Sharp Shot

by Jack Higgins

  “Are you telling me we’re going to die of heat and thirst out here before anyone even knows there’s a problem?” snapped Jade.

  She was probably right, but Rich knew that losing their temper would do no good. “Hey, Jade,” he said. “It’s good to have you back, but, you know—chillax.”

  She stared at him. “You what?”

  “Chillax,” Rich repeated. “It means, like, chill out and relax.”

  Jade turned to her father. “We may never get out of this desert alive,” she said seriously. “I realise that. But if we do, I want you to promise me something.”

  Chance looked anxious. “Depends what it is.”

  “If I ever—ever—use the word ‘chillax’,” said Jade, “I want you to shoot me.” She pointed to the middle of her forehead. “Right here. OK?”

  “OK,” Chance agreed seriously.

  “That’s my sister,” said Rich to Chuck and Kate, who were staring at Jade and Chance with open mouths. “Welcome back, Jade.”

  13

  Chuck White and Kate Hunter hated to leave their dead colleagues behind. But they agreed with Chance that Darrow might return, or tip off the local Iraqi forces that there were undesirables in the area. Either way, they needed to move.

  “The Pentagon might spot something on the satellite images for the area,” said Chuck.

  “Only if they’re looking,” said Chance. “And I’m guessing they don’t know you guys are here, right?”

  “True,” said Chuck. “We don’t usually let the Pentagon know what we’re up to.”

  “Not unless we want everyone else to know as well,” muttered Kate.

  “So where are we going?” asked Rich.

  “Nearest border is a hundred and fifty kilometres that way,” said Chance, pointing into the sandy distance.

  “Nice day for a walk,” said Jade. “Bit hot though.”

  “It’ll get hotter,” her father told her. “We need to get some distance from here, then shelter from the heat of the day. We’re better moving at night.”

  “He’s been here before,” said Rich. As they walked, he filled Jade in on what they knew about Darrow and the mysterious statue.

  “So what happened to you?” Rich asked when he’d finished. His mouth was dry and he could feel his lips cracking. He was happy to stop talking for a while.

  “I worked out McCain—Darrow—was up to no good. He met one of the guys who were after us. So I guess they weren’t after us at all and it was all a set up to make us think he was in trouble.”

  “Guess so.”

  “But they realised I was on to them and drugged me. I woke up in this big villa place in the middle of the desert. Some Arab bloke lives there, I think. I assume he was guarding me for Darrow. Then Darrow arrived in a helicopter. And here I am.”

  There was precious little shelter and no sign of water. Chance told them to watch for birds, as they might be heading towards a water hole. But there was no sign of life of any kind.

  Eventually they slumped down on the side of a huge sandbank that afforded a little shade. Chuck had a canteen of water, and passed it round. They each took a small sip, each longed for more, and each knew they had to conserve the water for as long as possible.

  “So, where are we heading?” asked Jade.

  “East Araby,” said Chance.

  “Never heard of it,” said Rich.

  “It’s a small, relatively insignificant country that borders Iraq, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,” Kate told them. She seemed about to say more, then caught Chuck’s eye.

  “The US has a large presence there,” said Chance. “Big airbase, nuclear weapons if you believe the Russian propaganda.” He glanced at Chuck. “That right?”

  “Wouldn’t know about the nukes,” said Chuck in an offhand tone that suggested that actually he knew all about them. “But yes, it’s our biggest base in the region. The country has no oil, so they’d be pretty badly off if it weren’t for the aid we give them.”

  “In return for the airbase?” said Rich.

  “Only place round here where we can keep our Stealth Bombers…according to rumour, anyway,” said Chuck. He smiled. “The country’s ruled by King Hassan. He’s very pro-western. Very progressive. He’s brought the country to the brink of democracy.”

  “Is that the place where there are going to be elections?” asked Jade. “There was a documentary or something, wasn’t there?”

  “That’s right,” said Kate. “There are elections due in the next month. It’s a big thing. First country round here to embrace democracy.”

