Brodie spent the next few hours confirming all of the details for the impending arrival of three Black Rhino to the captive breeding program on San Miguel Island, trying desperately to delay their arrival by a few weeks so that the enclosure would be ready for them. But his hopes finally died when he received a shipping invoice from the airline commissioned to transport the animals.
A short, sharp telephone call to Cunningham confirmed the deal.
"Yeah … Cunningham here. What's up, Brodie?" The voice was smug on the other end of the phone.
Brodie snorted. As if the sonofabitch didn't know.
"Rhino, that's what's up." He tried to keep his voice calm - he knew if he lost his temper, he'd lose the battle. "Why two weeks, Cunningham? And why not tell us before the whole goddamn deal was settled? Zelle Smith is throwin' a hissy fit just thinkin' about it, and I can't blame her. She says we're gonna need a specialised enclosure for the bull - "
"Teddy."
"Huh?"
Brodie heard the amusement in Cunningham's voice as he answered.
"His name. It's Teddy. Stupid as hell, I know, but that's his name. Listen, Frank … it was urgent that we get him out of Afghanistan within the next couple of weeks, or things will turn decidedly shitty, I can assure you. Life out there's tough … oh, before I forget. His handler's coming with him. I have contacts at the Pentagon, and they fixed it for him to get out of the country. He'll help you out, I'm sure."
Brodie blinked in amazement. The whole situation was getting crazier and crazier, and he realised there wasn't a damn thing he could do about it. In exactly two weeks, the Hercules transport plane would be bringing first the big bull, then the two cows from the Czech Republic. He was stuck with it.
"Shit." He cursed under his breath. "Okay, okay. I'll think of something. I just hope all the damn paperwork's in order, Cunningham, and I don't have any import license problems on top of the fact we ain't ready for any goddamned animal, let alone a rhino with behavioural problems."
Cunningham's voice chortled tinnily.
"It's all in order, Frank. Don't worry - he has all of his shots and all the paperwork is stamped and ready to go. He'll be with you on the eighteenth."
Brodie sighed. He was stuck, and he knew it. Grimacing, he said his goodbyes to Cunningham before hanging up the receiver, slamming it harder than he had intended back into its cradle.
"Damn!"
He ran his fingers through his short curls and swore quietly, then lifted his cane, heaved himself painfully to his feet and went to see Pieter van Guelder.
*****************
Frank Brodie and his team held a council of war.
Seated around the chow wagon as building work went on around them, they began to thrash out the difficulties dropped in their laps by Charles Cunningham. Zelle Smith was still fuming quietly, but had finally resigned herself to the fact of the animals' arrival, and her mind was now full of trying to deal with the problems she foresaw.
Pieter was fretting about getting the enclosure finished in time, and arguments began to rage almost immediately, with contributions from Dervla who was also concerned about getting the medical centre finished.
Brodie listened for about thirty seconds.
Kids. He was dealing with petulant kids. He took a deep breath.
"Hey, hey, HEY!" His voice cut through the noise like a knife. Silence reigned, and all eyes turned to the big, brawny man sitting sprawled in a plastic chair, bad leg stretched out and a dog sitting beside him, curious as to what all the noise was about. Brodie raised an eyebrow. "Could we just cool it for a second?" He waited for a moment, checking that everyone was paying attention. All he could see were faces tense and strained with worry. "Now … one at a time, folks. And before you start, I know this is asking a lot from you, but lets have constructive ideas, huh, not just bitchin' and moanin', although I understand there's a lot to bitch and moan about." He cocked the eyebrow at Zelle and Pieter.
Zelle Smith shook her head and waved a hand at the paperwork on the table.
"This is crazy, Brodie! I have the reports on the bull rhino, and we're just asking for trouble. He's neurotic, bad-tempered … from what I can gather he's spent the last few years in a tiny enclosure, often starved - although I believe his handler has done amazing things just to keep the animal alive - and frequently taunted, even hurt. Jesus, this animal's probably beyond any kind of control and is dangerous as hell."
She glared at Brodie, daring him to disagree with her. But he didn't.
"Okay. Point taken. But we've agreed to take him, so forget about objecting, Zelle. We're 'way past that. I want to know how to deal with the problems he has, and I need to know now what exactly we're going to have to do to get him settled in and even marginally handleable." He waited as Zelle thought for a moment. Brodie could see the anger boiling just under the surface, but to her credit Zelle kept it under reasonable control.
