The distance between Antananarivo and Europa Island wasn’t far; the An-26 reached its destination in about half an hour, though landing took considerably more time.

The runway on Europa Island was crude, simply compacted earth that had become uneven from years of use, with tenacious of the grass breaking through the soil, adding green spots to the surface.

This rough, makeshift airstrip had no navigation equipment, meaning the landing had to be done manually. Pilots accustomed to the “Instrument Landing System” were naturally hesitant, and the poor weather conditions only increased the difficulty.

The white An-26 circled Europa Island repeatedly, and the two men in the cargo hold grew increasingly anxious. Du Preez was practically itching to wring the pilot’s neck. The transport plane’s cargo hold was not only filthy but reeked, with the floor rollers either damaged or missing altogether. The cabin felt like a sealed-off chicken coop, filled with the pungent stench of chicken droppings, and Deng Shiyang worried that he’d start reeking of the smell if they stayed much longer.

Fortunately, while the landing process was challenging, they ultimately succeeded. Around noon, the An-26 gradually came to a stop on the runway. Deng Shiyang and Du Preez wasted no time, jumping out of the cabin before the tailgate was fully open.

Semler, who had been waiting by the runway, quickly jogged over, greeted them, and instructed the African soldiers to unload the cargo from the plane.

Deng Shiyang glanced at the group gathered nearby and asked, “When did you arrive?”

“About two hours ago,” Semler replied.

“No trouble on the way?”

“Nothing besides the plane cramped cargo hold. Everything went smoothly.”

“What’s the situation on the island?”

“I’ve had people check it out.” Semler pointed to the distant outpost. “The outpost’s generator and water purification system are functioning well, and the French left plenty of food when they evacuated, enough for us to stay here for a week.”

“I’d rather we never have to use those supplies.”

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While they talked, the cargo was being unloaded. Over a dozen military-green crates were stacked beside the runway, along with three large corrugated cardboard boxes, three large wooden crates, and two eight-gallon metal fuel drums.

Once unloading was complete, Deng Shiyang entered the cockpit and, in front of the two pilots, made a call to transfer the remaining payment via phone banking.

After sending the pilots leave their way, Deng Shiyang used a satellite phone to contact Keith, who informed him that the *Cristo* had entered the exclusive economic zone near Europa Island that morning and would arrive by afternoon.

After sharing this update, the three discussed plans and decided to move all supplies and equipment to the beach. Unsure how long the process might take, Du Preez wanted everything ready so they could board the ship before nightfall.

With that plan in place, Semler gave instructions to two of the older African men, who nodded and returned to organize the others. The soldiers picked up the crates and headed toward the nearest beach.

The outboard engines for the inflatable boats posed a challenge, as each, even with packaging, weighed at least 300 pounds, and the smooth surface of the wooden crates made unloading them from the plane quite a task. Now they had to transport them another half mile to the beach.

Seeing the difficulty, Deng Shiyang asked Semler, “Is there anything like a handcart on the island?”

“Damn!” The German slapped his forehead and pointed toward the outpost. “I completely forgot. There’s a light truck there.”

Deng signaled Du Preez, and the two of them took off running toward the outpost.

Near one of the buildings, they found an old Citroën pickup truck. Du Preez hurriedly smashed the window with his elbow, only to realize the door was unlocked, and the key was still in the ignition. Scratching his head sheepishly, he cleaned the broken glass off the seat and climbed in.

He turned the key, and a low rumble came from the engine. Deng Shiyang climbed into the passenger seat, Du Preez with a press of the gas pedal, the Citroën pickup shot out of the outpost.

They drove up to the runway, where the African soldiers were sitting on the ground, crates scattered around them. Frowning, Deng Shiyang instructed Semler to have them load the inflatable boats, outboard engines, and fuel onto the truck and to carry everything else to the beach.

Though a bit reluctant, the men complied. Half an hour later, everyone and all supplies were at the beach. Under Semler’s supervision, the three inflatable boats were quickly inflated and assembled. During this time, Deng made another trip to the outpost, retrieving a load of rations, several large water containers, and a gas stove and large pot from the outpost kitchen.

Du Preez took charge of preparing lunch, with Deng assisting. Together, they dumped canned white beans, salted meat, and minced pork into the pot, added water and sausages, and simmered everything into a thick, oddly colored stew. The hundred men took turns eating on the beach, using a limited number of enamel bowls.

After everyone was fed, Du Preez instructed them to drag the three inflatable boats into the water. He took each boat for a spin around the nearby waters to ensure everything was in working order.