as she and Cody approached Greg, Stan, and Fred being encircled by children.

"Alright now, that's enough for today." Rosa said sweetly to the children, "Its going to get dark soon so you need to go back to your parents. Usiku mwema."

"Usiku mwema." The children said as they ran.

"What did you say?" Cody asked.

"I said 'good night' to them in Swahili."

"Oh..."

"Why the heck did you leave us like that?!" Fred asked with slight annoyance.

"They've been asking some very uncomfortable questions why my skin color is lighter than theirs." Greg said.

"Guys give them a break." Stan said which surprised them, "They're just having "alone time" with each other."

Then everyone frowned in annoyance.

"It's not like that Stan!" Cody retorted.

"Whatever." Stan shrugged.

Then Rosa resumed leading Cody and the others to the inn as Rosa asked "You're not going to wear that beanie the entire time you're here are you."

"Why not? Kyle says it looks cool on me when he picked it out on my sixth birthday."

"Really? Do you still use it to cover your entire face to hide the fact you were crying?" Rosa asked teasingly.

Cody blushed with embarrasment as he replied back with annoyance "I haven't done that since I was ten!'

Rosa then pulled down Cody's beanie covering his entire face.

"HEY!"

"Oops, sorry." Rosa teased as she then took off his beanie and started running off with it laughing.

"GET BACK HERE!?"

Cody then began chasing after her with his friends behind them.

"What are you going to do? Throw mud at me?" Rosa asked with a fun smile, "You know I've grown past that!"

"I'll think of something." Cody replied with faint smirk.

The teenagers ran for five minutes until they arrived at the inn with a small group of people surrounding it.

"What's going on here?" Cody asked.

"I don't know?" Rosa replied.

"Miss Smith!"

Simon ran up to the teenagers from the inn.

"Simon, What's going on?" Rosa asked.

"Oh, the pipes bursted but don't worry, it's close to being fixed." Simon replied, "It shouldn't be a problem for our guests aftewards. Also we didn't finish getting all the luggage in, sorry about that."

"Don't worry about it. Me, Cody, and his friends will get the rest of it."

"We will?" Fred elbowed Stan as the suit wearing then quickly said "Oh yeah, we'll get them."

"Are you sure Miss Smith?"

"We'll be fine," Rosa reassured him, "besides it looks you got your hands full here."

"Alright, just be careful."

Cody and the his friends were about to leave until Simon called out "OH! I forgot!"

Simon went back inside the inn and came back with a filled up canvas duffel bag with a drawstring shoulderstrap. "The baboons have gotten into your things again."

"BABOONS?!" Greg and Stan said with worried tone in unison.

"We managed to get all of your stuff into your duffle bag. And don't worry, those pesky "neighbors" of ours haven't done anything to them the moment we got them back."

"Well that's nothing new." Rosa giggled, "We just have to adjust the windows and door locks more firmly."

"Yeah we do." Simon aggreed.

"Alright," Rosa said as she slinged the duffle bag over her shoulder, "We'll be back soon."

"And be careful!" Simon added, "It's getting dark soon!"

As the teenagers began their walk to the bus, Greg spoke up with concern in his tone "You and your parents forgot mention that you guys got a primate problem during the tour!"

"Oh they're harmless." Rosa replied, "They're just a curious bunch that like to look at new things. The only thing that would be harmful is that they'll chew on some of your clothes."

"They better not get into my suits." Stan said warningly.

"Be careful what you say," Cody teased, "you might jinx yourself."

"Or they do something else with your suits." Fred added.

Then the teenagers began to laugh while Stan didn't find that funny at all. Not one bit.

The teenagers arrived at the bus when the sun is halfway gone as they entered inside. They searched inside as the boys found their luggage containing their clothes and instruments.

"At least it isn't much to carry." Cody said.

"Hey, the big tent that dad brought is here too." Fred said.

Rosa's parents advised everyone to bring tents big enough for one family since they'll be camping when going out on a safari in the savannah during their time here.

"My dad's shoulder bag is here too." Cody added. It was leather messenger bag that his father always brings to work. As Cody opened it, inside was a 11" bladed Randall Bowie Knife (with a dark brown wooden handle while both the crossguard and pommel being made of brass) in its leather sheath attached to a unworn belt. His dad bought it a month before the the plane ride and told him he wanted to look like an actual "adventurous tourist" while joking around with Steve. Cody even told his friends about it and thought that's cool... even Rosa thought it was unnecessary when he wrote about it to her.

Besides the huge knife, there is his father's FBI badge and a gun. It's a unloaded snubnosed revolver (S&W Model 12-3) with three moonclips. Cody wasn't surprised since his father always carried his badge and a gun with him at all times, but he was hoping that he left them behind while they're here in Africa.

At least the gun is a different from the one he usually takes to work.

"Did you get everything?" Rosa asked as she called out from outside the bus.

"Yup."

"Then lets get back to the inn." Greg said, "The folks are probably wondering where we are."

Cody then got out of the bus realizing he was the last one out. As the teenagers began to walk, Greg asked "So what are we going to do tomorrow?"

"Oh you guys are going to love what my parents got planned." Rosa replied with excitement, "First we're going to visit—"

They barely took twenty steps when they first gunshots within the town. Everyone looked extremely concerned.

"Rosa," Cody began to ask with slight uneasiness in his tone, "Do the mercenaries have a shooting range by any chance?"

"No." She replied as fear began rise within her tone.

Then an explosion was seen within the town as the teenagers gasped in terror.

"WHOA!" Fred loudly exclaimed.

Then more gunshots were fired as yelling and alarm bells began to be heard. Then Cody then noticed jeeps of angry looking African men armed with AK-47s entering in and out of the town while some are circling around the settlement.

OH NO! Cody thought with terror, THEY MUST BE THE ROGUE GUERILLAS THAT ROSA'S PARENT'S MENTIONED EARLIER!

"MOM! DADDY!" Rosa yelled yelled in terror as tears began to fall from her eyes. She was about to into the town but Cody dropped his luggage, except the his father's bag that he wore on him, and grabbed from doing so.

"ROSA DON'T!? YOU'LL GET KILLED!"

"BUT OUR PARENTS!"

Cody knew they will be spotted immediately from standing in clear sight. The training from his father kicked in as he began to speak to everyone in commanding tone "Get under the bus! They won't spot us if we're hiding there!"

Cody then released Rosa as he grabbed his luggage and ran to the bus with the others behind.

"Is this a survival thing that you learned from your dad's intense training?" Fred asked.

Cody didn't as they arrived at the bus. But then a loud crash of broken glas was heard from within the bus. They peered inside and saw a head of a RPG among the broken glass of one of the bus windows.

"RUN!" Cody yelled as he and the others then began to run away from the bus.

"I don't see a big deal." Stan said, "It would've exploded when it hit the bus. It's probably a d—"

Then the whole bus exploded as the shockwave hurled the teenagers and their luggage away. Cody landed his head hard agains the African ground as darkness began to envelope his mind and sight.

Author's Note

Kane Burton's appearance is inspired by Clayton's from Disney's 1999 film Tarzan.