Bruno was already at the Jeeps and was clambering into one of them with the sword. When he reached the safety of the vehicles, Kruger looked back and then leaning on the hood he aimed his hunting rifle and took a few more pot shots.
Hawke and the others scrambled for cover. Even if they’d had their handguns they would have been like peashooters compared with the South African’s high-powered hunting rifle and they had no chance against him. The attack came to an end and they peered down to see Kruger had leaned his rifle against the Jeep and was now screaming at someone on his phone.
“Looks like something hasn’t gone to plan,” Kim said.
Lea sighed. “By the time we get down there they’ll be long gone.”
“Horsecrap,” Scarlet said. “We can still get them if we get back to the Highlander, plus we’ve got more guns there as well. How far are they going to get on these roads?”
They sprinted along the ridge of the caldera and then down the southern slope, past where they had slept the night before. Rounding the side of a low rise, their Highlander was still parked up on the side of the track. They jumped in and Hawke stamped on the throttle, hammering the hybrid SUV up the side of the mountain.
“What the hell are you doing?” Ryan yelled, pointing in the opposite direction. “The road is that way!”
“We’re not going on the road.”
“What?” Kim said.
“We’re going over the top of that ridge and then down the other side,” Hawke said. “It’s the only way we’re going to catch up with Kruger.”
Devlin laughed. “And you say I’m the one who’s crazy!”
Lea gasped. “But it’s almost a vertical drop the other side, Joe!”
“They’re weren’t kidding when they said whoever sleeps on this mountain either ends up a madman or a poet,” Scarlet said. “And you’re no poet, darling.”
Hawke slammed the Toyota down into third, sighed and struck the tone of a disappointed father. “Didn’t any of you survey the terrain on the way up?”
“Well…” Devlin said.
“Christ,” Hawke said. “What about you, SAS?”
“I was too busy filing my nails,” Scarlet purred.
“If you had you would have seen that to the west of the caldera the mountain begins to recede into a more gradual incline. If we drive along the ridge for a few hundred meters we can turn north and drive down one of the shallower slopes. We’ll save fifteen minutes.”
Suitably chastened, the team sat in silence while the former SBS man moved down the through the gears and pushed the powerful SUV up the steep southern slope. After some slipping and sliding around on mud and rogue patches of scree, he made the ridge and they were met by a breathtaking view of Dolgellau and the Mawddach River valley stretching away to the west.
“Anyone see Kruger’s jeeps yet?” Kim said.
“Not yet,” said Lea.
Hawke change gear. “We need to get further along.”
He navigated the Highlander along the ridge of the mountain, but a few minutes into their journey a low rumbling sound started to come from the back of the SUV.
“You hear that?” Kim said.
Hawke checked the rear view. “I hear it.”
“What is it?” Ryan asked.
“Is it something wrong with the SUV?” Kim asked.
Reaper shook his head. “It’s a chopper.”
Devlin turned and looked over his shoulder. “Nothing this side.”
“I see it,” Kim said. “But don’t ask me what it is. They all look the same to me.”
Reaper leaned over her and stared into the sky. The wrinkles around his eyes creased up as he squinted into the sun. “Sikorsky Super Stallion.”
Hawke glanced over his shoulder to Reaper. “A Super Sta… what the hell?”
“What’s one of those?” Kim asked.
“It’s usually a military chopper. Heavy cargo lifter.”
“Not the sort of hardware you’d think Kruger would pack on his vacation then?” Kim said.
“No,” Hawke said with a scowl. “It has kevlar armor plating and the engines are so powerful it can fly nearly two hundred miles per hour despite its colossal size and weight. I’m starting to think Dirk Kruger has a very powerful employer.”
“I guess now we know what Kruger was so miffed about back in the field,” Scarlet said. “He was expecting the chopper to be there when he came off the mountain.”
“So we’re in trouble?” Kim asked.
“Oui,” Reaper said, but with his usual air of nonchalant indifference. “The Super Stallion has window-mounted fifty cal machine guns and a Gau-21 machine gun on the cargo ramp, and looking at this one…” he leand over Kim again and looked up. “Oui… c’est exactement ce que je pensais… il y a — sorry — there are some missiles on this bird also.”
“What you seeing, Reap?” Scarlet said.
“Maybe Stingers, mais…”
“Looks like we’re about to find out, friends,” Devlin said. “She’s moved over to my side and she’s coming down. Looks like she means business.”
The Stallion swooped down behind the Highlander as they raced along the ridge of the mountain. Hawke dropped down from fourth to third to increase torque but even over the chunky roar of the Highlander’s 3.3 litre V6 the cab of the SUV was now filled with the chilling growl of the Super Stallion’s General Electric three free-turbine turboshaft engines.
“Anyone still see Krugs?” Ryan said.
“Krugs?” Scarlet said.
“It’s my new name for him.”
“He’s past the town and heading out to the fields beside the river over there. Looks like a rendez-vous to meet the chopper after we’ve been dealt with.”
“They’re firing!” Scarlet yelled.
Hawke said nothing, but spun the wheel hard to the right and sent the Highander swerving down the slope. The Stinger screeched past them at the head of a grim, billowing smoke trail. Lea watched with fear as the missile ripped into the ridge and exploded in a massive fireball, blasting chunks of mud and rock in all directions. One fist-sized rock slammed into the Highlander’s windshield and left a thick spider-web fracture in the middle of the glass.
Lea gasped and shielded her eyes.
Hawke turned his head but kept his eyes on the slope. The slope’s incline was too steep here and was sucking them down into the valley again. He doubted he could keep them safe if the SUV started to head straight down the slope. As they gathered speed he would be unable to brake or turn without flipping them over. That would make them easier for the Stallion to hunt, so he made the decision to turn the Highlander to the left and head back up to the ridge.
He slammed down into third again and the engine roared. “Some cover fire would be nice.”
“You think this Glock is going to take down a Super Stallion?” Scarlet said.
“I think the pilot is human and your firing on him will force a reaction.”
Scarlet sighed and pushed down her window. She pulled the gun from her holster and climbed out of the rear window of the SUV until her entire upper body was outside and the wind was whipping her hair across her face. She cursed Hawke and started to fire at the cargo chopper.
Reaper pushed down Kim’s window and followed suit, firing his weapon up at the chopper. Kim jumped and lifted her hands to her hears as the Frenchman discharged the firearm right next to her face.
Hawke was right, and the Super Stallion took evasive action, flying up and to the left. Swinging out over the valley now it went full circle and prepared to make another run on the Highlander.