“Filled bakery item?” She laughed. “That’s so … appetizing. What’s Accessory Packet A?”
“In this case, it’s coffee.” He opened a bottle of water and set it aside, a grin on his face. “This is the US military’s idea of haute cuisine, so don’t get excited.”
While she watched, he stuck the plastic package of hash browns into the green bag, poured in a little water, and set it aside. “Does that rehydrate the food?”
“No, it heats it.” He opened another box and repeated the same process. “This is how soldiers get warm meals when we’re out in the field.”
A delicious aroma wafted from the packet as it warmed, making her mouth water.
But what if animals smelled it, too? “I thought you didn’t want to have food outside of the vehicle.”
“We’ll be leaving when we’re done. Did you sleep well?”
“Thanks to you.” She was a little stiff, but shehadslept. “I had strange dreams. I kept seeing the lion, watching it walk by, looking into its eyes. Sometimes, I knew you were the lion. Its eyes were your eyes. Dreams are weird.”
He handed her a plastic spoon. “I don’t know what that means, but I like it.”
“Did you see anything last night—lions, maybe?”
“No lions. I saw lots of bats, a big python that’s still in that tree over there, a bush baby, and a family of pangolins that shuffled by not long ago.”
“A python?” She decided not to look this time.
He took one of the green heater bags, pulled out the food packet, peeled it open, and handed it to her. “Bon appétit.”
“Thanks.” She took the packet, which was almost too hot to hold. “That smells so good. Mmm. It tastes good, too.”
Malik tore open his food and began to eat. “I’m glad you think so. It’s calories—fuel to get you through the day.”
Kristi finished quickly and then ate her granola without the powdered milk. Uncertain when they’d be able to eat again, she saved the rest for later, tucking it inside her backpack and putting the trash inside the brown paper box.
“We’ll clean up, pack up what we need, and use the compass on my phone to—”
The sound of an engine.
“Get behind that rock!”
Kristi did as he’d ordered, dragging the tarp with her.
Malik concealed himself beside her, stretched onto his belly, rifle raised.
Pulse pounding, Kristi lay still.
Now she understood why they hadn’t stayed with the vehicle.
“Breathe, Kristi,” Malik whispered.
She exhaled, watching the road as the sound of the engine grew closer.
A green pickup truck came into view, the wordsOkobi Wildlife Preserve Rangerpainted on the door in white. The truck stopped behind their rental vehicle, and a man wearing a green uniform with a green beret stepped out. Hand on his weapon, he moved carefully toward the vehicle, looked inside the windows, then down at the ground.
He knelt, touched the sandy soil. When he stood upright again, he looked straight at them—and reached for his radio.
“He’s tracking us, but doesn’t see us,” Malik whispered, quickly stripping out of his military gear and tucking a pistol in the back of his jeans. “I’m going to take a chance. I have to stop him from calling this in. You stay here until I call you, okay? And hide my gear in the duffel bag.”
“No! What if he’s one of them? What if he kills you?”
“I’ll kill him back.” He took off his helmet, set the rifle aside, then called out. “I’m a tourist, and my car got stuck! Don’t shoot.”