They had to fight their way out, moving against the flow of the swelling crowd pushing its way in.
Noah's head was swimming with unanswered questions and he felt faint from the fright, the heat and the lingering taste of bitter vomit in his mouth.
Finally the crowd thinned and they reached the road. Noah tripped over a rough clump of grass and Kigongo caught him as he fell, helping him up but quickly parting from him; afraid of the curious onlookers all around them.
"Come." He said.
Noah's vision was blurred and he wiped at his eyes, trying to find his footing and clear his mind. He followed Kigongo further down the road until he spotted Jenna leaning, arms folded, against the bonnet of the grey BMW.
"You were supposed to stick with me, you idiot!" she complained, offering him a bottle of water.
Two thirsty, confused and shaky to formulate a come-back, Noah grabbed at the bottle. He took a sip, swirled out his mouth and spat. He leaned forward over the hood of the car and took a deep breath before bringing the plastic bottle back up to his lips and swallowing the entire content.
"You should not have brought him here." Kigongo complained to Jenna.
"He needed to know. He needed to see it for himself."
"But now that man knows he is here! That man has seen him!" Kigongo turned from Jenna to face Noah, "And you did not help. You should not have spoken to him! You should not have done. This is very bad. Very, very bad."
Noah shook his pained head at them; it throbbed like it was being squeezed together by two iron clamps. "Please? Can you just tell me what happened to Luke?"
Kigongo's eyes shaded in sympathy, "Not here. We cannot discuss this here or with the driver. Get in. I will take you to where it is safe."
They drove in silence back toward the bustling city of Kampala; Laarman's words playing over and over in Noah's exhausted brain; relentless and burning.
He was starting to panic. His body was shivering despite his effort to control it. He needed answers but had to trust this stranger riding in the front seat alongside their driver.
After travelling some way along an inner city byway, the driver took a right turnoff and the car made its way through a busy market area; bustling with hawkers selling wares of all types neatly laid out on mats and tables and their customers' eagerly viewing them.
But Noah wasn't seeing any of it. His eyes watched the road ahead, eager for the car to come to its destination; wherever that was.
Occasionally Jenna would catch his eye from the seat beside him and not even she could hide the trepidation.
Finally, after another thirty minutes, the car pulled up beside a derelict looking building in an obviously less than desirable part of the city.
"You can leave us here, Ojore." Jenna instructed the driver, "Take the suitcase and check Mr. Mayer into his room please. Then come back in three hours to collect us. You have my number."
"Yes Ma'am."
Noah slammed the car door closed and looked up at the building Kigongo was heading for.
"This is where we're going?"
Kigongo seemed to be surveying their surroundings, looking for something.
"Who are you looking for?"
"Come." The man said and they had no choice but to follow.
They entered the obviously deserted building, but didn't stay there. They walked right through to the other side, through a broken door and into a back alley way.
Kigongo lead them down the alley and back into another rundown old warehouse style building.
"Kigongo!" Jenna moaned, "What the hell?"
"Shh, just come!" he ordered.
They did as he told them, following him from building to building until they finally came across another main road. Kigongo took time to check up and down the street before crossing and disappearing down a pair of basement steps.
"It's a precaution!" Jenna realised. "He's making sure we lose anybody that might have followed us."
"Wait!" Noah exclaimed, grabbing out for her arm and pulling her back, "Why would they?"
But Kigongo called them urgently from the darkness below and Noah let it slide… for the moment.
They descended the stairs and entered a dark and dingy room illuminated only by the single light of a swinging bulb. Noah was immediately hit by the intense smell of mould and damp. In the corner another door led to what he assumed must be a bathroom, because he could hear a tap dripping.
Once everybody was inside, Kigongo placed a white handkerchief on the outside door handle, before pulling it closed.
"W… what is this place?" Noah asked, sinking immediately into the nearest chair when his legs refused to provide any more support.
Kigongo joined him, pulling up a flimsy wooden box to sit opposite him.
"This is one of many safe meeting places."
"Meeting places?" Jenna asked.
Kigongo cleared his throat and looked around embarrassed and that was all they needed for things to become clear.
"Urg, gross!" Jenna exclaimed, "HERE?"
She looked down at a battered and dirty mattress lying on the floor and Noah followed her gaze, suddenly feeling sick once more.
"It is illegal to be gay. If you are caught you die! When you love," Kigongo's brown eyes met with Noah's, "sometimes you take that risk. You take it even if it is here."
Noah felt tears welling as he asked, "Is this the Bill that was passed?"
Kigongo nodded.
Noah looked up at Jenna who leaned back against the door, "And Luke? He knew about this. He knew before he left… didn't he?"
"I checked the history on his computer as soon as Jarvis told me what was going on. Yes. He knew. But I doubt he understood the extent of it."
"What are the main points? Of the Bill?" Noah closed his eyes against another sharp pain in his head.
"Death penalty for gay people. Extradition of gay Ugandans from foreign countries."
Noah's eyes rose to meet Jenna's and he saw her sadness. The first real emotion he'd ever seen from her.
