Without knowing who was still alive inside the LC-130, Hammet thought it best not to return fire. He pushed Ethan back, then scooted around the back of the Sno-Cat. It too was pummeled with gunfire.
They were pinned down.
Chapter 26
Zahra
The fight was everywhere, and Zahra had yet to do anything to help her people. Her position beneath the Skibird made it all but impossible, especially since she wasn’t armed with anything except her grappling hook.
A bong echoed above her. It was immediately followed by a sound like a log rolling off the back of a flatbed truck. Both noises were followed by a body falling from the sky. She readied her open hook to use as a melee device but quickly recognized the blonde hair of the person who had landed exactly as she had.
“Yana!” she yelled.
The Russian lifted her rifle while still on her back. She wheezed, trying to breathe. The landing had forced the air from her lungs. It was a terrifying feeling. Zahra duck-ran over to her and was surprised to have the weapon shoved into her arms. Zahra didn’t question it. She shouldered the AK and protected Yana until the woman could catch her breath. Bullets impacted the ground right next to them both.
Zahra grabbed Yana’s wrist and dragged her farther beneath the plane. They hunkered down next to the massive right rear ski, keeping out of sight of anyone else. Yana let out a single long exhalation, then held out her hand. Zahra returned the rifle to her, continuing to eye the side of the ramp where the last attack had come from.
“There are four left,” Yana reported, eyeing the same place as Zahra.
“You killed the other four already?”
Yana shook her head. “No, only three. One of them was killed by your future ex-husband.”
“Excuse me?”
The Russian grinned. “I’ve seen the way you two have interacted with one another. It is very obvious… and a bit annoying.” She snapped her aim over to the other side of the ramp. “You should stop.”
Zahra didn’t know what to say. She didn’t have time, either.
A bullet pinged off their landing ski, sending both women reeling back. Blind gunfire originated from up above. The only part of the shooter that could be seen besides the rifle, were the guy’s hands. Yana didn’t seem to care. She sent a flurry of bullets that way, successfully getting the mercenary to pull his hands back up.
“We need to move,” Zahra said.
“Agreed, but where?”
Zahra looked north, out over the nothingness. “Out and around. We flank them.”
“But there are two of them, and I am running low on bullets.”
Zahra smiled. “Trust me.”
Yana didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t have anything better to suggest. They ducked around the front of the ski and out into the open air. The wind blasted them. That’s what Zahra was banking on. The shooters would also be assaulted by it, but to their faces.
“Keep your back to the wind and take your shot. With any luck, they’ll think we’re still under the plane.”
Yana nodded and aimed down the sights of her rifle. “I’m going to be very upset if you get me killed.”
Zahra slipped around to the back of Yana and used her own body to block as much of the wind as she could. The pair sidestepped in time with one another, away from the aircraft, moving in a long, sweeping arc. When they were at a forty-five-degree angle from the rear of the plane, one gunman leaned out to send another volley of rounds beneath the plane.
Yana quickly shot the man where his collarbones met. A second shot, this one to his shoulder, sent him spinning to the ramp.
“Go!” Zahra shouted, pushing Yana forward. They needed to get back into cover before the other man discovered their location.
He stepped out of cover above them, lined up the running, stumbling women, and was shot in the side of the head from somewhere out of sight.
Zahra and Yana skidded to a halt as an injured Kyle Ford stepped into view. He waved them forward. They didn’t need to be told twice. They hauled ass back to the ramp and rolled atop it while Kyle sent cover fire back toward the men guarding the snowmobiles.
Hammet appeared around the front of the second Sno-Cat and laid down additional cover fire. Hammet and an unarmed Ethan hustled up the ramp and collapsed to the floor once inside. Zahra knelt beside them and looked over the pair. Both men were unharmed.
Twin engines started up. Zahra clambered to her feet and peeked outside in time to watch two of the four snowmobiles take off to the south.
“They’re running.”
“Thank God,” Ethan said, panting like a dog.
“We need to pursue them,” Hammet said. “We need to see where they came from.”
Kyle knelt next to Ethan. “Get ahold of Palmer. Tell them what happened. Look for survivors, too.”
Ethan nodded, stood, and hurried away. He disappeared around the parked Sno-Cat and headed for the forward section of the LC-130. Zahra, Yana, and Hammet searched the dead mercs and geared up. They unbuckled war belts and holsters and even donned body armor beneath their coats. The latter step was done away from the cold inside the cab of the hulking Sno-Cat.
The three operatives each now sported AK variants, pistols, and extra magazines.
Yana eyed Kyle. “Antarctic Treaty be damned, yes?”
Kyle looked outside. “Yep. Antarctic Treaty be damned.”
Ethan sauntered back to them. “We got nothing. Bastards shot up the control console. We’re grounded and quiet.”
“Shit,” Kyle hissed. “Any survivors?”
“Two, but they’re in pretty bad shape.”
Kyle stepped away to collect himself, then turned to Ethan. “Get the second Sno-Cat fueled up — the reserve tank too.” He switched his focus to Zahra. “Take your team out there and get us some answers. We’ll stay behind and tend to the wounded and try to hail Palmer with our sat phones.”
“You sure?” she asked.
He nodded. “Yeah. It’s my plane. These…” He met eyes with Ethan. “These were our people.”
In total, five individuals had been murdered. The two wounded members of the science team were barely hanging on. Even if Kyle connected with Palmer Station, Zahra doubted they’d get here in time to do much of anything besides transport the dead.
Hammet placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find them.”
“Damn straight we will,” Yana added.
“We need one alive,” Kyle quickly added. “We can’t question a corpse. Take no unnecessary risks. This place will kill you in a heartbeat.”
Yana sneered and pointed at the nearest mercenary. “So will they.”
“Yana, he’s right,” Zahra said. “We need answers.” She held out her hand to Kyle. “Stay safe.”
Kyle shook it. “With any luck, we’ll be along shortly to lend a hand.”
“You’re going to join us out there?” Hammet asked.
Kyle stood tall. “I want these people to pay. And once the men back at Palmer hear about this, so will they. You form a deep bond with people stationed in isolated places like this.”
“Quite right,” Hammet said.
He had a faraway look on his face. Zahra wondered what was going through his mind. She recalled that Hammet had been trained for cold weather encounters.
Maybe the soldiers he trained with?
Kyle tipped his chin toward the open ramp. “Happy hunting, you three.”
“Finally, some fun.” Yana’s words came out a little too excitedly.
Zahra stared at her. “You need help, you know that, right?”
Chapter 27
Zahra
It took them fifteen minutes to finish gathering supplies and refuel the Sno-Cat. Everyone did their part to move things along quickly. The freezing temperature gave each person involved extra incentive to do the job as fast as possible.