Antarktos Rising by Robinson Jeremy

Author:Robinson, Jeremy [Robinson, Jeremy]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Variance Publishing
Published: 2007-07-05T04:00:00+00:00

Chapter 38

The inward barrage of self-deprecating insults Popova hurled at herself was worse than any physical pain she’d endured. For the first time in her career, she had missed. And of all people to miss . . .!

She had no idea how Ferrell had sensed her presence. She had been so completely concealed that sight was not a possibility. She wore no perfume and was covered in earth and detritus. She was upwind, so Ferrell couldn’t have smelled her. She had remained perfectly still, buried in shrubs, looking down from a hilltop, when she’d seen Ferrell creeping through the jungle.

How fortunate she had been to come across Ferrell first. She took aim through her scope, placed her finger gently on the trigger, and squeezed. Through the sight, her aim had appeared true. Ferrell fell backwards. But as she neared the ground, she did not fall limp. Ferrell flung herself back, tucked into a roll, and dove behind a tree.

Popova had sprung to her feet only a second after realizing she’d missed and torn off into the jungle. She knew her position had been exposed and that retaliation would be forthcoming. A violent explosion ripped her hiding place to shreds seconds later, knocking Popova off her feet. She scrambled up and wove haphazardly through the forest so that her trail would be harder to follow. She knew Ferrell would give chase, and it brought a smile to her face.

The game of cat and mouse had begun. The only remaining question was who played the cat and who would be the mouse.

After a mile of running Popova slowed, not because of exhaustion, but because she’d spotted the perfect place for an ambush. A mound of tall stones that looked almost carved rose up thirty feet off the ground, topping out near the green leafy jungle ceiling. As she climbed the rock face higher and higher, more of the jungle came into view. She’d be able to see Ferrell coming with ease.

Reaching the top, Popova assembled her rifle and set it down on the flat stone surface. As she turned to lay down behind the large rifle, she looked for the first time over the back side of the rock mound. What she saw held her gaze steady. A large depression in the ground, perhaps a quarter mile in diameter, had been carved out. More large stones were scattered around the interior, some still imbedded in the earth and others partially-carved statues, blank-faced versions of the ones she’d discovered previously.

It was a quarry. The stones were hewn by men.

While intriguing, the stones could not hold her interest. Not while Ferrell was out there. Popova would deal with her first and when the Americans came looking for her, they would fall next. She slid down to her belly and gripped the rifle. She scanned back and forth, searching for any sign of movement, no matter how obscure. Ferrell would not be an easy target, especially now that she was aware of the danger, but she could not approach Popova’s hiding spot without exposing herself.

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