"They even," she continued, "have set prison sentences for families who don't report their gay family members."
"This is madness…" Noah whispered, "Because of Laarman? Because of what he teaches?"
Kigongo nodded. "He teaches about this terrible thing… this hell. He teaches about demons… about terrible, terrible things. And these are not worldly people; they are not exposed to such things… They already believe in spirits and witches and magic. If this man says that the gay is an evil spirit… they will believe him. Because he is Western and educated and seems good."
"And Luke met him."
Kigongo nodded.
"And I'm guessing he couldn't keep his big mouth shut?"
For the first time since he'd pulled Noah from between those two ransacked buildings, Kigongo's lips curled in the hint of a smile. "Your man… he will not hide from a fight. I cannot decide if he is brave or stupid."
"No." Noah agreed, "You and me both." He rubbed his aching temples. "Where is Luke?"
Kigongo nodded, "I will tell you from the beginning."
...
Taban did the right thing. Kigongo understood. Taban was in pain and couldn't hold out. Anybody would have broken.
It took the removal of his first finger for Taban to admit he'd had homosexual relations. By the third finger Taban could no longer protect Kigongo and admitted it all.
Once they had the information they needed, Taban was strung up by the neck from the nearest tree branch and his body left there as a warning to others.
It was different for Kigongo. Once the police located him hiding in the bushes, they already had Taban's testimony that Kigongo was gay. They had no need to torture Kigongo for information. He was already guilty.
Crying, naked, beaten, begging for mercy on his knees amid the crowd of jeering onlookers, a rubber car tyre holding his arms tight to his sides, Laarman came to stand before him.
"Behold the demon." Laarman took the time to look over the entire crowd and to give his translator the chance to interoperate. "Scary isn't it? How he looks just like you and me… But do not be fooled my people! It is a trick evil uses to hide amongst us and convert innocents to their cause! Feel not for this man my people! For he is not human like you and me. What we do here today is right! And it will be one of many before this fight is over."
Kigongo's sobs chocked loudly as he watched Laarman lift the gas can and proceed to douse his naked body in burning fuel.
By this point Kigongo was a jittering mess. Words poured from his lips in Swahili that he was sure no longer made sense to the onlookers. But he knew he cried out for his mother more than once.
He muttered incoherently as the fear overtook him and he imagined how it would feel. How the fire would feel. How long it would take before he was dead. How the tyre would melt to his skin.
He watched as Laarman flicked the lid of a cheap plastic lighter. He watched as the man's thumb twirled the silver ball to ignite the tiny flame.
Vaguely, even through his distress and perhaps because he was praying for rescue, Kigongo became aware of a commotion in the crowd. He turned his eyes from the flame in Laarman's hand to the crowd beyond them.
Laarman was still preaching, quoting directly from the Bible now and hadn't noticed it himself.
The crowd seemed to swell as a small group of people pushed its way through them. He heard somebody shout out in Swahili, "Wait! Do not interfere! Stop! Stop!"
"Now it is time to rid the world of one more devil!" Laarman continued.
Kigongo's eyes widened as Laarman's flame laden hand lifted in the beginnings of a throw. He squeezed his eyes tightly shut, his body tensing in anticipation of the excruciating pain he was sure would come.
But it didn't.
When Kigongo dared to reopen his fuel stung eyes Laarman was no longer standing right before him.
The preacher stood further away and facing him; fists clenched at his sides with a face like thunder; was a white man of extraordinary beauty.
To Kigongo, this man with the golden hair was surely one of the angels of which Laarman so loved to preach.
"…I don't give a fuck about the law!" The angel was saying, "You want to kill this man, then you have to go through me."
"And just who in the hell are you?" Laarman sneered.
"My name is Luke Snyder and I'm a reporter for the L.A. Daily News. And I'm going to make it my number one mission to inform the rest of the world about what it is you are doing here!"
"And just what is it that you think I'm doing?"
Although Laarman's words remained confident, Kigongo saw the sudden worry in the man's eyes.
"Playing on the fears of innocent people in order to further your own agenda; lying to them, getting them to turn on each other…"
"I speak only the truth! Surely you must agree with me? Surely you, as a man cannot abide the sinful…" The minister cocked his head as he looked at Luke, "Unless you are one of them."
The angel was incredible. He showed no fear in confronting Laarman who had great power in the country. One word from Laarman and he could have this Luke Snyder arrested.
The angel smiled. It was a smile like sunshine.
It was a smile that blackened Laarman's face as he boiled with rage. "This is not America! The same rules don't apply here! In Uganda, rubbish like you gets what it deserves."
Kigongo's heart stopped as Laarman returned to his side. But the minister did not flick the lighter.
"This is what happens to demons like you who try to change the natural order."
"There is only one demon here," Luke replied, "and it's not me. It's definitely not him."
The angel's eyes came to lock with Kigongo and he nodded. Kigongo felt suddenly at peace, safe. Hope filled him that this man might actually be able to save him.
"The law has decided on this man's crime and punishment. If you interfere I will have no choice but to command you be arrested."
