Sean noticed several Toyota pickup trucks parked at the back of the loading area. They must have belonged to the workers. He instantly plotted a path around behind all the machinery and supplies.
“We can sneak around behind everyone if we go that way,” he pointed at the course he was considering. “We go through there and wait by those pickup trucks. They must be transportation for the workers.”
“So we’re gonna steal one of their trucks?”
Sean didn’t answer the question directly. “We wait until the last group is leaving, and we steal that one. Then we follow them to wherever they’re going.”
“Yeah, but when we get there — wherever there is — they’ll see us and most likely try to kill us.”
“I didn’t say it was a perfect plan. But it will buy us a little time to figure out what to do next.”
“Fair enough. Let’s do it.”
21
Tommy and Sean peeked out from under their hiding place. They’d managed to sneak around to the pickup trucks without being seen. That part of the plan was easier than expected. What they didn’t consider was where to hide once they’d made it to the trucks.
The answer presented itself when Sean looked into one of the truck beds. There was a canvas tarp in the back along with a few tools and rags.
The two Americans climbed over the tailgate and hid under the tarp, keeping their weapons ready as they looked out at the workers as they finished loading the last transport.
“What are we going to do if they look in here?” Tommy hissed.
“I guess we’ll have to shoot our way out.”
“Kind of an awkward position to carry out an attack like that, don’t you think?”
Sean cast a sarcastic glance over at his friend. “Look on the bright side. We’ll have the element of surprise. No way they’ll expect to find a couple of guys with guns in the bed of their truck.” He noticed several of the workers and the gunmen heading their way. “Get down. Showtime.”
Tommy did as told and tucked back under the cover. He mouthed, “Showtime? Really?”
Sean mouthed a silent retort. “Shut up.”
Tommy’s lips creased as they heard the men’s voices getting closer. Then they heard the truck doors opening. One of the men barked out some orders to someone else.
“Farsi?” Tommy asked by moving his lips but keeping quiet.
Sean acknowledged with a single nod. Farsi wasn’t something Tanzanians typically spoke. Not that he knew of, at least.
The engine revved to life along with the others. The sounds of the vehicles shifting into gear came next, and then suddenly the truck lurched forward.
The Americans didn’t dare say a word, but they both looked at each other as if to say, “Here we go.”
The convoy made its way down the tunnel and out of the mountain. When they passed through the entrance, the darkness under the tarp brightened significantly. The truck reached the first turn on the winding road and swung around sharply. Tommy nearly rolled on top of Sean, who braced his friend with a quick hand to the chest.
Sean fired his friend warning glare that suggested he brace himself a little better.
At the top of the climb, the truck straightened out for a moment before the two hidden occupants felt it tilt downward to begin its descent on the other side of the mountain.
Once the truck reached flat land below, it made a right turn and picked up speed. The ride was much smoother and quieter, signaling they’d turned onto a paved road. The tarp flapped louder as the truck drove faster.
“How long we gonna sit back here?” Tommy asked. He was fairly certain the men in the truck couldn’t hear him, but just in case, he kept his voice as low as possible.
“We aren’t,” Sean said.
“What do you mean, we aren’t? Let’s just sit back here and wait ’til we get to wherever we’re going. Then we can climb out, sneak around, and call in the cavalry.”
“Yeah, unless this truck isn’t going where all the transport trucks are going. We may already be going the wrong way.”
Tommy hadn’t considered that. “Then what do we do? Hijack a speeding pickup?”
“Something like that.”
Before Tommy could protest further, Sean peeked out from under the tarp. It was impossible from his angle to see if they were still with the other vehicles. If he stood up any more, he’d be in full view of the driver and anyone else in the cab.
“Wait,” Tommy said, but it was too late.
Sean flung back the tarp and rose to his knees. He pointed his weapon at the truck’s back window and fired a shot into the base of the passenger’s skull. Then turned and did the same to the driver.
For a second, the truck lingered in limbo while the driver’s hands still clung to the wheel. Sean knew that wouldn’t last long. He’d hoped that the truck would slow down, but as luck would have it the driver’s body slumped forward, pressing his foot down harder on the accelerator.
Sean grabbed the side rail to regain his balance and climbed out on top of it. The driver’s weight shifted, and the wheel pulled to the left. That wouldn’t have been a terrible thing if they had reached the plains, but the road out of the mountains ran right next to a deep ravine.
The truck veered left, and Sean instantly recognized the danger. He was only going to get one shot.
He reached into the front window and grabbed underneath with his left hand, bracing himself with the right. Then he swung his weight over the top of the truck and crouched.
The left side of the pickup scraped against a metal railing along the road. Less than two thousand feet ahead, the railing ended.
Sean wrapped his fingers underneath the window and started to lower himself down when he heard several successive gunshots from the road behind.
They hadn’t been the last truck in the convoy after all. A masked gunman was leaning out of the pickup to the rear, emptying his magazine. Firing a weapon from a moving vehicle was difficult, and most of the bullets sailed harmlessly by. Two struck the tailgate, which immediately drew Tommy’s attention.
“Shoot back!” Sean yelled.
Tommy raised his weapon and squeezed the trigger once, twice, three times. The first two shots missed, but he corrected and put the third through one of the headlights.
The other driver hit the brakes momentarily and caused his gunman to lose his balance. The man almost fell out of the window but slapped a hand against the front edge and saved himself.
Sean looked down the road ahead. The other truck was too far in front to see what was happening. And he also realized they’d almost reached the end of the guardrail. With less than a thousand feet to go, he gripped the underside of the window once more, crouched down, and swung through the opening.
His feet hit the passenger in the back, and he landed awkwardly on the driver. He scrambled to regain his balance and grab the wheel, jerking it to the right just before the truck ran off the road and into the ravine.
Tommy tumbled to the other side of the truck and slammed into the side. He didn’t have time to ask his friend what he was doing. More gunshots boomed from the truck behind. He risked a look over the tailgate and saw they were closing fast. Another volley thumped into the tailgate and bumper. Tommy still clutched his weapon and popped up with his back against the rear of the cab. He took aim at the gunman and fired. The round sparked off the roof of the other truck, and again the driver hit the brakes. This time, the other shooter slid back into the cab. Tommy could see he was reloading. Now was his chance. He lined up the driver in his sights and pulled the trigger.
Inside the truck, Sean struggled to get the driver’s body out of the way. He reached over and grabbed the door handle, pulled it, and then shoved the dead man out. The moment he did, the guy’s foot came off the gas pedal, and the truck slowed. Sean maneuvered his legs around and stepped on the accelerator again.