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Chapter 393: Friday. Soweto, South Africa.
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Aegis Group Chapter 394: Monday. Mlilo Animal Reserve, South Africa.
COCO GRIPPED HER phone in both hands, eyes shut, and allowed the grief to wash over her.Four days since Utata died, and no one outside a small circle of people knew about it. They didn't talk about it and so far, no one had asked about the rhino. But now Coco knew who killed him and possibly where to find the remains.The ballistics weren't official. It was a preliminary report, but because the bullets they'd found matched other poaching cases, the identification process would be faster.The person who'd shot Utata was a repeat offender when it came to poaching. It wasn't the first time this crew had targeted the animals at Mlilo and it wouldn't be the last. But this time Coco needed to do something about it.She had to talk to Paxton.Her feet began walking before she'd finished the thought.The last few days were a whirlwind of action. Coco hadn't truly been prepared for what was going to happen. Sure, she'd known the Aegis Group was donating new equipment, but no one was prep
Aegis Group Chapter 395: Monday. Mlilo Animal Reserve, South Africa.
PAXTON STRETCHED HIS arm along the back of the padded bench seat, gripping the bars that protected the passengers in the safari truck. Silas and the two security guards sat facing Paxton and Coco. No one spoke, mostly because it would be too hard to be heard over the wind and engine.Back in the tent he'd turned around to say something to Silas, only to spot his best friend inches away from Coco talking at her. Paxton wanted to know what the hell had been going on, but there hadn't been a chance. The only thing that'd stopped him from demanding answers was that Coco didn't seem the least bit bothered by whatever Silas had said.There was no telling what Silas might have told her.Usually Paxton didn't mind Silas' sense of humor. Sure, they were sometimes over the line and Silas went too far with things, but he wasn't all bad. But this was Coco, and Silas didn't know her. Paxton was still very much a stranger, but he knew enough. Until she told him to back off, Coco was his girl. No,
Aegis Group Chapter 396: Monday. Cane De Jong Office, Johannesburg, South Africa.
MIA DIDN'T HAVE long. Cane's receptionist was an older woman who ran the office according to her master schedule. Any interruption, including Mia showing up unannounced, was a major infraction. As soon as the woman learned Mia had slipped in, she'd be detained and penciled in accordingly.She was desperate.For months she'd played this role, flirting with Cane, drawing his interest. When Luke had offered her this as a means to pay her debt to him it had sounded so easy. After all, politicians were one and the same. They were dirty, corrupt and using their power for personal gain.And then she'd met Cane.Part of her wanted this fantasy life with him where she was on the way to becoming his wife. But he didn't really know her. This life they had was a lie. He didn't even know she had children. Their lives were what kept her pushing forward and why she was here today.She pulled file folders out of drawers, flipping them open and snapping pictures. Luke was after something specific,
Aegis Group Chapter 397: Monday. Unknown, South Africa.
THE SWISH OF the grass as they moved forward had Paxton cringing. It was too much noise. This was all wrong. They had to go back.He was glad to have his rifle cradled in his arms. Talking Coco into pausing long enough for him and Silas to gear up properly had nearly been a fight. If it weren't for the other guys being on their side Paxton would be out here with nothing more than a pair of SIG Sauers in hand. The sun was beginning to dip toward the horizon. There were only a few hours of daylight left and so far they hadn't seen anything other than tire tracks.It had been a long day spent in the sun trekking over rough terrain. Paxton was impressed with Coco. She'd set the pace and kept it going even through the worst of the heat, only slowing down a little.Silas drifted closer until they were walking shoulder to shoulder following Coco.He glanced at Paxton, speaking softly. "We've walked at least ten miles in a straight line with tracks a blind person could follow."Paxton cou
Aegis Group Chapter 398: Monday. Unknown, South Africa.
COCO STARED AT the back of the den where she and Paxton had taken refuge. The tiny cave, if it could be called that, had a very narrow entrance that a human could barely squeeze through. It was the perfect hideaway for any number of animals to birth young. In fact she could smell fresh musk in the air. There weren't babies here, but it was clear to her a mother-their luck, a predator-was preparing this site."Pax? Paxton?""Sh," he whispered."We have to go.""It's not safe out there yet," he said over his shoulder."It's not safe in here." She didn't want to be squatting when the residents came back.Best-case scenario this was a serval den. The cats were predators but not much of a threat to humans. Worst-case scenario they were standing in a leopard's den. On a normal day Coco wouldn't be terribly concerned about a leopard, but a pregnant mother about to give birth? That was a creature Coco didn't want to run into.Coco pushed at Paxton's shoulders. "Now.""Fine." He glanced
Aegis Group Chapter 399: Monday. Unknown, South Africa.
PAXTON HUNG BACK, following Coco as they approached a group of men on the outskirts of what looked to be a tiny village comprised of a few dozen homes. The structures were a combination of old and new. Some were circular and built from stones that looked as if they'd been dug out of the earth. The homes were topped with thatched roofs. A few had satellite dishes perched on top. Still others were a mix of cinderblock and thatch. A few others were nothing more than sheet metal over a frame.Coco began speaking to the men, her hands moving, words coming fast. He wanted to listen and understand the words coming out of her mouth. They were interspersed with pops and clicks, creating a melodic way of speaking that left him dumbfounded. He couldn't speak two languages let alone six. She turned and caught his eye, stretching out her hand toward him.Paxton took her hand, unsure what the purpose was, but allowed her to pull him forward."Hi." He nodded at the men eyeing him with interest, no
Aegis Group Chapter 400: Monday. Johann Nodorf Home, Johannesburg, South Africa.
LUKE SMOOTHED HIS hand down the front of his shirt. It was never a good thing to be summoned to his uncle's house. These visits were never to praise Luke for his work or to congratulate him. Uncle Johann demanded Luke's presence to account for a job not done well enough and there was no question what Uncle Johann was upset about. Luke had heard about the raid on one of their warehouses and knew that was going to be his fault. Somehow Luke should have known.He was the easy scapegoat, had been since he showed up on his uncle's doorstep.Time to face the music.Luke approached the front door of the large home. Uncle Johann could afford to move into one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in the city, live in luxury, and yet he chose to remain here. The men who'd been his neighbors back in the eighties when he'd bought the house were Uncle Johann's underbosses, each running their own crew and jobs. They practically owned the whole neighborhood. Their wives all played Bunko together, and it
Aegis Group Chapter 401: Tuesday. Mlilo Research Center, South Africa.
THE SUN WAS barely peaking over the horizon. Grit was still stuck in Paxton's eyes. He'd barely slept between wanting to keep an eye on Coco and listening for danger. He shouldn't have played with the kids. The visions of danger were all the more terrifying when he could put names to the precious faces in those nightmares.Coco squeezed Paxton's hand as they walked the distance from the main road toward the old resort where she'd made her home.There was going to be a lot to account for once they crossed through the gates. He needed to enjoy these fleeting moments of calm before the storm. Somehow, despite all the bad going on, they'd landed in a really good place. Sure, they'd had to sleep on the floor of someone's kitchen on a thin mattress, but the atmosphere and kindness had made up for that. The only other place he'd ever felt welcomed like that was with Silas' family. Paxton had been a stranger to those people, and they'd treated him like a long-lost friend. And then there was
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