Pershing stood and put his hat back on. “I’ll let you sleep on it.” He was about to leave when the rancher spoke.
“You’re going to pay for this.”
He tipped his Stetson. “We all do in the long run.” Slamming the door behind him, he headed to the accommodation block the Black Jackets used. He opened the door and stuck his head in. Burro was asleep in an armchair in front of the TV. “Hey, dip shit.”
The Mexican woke with a snort and got out of the armchair.
“You want to make ten grand, son?”
Burro rubbed his eyes and nodded.
“I need you to find Roberto Soto’s family.”
“You want me to kill them? Extra ten.”
“Not yet, just find them.”
***
LASCAR ISLAND
Frank, PRIMAL’s British watchkeeper, yawned as he finished a chapter of his book. He was three hours into a particularly uneventful shift in the Bunker, PRIMAL’s command center. He glanced up at the personnel tracker and confirmed nothing had changed. The map was zoomed out to show the location of their personnel across the globe. Aleks was in Thailand tracking down Kurtz, the rest of his team were on a beach in Spain, Mitch and Mirza were in New York, Saneh in Bali, and Bishop in Mexico. He noted the icons were green, meaning the iPRIMALs had checked in recently. All except Bishop’s. His was still amber.
“How thing’s tracking, Frank?” Vance asked as he stepped out of his office. “Anything from Bishop?”
“No, the last location we got from him was four hours ago.” Frank zoomed the map down to where the chess piece icon was hovering. Switching to satellite imagery revealed it was located in a deep canyon. “He’s been powering down intermittently to conserve batteries. I’m expecting him to check in sometime soon.”
Vance walked across and sat in the command chair. “How far is that from the mine?”
Frank activated the touch screen on his desk and measured the distance. “About four, five kilometers.”
“And they’re mounted on horseback.”
“Correct.”
“Hell, he should have wrapped up his recon by now…” He paused. “When are Mirza and Mitch due down there?”
He checked his notes. “Tomorrow, they’re finishing the New York piece at the moment.”
Vance drummed his fingers against the leather armrest of his chair. “Couldn’t hurt to push forward their infil. Can you ask Chua for an update on their op in Manhattan?”
He hit a button on his screen and connected to the intelligence chief’s desktop. “Chen, Frank here, need a quick SITREP on Mitch and Mirza’s job.”
Chua’s voice came in over a speaker. “They’re almost finished. Flash is handling the hack from our end now.”
“OK, thanks.”
“Anything going on I need to know about?” asked Chua.
“I’ll come have a chat in a few minutes,” Vance boomed from his chair.
“Copy that.”
Frank terminated the call.
“What gear is on the Gulfstream?” asked Vance.
He opened a menu on the tablet. “Fairly comprehensive loadout, boss. Clothing and armor for four, small arms, some tech gear, comms, sniper rifle, and some heavier stuff. More than enough for Mitch and Mirza to wage their own little war.”
Vance grunted. “That ain’t gonna happen. This is still an intel collection op, we’re not getting sucked into a goddamn war.”
Frank nodded. “Understood, boss.”
“Good, now let’s get them down there as soon as we can.”
CHAPTER 22
CHIHUAHUA
Bishop switched off the AK’s flashlight to see if there was any ambient light. Nothing. It was total darkness. There was just the sound of their breathing and the steady drip of water falling from the ceiling.
He wrapped his arms around Christina in an attempt to stave off the cold and reassure her.
“Are you afraid, Aden?” Her voice was low and soft.
He considered the question. Long ago he had come to terms with death, although he was not particularly thrilled with the current situation. “No, I’m not afraid.”
She shivered. “Good, because I am.”
They had emerged from their hole in the wall to a tunnel on the edge of collapse. A solid wall of rubble blocked the exit. They had pushed deeper into the mine but only a hundred yards further they reached the end. Other shafts split off from the junction but none of them tunneled very far into the rock.
