Because of the lack of staff at 7 o’clock in the morning, we carried our own bags out to the car. Luckily the kitchen was up and running, so we managed to have a decent breakfast before packing our bags.

Jasmine was already behind the wheel when I climbed into the car. “Is the weather like this all the time, Miss?”

“It is at this time of the year. Have you got everything?”

I thought for a moment and then patted my small satchel. “Everything present and correct, Sir!”

She loved playing roleplaying games at home, all of which involved me being a submissive, soldier, schoolgirl, or some other bizarre fantasy figure. And, she spent real money on expensive outfits. In fact, there was no end to her kinks, most of which I really enjoyed.

Jaz steered the car out of the carpark and joined a line of Motorbikes, whizzing along, with two and sometimes three people crammed on the tiny vehicles. I glanced at the front of the hotel, which was decorated in a gaudy blue wash, and spotted a figure standing just inside the entrance door. It was one of the lads from the previous night and he was definitely watching us leave.

“Did you see who I saw…”

“I did. He was lurking around at breakfast. Thankfully, we don’t need to use the hotel again. When we return and drop the car off, we’ll get a taxi, straight to the airport.”

Maroua was a small town, but sprawling, so it took some time to get clear of the sparsely populated outskirts. Once in the country though, I was treated to some spectacular views of the Cameroon Far North Region countryside. Some of the land was flat and dotted with trees and bushes, while other areas were hilly and rocky. The trees thickened until we were driving through dense forest and then once again thinned out when we returned to the plain.

I was wearing what I called my army gear. Jasmine had bought me a khaki camouflaged short sleeve shirt, which matched a pair of plain khaki shorts I bought a couple of years earlier. Jaz had chosen light blue denim shorts and a yellow t-shirt. We both had out peaked caps firmly planted on our heads to keep the sun off us, in the absence of a roof on the jeep.

There was nothing to listen to, like a radio and Jaz was quiet, but I didn’t miss the conversation, because of all the wildlife visible on the ground and in the trees. Zebras, giraffes, antelope, monkeys and even a couple of elephants crossed the road ahead of us. It was a thrilling experience and I could tell Jasmine was delighted to see me enjoying the journey.

I snapped away with my phone, which was otherwise useless, in that part of the country. The road began to rise as we entered a forested area and it wasn’t long before Jaz began to slow down. We had been on the road for a couple of hours and having travelled at no more than 40 mph, we still had some way to go.

Jasmine had slowed the vehicle to about 20 mph and was studying the forest on our left. “The turning is along here somewhere…”

We had only gone another 200 yards when a gap in the trees appeared. “There!” I shouted.

She turned onto a very narrow dirt track. There was no signpost or any indication that anything of interest lie along the track.

“Where are we going, Jaz?”

“Wait and see…”

The track was in a terrible state, but the Land Rover coped with the countless potholes with aplomb. I held on for dear life as the vehicle jarred time and time again, while we bounced in the springy seats. Finally, to my relief, we arrived at a flat piece of land where there was enough room for vehicles to turn around. As she edged the jeep through some sparse bushes, I caught my first sight of the river.

It was in fact a river falls. The water was cascading down a long series of wide steps, forming swirling and still pools at every level. The sheer scale of the natural feature was breath-taking.

“Jaz, it’s beautiful,” I gasped and stood up as she pulled to a halt, right on the edge of the riverbank. “I must get some pictures.”

“Amazing isn’t it?”

“What’s it called?”

“Don’t know. It’s not a tourist spot and I haven’t seen anyone here in the last couple of years. The water is pure, so you can drink it.”

I climbed down from the car and walked along the riverbank snapping pictures. When I turned around, Jasmine was taking her shorts off.

“You going in?”

