20. SAHARA ADVENTURE SERIES - DEATH IN THE SHADOWS
The story commences in the fort of Dini Salam, a fortress of the French Foreign Legion in the Sahara. Hoessein Nasab, an Arab freedom fighter, and his two comrades are detained in a prison cell, awaiting their execution for the murder of four legionnaires. Colonel Le Clerq, the commander, grapples with the decision, but Captain D’Arlan urges decisive action. Two Arabs request Le Clerq to transport a sick man, Radi, and his daughter to Algiers. Le Clerq consents, unaware of the impending threat.
The narrative centres around Teuns Stegmann, a blond South African legionnaire. Teuns, along with his comrades, including Fritz Mundt, is part of a group departing for Algiers on leave. Tension mounts sharply when the “sick” Radi and his “daughter” hijack the flight, aiming to use the passengers as hostages. Teuns’s attempts to resolve the situation lead to a fatal shootout and a desperate escape from the aircraft. The scene shifts to a cat-and-mouse game in the desert, where Teuns and his comrades attempt to capture Arab horses, while being pursued themselves.
Teuns’s resourcefulness and courage come to the fore as he outwits the Arabs and attempts to strike a deal with Sheikh Abdoella. The situation becomes increasingly dire, marked by treachery and deceit on both sides. The story concludes with the sudden appearance of Captain D’Arlan and a detachment of legionnaires on camels, just as Teuns and his comrades run out of ammunition. But what lies behind D’Arlan’s smile, and what secrets still lie hidden in the burning wreckage of the aircraft?
