story.
Outside the dark living areas, the bright sunlight blinded her. A family of monkeys howled in the distance, and Natalie shivered at their jabbering. She skirted the perimeter of the village, stopping at the empty clotheslines.
Three feet in front of her was a patch of blood.
Natalie pressed the doll to her chest and swallowed the tears that threatened to erupt. Maybe if she brought Chad up here he would have some ideas of what to do, who to talk to. Something had to be done.
“I found it! Now you’ll believe me.”
Natalie spun around at the sound of Joseph’s voice.
The young man bounded across the level ground with the camera,stopping in front of her when he saw the doll. For a moment the significance of the camera was forgotten.
“Where did you get that?”
Natalie shrugged and pointed toward one of the huts. “It was lying on the ground.”
“It’s Aina’s.”
His sister. Natalie felt her stomach clench. “I’m sorry. I—”
“What if I never see them again?” He grabbed the doll and crushed it against his chest.
“I don’t know, Joseph. I don’t know.”
There was nothing she could say. No words that could erase the emptiness she knew he was feeling. Except for one thing.
“They’re not rumors, are they?” she whispered.
“No.”
He handed her the camera. She flipped open the small square screen and scanned the photos one by one. A man in black with a rifle in his hands jabbed an older woman…A villager grasped a child’s hand…A group of women, their hands raised to the heavens, were prodded toward the forest…An old man lay motionless on the ground…A soldier gestured with a grin on his face…
“You were right about all of this, Joseph. The Ghost Soldiers are real.” Natalie swallowed hard. No longer did they have only the word of a local village boy. “Now we’ve just got to get someone else to believe us.”
Something rustled in the bushes. Natalie turned and saw a flash of light.
Joseph grasped her arm.
Why would they return? There was no reason, unless someone had followed them here. She tried to push away the fear. “There was a pig running around a few minutes ago. It’s probably just an animal.”
He didn’t look convinced. But neither was she.
“We’ve got what we need. Let’s go.” Natalie shoved the camera into her backpack, grabbed Joseph’s hand, and started running.
EIGHT
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 11:12 A.M.
KALAMBALI SQUARE, KASILI
Relief flooded Natalie as she pulled into the parking lot of her office compound, thankful for the security of the high walls and the electric barrier that surrounded the property. Such safety measures had become the norm in a city riddled with burglaries and petty crime. She waited until the automatic gate clicked shut, then stepped out onto the brick drive. The gardener raked leaves in the corner of the compound. Voices drifted across the yard from people passing on the street. Strange how life continued as if nothing had happened.
Beside her, Joseph raced up the front steps of the one-story building. The walls of Kalambali Square, with its chipped and worn exterior, held offices for two nonprofit organizations as well as a branch of the government health headquarters.
Inside the office, she nodded as she swept past the receptionist, who seemed more intent on filing her nails than the stack of papers lining her desk.
“Is Stephen in?”
The secretary shook her head. “He should be back any minute.”
“Please tell him to come see me when he returns. It’s very important.”
Her tiny office at the end of the narrow hallway held little morethan a desk, two chairs, and a few items she’d brought in to brighten up the space. A collage of photos hung above her desk beside a wilted plant that needed water. She glanced at the pictures of her parents, taken at her father’s sixtieth birthday party.
They hadn’t been thrilled with her decision to move to the RD. Since retirement, becoming grandparents had
Outside the dark living areas, the bright sunlight blinded her. A family of monkeys howled in the distance, and Natalie shivered at their jabbering. She skirted the perimeter of the village, stopping at the empty clotheslines.
Three feet in front of her was a patch of blood.
Natalie pressed the doll to her chest and swallowed the tears that threatened to erupt. Maybe if she brought Chad up here he would have some ideas of what to do, who to talk to. Something had to be done.
“I found it! Now you’ll believe me.”
Natalie spun around at the sound of Joseph’s voice.
The young man bounded across the level ground with the camera,stopping in front of her when he saw the doll. For a moment the significance of the camera was forgotten.
“Where did you get that?”
Natalie shrugged and pointed toward one of the huts. “It was lying on the ground.”
“It’s Aina’s.”
His sister. Natalie felt her stomach clench. “I’m sorry. I—”
“What if I never see them again?” He grabbed the doll and crushed it against his chest.
“I don’t know, Joseph. I don’t know.”
There was nothing she could say. No words that could erase the emptiness she knew he was feeling. Except for one thing.
“They’re not rumors, are they?” she whispered.
“No.”
He handed her the camera. She flipped open the small square screen and scanned the photos one by one. A man in black with a rifle in his hands jabbed an older woman…A villager grasped a child’s hand…A group of women, their hands raised to the heavens, were prodded toward the forest…An old man lay motionless on the ground…A soldier gestured with a grin on his face…
“You were right about all of this, Joseph. The Ghost Soldiers are real.” Natalie swallowed hard. No longer did they have only the word of a local village boy. “Now we’ve just got to get someone else to believe us.”
Something rustled in the bushes. Natalie turned and saw a flash of light.
Joseph grasped her arm.
Why would they return? There was no reason, unless someone had followed them here. She tried to push away the fear. “There was a pig running around a few minutes ago. It’s probably just an animal.”
He didn’t look convinced. But neither was she.
“We’ve got what we need. Let’s go.” Natalie shoved the camera into her backpack, grabbed Joseph’s hand, and started running.
EIGHT
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17, 11:12 A.M.
KALAMBALI SQUARE, KASILI
Relief flooded Natalie as she pulled into the parking lot of her office compound, thankful for the security of the high walls and the electric barrier that surrounded the property. Such safety measures had become the norm in a city riddled with burglaries and petty crime. She waited until the automatic gate clicked shut, then stepped out onto the brick drive. The gardener raked leaves in the corner of the compound. Voices drifted across the yard from people passing on the street. Strange how life continued as if nothing had happened.
Beside her, Joseph raced up the front steps of the one-story building. The walls of Kalambali Square, with its chipped and worn exterior, held offices for two nonprofit organizations as well as a branch of the government health headquarters.
Inside the office, she nodded as she swept past the receptionist, who seemed more intent on filing her nails than the stack of papers lining her desk.
“Is Stephen in?”
The secretary shook her head. “He should be back any minute.”
“Please tell him to come see me when he returns. It’s very important.”
Her tiny office at the end of the narrow hallway held little morethan a desk, two chairs, and a few items she’d brought in to brighten up the space. A collage of photos hung above her desk beside a wilted plant that needed water. She glanced at the pictures of her parents, taken at her father’s sixtieth birthday party.
They hadn’t been thrilled with her decision to move to the RD. Since retirement, becoming grandparents had
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