Secret Safari Page 4

  ‘The patterns on the bracelet all mean something,’ explained Hasi. ‘The diamonds are shields, the symbol of protection. In the middle is the red for the heart, the black stands for the animal, in this case the black rhino, the yellow is the colour of and the blue for the clear skies of peace. The black and white checks are a symbol of success. It will bring you luck but there is one more thing,’ said Hasi, ‘something a little less traditional. These bracelets also carry homing devices. If you press the red diamond in the centre of the bracelet, an alert signal will be sent to us here and we will know your location.’

  ‘Thank you,’ said EJ, tying the bracelet around her wrist next to the charm bracelet.

  ‘But where will you look? You can’t search all of Africa,’ said Hasi.

  ‘Adriana’s message mentioned the path of the wildebeast. I think that means the wildebeest migration and it makes sense that it would be easier for her to hunt with so many animals following the herd but …’

  Piinngg!

  EJ checked her phone. It was a message from SHINE with another code for her to crack. Would this help her stop Adriana?

  EJ looked at the message.

  Rafiki walked over to EJ just as EJ’s screen flashed and the message appeared.

  ‘I can help you with the drawings,’ said Rafiki. ‘They are Adinkra symbols from West Africa, where I am from originally. If this message was intercepted on the Ivory Coast, whoever sent it would know them well. Each symbol has its own meaning and they are printed onto cloth and often used to tell stories. You can search for the meanings on the Internet.’

  EJ took out her phone, keyed in ‘Adinkra symbols’ and waited. She soon found a website that showed all the symbols and their meanings.

  ‘The first one is “Boaa me na me mmoa wo” which means “help me and let me help you”. That makes me think that Adriana is working with someone. And the second symbol means “sankofa”, meaning “return and get it”.’

  ‘I’ve seen that one before,’ said Hasi. ‘It is about learning from the past.’

  ‘That’s not Adriana’s strength,’ said EJ. ‘I think whoever sent the message might be using it in a different way. I think “return and get it” is a clue to how to read the message, a clue on how to get it. We must return, go back.’

  ‘I’m not following you,’ said Hasi.

  ‘Let’s see what happens if I write the rest of the message backwards,’ said EJ. ‘I have a code app for that.’ EJ keyed in the four lines and the app converted them to backwards writing. EJ looked at her screen hopefully. ‘That’s better,’ she said, grinning.

  ‘That confirms our fears that Adriana is hunting wildlife to sell,’ said EJ. ‘And now she is being told about more black. In Bwindi.’ EJ thought back to the briefing movie she had watched on the plane. ‘Bwindi is home to gorillas, the black gorillas. I’m pretty sure this message is telling her to go to Bwindi and get a baby gorilla. We are not going to let that happen. I need to get to Bwindi,’ said EJ.

  ‘It will take hours to get there by road,’ said Rafiki.

  ‘I was thinking of going by air,’ said EJ, fingering her balloon charm.

  EJ stood in the pilot basket of a now fully inflated and bright yellow hot air balloon. The hot air balloon was different from an ordinary hot air balloon in that it had both a motor and steering mechanism built in. The balloon would allow EJ to blend in with the tourist safaris that criss-crossed the park but she would be able to steer exactly where she wanted to go and at speed, regardless of what the wind was doing. EJ was excited, it was her first solo flight. SJ, however, looked a little nervous.

  ‘I wish I was coming with you, EJ,’ she said, ‘but I can’t leave the rhino.’

  ‘Don’t worry, SJ, I’ll be fine,’ said EJ. ‘I do missions all the time by myself and you heard A1, I got perfect marks in my flying test and the plan was always for you to stay at SWR where you are needed. Now I need to beat Adriana to the Bwindi Forest and get to the gorillas before she does.’

  SJ sighed but then smiled as EJ untied the rope and felt the balloon lift from the ground. She pulled a lever up and the balloon continued to rise upwards. In seconds EJ was floating above the compound huts and seconds later above the acacia trees that ringed it. As she looked down and waved she could make out her mother mouthing, ‘Be careful!’

  EJ steered the balloon west and increased the speed. The balloon glided over the savannah and EJ had, literally, a bird’s-eye view of all the animals below.