"Well … for a start we have to get him over the trauma of being transported here in the first place." Zelle sighed with worry. "He'll be transported via container … no sedatives, thank God. He'll be fully aware and hopefully not too exhausted when he gets here, but that's the least of our problems." She glanced at Pieter. "The enclosure's no good."
Pieter van Guelder exploded.
"What the fuck are you talking about?? You designed the bloody thing yourself, and now you're telling me it's no use?? What - "
Zelle held up a hand, stalling Pieter's ire.
"No, that's not what I mean. The problem is that the animal's never been with other rhinos, he's never even been in a large enclosure before. He'll be stressed beyond belief already, what with the trauma of being transported halfway across the world in a dark container. He'll probably be dehydrated, terrified, and even if that's all he has and the stress doesn't cause thermo-regulatory problems or colic, he's going to mentally be a mess when he gets here. We can't sedate him because we get more problems - he could turn tachycardic, bradycardic, that sort of thing. His whole damn system could crash, and then all we have is one dead rhino. No, what we need is a small, secluded enclosure, somewhere where he can adjust and relax."
She looked expectantly around her at the faces of Brodie, Tara and the team. All were deep in thought.
Brodie nodded.
"All right. We need a small enclosure. Where do we put it and how long will it take to build? And, fellas, I don't want to hear the word 'can't' from any one of you."
Pieter sat up suddenly from his resigned slump.
"A boma. We need a boma."
Tara frowned. "What's a boma?"
Brodie grinned. Pieter had hit the nail on the head. He explained.
"We used 'em in Africa when we were trapping animals for research. Great for big aggressive beasts like rhino and elephant. Looks like a stockade, built with heavy poles. No gaps, just a solid wall. They would take a lot of abuse, and the animals felt safer because of the enclosed space. More secure, I suppose. They settled down quickly and they were easier to handle." He thought a moment. "We could build it next to the rhino enclosure so he could be released straight into it when the time came. The cows could be released in there straight away, and we could remove a few of the poles one at a time and feed the rhinos together. He could see them without being able to get at them and they could get used to one another."
Zelle nodded, her eyes brightening.
"Might work at that. How long would it take?"
Pieter did a few mental calculations.
"Week at the most. I need to have a wide entrance built into it, so we can unload the crate from the truck, open the door and let him come out of his own accord. Then we could finish the enclosure at our own pace."
"I can authorise payment for extra labour, if you wish. I'm sure Mr Cunningham
would acknowledge the need in this case." Irwin Trubshaw had sat quietly,
listening to the discussion. Brodie wondered for a moment how the tall man managed
to wear a tweed suit and white shirt in this heat and still look cool and competent.
But now he leaned forward, a spark in his eye. Brodie knew the man watched every
penny like a hawk, so the offer of extra money was uncharacteristic, to say
the least.
"'Way to go, Irwin!" Dervla grinned at the man, making Trubshaw shift slightly in his seat, uncomfortable under the green gaze. He shoved his spectacles further up the bridge of his nose, looking just a tad flustered, Brodie thought. Perhaps ol' Anal Retentive Irwin was getting caught up in the excitement after all …
"Okay. If you guys say you can do it, then get going. You got no argument from me. Irwin, ol' pal, we'll need the cash if you can work it. I want Zelle and Pieter to be able to get this thing going ASAP, and I don't want 'em worryin' about where the extra finance is gonna come from."
A steely glint came into Trubshaw's eyes, but he answered calmly.
"I stand by my promises, Mister Brodie, and if Mr van Guelder and Doctor Smith wish to give me a breakdown of their requirements, then I shall be happy to oblige."
Brodie grinned. Jeez, can't you call me Frank, for once? He snorted." All right, children, let's get to work - we got a boma to build …" Brodie levered himself to his feet, hefted his cane and headed off to his office.
*********************
The two weeks passed far too quickly in Brodie's opinion.
Pieter worked all the hours he could, supervising the work team assigned to the job and lending his own not inconsiderable physical strength to the job, even though Tara fretted and nagged him to take care of his still-sore shoulder, the big South African just grinning and ignoring her advice. Tara finally gritted her teeth, gave him a few pain-killers and let him get on with it.
Brodie battled with paperwork, customs officials and veterinary authorities and his temper did not improve when he discovered he had to find a semi strong enough to carry both the crate and the rhino over the rough tracks still prevalent on the island. But things settled down when he inspected the newly-built boma.
