From outside Lord called, “You ready?”
Startled at first, she turned and said, “Yeah, be right out.”
Upon exit she caught eyes with him, surprised to see Vali with him.
“Vali?” she said, then stared at Lord but asked Vali, “What are you doing here?”
“I will be accompanying you.”
No. I’m not going to be responsible for you too. His value to the village was undeniable; he was needed there. If anything happened to him . . . no, she couldn’t have that on her conscience.
“No,” Niki ordered courageously.
Both men looked astonished.
“What do you mean no?” Lord asked. “He’s tagging along for protection.” Lord nodded to the machete in Vali’s hand.
And what’s that supposed to do against an army of armed men?
But again, she couldn’t let on too much. “Look, Vali, I appreciate it, I really do, but we don’t plan to encounter any . . .” Niki stalled, knowing her comment would most likely end in a lie.
Vali answered for her, “I beg to differ, Miss Niki. Whatever you were thinking, that is exactly what you will encounter. And it will be to your benefit to be with a local.”
He was right, and she knew it, but she wasn’t happy about it. Holding Lord’s life in her hands was one thing, but Vali, that was another altogether. “Fine then. Let’s get moving.”
Vali led them to the side of the Jeep, the very same one in which they’d rolled into town. The muted green paint would blend into the darkness, a perfect vehicle aside from the low rumble of the four-cylinder engine.
Lord allowed Niki the front seat on this journey. She didn’t know if it was out of chivalry or his own fear.
“How far is it?” Niki looked to Vali, and Lord leaned in to listen as well.
“About two hours.”
“Two hours!” Lord didn’t mean to shout.
“Yes. I’m taking you to an old mine, one that is not in current use.”
Niki shook her head and said, “What good will that do me?”
Vali touched the brakes and stopped the Jeep, then stared at Niki. “I don’t know what you plan to get out of this, but I assure you, if we were go to an active mine, it would be too heavily guarded for us to get close enough for you to see anything. Payne’s men would see us and . . .” Vali swallowed his words. He shook his head, unwilling to continue.
But Niki prodded. “And what, have us killed?”
“No,” Vali said.
“No?” Niki was confused. “What else is there?”
“We would endure pain. Pain so excruciating, words would be unable to describe it in full detail,” Vali said.
“Believe me, I can handle it,” Niki said.
“You don’t know the type of pain we’re talking about. You couldn’t,” Lord said, intending to sound protective, but she didn’t take it that way.
“What do you know?” Niki was quick to turn his way.
To her surprise, he raised his hand, the one with the burn mark.
“What, that? You said you burned yourself on a stove in Miami.” She played coy.
“I lied.”
“So, what, Payne burned you? How?”
“With the butt end of his cigar. I can still smell the burning flesh. I’m afraid it will never leave me.”
Put off, Niki leaned upright and stared out the windshield.
“You see, we cannot go just anywhere. We must keep our distance and go to an inactive mine.”
Niki sat silent. Contemplating her next words, she said only one. “Why?”
Neither man knew who she was speaking to.
“Why what?” Vali said.
She spun around and stared at Lord. “Why did Payne burn your hand?”
Now it was Lord who was quiet. He slumped back against the back seat. She likely knew the answer, but she needed firsthand testimony, and it seemed Lord was unwilling to cooperate.
“No,” Niki continued. “Bring me to an active camp. Let me worry about the repercussions of my actions. You two can act as my guides. Vali, you say you can make us blend in, then blend. Bring us to a camp and show me what I want to see. If you don’t, I’ll find my own way, and I don’t think either of you want that on your conscience.”
What could they say? Her mind was made up.
Vali craned his neck back to gather Lord’s opinion, then turned back to Niki and said, “Buckle up.”
Niki slid the shoulder belt across her chest and wore a grin—why, she wasn’t sure, and if she was smart, she wouldn’t wear it long. She made them follow her order nevertheless. This was a way to further her mission with the help of two unlikely sorts. And now that Lord had divulged the truth about his hand and his connection with Payne, it was only a matter of time before she extracted all the information she needed.
The trip didn’t take the intended two hours Vali said. No, this trip was much shorter, much closer to home. Almost too close. When they stopped, Niki wondered if this was the camp the three women came from, but then she realized they were stopping in the middle of nowhere. There were no lights, no sign of human life anywhere.
“Uh, where are we?” Lord asked.
“We’re close,” Vali said.
“How close?” Niki added.
Vali didn’t answer; he simply opened the door and stepped out of the Jeep. Niki leaped from the passenger side, and Lord crawled out from behind.
Vali turned to Niki and said, “Are you sure you want to do this?”
She nodded.
“Then follow me and don’t make a sound.”
The walk into the darkness took time. Their pace was slow and deliberate, but purposeful. No noise could be made, nowhere even close to the location of the diamond mine. Some of Payne’s men were stationed as far out as a hundred yards around the perimeter. This would take tactical planning, a skill Niki had. If she had more time to concoct a strategy, she would, but there was no time, and this was certainly not a team of highly skilled operatives. They needed luck on their side.
