Thanks AnnaleaseTurner for the information in the last chapter
Cherry had gotten information that Sarah had told Mrs. Fairgood and the other girls that she, Eliza and Darwin were headed for Africa. Cherry had to adjust to warm weather despite her protests against it and she wore a dark blue tank top with black shorts and sneakers. Eliza wore a lighter blue tank top and cargo shorts with brown shoes. They were now on a train after a long, strenuous flight.
"How you holding up, Cherry?" Eliza asked.
"I'll be fine," Cherry yawned in mid-sentence. "I'm just glad to be off that plane."
"Sorry we couldn't get you to sit with us." Eliza smiled apologetically.
"Oh, it's okay. Why did we have to go to Africa? I hate hot and sunshine..." Cherry moaned.
"I'm sure you'll live."
"She has a point, Eliza, what if it's humid and my fur frizzes up?" Darwin frowned.
"Help! The poachers!" a distant voice called. Cherry and Eliza turned to see a rhino trapped half way in a net and he ran across the plains. "Help! The poachers! I've been shot!"
"Oh, poor guy!" Cherry moaned.
"Darwin, get up!" Eliza ordered.
"What?" Darwin snapped to forced attention.
"I'll get help!" Eliza rushed to find the conductor of the train.
Cherry pressed her face against the plate-glass window, wishing she could help the poor, endangered animal. Eliza begged and pleaded to get off the train, but almost no one would listen to her. She then went back to Cherry.
"Come on Cherry, we're getting off this train." Eliza said.
"Coming!" Cherry followed as she strapped on her backpack.
Cherry and Eliza jumped out of the train safely and slid cautiously down a small hill while the rhino slammed himself down on the ground. He looked very tired and worn out. The girls looked worried and they rushed over to aid him.
"Hang on, we'll get help for you, don't worry." Cherry tried to soothe him.
"They shot me... at the river..." the rhino wheezed. "They were trying to take my horn when I ran away..."
"Someone please help, this rhino's been shot!" Cherry cried out with tears stinging in her eyes.
As if on cue, there came a couple of people in a vehicle. A blonde man with a beard and a woman with dark blue hair. They came out of their car as they noticed the young girls with the rhino.
"Please help us," Eliza begged as she stood next to Cherry. "This rhino's been shot!"
"We're terrified he's in grave danger!" Cherry squealed.
"Oh dear." the blue haired woman handed Eliza something to press down upon the rhino. "Hold this, right here."
"Is he still alive?" Eliza asked, worriedly.
"Barely," the woman replied. "But don't worry, honey, I think I can save him."
"You're both very brave young ladies," the blonde man assisted. "We saw you jump from that train."
"We had to save this rhino." Cherry explained.
Eliza's eyes widened as she spotted the man take out a blade with a golden handle.
"That's the knife from the man who took Tally..." Eliza whispered with worry.
"Excuse me?" the blonde man asked.
"Honey, keep applying pressure." the blue haired woman instructed.
"I-I'm sorry, I-I just..." Eliza continued as her palms sweated.
"Oh, thank goodness," the blonde man looked afar as cars came by with officers. "The authorities."
"What happened here?" an officer asked.
"Poachers shot him," Cherry explained. "They're at the river. Please, you must find them."
"They took a cheetah cub!" Eliza added.
"Tally?" Cherry turned to her.
Eliza nodded.
"A cheetah?" a man asked.
"I recognized their knife," Eliza explained. "You have to call Jomo Umbelli."
"You know Jomo?"
"Yes, yes!" Eliza sounded in relief. "He's best friends with my father, Nigel Thornberry. Just tell Eliza found the knife. He'll know what it means."
"We were just at the river," the blonde man said, walking over. "There was no sign of poachers. Oh, by the way I'm Sloan Blackburn. We're studying endangered wildlife."
"There's going to be one less rhino in the world if we don't get this poor guy back to our camp." the woman sighed.
"My wife, Bree, she's a wildlife veterinarian." Sloan added.
"We'll take him back to our rhino sanctuary." the man with notes said as the others collected the rhino as he weakly breathed.
"Eliza, Cherry, they'll take care of him," Sloan told the girls. "Don't worry. Can we give you girls a lift somewhere?"
"He's right, we shouldn't be alone with poachers out there." Cherry added.
"No, thanks," Eliza sighed. "Our camp's not too far from here. You're welcome to come, Cherry."
"We have to get back to our work, girls, but I do hope we see you again." Bree smiled as Sloan got in the driver's seat and they drove off.
