Deep Black

79

Nasir was lead scout.

Benzil was next. He was in a bad way, but we had to place him up there so we could keep an eye on him and go at his pace. He tried his best; Jerry, Salkic and I took it in turns to hitch his arm round our necks to help keep him upright.

Nasir was a totally steady hand. He was an old sweat, doubling back from time to time to mutter an encouraging word.

Benzil would just nod and agree. ‘Yes, yes. Thank you.’

After ten minutes or so, he had to stop again. ‘I’m so sorry, Nick. I’m so sorry.’

‘Don’t worry about it. Just try and keep going the best you can.’

There was a burst of fire in the valley below us as they cabbied at shadows.

Wind buffeted the summit, clawing at my face, cooling my sweat. At least the plastic coat kept it at bay as we started to slip and slide downhill.

The line was starting to get strung out, and not just because of Benzil. Jerry and Salkic were feeling the pace. Nasir was still up front, slowing down at regular intervals for the rest of us to catch up.

The valley gradually took shape before us as first light seeped into the eastern sky, and what I saw was not good news: next to no cover, just mud and stones. There wasn’t even a road.

I stopped and waited for Salkic to draw level with me.

‘We’re going to be fucked out here on open ground.’ I nodded at Nasir. ‘Ask him how far to the cave.’

We were in shit state. My jeans were in shreds; my legs shiny with blood and sweat. Everybody was caked in mud.

Salkic and Jerry were still struggling to keep Benzil upright as we stumbled downhill.

Nasir’s eyes narrowed as he scanned the landscape below us. I could see he was getting worried, and so was I. I didn’t want to use a cave: it was obvious cover, and would probably have only one point of entry and exit. If they followed us, they would check it out for sure. But as I looked around us, I realized that if we couldn’t outrun them, it was probably our only option.

Nasir started gobbing off. Salkic nodded and turned back to me. ‘Not far, near the bottom. I know the cave he is talking about now. My father also fought there.’

This side was much steeper, and we stumbled after Nasir as he picked his way through the mud and rock, trying to find an easy route down. He stopped after another couple of hundred metres and pointed east. I followed the direction of his finger and could just make out a dark shadow on the side of the hill.

A second later, there were two high-velocity cracks above us. I looked up and saw the first of our pursuers crossing the skyline. Fuck it, the decision had been made for us.