Primal Threat - Earl Emerson [102]
Zak listened to Giancarlo snore and to Stephens as he tried repeatedly to get his cell phone to work. Somewhere in those minutes he realized he’d fallen into a light sleep and was actually listening to himself snore, too. It was hard to know how long he’d been dozing when the walkie-talkie crackled. “We’ve got them.”
“What did you say?”
“Commando Two to One, we can see them.”
“You’re not supposed to be on the air.”
“Come on down. We’re watching them right now. They’re in some sort of pit below us.”
“Have they spotted you?”
“If they have, they’re not moving.”
Muldaur was the first to speak. “Just everybody don’t fuckin’ twitch an eyelash. Just stay where you are.”
“Everybody hear that?” Zak asked. “Everybody awake?”
Stephens and Giancarlo grunted.
“Can anybody see them?”
“No, but I’m going to move around now,” Muldaur said. “Real slow. The rest of you stay still. This could be a bluff.”
Stephens said, “What if it isn’t?”
“Then we’ll find out soon enough.”
Remaining flat on his back, Zak listened to Muldaur as he ambled over to the bikes. “Okay,” said Muldaur. “I see them. They’re up the hill where that old road cuts across the mountain above us. Don’t anybody look. He’s got binoculars on us.”
“Are they going to shoot?” asked Giancarlo.
“I don’t see a gun, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t one. There are two of them. I think it’s the guy and the chick.”
“They must have driven up the main road right past this place,” said Zak.
“I vote we get the hell out of here,” said Giancarlo. “If they leave somebody with a rifle up there and send another vehicle to the mouth of this road, we’ll be finished.”
“Before we move, we gotta decide where we’re going,” said Muldaur.
“We’re sure as hell not going up,” said Zak. “Because they’ll be coming down.”
“It’s been almost two hours since we were down at the lake,” said Muldaur. “It’s going to be a lot smokier now.”
“I don’t see any other option,” said Giancarlo. “Unless you want to shoot it out with them right here.”
Before they could move, the walkie-talkie hissed again. “Do you have a rifle on them?”
“Yep.”
“Think you can hit one?”
“Absolutely.”
“Then hit one. We’re going to drive down. If we see them on the road, we’ll run right over their stinking bikes. I didn’t want to do it this way, but they haven’t given us any choice. We’ll never get out of these mountains alive until we eliminate them.”
“When do you want me to shoot?”
“Anytime, Fred.”
They were scrambling for their bikes when the first bullet whistled into the mine pit. Zak grabbed the walkie-talkie, slung the CamelBak hydration pack onto one shoulder, and was sprinting while pushing his bike through the saplings on the overgrown road when the second bullet ricocheted off the rocks a few feet behind him. The slug made a pleasant whirring sound as it ricocheted into the hot afternoon air, sounding like a wind chime being tapped lightly by a pencil.
46
Zak ran his bike down the mining road behind the other three. By the time he swung a leg over the saddle, Stephens had already reached the main road and was sprinting down the mountain. Burdened by the rifle across his handlebars, Muldaur was quickly overtaken by Zak, while Giancarlo was already out of sight on the descent. Giancarlo was slowest on the way up and the swiftest on the way down.
As they sped down the mountainside, Zak could hear a truck not far behind. Instinctively he scrubbed off speed and waited for Muldaur.
“Go ahead,” Muldaur screamed. “Don’t wait for me.”
“Dump the gun!” Zak yelled.
“Like hell.”
The sound of the truck’s tires and brakes on the dirt road was growing louder. “Can you stay in front of them?”
“I’ll have to, won’t I?”
“Remember before the corner at the bottom there’s a drainage ditch. If you get across that ditch okay, you can carry your speed onto the flats.”
“Where are you guys going when you get to the bottom?”
“No idea.”
“Hopefully, I’ll be right on your tail.” Zak had gained so much distance on Muldaur during