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APHRODISIAC - A book in the Jack Delaney Chronicles
10% of the author's royalty from the sale of this book will be donated to charities.
Rhinos are being poached from a Private Game Reserve and Jack Delaney and his team are called in to investigate and put a stop to this blight. There is little time to waste and the non-stop action moves from the offices of the owners of the Big 5 Game Reserves into the bushveld setting of the Game reserve. Crocodile and hippo infested rivers become potential murder weapons as a Game Ranger is kidnapped - and murder, too, rears its ugly head.
The mob are ruthless in their attempts to take over control of a Private Game Reserve so that they can use it as a staging post for their smuggling and poaching activities, and the battle for control comes to a head in the dark of an African night in and amongst the crocodiles and hippos in a river bed.
Excerpt from APHRODISIAC - A book in the Jack Delaney Chronicles
Chapter 19
.....Why do you come here to this cave? I turned back to de Milo and asked him. Its so far from anywhere?
Thats exactly the point, he explained. Its so far from any prying eyes that the pilot will be able to collect the diamonds from here without interruptions and in relative safety after I hide them there under that rock Spikes sitting on. The pilots an old bush-pilot and so has a good knowledge of the bush and will have no difficulty of sneaking out of his bungalow in the middle of the night.
Then why are you here two weekends in a row? I asked, playing for time and trying to milk him for information at the same time.
Because there was too much water in the cave last weekend and I couldnt search under the rock to see if the batch of stones Id left there had been collected. I was concerned that the ranger with me would come to see what I was up to if I took too long. Even though it rolls over fairly easily, I was afraid if I disturbed the rock and the sand under it I might lose the diamonds because of the movement of the water. The cave was too dark and the water too brown and stagnant to be able to be sure of not disturbing the packet and the ranger was already starting to get nosey.
Just tell me one more thing, de Milo, I requested, still playing for time. Whyd you have to have Zeke killed? There was nothing he could do in prison to pay you back the money he owed you.
Money he owed me, laughed de Milo, slapping Spike playfully on the shoulder as Spike laughed along with him. That was peanuts, but it certainly got the word out not to renege on money owed to me. No, Zeke made the mistake of asking a prison warder to arrange for the police to interview him. As you know, explained de Milo thoughtfully. He wanted to turn on me in exchange for an early parole.
Stupid man, agreed Spike. He carried out many hits for the boss. Whatever made him think that he could turn on the boss and not get what he had done to the others? When the boss ordered me to take out Zeke in the prison, I told him it would be my privilege.
All right, but why did you have to have Tsele killed? I queried, still playing for time. Where the heck was Mo? I wondered, surely, I hoped against hope he couldnt be too far behind us.
He knew too much, confided de Milo, tapping his gun butt with his fingers as he thought about my question. I was afraid he would eventually put two and two together and work out what I was up to here, and that would have dropped us firmly in the crap.
And poor Simon, I asked looking into his callous eyes in total disbelief. Whyd you have to pick on him as well? He was just an innocent old man who couldnt possibly have been a threat to you!
Not so, de Milo disagreed, picking up his gun and carefully aiming it at me before replacing it on his lap. That looks interesting. Ive never killed anyone myself before, so maybe Ill do you instead of letting Spike do it.
He paused and thought about that for a while before he resumed his explanation, Simon could also have worked out that I was up to something here and so he had to be neutralized. And what better way to do it than by taking out two birds with one stone. Kill the one and frame the other for the murder. Sheer brilliance on my part if you ask me, he boasted.
But why do you want to kill me? I demanded. The only threat I was is that I didnt like you. You know I have no evidence against you.
I know that now but I didnt know it then, he responded. But now the dice is cast and I cant let you go. Youve heard too much.
How do you intend to hide my body? I queried.
Dont worry. The crocs will take care of that for me, he laughed. This time Spike has learnt not to leave the body too far away from the water and so hell throw your corpse into the river for them to eat there.
A shadow moved at the entrance to the cave. I didnt know if the two criminals had noticed but, half expecting a leopard, I rolled sideways and at the same time yelled, "Leopard!"
All hell broke loose!
A voice yelled, Dont move. Put your hands up and keep them where I can see them.
Next thing the cave was full of armed men, all pointing semi-automatic weapons at de Milo and Spike who were quickly handcuffed and unceremoniously thrown to the ground.
Stay there and dont move, the voice again yelled and I recognized the voice as Piets at the same moment that I recognized his physique. If only he knew how close he was to me kissing him in relief, Im sure he would have backed out of the cave just as fast as he entered it.
Antonio de Milo and Cornelius de Vito you are both under arrest for the murder of Zeke, Ranger Tsele and various other people, for kidnapping and sundry other charges that Im sure the Deputy Attorney General will think up. My advice to you is simply shut up, he advised, carefully putting his hand gun back in its holster.
He put out his hand to help me to my feet, then put his arm around my shoulders and asked solicitously, You OK Jack?
Behind the big man stood and even bigger man, a look of relief adorning his scarred face. Mo!
Author - TERRY HAYWARD
| TERRY HAYWARD is a retired Anglican (Episcopalian) Priest who previously practised law in Durban, South Africa, for 25 years. He is married to Rita and the two now live in New Zealand with their daughter, son in law and two of their grandchildren. The family have always had a deep love for conservation and it is from this love that the inspiration for this and Terrys other books stems. |
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