by Alex Archer
ZACH KEYED the microphone. “Okay, we should be there soon.”
Mitch’s voice came back. “How long once we’re there before we can expect our pickup?”
“The rendezvous is set for just over an hour from now. We’ll have to wait it out. We made better time than I thought.”
“I don’t like waiting,” Mitch said.
“Neither do I, but we don’t have any choice. This was the best I could do given everything we had to accomplish back at that camp.”
“And they’ll be there, right?”
Zach sighed. “Yes, Mitch, they’ll be there. Offer people a lot of money, and you’d be surprised what they’re willing to do for you.”
“As long as they show. We’re dead if these guys aren’t there to pick us up.”
“They will be,” Zack said. He looked out of the wind-shield. The sky seemed to be brightening a little. “I think it’s going to be a great day.”
THE SNO-CAT JERKED and changed direction. Annja studied the map and hoped she was right to follow her instincts. Stop doubting yourself, she thought. They’d be on Zach soon enough and then that would be that. She expected him not to survive their next meeting.
She hated that realization. She’d known him for a long time. But his refusal to give up his quest had angered her. Possession of the generator was a dangerous and evil thing, and Zach had embraced it.
He didn’t care about what was right anymore.
The next time they met would be in battle.
Annja glanced around the cramped cabin of the Sno-Cat. She knew what she had to do. She just hoped Hawk and his men were up to the challenge.
“Look,” Hawk said, breaking into Annja’s thoughts. “The GPS is signaling that we’re approaching our destination.”
“What does that mean?” Don asked.
Annja felt her adrenaline starting to flow. “It means,” she said, “that they’re out here somewhere.”
ZACH CLAMBERED OUT of the cab of the Sno-Cat and stretched his legs. It felt marvelous to be able to move again after that long drive. Mitch and Chuck joined him from across the way.
Mitch shielded his eyes and looked at the sky overhead. “You were right—it looks like it might be a good day, huh?”
“I think so,” Zach agreed.
“How long once we get aboard before you can contact the potential buyers?”
Zach smiled. “Our auction will be held while we’re on board. I’ve got a secure communications system set up, and we’ll have the luxury of reclining and drinking our champagne while they all try to outbid each other. I expect it will be a marvelous feeling knowing that with each passing minute we’ll be exponentially richer.”
Mitch smiled. “If we had glasses, I’d toast you right now.”
Zach nodded. “Well, let’s get this done and then we can toast each other for the rest of our lives.”
ANNJA FELT her heart beating faster. “We must be close.”
In the backseat, Tony and Don chambered rounds into their pistols. The metallic slides clicked into place and Annja realized how strange it felt to be riding into battle. She’d never get used to it, she decided. Something about knowing you were a few moments away from possibly killing another human being never felt like the right thing to do to her.
But she learned that sometimes it was the only way.
“There,” Hawk said. “I see them.”
Annja followed his direction and just a few miles away across the icy plain, she could make out the two Sno-Cats.
“You guys ready?” she asked.
“Absolutely.”
“Then let’s do this.”
40
“Who the hell is that?”
Zach spun and frowned. “It’s not our rendezvous, that’s for damned sure.”
Mitch pulled out his pistol and chambered a round. “Well, then, it’s someone who isn’t going to be happy they stumbled across us.”
Chuck pulled a pistol, as well. “There’s no way anyone stumbled on us. Somehow they found us.” He turned to Zach. “How did this happen? Did you give us up? Not too keen on splitting the money with us, you cheap bastard?”
“You think I let them know where we were going? Don’t be ridiculous! I’ve got more to lose on this than either of you and there’s no way I’d ever sell us out.” How had they found them? he wondered. And who were they?
“Yeah, well, if I find out you sold us out, I’m going to take a lot of pleasure in killing you,” Chuck said menacingly.
“Enough of this,” Mitch said. “Set up a cross fire. Chuck, get on the other side. As they come toward us, we’ll press them with fire and see if we can’t stop them.”
Chuck grumbled but moved into position. Zach watched the two men maneuver and eased himself back. He had a pistol under his parka but didn’t really want to use it unless he absolutely had to.
He looked at the approaching Sno-Cat. Who was it? And how in the world had they found them?
“DID YOU SEE THAT?”
Hawk nodded. “They’ll flank us on either side, hoping to catch us in a cross fire. They can direct fire and disable the cat, hopefully kill us before we can climb out.”
“Right,” Tony said. “Well, we know how to deal with that. Slow down.”
Annja looked back. “What are you going to do?”
Don smiled. “Jump out and flank the flankers. No sense letting them have all the fun.”
Annja nodded. “Be careful, guys.”
Tony glanced at Don. “I’ll take the right.”
“Roger that. See you on the other side.”
“I can’t slow it down too much or they’ll see the action,” Hawk said. “I’m going to stutter-step it and then change direction to draw their eyes away from where you guys are.”
“We’re ready,” Tony said.
“Stand by,” Hawk said.
Annja clutched her seat as Hawk suddenly jerked the wheel and turned the Sno-Cat to the right. As he did, Tony opened his door and fell out. Hawk then jerked the cat left and Don did the same.