“We’re going to be OK.”
“Do you believe in God, Aden?” Christina’s voice sounded distant.
“I did when I was a boy.”
“Why not now?”
“I guess I’ve seen a lot of things, things that make me think if we do have a god, he doesn’t care.”
“So what do you think will happen when we die?”
Bishop pulled her in close. “We are not going to die. Not here.”
“Nobody knows where we are. The only person who even knew we were out here is probably dead by now.”
“That’s not true. What about Emilio? What about Miguel and Gerardo? They all know we’re out here. They’ll come looking for us.”
“Let’s be realistic. Even if they did come here, we’re trapped.” Her voice trailed off. “We’re alone.”
“There are others, Christina, others who’ll notice I’m gone. They’ll send people to dig us out.”
“And how long will they take to get to us, Aden?” She started crying. Her body shook as she sobbed. “I’m never going to see my family again. I’m never going to see my sister or my niece. I’m never going to see my mom or my dad.”
Bishop just held her tightly. After a few minutes she broke the silence. “Do you have any family, Aden?” She sniffled.
“My parents are both dead and I was an only child.” He swallowed, almost choking on his words. “But I guess you might say I have a family of sorts.”
“Who?” she whispered.
“The men and a woman I work with. We’re a close team. We rely on each other and we understand each other. They’re my family.”
As they held each other it dawned on Bishop that if he didn’t get Christina out of the mine he was going to be responsible for the death of another innocent woman. In the darkness his memories came flooding back. Karla, the teenager in Japan, Jess, the doctor in South Sudan, and the dream of Saneh shot dead on the ground. He didn’t realize he was crying until he felt a tear run down his cheek. “No.”
Christina jolted. “What?”
He released his hold on her and felt around for the AK. “No, we’re not going to die in here.” He activated the flashlight, illuminating the mineshaft. “There has to be another way out. An air shaft, a drainage tunnel, something.” He flashed the light down one of the side tunnels. “Come on, we’re sticking together.”
Christina climbed to her feet and they explored the tunnel. The walls were solid rock. Bishop inspected them with the flashlight, looking for any type of opening. They searched every inch of the short tunnel.
“There’s nothing here, Aden.”
“Let’s check the other end.”
As they walked back down the tunnel Bishop stopped. He heard something over the sound of water dripping from the roof.
“Can you hear that?”
“What?”
“It sounds like running water.” Bishop knelt down and put his ear to the floor. Sure enough he heard water rushing behind the rock. “Lots of running water.”
“Why is that good?”
“This may be our way out of here.” He reached for a metal bar he had found in the tunnel. He started smashing it into the floor and prying away chunks of stone.
“That’s going to take a long time.”
“I only need a small hole.”
He managed to wedge the bar between two slabs of rock. Working the metal back and forth, he forced it down through the rock. When he pulled it out, the end of the bar was wet.
&
nbsp; “The miners didn’t dig any lower because there’s an aquifer below. An underwater stream that probably leads to the river.”
“Probably? What if it doesn’t?”
Bishop took one of the grenades out of his vest. “Go to the end of the tunnel and wait for me around the corner. Put your hands over your ears and open your mouth, same as before.”
He waited till Christina was clear and pulled the pin from the grenade. He wedged it six inches down with the handle jammed against the rock. Stepping back, he pulled the pin on another grenade. Reaching as far as he could he pushed it into the hole and released the handle. “One thousand.” He sprinted away. “Two thousand, three thousand.” He took cover with Christina. “Four thou…”
The explosion blew rock and dust through the air, and nearly deafened them.
Bishop tentatively approached the hole the explosion had blown in the floor. It was about two feet wide and shaped like a triangle. He shone the light from the rifle down the hole. There was a drop of about three feet then crystal clear water.
He used his knife to unscrew the flashlight from the weapon.