"Oh you could do that." Luke agreed. "But I can tell you… the world's press might have a thing or two to say about some small time minister playing judge and executioner in an African country. I will bring down such a media frenzy on your ass you'll have to spend the rest of your life under an assumed name…"
The minister jolted, looking around at the many people there to witness the execution. He hesitated, not wanting to give in but pushed into a corner. Finally he turned to his translator, "Translate this…"
The man nodded and Laarman found a large boulder to stand on.
"People! It would seem that we have made a grave error."
The translation was made and the crowd groaned, sensing that they were not going to see the punishment completed.
"I have received news that this man is innocent and as such we must show mercy and let him free."
He said no more to his admirers. Laarman hopped off the rock and glared knives at the blonde. "This isn't over."
Laarman turned to leave but was stopped when Luke demanded, "I want him cut down too."
Kigongo sobbed with relief at Luke's words.
The minster followed Luke's gaze to the body of Taban still swinging in the warm wind. He watched Luke for a moment and then said in Swahili, "Do it!"
Nobody moved until Laarman had reached his motorcade and been driven away.
Kigongo felt his body go limp and start to shake uncontrollably. The angel knelt by his side and held his gaze with eyes the colour of African clay.
"It's okay." Luke nodded, "It's over."
Luke gripped the underside of the tyre and tried to pry it free but it was wedged pretty tight.
"Lutalo!" he called, "Help me with this."
Kigongo gasped when he saw the famous Ugandan reporter appear from the crowd and bend to help Luke remove the tyre over the top of his head.
Exhausted, Kigongo fell flat to the floor and from nowhere a blanket was produced to cover his nudity.
"That was stupid!" Lutalo spat, but Luke did not respond.
Luke's hand felt warm and comforting on his shoulder.
"Thank you." Kigongo whispered in English.
"What?" The angel moved in closer to hear Kigongo clearly.
"Thank you." He said again and Luke smiled.
"You're welcome."
Another reporter who Kigongo recognised brought Luke a bottle of water which Luke held to Kigongo's lips.
"Drink slowly."
Kigongo coughed and sputtered as his desperate body demanded more water, quicker.
"Slow." The white man said gently.
Kigongo locked eyes with Luke to keep himself centred and tried again, finally managing to drink the refreshing liquid down.
Feeling stronger, he began to sit up.
"Wait." Luke said, holding him down, "Where are you trying to go?"
"Taban." His voice shuddered as he pleaded.
Luke looked over to beneath the tree where two of the Ugandan policemen had left the body after cutting it down.
When he turned his gaze back to Kigongo his eyes were filled with deep sympathy and understanding. Luke squeezed Kigongo's shoulder, then threaded his arm around him to help him up and over to where Taban lay.
Seeing him finally and totally… like this… the reality that Kigongo had been holding at bay dawned on him. Taban was dead. Gone. Forever.
Luke's arm tightened around him as Kigongo let out a wail of pain. He dropped tearfully beside Taban and drew him into his arms, kissing his forehead and whispering his name.
...
"He saved my life, rafiki yangu." Kigongo said, stretching forward to take Noah's hands. "So now I am here for you. I will help you."
Unable to speak, tears tracking his cheek, Noah nodded.
"You are of all he speaks."
Noah looked up and Kigongo smiled.
"That is how I knew it was you. He talks of you with… I do not know the word in your language… like he is happy…" Kigongo looked up as he tried to remember the English counterpart to his word, "It is kiburi… um… PRIDE! Pride!"
Kigongo beamed as he found the word and Noah smiled softly back.
"Where is he?"
The smile left Kigongo's face.
"I'm sorry. I do not know. I believe the police must have taken him."
"Taken him where?"
"I will do my best to help you find out."
Noah fell back into the chair as he realised, after waiting all that time in the car, the walk to the hideout and sitting through Kigongo's story, that at the end of it all, Kigongo was just as in the dark as they were.
Kigongo seemed to read his thoughts. "I have to keep low. The police will arrest me again if they see me."
"Then what were you doing at the rally?" Jenna asked.
Kigongo looked to the floor and sighed. When he lifted his head his eyes had changed from kindness to a dark vengeance. He lifted his shirt to reveal the gun he had stowed in his jean pocket.
"Jesus!" Jenna yelled from the door.
"He killed Taban. And he will kill others. He must die."
"I'm not sure that's enough." Jenna said.
Both men looked her way.
"Laarman's already managed to get the Bill passed as law." She explained. "He's already started this cancer. If he dies, somebody else will just take his place."
"I'm afraid Jenna's right, Kigongo." Noah told him, "I think this is a war that needs to be fought externally first. We need to get the word out. People outside this country need to know what's going on here. We need to pressure the international governments to do something."
It was Noah's turn to take Kigongo's hands in his own.
"I'm sorry for all you lost. But don't let him change you. Don't become what he is by doing this." Noah pointed at the gun.
Kigongo nodded. "Luke said you were wise."
"We'll find a way Kigongo. I promise we will not give up. But before we do, we have to find Luke."
...
Thanks for reading. Let me know your thoughts!