“I don’t know what the hell this is.”
Non-rocket space launch. The project suggests a very large gun could be used to fire objects at high speed to high altitudes…
“Oh, shit.”
Dahl and Alicia were similarly ashen faced. “This can’t be good.”
Hayden pointed out the oncoming choppers, now in plain sight. They could see individual weapons hanging out of the helos.
“And neither is that!”
Drake handed over the papers and readied his weapons. Time for something he was used to and good at. Chatter flew at him from Hayden, Mai and Smyth, and also from the comms system that Lauren had patched in.
“Israelis engaged with Swedes. Russia unknown…” Then came bursts of static and quick translations from live feed communications that the NSA and other organizations had managed to listen in on.
The French: “We are approaching the area…”
The British: “Yes sir, targets seen. We have multiple enemies in the field…”
The Chinese: “Are you certain they have the box?”
Hayden led the way. They ran from the field. They ran without a plan. Careful gunfire made the choppers shy away and forced their ground pursuit to move with extreme caution.
And then, as Drake had almost tuned out and concentrated on their new escape route, another voice cut through the static.
Only briefly.
Partially hidden under the noise, hard to properly make out, a deep drawl jabbed at his ears.
American: “SEAL Team 7 here. We’re real close now…”
Shock jolted him to the core. But there was no time. No chance to talk. Not even a second to absorb it.
His eyes though met Torsten Dahl’s.
What the…?
CHAPTER NINE
“Tell the helo to back off!” Hayden snapped through the comms. “We’re gonna find a different way.”
“You want it to hang around?” Lauren asked, making Alicia laugh even as she ran for her life.
“Of course. Duck and cover. Don’t call us, we’ll call you!”
Drake wondered if the day would ever end, then saw the full disc of sun hanging over the horizon and saw the irony. The ground ran in a series of hills, each one steeper than the next. SPEAR covered their asses as they reached the top of the hill, stepping carefully, then ran full-pelt down the other side.
Gunfire erupted spasmodically from the rear, but it wasn’t aimed at them, probably the Israelis and Swedes trading blows. Appearing to the left and right were several more decrepit buildings, most built in shallow valleys, all deserted. Drake wasn’t sure what had made the people leave, but it had happened a long time ago.
More hills and then a stand of trees to the left. Offering cover, the greenery and boughs clustered thickly. Hayden steered the team in that direction, and Drake breathed a little easier. Any kind of concealment was better than none at all. First Hayden and then Alicia flitted through the trees, now followed by Dahl, Kenzie and Kinimaka. Drake entered the wood, which left Mai, Yorgi and Smyth at the rear. Shots rang out, closer now, sending a bolt of apprehension for his friends through Drake.
Turning, he saw Mai stumble.
Watched her face bounce off the ground.
“Noooo!”
Hayden skidded to an instant stop and turned. Mai lay collapsed on the ground in that instant, Drake stepping up to her, Smyth already bending down. Bullets thudded into the outer trees. Someone was close.
Then the undergrowth erupted. Figures leapt out, one striking Hayden in the lower body. She staggered, but kept her feet. A tree trunk struck her spine. She ignored the jolt of pain, raised her gun. Then the black figure was at her again, striking with an elbow, a knee, a knife…
Hayden twisted with the lunge, and felt the edge of the blade pass her stomach by a hair’s-breadth. She fought back, an elbow to the face and a knee to the stomach to force a little space between them. She was aware of Kinimaka and Alicia struggling to the right, of Dahl kicking out at a figure he’d felled.
Of Drake lifting up a limp Mai.
Bullets flew between the trees, shredding the leaves and vegetation. One felled an adversary, but not for long. The man soon rose, clearly wearing some form of Kevlar. Hayden’s vision was then full of her own opponent — a man from the Mossad, features engrained with raw and vicious purpose.
“Stop,” she said. “We’re on the same—”
The punch in the mouth stopped her. Hayden tasted blood.
“Orders,” came the thick reply.
She blocked more blows, forcing the man away, trying not to bring up her gun even as he wielded his knife. The blade tasted bark, then dirt. Hayden kicked the man’s legs out as Drake pelted past, racing along the trail and further into the trees. Smyth watched his back, striking an Israeli in the face and sending him back into the underbrush. Kenzie came next, face for once hesitant and eyes wide as if searching for someone familiar.
Hayden pushed her way toward Drake.
“Mai?”
“She’s fine. Just a bullet to the spine is all. Nothing spectacular.”
Hayden blanched. “What?”
“Jacket stopped it. She fell, hit her skull. No biggie.”
“Oh.”
Alicia ducked under a vicious elbow attack and used a judo throw to send her opponent crashing beyond the trees. Kinimaka bulldozed his way through another Mossad soldier. For a few moments the way was clear, and the SPEAR team took full advantage.
Every ounce of experience came into play as they ran at full pace, without thought of slowing down, through the twisting, dipping, hazardous cluster of trees. A gap was introduced between them and the Mossad team, and the thick foliage was the perfect cover.
“How the hell did they get around us?” Drake yelled.
“Must have been when we stopped to check the box,” Hayden said.
Smyth clucked loudly. “We were watching.”
“Don’t beat yourself up—” Hayden began.
“No, my friend,” Kenzie said. “They are the best at what they do.”
Smyth grunted as if to say so are we, but otherwise held his silence. Hayden saw Kinimaka stumble, huge feet landing in a pile of springy loam, and moved to help but Dahl had already steadied the big man. The Swede swopped the box to the other arm, pushing the Hawaiian with his right.
And now another danger added to the mix — the unmistakable sound of a chopper sweeping overhead.
Would they open fire?
Would they sweep the forest with bullets?
Hayden didn’t think so. A thousand things could go wrong with such irresponsible action. Of course, these guys were under orders from their governments and some of the clowns sat back home in their warm or air-conditioned offices cared naught for what happened outside their ivory towers.
The clapping of rotors passed above. Hayden kept running. Already, she knew Mossad would be hot on their team, and perhaps the Swedes and Russians behind them. Noises came from the left and she thought she saw more figures — it had to be the Russians, she thought.
Or maybe the Brits?
Fuck!
They were too exposed. Too unprepared. In real effect, so were all the teams out there. Nobody had expected everyone to arrive at once — and that had been a mistake. But tell me a plan that would cater for this?
Drake trail-blazed ahead, slowed down not at all by Mai’s weight. Alicia pounded at his heels, watching to left and right. The path meandered aimlessly, but generally in the right direction, and Hayden sent out a thanks for that. She heard Smyth spray bullets to their rear, discouraging the pursuers. She heard several cries to the left, as if two forces had met.
Crap, this is some crazy shit.