52: To Tanzania
1120 Words
Ezbar was silent for a second "It, it might be Naomi"
"Brilliant! We want to go ourselves but the Ratel is not suited for this situation"
"Why!?"
"It's on mount Kilimanjaro"
Koos heard Ezbar give a slight laugh "What would she be doing there!?"
"f**k knows, you have to send Quintin!"
"Quintin barley survived against Naomi, barely survived against Kishra, what do you think his chances are against three of them!?"
"Then!? Make more of those cats man!"
"You i***t! You think I can just roll sabers off like I'm a factory with a production line!? This takes years of work! And it's not like I can go to any one and ask 'Hey? Are you interested in becoming a sabertooth cat? Then go risk your life fighting werewolves!?' No Koos! It doesn't work like that!"
Koos bellowed with anger jumping up and down in the kitchen, Frits, Piet and Naledi came in the doorway to see why he was making so much noise.
"Fine then! He's a cat right!? Cats are by nature stealth animals, send him in for a reconnaissance mission, let him scout out why they're there"
"Koos!? You're not this stupid! The peak of Kilimanjaro is covered in snow! Snow is white! Quintin has a pitch black coat he will stand out like a sore thumb!"
Koos lifted his free arm high an slammed the oak kitchen table in half. Ezbar heard the crash of wood.
"What was that!?"
"I broke the kitchen table!"
"Still a barbarian like always!"
"Don't make me come shoot off your other fokkin leg!" Koos yelled thinking hard, he ran all the weapons he had access to in his head, what he had was completely situational, the Ratel might be their trump card, but it's mobility for intercontinental contact is limited if they don't plan ahead, and have a plane to carry it... If only they had something with the firepower of the Ratel, but can fly... Of course!
"Frits!" He screamed to the door but Frits was basically standing right behind him and staggered back falling with Piet and Naledi, Ezbar had to flick the phone away from his ear again.
"I'm right here forfucksakes!"
"Make that three planes! We need a Hercules C-130 as well"
"Koos! Were in the middle of a desert! Where the fok are we going to land three airplanes of that size and be clandestine about it!?"
"We worry about that later! Start looking..." He held the phone to his ear again.
"Ezbar?"
"You done blowing off steam?"
"f*****g far from it, I understand your situation, I also don't want Quintin to get hurt"
"Wow, You let that go easily"
"Make no mistake, I'm still pissed that we can't go at least check"
Ezbar sighed "Koos, I'll ask Quintin what he thinks, if he goes, then he goes, if he decides against it, I won't force him"
"Thanks doc, if he decides to go, give him a satellite phone so we can be in contact with him"
"Will do" Ezbar placed the phone down and dug his ear out with his finger.
"Bloody hell can't that man talk like a normal person on a phone?"
He got his crutches and turned in his chair but stopped when he saw Quintin and Katja standing behind him eyes wide, they came running when they heard Ezbar scream.
"Doc?" Quintin said "I heard Naomi's name?"
Ezbar sighed "Yes, Frits found three signals like the one he found on the cruise ship, but it's on Mount Kilimanjaro, and we both know they don't stand a chance against werewolves without their Ratel, which is why they can't go"
Quintin felt a skip in his heart beat.
"That must be frustrating" Katja said.
"It is, my ear is still ringing from Koos's screaming"
"Then... Let me go" Quintin said making Ezbar tremble.
"Boy, it's three against one"
"Against two" Katja said quickly "I'm going too"
"Katja you barely shifted, you can't just wag your tail at them" Ezbar said.
"I'll, I'll find a way to help, let's just go" She said and looked up at Quintin, he was standing in thought, Katja could see the mourn in his eyes 'Brilliant' she thought, just when their relationship picked up so nicely, but regardless, she wanted him to know she won't ever betray him.
"Quintin?" She asked and he looked down at her "I'll back you up, you're not alone against them"
He smiled "I know, thanks Katja"
"So you're going?" Ezbar asked.
"Yes"
The man placed his hands in his hair "Years, years of research, countless hours of work, and if I lose you two, it will all be for nothing"
"Don't worry doc, I have a plan" Quintin said leaving to go pack a bag.
It was a six hour flight to Tanzania, Quintin gave Katja the window seat so she could stare out over Africa, but her attention wasn't there long.
"So? What's your plan?" She asked turning to him.
"Well, remember on that ship? When I managed to become a cat without the full moon?"
"Yes?"
"I need to tap into that, if I can approach them knowing I can use the sabertooth, my chances of surviving, or even killing one is better"
Katja stared at him for a few seconds "Even Naomi?"
He nodded "Even Naomi Katja, I let her go, if she's with Cleopatra there on Kilimanjaro, then that's where she chose to be, making her my enemy"
She nodded, slightly relieved, but still sad for him none the less "So? How will we get you angry?"
He chuckled "I don't know? I, I'll try remembering that time I was fighting Kishra, maybe that would spark something"
She nodded "We'll figure it out"
When they finally landed at the rural airport the rented a Landover and set off to the Kilimanjaro national park. Quintin took out his satellite phone and dialled Koos up.
"Koos hello?"
"Hey, did you miss me?" Quintin asked making him laugh.
"Glad you have the time to make jokes Frikkie, when this might be your last mission?"
"That's why I make jokes"
"Love your enthusiasm boet, what's up?"
"Is the signals still on Kilimanjaro?"
"Yes, we just checked"
"Good, do you have a way to check the moon cycle for Tanzania?"
"Hold on quick"
Quintin heard them talk in the background, then Koos name on again.
"Tonight is the last full moon, then only in a week again"
"Ok, then I won't go there tonight"
"And if they leave?"
"Then that's that, I'm not going to risk my life, if they don't leave, I'll go there when I feel an opportunity presents itself"
"Ok, your call then Frikkie, keep us updated"
"Will do"
- Writer
