Stranded (A Samantha Starr Thriller, Book 4)

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Stranded (A Samantha Starr Thriller, Book 4) Page 18

by S. L. Menear


  “Each step is about a foot high, and I’ve been counting them.” Out of breath, I sat on a dank step. “Assuming the underground city isn’t all the way at the bottom of the mesa, we’re about two-thirds of the way up.”

  “That means we have five hundred more steps!” Barbi said, breathing hard.

  “You always were good at math,” Tiesha said, adjusting her crown. “Seems like the natives should’ve carried me up, seeing as how I’m their queen and all.”

  “The main thing is you got us the hell out of there.” Lance bowed. “Well done, my queen.”

  “Your queen needs rest.” Tiesha glanced down at me. “I decree a ten-minute break if that’s okay with you, Captain.”

  I paused and listened. “Good idea. I don’t hear anyone coming after us.”

  Lisa was one step below me. “What or who do you think we’ll find at the top?”

  I glanced at my watch. “A military rescue team should be here by now.”

  “Good! I’m ready to get out of this hellhole.” She took a deep breath. “Maybe MI6 will give me a little vacation now that Renaldo is out of the picture.”

  “The Colombian cartel might be eliminating Renaldo’s underlings right now.” I rubbed my calves. “Let’s hope they’ve given up on sending hit teams to the mesa.”

  Ten minutes passed too quickly.

  “Time to find our way into the sunshine,” I said.

  We trudged up the steps for almost another hour, pausing several times to catch our breath.

  No monsters waiting to pounce on us.

  And finally, we reached the top.

  The exit was blocked by a stone door. Beside it, a gold handprint was recessed into the rock, and a lever protruded next to the handprint.

  Uh oh.

  I yelled, “Tiesha, play dumb and don’t touch the gold hand. Pull the lever instead.” I knew she didn’t have the right electromagnetic frequency in her body to activate the hand trigger.

  Our native guide directed her to place her hand on the gold handprint.

  She smiled, nodded, and pulled the lever.

  Smart queen.

  The door sprang open, and sunlight filtered into the stairwell.

  Our guide shrugged and led us up through a big rock formation that hid the entrance and outside steps.

  I peeked out between the boulders. There were four helicopters on the ground near the center of the mesa where our ride to the underworld had begun.

  “The rescue teams are here!” Tiesha pushed past me, her crown sparkling in the sun.

  I grabbed her shirt and yanked her back. “Keep out of sight.”

  Lisa and Lance peeked over my shoulders.

  “I doubt the cartel would send four helicopters,” Lisa said.

  “They’re not military birds, but they’re armed with external weapons,” Lance said.

  As we watched, the pilots fired up their engines. When the choppers were warmed up and ready to fly, they lifted off.

  Relief flooded me.

  They’re leaving.

  Instead, the helicopters turned and headed straight for us.

  “Shit!” I ducked. “Are they tracking the GPS signal on my DARPA watch? How’d they get the frequency?”

  “I don’t know, but they’re definitely coming this way,” Lance said.

  I yelled, “Quick, hide in the stairwell!”

  We rushed down to the door.

  Our guide was gone, the door was closed, and there was no way to open it from the outside.

  Damn.

  Special Ops Team

  Ross’s team followed the native chief to the partially hidden stone steps carved into the mesa. The chief pointed at the pictures the men held and then pointed up the dark steps. He backed away.

  “He must’ve showed them the way out after they killed the snake,” Mike said.

  “Best climb the steps slowly so we don’t startle them. Remember, they’re armed.” Ross led his men up the steep stairs.

  “Where’d they get the firearms?” Oz ran his hand along the dank wall.

  “Like I said, Lisa is undercover with MI6.” Derek glanced at Ross and shrugged. “We dated a bit.” He then grinned at Mike. “Mike shares my preference for redheads.”

  Oz broke in. “So, you’re assuming she smuggled a weapon on board?”

  He nodded. “Just for her. The others probably aren’t armed.”

  Last in line, Mike paused on a step behind Oz and Dragon Master. “Everyone, stop.” He waited while they ceased climbing and turned. “I swore to my sister I’d keep this a secret, but you guys need to know. I’m counting on you not to betray her trust.”

