False Horizon - Alex Archer [19]
Annja unfolded the map and frowned. “Most of the explorers who searched for Shangri-La thought it was either close to Bhutan or over near the western border.”
“They were wrong,” Mike said. “According to the map, the real location lies smack-dab in the middle of the country, closer to the Tibetan border.”
“You’re sure about this, huh?”
“As much as I can be.” Mike opened up the throttle some and the plane began to move. “Now I’d better make sure we have clearance to take off or else we’ll never make it out of here.”
Annja pulled her headset on and listened as he keyed his microphone and spoke to the air traffic control tower. In a short time, they had clearance and Mike urged the plane down the runway and then into the skies over Katmandu.
Annja looked out of her window as Mike took the plane into a steep climb to gain altitude and then settled on a course heading northwest.
“We’ll vector around and then head for Jomsom. That’s the closest airfield in the part of the country we’re looking for.”
“And from there? It looks like we’re going to Mustang,” Annja said, looking at the map.
Mike nodded. “The map says that Shangri-La lies somewhere in that area. It’s probably nestled in between some of the mountains up there. Once we’re beyond Pokhara, we’ll be flying into the canyon of the Kali Gandaki River. It’s an amazing sight. The Annapurna range flanks us on one side and Dhaulagiri sits on the other. The mountains effectively sandwich the area, making it difficult to gain entrance to most of the upper reaches of that part of Nepal.”
“Are you sure buzzing that region with this plane is such a good idea?” Annja asked.
Mike glanced at her. “What do you mean?”
“It’s Mustang. I don’t think I have to give you a refresher course in history, do I? The CIA used to use the region as a staging ground for Tibetan Khampa guerrillas who used to cross over the border and harass the Chinese soldiers stationed in Tibet.”
“Yeah, but that was back in the sixties and seventies. That’s all in the past.”
“We also happen to be flying the kind of plane that is used for parachute infiltration of special-operations troops. The Chinese might get a little nervous about us buzzing the joint.”
Mike sighed. “We’re sort of limited in terms of our options here, Annja. From Jomsom, most people continue either on foot or horseback to reach the area we want to fly to. But for us, that would take too long. And we would have the perspective we need from the air to see down and into the mountain valleys. We have to be airborne or else we may as well be searching for the proverbial needle in the haystack.”
Annja frowned. Something didn’t feel right about using the plane to search, but Mike was correct. Without their eyes in the sky, they’d have no chance of spotting anything.
“I understand that you’re concerned about our safety. I am, too. And we’ve also got the weather to contend with up here. Annapurna throws up some ferocious winds and Dhaulagiri is no slouch, either. We take an updraft or wind shear the wrong way and we’re toast.”
Annja looked at him. “You’re not doing much to instill me with confidence in your flying abilities, pal.”
Mike grinned. “Just being honest with you. Figure I owe you at least that much for putting up with me not telling you about Tsing earlier.”
“Forget it. Let’s concentrate on getting this done. We can handle Tsing another time and place.”
Mike nodded. “All right. We’ll make a quick stop at Jomsom for fuel and then take off again. We’ve got the entire day before us and we should be able to get some great perspectives on the area once we’re north of Jomsom.”
Annja stared out the window of the plane and marveled at the landscape below them. Overhead, bright blue skies streaked with wispy clouds flanked the snow-topped peaks of the Himalayan mountain ranges. The roof of the world, Annja thought, never looked so utterly amazing.
“I suppose it’s easy to see why so many people pictured this as being home to Shangri-La,” she said a few moments