  “It’s a brave man who gives up power,” said Chance. “Let’s hope it all goes smoothly.”

  “You mean it might not?” said Rich. “Don’t tell me we’re walking out of the desert and into a coup.”

  Chuck smiled. “Hassan is a powerful and well-respected man. What he says, goes. The military might not like it, but they’ll accept it because Hassan is a hero to them too. So long as King Hassan is in charge and stays on as a ceremonial Head of State, they’ll go along with it.”

  “You know a lot about this,” said Chance quietly.

  “I read widely,” Chuck told him.

  But Rich sensed there was more to it than that—an undercurrent of meaning that he was missing.

  “Right, let’s move on,” said Chance. “It’s getting cooler as evening approaches, and I’d like to cover another few miles before sunset.”

  The heat of the sand was seeping through Jade’s trainers. Every step seemed to sink deeper into the hot desert so that it was like wading through treacle. Her eyes were half closed against the dazzling sun. They’d walked for so long that Jade could barely remember anything other than the heat, anything other than the effort of putting one foot in front of the other.

  “Are we nearly there yet?” asked Rich in a whining kiddie voice.

  Jade laughed despite herself. Or tried to. Her throat felt like it was clogged with sand. Every scorching breath was an effort.

  They were climbing steadily. But the convex shape of the sand dune meant that the top was always out of sight. Jade had no idea how much further it was to the summit, but she did know that even then there would be another dune to climb. The desert stretched for ever in every direction —just like the view from Ali’s villa, only this time there was no swimming pool in the middle of it.

  The others stopped for a breather, but Jade didn’t notice. With her eyes screwed almost shut, lashes flecked with sand, she just kept walking. She vaguely heard Rich calling after her, but now she was at the top, looking down into a valley below.

  A valley of unbroken, baking sand.

  Except…

  There was something at the base of the dune. A dark shape, a patch of shade. Relief from the sun. She stood staring down at it, trying to work out what it was. Could it be a dark patch of water? Or just discoloured sand? The remains of a fire? What?

  Chance struggled up behind her. “We’re at the top,” he said, his voice a dry croak. “We’ll walk along the ridge. Makes us easier to see, but it means we can see ahead too.”

  Jade just pointed. She wasn’t sure her voice would work, but she tried: “What’s that?”

  Chance shaded his eyes from the sun. “Not sure…” There was a note of hope in his voice. “Got to be worth a look, though.” He turned and waved to the others, beckoning them on.

  It was a relief to be heading downwards. Sand spilled from every heavy footstep, cascading down the sides of the valley. Jade and the others built up a momentum that carried them quickly down the steep bank.

  Soon they were close enough to see what the dark shape at the bottom was.

  “I’m guessing that isn’t a good sign,” Rich gasped.

  It was a dead camel.

  “Depends how long it’s been dead,” said Chance. He skidded to a halt at the bottom of the sand dune, close to the corpse.

  “A while, I’d say,” said Chuck, arriving beside Chance, Rich and Jade.

  Kate H
unter was just behind him. “I’m not eating that,” she said.

  Jade was doing her best not to be sick from the smell. Kate’s words almost tipped her over the edge. “Gross,” she gasped.

  “We may not have a lot of choice,” said Chance. He waved his hand to try to get rid of some of the flies that had left the dead camel to investigate the newcomers. “Doubt there’s any blood left to drink, and you’re right, the meat will be rancid. What’s left of it.”

  “You’re doing this deliberately,” said Jade, turning away.

  She didn’t need to look any closer at the camel to know it had been dead for days. The carcass was covered in flies, the flesh and skin stripped away in places.

  “Well, at least we know we’re not far from a pathway or route of some kind,” said Chance.

  “One dead camel tells you that?” said Rich. “It could have just wandered here and got lost. It is dead, after all.”

  “I assume there are wild camels,” said Kate. “He’s right; it probably just got lost or wandered off sick or something.”

