“I’ve just reached the release mechanism, the blade is holding it down now. Lift up your leg very slowly!”
John obeyed. The drops of sweat raced down his face.
Idemuida stretched back with his other hand and pulled something closer. It was a heavy thing, it took a while for him to grab it.
“This iron plate is as heavy as a child—that is the minimum weight for this type of mine. Or I hope it is …”
“This is terrible …”
“Yes, it is. In Africa there are a lot of child soldiers. I’ll push this weight over the blade and pull out the knife,” Idemuida explained.
It took two minutes to finish the crazy manoeuvre.
“Stand up, and step over me,” the minesweeper instructed him. “Don’t move to the left or right.”
“Not for all the world,” John promised. He’d prefer to keep his legs.
The man stoo