  Before long she approached a huge lake. EJ checked her map. ‘That’s Lake Victoria,’ she said to herself. ‘I’m getting close. The Bwindi Forest is over the other side.’

  Almost as soon as EJ had cleared the lake, the landscape changed as the yellows and browns of the grass plains gave way to trees, dark green trees and moss-covered rocks. The flat plains were replaced by ever-steeper hills. It was increasingly difficult for EJ to steer the balloon so she looked for somewhere to land. She saw a break in the trees and set the balloon down and then pressed the recall button. As she fitted the charm back onto her bracelet, she looked up at the densely forested mountain. There were four documented gorilla families in the forest and tourists often hiked up the mountain to watch them. EJ had a map from SWR showing the gorilla families and the hiking tracks most likely to lead to them. EJ began to walk but as she did, she noticed her sandy brown safari gear made her stand out amongst the dark green of the trees. I need to blend in, she thought as she once again took a charm from her bracelet, this time the button charm. EJ twisted and a button with a clip on the back appeared.

  Well, that won’t do much good, she thought, looking at the button. As she turned it over she noticed a small camera in the button and some tiny writing.

  EJ followed the instructions and heard a whirring noise and then a click from the button and then watched in delight as her shirt changed to the dark green of the forest. She was camouflaged and would be able to move through the trees without being seen.

  She began her walk up the mountain, the path becoming steeper and muddier the further she went. EJ checked the dial on the side of her SHINE-issue boots and selected ‘mud-slide suction’. Now her boots gripped through the mud and stopped EJ from slipping down the hill. She climbed on, often grabbing bamboo branches to keep her balance. The higher she climbed, the thinner the air became and EJ had to stop to get her breath. Everywhere she looked was lush, green leaves, vines entangled around moss-covered branches and giant drooping flowers. The foliage was thick and dense and it was impossible to see more than a few metres ahead. And then, quite suddenly, she came to a clearing in the trees with large, flat rocks dotted around as if they had been dropped from the sky and flattened on their way down. The air was even thinner now and it was getting even more difficult to breathe but on those rocks EJ saw something that took her breath away altogether.

  In front of EJ was a large, black and hairy face with big, dark brown eyes, spaced quite widely apart and a large, flattened nose, its wide, open nostrils dropping down to a big mouth with thick black lips. And, all around, shaping the smooth grey skin of its face were long, black hairs. But it was the eyes fixed on her that EJ couldn’t stop looking at. She slowly stepped back, keeping low; she wanted the gorilla to know she was a friend, that she wouldn’t hurt it. If it did think she was a threat, EJ would be in trouble. She would be no match for this huge beast with its black barrel of a chest and thick hairy arms and legs. But it didn’t look like it wanted to hurt anyone, none of them did. They were like gentle giants. They sat in the grass, picking things from each other’s fur, scratching themselves, scratching each other, chewing on bamboo sticks. EJ felt incredibly lucky to be so close and watching them but she remembered Rafiki’s advice to keep her distance from any wild animal. She would be no match for an angry gorilla.

  The map from the refuge said there were ten gorillas in this family and that was the number EJ counted, which meant that this family, at least, were all safe. She slipped silently back from th
e clearing and hiked on in search of the next family. Maybe she had got here before Adriana? Maybe all the gorillas would be safe?

  EJ checked her map. There was supposed to be another, smaller family, with just four adults and a baby, close by. EJ would check on them next. She was trudging along the path, pushing past the vines and branches, when she heard something.

  phtt

  What was that? It sounded like something whizzing, flying through the air. And then EJ heard another, heavier noise.

  THUD

  It was the sound of something big falling. EJ stopped in her tracks.

  phtt! phtt! THUD. THUD.

  There it was again, and again. EJ ducked down. She began to crawl slowly and quietly forwards. Then she heard the sounds a fourth time.

  phtt! THUD.

  EJ froze. Then she lifted her head. She was approaching another small clearing with more large rocks and grassy mounds, just like where the gorilla family had been resting. EJ moved slowly up to get a better view into the clearing. She now saw four large gorillas lying down in the grass. EJ felt her mouth go dry. Was she too late? EJ stood up and took a cautious step into the clearing towards the gorillas. And then she took another. As she took her third step, she heard a familiar voice.

