Oil on Water

On the day they had begun the kidnapping assignment, Rufus and Zaq left the oil company rig early in the morning. The guide hired to accompany the journalists carried a gun and was physically intimidating, which was necessary given the danger of the assignment. Rufus sat next to Zaq on the boat, along with several other reporters, including two from Lagos who wore suits and soft shoes, looking unready for the terrain. They travelled through the Delta; the trip was difficult to navigate. The guide kept trying to hail the kidnappers on the radio, and it was determined that his instructions were to simply go in one direction for a time and then turn to a specific frequency to contact the militants. When nobody responds, they begin to worry.

After some more travelling time, they come to a series of small islands; on the second island, they see a fire. At first, they think perhaps it is a sign of civilization, but upon further inspection, they see that a wooden boat is on fire, and appears to have been hit directly with a rocket. They arrive on shore to find that the whole camp had been attacked, with the militants having apparently been ambushed by the military.