Jungle Kill by Jim Eldridge Read Free Book Online Page B

on patrol.’
    They studied the men outside the hotel. Most of them seemed very relaxed, joking and laughing with one another, but a few stalked around, guns levelled. They carried a mixture of weapons. Some had AK-47s, one or two had Steyr AUGs and a couple were carrying SKS semi-automatic rifles. One thing was sure: all the weapons had deadly firepower, even in amateur hands.
    ‘Considering they’re supposed to know we’re here, they don’t seem very bothered,’ commented Two Moons.
    ‘They don’t know we’ve got this far yet,’ whispered Tug.
    ‘And this isn’t an army,’ added Mitch. ‘This isjust a bunch of gung-ho trigger-happy bandits. My guess is they think they’re safe here. Look at the building. There’s no sign of any damage to it from weapons. No burn marks. No shell damage.’
    ‘There are bullet holes in the walls,’ pointed out Gaz.
    ‘Target practice when they’re feeling bored,’ suggested Nelson.
    ‘This place has never been attacked,’ agreed Mitch. ‘Why should it be? Locals wouldn’t attack it because they’re too scared of this Ngola. Just take a look at Oba.’
    Oba was crouched low, his eyes darting from the derelict hotel to the armed men.
    Nelson turned to Mitch. ‘Ask him if he knows the layout inside this place.’
    Mitch nodded and asked Oba if he or anyone he knew had ever been inside the building. Oba’s answer brought a smile to Mitch’s face.
    ‘We’re in luck,’ he told the others. ‘Oba worked here for a while years ago when he was a kid, whenthe place was a working hotel. He was a cleaner.’
    Taking a sheet of paper and a pencil, Mitch persuaded Oba to draw a rough plan of the hotel to show where the various rooms were: the bedrooms, the kitchen, the dining room, the toilets. All the time he was drawing the sketch plan, Oba kept throwing nervous glances towards the building and the armed bandits.
    ‘He’s terrified,’ said Two Moons.
    ‘I don’t blame him,’ said Gaz. ‘We know what these people can do.’
    Mitch tried to calm Oba down, assuring him that the questions would only take a little longer, but it soon became obvious that Oba’s fear of Justis Ngola and his gang was overwhelming. He looked more and more towards the building and the armed men patrolling outside. Mitch was finding it harder to keep his attention.
    ‘We’d better let him go,’ Mitch said to Nelson. ‘We don’t want him suddenly freaking out and doing something that draws attention to us. He’sbeen brave enough to bring us here, and he’s given us a plan of the inside of the place. I think he’s done enough.’
    ‘Agreed,’ said Nelson, nodding.
    He smiled at Oba and held out his hand to the man. Oba didn’t take it – his attention was now focused entirely on the wrecked hotel. In a quiet voice, Mitch thanked Oba and told him he was free to go. Oba gratefully slipped back into the jungle and had soon disappeared from view.
    Mitch handed the sketch plan of the hotel to Nelson, who studied it.
    ‘Good work,’ Nelson said. ‘Some of this may have changed, of course.’
    ‘True,’ said Mitch, ‘but even if they’re using the rooms differently my guess is the walls will still be in place.’ He tapped the sketch map. ‘There’s a basement. I bet that’s where they’ll be holding Mwanga.’
    ‘Makes sense.’ Tug nodded in agreement. ‘Moresecure.’
    Nelson folded the sheet of paper up and tucked it into his pocket. ‘Now to scout the place out,’ he said. ‘See where the weak points are. We need to confirm that Mwanga is in the basement. We need to see if we can work out how many men are in this place, and where they are. Make sure we know the location of all the entrances and exits. Any windows that look like they can be opened up. Possible traps. Everything we can.
    ‘Mitch and Tug, you’re with me. Gaz and Two Moons, you’re with Benny. Get as much intel as you can about the place. Meet back here in thirty minutes.’
    Mitch and Tug followed