  ‘That’s far enough, EJ12. I should have known my sister would send her pint-sized animal protector. Well, too bad, this baby’s mine.’

  It was Adriana. The short, rather large woman, dressed all in black, with a black pendant hanging from a long chain around her neck, stepped out from behind the sleeping gorillas. With her black hair swept up in the same messy hairstyle, Adriana was unmistakeably A1’s sister. They both shared the same nose and mouth but whereas A1’s eyes were blue and kind, Adriana’s were almost black and mean. And whereas A1’s fingernails were sensibly short and unpolished, Adriana’s were long and painted, some with black and white stripes, some yellow with black spots. She was holding a baby gorilla in one hand with what looked like a rifle in the other.

  ‘Are you admiring my safari nails, EJ?’ said Adriana. ‘Or my latest catch?’

  ‘Hello, Adriana,’ said EJ. She was determined to appear calm, even though she could feel the butterflies starting to fly around her stomach and her mouth beginning to dry. ‘I see you’re feeling better. A1 was sorry you didn’t say goodbye before you left.’

  ‘Very funny, EJ,’ snapped Adriana. ‘But I can’t say I completely regret my time at SHINE. If I hadn’t been kept there I wouldn’t have heard about the cream and SWR.’

  ‘The cream?’ asked EJ.

  ‘Yes, the silly cream that makes animals feel better faster. It made me think that if other people were hunting the animals, particularly all those lovely black animals, perhaps I should too. You know how I like black, EJ, don’t you? I never realised there was so much money to be made from smelly, mangy animals. So I planned my own SWR. Why should A1 have all the fun?’

  ‘What have you done to the gorillas?’ said EJ. ‘Have you killed them?’ The butterflies were like jet planes in her stomach but now she was also getting angry. What makes Adriana think she can do what she wants with these beautiful animals?

  ‘No, just shot them with sleeping darts,’ replied Adriana. ‘They were irritating me. It seems they didn’t want me to take their baby.’

  ‘And you can’t take it!’ cried EJ, stepping towards Adriana.

  ‘That’s far enough! Of course I can,’ snapped Adriana. ‘There are people who will pay an awful lot of money for a baby gorilla. So there are awful people like me who will supply them. Ha ha! That’s what SWR does.’

  ‘What do the initials stand for?’

  ‘Goodness, you are getting slower and slower, EJ. It seems anyone can win Shining Star of the Year these days. It’s obvious, really. SWR stands for SHADOW Wildlife Retail. But I haven’t got time for this, I have a lot more on my list and you’re starting to bore me. Sending me to sleep nearly …There’s an idea …’

  Adriana looked straight at EJ and smiled a thin, mean smile. EJ gulped as she watched Adriana raise her dart gun and aim it at her.

  ‘You’ll never get away with this,’ cried EJ.

  ‘Really? Oh, dear, when will my sister learn not to send a girl to do a woman’s job. Nighty-night, EJ zero.’ And with that, Adriana shot a dart that hit EJ in the leg.

  ‘Adriana, you can’t …’ began EJ. But then she felt incredibly drowsy and her legs went from underneath her. The last thing she heard before she fell asleep was Adriana’s mean cackle of a laugh.

  EJ felt cold metal against her cheek and heard the roar of an engine. Where was she? Still a little groggy from the sleeping dart, she felt a pain in her hands and realised they were tied behind her back with the rope burning into her wrists. She lifted her head and looked around and saw she was lying on the floor of a small cargo plane stacked with rows of empty crates, all marked SWR. On top of one of the crates was a pile of parachutes. Above the noise of the engine, EJ could hear Adriana. She wriggled around and saw her at the controls of the plane, head-set on, talking loudly and quickly.

  ‘Yes, I have the gorilla,’ shouted Adriana into the microphone. ‘Yes, well worth the detour, thank you, or should I say merci, Madame! But now I am back on the path. Tell SHADOW to get more crates ready, or should that be trunks? Get it? Elephants? Trunks! I’m hilarious; I could be in show business. Oh, but I guess I’m more into monkey business! I crack myself up!’

  She’s mad, thought EJ, completely mad. But also dangerous.