  “Sam and I don’t have any secrets,” Ross said. “What’s this about?”

  “It’s not about Sam. It’s about her employer, Luxury International Airlines. They installed secret weapons compartments in all their custom jets after one of their flight attendants and a passenger were shot and killed in Petra. Their crewmembers received extensive weapons and self-defense training. Obviously, they had to keep it all a secret. Expect the entire crew to be armed with Glocks, and the pilots will also have MP7s.”

  “If that’s the case, you’d think they would’ve unleashed all their fire power on that monster snake,” Banger said. “Sounded like a quick burst from one weapon.”

  “Maybe the crew didn’t get a chance to access the weapons after the forced landing,” Oz said.

  “Why did she tell you and not me?” Ross asked Mike.

  “Her boss asked her to get my advice on how to cloak the compartments so the weapons wouldn’t show up on a scan. He didn’t want to involve foreign nationals, which is why he didn’t want her to ask you.” Mike shrugged. “It wasn’t personal. Jeff likes you.”

  “Right, then, we’ll discover their weapons status soon enough. Just don’t sneak up on them.” Ross turned and resumed climbing the steep steps.

  Every few minutes, he’d halt the team and listen for sounds of Sam’s people up ahead.

  The stairwell remained silent.

  Thirty minutes later, Ross signaled a halt and whispered, “Footsteps.”

  A native on his way down froze when he reached them.

  Ross showed him the pictures, and he pointed up.

  “Let him pass,” Ross said.

  The native slid past them and continued down.

  Another thirty minutes brought the team closer to the top.

  Ross signaled a halt and cocked his head. “Hear that?”

  Faint knocking sounds echoed off the stairwell.

  “Huh, sounds like someone’s trying to signal something,” Oz said.

  “Slow and steady,” Ross said. “We can’t be sure it’s Sam’s people until we see them.”

  “And I’d be really pissed if my sister shot my ass,” Mike said.

  “Go.” Ross led his men up the curving steps.

  The Mesa

  I grabbed Tiesha’s Glock and checked the magazine. Empty. “Any extra mags in the holster?”

  “Sorry, I used all my ammo on the snake,” Tiesha said. “The extra mags were in my bag.”

  I handed Lance the Glock. “Everyone, stay by the door in case it opens. Try knocking on it to signal the native who led us up here. I’ll check if those choppers were sent by the cartel or Sweetwater.” I climbed up the outer steps and peeked between boulders.

  Four helicopters had landed nearby. The men wore short-sleeved camouflage shirts, which revealed dragon tattoos on their forearms. Their tattoos matched the one Dragon Master had.

  Could this be a rescue mission?

  A man with a bullhorn said, “Samantha Starr, come out now and no one will be harmed. Dragon Master sent us.”

  Lance grabbed my arm. “Don’t go. They’re lying. Probably Chinese Special Ops here to take you prisoner. I told you they wouldn’t give up.”

  “It doesn’t matter who they are. They want me, and if I don’t go out there, they’ll kill my crew and passengers and take me anyway. I have to go.”
>
  “Wait! Maybe we can stall long enough for our military to get here.” He gripped me tighter.

  I tried to read what was printed on a pallet in the center of the mesa. It was too far away, but a large American flag was stenciled on the side. No American soldiers were visible anywhere on the mesa.

  “I hate to tell you this, Lance, but our military has already arrived. They must’ve followed us down that underground stream.”

  “How could they open the portal?”

  “Explosives, just like Ross used to follow us inside the mountain in Petra. They’re probably in the underground city looking for us.”

  “They must be heavily armed, like always. We should wait for them to burst through the stone door. They’ll take out the Chinese operatives.” Lance’s liquid-green eyes were filled with desperation.

  The bullhorn blared, “Last chance. Come out now or Way of the Dragon will kill your crew and passengers.”

  Pulling Lance to me, I met his eyes. “Take care of our people.”

  I pushed past him and stepped into the open with my hands on my head.

  A man who was obviously their leader waved me forward. I stopped in front of him and stood still while he frisked me for weapons and handcuffed me. Then he removed my DARPA watch with the GPS locator and stomped on it.

