Page 32 of The Death
“Dear God,” Celine murmured. “It’s a wonder you managed to live through that horror.”
“Of course I lived through it,” Kontara said fiercely. “Do you think I’d let those beasts get the best of me? There was no way I wouldn’t escape. I only wish I’d found a way to send them straight to hell.”
Dominic chuckled. “There you are. Plain as day. Rashid was right. You can see why she reminds him of you.” He turned back to Kontara. “She didn’t mean to insult you. We’re all in complete agreement regarding Zakira. And when you get to know Celine a little better, she may even be able to give you a few lessons on how to send them to those lower regions. I’m sure she’s not nearly your equal as a cook, but she’s very talented at what she does.” He was reaching for his phone. “But since you had an up-close-and-personal experience with some of the men in Zakira’s camp, would you look at these photos and tell me if they’re familiar?”
She took the phone and checked out the photos. “The man with gray hair is Caldwell. Zakira sent me to him quite a fewtimes. He wanted to please him. They had some sort of deal going on. The other man is Jossland. He works for Caldwell.” She shuddered. “He and Caldwell both like to cause pain, but Jossland almost killed one of the women he was sent. Caldwell had to apologize to Zakira.”
“What kind of deal with Caldwell?” Dominic asked.
“Weapons and drugs for gold,” she said absently as she turned to look at Celine. “What could you teach me that I don’t already know?”
She smiled. “Nothing that I wouldn’t be happy to show you. I did have a recent experience with Jossland. I believe I broke his nose. Perhaps we could come to an arrangement.”
“But in the meantime, I’ve been promising Celine that she could try out some of your fantastic cooking,” Dominic said. “Would you oblige?”
“A broken nose…” Kontara repeated thoughtfully. Then she slowly nodded. “Yes, I think I’ll definitely oblige, Dominic.”
She closed the door behind her and headed for the gate. “Let’s go around to the kitchen. I’ll let you talk to me while I make preparations. I want to ask you a few questions…”
“Probably more than a few,” Dominic murmured in Celine’s ear as they followed her through the gate toward the front of the mansion. “I have a number of questions for her myself, and I’d appreciate it if you’d let me have my turn first. Your discussion may be a little more complicated and drawn out. She appears to need a good deal of reassurance after all those memories that came flooding back.”
“I can see why,” Celine said grimly. “She must have felt terribly helpless most of that time. I don’t think I could have stood to go through that. From the time I was a child, myfather saw that I was able to take care of myself in every way possible. There’s no question that I would do anything I could to help Kontara.”
“I didn’t have the slightest doubt that you would. Just remember that she’s a woman who wouldn’t hesitate to put down an opponent permanently if you give her a weapon. She must have an enormous amount of stored-up rage brewing within her.”
“You’re warning me?” Celine shook her head. “That’s another thing my father taught me. Never hesitate to go all the way if you see an enemy is heading in that direction. You just have to decide how far they intend to go and then adjust.”
He chuckled. “My admiration for your father continues to increase with every bit of wisdom you unfold for me.” They had reached the large scullery kitchen, and he pushed her gently down into a chair at the table. “Stay here and let me have my little chat with Kontara and then I’ll leave the two of you alone to come to terms. Okay?”
“Not really. She’s upset and I think you should let her have time to recover before you start interrogating her.”
He ruefully shook his head. “And now you’re tucking her under your wing to protect her from me? She’s managed to survive working here for months with no permanent damage so far.”
“How do we know that?”
He chuckled. “Ask her.” He turned and headed across the kitchen toward the sink where Kontara was standing washing vegetables.
“I figure I have at least ten minutes before our friend Celine comes over here and interrupts us because she’s afraid I mightbe browbeating you,” he said. “Though I tried to tell her that you’ve survived me very well during the time you’ve been here at the estate. Isn’t that true?”
“You’ve been kind.” She turned and stared him in the eyes. “Even when you were angry with me because I wouldn’t answer any of your questions after I regained consciousness. You still did nothing to me to force me to talk. It took me a while to realize that you weren’t like those men I’d become accustomed to at Shafira village. Even after I began to trust you, I was afraid for anyone to know where I’d come from in case they came after me again.”
Dominic nodded. “But when you heard Rashid asking questions about the massacre at Karimu, you realized that those bastards might be getting too close and you needed to know where you stood with me?” he said quietly. “Where you stand is a place of safety. I would never turn you over to that priest or his gunrunning friends who tore that village and its people apart.” He paused. “But I might want you to help me get rid of all of them and find a way to release the other women, who you say have suffered as much as you did under Zakira.”
“How?” she asked warily.
“I’ve had teams of trackers trying to locate both the goldfields and Zakira’s village stronghold. But from what they’ve told me, that mountain country is like a giant maze. They couldn’t locate either one. But you said you escaped many times. Could you find your way back to that village?”
“I don’t know. It’s true, that country is worse than any maze. Even Zakira’s guards who went searching for me had trouble finding me and bringing me back to the village. That’s why they were so angry and the punishment was so severe,”she whispered. “I remembered some paths and a cave or two… Maybe I could find it again. But I swore I’d never go back to that nightmare.”
“Even if it means destroying the nightmare for all those other people at Shafira? Even if it means preventing Zakira from turning Caldwell loose on other villages?”
“I don’t know if I could find it again.” She shuddered. “I feel sick just thinking about it.”
“I’m not going to push you right now. As far as I know there’s no urgency at the moment,” Dominic said quietly. “I just want you to consider whether it’s possible, and if you’d be willing to lead a team back up to the mountains to save all those lives. If I promise to keep you absolutely safe, will you do that for me?”
“I’ll think about it,” she said slowly. “No promises.” She suddenly looked across the room at Celine. “Why is she here? You’re not thinking of taking her up to those mountains? Zakira would love to get his hands on her. The pretty ones are always more valuable to him to barter. And she’s more than pretty… He could get anything he wanted for her.”
Dominic grimaced. “I may not have a choice. She’s very stubborn, and she lost someone because of what’s going on in those mountains. She wants them punished.” He paused. “And she doesn’t have to think about it.”
