was deserted and very beautiful – the sort of place Zak had only ever seen in holiday brochures. After 500 metres they stopped by a small encampment of sturdy canvas tents. There were ten of them, each one about five metres by five. Washing was hanging from lines between each tent and a small fire was burning ten metres in front of the encampment. Eight people were sitting around the fire. Seven of them had white skin and were about the same age as Bea. The eighth was black and a bit younger. Zak’s age, perhaps. It was difficult to tell.
Bea got out of the Land Rover the moment it stopped. She was talking almost before her feet touched the ground. ‘Come along, Jason, you must meet the others … I’ll introduce you … Don’t worry about your luggage …’ She walked off, still chatting, without noticing that Zak and Marcus hadn’t moved.
‘One of the challenges you’ll face out here,’ Marcus said tactfully, ‘is getting used to other people.’
‘Does she ever stop talking?’ Zak asked.
‘Course she does, Jay. The very second she falls asleep. But her heart is in the right place, even if her nose is always stuck into everybody’s business.’ Hewinked at him. ‘Come on. I think you’ll find the others a bit more relaxed.’
Marcus was right. By the time he and Zak had walked up to the camp fire, the others were standing and smiling in their direction, although the younger local-looking boy had now moved away from the group. Marcus started making the introductions. ‘Jason, meet your fellow volunteers – Matt, Roger, Alexandra, Tillie, Jacqui, Ade and Christopher. Don’t worry, I won’t be testing you on their names just yet.’
Zak looked at each of them in turn. Matt, Roger, Alexandra, Tillie, Jacqui, Ade, Christopher , he repeated silently to himself, reassured somehow by his instant recall.
‘Where’s Bea?’ the guy introduced as Ade asked.
‘I thought it was quiet,’ someone murmured.
‘Over there.’ Zak pointed to a space between two of the canvas tents. He’d seen Bea as soon as he’d approached the camp fire. She was standing in the shadows, blinking furiously, but still watching them all. Watching Zak. For some reason it made him a bit nervous.
He turned to the others. ‘It’s nice of you all to let me join you,’ he said. ‘I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty.’
Ade had very tanned skin. He was wearing just apair of turquoise knee-length swimming shorts. ‘Hands dirty?’ he asked, clearly confused.
‘Building the school.’ He looked around the group. Suddenly things seemed a bit awkward. ‘That’s what we’re here to do, isn’t it?’
A pause. ‘You didn’t tell him?’ Ade asked Marcus in surprise.
Marcus didn’t answer. He just put one hand on Zak’s shoulder. ‘I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping,’ he said quietly. ‘We’ll have a chat later.’
He led Zak towards the tents, keeping a couple of metres ahead of him. It was almost as if he didn’t want to get caught in a conversation. And Zak couldn’t help noticing, as he walked away from the camp fire, that Bea was no longer staring at them.
She was no longer standing in the shadows.
She was nowhere to be seen.
7
NIGHT FISHING
19.45 hrs West Africa Time
ZAK’S TENT WAS simple – a low bed covered with a mosquito net hanging from the ceiling; rush matting on the floor; a clothes rail with a few hangers; a battery-operated lamp. He dumped his stuff and sat quietly on the edge of his bed for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts. He’d only just arrived in Lobambo and already things didn’t seem right. Why had everyone gone quiet when he’d asked about the school? And there was something about Bea that didn’t quite ring true. What was it? Zak was determined to find out.
But first he had to become one of the group again. To be Jason Cole and not Zak Darke. He cleared his head and prepared to rejoin them. It was fully dark when he walked outside again. The stars
Bea got out of the Land Rover the moment it stopped. She was talking almost before her feet touched the ground. ‘Come along, Jason, you must meet the others … I’ll introduce you … Don’t worry about your luggage …’ She walked off, still chatting, without noticing that Zak and Marcus hadn’t moved.
‘One of the challenges you’ll face out here,’ Marcus said tactfully, ‘is getting used to other people.’
‘Does she ever stop talking?’ Zak asked.
‘Course she does, Jay. The very second she falls asleep. But her heart is in the right place, even if her nose is always stuck into everybody’s business.’ Hewinked at him. ‘Come on. I think you’ll find the others a bit more relaxed.’
Marcus was right. By the time he and Zak had walked up to the camp fire, the others were standing and smiling in their direction, although the younger local-looking boy had now moved away from the group. Marcus started making the introductions. ‘Jason, meet your fellow volunteers – Matt, Roger, Alexandra, Tillie, Jacqui, Ade and Christopher. Don’t worry, I won’t be testing you on their names just yet.’
Zak looked at each of them in turn. Matt, Roger, Alexandra, Tillie, Jacqui, Ade, Christopher , he repeated silently to himself, reassured somehow by his instant recall.
‘Where’s Bea?’ the guy introduced as Ade asked.
‘I thought it was quiet,’ someone murmured.
‘Over there.’ Zak pointed to a space between two of the canvas tents. He’d seen Bea as soon as he’d approached the camp fire. She was standing in the shadows, blinking furiously, but still watching them all. Watching Zak. For some reason it made him a bit nervous.
He turned to the others. ‘It’s nice of you all to let me join you,’ he said. ‘I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty.’
Ade had very tanned skin. He was wearing just apair of turquoise knee-length swimming shorts. ‘Hands dirty?’ he asked, clearly confused.
‘Building the school.’ He looked around the group. Suddenly things seemed a bit awkward. ‘That’s what we’re here to do, isn’t it?’
A pause. ‘You didn’t tell him?’ Ade asked Marcus in surprise.
Marcus didn’t answer. He just put one hand on Zak’s shoulder. ‘I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping,’ he said quietly. ‘We’ll have a chat later.’
He led Zak towards the tents, keeping a couple of metres ahead of him. It was almost as if he didn’t want to get caught in a conversation. And Zak couldn’t help noticing, as he walked away from the camp fire, that Bea was no longer staring at them.
She was no longer standing in the shadows.
She was nowhere to be seen.
7
NIGHT FISHING
19.45 hrs West Africa Time
ZAK’S TENT WAS simple – a low bed covered with a mosquito net hanging from the ceiling; rush matting on the floor; a clothes rail with a few hangers; a battery-operated lamp. He dumped his stuff and sat quietly on the edge of his bed for a few minutes, gathering his thoughts. He’d only just arrived in Lobambo and already things didn’t seem right. Why had everyone gone quiet when he’d asked about the school? And there was something about Bea that didn’t quite ring true. What was it? Zak was determined to find out.
But first he had to become one of the group again. To be Jason Cole and not Zak Darke. He cleared his head and prepared to rejoin them. It was fully dark when he walked outside again. The stars
Similar Books