“Stop,” Niki whispered forcibly. “Get down.”
Vali and Lord did as they were told and watched her.
“There’s a guard about fifty yards in front of us.”
Out of instinct, both turned slowly to look.
“What do we do?” Lord asked.
“You two, stay. I’ll go on ahead.”
“No. Absolutely not.” Vali shook his head strongly.
Niki breathed in deep. “Look, I’m not about to get you two killed on a . . .” What to call this? Not mission, no. “Quest against unrighteousness. I asked for this, I’ll go alone.”
“Niki, you can’t.” Now it seemed Lord truly cared for her well-being too. “What would I tell the school, your parents, if something happened to you?” Perhaps his concern was more selfish in nature.
“You mean, would you get into trouble?” she quickly added.
He lowered his head, but Vali spoke for him. “No, he means you can’t go any further because if you’re caught, you’ll be, at best, killed, remember?”
“I won’t be caught.”
“How can you be certain?” Vali said.
“Because I happen to be the best hide-and-seek player in the history of the game.” Niki grinned, lightening the tense mood.
“That may be true, but I assure you this is no game, not if you’re caught,” Vali said.
“I appreciate your concern, but I’m going and that’s final.”
“Then, I’m coming with you,” Vali said.
“No. With you, we’ll be seen. Without you, I will not. You’re going to have to trust me.”
“I do, but . . . it’s them I don’t trust,” Vali replied.
21
Freetown, Sierra Leone
OUTSIDE THE MOTEL, Winter mounted the motorcycle. The streetlight lit him up like a spotlight. Fox looked down from the balcony. Before Winter could kick-start the bike, she called down to him, “What are you doing?”
H
e glanced upward, holding his helmet in his hand. “Being proactive.”
Fox tilted her head. “How so? We don’t know where Payne is, he may not even be in the country anymore.”
“Just because we couldn’t leave during the day because he knows your face doesn’t mean we can’t search tonight. And you don’t know he left the country.”
“So what, you’re just going to drive around all night in hopes you see him or his men?”
Winter shrugged. “Why not? Could happen.”
Fox pushed away from the balcony guardrail and said, “Fine, I’m coming too. Let me grab my helmet and our gear.” She gathered a few things and walked down the open staircase while Winter started the motorcycle.
She mounted behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. “Here, put this in.” She handed him an earpiece.
“Why?”
“In case we see anything, I want to be able to speak into your ear.”
“Good thought.” He put the earpiece in his ear.
“You read me?” Fox asked.
“I do,” he said, then kick-started the bike and drove away from the parking lot.
IN THE MIDDLE OF AN abandoned warehouse on the outskirts of Freetown, Payne stood in front of his men, fifteen armed soldiers waiting for his orders. He didn’t need to linger on his words long; they all knew why they were there.
“The American professor started this. I intend to finish it. Maybe it’s payback for his hand, or maybe it’s because I gave him less money for the diamonds. Either way, he will pay for his transgressions. Nobody sends a spy into our midst and gets away with it.”
He paced as he continued, “We will work in four-man teams. I want the fires to start along the south end first to block their path to the main road. Followed by the north. Then the other two teams move in from the east and west to light the tents ablaze. Once they’re on fire, retreat and light the grass on each side, leaving them no exit out of the inferno.”
Payne stopped and stared at his men.
“Am I understood?”
They nodded in unison.
“And what of the girl, the doctor, and the professor?” Jabar said.
“We know where they sleep. Pull them and gag them. Bring them far enough to safety but make them watch their people burn. Then bring them to me.”
Jabar nodded in agreement.
“We’ll keep in contact with this.” Payne held up a handheld radio, then handed it to Jabar. “When you have them, call me on it.”
Jabar accepted the radio and slid it into his belt line.
Parked outside the warehouse was a military vehicle with capacity for all fifteen men; all except Payne climbed in. After watching his men load into the back, Payne walked to the driver’s side where Jabar sat and said, “Do not be seen. The noise made from this truck will be heard a mile away. Hold back, and march into the camp. And remember, the doctor doesn’t sleep much, so take him first. He’ll be in the medical tent.”
Jabar understood and slammed the door.
Traffic was a nonissue at the late hour. Jabar only passed one or two vehicles on their way to the camp, but as they drove through town, they came upon an intersection where a motorcycle waited at the stoplight that glowed red. Jabar touched the brakes and slowed to a stop beside the motorcycle. The audible screech brought a head turn from the riders. Jabar figured his stern gaze would flip their heads back around, but it didn’t. Both the passenger and the driver stared through their tinted visors.
FROM BEHIND, FOX NUDGED Winter.
“You see that?” Fox spoke into the microphone.
“Of course, who could miss it?”
“You think it’s Payne?”
Both studied the driver, then the vehicle itself. “Could be. You think we should follow?”