  “You can see where it was wearing a bridle,” said Chuck quietly. “John’s right. This animal belonged to someone. Out in the desert, you don’t lose a camel, not unless you’re really unlucky.”

  “So, there might be people around?” asked Jade. Suddenly things didn’t seem quite so bad. “Maybe we can find them. Can we signal or something?”

  “You’re assuming that they’ll be friendly,” Chuck told her.

  “Won’t they?” said Rich.

  “They might resent us being in their territory,” said Chance. “Or they might be rebel fighters who’ll happily kill any foreigners they find—especially Americans and Britions. At best they’ll just resent having to provide more people with food and water and leave us here.”

  “Glad I asked,” muttered Rich.

  “And the good news is?” Jade prompted. Despite the smell and the grossness of it all, she couldn’t help looking at the poor, dead animal. She was trying to see the bridle Chuck had spotted, but the whole thing was just a desiccated mess of hair and bone and…

  “The good news is that we can’t be far from a recognised route. And a route has to go somewhere,” Chance was saying.

  But Jade was no longer listening. She was staring at the rotting carcass, unable to believe what she was seeing. “It’s moving,” she said. “Look—there, in its side, there’s something moving.”

  The hole in the camel’s side was a dark blotch of shadow. But part of that darkness was detaching itself, clawing its way out of the side of the camel. Pale legs reached out, gripping the side of the wound. A massive, bulbous shape heaved itself out of the dead camel.

  “Oh—my—God,” said Rich.

  Kate Hunter gave a shriek of horror.

  Chuck and Chance backed slowly away.

  The spider that crawled down the side of the camel was the size of a plate—easily fifteen centimetres across. The pale legs were attached to a long, dark, segmented body. The head was fiery red, like the head of an ant, but stubbled with coarse hair and ending with a vicious double set of pincers. The creature paused on the matted hairy hide, legs quivering and dark body pulsing slightly.

  Then another one climbed out after it, and scuttled across the camel’s body before dropping to the sand just metres away from Jade and the others.

  “Remind me,” said Chuck quietly, “do we stand absolutely still, or do we run like hell?”

  “Who are you asking?” replied Rich. “And what makes you think any of us know?”

  “John?” Chuck asked Chance.

  “Not a clue.”

  “Reckon we should run then,” said Kate, still backing slowly away. “I mean, how fast can a spider go?”

  Kate had scarcely finished speaking when the nearest spider jumped. Its whole body tensed, then the legs snapped out and the creature was flying towards Jade.

  Even though she was two metres away, the spider hurtled straight at her. Jade gave a shriek and lashed out. Her hand connected with the spider, knocking it sideways. The pale-bodied creature crashed down at Jade’s feet. It was almost as big as her shoe—bigger than the hand she had thumped it with.

  Jade didn’t wait, just turned and ran, her feet sticking and sliding in the sand. The spider was following her, tracking Jade’s shadow across the valley, keeping up with her.

  Behind Jade, the others were running too. The second spider was a dark shape gaining on Chuck and Kate. Rich and Chance were climbing up the steep valley side.

  Jade dodged suddenly sideways, but the spider changed direction too. It wasn’t gaining on her, but it was keeping pace. She glanced down, saw the pincers working, and ran faster. The spider stayed with her. It was playing with her—it could catch her whenever it wanted.

  So Jade stopped, and kicked out. The spider darted aside, and she missed. Then it came at her again. Another leap and Jade barely ducked out of the way in time. She could see Kate and Chuck were climbing the bank. Maybe the spider couldn’t cope with the slope. Jade staggered up the steep incline. Each step she took, she slipped back down with cascades of sand. She kicked at the valley wall, sending an avalanche down over the spider— burying it.

  But moments later, sharp pincers emerged from the sand as the creature burrowed out and came after her again.

  Jade reached the top, too exhausted to go on. Her legs buckled under her and she slumped to the ground. Her cheek was pressed to the burning sand. The spider was scuttling rapidly towards her, pincers clicking hungrily.

