Emerald Buddha

Chapter 55

Bullets ricocheted off the rock entrance as Spencer fired at a group of gunmen near the stream. Joe reached his side in time to see an Asian man fall, hit in the torso by Spencer’s last burst. Orange muzzle flashes winked from the trees as the shooters concentrated on the cave mouth. Spencer spent his last round and ejected the magazine as he reached for another, while Joe replaced him at the cave mouth and began firing.

Drake and Allie arrived in time to see Spencer cry out and clutch his face — a rock chip from a stray bullet had sliced his cheek, missing his eye by an inch. Drake hurried over to Spencer and handed him his bandanna, which he gratefully took to blot the gash.

“I need a loaded gun,” Joe screamed over the chatter of his weapon, and Allie handed hers to him as he emptied his and tossed it aside. She reached for it and changed out magazines before setting it next to him, keeping low to avoid the incoming rounds.

Drake spotted a crate at the base of the nearest wall with half a dozen grenades inside and crawled to it. “You want some grenades?” he called out.

Spencer nodded and Drake dragged the crate to the entrance.

Joe turned to him, keeping his head down, and frowned, his face covered with a patina of dust. “We’re sitting ducks here. Just a matter of time till one of them starts chucking grenades. We know they have ’em,” he said, eyeing the crate.

“What do we do?” Drake asked as Joe returned to the fight and loosed another burst.

“You know how to shoot that thing?” Joe yelled.

“I’m no marksman, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“Who’s the best shot?” Joe asked after his weapon ran dry.

Drake glanced at Allie. “Spencer.”

“So we trade off until they either get us, or we finish them,” Joe growled. “You able to shoot?” he asked Spencer.

“Yeah. Give me a few minutes so this can clot. I’m fine,” Spencer said. “Although it hurts like a bitch.”

Joe grabbed the loaded AK Allie had set by him and slid his empty one to her. “Keep putting new magazines in these. How many do you have left?”

Drake patted his pockets, as did Allie and Spencer. “Maybe a dozen including what’s in the rifles.”

“That’s three hundred sixty rounds. We should be able to make those last a while. Problem is, they only have to get lucky a few times and we’re toast.”

“What’s the range now?” Spencer asked.

“Most of them are by the river, so maybe a hundred, hundred fifty yards,” Joe answered. “We mopped up the closer ones. They aren’t taking any chances now that they know we can shoot.”

“So it’s a standoff?” Allie asked.

Spencer held the bandanna away from his cheek and eyed the blood on it before shaking his head. “No. They’ll circle around before much longer and come in from above with grenades. We won’t see them until it’s too late.”

“Then we need to do something,” Allie said.

“Like what?” Joe asked, and squeezed off another burst.

“Get out of here,” Drake said.

“We show ourselves, they’ll gun us down,” Spencer said.

“So what do we do? Wait here to die?”

“I’m thinking,” Spencer said.

“Crap,” Joe exclaimed, and emptied the rifle in a sustained burst.

“What?”

“A bunch of ’em just crossed the river. They figured it out.”

“Then we have to surrender,” Allie said.

Spencer sighed. “I doubt they’ve got a copy of the Geneva Convention. Joe’s right. Second they see us, they’ll shoot.”

“It’s worth a try. The alternative’s certain death,” Drake said.

Spencer looked to Allie. “See if there’s another way out through the temple chamber. You never know.”

She nodded and hurried into the depths as Drake ferreted through his pack. He found what he was looking for near the bottom and held it aloft. A mostly white T-shirt.

“I say we give this a try,” Drake said. “Hang it on the end of a rifle and see what happens.”

“I can tell you what the reaction’s going to be. Better get down,” Joe said as he draped the shirt on his muzzle and dangled it out the opening.

A barrage of gunfire answered. Joe retracted the shirt, which had a half-dozen holes in it, and tossed it to Drake.

“There’s your warm Myanmar welcome.”

Allie returned from the temple area and shook her head. “No way out.”

“Then we need to take cover back in the temple and fend them off as long as possible. It’s going to be raining grenades pretty soon,” Spencer said, his tone hard.

“Will that work?” Allie asked.

A metal orb clanked against the rocks and rolled next to Joe, whose eyes bugged out of his head as he scrambled to toss it outside. The grenade detonated five yards from the entrance, showering them with dirt as they ducked, the shrapnel from it slamming harmlessly against the boulders at the cave mouth.

“Damn. That was quick,” Joe said, as though commenting on a surprise in a sporting event. “Let’s go. Won’t be long now.”

“But…” Allie said.

Drake took her hand. “I’m sorry, Allie,” he whispered. He crushed his lips to hers as Joe emptied the magazine at the gunmen, buying them precious seconds.

“Move. We’re out of time,” Spencer barked. They rushed to the temple gap and scurried through the opening as Joe lobbed one of his grenades out of the cave.

“Just to give them something to think about,” he said, and then turned and ran to the temple when the grenade exploded. He threw the crate through and followed it in, and he and Spencer took up position with their guns, waiting for the final assault.

Spencer looked at Drake. “Get her as far from here as possible, and hold your hands over your ears. When the first grenade goes off, the shock could rupture your eardrums.”

“What about you?” Allie demanded.

“I’ll roll with it.”

Joe and Spencer exchanged a resigned look, and Joe nodded. “Leave your magazines here for us.”

“No,” