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section7mfu2013-03-11 12:36 pm
The Congo Affair chapter three~ "Jungle Jitters"
Napoleon and Illya hacked their way through the steamy rainforest, using their compass to guide them; the map was of some use but they had no points of reference and could only guess where they were at times. They needed to find local villages as landmarks simply to find food and supplies and once they learned which village it was, that would give them a sense of which direction to continue onwards.
Of course they knew if they kept heading South West, they'd eventually, somehow reach the border of Katanga, but again, the issue of finding food supplies was foremost on their minds, and hungry bellies; otherwise they'd never survive the journey...
Living in the jungle and surviving on what it offered just wasn't enough. They couldn't use their limited ammunition for hunting, as they needed it for defense instead against predators both animal and human, but not to mention the gunfire could give away their position.
Illya had managed to capture one or two small monkeys with snares, and several times a snake was caught and cooked, but still, none of it was enough to sustain them.
The food supplies they had brought with them were long gone; nearly two weeks had now passed, and they were living off the land as best they could.
The few villages they found along the way provided them meager amounts of food they'd abscond with in the middle of the night. The only took a little, hardly enough to be noticed at times, as they had to be extremely careful doing this. If they let any villagers see them, their whereabouts could be reported to the soldiers and rebels who were swarming everywhere.
Tonight they feasted on Kwanga, made from cassava, cooked and stored in banana leaves, Losa na Madesu- rice and beans, and for dessert... bananas. All the prepared food was eaten cold as they couldn't risk lighting a fire.
By a bit of luck they'd laid their hands on a small earthenware jar half filled with Palm wine made from the sap of a wild palm tree, fermented by natural yeasts, and with an alcohol content of between five and seven percent. It was just what they needed to help them relax, as they'd been on constant edge from the moment they left the hotel in Leopoldville.
That was the last time they'd been in contact with headquarters, and they hadn't even been able to speak with the Old Man. Radio silence was absolutely necessary, as their signals could give away their position.
Illya said nothing, but the knowledge that the Soviet Union was involved somehow in the political unrest most likely meant there were Russian troops and advisors, most likely along with them; high tech equipment as well. The Russian would most likel have devices to locate any sort of radio transmission...
Napoleon was sure that was bothering his partner. The American had his own jittery feelings, perhaps more akin to paranoia, though that was usually Illya's 'thing'. Thinking they were being trailed, though it was a gut instinct more than anything, he finally said something to his partner, and not surprisingly Illya's unique senses agreed with him.
"I have a bad feeling too. Something is lurking out there. "Illya said as they finally set up camp since it was nearing sunset. They decided against lighting a fire again that night, and hung their net hammocks, they, or rather illya had helped himself to in another village. He did leave a some francs to compensate for their loss, hiding the coins around the hut so the owners would discover them at a later time.
The trees offered them safety from most of the wild life...unless of course a leopard or a snake showed up.
"You stand guard first, Mr. Paranoid," Napoleon joked, pushing aside his own feelings.
"I was planning on it."
"Hey buddy I was only kidding, I'll take the first watch, you're pretty wiped out." Solo stared at his partner's pale face, looking gaunt, with dark circles under his eyes. They both were dirty and stinky, not having had a bath since they's left Léopoldvile, their hair was unkempt and beards unshaven.
"No more than you my friend. Get some rest, and I will wake you around... "Illya looked at his watch seeing droplets of moisture under the crystal. He gave it a tap to make sure it was working, and turned the crown, giving it a wind. " At two a.m." he yawned.
"You won't get an argument from me," Napoleon mumbled, having already closed his eyes. Illya was right, he was exhausted too. They'd kept communications with headquarters to zero, so that was working on their nerves, since there were no reports of what was really going on around the. If they made it to Katanga alive and across the border to Zambia, they'd be home free, as they could call for help once they arrived there.
That comforting thought allowed the senior agent to drift off into a deeper than usual sleep, well that and the fatigue, helped as well...
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