Chapter 29

They pulled up in front of a neat white rendered house on the outskirts of the city of Robat had a modest but spacious appearance about it. Native plants lined the driveway and filled the neat gardens around the front of the house and long driveway.

Now in civilian uniform Jun, Ken and Joe approached the house and casually walked up to the front door and knocked.

"I hope he's home, sometimes they go for short trips to villages that needs a doctor." Ken sounded hopeful. The sound of footsteps confirmed someone was home.

A young boy who looked to be around twelve with rich dark skin wiry curly hair short cropped hair and deep brown eyes answered the door, his eyes widened with excitement when he saw his visitor." Ken! Its been almost a year since you last visited us…slacko, we have a game of chess to finish remember its all there waiting for us in the games room."

Ken smiled warmly at the young boy, "Cheikh, its been to long, I just got busy that's all. I'm looking forward to finishing the game, but I can't do it today."

Cheikh waved a disapproving finger at Ken. "Excuses, excuses….I'll go and get dad he's in his lab as usual…come in." For the first time he noticed Ken had company, for a second his eyes narrowed to distrust. Ken knew why the time he spent with the rebel army had left its scars. "Since they're with you I'll let them through the door."

"Do want to explain who these people are?" Jun said, Ken hadn't said really anything about them to her. Before he could answer a tall confident dark African man stepped through door with a welcoming smile when he laid eyes on Ken.

"Well look what the cat dragged in." He laughed his sharp black eyes washed over all of their faces, when his eyes fell on her they softened and he slightly smiled. "And I see you brought some friends wit ya…"

"This isn't a social call Jafaru." Ken's face stayed serious even though he greeted his friend with a friendly handshake.

"Figured dat from the way you're standing around in the foyer, next time we'll have a beer and go over old times." Jafaru nodded. "Ya know he helps himself to ma fridge when he walks through mah door, you'd think he hadn't eaten in weeks! So, what can I do for you?" He asked.

"I need a safe house…for some friends who are very special to me, and they need to be protected by you here." Ken said.

Jafaru's smile dropped." They in some kinda trouble?"

"You could say that, what's important is that they keep a low profile. Especially from Galactor" Ken said and waited. "They're son is missing…We're going to find him, and then bring him here too. If you say no I'll understand, after all you have to look out for your own family first."

Jafaru's face became even more understanding. "I see…if they're that important to ya, then I'm your man Ken after what you did for my own son…I owe you till the day I die." Jafaru said passionately then he caught Jun's confused expression and smiled at her again like he knew her, even though they'd never met before.

"You owe me nothing Jafaru, except a beer on arrival as always…and a meal." Ken's smile lit up.

They made light conversation for a few more minutes, Jafaru referred to some memory from times when she would have been alone and pregnant in Utoland.

"A few years back I needed someone to help me find my son Cheikh, he was stolen by rebels to be a soldier in their army…What they did him," Jafaru frowned and his eyes darkened at the painful memory. "I'll never forget….thought I'd never see my boy again. And that's he'd never recover from the abuse. But Ken, he helped me when he didn't have to, he could have gone home months before but he stayed with me. He's a good man." Jafaru clasped his hand on Ken's shoulder, and stole a glance in her direction.

Ken's cheeks reddened with embarrassment. "Jafaru, I did what I had to do, how could I just leave you like that, you'd have gotten yourself killed and then Aziza would have had to find another husband. I just saved her the trouble." Ken grinned trying to hide it with humour.

"Natasha needs a doctor, is Aziza here?" Ken asked looking down the hall and avoiding anything personally to do with him.

"Yep, she's taking a nap, our baby's kept her up all night again, but its okay, I'm sure she'll want to help her." Jafaru reassured him.

"I know she's a beautiful woman Jafaru, you're a lucky man to have such a great family." Ken said sincerely.

"I know, and I'm thankful for it everyday, now go and get your friends and I'll make sure the guest room is ready…oh better tell my wife we have company." He grinned. "I like throwing the odd surprise on her…keeps her on her toes."

"I'm sure she hates it too, we'll be back within the hour." Ken said.

Once they'd stepped outside Joe walked alongside both Ken and Jun and looked back over his shoulder. "So that's the guy you were with when I chased you across Africa."

"Yeah that's Jafaru." Ken said smiling warmly again. "He's a great guy, and we became good friends afterwards."

"That's why you stayed away so long…" She gasped looking at him with new eyes. How angry she was during that time with him, and yet all that time she forgave him for not being there, and all that time he was helping a desperate man find his son, she had been so determined to bear the burden alone thinking Ken only cared about duty and what the ISO called him to do.

"Yes, I couldn't leave him alone Jun, he needed me to help him find his son, how could just walk away from him and send him off alone…but if I'd known." Ken left it hanging.

Joe was the one who answered. "Lets face it Ken, if you knew about Jun being pregnant you still would have helped Jafaru, it's in your nature."

Ken went silent into deep thought about it once more. "You're right Joe, I'm bound by duty, it's all my life has ever really been about…Its not that I regret it, I love to help people and make the world a safer place to live…just how it is." He sighed heavily. "Lets get back to the ship and let them know its all clear for them to stay here."

"Thank god Natasha talked some sense into Matt." Joe added. "Though I can understand his need for revenge. After all they made him build that mecha in exchange for their lives. "

"Fighting about it didn't work that's for sure." Jun didn't keep the disapproval from her voice and in that instant Ken flinched like she slapped him again. She knew that thought must have gone through his mind during that argument. Lucky he didn't follow through with it.

Joe started up the hire car and they drove back to the waiting Gatchasparten in silence.