and as a vantage point from which he could cover the bank beyond it. But
before he reached it he heard the splash of some heavy object striking
the surfac& of the river, and an excited female squeal, both playful and
provocative.
Reaching the side of the boulder, and keeping close in under its
protective bulk, he stole towards the corner, from which he could
overlook the gravel bank beyond. Then, peeping cautiously around the
angle of the boulder, he stared in amazement. He could barely believe
what he was seeing. He could not credit this kind of stupidity from a
man like Mek Nimmur. This was the hard man, the seasoned warrior and
survivor of twenty years of bloody bush war acting like a love-sick
teenage booby.
Mek Nimmur had sent his men away so that he could be alone to frolic
with his new paramour. Boris took time to make absolutely certain that
this was not some elaborate trap that had been set for him. It seemed
too fortuitous, too heaven-sent to be really true. He searched every
inch of the bank in both directions for hidden gunmen before he smiled
his cold little smile.
'Of course they are alone. Mek would never let one of his men see Tessay
naked like this.' His smile grew broader as he recognized the full
extent of his luck. 'He must have gone crazy. Did he not realize that I
would follow him? Did he think he was far enough ahead to be able to
indulge tu himself like this? Is there anything in this world as pid and
as shortsighted as a standing prick?' Boris was gloating delightedly
now.
uple had stripped off their clothes and left them The coin a pile on the
beach of grey basalt gravel in the shade of AL
the tall boulder. They were splashing together in the slack water of the
river at the edge of the main current. Both Of them were stark
mother-naked. Mek Nimmur was broadshouldered, with a heavily muscled
back and hard, tight buttocks. Beside him Tessay was slim as a river
reed, her waist tiny and her hips narrow. Her skin was the colour of
wild honey. They were completely absorbed in each other, without eyes or
ears for anything else in this world.
'He must have left men guarding his back trail.' Boris gave Mek the
benefit of some sense. 'He never expected me to be ahead of him on the
trail. He thinks they are completely secure. Look at the fool,' he
gloated, as Mek chased the girl and she let herself be caught. They fell
into the shallow water locked in each other's embrace, mouths seeking
each other as they surfaced again, laughing as the water streamed down
their darkly beautiful faces, the epitome of handsome masculinity and
lovely womanhood, the image of an African Adam and Eve captured for a
moment in their own little carefree paradise.
Boris tore his eyes from them, and looked to where their clothing had
been abandoned on the gravel bar.
Mek's AK rifle lay carelessly on top of his camouflage jacket, within a
few paces of where Boris stood. He crossed the open gravel bar with a
few quick strides, picked up the AK, unclipped the curved magazine and
dropped it into his pocket, ejected the round from the chamber and let
