A Poacher Kill – Continued Adventures of Sopwith Jones

By Alan Haller

Sopwith Jones returns in an engaging sequel to Fly Away – A Sopwith Jones Adventure. The story informs, shocks and occasionally appals the reader with its realistic depictions of the cruel, ongoing and seemingly never-ending poaching trade.

Sopwith manages to apprehend Lenka, a young assistant who has helped Nkoli poach a rhino. This leads to the gradual untangling of a criminal web, involving corruptible Barnabas Masondo and newcomer Joaquim De Azevedo, who are working for an unknown kingpin, who must be found.

Masondo realises that his old adversary is after him so he tries his best to outsmart Sopwith by using a hired gun. In thrilling action sequences, Sopwith evades the threats, retaliating with clever subterfuge. Will the kingpin behind this nefarious poaching scheme be found though?

Action and adventure on the ground and in the air culminate in many surprises, including the introduction of a prosecutor, Zelda Martin, who plays a pivotal role and who evolves into a very colourful and important character in forthcoming Sopwith Jones novels.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Austin Macauley Publishers
• Release date: Dec 16, 2022
• ISBN: 9781398499317

Alan Haller

Alan Haller, born in South Africa, was educated at the Grey Schools in Gqeberha. This was followed by a six-year sojourn in the British South Africa Police in the then Rhodesia, during which he served some time as a public prosecutor. Alan then bicycled throughout all the countries of the British Isles before settling down to business back in South Africa. He became a passionate motorcyclist, undertaking many long-distance tours through the countries of Southern Africa. Upon his recent retirement, Alan turned to full time writing. This is his second novel, the first, Fly Away – A Sopwith Jones Adventure, published in May 2022, is available at various bookstores, on Amazon Kindle or through Austin Macauley Publishers.

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About the Author

Alan Haller, born in South Africa, was educated at the Grey Schools in Gqeberha. This was followed by a six-year sojourn in the British South Africa Police in the then Rhodesia, during which he served some time as a public prosecutor. Alan then bicycled throughout all the countries of the British Isles before settling down to business back in South Africa. He became a passionate motorcyclist, undertaking many long-distance tours through the countries of Southern Africa. Upon his recent retirement, Alan turned to full time writing. This is his second novel, the first, Fly Away – A Sopwith Jones Adventure, published in May 2022, is available at various bookstores, on Amazon Kindle or through Austin Macauley Publishers.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the reader. It is written solely for your enjoyment.

Copyright Information ©

Alan Haller 2022

The right of Alan Haller to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by the author in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers.

Any person who commits any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil claims for damages.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

A CIP catalogue record for this title is available from the British Library.

ISBN 9781398499300 (Paperback)

ISBN 9781398499317 (ePub e-book)

www.austinmacauley.com

First Published 2022

Austin Macauley Publishers Ltd®

1 Canada Square

Canary Wharf

London

E14 5AA

Acknowledgement

Thank you, Fiona, for once more partnering me in this venture. Your proofreading as well as critique are so important to me.

To Erith Harris, for quietly plugging away and ridding my raw manuscripts of bad grammar and poor punctuation. Thank you once again.

To the esteemed David Bristow, for my award of a Literary Victoria Cross for bravery and decisive action in the face of enemy fire. Thank you.

To Emeritus Professor Monty Roodt, my grateful thanks for your encouragement.

A big up to all the people working with both private and public organisations who are doing their best to protect Africa’s rhino population from extinction.

To the vast majority of our country’s civil servants who continue to serve the public professionally, often in the face of difficult circumstances, thank you. My references to any malfunction of government administration and political shenanigans serve only as a background to exacerbate Sopwith’s challenges, all entirely fictional.

My first language was Xhosa, having been cared for by a lovely Xhosa nanny, Maggie. With time and the lack of use I lost most of the language, so referred to my oldest nephew, Bryan Haller, a Xhosa linguist, to correct the few Xhosa passages in this book. Thank you for your help, Bryan.

