Chapter One Hundred and Eleven
Sam stopped at the entrance to mine shaft A, where the prisoners were all housed. A steel grate locked them inside at night. It had a simple locking mechanism on the side of the wall, for the morning guards to use to release it, when the prisoners were to go to work. Sam pulled the lever and hundreds of men climbed out, passing them without anything more than a nod of gratitude.
When the expected torrent of water from above never came, Sam figured that somehow Adebowale had succeeded. Over the course of an hour, he watched as thousands of men, some having been prisoners for years and so withered that their skin was taut over their bones, ran to join the fight. By the time he and Tom reached the surface, the fight was over.
A man he recognized from the photos as the agent named Mikhail approached. “Sam Reilly, isn’t it?”
Sam nodded and offered his hand. “This is Tom.”
Mikhail shook their hands firmly, and said, “Thanks for the prison break. I guess you got the message and our government decided to send in the troops?”
“Not quite,” Sam said.
Mikhail asked, “No? Well, then, really, how did you get here?”
Tom smiled. “It’s a long story, but ultimately, we had some pretty convincing reasons to come here.”
Mikhail frowned, disappointment across his face. “But not enough for Washington to commit?”
Sam said, “No. Putting American boots on the ground would have been an impossible sell to Congress and the American people.”
Mikhail’s eyes narrowed. “So then, how did you end up here?”
“A man named Adebowale ended up giving us the suggestion of accessing the mine from an old flooded section, and then from there using explosives to cause a cave-in forming a natural barricade from the tunnel below the lake where General Ngige had planned to drain the lake to drown his prisoners.” Sam looked at Mikhail’s confused face. “You’ve heard of Adebowale, I assume?”
Mikhail nodded. “I have, but I’m surprised he helped you.”
“What do you mean?” Sam asked. “He’s the head of the USK, isn't he?”
Mikhail’s eyes darted between Sam and Tom’s hardened faces. “You don’t know, do you?”
“Know what?” Sam and Tom replied in unison.
A large man approached. For a second Sam thought he was Adebowale. He was a similar height, but his muscles appeared smaller and leaner. He had a warm smile and the same piercing gray eyes, but below them, deep wrinkles etched a history of a difficult life, filled with pain.
Mikhail looked at the man, and then glanced back at Sam. “This is Dikembe, the leader of the USK. I think it’s best he explains who Adebowale is … or was.”
Dikembe greeted Sam and Tom with heartfelt gratitude. He shook both their hands kindly, and said, “I understand you were instrumental in our rescue. My people will be forever grateful.”
Sam asked, “You’re Adebowale’s brother?”
Dikembe nodded. “Yes. Although, my brother and I haven’t seen each other for many years. I had hoped I would have the opportunity to see him one last time before he entered the tunnel, where he died.”
“You’re certain Adebowale perished inside the tunnel?” Sam asked.
Dikembe nodded.
Sam asked, “How?”
Mikhail stepped in to answer. “Because we weakened the entrance to the tunnel that ran underneath Lake Tumba. The hope was that any seismic rattle, caused by Ngige detonating his dynamite, would cause the roof at the entrance to collapse, and create a natural barrier of stone that would protect us from the flood.”
Sam asked, “And that’s why you referred to Dikembe as the leader of the USK?”
“No.” Dikembe smiled at him. “It appears you misunderstand everything. Adebowale and I haven’t seen each other for many years. Until tonight, he followed another leader. Someone he’d known all his life.”
“Adebowale and General Ngige knew each other?” Sam said.
“I am told they were good friends until recently.”
“Things must have changed. Ngige tried to kill him a week ago.”
Dikembe shrugged, as though it didn’t matter. “Wars change people, constantly. Alliances are formed and friendships broken. And I'm afraid it’s not unknown for General Ngige to dispose of those in whom he has lost confidence.”
Sam said, “But Adebowale had the codes to your underground communication system?”
Dikembe said, “So did a lot of people. It appears he infiltrated it well, but in the end he used it for its intended purpose, and rallied my troops to fight.”
Tom said, “I don’t understand. Why would Adebowale lie? If he was working with Ngige, why did he come through for us when we needed his men to take out the guards? What changed?”
Dikembe said, “He of all of us truly believed in the United Sovereign of Kongo. He didn’t care whether I gave it to him or Ngige. He believed in the prophecy. He believed that Nostradamus had seen it all nearly four hundred years ago, when he came to the Sahara. When Nostradamus introduced a boy named Jacob Prediox to my great ancestor, he knew that we were going to go through some tough years, but one day our bloodline would return and unite the Kingdom of Kongo. I believe my brother may have just paved the way for me to do so, and that if he were alive, he would be happy.”
Sam asked, “When we were preparing for this mission, your brother showed us precisely where to lay the C4 in each of the tunnels that run beneath Lake Tumba. There were three tunnels. He was very specific which tunnel he was to take. And in the end he set off the one that collapsed only one tunnel…”
“Yes?”
“His was the only tunnel that collapsed nearly a quarter of a mile back from where he laid the C4. He would have been trapped and drowned in the process.”
“Yes. I know what you want to ask. So ask it.”
“Did he know he was going to die?”
“Yes.”
“Then why did he go through with it?”
“Because he’s always known he was going to die. My brother shared the gift and curse of visions, the same as Nostradamus. Unlike the great master of prophecies, my brother only saw one vision. His death. But in it, he knew the outcome for his people.”
“Why didn’t he just set the damned C4 to go off after and get back behind the cave-in?” Sam raised his voice, betraying a temper he seldom released. “He killed himself for nothing! Did he want to be a martyr, is that it?”
“No. He didn’t die for nothing. He died to unite his kingdom.”
“That’s a lie. He could have skipped the dying part and the two of you could have united the kingdom together.”
Dikembe shook his head. “No. We would have fought as we always have. And in the end, our kingdom would have continued to have unrest amongst its own people.”
Sam shook his head, unable to believe what he was listening to. Two brothers. Twins who loved each other. Suggesting that it was better that one of them die to protect a kingdom that hadn’t existed since the Portuguese decided to colonize their kingdom.
Tom said, “One more question…”
Dikembe turned to face him. “Ask and I will answer as best I can.”
Tom explained how they’d planned the entire mission, starting with entering the mine from the flooded sink-hole, through to using C4 to demolish part of the tunnel that ran underneath the lake. He finished by explaining how Adebowale had intentionally lost them both inside the flooded tunnels of the B mine.
Tom asked, “Why did Adebowale lose us in the tunnels? Wouldn’t it have been better to keep to the original plan and detonate all three tunnels, just to be certain?”
Dikembe smiled, mysteriously. “Because he’d seen the future, and neither you or Sam were part of that vision. It was the one thing that must have been worrying him. If you were there, it meant the future had somehow changed.” He then turned to Sam and Tom and said, “Once again, my people and I thank you for everything you have done for us, but now I have a rebellion to win, and a kingdom to rebuild.”