  I glared at him. “Why do you want me?”

  “Dragon Master is leader of Way of the Dragon. He sent us. You Queen of Atlantis and only person who can help us achieve goal.” He bowed his head briefly.

  “What is your goal?” I asked, stunned that Dragon Master had sent them.

  “Destroy communist regime in China and return China to traditional rule by divine emperor.”

  The awful truth hit me like a sucker punch. “Dragon Master is descended from the royal blood of emperors. He’s next in line for the throne, isn’t he?”

  “And now, Queen will serve him and fire Atlantean weapon.” He waved at the waiting helicopter.

  Dragon Master wasn’t on it. Was he waiting for me on Leviathan?

  I faced the team leader. “Your future emperor knows I have many unique abilities. If you harm my people or allow anyone else to harm them, I’ll know, and your mission will fail. Ask Dragon Master. He’ll confirm it.”

  A brief look of surprise crossed his face. He nodded. “I will keep promise.”

  “I wouldn’t want to be you if you don’t. Remember, I’ll know.” I turned and boarded the helicopter.

  As soon as I was buckled into a seat, the chopper lifted off and flew northeast. The other three helicopters and most of the men remained behind.

  Special Ops Team

  Ross signaled a halt when he reached the stone door. Someone was tapping on the other side with a heavy object.

  “Who do you think it is?” Derek asked.

  “Sam and Lance know Morse code,” Mike said. “Let’s ask.”

  Ross drew his pistol and tapped the butt against the stone a few times to get the attention of whoever was on the other side. The tapping stopped. He then tapped the code sequence for, “Who are you?”

  He repeated it twice and waited.

  After a pause, someone on the other side tapped, “LIA 515 crew and pax.”

  “Pax?” Derek asked.

  “That’s airline code for passengers,” Mike said. “Ask if they’re alone.”

  Ross tapped in the question, and moments later he received the response, “We’re trapped by armed helicopters and fourteen Chinese operatives. Pull lever to open door and let us in.”

  Ross scanned his men. They were ready.

  Dragon Master said, “Open door and I will negotiate for you with Chinese.”

  “I need to assess the situation.” Ross glanced back. “We’ll get Sam’s people in here first. Banger, don’t let this door close until I say so.” He turned and pulled the lever.

  The door swung inward, letting in the sunlight. Ross spotted Lance standing behind the women. “Come in, ladies.” He moved aside and waved them in as his men slipped past them.

  Banger leaned his six-foot-four muscled body against the door, holding it open. When Tiesha entered wearing her crown, he said, “Welcome, my queen.”

  She paused and smiled at his handsome face.

  Lisa’s eyes widened. “Derek, thank God!” She hugged him.

  “You’re safe now, lass,” Derek said.

  Carlene shoved past them saying, “Flirt later!”

  Ross peeked out at the helicopters and armed men. He turned to Lance, “Where the hell is Sam, and who are those men?” Then he noticed the anguished look in Lance’s eyes.

  “There were four helicopters when we first came through the stone door. Their leader announced Dragon Master had sent them to take Sam and said they’d kill everyone and take her anyway if she didn’t go willingly.” He swallowed hard. “Sorry, Ross, we only have one pistol, and we’re out of ammo.”

  Ross grabbed Dragon Master by the collar. “Did you send those helicopters to take Sam?”

  “No, I came to help rescue her. Those men must be Chinese Special Forces.”

  Ross turned to Lance. “How long has it been?”

  “She left almost an hour ago. Not sure why the rest of them stayed.”

  While Ross and Lance were talking, Dragon Master acted like he was trying to see what was going on and slipped past them.

  He jogged to the nearest helicopter, climbed inside, and was joined by two soldiers.

  Moments later, the chopper lifted off and dropped out of sight beneath the eastern cliff.

  “What the hell?” Ross said.

  Before he had time to react to Dragon Master’s hasty departure, a rocket-propelled grenade slammed into one of the two remaining helicopters, transforming it into a fireball.

  “Lance, get your ass in the stairwell!” Ross shoved him.

