“I’m afraid not, Cait. I talked to Saleem a few days ago at Georgetown,” Hawkins said.
“How is it that you escaped the attack?” Amir said.
Hawkins explained that they’d been underwater looking at a possible mine entrance and then told of the run-in with the dive team.
“My men said they heard an explosion,” Amir said.
“We used the dead diver’s body and made an improvised floating mine before the divers could make a second try at us.”
“I’ll bet that isn’t in the SEAL bag of tricks,” Abby said.
“Yeah, but it’s in Calvin’s bag,” Hawkins said like a proud father.
“I had the C-4, but Hawk was the one who figured out how to use it,” Calvin said. “Dumb luck.”
“We won’t be as lucky if the choppers come in while we’re out here like sitting ducks,” Hawkins said.
The sheik ordered his men to help lift the AUV onto the desert vehicle. Then they tied their dive gear onto the side carriers. Amir and the women and two guards got in the touring car. The other guards followed in the Russian jeep. Hawkins and Calvin brought up the rear in the desert vehicle.
They dashed through the countryside at a breakneck pace, prompting Calvin to say, “These guys are running as if the hounds of hell are after them.”
Hawkins, who was behind the wheel, glanced in the rear-view mirror and let out an oath.
“What’s wrong?” Calvin said.
“Those hounds of hell you just mentioned?”
“Yeah?”
Hawkins jerked his thumb at the black speck in the sky behind them.
“Hope you brought some dog biscuits.”
He squeezed a few more miles of speed out of the desert vehicle’s engine, knowing even as he did so, that there would be no escape from the helicopter closing in for the kill like a fierce-eyed Valkyrie.
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
When Marzak regained consciousness, Professor Saleem was bending over him. Sledge hammers pounded against the inside of his skull.
The professor spread Marzak’s eyelids open wide with his fingers. “Do you know your name?”
Marzak slapped the arm away.
“Don’t be a fool!”
“I have some first aid training and was checking for signs of dilation, which would indicate a serious condition. My guess is that it is only a concussion; although your nose may be broken. There’s lots of blood.”
Marzak pushed himself up to a standing position.
“Wonderful.” Marzak said, spreading his mouth in a grin that looked ghastly against the drying blood that streaked his upper lip. “Simply wonderful. You can send me the bill for your insightful diagnosis.”
The mercenaries stood around awaiting orders, but he only gave them a glance and staggered to the edge of the cliff. Three bodies floated in the bloodied waters a few yards from shore. He couldn’t believe it! Hawkins had wiped out his entire dive team.
He scanned the lake surface further from shore. Nothing. Hawkins could have swum further out, but it was doubtful he would have had the strength or the air supply to reach the far side. Marzak guessed that Hawkins was swimming parallel to the shore, looking for a safe spot to come out onto land.
He whirled around and shouted at the mercenaries to spread out along the bluff. Then he strode over to the pile of hand grenades and clipped them onto his belt. He walked along the lake and lobbed the grenades in, one-by-one, creating a line of foamy explosions. He quickly exhausted his supply of grenades, and paced up and down the shoreline, exhorting the mercenaries to keep a sharp eye out, promising a reward to the first man to report seeing a diver, dead or alive.
After a while it became clear that the reward would go unclaimed and he ordered the mercenaries to get back into the helicopter.
The professor confronted Marzak at the door of the aircraft. “What are you going to do about the treasure?”
“You saw for yourself, the dive team is no more. Kaput! We will now proceed to the next stage of our mission, the destruction of the village. Unless you want to walk home, I suggest you get into the helicopter.”
A few moments later, the helicopter was rising into the air. The Cobras were taking on fuel and ammunition on the other side of the camel’s back. Marzak had the pilot radio the gunships to get in the air for an attack.
While he waited to rendezvous with the Cobras, he directed the Blackhawk pilot to fly over the lake on the off-chance that his prey had actually attempted the crossing. There was no sign of anyone in the water, but at five hundred feet altitude, they had a clear view of the entire lake.
The pilot pointed at the dust cloud being kicked up on the far side of the lake and Marzak told him to check it out. As the helicopter sped across the lake, Marzak leaned out the window. In his excitement, he no longer felt the throbbing pain from the ugly bruise in his forehead and the smashed bridge of his nose.
Seconds later they caught up with the three vehicles. He had the helicopter circle around the convoy and saw the open car with two women in it, leading the way. Some of the men in the jeep raised their guns and were trying to get a bead on the helicopter.
As the helicopter banked out of range, the driver of the last vehicle looked up. Marzak recognized the tanned features immediately. Hawkins had somehow made it to safety. He ordered the pilot and mercenaries to prepare for a strafing run.
The helicopter circled around and followed the line of vehicles.
“It’s Hawkins and another man,” Marzak said to the professor. “They’re wearing dive suits. Somehow they swam across the lake.” He laughed. “It’s too bad we have to spoil their day at the beach.”
“Wait,” Saleem said.
“No need. We can take care of Hawkins without the help of the gunships.”
“No!” the professor said. “We need them both alive.”
The smile froze on Marzak’s lips. “Alive? What are you talking about?”
“Our dive team is dead. We need experienced divers to look for the treasure.”
The helicopter had made its turn and was coming in at a low angle, running a parallel course that would allow the mercenaries to unleash a deadly fusillade from the doors and window.
Marzak glared at Saleem. “I know Hawkins. He’s not going to dive for you,” he said with unveiled contempt.
“He might if there was enough at stake. I want them alive for now. Or I’m calling this mission off.”
The professor’s insistent voice and hard-eyed expression told Marzak that there was no room for debate. He watched the vehicles recede to pinpoints in the distance and called on almost superhuman willpower to issue his next order.
“Lower your guns,” he said.
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
Amir’s village was in complete chaos.
The Cadillac braked to a stop just inside the gate, unable to proceed further in the traffic gridlock. Hawkins got out of the desert vehicle and strode over to the touring car.
“What’s going on?” he said.
“I gave orders for women and children to move to safety,” Amir said. “I assumed that the evacuation would be well under way. This is insanity. I will take care of it.”
Amir rose from his seat and in a booming voice issued a series of angry commands. All commotion ceased and every eye fell on the sheik before the people once again sprang into action. Within minutes, the traffic had parted just enough for the caravan to continue to Amir’s compound. His daughter Nagia stood on the veranda with his granddaughter Yasmeen. Nagia was trying to herd the aged cook and housekeeper into a khaki-colored Land Rover.
Nagia’s expression of angry frustration changed to relief when she saw the procession drive up to the house. Amir and Nagia had an exchange in Pashto, and then he gave her a quick embrace, picked up the little girl and handed her to his daughter, who had gotten into the vehicle. He told one of his men to drive the Land Rover. As the vehicle left the compound he came back to the jeep.