Lastly, in memoriam, I would like to express a much belated thank you to my late dad, George Haller, who allowed me to fly his Piper Tri-Pacer from the tender age of thirteen. Similarly, thanks to my late father-in-law, Bob Short, who occasionally gave me the controls to his Cessna 172.

1: Swb Recruits Sopwith

Sopwith Jones felt terribly adrift in life. Not only because his career was over. He was an aeronautical engineer-turned-entrepreneur who no longer built aircraft.

He recently experienced an enormously harrowing experience, after having built a solar-powered aircraft based on a modified Cessna 172. Utilising his innovative design of a nano-engineered photo-voltaic skin applied to the top surfaces of the aircraft, he created the first conventional aeroplane to be solely powered by the sun. No sooner than he completed his project Barnabas Masondo, a corrupt government minister, tried to hi-jack the design for his own gain.

His parents and grandparents were Welsh but he was born in South Africa. He looked to the British Government for assistance in escaping Minister Masondo’s corrupt scheme. With their help he travelled to England. Tall with a well-proportioned muscular build Sopwith stood out in a crowd. His dark and fashionably cut short hair complemented his grey blue eyes. His ready smile revealed even white teeth, bracketed by laughter lines. His physique coupled to his clear intelligence appealed to Alison Murray from the moment she first met him. Ali, as she liked to be called, resisted his early offer of marriage, but relented when they decided to leave England.

An F-35 fighter jet pilot, she resigned her commission in the Royal Navy to be at his side, when that decision was made. Rather than face a perceived threat of extradition to South Africa Sopwith chose to leave the country. Sopwith could not have wanted for a better companion. Slightly built, Ali was well toned and fit. Medium length and wavy brunette hair matched pale skin and full-bodied red lips which hinted at her Scottish heritage. Being a pilot also added support to the journey they embarked upon. They flew into Africa in the aircraft he built, now named ’Sopwith-Solar’.

During this long adventurous flight, Sopwith was forced to kill three men, in self-defence. This mentally affected him, resulting in a feeling of being adrift, from his original scientific and academic pursuits. He was growing a preference for a more exciting lifestyle.

Once back in England after the momentous flight adventure, no longer facing extradition, he initially planned on entering the world of large-scale aircraft manufacture. This changed when he and Ali were abducted by an extremist hit-man, in retribution for the jihadist deaths he caused in Africa. Taking a huge risk, Sopwith managed to dispose of this man, in a lifesaving moment. Although the whole affair was officially swept under the carpet, so theoretically no one knew about it, his feelings changed. He felt an uneasy ever-present instinct that he needed to watch his back at all times. This, along with drifting away from his original academic pursuits, towards a preference for being a free agent, was what was troubling him. He changed his mind about the future after the incident with the hit-man. He sold the patents for his designs to the world’s aircraft manufacturing industries; a strategy which made him a very wealthy man.

Without any other plans, he and Ali moved to her place of birth in Kilmarnock, just south of Glasgow in Scotland, to get well away from the limelight. They flew there in the Sopwith-Solar, landing at Strathaven airfield, the closest to Kilmarnock. There they hired a car which they drove the 32km to the town and explored the locality and surrounds. Ali showed him where she grew up and attended school, along with other interesting anecdotal facets of her younger life. With initial reminiscing over, they found a small hotel, the Premier Inn, which in a previous life served as a cotton mill, where they spent the night.

Ali was overjoyed to be in her old home town, with Sopwith also taking an instant liking to it, along with its friendly Scots population. On the following day, after checking out of the Premier Inn, they toured the countryside, starting on the Ayrshire coast, visiting both the coastal towns of Ayr and Prestwick. They travelled inland again, popping in at Strathaven Airfield, to check that Sopwith-Solar was secure. At the airfield, with grass runways and two hangars, they engaged in conversation with the caretaker. They established from him that one of the hangers was available for hire, but more than that, he gave them a good idea.