“That looks like it might be a way out.” He slung the AK before lowering himself into the icy cold water, flashlight in hand. Crouching, he shone the light down the stream. There was an air gap that ran for twenty yards before the rock ceiling met the water.
“Is there a way out?” asked Christina from above.
He shrugged. “It’s not great, but it’s all we’ve got. It might be a good idea if I go ahead. When I get out I’ll come back for you.”
She shook her head. “No way. If you die on the way out, no one will ever find me. I’ll die alone in the dark.” She lowered herself into the hole. “I’ll take my chances in here with you.”
***
Bishop checked his watch. They had been in the underground stream for over an hour, ducking underwater between the air pockets. Christina was shivering. The ice cold water had leached the heat from her body. First she had lost all feeling in her hands and now her speech had started to slur. Bishop knew if he didn’t get her out soon he was going to lose her.
They’d only managed to move a few hundred yards downstream. The problem was he had no idea if and when the stream reached the surface. He didn’t want to tell her, but it was highly likely they were not going to get out. He tried not to dwell on the thought, but it was a harsh reality that lurked in the darkness.
He considered going back to the mine. At least there they could get out of the water. He might even build a small fire from some of the snapped shoring. He pushed the idea from his mind. Christina would never make it.
Shining his flashlight at the cave ahead, he saw the ceiling had started to rise and the stream was widening and becoming shallow. He waded forward pulling Christina. They pushed through a gap and came out into a large cave. He climbed out of the stream pulling her from the water.
He hugged her. “I need you to keep moving, OK?” Her teeth chattered.
She nodded slowly then started marching on the spot.
“That’s my girl. Keep moving, and wait here. I’m going check out where the stream goes.”
There were tears in her eyes. “No, don’t leave me.”
Bishop hugged her. “I’ll be back in a minute.”
He shone the flashlight around the walls of the cave. It was roughly a dome, about thirty yards in diameter. A pocket of soft stone that had been slowly carved away by the ground water. He switched off the light. It was pitch black. There was also no breeze or any sign air was coming in from the outside.
He shivered and walked back to the stream. It disappeared through a hole in the rock. He was in no hurry to climb back into the freezing water but it was the only possible way out. He ducked down under the slow flowing current and aimed the light downstream.
His heart skipped a beat. At the very edge of the light he saw a tinge of green. Photosynthesis needed one key component, sunlight. He turned off the light. Everything was pitch black. As his eyes adjusted he thought he saw the faintest spot of light through the water. He blinked. Was his mind playing tricks on him or was there actually a glow?
Turning he pushed back against the stream, activating the flashlight. The first thing he heard as his head broke the surface was Christina’s frantic voice.
“Aden, ADEN!” she called from the water’s edge.
“It’s OK, I’m here.” He shivered as he climbed out of the stream.
She latched on to him. “Don’t go again. You left me in the dark”
He hugged her. “It’s OK, I think I’ve found a way out.”
She shook like a leaf as she clung to him. He grasped her face in his hands. Her cheeks were like ice. “We need to go underwater again. Can you do that for me?”
She shook her head. “I can’t go back in there.”
Bishop rested his forehead against hers and hugged her. “Christina, I’m not going to let you die here. I’m going to get you home to your family.”
She shook her head. “No, no, I can’t do it.”
“It’s OK, it’s OK.” He sat her down.
“Tell me, what’s the story with your tattoo?” he asked, trying to keep her mind occupied.
“I, I had a birthmark when I was little. The other kids used to make fun of me. When I turned eighteen my mother took me to a tattoo parlor.”
“That’s one cool woman.”
“Yeah, she is.”
“I need to get you back to her, Christina.”
She swallowed. “It’s sad that you don’t believe in God.”
“I have my own beliefs.”
“Like what?”
“I believe we get once chance at life. I’m trying not to make a complete mess of it.”
Bishop put his AK aside, and threw off his chest rig and jacket. He stuffed the chrome .45 in the front of his pants. Then he took the memory card from her camera and slipped it in his pocket.
