RUN! by Ty Patterson

Author:Ty Patterson
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Three Aces Publishing
Published: 2018-02-22T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Forty-Seven

He woke her at three am on Thursday.

The fire had died out and darkness had enveloped their camp.

She stretched and yawned and stiffened when reality and her surroundings hit her.

‘Are they here?’ she asked nervously.

‘No. But I would like to get to the river by dawn.’

She got up swiftly without complaint. Shook the dirt off her clothes.

Shouldered her AK 47 and helped him fasten the HKs and the M24 around his back.

‘Can you see? To make our way?’

‘There’s enough light,’ he said, pointing to the top. ‘Your eyes will get used to it.’

She swirled water in her mouth, swallowed it, and started walking in the direction he indicated.

‘Ma’am.’

‘Yeah?’

‘I am not with the FBI.’

She stopped and turned sideways at him.

‘I am a Special Forces operative. With a secretive unit.’

‘Like one of those Delta guys?’

‘Something like that. But I am not in the Army.’

Her brow wrinkled. ‘Why are you telling me this? Now?’

‘I have worked with the toughest men and women. We go through brutal training.’

‘So?’

‘None of them would have borne themselves like you have.’

‘My world has ended. I am hanging by a thread,’ she said and began to walk faster.

‘Yes, ma’am. But those operators. They would have gone to pieces—’

‘I am close to it.’

‘You haven’t complained. You haven’t given up. You haven’t argued.

‘You need to know—’ He was suddenly lost for words. ‘It’s my honor to help you. To take you back safe.’ He clamped his jaws shut before he embarrassed himself further.

‘Zeb?’ she seemed to sniffle.

‘Yes, ma’am?’

‘I don’t care who you are. FBI. Special Forces. Those names don’t mean anything to me.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘I am glad you are on my side.’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

‘Has anyone told you, you talk too much?’

‘No, ma’am.’

‘Well, why don’t you shut up and run faster?’

‘Yes, ma’am.’

They picked up speed and reached the river at six am.

It was a section where the Middle Fork Salmon River narrowed and was thirty feet wide.

‘You can swim, ma’am? I never asked you that.’

‘Like a fish. Why are we hiding?’

They were still amongst the trees, which gave way abruptly to a steep descent, at the bottom of which was the river.

The slope on their side was rocky, and on the other full of gravel and small boulders.

River’s calmer here. No strong currents.

Just beyond their vision, to their right, were whitewater rapids.

There would be no rafts or canoeists that early in the morning.

Which is why I wanted to arrive early. If Namir or Tavez are here, it would have put them at risk.

He looked at the slope with narrowed eyes.

Ten minutes to get to the river.

Twenty minutes to cross it.

Another ten minutes to climb the bank and get into cover.

In all, forty minutes in the open.

No signs of pursuit.

His radar didn’t ping.

‘Let’s go.’

She took off at a run.

‘Slow down,’ he urged her, when she slipped on a rock.

Can’t risk broken limbs.

She heeded, and climbed down carefully.

He waited till she was at the bottom, and then started.

Gritted his teeth as his injured thigh protested.

He carefully picked the rocks where he would place his feet, and was so intent on his descent that he didn’t hear the approach.

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