For once Pieter and Zelle had worked together, and the results were near as dammit perfect as far as Frank Brodie was concerned.
A circular enclosure with sturdy tree-like poles ten feet high had been constructed amongst the trees next to the three-hundred acre rhino enclosure. Pieter had fitted cross-pieces next to the chain-link fence so when the time came the poles could be removed gradually and let the big bull rhino see his new home - and his new companions - for the first time. A reinforced feeding area had been constructed for the two rhino cows, Daisy and Ermintrude, where they could feed in safety whilst coming to terms with the intruder on the other side of the fence.
Now all they had to do was wait.
************************
Frank Brodie went home that night feeling very pleased with himself. The situation with the rhinos was the first real test of his authority, and so far things were working out. The real test would come when the bull rhino arrived. Maybe then he would see the cracks in his team. He just hoped to God everything worked out and the shit didn't hit the proverbial fan.
He limped into the living room, Moron trailing behind, and saw Tara sitting at the table reading that day's mail delivery. It arrived weekly by helicopter, and there was a considerable amount of junk mail and business letters piled neatly on the table.
Brodie was on the point of leaning over to give Tara his customary kiss in greeting when he saw the look on her face. Her eyes were wide with shock as she clutched a sheet of what appeared to be expensive headed notepaper in her hand. Brodie frowned.
"Hey, you okay, gal?"
Tara didn't reply for long moments, and Brodie thought perhaps she was too engrossed in the contents of the letter, but before he could speak again she looked up at him. Tears glistened in her velvet brown eyes.
"My cousin's dead."
Brodie blinked. He had thought Tara had no family, much like himself. Her mother had died a few months before she came to San Miguel, and her father had died all those years ago in the hell he had created on the island. She had no siblings. So this deceased cousin was a surprise. He sat down opposite her.
"Shit, gal, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had any family."
Tara took a deep breath.
"Laura. She was my second cousin really, but she was all the family I had left … or so I thought." She reached out impulsively and grasped Brodie's hand, using his presence to steady her nerves.
Brodie ran his other hand through his short curls. He wasn't much good at this 'consoling' business, so he figured he should play it safe and keep his words to a minimum.
"Wanna tell me what happened?"
Tara swallowed back tears and nodded.
"She OD'd, Frank. Coke."
The look on her face made Brodie's heart lurch.
"Aw, shit. Why? What does the letter say?"
Tara returned to the paper in her hand, trying through unshed tears to make sense of the words.
"Well … let's see … she was in an apartment in downtown San Francisco. Her neighbour found her passed out when he called in to return a few dollars she'd loaned him. She was dead by the time they got her to hospital. Katy had been staying the night with friends from school - "
Brodie cocked his head on one side.
"Katy?"
Tara took a deep breath and continued.
"That's Laura's daughter. She's eight, apparently. I hadn't heard from Laura in ten years or more, so I never knew …" She looked up at Brodie once more, the big man shaken by the pain in her face. "Laura had always been wild … always mixed with the 'wrong' types, I suppose you could call 'em. She was a sweetheart, though, good-hearted, kind. She and I were 'only' children, and we were like sisters for a while, rather than cousins. I lost touch when dad died, and … well, it seems she began mixing with some pretty bad company. I never knew about Katy …"
Brodie nodded. Families were something he knew very little about, but he knew Tara had been close to her mother and treasured family life. He was beginning to feel distinctly out of his depth, but he knew he had to try and be as supportive as he could.
"So … what do you want to do? You gotta go to the funeral? Because we can cover for you here, you know that. You need me to go with you - " He knew she might need him beside her, although he wasn't sure how good he would be at helping her deal with all the crap that came with a family bereavement.
"No, you don't understand. Laura died over eight months ago, just after Mom died. It's taken the lawyers that long to track me down, Frank. They need me to go back to San Francisco. You see, Laura made me Katy's guardian."
Brodie straightened. So that was it. Tara continued.
"I have to leave in the next couple of days and get all this sorted out, Frank. Katy's been with foster parents since her Mom died, and now they've found me I'm responsible for her future."
Brodie wiped a big hand over his face as he tried to sift through the various thoughts rumbling through his head. An eight-year-old girl … Tara's responsibility … what would she have to do … would it involve him … would she be coming to live on the island … how the hell did you look after a child? Especially one who lost her mother in such terrible circumstances?