If you are looking for something to do, I often have tourists arriving here. They see the airfield sign and pop in to look for charter aircraft for sightseeing, he explained to them. I always have to turn them away of course. No one keeps a plane here permanently anymore. On their return journey to Kilmarnock, they kicked the idea around, deciding to give it a try. They set about looking for a cottage to rent. They both felt comfortable with the idea of staying in the area for a while.

They stopped for lunch at the most delightful pub called the ‘Wee Train’ in Galston, a lovely village on the banks of the River Irvine some 24km from the airfield. They introduced themselves to the landlord who, by good fortune, knew of what he deemed to be the perfect cottage for them to rent. After receiving directions to the cottage they drove there, viewed it, really liked it and so signed a lease. They unloaded their suitcases into the cosy thatched building before racing into the bedroom to christen their new abode.

Ali, although delighted with the challenge of starting up their new small business, was even more keenly looking forward to spending time in the air once again. Sopwith was fully supportive of going along with her idea, but his feeling of drifting through life, rather than living it, still remained with him.

Ali worked on the advertising aspect of their new venture, while Sopwith engrossed himself with the intricacies of securing permissions, as well as legal aspects of the business. Only a few weeks earlier he received permanent aircraft registration (G-SJSC) for the Sopwith-Solar from the UK Civil Aviation Authority. The registration included the authority to carry passengers for reward. He established from Glasgow ATC where he would be allowed, or not allowed to fly. He managed to secure some advantageous concessions because of the absolute silence of the Sopwith-Solar’s electric motor. Within a short period of time, with the help of both online and press advertising, coupled to local knowledge, they opened their business. They began flying customers on trips of varying lengths, mainly along the Ayrshire Coastline and further northwards. The aerial views of innumerable islands, firths and lochs were a photographer’s dream, as well as being a boon for tourists who wanted to enjoy the elevated view and perspective of that portion of the Scottish Coastline.

They soon discovered an unanticipated spin-off from golf tourists. Golfers wanted to view the many courses from the air, in order to make a choice, of which ones they wished to play on. Ali did the lion’s share of the flying, accompanied by Sopwith only when they had two passengers as clients, because Sopwith-Solar was a four-seater. They soon became busy enough, but the downside, of course, was the very frequent inclement Scottish weather which kept them out of the air. Sopwith-Solar needed reasonably sunny weather for it to be able to function. It was summer-time, the best weather in Scotland, so Sopwith brooded about how little flying time they would be able to secure in winter. This factor, along with the general sense of lack of purpose in his life, was not making him particularly content at all.

Sopwith chose to have little to do with the outside world; his intention to keep a low profile, but he did maintain contact with his old friend Ben Dougmore in Port Alfred, South Africa. Sopwith and Ben, although many years apart in age, liked each other from the outset when they first met, becoming firm friends. Ben, an older man, but still-practising lawyer, was Sopwith’s intermediary in his negotiations when seeking the help of the British Government. This he did with aplomb. Without being asked by Sopwith, Ben travelled to London, where he doggedly sought out the relevant government officials who could best help him in his quest. This resulted in successfully securing British help for Sopwith; leading him to obtain British citizenship.

Sopwith emailed Ben regularly to update him on what he and Ali were doing with their lives. His latest email clearly made Ben aware that he was not especially happy with how things were going in Scotland. Ben correctly read into the mail that he was persevering with his lifestyle there because, at least, Ali was very happy.

A part of Sopwith’s life was always keeping physically fit, so he spent more and more time doing just that. Taking on assault courses was the new and very popular pastime throughout the UK. Scottish Assault Courses, particularly, were becoming known as the best in the land. One of the foremost of these courses was situated at Loudoun Sports Centre at Galston, known as the Ayrshire Assault Course.

