Line of Control - Tom Clancy [151]
The Pakistani was dead.
That did not surprise Rodgers. What did surprise him was the sadness he felt upon finding the lifeless body.
There was something about Samouel that did not fit the template of an objective-blinded terrorist. In the Pakistani's final moments, while he should have been praying for Allah to accept his soul, Samouel was telling Rodgers how to splice the dish to his radio. Along with Samouel's dogged trek alongside two historic enemies, that had touched Rodgers.
Now, in death, Samouel was even responsible for saving Rodgers's life.
The general felt grateful as he removed the dead man's coat and gloves.
Stripping the bodies of enemies had always been a part of warfare. But soldiers did not typically take even things they needed from fallen allies. Somehow, though, this felt like a gift rather than looting.
Rodgers knelt beside the body as he dressed. As the general finished, his knees began to tickle. At first he thought it was a result of the cold. Then he realized that the ground was vibrating slightly. A moment later he heard a low, low roar.
It felt and sounded like the beginnings of an avalanche.
He wondered if the explosions had weakened the slopes and they were coming down on them. If that were the case the safest place would not be at the foot of the slopes.
Rising, Rodgers ran back toward Nanda. As he did, he felt a rumbling in his gut. He had felt it before. He recognized it.
It was not an avalanche. It was worse. It was the reason the Indians had been waiting to attack.
A moment later the tops of the surrounding ice peaks were silhouetted by light rising from the north. The rumbling and roar were now distinctive beats as the Indian helicopter neared. He should have expected this. The soldiers had radioed their position to the Mi-35 that had tried to kill them earlier.
Rodgers slid to Nanda's side and knelt facing her. He felt for her cheeks in the dark and held them in his hands. He used them to guide his mouth close to her ear, so she could hear over the roar.
"I want you to try and get to the entrance while I keep the helicopter busy," Rodgers said.
"It's not going to be easy getting past the soldiers but it may be your only hope."
"How do we know they'll kill us?" she asked.
"We don't," Rodgers admitted.
"But let's find out by trying to escape instead of by surrendering."
"I like that." Nanda replied.
Rodgers could hear the smile in her voice.
"Start making your way around the wall behind me." he said.
"With luck, the chopper will cause an avalanche on their side."
"I hope not." she replied.
"They're my people."
Touche. Rodgers thought.
"But thank you," she added.
"Thank you for making this fight your fight. Good luck." The general patted her cheek and she left. He continued to watch as the chopper descended. Suddenly, the Russian bird stopped moving. It hovered above the center of the clearing, equidistant to Rodgers and the Indians.
Maybe twenty seconds passed and then the chopper suddenly swept upward and to the south. It disappeared behind one of the peaks near the entrance. The glow of its lights poured through the narrow cavern.
Rodgers peeked over the slab. The chopper had landed.
Maybe they were worried about causing an avalanche and had decided to deploy ground troops. That would make getting through the entrance virtually impossible. He immediately got up and ran after Nanda. He would have to pull her back, think of another strategy. Maybe negotiate something with these people to get her out. As she had said. they were her people.
But as Rodgers ran he saw something that surprised him.
Up ahead. Three of the Indian soldiers were rushing from the clearing.
They were not going to attack. They were being evacuated.
What happened next surprised him even more.
"General Rodgers!" someone shouted.
Rodgers looked to the west of the entrance. Someone was standing there, half-hidden by an ice formation.
All right, Rodgers thought. He'd bite.
"Yes?" the general shouted back.
"Your message got through!" said the Indian.
"We must