Chapter 8
The bullet wound in his back has started to bleed again and his whole back is scratched and bloody from the many small stones he was pulled through by the parachute. Steve has struggled to get back up, his back hurts and burns and he has slight breathing problems. He probably has a good bruise from the impact, and perhaps his ribs are cracked as well.
Steve looks at his watch. Agonized, he stands up and stuffs the parachute into a bush. Then he slowly walks back the way he came; his backpack must be here somewhere. Finally he finds it. Steve takes one of the water bottles and drinks something first, then he carefully lets some of the water run over his bruised back. Hissing, he pulls the air through his teeth.
He is about to take his satellite phone out of his backpack when he notices that it is completely wet inside. One of the water bottles has not survived the impact and has leaked. Cursing, Steve takes the phone out; it won't turn on. "Damn sh...!" He would like to throw it away in a high arc. Furious, he stuffs it back into his backpack and hangs it over his right shoulder. Then he sets off in a northwesterly direction.
The sun slowly rises in his back. Steve is glad that he can finally see again where he is going. But all around him is only steppe. No road, no car, not even a ranch can be seen anywhere. In the distance he sees some antelopes rushing away. As the sun rises higher it is about to get hot again. He wraps his scarf around his head to protect himself at least a little. After two hours he has to take a break. He gets worse and worse air and the sweat on his back, which runs into the wounds, burns like fire. Exhausted, he settles down in the shade of a tree and takes a few sips. He needs to conserve his water, who knows when he will finally encounter a human being. Apparently, he got a little off course in the dark and landed in the middle of a reservation. He tries to turn on the satellite phone again. It crackles briefly, but it stays off.
He must have fallen asleep under the tree, because the next time he opens his eyes the sun is already high in the sky. He picks up his backpack again and trudges on. Soon he has to pause again. He takes the next bottle out of his backpack. There is not much water left. Then he tries to start the satellite phone again. At least it can be turned on. He dials Catherine's number. "Hello?" Is that nice to hear her voice. "Catherine, it's me. I'm here on a reservation in the interior ..." "Hello? Who is this? Steve? Is that you?" "Catherine?" "Hello?" Disappointed, Steve hangs up. The microphone seems to have taken damage and he can't be heard. I guess he won't get any help that way. He puts the phone back in his pocket.
Disappointed, Catherine takes her phone back from her ear. "Hung up."
"Okay, assuming that was Steve, we should be able to locate him now, right?"
"I'm already on it." Kono enters the number into the computer. "Unfortunately, I can't get an exact location right now, but it seems to be near the Kelkome airfield."
Steve is about to start walking again when suddenly a man with a machine gun stands in front of him. It is one of the guards from Lefebre's guesthouse.
He grins wryly, "So we meet again. RAOUL, I'VE GOT HIM!" Another man emerges grinning broadly, "Américain, let's see how much your country will pay for you."
Steve is about to reach for his gun when he gets the butt of the gun to his temple and goes down. They tie his hands in front of his chest and pull a bag over his head. Then they throw him roughly onto the back of a pick-up truck. He gasps as his already battered back takes the impact again. He feels one of the men search his pockets and also take his gun.
They drive cross-country for several hours. Then the car slows down and he notices how the car turns.
Roughly they drag Steve from the loading area and go with him somewhere inside. He notices how it gets cooler and shady. Then one of them pulls the bag off his head again and pushes him down a staircase in the floor. Steve hits the ground hard. Gasping for breath in pain, Steve tries not to lose consciousness. When the pain has reduced to a halfway normal level, he looks around. In the basement is a bed with a worn out mattress and a bucket. A bare light bulb flares up, then a hatch above him closes again. Apart from the bed and the bucket, there is nothing in the room. It is covered with soundproof mats on the walls and ceiling.
After about three hours, the friends arrive at the airfield where the Cessna is parked. Danny has barely stopped the car when Catherine already jumps out of the door and runs over to the plane. It looks like a Swiss cheese and it's a miracle that the tanks remained intact. The pressurized cabin has taken all the more of a beating. When she sees the dried blood stains on the pilot's seat and on the floor, she feels sick. Steve is injured. Danny arrived at the plane shortly after her. Wordlessly, she points to the stains.
"Damn, that too." Danny runs a hand through his hair.
Then they hear Kono calling.
"Guys, I have the location of Steve's phone! He's heading west again toward Dakar." Danny and Catherine run back to the car. Danny literally jumps into the driver's seat, leaving only a cloud of dust behind them. "Stop, Danny, he's got to be around here somewhere." Danny stops and they all get out of the Jeep.
"Steve?" "STEVE?" No answer, maybe he's unconscious? Again, everyone shouts. Nothing.
They swarm apart and search the area, then Danny knows why no answer is coming. He is holding Steve's backpack with the satellite phone and his other equipment.