Chapter 9
Perplexed, the friends sit together in the evening at the guesthouse. Tim had come to the reservation with Lou and a friend by helicopter and they searched the reservation from the air until it became too dark for that. No sign of Steve anywhere. The phone and the Cessna were their last hot leads. Upon their return, the friends called all the hospitals to see if anyone had been admitted anywhere with gunshot wounds. There were a few, but Steve wasn't there either. The Agency called in between to say that the mole had been unmasked and that the two agents were doing better in the hospital. But that was the only good news of the evening.
Restless, Danny gets up and looks out the window into the dark night. Somewhere out there is his best friend, hurt, no idea how badly and they can't help him the first time. Danny turns around and wants to throw a thousand things at Catherine's head, but then he sees the tears already running down her face again and he folds his mouth shut again.
When Oise Lefebre steps out of the main house the next morning, she sees the two men already on their way back to the ranch. After all, she chased them all off the ranch with her husband. She goes back into the house, gets her rifle, and then runs over to the staff quarters.
"Have I not made myself clear? You are to leave!" "Yes, yes, Madame."
The two get into the pick up and drive away.
Oise is so fed up. This ranch is still her ranch and her husband can stay where the pepper grows. She calls some of her old workers that her husband laid off. They would like to work for her again and promise to be there the next day. Oise is satisfied, so long she would manage to keep these parasites away from the ranch.
They have been in the air again since eight o'clock. Tim's friend, Marc, has promised to search the reserve again with them. He has organized a second helicopter with a pilot, and they systematically fly over the area. However without success. Steve has disappeared from the face of the earth.
Raoul and Bastien have no intention of returning to Gambia. Lefebre can stay away from them. It's a pity that Madame chased them away from the ranch. So they probably won't get any money for the kidnapped man. They better not show their faces there again, because if Madame can do anything, it's shooting.
Bastien cradles the handgun he took from the Américain in his hand. Then his eyes begin to light up and he starts the car. "Where are you going?" "You'll see." In Thiès, he stops in front of the bank. "What are you up to?"
"If we're going to stay here, we need money now and we can't wait for the Americans to pay for this guy. Sit in the driver's seat and wait here, I'll be right back." "Bastien, that's not a good idea. The bank is too well guarded." "In, out. You'll be fine. But go ahead and keep the engine running." Then Bastian rushes into the bank. Shortly after, he comes running back out, jumps into the pickup and yells, "Drive." Raoul steps on the gas, but by then the police cars are already coming around the corner and cross in front of the pick up. "Merde."
Steve has lost all sense of time. He doesn't know if it's eight o'clock in the evening or eight o'clock in the morning. He's thirsty, but no one's been around since they put him in the cellar hole. He almost assumes that no one will come either. Cold sweat is on his forehead and he notices that he has a fever. His whole back hurts, but around the bullet wound it also seems to be swollen and feels hot, at least as far as he can tell. He searches his pockets, maybe they missed something when they searched him on the pick up. Nothing, nothing at all. Half-heartedly he tries to loosen his bonds, no chance. He staggers up the stairs a bit and tries to lift the flap with his shoulder. He doesn't succeed either, he just gets dizzy from the effort and has to be careful that he doesn't fall again. Slowly he goes back to the bed and lies down again. He closes his eyes and thinks of Catherine. At least she is safe, nothing else matters.