  The scent of burning jet fuel filled the air.

  Mike jabbed him. “Incoming!” He pointed at two civilian helicopters approaching fast from the west.

  The RPG had been fired from one of those birds.

  “Who the hell are they?” Ross asked.

  “I recognize the logo on the choppers,” Mike said. Two assault rifles formed a cross on a skull over a red background. “It’s the symbol for Predator International, Sweetwater’s company.”

  “Which side do we fire at?” Derek asked.

  Before Ross could answer, a Chinese soldier fired an RPG into one of Sweetwater’s helicopters and blew it out of the sky.

  The air was filled with swirling smoke and the sounds of automatic weapons firing.

  The second helicopter landed and Sweetwater’s mercenaries leaped out. One of them fired an RPG into the last Chinese helicopter, destroying it.

  A heat wave from the explosion rolled over Ross as he signaled his men to take positions behind the boulders. “Take out both sides while they’re aiming at each other.” He turned and yelled down to Banger, “Close the door and protect the civilians.”

  Ross and Derek fired at Sweetwater’s men while Mike and Oz fired at the Chinese team. All four Special Operators were proficient in the one-shot-one-kill method.

  It took several losses on both sides before the enemy teams realized a third force was in the mix.

  Sweetwater’s helicopter pilot fired an RPG at the boulders shielding Ross’s team.

  Ross yelled, “RPG! Get to the steps!”

  All four men dived into the stairwell leading to the stone door. A fraction of a second after they hit the stairs, the RPG exploded against the boulders.

  When the dust settled, it was obvious the rubble had sealed their escape. Only a small opening remained.

  “We’d best get behind the stone door in case they toss a grenade through that hole,” Ross said as he tapped out Morse code for, “Ross says open door.”

  The door swung inward, and the men crawled inside.

  The door closed, muting the outside gunfire.

  Ross glanced at his men. “Everyone good?”

/>   Derek, Mike, and Oz nodded.

  Ross noticed Carlene and Barbi stood glued to Lance, Lisa calmly leaned against a stone wall, and Tiesha clutched Banger like he was her lifeline.

  Banger ran his eyes over the team’s dirt-covered, scuffed-up uniforms. He couldn’t resist a little of his usual sarcasm. “So, how’d it go out there?”

  Ross filled him in while the group listened.

  “Are you sayin’ we’re trapped under a pile of rocks?” Carlene asked.

  Derek grinned at Carlene. “Lassie, have you forgotten we followed you into that mountain in Petra? How do you think we got through all those stone doors?” He held up a block of C-4.

  “Why aren’t you out there setting the explosives?” Barbi asked.

  “We’re waiting until the bad guys finish killing each other. Then we’ll blast our way out of here,” Mike said.

  “In the meantime,” Ross said, “I hope Lance and Banger can shed some light on who the hell Dragon Master really is.”

  Twenty-Four

  CMS Sun Dragon

  We circled a Chinese freighter equipped with a small helipad on the forward deck. It wasn’t long before we were idling on board.

  Armed crewmen pulled me from the helicopter. As they led me across the broad deck, the helicopter took off and flew toward Cuba. I knew that because the first helicopter had taken me from the mesa to an airport in South America, where a private jet had flown me north. That jet landed in Cuba, where I transferred to the helicopter that flew me to this ship.

  Close to Atlantis, no doubt.

  I glanced around, but all I could see was the Atlantic Ocean. My view ended when I was led belowdecks and locked inside a small cabin with no windows. The first thing I did was use my metal handcuffs to scratch a message into the sidewall beside the bunk’s mattress.

  I stretched out on the narrow bunk and closed my eyes, trying to relax and plan my next move. Why did Way of the Dragon want me to fire the weapon inside the pyramid in Atlantis? How would that help them take control of China?

  I ran scenarios through my head. If I fired the weapon, it would send a massive energy blast into the seabed under Atlantis, causing an earthquake that would push the tectonic plates together and raise Atlantis to the surface. A landmass that large would displace a tremendous amount of water and send thousand-foot tsunamis in every direction, moving at a speed of approximately 600 mph. I learned all that the last time I narrowly averted this disaster.

 

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