“Of course. Get your kit off…” I looked around anxiously, but we were in the middle of nowhere. “Only wild animals out there, babe, come on…”

I watched Jasmin, wearing just a pair of black panties, wade into the fast-flowing shallow water, seemingly heading for one of the natural pools. I wasn’t a prude, but I was more cautious than my partner. After watching her for a minute, settle down in a swirling pool, I too plucked up the courage to take the plunge.

I removed my boots, socks, shorts and t-shirt, then paused. I wasn’t sure about my bra, but at the last minute I whipped it off and waded into the crystal-clear water. With the temperature soaring into the high nineties, wading through the water was an absolute delight, Then, when I reached the deeper pool I submerged myself beside Jasmine and completely blotted out the stifling heat.

So, started the most wonderful half hour of my life. We fooled around in the pool and then passionately kissed and fondled each other. Then, we climbed the slippery steps, right to the top to find that the water flowed through from even denser jungle.

Looking down the river fall, was scary, but following Jaz’s example, I sat on my butt and allowed the water to carry me down like a huge chunk of driftwood. I had been on many water chutes, but sliding across rocks and spinning when I passed through narrow gaps in the rocks, was far more exciting. We had just arrived at the bottom for the second time when movement near our Land Rover caught my eye.

I covered my tits and grabbed Jasmine’s arm. “Jaz, there’s someone…

“Fuck,” she exclaimed and then added as an afterthought. “Don’t panic.”

We remained seated in about a foot of water, as first one man emerged from the bushes, and then a second. They were wearing large green bucket hats, but I still recognized them. It was the pair from the Hotel, dressed in camouflage green shorts and black t-shirts.

I was shocked by their appearance and terrified to see they were carrying long machetes. The bank was about ten feet away and they were standing right on the edge. I wondered if they were after our possessions, or intended to harm us. Then another possibility occurred to me, which I quickly shut out of my mind.

The taller lad, who the previous night had placed his hand on my arm, pointed at us with his weapon. “Well, well, well, if it isn’t the homo bitch from Wazo and her fag girlfriend.”

Horrified by their sudden appearance, I wondered if they were on the look out for likely victims when they approached us in the hotel the previous night.

Jasmin gripped my arm and we slowly stood up. “Homosexuals are men. We are lesbians,” she informed them.

“What’s the difference, bitch. You’re all fags and perverts.”

She lifted her hands in a gesture of peace. “Our wallets and belongings are in the car. Take them and you’re only committing a minor crime. There’s plenty of cash in my bag.” I didn’t like the way he looked at me. Jaz continued. “You can see we’re unarmed and won’t try to stop you.”

I had to hand it to Jasmine. She was calm and reasonable and trying to appeal to the men’s greedier side. Her voice was soft, as though she was ordering a takeaway meal. There was a click behind us on the opposite bank. We turned 90 degrees to discover an older man, same outfit, but instead of a machete, he was holding a pistol and pointing it straight at us.

“Bitch,” the stranger snarled. “We decide who does what. Now you…” He pointed the gun at Jaz. “On your knees and put your hands behind your back and hold your forearms.”

Jasmine turned to me and spoke in a soft, urgent tone. “Kid, keep calm. Do as they say. Your life is more valuable than your principles.”

She dropped to her knees, beside me, in a foot of water. I stood frozen to the spot, left arm covering my breasts and right hand over the front of my wet panties. The thin cotton had become transparent, so I was desperate to cover my modesty.

The man pointed the gun at me. “Moofee, put your hands behind you back, like your pal.” I glanced down to see how Jaz was doing it and copied her, so I was gripping my arms near my elbows.

“How did you find us?” Jaz asked.

One of the lads held up a small metal disk. “Tracker, you dumb fuck!”

The stranger waded into the water, and standing by my side, held the gun to my head. “Bitch,” he looked Jasmine in the eye. “One false move and your fag girlfriend gets her brains blown out.”

Jaz was acting calm, but there was a rising tide of terror spreading throughout my body and I was starting to feel faint. I had to let her do the talking, so as not to make things worse. A fear that was looking like becoming a reality.