Leopard

When there's nothing to lose, you can play fast and loose. But what if someone raises the stakes?

Alan Drake, formerly with the Australian Special Forces, drifts aimlessly, chasing the good life in Melbourne. For him, that means bars and Clubbing.

When his wealthy controlling father, George, sends him on a mission to Zimbabwe, Alan has no idea what's in store for him. He regards the venture as a crazy plan and doesn't take the task seriously. Alan has no interest in the country, and he's never even heard of Mthwakazi, let alone the sinister figure known as The Leopard.

Zimbabwe is a land of shortages, and Bulawayo lacks the bright lights that so appeal to Alan. He can't wait to get back home. He soon discovers the city can generate more than enough adrenalin to keep his blood racing, but not in the way he might have hoped.

The mission takes Alan into the national parks where he sees the plight of the wildlife and the hardship endured by the nearby rural population. It leads him into an unintended war with an unknown foe. How can he fight a faceless enemy? People are relying on him. Has he left it too late to leave?

Alan soon realises someone wants him dead. And to make matters worse, the people he's come to help are now also on a death list. The ambitious project has become a fight for survival, with unexpected consequences. His father never warned him of the dangers of the mission.

How could his simple role in the venture lead to this? Can he extricate himself and his colleagues from the mess he's created? What can he salvage from the fiasco?

A story of how indifference can turn to care and on to commitment.