A soft sound reached his ears from the next room down. Static from a radio. His pulse quickened. The American was there.
Lin took two more steps and eased up to the door. Sliding his finger over the trigger, he stepped into the gap. The American was huddled on the other side of the room, his rifle pointed out of the window. Lin congratulated himself. This was too easy.
Despite having the element of surprise, the soldier decided to proceed cautiously. Their mole had warned them that this particular American was not someone to be played with. There would be no taunting, no game of cat and mouse. Lin would kill him then call Zheng. Simple as that.
As Lin began to lift his rifle, he stopped. Something about the man huddled on the other side of the room was odd. His shape seemed off somehow.
Stop second-guessing yourself. Kill him before he kills you.
Lin took a step forward and lifted his rifle, settling his head on top of the stock. Then his blood froze. At the other end of his sights was not a man but a backpack with a rifle balanced on top.
The whole thing had been a setup.
Something moved behind him. Lin turned, but it was too late.
A hard object crashed down on his head, plunging his world into darkness.
CHAPTER FIFTY-THREE
After binding the attacker’s wrists and ankles, Zane dragged him into the room where he’d set up the dummy. He then sat him up against the interior wall and clicked on his flashlight. The man had Asian features and was young, probably in his early twenties.
They’re here.
While Zane had held out hope that they’d lost the Chinese by entering through the tunnel, he certainly wasn’t shocked that they had arrived. He assumed the mole had been able to get a message through to them. That was the only way they could have caught up so quickly, unless there was another way up to the summit. The only silver lining was that it ruled out Corporal Wilson as a suspect.
Zane cursed himself for not doing more to uncover the mole’s identity. He’d tried to justify his inaction by emphasizing the importance of carrying out the mission, but now it had placed the whole group in danger. He should have demanded to see everyone’s electronic devices or at least held things up until Brett could get the satellite phone working again. Now his only choice was to try to get everyone off the mountain as quickly as possible.
He looked down at the soldier again. He was wearing a black body suit. The outer material superficially resembled neoprene, and yet the texture seemed a bit different. Now curious, he unzipped the man’s suit, pulled one flap aside, and shone his flashlight on the lining. It looked like some sort of reflective foil. Of course. A suit made to camouflage body heat. The Americans had the same technology, although Zane had never used it himself.
Zane clenched his jaw. That explained why they could never see anyone trailing them, despite all the signs that it was happening.
Recognizing the need to move quickly, Zane removed the man’s boots and flung them out the window. He did the same with the rifle. He then removed one of the man’s socks and stuffed it into his mouth.
Satisfied that he was now completely disabled, Zane retrieved his radio and spoke in a whisper. “Bennett, do you read?”
A few seconds later, Bennett replied softly, “I’m here.”
Zane had previously asked the others to go radio silent while he investigated the noise. “The Chinese. They’re here.”
There was a long pause. “Copy that. How many?”
Zane crept over to the door and looked in the direction of the stairwell. “Don’t know. I just put one down but haven’t seen any others.”
“Copy that. What do you want us to do?”
Zane thought for a moment then asked, “Brett, are you there?”
Brett checked in, although his voice was still somewhat distorted.
“Let’s all meet at the place where we separated on the edge of town. Then we’ll go down to the clearing and try to establish contact with the others.”
“Roger that,” Bennett said.
“Artur and I can be there in fifteen minutes,” Brett said.
Zane lifted the radio to his mouth. “My guess is that the village is now crawling with Chinese. Make sure you stick to the shadows and watch your back. See you in fifteen.”
Zane turned off the radio without waiting for an answer. After retrieving his pack and rifle, he moved cautiously down the stairwell. Despite being concerned about a possible ambush, he found no one waiting on the first floor. The attacker had obviously been operating alone.
He paused at the exit. Everything seemed clear, so he sprinted across the street. Once on the other side, he crab walked down to a crumbled wall and squatted in its shadow.
As he waited, he thought he heard shuffling a block or two away. He thought of turning around and trying to find another way down to the main street but then realized that would take too long. He needed to take the shortest route possible, even if it meant putting himself in further danger. Besides, the Chinese had likely fanned out, meaning it might be impossible to find a safe route.
While he continued to listen, Zane slung his rifle over his shoulder and pulled out his Glock. He preferred a pistol in close quarters, particularly with the fog limiting visibility.
Hearing nothing, Zane stood and walked carefully down the side of the street. Soon a low-lying wall appeared on his right. He didn’t remember seeing it on the way in. I wonder if that’s where the noise came from. He peered over the top. It looked like some sort of ancient walled garden or park that was now being retaken by the jungle.
His senses on high alert, Zane continued down the wall and entered an area darkened by overhanging limbs. He paused, scanning the heavy fog for any signs of movement. As far as he could see, the street was empty. Whoever had made the noise must be gone now.
As he stood, he heard something directly overhead. Someone was on top of the wall.
He turned just in time to see a shadow coming toward him. He was hit with a force so strong that it knocked him out into the street. As he tumbled, the Glock flew out of his hand and clattered across the ground.
As Zane rose to his knees, he saw a shadow moving toward him. He turned his head slightly then froze. The silhouette of a massive man towered overhead. He had to be well over seven feet, with the girth of a body builder. It might have been the largest man Zane had ever seen.
Before he could react, the giant grabbed his hair and lifted him into the air. The man then used his other hand to punch Zane in the abdomen, knocking him back on the ground. Zane rolled into the fetal position, groaning in pain from the powerful blow.
The man picked him up again, this time grabbing his neck with a meaty paw. Zane was close enough to see the attacker now. He had Asian features, and his squarish face was the size of a cinder block. In fact, it was so wide that it pulled his features apart, giving him a frightening appearance. He looked more cyborg than human.
The man gave Zane a cunning smile then slung him violently back toward the side of the street. Zane flew through an opening in the wall, tumbling across a tangle of tree limbs and vines in the old garden beyond. He rolled to a stop then slowly rose to one knee. Despite the pain, he realized this might be the opportunity he’d been looking for. If the giant had continued to pummel him in the street, it might already be over. The toss had knocked the wind out of him, but it also gave him the chance to regroup.
Heavy footsteps approached through the gap in the wall. As Zane waited for the man to arrive, he thought of how he might turn the tables.
Think, Zane. Think.
The giant’s shadow appeared, coming toward him through the fog.