Chapter-22 Sungai Zaire, 0.600 S, 17.770 E Anaconda

Thank you! Cecilia's voice was almost lost in the roar of the speedboat zipping through the River Zaire.

Cecilia tried to be friendly to their helper, "Are you Andalas?" The man nodded slightly.

"You're great! What happened to the two people who drifted away?"

The man replied curtly, "dead!"

Cecilia didn't want to ask anymore. Doctor Aslan sent a soulless bodyguard.

"You shouldn't have killed them! They're just thugs." Cecilia couldn't help but protest.

Andalas glanced over. His face was icy cold.

"If I didn't hurry earlier, you would have been killed by other people who also had their eyes on you both. Including the two snipers hiding in the small green boat."

This time it was Akiko who seemed interested. Cecilia was a little surprised by Akiko's attitude who didn't seem at all shocked by the incident at the port. The young doctor looked calm. Too quiet.

"You know who they are Andalas?" Akiko asked.

"No. But I think they're very organized. Those thugs were hired to make sure that your murder would be taken as a robbery incident."

Akiko nodded in understanding.

"But do you know why they wanted to kill us?" Akiko was still curious. Or testing Andalas.

"Doctor Aslan said you were the main targets for the assassination of several organizations. One of them is a very secret organization that sent the Executor to eliminate you."

Cecilia and Akiko looked at each other. The Executor? Secret Organization?

The two doctors did not ask further. Andalas was concentrating on navigating the speedboat left and right away from the logs and wood debris that commonly floating on the river. The Zaire River was flooding. In the Congo Basin, it looked like the rainy season had started.

A motorboat trip would take at least 12 hours from Pointe Noire to the location. Using a twin-engine speedboat like the Anaconda would cut travel time up to a third from the actual time. They had traveled for at least 3 hours. Cecilia asked Akiko to get ready. They were almost there.

From a distance, Cecilia started to see landmarks that she recognized. Her heart was pounding. Imagining the victims of the infection acted like rampaging zombies and attacked relentlessly. Merde!

Cecilia gestured with her index finger to Andalas.

They could dock by the river there. But the Anaconda's engine continued to roar loudly. Past where the pier was.

Cecilia was about to yell at Andalas. But she stopped short because the speedboat suddenly slowed down and made a sharp turn before finally coming to a smooth stop under the thick trees along the riverbank. Akiko was impressed by Andalas' navigation skill.

Andalas signaled for the two doctors to wait in the boat. He jumped off to the ground and then disappeared into the thick forest. Again, Akiko chuckled in admiration.

Cecilia looked at Akiko with a strange look. It seemed that this young doctor had extraordinary strong guts. There was not a single look of anxiety on her face even though she was in unfamiliar environment in the middle of nowhere. A wilderness that held many deadly secrets.

The Japanese doctor handed another handgun to Cecilia who was still staring blankly.

Akiko looked back at Cecilia with a surprised look. She felt like a cow being watched closely by potential buyers. Cecilia regained her senses. She signaled an apology and sat at the end of the boat, waiting. Didn't Andalas tell them to wait? But for how long?

Click! The sound of guns being cocked was heard behind her. Cecilia gasped in surprise. She saw that Akiko was holding a gun from God knows where. The gun was tucked into her slender waist.

Cecilia shook her head. But Akiko moved closer and signaled her to pay attention. Akiko showed Cecilia how to open and close the safety switch. Then slipped the gun around Cecilia's waist without waiting for consent.

Cecilia shrugged and rolled her eyes. Akiko turned out to be very surprising. The doctor seemed very familiar with handling weapons.

There was a rustling sound from behind the thick bushes not far from the boat. Akiko tugged at Cecilia's sleeve and stepped in front of her. Cecilia gaped. Akiko was not holding a handgun, but an AK-47 instead.

There was a gut-wrenching growl as a leopard was getting ready to jump at the two women.

Cecilia was awestricken to see the apex predator standing no more than 20 meters from her. While Akiko stared at the leopard while placing her index finger on the AK-47's trigger. She did not want to hurt the beast unless it was necessary.

A loud scream came from the bushes behind the standing leopard. The big cat crouched down and turned around to face the attacker and jumped, but it was met with a machete slashing to its jugular. The leopard went limp and motionless.

Andalas was laying down and his body shaking slightly in pain. He managed to kill the leopard, but the big cat's sharp claws managed to scrape his chest. His shirt was torn and bloody.

Akiko jumped off from the boat. She took a light medical kit from her waist bag, tore off Andalas' shirt and started treating the wound.

It was not a deep wound. The young doctor worked quickly cleaning the wound with antiseptic and covering it with band aid. The man didn't complain at all. He just let Akiko treat him.

As a doctor, Cecilia often traveled from one forest to another. That was the first time for her being attacked by a wild and dangerous animal. Still, her eyes watered slightly as she touched the leopard's dead body.

The solemn atmosphere for Cecilia abruptly ended when there were loud yells coming towards them. Andalas quickly hopped into the boat and returned with an AK-47 and spare magazines.

The yelling stopped. Right in front of them a group of angry-looking Pygmies. Each held spears, blowguns, and arrows In their hands.

Doctor Cecilia stepped forward in front of her two friends to face them.