Pride of the Veld

himself at Andrea. He couldn’t possibly be so stupid that he’d believe this man. He finally couldn’t contain himself.
    “Don’t Andrea. He won’t let any of us live. Don’t kid yourself, Andy. The only chance you have is if you shoot him. Just shoot him now. I’d rather be dead than used as a tool against my grandfather. Just. Shoot. Him!” By the end Geo was screaming at the Italian, trying to get him to snap out of it. Geo needed him to be brave enough to save himself and Danie. He needed Andrea to act.
    Flinging himself backwards as hard as he could, Geo tangled himself with the man behind him, the rifle now wedged between them, as much of a danger to Ronson as it was to himself. He was vaguely aware of Andrea’s panicked cries echoing across the bush.
    ****
    Andrea’s shout of horror tore through Danie. He’d picked up Geo’s trail, and the sign wasn’t boding well. There were two separate sets of tracks. Recognizing Geo’s boot prints was easy, but it was a set left by a heavier, bigger man that worried him. The tracks synched with Geo’s perfectly, leading Danie to believe that Geo was now a hostage. He tracked them on a route that was difficult to follow at times, until they made a beeline straight for camp.
    Danie heard the struggle before he saw it. He slid into the camp just a few feet from where Geo lay entangled with Ronson in a struggle for his life. They were both trying desperately to control a rifle, and, thus, the outcome of their fight. As Danie watched, Ronson wedged a knee under Geo that allowed him the leverage to flip him over onto his back. But he still hadn’t wrested control of the weapon from Geo; the rifle was still being yanked back and forth between them, any shot potentially fatal to either.
    Danie shivered. It was now or never. He raised his rifle and jammed it against Ronson’s head. The man froze with a hiss, and Geo was able to yank the rifle out of his face at last.
    “Think about your next move very carefully, Ronson. At this minute, no magistrate in the land would convict me if my trigger finger slipped and you found my bullet lodged in your brain. I believe there’s a bounty on you dead or alive, Ronson?
    “You have a choice to make, my friend. Will you live to see another day? Or will you simplify my life by making a single move towards my man? And while you’re considering how much help your man in the bush will be to you right now, you should know that he’s currently unconscious and laid out like a lunch buffet for the crocs.”
    Ronson sneered at Danie, but released his grip on the rifle, relinquishing it into Geo’s hands. Danie didn’t waste any time, putting him on the ground with a well-aimed blow to the face.
    Geo rolled to his feet, standing out of reach of the man lying stunned on the ground. Pointing his own rifle at Ronson’s chest, Geo caught Danie’s eyes, giving him a huge smile. “Nice timing, Danie. Didja have a sweet stroll in the bush?”
    Danie could feel his own grin, his relief overwhelming. Andrea rushed over, throwing his arms around Geo from behind, kissing the side of the man’s neck. It made Danie’s chest tight to see the affection between the two.
    The distraction gave Ronson new life. “Fuckin’ queers,” he snarled.
    Andrea whirled on him, furious. “You bastard! You dare threaten these men! They are without question the best men I have ever met. I would never betray them!” Without hesitation, Andrea slammed his boot into the man’s ribs, kicking him as hard as he could, while still holding onto his arm. Danie didn’t even need to hear the snap of bone to know that Andrea had hit home with that blow. Ronson’s howl would have been enough.
    “It’s fine, Drea. We’re okay. You’re going to be okay, and this animal will be gone for a very long time. But now, I think you need to sit.” Danie was watching Andrea closely, so when he lost all color in his face, Danie had just enough time to sling his rifle over his shoulder and catch the man as he fainted.
    “Andrea!” Geo was shocked. He could see that the wound had started bleeding through the bandages, and was immediately torn.
    Danie caught Geo’s eye. “Drea lost a lot of blood earlier, but he’ll be fine. Watch this one for me.” Danie nodded at Ronson, still writhing on the ground. He carefully lifted the Italian higher in his arms, carrying him back into their tent.
    When he returned, Geo was standing further back from Ronson, and Danie