Drake blinked. He hadn’t thought of that. A knot of stress began to pulse right in the middle of his forehead.
“Never thought I’d be stranded in friggin’ China,” Alicia complained.
“It is one of the four corners of the earth,” Dahl told her. “So take comfort in that.”
“Oh, thanks dude. Thanks for that. Maybe I’ll buy a condo.”
The Russians had already reached the road. Drake could see one of them shouting into a radio. His eyes then moved past the Russians and tried to focus on something moving in the distance.
“Could be their transport,” Dahl said, running and staring backward at the same time.
Yorgi laughed, eagle-eyed. “I hope so. And ten years ago you might have been correct.”
Drake squinted. “Hey, it’s a bus.”
“Keep running,” Hayden said. “Try not to look interested.”
Alicia laughed. “Now you’ve done it. I can’t stop looking. You ever do that? You know you shouldn’t stare at someone and find you can’t bloody look away?”
“I get it all the time,” Dahl said. “Naturally.”
“Well, a skin-covered muppet is a rare sight,” Drake put in.
The bus was bright yellow and modern, and sped past the Russians without slowing. Drake considered its speed, its driver and the passengers, but knew they had no choice. They were a good few miles from any large city. As the bus approached and the Russians stared, the SPEAR team blocked the road.
“Slow down,” Alicia mouthed.
Smyth barked out a laugh. “This ain’t Kansas. He ain’t gonna understand you.”
“Universal language then.” Alicia held up her weapon despite Hayden’s glare.
“Quick,” Dahl said. “Before he jumps on the radio.”
The bus slowed and swerved a little, wide front end moving to the offside. Already the Russians were running. Drake nudged the door, motioning for the driver to open it up. The man’s face was scared, eyes wide and flitting between the soldiers and his passengers. Drake waited for the door to open and then stepped up, holding out a hand.
“We just want a ride,” he said as comfortingly as he could.
The team filed down the center of the bus. Dahl jumped up last and tapped the driver on the arm.
“Go!” He pointed down the road.
The Russians were no more than a hundred yards behind, weapons raised as the driver mashed his foot to the floor. Clearly, he’d been watching his side mirrors. The bus lurched into action, the passengers jerking backward. Drake held on. Alicia strode down to the rear of the bus to gauge the pursuit.
“They’re gaining,”
Drake waved at Dahl. “Tell Keanu to get a bloody move on!”
The Swede looked a little confused, but spoke to the bus driver. The vehicle picked up speed slowly. Drake saw Alicia wince and then turn quickly, shouting at the bus passengers.
“Get down! Now!”
Fearing the RPG, Drake dropped too. Luckily, only bullets spattered the back of the vehicle, all wedging into the chassis. He sighed with relief. Clearly, the Russians had been warned against civilian casualties. That was something at least.
Again, the political machinations behind each elite team’s agenda came to mind. No way was every team state-sponsored; nor were some leaders even aware of what was happening. Again, his mind went to the French — and the soldiers that had died.
Doing their job.
The bus pulled away from the Russians, speeding down the road, its entire frame juddering. Drake relaxed a little, knowing they were headed back toward Ejin Horo by the direction they were taking. The driver negotiated a wide sweeping bend. Drake turned as Alicia let out a low squawk from the back seat.
And saw a black chopper that belonged to the Russians swooping down to pick them up.
Hayden’s voice filled the comms. “They won’t attack.”
Drake pursed his lips. “Fluid op. Orders change.”
“And they might still force the bus off the road,” Dahl replied. “How long to the city?”
“Eight minutes,” Lauren responded.
“Way too long.” Dahl strode down the aisle toward the back of the speeding coach and began explaining to passengers that they should move toward the front. A few moments passed and then he joined Alicia.
“Hey Torsty. And I always thought back seats were just for kissing.”
The Swede made a choking sound. “Are you trying to make me travel sick? I know where those lips have been.”
Alicia blew him a kiss. “You don’t know everywhere they’ve been.”
Dahl suppressed a smile and made the sign of the cross. The Russian chopper touched down briefly whilst the soldiers climbed on board, hovering over the tarmac. The bus put some distance and the bend between them, and Alicia and Dahl scanned the air.
Drake kept an eye up front for the escaping Frenchmen, but was in two minds if they’d attempt an assault. They were undermanned and struggling with losses. They were re-evaluating. It made more sense that they’d jump straight onto the third clue.
Still, he watched.
Lauren’s voice came over the comms. “Six minutes. You guys have time to talk?”
“About what?” Smyth growled, but refrained from adding anything inflammatory.
“The third Horseman is a mystery, someone the Order threw in there to muddy the waters. Famous Indians include Mahatma Gandhi, Idira Gandhi, Deepak Chopra, but how do you find the worst that ever lived? And was famous.” She sighed. “We’re still checking. The think tank back in DC is stumped so far though. I told them it might not be a bad thing.”
Drake breathed easier. “Aye, love. Not the worst thing that could have happened,” he said. “It should slow down the other nations.”
“It sure will. In other news, we think we’ve cracked the four corners of the earth.”
“You have?” Mai said. “That’s good news.”
Drake loved her typical understatement. “Steady on, Mai.”
“Yeah, don’t wanna blow your socks off with excitement,” Alicia added dryly.
Mai didn’t deign to respond. Lauren went on as if nothing had been said: “Wait a moment, guys. I’ve just been told the Chinese are back at it. That’s at least two choppers headed your way.”
“We’re in a Chinese bus,” Yorgi said. “Won’t we be safe from them, at least?”
“That’s a bit naïve,” Kenzie said. “Governments don’t care.”
“Despite the over-generalization,” Hayden added. “Kenzie is right. We can’t assume they won’t hit the bus.”
Prophetic words, Drake thought, as a black speck grew in the blue skies that stretched in front of the bus.
Alicia said, “The Russians are here.”
This just got a whole lot harder.
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Choppers swooped in from front and back. Drake watched the Chinese bird dive almost to the tarmac before leveling and coming straight at the bus.
“They’re forcing us to crash,” he said, then gestured at the scared-looking driver. “No, no. keep going!”
The bus’s engine roared, the tires thundered against the ground. Some people, clustered at the front, had already started to scream. Drake knew the Chinese wouldn’t deliberately crash the chopper, but it was hard to convey his knowledge to the passengers.
The driver closed his eyes hard. The bus veered.
Drake swore and pulled the man away from his perch, grabbing hold of the wheel. Smyth assisted and manhandled the man into the aisle. Drake jumped behind the wheel of the bus, foot on the gas pedal and hands firmly on the wheel, keeping it in a dead straight line.