Introduction

“Every page radiates love and knowledge of this unique part of our planet and highlights its potential for disaster. Knowlton’s suspenseful book sets the beauty of the Okavango against the dangers.”–Michael Stanley, author of the Detective Kubu series

When Alexa Williams agrees to spend months doing lion research with boyfriend Reese, she looks forward to witnessing the elemental life and death struggle of the African wild. But she never imagines she’ll become one of the hunted on the Okavango Delta. In the latest Alexa Williams novel, the kick-ass lawyer tangles with elephant poachers and conservation politics on the African continent.

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Excerpt

Crack! A loud noise woke Alexa from a restless sleep. She opened her eyes and propped up on an elbow to listen. Even with the mattress pad, her hip and elbow ached from the hard ground. Shrugging off the sound as a dream or a falling branch, she settled back into her sleeping bag. Then, a series of loud reports split the night. Gunfire. She bolted upright, heart racing, and scrambled to pull on her shirt, pants, jacket, and shoes. She heard muffled voices to her right. Mo and Tale were awake too. In the dark, Alexa crawled to the door of her tent just as someone zipped it open from the outside.

Alarmed, Alexa drew back until Harry whispered. “Someone’s shooting down by the waterhole. We need to find cover. No flashlights.” From the direction of the waterhole, Alexa could hear elephants trumpeting amid more gunfire. Harry reached out a hand to help her to her feet—his other held a rifle.

Alexa grabbed his outstretched palm and rose. Mo and Tale stood in front of their tent, their attention directed toward the waterhole. The wind had risen, and a steady breeze coming from the direction of the water amplified the sound. As Alexa’s eyes adjusted to the dark, she saw that the two men also gripped rifles in their hands.

“Right now, those jokers don’t know we’re up here. We need to find someplace to lay low.” Tale spoke in a hushed tone.

“We could abandon camp and drive away, call for help when we get down the road a few kilometers,” Mo suggested.

“This could be the poachers. They came in from the other side, maybe from the river. They have no idea we’re here. Shouldn’t we try to get some information about them? Driving away is a risk. They’ll hear our engine; that could send them after us,” Harry urged.

“As long as we stay out of sight, we could take a look. If it is poachers, they’ll need light to harvest the tusks. I say, yes,” Tale nodded.

With reluctance, Mo responded, “Okay but we’re outmatched with these three rifles. That was automatic weapon fire earlier.”

Alexa swallowed. She’d fled from men with guns once back home, moving instinctively to save her life. Their situation here was less immediate. It was likely the poachers had no idea that she and the others were camped here. So, they had a choice; to flee or to help nail these butchers. Although she was frightened, she thought Harry’s idea was worth the risk. “If we can describe them to the BDF, that could help end the poaching.” She shuddered as she envisioned the slaughter that was likely going on right now on the other side of the tree line.

“I get that driving out of here could draw them to us. Even though we’re downwind, they’d certainly hear the engine. But why don’t I try to contact BDF on the Sat phone or raise someone on the radio?” Mo pulled a phone out of his jacket pocket. “I’ll head out to the Land Cruiser. If I sit on the other side of the vehicle, it will shield the sound of the call. If it doesn’t work, I’ll try the radio.” Mo headed off in that direction, taking cautious steps as he disappeared into the dark.

“I’ll go up into those trees, check it out while Mo calls this in. Why don’t you two just stay here for now,” Harry said to Alexa and Tale.

“Fine,” Tale replied and lifted his rifle into a guard position.

Alexa said nothing. The four of them splitting up, even in a small area, didn’t feel right to her. But she couldn’t argue against the need to alert the outside world or the plan to try for a glimpse of the poachers. More for comfort than warmth, she wrapped her arms around her torso. Her chest tightened as she tried to catch her breath.

Harry took a step forward but stopped cold as another burst of gunfire crackled through the night. Just behind the line of trees, several elephants trumpeted a wild chorus of warning.

Alexa cocked her head as a strange sensation reverberated through her soles. She dropped onto one knee and touched the ground with her palm. The earth was shaking. She hissed, “Something’s very wrong. Can you feel the vibration? It’s like an earthquake.”

“Bloody hell, those sods down there have caused a stampede. Take cover in the trees,” Harry commanded. He grabbed Alexa’s hand and fled toward the trees to the left. She sensed more than saw Tale sprint off toward the second row of trees and hoped that Mo would hear the stampede coming.

As she crashed over uneven ground and patches of brush, Alexa clung to Harry’s hand and thrust her other upraised hand out to shield against branches. Visibility was near zero. All Alexa could make out ahead was the tall line of trees, a deeper, looming black with branches swaying against the charcoal sky.

Harry lurched, slowed for a second, then cursed and hopped on one foot.

“You okay?” Alexa asked as she heard something thump against the ground.

“Stepped in a hole. I’m fine. Let’s go.” With a tug, Harry leapt forward, and Alexa scrambled to keep up.

As they neared the trees, she plowed straight into a waist-high stump, probably from a tree that grazing elephants had toppled and stripped of branches. “Oomph.” Alexa doubled over at the blow to her stomach and let go of Harry’s hand as she fell to the ground. Gasping for breath, she dragged her body upright using the rough stump. She bit back a scream when she realized that the thundering in her ears was not from the pain of colliding with the stump. To the right, a moving wall of huge gray shapes burst through the gap between the two clumps of trees. The panicked elephants bore directly down on their tents.

Several elephants swerved and headed straight toward them. Alexa froze, unable to move, until Harry yanked her hand. Sprinting at full speed, Alexa raced those last desperate yards toward shelter in the trees.

“Here.” Harry stopped and pulled Alexa against the wide trunk of a towering tree, shielding her with his body. view abbreviated excerpt only...

Discussion Questions

1. Would you travel on an African safari? Why or why not?

2. What, if any, limits should be placed on the protection of wild spaces and wild animals?

3. Can committing a major crime ever be justified in pursuit of a good social or personal cause?

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