Brothers in Arms

CHAPTER EIGHT

Mai helped them secure their Zodiac and then led them farther up the beach without a word. For Drake, just the simple act of stepping out of the boat onto solid ground was an indescribable heaven. He stood there a moment, watching Mai stalk away, and just reveled in the luxury.

Romero and Smyth marched past him, shaking their heads and unable to stop smiling. Didn’t matter where they’d ended up so long as they were out of the treacherous seas.

Drake started to walk. Something bothered him. A feeling that had leapt into his heart on seeing Mai. A feeling he shouldn’t have, something so genuine and warm it scared him.

It took a while for Mai to reach her destination, and by then the sunlight had faded and the stars were twinkling on high. A cool breeze swept the beach and whispered through the bordering trees. Mai cut inland a little, leading them to a sheltered glade. Silvery moonlight illuminated the shelter she had crafted from tree branches, leafy plants and her Zodiac boat cover.

“It’s not much,” Mai muttered. “But a girl can only do so much in three hours.”

Drake walked right up to her and held her close. “Thank God,” he whispered, then, “You’ve been sitting there for three hours?”

“Of course not. I came back down to the Zodiac for supplies, saw yours coming in and thought I’d wait and surprise you.”

“Thank God.” Drake said again.

“Like He had anything to do with it.”

“God didn’t train us,” Smyth said irascibly. “The army did.”

Mai set free a tired smile. “He’s got a point.”

“Lighten up,” Drake said, letting the Japanese woman go. “You’ll end up with an ulcer before we’re home, mate.”

“That’s Smyth’s one redeeming quality,” Romero said, amused. “His cheery demeanor.”

Smyth glowered all around.

Drake stared speculatively at the trees. “You taken much of a gander?”

Mai shook her head. “Thought I’d get shelter and rest first. Scout around in the morning.” Her gaze swept the men. “No fires. No noise.”

Smyth snorted. “Goes without saying.” He threw himself down on a patch of ground.

Romero took a minute to shake hands with her. “Thanks for looking out for us.”

Mai nodded.

When the marine had walked away, Drake reiterated his comment. “You couldn’t have known we were out there.”

“I didn’t. But what else was I going to do? Stay shipwrecked alone? I know you. I had hope.”

“Shipwrecked? More like planewrecked. If the Koreans did make the decision to shoot us down like that, then they must be hiding a bloody good secret.”

“Hibiki told us as much in his message.”

“About a secret?” If Mai trusted Hibiki then Drake’s own faith in him was unshakeable.“That’s why we’re here officially, but I would have come just for you.”

“I know our history, Matt.” Mai smiled, her features softening with memory. “Do you realize that we never truly split?”

Drake led her away and sat so their backs were against a clump of thick, thorny shrub. From here they could both survey the clearing whilst their companions slept. “We didn’t?”

“You men, you know nothing,” Mai said wistfully. “A woman. She thinks of everything. She remembers everything. Her life…is rounded. Full.”

“Not everyone has that ability, Mai.” Drake brooded. “Sometimes — we’d rather forget.”

“Perhaps. But drinking an excess of alcohol is not the way.”

“We don’t all have your strength.”

Now Mai regarded him curiously. “But you do. You have so much strength it sets you apart from other men.”

Drake shook his head. “In battle. In war, maybe. My hands are drenched in so much blood it anesthetizes me against the horror of it all. But with my women”—he looked down—“I’m made weak through failure.”

“The two you lost weren’t failures.”

“Three,” Drake whispered, voice choked with pain. “I lost three.”

Mai remained respectfully silent for a minute before continuing. “I’m just saying…it doesn’t have to be over between us.”

“My track record…”

“I’m not going to die,” Mai blurted before taking a second to evaluate their situation and their livelihood. “At least, not in a way that puts the blame on you. I know the risks. I play the percentages every day. People like you and I, Drake, we’re not candles. We don’t flicker and shine and then fade away. We’re fireworks. We explode with brilliance, we blaze, we light up history and legend before quickly being snuffed out forever and probably forgotten. For pity’s sake, take a chance.”

Drake stared at her, taken by the passion in her eyes, the commitment and depth of feeling in her expression. He glanced beyond her, at the darkness that surrounded them and what might lie beyond their insignificant refuge.