Hawk straightened the vehicle and then started aiming it in on a slight angle.
Behind them in the snow, Tony and Don were completely exposed. But Annja hoped they could maneuver and get an edge over Zach’s men.
“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?”
Mitch frowned. “Maybe they skidded on a patch of ice.”
Chuck shook his head. “I don’t like it.”
Zach pointed. “It’s coming straight on us now, so whatever, right?”
“It’s angling,” Mitch said. “It might be trying to disrupt our positioning.” He called out to Chuck. “Keep an eye on the ground it just left. I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”
Zach fidgeted with his own pistol. He decided he might need it after all. “You think they’ve got something planned?” he called out.
“If I knew I was about to confront an enemy, I’d certainly make it my business to have a plan. Wouldn’t you?” Mitch said.
“I guess.”
“All right, then. How about this? You take over watching Chuck’s flank. Shoot anyone who comes at us from that direction. I’ll handle this side, and Chuck will make sure we don’t get ambushed.”
Zach looked at his pistol and sighed. “All right.”
HAWK FROWNED. “Is that Zach I see? Looks like he’s armed.”
Annja nodded. “I guess there was no way he was going to give up without a fight. Makes me a little sad, though.”
“You guys were close,” Hawk said.
“I thought we were. Friends only, but you know, you’ve got that trust level there. And now I find out he was lying the whole time.”
“Maybe not the whole time,” Hawk said. “But he sure did when it counted, huh?”
“Yeah,” Annja said sadly.
Hawk rested his pistol on his lap. “This is going to get messy real quick. I don’t have an extra gun for you.”
“I don’t need one,” Annja said.
Hawk lo
oked surprised. “Oh? You have another sword tucked away somewhere like the one you hid in the tunnel?”
Annja laughed. “That would be nice, wouldn’t it?”
Hawk gripped his pistol. “Well, let’s make sure you don’t get hurt doing this job, huh?”
“That’d be nice.”
Hawk gunned the Sno-Cat.
And Annja closed her eyes and visualized her sword.
“I SEE SOMEONE over there!”
Zach looked to where Chuck was pointing. He caught a glimpse of something moving in the dim light.
“Shoot it,” Mitch said.
“I can’t. He’s out of range,” Chuck said.
Zach looked at Mitch. “What are they trying to do?”
“Outflank us, you idiot. They know we won’t give up this position because we’ve got the benefit of cover with the Sno-Cats. So all they can do is try to come at us from the sides where we’re exposed.”
“What about the generator?” Zach asked.
Mitch glanced at him. “Is it bulletproof?”
“How should I know?” Zach said.
“Well, I guess we’d all better hope that it is or else we might just start glowing in the dark.”
Zach looked at his watch. There wasn’t much time left before the rendezvous. “If we can hold them off, our connection will be here soon!”
Mitch nodded. “Then that’s what we’ll have to do.”
“YOU READY?” Hawk asked.
Annja nodded. “Yes,” she said as she placed a jerrican on the gas pedal of the Sno-Cat.
Hawk lifted his foot and the Sno-Cat kept going. “Foot’s clear,” he said.
Annja gripped her door handle. “You sure you’ve got it aimed properly?”
Hawk nodded. “It shouldn’t hit the tow hitch carrying the generator.”
“Okay.”
Hawk gripped his pistol and his door handle. “Remember to exhale when you land and roll,” he advised.
“Got it.”
“See you out there,” he said. “Go!”
Annja pushed the door open and leaped out into the frozen air, her sword already held in hand.
ZACH HEARD THE GUNSHOTS. Chuck was firing at someone moving off to the left. Someone rose to a crouch and then fell forward. It all seemed to happen in slow motion.
The Sno-Cat continued rumbling toward them. Mitch was shouting something at Zach. Then he turned back and fired two rounds at the cat’s windshield, spidering the glass.
The Sno-Cat kept coming.
“It’s gonna hit!” Mitch shouted.
Zach turned and ran as the approaching cat crashed into the cat Mitch was using for cover. There was a violent sound of metal twisting and gears grinding as the tracks literally tried to crawl up the side of the stationary cat it had just impacted. Parts of the cab compressed as the weight of the cat settled on it. He wondered if it would explode, but then the cat stopped moving, its gears burned out.
Chuck kept firing at someone.
Zach heard a bullet fly past his ear and ricochet off the other Sno-Cat.
He heard something else, too. Somewhere off in the distance.
Rescue.
ANNJA ROLLED when she landed, exhaling hard as her body made contact with the frozen ground. It wasn’t nearly as powdery as she’d thought and the blow to her body rattled her somewhat.
She came up to her feet and charged into the opening. She saw the smaller of the two men from Gallagher’s. What had Zach called him? Chuck.
He saw Annja coming and tried to turn to point his pistol at her.
But Annja swung up diagonally from her right side, slicing into Chuck’s arm. Blood sprayed and he dropped to the ground clutching at his limb as it pumped blood into the icy ground where it froze almost instantly.
Chuck fell back, already entering severe shock.
Annja spun and looked for Zach.