“Affirmative.”
Once the light turned green, Winter allowed the military vehicle to move through the intersection. He was slow on the throttle, letting the truck gain speed ahead of them. Once it was two hundred yards ahead, Winter switched lanes and pulled behind the truck.
Although the back of the military vehicle was open to the elements, Winter couldn’t quite make out the cargo. The dim headlight from the motorcycle only shined about fifty feet ahead. Winter needed to gain ground if he wanted a better view. But that would come at a price if there were armed men inside or the driver realized Winter was following him.
Fox felt the jolt as Winter twisted the throttle to increase speed. “What are you doing?”
“If we can get close enough, we should be able to make out what’s in back.”
“Are you crazy? That could be suicide?”
“It could be, but do you have any other ideas? I’m open to suggestions.”
Fox remained silent.
“Thought so.” Winter rolled the throttle back and closed even more ground.
They were a hundred feet out.
Then seventy-five.
At a red light they saw the truck’s brake lights flash, followed by a right turn signal. Winter glanced over his shoulder; there was a small opening to pass. The road they were coming to seemed too narrow for that type of military vehicle. By that point, though, Winter had gained enough ground: the motorcycle headlight illuminated at least a dozen eyes staring back at them.
“Holy shit,” Fox said.
“Tell me about it.”
Winter flipped on his turn signal and swerved around on the truck.
“See if you can see where that road leads as I pass,” Winter said.
Fox’s gaze followed the beam made by the lights of the military vehicle, but there was nothing but black.
“I don’t a see a damn thing,” Fox said.
“Once they’re out of sight, we’ll spin back around, but we’ll need to take it slow, because if they realize we’re following them, we’re likely to be met with an onslaught.”
FROM THE DRIVER’S SEAT, Jabar peered at the motorcycle as he made the right turn. There was no way to tell who it was, but it seemed odd that they would turn in behind them when nobody else was nearby that late.
“What is it?” the man in the passenger seat asked.
“Nothing, I don’t think.”
“You sure?”
“No,” Jabar said.
“Should we stop and find out?”
“No. We’ve got a job to do. Besides, nobody would be stupid enough to follow us, not if they know who they are dealing with. It’s probably just some ignorant teenagers out for a joy ride.”
Jabar climbed the hill heading farther away from the town, continuing his drive into the night but keeping a close eye on his side mirror. If that lone dim headlight appeared again, then he might have to make something happen.
Then it did. He strained his eye to be certain, and let off the gas, making the gap close.
“Are they back?” the man asked.
“They are,” Jabar said.
“What do you want me to do?”
“Get out. Start walking toward them and fire a warning shot.”
The man immediately followed the order. He turned the handle, leaped off the high seat, and walked along the right side of the truck, beyond the men in the back.
“What are you doing?” the men asked in chorus, looking on.
But he simply kept walking and aimed his Kalashnikov straight ahead.
WINTER STALLED AND put his feet down, balancing the bike. “Why have they stopped?”
Neither could see the man walking toward them; he was too far ahead of them.
“No idea,” Fox said.
But in that moment a short burst of three bullets echoed and lit up the night.
“Holy shit.” Winter spun the throttle, keeping his left leg on the ground and rotating the bike around until the front tire faced the other direction; then he sped away for safety.
ONCE THE MAN WAS BACK in the cab of the military vehicle, Jabar turned to him and asked, “Are we all set then?”
The man grinned and said, “I don’t
think we’ll have a problem with them again.”
“Good. We’ve got a village to burn.”
WINTER DROVE WITH HASTE, far enough away, until he deemed they were safe. He pulled the motorcycle over to the side of the road and yanked off his helmet.
“What the hell was that?” Fox said.
“I’m guessing they caught on to us.”
“How?”
“No idea, but there is no questioning whose men those were,” Winter said.
“Why’s that?” Fox said.
“You think anyone else has that much military connection to be driving that thing?”
“No, probably not. What do we do now? Once again, we’re blown.”
Winter turned around and stared down the empty street, pondering their next move. Then Fox interrupted his thoughts.
“Mitch!”
“We don’t have a choice.”
“What do you mean?” Fox said.
“We need to try to catch up, follow them again. We can’t sit on our thumbs. Collar and the director are expecting updates from us. If we give them nothing, if we say we’ve failed, then we’re done with ZULU. We can’t screw this up again.”
“How? If they see us on the bike again, we’re dead. Somehow I don’t think they’ll miss a second time. Not with the arsenal they have in the back of that thing.”
“No, you’re right.”
“Then what do we do?”
As Winter searched the empty streets for a plan, he saw something on the ground that resembled a baseball bat, but not an adult-sized bat; this one was smaller, more like a club. Winter walked over and lifted it from the ground. He twirled it in his hand, testing its weight and durability on his walk back to the bike.
Second Best: A Niki Finley Novel (A Niki Finley Thriller Book 2) Page 10