Wanting to be certain no more threats hid in the village, they all spent the next several minutes performing a thorough sweep. As the team met back up at the truck, Rick watched about twelve children come out of one of the buildings. He knew the villagers had hidden them under the floor.

“Pot Pie, check the truck. Make sure it doesn’t have a tracker. Then go back and get the doc. She’s going to want to treat Tadeas. Trout, Maguire, load the bodies. Take their pictures, then drive them to the river and weigh them down. Can’t draw buzzards or attention. Then hide the truck. We’ll need it tonight.”

While his men carried out his orders, he went back into the hut and found Tadeas lying on the bed. Ayo gently cleaned his face.

“You got here just in time,” she said, looking up at him with sad brown eyes.

“Were they looking for us?”

She nodded as she rinsed the rag. “They didn’t know you’d already been here. They were just looking. They would have killed Tadeas after they made him watch.”

He didn’t have to ask what they would have made him watch. “I’m sorry to bring violence to your village.”

She paused in her movements and looked at him. “Captain, you did not bring the violence. You are working to abolish the violence. We are thankful you are here, doing what you are doing. We are not strong enough to stand up to his men. You are.”

“I appreciate that.” He gestured at a chair. “Do you mind?”

“No, please. Can I get you some water?”

“Thanks.” He sat down and looked at Tadeas. “I have one of my men fetching Doctor Myers. She’ll want to patch you up herself.”

Tadeas closed his good eye and nodded. “You know,” he said in a low voice, “I came here thinking I could make a difference. I’d learned about what the warlords did to the children, to the villages. I thought I’d be bigger and better than them.”

Rick shook his head. “One man can’t battle an entire army. Chukuwereije is organized. His men are trained from a very young age. Don’t beat yourself up because you don’t see the difference you’re making.” He looked around. “If you protect this core family, then you’re making a big difference.”

Ayo returned with a cup of water. Rick nodded his thanks and took a long drink.

“I’d like to take Ayo home to Montreal with me, but she won’t leave her people,” Tadeas said.

Ayo sat on the edge of the bed and continued bathing Tadeas’s face. “My training is important here. Doctor Myers has taught me above and beyond what I learned in midwifery school. The villages need me for when there are no more Western doctors willing to come here.”