He exhaled noisily. Now was not the time to lose it, he knew.
"Okay … okay, gal, you go do what you have to do. Take the time you need, all right? You need me with ya?"
Tara shook her head.
"No, I'll be fine. You have enough to do here, and it's going to be tough enough for Katy and me. Don't get me wrong, Frank, but yet another new face might be too much for her, okay? I can manage, and I shouldn't be away too long. Will you be all right?"
Brodie nodded, mind in a swirl.
"Yeah … I'll be fine, don't worry about me." He studied her closely, wondering if he dare ask … he decided he had to find out. "Are you, uh, are you gonna bring her back here?"
Tara's brown eyes looked lost.
"I have no idea, and that's the truth. I don't know how happy she is with these foster parents …I don't know what Laura wanted for her. I suppose I'll find out when I get there. Apparently there's a trust fund for her, with enough money to pay for any care she needs until she's of age, and there's a college fund besides. I don't know where Laura got the cash, but there's a substantial amount." She took a deep breath. "Frank … if I have to bring her home, how do you feel about it? It'll involve you too, you realise that?"
She saw the panic on his face despite his best efforts to control it. But she couldn't reject her responsibilities, she knew. Frank Brodie was the most important thing in her life … she would die for him, protect him with all she had … but an eight-year-old girl could bring that all to an end in an instant.
He nodded, finally.
"Yeah … I guess it will. I've never had anythin' to do with kids, you know that? I don't know how good I'll be with her, Tara, and that's the truth. I ain't the easiest sonofabitch to get on with at the best of times, and …" His voice tailed away.
Tara squeezed his hand.
"It would be tough, I can't say otherwise. But I know I have to try to do the best I can for her, and I know you wouldn't have me do anything else. She's the only blood relative I have left, and Laura entrusted her to me. But if you're not happy about this Frank, I'll try to figure something out."
Frank Brodie swallowed the sudden flare of fear in his chest and thought quickly. If he said no, Tara would do her best to find an alternative … but in the long run he would lose her, he was sure. Tara took her responsibilities very seriously, and she could no more ignore the needs of a child than cut off her own hand. But if she brought the kid to the island … what would that do to their relationship? Another person to consider, someone else to deal with twenty-four hours a day. He had only just got used to being a 'couple', and now he may have to deal with having a kid about the place. But he was sure of one thing. He loved Tara Matthews very much, and not only had she brought him out of a living hell and made life bearable again, she had actually stuck it out and made him understand that he had a future. He owed her. A lot. He sighed. Hell, how much trouble could an eight-year-old be? She was past the bed-wetting stage, he was sure, and she could probably get some sort of education via the radio, like those kids in Australia in the outback. The house was nearly built, and it had a pool and four bedrooms. Plenty of room for a little kid. Shit, it probably wouldn't be too bad.
"Okay. You bring her home if that's what you gotta do. It's all right by me."
There. The decision was made.
Tara smiled shakily, knowing he was scared to death at yet another upheaval in his life, but willing to make a go of it because she had asked him to.
"Thanks, Frank. You have no idea how much that means to me." She leaned over and kissed him deeply, feeling him respond in kind, feeling the love in him as his hand caressed her cheek.
They sat there for a while, quietly, as Tara thought about the difficulties of the days to come, and Brodie began to wonder just what the hell he had got himself into.
*******************
Brodie stood and watched the old Hercules transport plane drop lower and lower,
until the wheels touched down on the tarmac of the runway on San Miguel Island.
It was early morning, and today was the day that they took delivery of a fiesty, bad-tempered and unpredictable black rhino called Teddy.
Zelle had insisted the animal be delivered in the cool of the early morning so that he would not become too distressed by heat, and the authorities had grudgingly agreed. As the plane taxied to a halt, men swarmed forward to help guide the truck down the ramp that dropped down from the rear of the plane, and Brodie was surprised at the size of it. The crate on the back was enormous, well-ventilated but windowless, keeping the recalcitrant animal in the dark but comfortably supplied with air. As the truck drove carefully down the ramp, a huge man guided it forward with arms waving, gesticulating at the driver to take it slowly.
Dressed in a charwal chemise, he was a good two inches over Brodie's formidable six-feet-two. He was broad, too, and as Brodie walked forward to introduce himself he was struck by the bearded face, austerely handsome, and finished by the most startling eyes he had ever seen. Large and expressive, they were amber-gold flecked with green, beautiful in the dark-hued face.
