Page 30 of Maximum
CHAPTER9
The Range
Fleur
Mike Gallaway was a large Australian man with a long military career who had come to the Madikwe reserve to help secure the area against poachers. The Big Five game reserve was situated against the Botswana border close to the Kalahari Desert.
I hadn’t met Mike in real life, but we had several friends in common and he’d reached out to me when he learned that I was coming to South Africa.
“How big is the park?” Maximum asked Mike as we drove in his Jeep after he’d picked us up from the airstrip.
“Around seventy-five thousand hectares,” Mike said in his Australian accent. He was wearing sunglasses and a hat, and he drove with one hand on the steering wheel and one elbow leaning on the window frame. “Ours is the fifth largest game preserve in South Africa. What I like the most is that day visitors aren’t allowed into the park, so the number of vehicles is limited to Jeeps from the different lodges in the preserve. That’s what makes Madikwe such an exclusive safari destination.”
Because this was Maximum’s first trip to South Africa, I’d insisted that he take the passenger seat to get a better view of the gorgeous nature around us. He was sitting leaned forward looking from side to side as if he was afraid the car would pass a giraffe and he might miss it. “Fleur said that you’ve been having trouble with an increase in aggression from the animals; do you know why?”
“If we did, we wouldn’t have to ask for the help of an animal communicator, would we?” Mike laughed and met my eyes in the rearview mirror. “That reminds me, some of the other lodge owners are skeptical. I thought I should warn you in case you meet any of them while you’re in the park.”
I was used to people doubting my abilities or wrinkling their nose at my work, so that part didn’t faze me. “When can we get going?”
“Today. The Jeep Wrangler is packed for you already. It’s got a rooftop tent conversion so you can stay overnight in the park if you need to. I’m happy to send one of our rangers with you as a guide, but now that you’re two, it’ll be a little tight with sleeping arrangements.”
“A guide won’t be necessary but thank you.”
Maximum turned in his seat and gave me a questioning look. “Have you been here before?”
“I visited this park several times, but it’s been at least ten years since I was last here.”
“Then how will you know where to go?”
I frowned because it seemed obvious to me. “We’ll go where the animals are.”
Mike banged his steering wheel with a grin. “That’s the problem though, they like to hide. Our rangers know their preferred places, though.”
I looked out the window. “Like I said, we’ll be fine. They already know I’m coming.”
“Who?” Through the rearview mirror, I felt Mike’s eyes on me. “We’re talking about several groups that have been on edge. Especially the rhinos, elephants, and lions.”
“They all know, and the elephants have shown me what the problem is already.”
“You’re kidding me!” Mike exclaimed.
“No.”
Mike was quiet as if waiting for me to elaborate, while Maximum turned in his seat again. “When did you talk to the elephants?”
“I communicated with them from Cape Town and while we were flying here.”
“What are they saying? What’s making the lions so aggressive?” Mike asked.
“They’ve told me about your problems with poachers.”
“Really? Well, it used to be a huge problem. That’s why I was hired in the first place. I’ve trained the rangers here like I trained soldiers back in Australia. The year before I came, they lost eighteen rhinos. We eradicated that shit, but then about three months ago we found two dead rhinos with their horns sawn off and...”
“One elephant, yes, I know. That’s why the elephants are scared and leave every time they see your Jeeps. They’ve gotten it into their heads that some of you rangers are in cahoots with the poachers.”
Mike’s face twisted into a defensive expression with his nose wrinkled up. “That’s crazy. We protect the animals. And besides, that makes no sense. The dramatic change in the animals that made me contact you didn’t start until about six weeks ago. How can it be related to the poachers’ attack when the killings happened at least three months back?”
“The animals are showing me another attack where the lions killed three poachers, and now everyone is nervous that more are coming.”
