Victor picked up the maps and photographs and left the cabin. When the door had closed behind him Steel put down his document, removed his glasses and began to think of his next move in earnest.
Stratton climbed onto his horse. David winced as he lowered himself into his saddle and adjusted it.
‘You okay?’ Stratton asked.
‘Yes. And you?’
‘I’m fine.’ The dull throb in Stratton’s back was constant but manageable. Otherwise, apart from a sore throat and feeling like he’d smoked a hundred cigarettes the night before, he felt okay.
Bernard led three burros from around the back of the stable, their backs loaded with supplies.
Victor cut a piece of plastic-coated wire from a drum and offered it to Stratton. ‘Is this good enough?’ he asked. ‘I hope so because I have a thousand metres of the stuff.’
Stratton nodded. ‘It’ll do. What about batteries?’
Victor showed him two six-volt motorbike batteries. ‘I checked that they’re fully charged.’ He pulled an AK47 off his shoulder and held it up to Stratton. ‘Your new rifle . . . Okay, so it’s not new but it’s the best I have.’
The soldier took the weapon and checked it over. Victor handed him a magazine pouch which he slung over his shoulder and the weapon across his back.
‘You look like a proper rebel now,’ Victor said.
‘Which ensures I’ll be hung as one if I’m caught.’
‘True enough,’ Victor said, grinning as he climbed onto his horse and looked around. ‘I was expecting Louisa to see us off.’
Sebastian walked around the corner of the stable towards the corral where the white horse walked up to him. ‘Good luck,’ he said to them as he reached out to pet the animal.
‘Thank you, Sebastian,’ Victor said. Then, to the others, ‘Shall we?’
The group moved off, the three burros bringing up the rear. Victor urged his horse into a trot and the others followed.
They slowed to a walk as they entered the jungle. A few metres in they came to a defensive embankment, essentially a shallow trench reinforced on the outer side with logs and sandbags. It was the camp perimeter and a handful of rebels sat around, acting as sentries. The group crossed a removable gangway and headed down a steep slope on the other side.
They emerged from the trees a short distance later onto a track. It was wide enough for a couple of horses to walk abreast and Victor moved alongside Stratton. ‘When I was a kid my favourite story was d’Artagnan’s adventures with the Three Musketeers. Finally, I feel like I’m living the part.’
The Englishman gave him a sideways glance. Victor did look quite proud, it was true.
They had not gone far when Victor and Stratton slowed to a stop. Behind them David and Bernard looked ahead to see why and also stopped. All of them were surprised.
Louisa sat on her horse dressed in the same camouflage clothing and jungle boots as the men, with a pair of plump saddlebags across the animal’s loin. She stared coolly back at them.
‘What do you think you’re doing?’ Victor asked, moving forward.
‘What does it look like?’ she replied.
‘It looks as if you are planning on a long ride somewhere. But I can’t imagine where to.’
‘Shall we dispense with the childish badinage? I’m coming with you.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Victor said firmly.
‘I spent the last few hours going over the pros and cons of why I should and should not go. I also went through every argument I could expect you to make to dissuade me. Nothing I could think of was convincing enough to suggest I should not come and so I’m here.’
‘You are a stubborn woman, Louisa, but this is one debate you are not going to win.’
‘You’re going to hear me out whether you like it or not,’ she said, her jaw tightening. ‘And if you insist on riding on without hearing me I will simply follow you.’
Victor did not doubt her. ‘Okay. Say your piece. But you’re just wasting our valuable time.’
‘I have as much right as you to be on this mission. I was born in this country, my father began this revolution. I can’t continue to witness this struggle from within the camp. I don’t want to be a fighter but I have to understand what it’s like. You said you would be long gone by the time the government soldiers reacted to the ambush. So why can’t I come? I’m a better rider than any of you if we have to move fast.’
‘I think Victor is concerned about the unseen dangers,’ Stratton cut in. ‘No matter how simple an operation looks on paper there are always things that can go wrong.’
‘The only reason you’re stopping me is because I’m a woman.’
‘No,’ Victor corrected her. ‘You’re Sebastian’s daughter. What do you think he would say if he was here right now?’
‘You think I would say anything different to him?’
Victor sighed irritably. ‘Why do you really want to come? This doesn’t make sense, Louisa, and you’ve always been a sensible woman.’
‘Okay,’ she said, taking a moment to compose her answer. ‘Since I was young I’ve always listened to my father’s talks on freedom and revolt. I was fascinated and inspired. I went to America to study law and politics. When I returned it was not just to be by my father’s side. The battle for liberty won’t end with the vanquishing of Neravista. There will always be others like him. I’m going to be a part of this country’s political future. When men like you have brought the killing to an end I’ll take up the fight in the halls of government. But I’ll want people to know that I played a part in this struggle. When people hear me fighting for their rights they’ll know that I understand the meaning of those words as well as any soldier. I want to be known as the woman who rode with you to destroy Chemora and help bring down Neravista.’
Victor looked confused. ‘That’s it?’
‘Yes. I’m asking you to give me my future.’ Louisa looked serious and they all realised she was probably more determined to go on the mission than any of them.
‘And what if something happened to you?’ Victor asked. ‘What about your future then?’
‘If I don’t do this, I’m going to do something else. You might as well let it be this, with you, and get it over with,’ she said.
Victor looked at Stratton for help but all the other man could offer was a lame shrug. ‘I would not be able to face Sebastian. Does that matter to you?’
‘Victor, my life is here now, with my people. I’m a part of this. You might as well get used to it.’
He hated the way she could get him to change his mind. His meagre persuasive arsenal was exhausted. ‘I’m all out of words,’ Victor said to Stratton. ‘I cannot stop her. But this is your operation.’
Louisa looked at the English soldier, aware that he was a different proposition. She could wrap Victor around her little finger and ultimately do what she wanted but that would not be the case with Stratton. If he said no it would be over for her. Ultimately, she would not jeopardise the mission for her own needs. Stratton would know that too.
Stratton’s only consideration was Louisa’s lack of combat skills. But she wasn’t going to get any experience sitting in the camp. If she was going to stay with this struggle then her best chance of survival was to learn how to fight. She might even discover this really wasn’t the place for her. ‘You’ll do nothing without my say-so and that means nothing, even going to the latrine. If you disobey I will gag you and tie you to that horse until we return. Is that understood?’
‘It is,’ Louisa replied, looking him sternly in the eye.
Victor shook his head and flicked his horse’s reins to make it walk on. ‘I’m in so much shit,’ he muttered.
‘Ride in the middle of the group,’ Stratton told Louisa as they moved off.