The Congolese Bloodbath

A short story surrounding the mysterious death of four men in The Congo.

Four men were found dead on the side of a road, deep within the heart of the Congo. Reports vary greatly amidst the locals as to what exactly happened, though there are a few concrete details which have made themselves recurring. Firstly, the identity of these men. Moku, a local, specialized in hunting. His parents having died or fled early in his life, he was left alone to fend for his brother, Rishi, who was fond of skinning the animals his brother would kill. These brothers were found among the dead.

Also amongst them was a southerner from the village Mahib, an educated man as reports have it. He went by the name of Christian. Three of the four dead men had gunshot wounds, indicating their cause of death. Christian had no visible wounds. Lastly the fourth man, and arguably most peculiar. His identity not yet confirmed, it is known that he hailed from the states, and one man recalled him of having the name Jack. It is quite uncommon to see white men around, so almost everyone in the village of Mahib can give a description that fit the dead man precisely.

Too often do deaths go unnoticed in this place, so I've taken it upon myself to transcribe the events as I've heard them. As incredulous as they may seem, keep in mind that I am simply reiterating that which I've been told.

The Congolese Bloodbath

“You've proven yourself untrustworthy.” Jack sighed, looking distastefully at the man seated across from him. Christian shifted uneasily in his chair, and was just about to offer an excuse when Jack stopped him with a wave of his hand. “I don't care. I really, really, don't. We're going to kill these idiots, and then I'm going home. Understood?” Christian nodded sheepishly. “You're sure they're at the head of this?”

The southerner nodded eagerly, pleased that Jack's mood seemed to be mellowing. “I know they are. Cut them, and we'll have no competition. None.” It was agreed upon that the two brothers, Rishi and Moku were to be disposed of immediately. The next day an ad was circulated in their village that a local hunter was needed as a guide, and Moku quickly accepted the offer, and even volunteered to bring his brother Rishi along as well.

“I am glad to meet you,” Moku smiled as the the foreigner and his translator approached. “I am Moku, and this is my brother Rishi. We will be happy to help you today.” The foreigner had smiled in reply but said nothing, instead ushering them quickly into his jeep, and rapidly departing into the dwindling sunset.

Rishi was not as trusting as his brother, and it is agreed that he must have brought a small handgun as protection. Whether Moku was aware of that or not is unknown.

“Here.” Jack said, pointing to a stretch of desolate looking roadside. They'd driven but half an hour, and the brothers were immensely startled by their sudden halt. The sunset shown dimly upon what would soon be a bloodbath in the muddy roadside. As Moku and Rishi stepped out of the jeep, Jack stealthily pocketed his own sidearm, and Christian followed suit.

“I am confused,” Moku walked around the side of the jeep to Jack “Why are we stopped?” Jack said nothing, but pointed out into the vast expanse of rolling sand.

“Here is where you are to guide us.” The whole event was becoming more an more odd to the brothers, though before they could act, Christian was crying out in pain. He lay on the ground, clutching his ankle. From between his feet a Atractaspidinae slithered.

“He's been bitten!” Jack called out in surprise. He knew that to suck the venom himself would be dangerous to both, so instead he grabbed his unopened water bottle, and before the brothers could inform him that the Atractaspidinae was not poisonous, he was pouring water into the open bites to drain the venom. Then, almost as soon as the water had begun to irrigate, Christian stopped breathing. The trio stared in shock, and after several attempts at resuscitation, Jack stood up and stumbled away from the dead body.

What happened next is of some debate, some say Jack pulled his weapon and immediately shot Moku between the eyes. Others say that Rishi drew first, and fired upon Jack. As no one is alive to confirm which, I tend to side with Jack attacking first. Having killed Moku, Rishi fired upon Jack and mortally wounded him. Not before, however, Jack delivered a killing blow upon him too, and thus, the brothers were no more. It appeared that Jack crawled a little ways away, and subsequently died of his wounds. But why did any of this happen?

Ivory. Jack and Christian were together running one of the largest Ivory poaching operations in Africa. Though Jack was being misled. What he believed to be his strongest opposition, the brothers, were nothing but local hunters and gatherers, not poachers. Christian had lied, as he wanted to take the profits of his partner for his own. The other deaths are pretty commonplace, though the death of Christian remains odd. Seeing how he was bitten by an non-venomous snake. My best answer lies in the water. Christian, being the intelligent, cunning man he was, poisoned Jack's water. Before Jack could drink it however, the situation arose where he attempted to save Christian from what he believed was a deadly bite. Pouring the poisoned water into the wound killed Christian, not the bite. It is an unfortunate business, but that is what I believe to be the story of The Congolese Bloodbath.

Reviews

[fwvalidus]

A very interesting piece that I keenly followed to the end. Is the first paragraph a true description of a real event that happened? Or is it supplementary information that aids in the telling of your story? Well written and well thought out, I'd wager you could turn this into a successful novella length story if you have the optimism and patience for such! We could dive further into Christian and Jack's plans and eagerly await how it all unfolds! Just a thought if you are into longer length writing.