But her ears picked up a noise.
Reinforcements were arriving.
ZACH AIMED HIS PISTOL at the man who had suddenly appeared right out of the very snow they stood on. The gun bucked in his hand as Zach jerked the trigger back. He used too much pressure and the gun jumped, its bullet flying off at an angle.
The man in front of him smiled and leveled his gun at Zach.
Zach’s stomach twisted.
He was a dead man.
When the gunshot came, Zach felt nothing.
He looked down but saw no blood. Then he looked back and saw the man in front of him fall. Behind him Mitch stood, his gun’s barrel still smoking.
“Is that our rescue I hear?” Mitch asked.
“Just in time,” Zach replied.
Mitch sounded angry. “Hold your own here, Zach. In a few minutes this’ll all be over.”
ANNJA SAW Hawk fall and two men standing together looking at him. She ran full speed toward them.
Mitch wheeled and brought up his gun.
She batted his hands away with the pommel of the sword. And then cracked him hard with the flat of the blade.
Mitch staggered back, clutching at his face. Blood streamed out of his nose, steaming in the frigid air.
Annja drove him back, swiping at him. But Mitch managed to evade the cuts somehow.
Annja caught some movement out of the corner of her eye.
Zach.
Annja dropped. Spun. She threw the sword.
Zach fired his pistol.
The sword pierced the center of Zach’s chest, puncturing the thick parka, driving through bone, muscle and arteries.
Annja heard Zach gasp.
He looked down in shock and then slumped to his knees.
His body fell over in the snow.
Annja stared at him in sorrow.
“Don’t move, Annja,” she heard Mitch growl.
She heard the sound of the trigger and froze. With a sidelong glance she could see Mitch was holding the pistol on her. His face mask was a bloody mess.
“I’m going to enjoy killing you,” he said.
“Well, get on with it, then,” Annja said angrily.
She heard a series of gunshots.
Mitch fell over dead.
Annja turned. Don stood, still aiming his gun at Mitch’s back. He called out to her. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” she said, shaking.
He nodded and moved away from Mitch. “Check on Hawk. I’ll tend to Tony.”
Annja scrambled over to Hawk’s body. His eyes fluttered vaguely, but his pupils were wide, darkness already settling in them. The cold was too much.
Annja looked at the front of his parka and knew it wasn’t good. “Hang on, Hawk,” she said futilely.
He coughed a little. “Hell, you mean this isn’t the afterlife?” he whispered.
Annja smiled. “Not yet.”
“Thanks,” he said to her. “Thanks for helping make things right.” A little bit of pinkish foam sputtered out of his lips. Annja could see darker blood inside his mouth.
“Don’t thank me,” she said.
“Someone should,” Hawk said, before falling quiet.
Annja picked up Hawk’s pistol and stood in the snow as Don came back. “Tony’s gone.”
“Hawk, too,” she said.
“Shit.”
Annja nodded. “I don’t think that’s the end, either.”
Don looked at her. “What are you talking about?”
“You hear that?”
Don stared off in the distance. “Is that what I think it is?”
Annja sighed. “Yep. It’s a helicopter.”
41
Annja watched as the massive cargo helicopter came flying in, its rotors beating the ground in a giant swell of ice and snow. As the helicopter flared, the side doors opened and a voice blared out over a speaker.
“Stand where you are! If you move, you will be shot!”
Don looked at Annja. “I don’t think these guys are playing around.”
“Doesn’t look like it. We’d better be cool.”
She sa
w four ropes drop down and then four men in black shimmied down out of the helicopter. They spun and trained automatic weapons on Annja and Don.
“Drop your weapons!” someone shouted.
Don eyed Annja. “Do we do as they say?”
Annja frowned. “They’ll shoot us before we can move an inch. We’d better play it their way.”
Don dropped his gun. Annja closed her eyes and willed the sword away from Zach’s body. She dropped her gun.
“Think they’ll kill us?” Don asked.
Annja shrugged. “No idea.”
The speaker called out again. “Move back away from the tracked vehicles. Do it now or you will be shot.”
Annja and Don walked about forty feet away from the scene of battle. The wind kicked up a little bit and Annja saw the helicopter spin a bit in the updraft. It’s got to be hellish trying to keep that bird steady, she thought. Whoever these guys are, they are really good.
The four men moved in on the vehicles. As soon as they reached the tow hitch, they waved the chopper closer. As it came in, a new set of ropes came down and Annja could see they were much thicker.
“They’re not interested in us,” she said to Don.
“What do you mean? Those guns certainly look interested enough.”
“They want the generator. Not us.”
“We can’t let them get it,” Don said. “Not after all of this.”
But Annja didn’t sense any imminent danger. And she didn’t feel as if they had to do anything just now.
“Wait,” she said. Something strange was happening. Again.
“Wait?”
“Don, just follow my lead here, okay?” she said.
“Fine,” he agreed reluctantly.
Three of the men worked feverishly, securing the new ropes to the sides of the crate that housed the nuclear generator. They employed a series of special locks and cables to make sure everything was tight and unable to move in the wind.
Finally, the men stood back and waved the crate up.