  It halted just centimetres away, head swaying slightly as if watching her. At the same moment, a shadow fell across Jade. The heat and glare of the sun were blotted out by a figure.

  All around, along the top of the sand dune, dozens of figures were rising up. Their robes were tattered and faded, their dark faces weathered by years in the desert. The man standing over Jade raised a rifle, holding it in one hand. The spider quivered in anticipation and the man let out an angry roar, then brought the gun slamming down towards Jade’s head.

  14

  There was a sickening crunch as the spider was crushed beneath the butt of the gun. The man reached down with his other hand and helped Jade to her feet.

  He barely spared her a glance. The man was looking over her shoulder, and his face split into a massive grin.

  “English!” he exclaimed.

  Jade watched in amazement as the man stepped forward and dragged her dad into an enormous hug.

  “We meet again, English,” the man said, shaking with laughter. “It has been a long time, but now you have come for your camel, no?”

  Picking up on his cue, the other figures also began to laugh. Soon the desert echoed with the sound of their mirth.

  “You speak their language?” asked Chuck.

  Chance shrugged. “Enough to get by. Kassim’s English is good enough for us to understand each other.”

  “And you really have a camel?” asked Rich.

  “Well, sort of. I did these guys a favour a while back. They gave me a camel as a thank you and I said they could look after it for me till I came back.” He frowned. “I just hope they don’t expect me to take it with me when we go.”

  Jade was sipping from a small leather bag filled with water. “Our own camel could be useful.”

  Kassim arrived in time to hear this, and he laughed again. “Only you English would be brave enough to come into the desert without water or a camel.”

  “Americans—” Kate started to say, but Chance gestured to her to be quiet.

  “Americans?” Kassim spat on his hand. “Only Americans would be foolish enough.” He glared suspiciously at Kate. “Are you brave or foolish?”

  “Brave,” she said quickly. “Always brave.”

  “Except when there are spiders about,” said Chuck quietly.

  But Kassim heard him. “Camel spiders are no danger.”

  “Camel spiders?” said Jade. “Is that what they were?”

  “Some call the
m desert spiders, or wind scorpions. They usually hunt at night. Insects, birds—even real scorpions are their prey. They crush scorpions so fast they cannot sting.”

  Jade grimaced, but Kassim laughed again.

  “They do not attack us. Not usually, not unless they are frightened. They have no poison, but they can bite. Very nasty bite.”

  “So why was that one chasing me?” Jade demanded.

  Kassim rattled off an explanation in his own language, then shrugged apologetically.

  “I think he said they lie in wait for insects and birds close to dead camels. The reason they were chasing us is that they like the shade,” Chance explained. “That spider wasn’t actually interested in you, Jade. He just wanted to stay cool. He was chasing your shadow.”

  “And you killed it?” Jade accused.

  Kassim’s eyes widened in surprise. “Next one we find, I catch it for you as a pet,” he said. Then he turned to Chance. “Now, since we are speaking of pets, I have your camel still. You can have him if you wish, or I can make a trade with you.”

  “You want to buy my camel back?” said Chance, amused.

  “I think a deal would suit us both. We are very civilised people now. We speak English, we have modern equipment.” Kassim gave another gap-toothed grin. “You give me back the camel, and I will let you use our radio. Deal?”

  Chance didn’t need to check with the others. He nodded. “Deal.”

  The expert at the British Museum was called Julius and he was younger than Jade had expected. For some reason she’d thought that someone who knew all about ancient artefacts and antiquities would be old. In fact, he looked about the same age as her dad.

  The journey back had been swift. Ardman might not have been able to arrange another helicopter to get them out of the desert quickly, but Chuck’s colleagues in Washington had. Jade and her brother and father had said goodbye to Chuck and Kate when they reached Kuwait. It was a parting tinged with sadness as they remembered the Americans’ colleagues who would not return. But Jade was also happy and relieved to be safe and well and back with her family. She and Rich slept for most of the flight back to Heathrow—which was just as well, since a car was waiting at the arrivals terminal to whisk them straight to the British Museum.