Must be this crazy animal's handler, he thought.
As the truck finally lumbered onto the dusty ground, the big Afghan turned to Brodie and stuck out a massive hand.
"Mr Brodie, sir. My name is Nasir ibn al Abbas. I am Asad's keeper."
Brodie shook the hand, impressed by the firm grip.
"Frank or Brodie, whichever you like. Don't call me 'sir'. Not my style. What do you answer to?"
The Afghan smiled, showing even white teeth.
"Nasir. Just call me Nasir."
Brodie was astounded by how good Nasir's English was.
"So, Nasir, welcome to San Miguel Island. It don't look like much yet, but it'll be gettin' better, I guess." A thought struck Brodie. "Hey, just a minute. I thought his name was Teddy? What didya call him?"
Nasir grinned tiredly. It had been a long, long flight, and he had never been on an aeroplane before, but now he had a job to do and he discovered he liked this Frank Brodie. His blue eyes watched the Afghan closely, but there was an honesty in them Nasir liked.
"Asad. I call him Asad." He rubbed his eyes wearily. "'Teddy is a … what would you say … a childish name for him. Asad is better. It's Persian for 'lion'. He is very brave, you'll see."
Brodie grimaced. That wasn't exactly what he had been told about the beast, but he was willing to give Nasir the benefit of the doubt.
"Okay, Nasir. Whatever you say. We've got everything set up for him, so you go with the driver and I'll join you soon. Then we can release him and see how he's gonna deal with all this shit, okay?"
Nasir nodded, and watched as Brodie limped away, followed by the biggest, hairiest dog he had ever seen. There was something dangerous about Frank Brodie, he decided. He had seen many lethal men in his time, and Brodie had a latent deadliness in him that Nasir recognised instantly. But … he decided Brodie was a good man. There was an inherent decency in him that Nasir liked. Perhaps this crazy idea of letting Americans care for Asad might just work with Brodie in charge.
Looking up at the crate on the truck, he heard a deep, heavy thud as unseen horns tested the strength of the metal walls.
"Soon, Asad, my friend … soon you will be free …" The soft words, spoken in Dari, settled the beast within the crate, and Nasir heaved himself into the passenger seat and indicated to the driver that they should go.
As Brodie watched the truck with its load head slowly off to the enclosure,
he turned to look at the woman standing beside him.
Tara looked up into his azure eyes, seeing the worry in them, knowing he was dealing with a lot more than he felt capable of doing. But he was supporting her as well as he could, and he was here to see her off on the first leg of her journey to San Francisco.
"I'll be going, then." She said, a little unnecessarily.
Brodie looked down at her, his chest tightening at the thought of being without her, even for a little while.
"Yeah. I suppose."
They stood awkwardly for a few moments.
"Frank …"
"Yeah?"
She reached up and cradled his face in her hands.
"I'll be home as soon as I can. You be careful, and look after yourself for me, huh?"
"I hear ya." He bent down and kissed her. "I'll miss you, gal. Come home soon, and don't let them lawyers give you any crap."
Tara smiled. He was doing his best to be cheerful, but failing miserably. They would both be unhappy, she realised, while they were parted. Throwing caution to the wind she hugged him tightly, feeling his heart beat wildly as she held him close, and she buried her face in his chest as his long arms gathered her to him, holding her tight as though he would never let go.
They stood quietly for long minutes, relishing the feel of each other, until one of the crew yelled that it was time to leave.
Tara withdrew from his grasp reluctantly, and the wrench was almost too much to bear. She kissed him deeply, then broke away.
"Gotta go."
Picking up her small suitcase, she walked quickly away and disappeared up the ramp into the plane and was gone.
As Brodie watched the Hercules taxi down the runway, he had an almost uncontrollable urge to call the tower and get the damn plane to stop, and then he could charge on board and drag Tara out of there and take her home, where he would take her to bed and love her into exhaustion, but he knew that was impossible.
The next few weeks were going to be tough, he knew … and for the very first time he was facing the troubles ahead without Tara by his side. He just hoped he could do the job without the whole thing exploding in his face.
Sighing, he turned and began to limp back to his jeep where Moron was waiting, ready to return to the compound and deal with one very pissed-off and uncontrollable black rhino.
