Payback

81

Dean closed his eyes as the floatplane pitched toward the blacktop, its wings fluttering up and down. The aircraft seemed to be having second thoughts — its nose pitched up as the ground came closer. The trees were so close on either side that when Dean opened his eyes for a last-second peek all he saw was green.

The motor roared. Sure that the pilot had pulled off at the last possible second, Dean braced himself. Finally he opened his eyes and realized they were stopping.

“This space ahead is more open,” said the pilot. “I need it to take off. I don’t like feeling hemmed in when I leave a place. Landing is one thing, but to take off — a bird needs an open sky.”

Dean was not about to argue with him. He reached into his pocket and took out the agreed-to five hundred-dollar bills — and then added five more, along with some sols.

“This will cover whatever other expenses you have,” he said, holding the money out. His other hand gripped one of his pistols. “And buy silence.”

“Silence is a very necessary quality in my profession,” said the pilot, taking the bills as the plane halted, straining against its brakes.

Dean grabbed his gear and jumped out, running to the nearby field. The aircraft began to move instantly, and by the time he reached the field it was roaring up the road. The airplane pulled up easily, banking off to the east.

Dean trotted parallel to the road a few hundred feet, then zigged farther into the field, angling toward a high spot he could use to survey the area. The relatively flat parcel had been used until recently as a farm field; he passed an old iron plow overgrown in the weeds.

“How we doing, Charlie?” asked Rockman as Dean stopped to get his bearings.

“I’m fine. Yourself?”

“Bit of a cold. I’m going to take you from here. Sandy’s staying with Tommy.”

“How’s Lia?”

“Still in the compound, but she’s setting up something to slip away.”

“Tell her to hold on.”

“I’ve only said that five hundred times. The first landing site we need you to look at is two miles due north of where you are. Parallel the road for a mile; then we’ll tell you where to turn. We have a U-2 overhead, but we want you to double-check the jungle perimeter. Lia thinks there are mines near the village. The trees that show the safe path are marked with a notch. See if there’s anything like that near the landing site.”

“All right. I know the drill.”

Dean checked his weapons, bent to retie his shoes, then started walking double time in the direction of the guerrilla compound.