  ‘I have to drop something off,’ continued Adriana. ‘It has been irritating me for quite some time but now I think it will just drop away. Ha, ha, ha!’

  EJ had the uncomfortable feeling that she was the thing Adriana was going to drop off. She needed a plan. Quickly.

  ‘Yes, yes, I know, you told me, spots and stripes are the new black. Don’t worry, you’ll get your skins,’ continued Adriana. ‘It’s all on the list. You just let me know where to meet for the pick up.’

  Spots and stripes, thought EJ. She’s going to hunt more animals, for their skins. She is going to kill them! I can’t let her do that. Think, EJ, think!

  She wriggled her hands behind her and managed to press the red diamond on her wristband. As she did, EJ felt something brush against her arm. Something hairy. She turned to see the little gorilla stroking her hand. She looked into its dark, dark eyes. It was almost as if it were crying.

  ‘You need to get out of here too, don’t you little one?’ EJ whispered. ‘Don’t worry, I won’t let them take you away from your family to a zoo.’

  EJ wriggled her hands again to try to loosen the knots of the ropes tying her hands together. Then she rubbed the rope hard against the bars of the cage, hoping the friction would fray the rope. But it didn’t. Just as EJ was running out of ideas she felt the rope come away from her wrists. She looked around to see the little gorilla holding it.

  ‘Good job,’ she whispered, ‘and in just a minute, I’ll return the favour.’

  Quietly, and checking that Adriana was still preoccupied, EJ moved slowly across to the other side of the plane on her tummy. She reached up to the top crate and pulled down one of the parachutes. After making a quick safety check, she put it on and clicked her camouflage button. The parachute pack changed colour to match her shirt and unless you looked really carefully, you wouldn’t see it. EJ was just about to open the cage to take the baby gorilla when she accidently kicked over one of the cans on the plane floor. She froze as Adriana looked around.

  ‘Oh, good, you’re awake EJ12. Just in time for me to drop you off.’

  ‘Are we landing?’ asked EJ, keeping her hands behind her back.

  ‘I’m not but you will, eventually!’ Adriana pulled a lever on the control panel. ‘I’m sure my sister will miss you but I won’t, you pesky spylet.’

  EJ felt a shudder underneath her as the floor began to open. She took a deep breath and with only seconds to spare, EJ opened the cage and grabbed the gorilla. The baby seemed to know what t
o do and wrapped her arms around EJ, holding on to her tightly.

  ‘Ha! I can always get another one of those,’ cried Adriana. ‘I always knew you were a dropout. Goodbye EJ nothing. For ever.’

  Now the flap beneath EJ opened completely and she dropped out of the plane. EJ held the baby gorilla tight, as she began to plummet.

  EJ was in free-fall. ‘Hold on, little one,’ she said to the gorilla. ‘Not long to go now.’

  EJ waited thirty more seconds and then pulled the cord of her parachute. As the chute billowed out, she pressed her camo-button again and, this time, her clothes and the chute turned a streaky sky-blue. If Adriana did happen to look back to check, it would still look as if EJ were falling to the ground.

  ‘But you’re the one who has fallen, Adriana,’ said EJ, chuckling as she slowly floated to the ground below. ‘Fallen for my trick.’

  Hasi was waiting for EJ when she landed. As soon as EJ had activated her wristband, Hasi had set out from the refuge, tracking her in the SWR jeep. She smiled when she saw the baby gorilla in EJ’s arms, its little finger twisted around EJ’s.

  ‘Good job, EJ12!’

  ‘Yes, but Adriana is still out there and what we suspected is true. She is hunting animals so she can sell them, dead or alive. SWR stands for SHADOW Wildlife Retail.’

  ‘That’s bad,’ Hasi said.

  ‘But there is something good,’ said EJ, smiling.

  ‘There is?’

  ‘Adriana now thinks she has got rid of me for good and that gives me an opportunity. It’s my turn to upset a few plans!’

  It was a long drive and the three arrived back at the refuge late at night. SJ was up waiting for them and took both EJ and the gorilla into their tent.

  ‘Poor little thing,’ she said. ‘She must be so scared away from her family but she knows you now, EJ. She feels safe with you so she’d better sleep with you. She’ll be comforted by your smell and your heartbeat.’