"Me, too," Eliza waved with Cherry. "Thanks for your help! Bye!" She then noticed Darwin weakly walking across the path, finally catching up. "Come on, Dar. We have to find those poachers."
"You mean, we have to find your parents, don't you?" Darwin groaned.
"You saw what those poachers did to that rhino." Cherry pushed her glasses back.
"If they're nearby then Tally is too!" Eliza added.
"Eliza, Cherry, no!" Darwin called out. "If those awful people see you again, they'll... well, they'll hurt you. And I'm not going to let that happen."
"You're right, Darwin." Eliza gave in. "We can't do this alone. All right, we'll find my parents' camp."
"It's not far, is it?" Cherry asked.
"We'll get there," Eliza replied, then bit her lip. "By morning..."
"Oh, I wish we'd never left Lady Beatrice's!" Darwin groaned.
"I agree," Cherry responded. "I could be having some disgusting warm tea by now with scones or pastries with Muffy and Arlene..."
"Thunder said there'd be days like this." Darwin squirmed.
"Don't be like that, you guys." Eliza said to them. "Come on, the sooner we go now, the sooner we'll get there. Now, come on."
Cherry and Darwin heavily sighed as they followed Eliza to the camp. They didn't stop for food or water, but did occasionally when they felt sore. They waited until they felt ready to walk again. Cherry panted heavily as she was sweating through her clothes and her glasses were nearly slipping off her face from the beating sun. She looked back at Darwin in worry and noticed he was cramped and tired so she let him ride on her back.
"Eliza, can we take a rest or something?" Darwin groaned. "Cherry's feet are killing me!"
"How do you think I feel, butt monkey?" Cherry snarled.
"Hey, be nice!" Eliza snapped at her.
Cherry, Eliza and Darwin made it into town and they caught a ride to take them closer to their destination. They got out eventually and made it and there was a tall, slender girl with her blonde hair in a ponytail and wore a tank top exposing her belly with blue jeans and flip-flops with a little boy with fluffed up brown hair in leopard skin shorts.
"Well, if it isn't the boarding school dropout and her sidekick, Chimpo?" the girl scoffed.
"Save it, Deb," Eliza huffed. "I need to talk to Mom and Dad."
"Well, they're not here," the girl said. "You can talk to me and pretend that I'm listening. Who is this?"
"Cherry," the brown-haired girl gave her name and looked up at her. "You must be Eliza's sister."
"Debbie, you could use some work in the fashion department." Debbie rolled her eyes, looking down at the younger girl.
"Where are your parents?" Cherry asked.
"Off in the jungle filming some solar thingy." Debbie snorted.
"But the eclipse isn't until tomorrow." Eliza told her.
"Whatever." Debbie crossed her arms.
"Fine, I'll call them on the radio." Eliza was on her way inside the van.
"Uh-uh-uh!" Debbie waved a finger. "Don't go in there!"
Eliza opened the door anyway and Cherry saw an older, elderly man snoring, fast asleep in a bed. Eliza then quickly shut the door.
"Who were those people?" Cherry asked.
"My grandparents," Eliza turned from Cherry to Debbie. "What are they doing here?"
"Taking you two back to England," Debbie replied, snarky. "Not that you both deserve to go."
"Well, we're not going back! We came back to find Tally and that's what we're going to do. We just need Dad's help!"
"What is wrong with you!?" Debbie whined. "You finally get a chance to escape our rolling jail and instead you come back like some freaky homing pigeon! You ruin my family name, and wreck my chance of ever getting out of this place!"
"Chill Deb!" Cherry said in a calm voice.
"This doesn't concern you, Geek-ette." Debbie pressed a waving finger against Cherry's nose tip. "I don't know about you, but I am NOT going to slow-dance at my prom with some purple-butt baboon!"
"Debbie, leave her alone!" Eliza grabbed Cherry's arm and pulled her toward her direction at the laptop to look up the solar eclipse. "We're going to find Mom and Dad and you're not going to stop us!"
"Oh, yes, I am!" Debbie smiled evilly at the pre-teenage girls.
"Debbie, no!" Eliza struggled as Debbie grabbed both of their wrists. The force was powerful, but then Eliza made Debbie fall inside a cage where Donnie, the short boy, got out and locked Debbie in as he grabbed the keys.
"Hey, let me out of here!" Debbie demanded.
"Sorry Deb, you'll have to take that up with the warden." Cherry teased as she saw Donnie play with the keys.
"Come on, Cherry!" Eliza ran with Darwin and Cherry to look for Mr. and Mrs. Thornberry while Debbie remained in the cage against her will.