“Let me sleep on it. Give you an answer in the morning.”

And Mai responded instantly with a playful slap. “Fuck your damn Dinorock, you dense Yorkshire pudding. Now I know.” Her smile flickered again. “Now I know.”

Drake drifted in and out of sleep for a few hours but was wide awake and energized when first light began to creep across the skies. The four of them checked the Zodiacs, secured them a little tighter, and then set about exploring the island. It didn’t take long. Within a couple of hours, they had traveled the entire coastline and had picked a landmark from which to venture inland. The rolling seas swept in behind them, surging across the sands and trickling in to lap at their feet as if inviting them back for another bout of Survival. They shielded their eyes and stared out to sea every chance they got, but a persistent fog bank hung in the distance, refusing to be burned off. A high mountain rose in the center of the island, its summit cracked and battered. From this angle, it looked like a crumpled paper bag.

“Boy, do I hope we find some food in here,” Romero commented. “All I’m seeing as a source so far is fish.”

“Oh there’ll be bugs in the trees,” Mai said, “insects in the ground. Plenty of protein to go round.”

She set off, leaving Romero and Smyth wondering if she was serious. Drake followed her, not even sure himself. What little path there was wound about so sharply that they had to abandon it and make their own way. High trees, a leafy canopy and a wealth of intertwined branches raised the humidity and blocked their view. Twice, Mai was forced to climb trees to regain their bearings.

On one occasion, she jumped back down and nodded at Romero. “A few birds up there too.”

Smyth sighed at Romero. “We’ve eaten worse, sir. Remember Thailand? Jeez.”

They skirted a lake with high banks and cool, deep water. The far side was taken up by a rushing waterfall, torrents of white water cascading down to destroy the mirror-like surface. Though the lake would provide a good place to wash and its high streams a source of drinking water, none of them paid it a second glance. They’d had their fill of water for now.

A narrow crevice in the land caused a half-hour delay. The bottom was overgrown and treacherous, and the four soldiers were very aware that any kind of injury in this situation could be life threatening. They were careful and took their time, and came at last to the foothills of the mountain.

The slopes were barren. The dark mouths of caves dotted the rocky walls a few hundred feet up.

“Typhoon shelter,” Mai pointed out. She checked the position of the sun. “It’s getting toward midday. We should rest a few hours and then continue.”

“It’s not that hot.” Smyth argued.

“But we’re stopping anyway,” Drake said. Smyth knew dehydration and weariness were substantial dangers. The marine was just playing the bad-boy role. Mai sank to the ground with her back against a stout evergreen and cracked the top of her last bottled water. Drake dropped down beside her.

“The concern is a lack of food,” Drake muttered. “I expected some kind of animal out here.”

“It’s a small island,” Mai said practically. “Besides we’re only half way through the interior.”

He fingered the small handgun, reassuring himself it was still there. “Be nice to eat real meat tonight.”

“We could always roast Smyth.”

“Don’t tempt me.”

Drake studied the tall trees, the green leaves, and the thick vegetation that covered the ground. Forest sights and sounds flittered intermittently past his consciousness; sunlight sparkled and spangled through drifting beams of light.

“There is no immediate shelter near the beach,” Mai said. “Which means we’re going to have to move inland. Maybe even as far as the caves if nothing else arises. Nothing close to the lake offered any chance of shelter.”

“I noticed.”

Mai evened out the correct amount of rations. “Almost out. It’s nearly time to start thinking about snares and such.”

Drake wasn’t so worried about the food. Between them, they were four highly proficient soldiers, trained to the highest levels. They could find food in hell if need be. What troubled him was their next move.

“We aimed north for two days,” he said. “The current was weak. The prevailing winds were favorable. We can’t be far from the Korean shore by my estimate.”

Mai shrugged. “Might as well be a thousand miles.”

“Well we can’t stay here. Every day we do brings us closer to death. Survival is out of the question unless we find the mainland, Mai.”

The Japanese agent stopped chewing and placed her hand on his arm. “Relax. You don’t have to be that Drake. The one who makes it all better. Just sit back and we’ll see where the next hour takes us. And then the next day.”

They journeyed around the mountain and headed back into the forest.