“See you on the other end.”
Katiya backed up to the precipice, holding on to the first knot. Once her feet were positioned, she looked back at him, smiled, and lifted her thumb.
Zane spoke into the radio. “Nine headed your way.”
“Copy that.”
Before backing down, Katiya turned her head slightly, as though trying to look down the incline.
“Hey, hey. What did I tell you?”
Katiya looked at him and rolled her eyes. “Okay, okay.”
As the anthropologist backed into the fog, Zane couldn’t help but notice how cute she was in her formfitting gray leggings and boots. Even without makeup and with her hair in a ponytail, she was the picture of feminine beauty.
His thoughts reverted back to what had taken place just moments before. That should clear up any doubts he’d had before about her level of interest. The positioning of her face only an inch or two away from his. The hard stare. The flirtatious comments. He was just glad Eagle Eye Brett was already down at the bottom.
But one question remained — was he truly interested? The first and obvious answer was “yes,” although there couldn’t be a worse time to embark on a new romance. He was responsible for the mission’s success, as well as getting everyone back safe and alive. If there was something between them, it would have to simmer until they got back. And if it didn’t continue to simmer, then there likely hadn’t been anything there to begin with.
Zane knew that Claire, his last serious relationship, hadn’t completely vacated his heart. He’d said many times that when some ships sailed away they never returned to port, but in her case, he never could figure out if that was true. Despite the faulty logistics of their previous relationship, he found it hard to picture a better match for him than his former lover.
Then again, Katiya had everything Claire had, and perhaps even more. He could envision the two of them settling down into something permanent. They hadn’t even been out on one date and yet he knew there would be a deep connection.
But Zane did make one promise to himself, and that was to try to keep a lid on the flirtation until the operation was over. Not only did he need to stay focused on their objective, but he also needed everyone else to have faith in his ability to lead. People weren’t dumb, and giving them hints that something was between them would be disastrous. All that said, he knew that suppressing the feelings completely would be virtually impossible. He was a man, after all. And when she’d looked into his eyes earlier, it was as though he’d been hit with a jolt of electricity.
Shaking off his thoughts, he looked down. Time to get back to work. The primary line was taut, while the safety line continued to unwind and slither over the edge. Everything appeared to be running smoothly.
Bennett’s voice broke the silence a few minutes later. “Nine has arrived safe and sound. Come on down, Ten.”
“Roger that.”
After pulling the safety line back up, Zane lifted his pack and slung it over his shoulders. He placed the radio in his left pocket and put on his gloves. He had done quite a bit of climbing in the mountains of North Carolina, so easing down a knotted rope should be child’s play.
He looped the safety line around his waist, tied it off, then looked around the area one last time to make sure they hadn’t left anything behind. Seeing nothing, he backed up to the edge and began his descent.
He had only taken two steps down when he heard shuffling in the forest nearby. Was it an animal? The trees were teeming with monkeys, but this sound seemed too low to the ground. And, unless he was mistaken, had emanated from somewhere around the tree where the lines were tied off. He squinted but saw no movement.
He was about to resume when he heard it again. It was soft, as though someone or something was trying not to be heard.
Zane carefully pulled the Glock from his pocket and waited. A couple of times he thought he saw something move but then realized it was a shadow. Two minutes passed, and the only sound was a family of monkeys making their way through the canopy about a quarter mile away.
Zane knew he couldn’t wait forever. In fact, if someone was out there, it would be foolish to remain here, exposed on the rim.
After pocketing his gun, he backed down into the fog.
CHAPTER THIRTY
After descending about twenty feet, Zane realized it was going to be even easier than he had expected. The rim face was sloped, meaning all he had to do was hang on tightly and walk backwards. He doubted it would take him more than a few minutes to reach the bottom.
His greater concern was the noise he’d heard at the top. Should he have cleared the area first? In the end, he felt as though he’d done the right thing. There were so many sounds in the jungle that you’d never get anywhere if you followed up on each one. Besides, if anyone tampered with the lines, he already had a backup plan — he’d grab the rocky slope and climb down. It was slippery and would likely take time, but he had no doubt he could do it.
Zane soon began to notice more plants. Mounds of moss covered large patches of rock, and tiny plants seemed to spring out of every millimeter of soil. The downside was that the moist flora made it more difficult to step firmly, so he slowed his pace, making sure his foot was firmly in place with each step before pushing off again.
Suddenly, he felt a twitch in the climb line. Was it just the rope sliding into a new rut somewhere at the rim or had someone touched it? The movement had been subtle but distinct. Continuing to hold the line with his left hand, he reached into his pocket with the other and pulled out his flashlight. Perhaps he was still close enough to see if someone was standing at the rim. He turned it on, but the beam simply bounced off the fog.
What now? If someone was tampering with the rope, then it would be folly to try to make it back up to the top. The farther back up he went, the farther he’d fall if something happened. So far, he’d only felt a slight twitch, not yet reason enough to transition to a manual climb.
After pondering his options, he decided to do the only thing that made sense. Returning the flashlight to his pocket, he backed down with as much speed as possible. He began to move so quickly that he bounced off the rock with each step.
Bennett’s voice rose out of the darkness below. “You’re almost home.”
The safety line grew taut, indicating he’d made it to the point at which it needed to be removed. He was almost there.
Two flashlights clicked on, illuminating Zane from below. Taking advantage of the light, he pulled himself up a bit in order to give the line some slack, then he reached down and untied the line.
It happened just seconds later: Zane felt movement in the climbing rope, but before he could react, it was cut loose. He fell, spinning out of control as he went down. He made impact on his side, his shoulder and head landing flush against a boulder. He rolled several times before finally coming to rest on the crater floor.
Pain shot through his body. His shoulder felt as though someone had hit it with a sledgehammer, and his head hurt so badly that he wondered if he’d cracked his skull.
A flashlight bounced toward him. Then legs appeared at his side. “What happened?” It was Bennett.
“The line… someone cut the line,” Zane muttered painfully through clenched teeth.
“Someone what?”
Zane pushed himself up into a sitting position. “We need to get back in the trees.”
Katiya appeared and knelt down next to him. She reached out and pushed his face gently to one side. “You don’t need to go anywhere. You’re bruised pretty badly.”
“Let’s take a look.” Bennett knelt and used a finger to press against his jaw.