Chapter 10

Near Balika, eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo

He awoke again, unsure how long it had been since the last time he’d been awake. The bandage on his head had been changed, he was sure of that. He recognized the woman dozing in a chair near the door. Everything he knew about his surroundings indicated he was not in North America or Europe. Nor the Middle East. He should be in a hospital; he was not.

Where was he? The woman was black. So, not Asia or Southeast Asia. Indonesia was a possibility, or Africa.

Flashes of a woman came to mind. He looked at her like an older woman, with whom he felt sure he had been in love. They communicated in a non-English language: Russian? So why was he in Africa or Indonesia?

It hurt when he breathed. He must have damaged ribs. So, he was in some sort of accident or attack. He was tired.

He dropped off to sleep again.