With the Ayrshire Assault Course being in the close vicinity of their cottage, Sopwith was spending hours traversing the twenty-eight-obstacle challenge. He became faster and faster as his fitness levels and physical strength improved. As part of the complex there was also a shooting range, on which he also spent a great deal of time. He continually honed his skills, developed at the time when Ali used to take him to Navy shooting facilities, when she was still an officer. Ali joined him on the assault course and range when she could. She was also determined to maintain her fitness along with keeping her eye in with a pistol.

At about this point in time Ben Dougmore was hosting guests at his home in Port Alfred. Arthur Lightfoot, retired Admiral and former First Sea Lord of the Royal Navy, was enjoying a holiday in South Africa, together with his wife Iris. Ben met Arthur during his time in London, when the latter still occupied his very senior naval post. They became firm friends whilst Ben was there securing help for Sopwith. They were of similar age, both being older men, thus thoroughly enjoyed one another’s company. Ben was widowed but had a long-serving housekeeper, Mildred, who helped look after his needs. Arthur’s wife suffered from Alzheimer’s disease which was not at a stage too advanced to detract from her participation in most of his activities. Her disease did however affect her memory, as well as sometimes making her confused about where she was, or what time it was.

Even though it was mid-wintertime, the sub-tropical climate of the coastal town of Port Alfred allowed them to comfortably sit outside on Ben’s wooden deck, albeit wearing jackets, to watch the sunset over the warm Indian Ocean. They were doing just that when Arthur spoke:

Ben, when last did you hear from Sopwith? I have absolutely no idea where he is because he has not kept in touch with me.

Oh, I received an email from him not long ago. He and Ali are staying in the village of Galston in Ayrshire whilst running a sight-seeing air service for tourists from Strathaven Airfield. They seem to be doing alright; not that money is of any issue for Sopwith – he has enough. By the sounds of it, although Ali is happy, he does not seem to be much enamoured with what he is doing. You know, Sopwith has changed since I first met him. He appears restless; continually looking for some sort of big challenge, as well as seemingly looking over his shoulder all the time. I suppose that can happen if one is forced to kill another human being?

You are so right about that, replied Arthur. The reason I asked is that Kenneth Le Grange from SWB has been enquiring about Sopwith’s whereabouts. He heard that Sopwith has dropped out of society and no longer following his dream of manufacturing solar-powered aircraft. Apparently, Kenneth has taken on some type of project which he considers might appeal to Sopwith.

Kenneth Le Grange was the owner of Security Without Borders (SWB), a private para- military security company in South Africa. This company, along with many others around the world, were taking on an increasing amount of security work, which was once the domain of government agencies. This effectively released the government from direct responsibility in sometimes questionable actions. SWB had been contracted by the corrupt minister Masondo to track down Sopwith in Africa when he fled England. It was SWB that were the first to locate Sopwith when he landed in Palma, Mozambique. Kenneth, over the years, maintained a good working relationship with John Baker, a senior officer in the British intelligence agency MI6. In trying to locate Sopwith Kenneth looked to John to help. John, in turn, asked Arthur Lightfoot, who he knew to have got on very well with Sopwith.

That is interesting and I shall definitely pass the message on to Sopwith. I still have Kenneth’s contact details on file, replied Ben.

Just then Iris came onto the deck, looking very surprised when she saw her husband. When are you going off to work dear? she asked.

Iris, I am not going to work today; we are on holiday with Ben in Africa, remember?

Of course my dear. Oh, how I do love it here in America and Andrew has such a lovely house. Shall we all have our breakfast then?

Both men looked at each other with wry smiles, and Arthur replied, Of course we will, dear.

Once the Lightfoots left Port Alfred to return home to London, Ben sent an email to Sopwith explaining that Kenneth Le Grange was looking for him, with an interesting proposition.

When Sopwith received Ben’s email, he immediately telephoned Kenneth Le Grange and found him, uncharacteristically, in his office in Johannesburg. To find Kenneth in his office was most unusual because he spent the vast majority of his time in the field, running his business with a very ‘hands on’ approach.

