Dictator

95

Carver was busy working out the best way of getting out of the Land Rover. It was a right-hand-drive vehicle, so the door on his side was now pressed against the ground. There was a fist-sized hole in the windscreen directly in front of him and the rest of the glass was so cracked that one good kick would get rid of it. First, though, he had to find a way of delivering that kick, which would mean unstrapping himself and freeing his legs from the well in front of the driver’s seat. Justus would have the easier way out if he could somehow open the passenger-side window or door and scramble up through that. Zalika would be able to do the same at the back.

Somehow, though, Carver felt that he should be the first one out of the vehicle. He was painfully aware that anyone for miles around would have heard the sound of the crash – a crash that was entirely his fault. He had got them into this mess. Time he started getting them out of it.

Justus, however, had other ideas. He was wriggling in his seat, trying to reach the handle that would wind down his window. He finally got hold of it and started turning it as fast as he could.

Then a low, purring growl reverberated round the inside of the Land Rover. Suddenly Justus began working the handle the other way. The lion was just outside. They could hear it snuffling at the upturned car, pawing the ground.

‘Oh God, oh God… come on…’ he muttered as Zalika shrieked, ‘For God’s sake, close that fucking window!’

Just then there was a thud up above him. The lion had jumped up and was now pacing along the overturned bodywork and peering in through the windows.

Zalika screamed. She unclipped her harness and fell down to the bottom of the car, away from the marauding animal. Justus lowered himself more carefully and crouched down next to Carver.

By now, Carver had drawn the pistol that Parkes had given him and pointed it up at the side of the car. ‘Watch out,’ he said. ‘Fire in the hole.’

He punched half-a-dozen holes in the side of the car as he fired at where the great cat was standing. From outside came a squeal of pain. The lion half-jumped, half-fell down to the ground, gave another agonized grunt, then disappeared into the night.

For an entire minute, no one moved. But there were no more sounds from outside. No sign of the animal’s return.

‘Right,’ said Carver. ‘Time to go.’

‘But the lion is still out there,’ Justus protested. ‘And as long as it is alive it is dangerous.’

‘Yeah, the lion and Moses Mabeki. He’s out there somewhere, too, and I’m not waiting for him to find us.’

‘He might not find us,’ said Zalika. ‘Why don’t we wait a bit longer, just to make sure the lion has really gone away?’

Carver was about to reply when he stopped, tilted his head to one side and whispered, ‘Listen.’

The only sound to be heard in the Land Rover was very faint, but unmistakable: a helicopter, still a fair way off but getting closer all the time.

‘Right, that does it,’ said Carver. ‘I don’t care how many lions are prowling around outside, we’re getting out of here.’