“You’re going to be fine,” he said as he helped her out of her jacket. “I’m going to tie you to me, OK?”
She nodded.
He stripped the sling from the AK and wrapped it around both her wrists. “I need you to hold on to my belt.” He looped the strap around his thick nylon belt. Now even if she let go he could still drag her through the water. “You just need to hold on and kick, OK?”
She nodded as he started running her through breathing exercises to expand her lungs. Then he leaned forward and kissed her gently on the cheek.
She managed a feeble smile.
Bishop turned toward the hole in the cave wall and counted. “One, two, and three.” He put the flashlight in his mouth as he ducked underwater and swam forward with long powerful strokes. He felt Christina’s hands pulling on the back of his belt as he swam. Stroke after stroke he powered forward towing her to what he hoped was safety.
Time seemed to slow as he used up the oxygen in his system. He exhaled slowly through his nose, keeping his strokes smooth. Christina let go of his belt. Then he felt the tug as the strap wrapped around her wrists jerked on the back of his belt. He knew she’d passed out as she went from being heavy in the water to dead weight. The flashlight slipped from his mouth as he struggled to maintain forward momentum. His lungs burned and he realized he had made a fatal mistake. He fought the urge to inhale as his body screamed for oxygen.
Then he saw it, a faint glow coming from ahead. It seemed so far away. In his mind he heard a long dead friend’s voice. “Get the hell out of here, Bish.” Ice had given his life for another, and drowning in a cave was no way to honor that sacrifice “Go! Get the hell out of here.”
The underwater stream spat Bishop into a deep pool with light streaming from above. He pushed off the rock floor and dragged Christina to the surface. As his head burst through he sucked in air. The bright sunlight assailed his eyes. He fumbled for the clasp on his belt, managed to unlock it, and pulled it through, freeing Christina’s hands. Then he rolled over, pulling her head to the surface. His boots
made contact with the riverbed and he dragged her from the water.
The world spun and he collapsed next to her on the sandy bank. In a daze, he struggled to his knees and fumbled as he tried to check her pulse with his numb fingers. It was faint. Her lips were blue, her mouth half open. He turned her onto her side and green water drained from her mouth. Then he flipped her onto her back and started pumping her chest with his hands.
“Come on, Saneh, live!” he screamed as he forced down on her chest. Tears filled his eyes and he fought off dizziness as he counted out the compressions. Reaching thirty he gave her two breaths and started again. “Damn you, Saneh, you’re not going to die. Fucking breathe, Saneh.”
As he pumped down on her chest he heard the crack of her ribs. Her eyes flickered opened and she started coughing up mouthfuls of foul water.
Bishop turned her on her side as she coughed, then vomited. After a minute of constant hacking she lay back in the warm Mexican sun. “I thought I’d never see this again,” she croaked.
He collapsed on the bank of the polluted river and closed his eyes.
“Aden,” Christina whispered. “Who is Saneh?”
CHAPTER 23
Mitch checked the Gulfstream’s heads-up display, confirming they were on target. The luxury jet was cruising at twenty-five thousand feet just north of the Mexican border.
Mirza was sitting in the co-pilot’s seat, watching intently.
“You ready to take the stick yet, mate?”
Mirza wore a serious look as he reached forward and placed his hands on the yoke. “Ready when you are. Hands on.” It was the first time Mirza had flown since training on the flight simulator back on the island.
“I’m handing over control in one, two, three. Hands off.” Mitch released the controls and turned to Mirza with a grin. “There you go mate, you’re flying.”
Mirza smiled for a split second before turning serious again.
Mitch got out of his chair. “I’ll leave the cockpit door open, mate. Just in case you have any problems.” He walked into the luxurious cabin and sat in one of the armchairs. There was a laptop open on the desk in front of him.
PRIMAL Reckoning (Book 1 in the Redemption Trilogy, the PRIMAL Series Book 5) Page 18