Ah, Sopwith, it looks like I have found you at last! Thanks for getting hold of me. Who told you that I was looking for you?

Hello Kenneth. Ben Dougmore sent me a mail when he heard from Arthur Lightfoot who was holidaying with him. So, why is it that you are tracking me down?

SWB has been tasked by a number of local and international backers to make a very serious attempt to eradicate poaching problems. This has become a plague to game reserves in South Africa, including the Kruger National Park (KNP). Our government is so seriously cash-strapped after the Gupta-led looting spree of state capture emptied their coffers. So much so that they just do not have the resources available to fund any attempts to adequately address the problem. When I accepted the challenge my first thoughts were how helpful an aircraft as quiet as yours would be to us. I could not keep that thought out of my mind, so looked for you, to see if either your aircraft or better still, you and the plane, might be available to us. What are you doing with yourself? Can you perhaps help us?

On the face of it I would like to say ‘yes’ immediately, but I better check with Ali first. How long do you think you would need me?

I cannot say with certainty but not just short term. This is a huge problem with more and more indicators pointing to organised crime being involved, as well as corrupt government officials. We intend to try and take out the organisers. Poaching for the pot will never be eradicated, but we believe we can stop poaching for trophies and for those archaic and ridiculous medical potions. You, together with your near silent aircraft, will be perfect for aerial observation. I reckon you could do well even in a pursuit role if needed. We will be happy to pay you, of course.

OK. That gives me good grounds to try and convince Ali; she really became quite hooked on the wildlife we saw when we flew through Africa. I don’t need payment, although I may ask you to cover any major expenses. Give me a few days to sort things out with Ali and I’ll get back to you.

This is wonderful news; thank you Sopwith! I look forward to hearing from you.

The minute she came home after having been flying golfers around, Sopwith approached Ali with Kenneth’s request.

So you see, not only is it a massively important cause; the whole thing can be a new and exciting adventure for us, particularly being able to see more of the African wildlife you’ve became so fond of. We’ll be back in Africa, facing unknown challenges daily, as opposed to flying around the same places here, day after day, being hugely dependent on the weather. I really think it’s a great idea, Sopwith told her persuasively.

Ali was quiet for a while, giving the proposal much thought, but eventually, boldly replied: I think you’re right darling. Winter isn’t far off anyway, when we’ll probably be severely restricted by the weather. I also have to admit that I’m getting to the stage where I’ve seen about enough of the Ayrshire coast, as well as how bloody rude some of the customers can get. I’m in! I’ll have to see out the few booked commitments that we have, so in the meantime you can start planning our trip to South Africa.

She gave him a hug, along with a kiss, adding, My darling, clever man, I knew that by marrying you I’d end up having an exciting life!

On the following morning Sopwith phoned Kenneth to let him know the good news; that they were available together with the Sopwith-Solar. He also told him that he would revert to him once their flight plans had been finalised, then asked him where in South Africa they would be flying to. Kenneth replied they would initially be based in the small mining town of Phalaborwa, on the border of the Kruger National Park, about halfway along its 350km length. Kenneth ended by saying he would be eagerly awaiting his and Ali’s arrival.

Sopwith plotted a course that suited the Sopwith-Solar’s daily maximum range of about 2 400km, dependent on the length of daylight, and prevailing weather conditions en route. He prepared a small stock of dry food and water for their daily consumption whilst airborne. He also bought two buckets, with lids, to contain urine, as no one is able to fly all day without needing the loo.

Two weeks later, with all their commitments to customers fulfilled, they handed back their hire car and gave up the lease on their small cottage. After saying goodbye, to those people in Kilmarnock and Galston they had become acquainted with, they packed all of their minimal possessions into the little craft. Lining the plane up on the centre of the grass runway at Strathaven, Ali powered the electric motor up, until it slowly moved forward with a slight rumbling of the wheels on the uneven surface. Carefully steering with light pressure on the foot pedals,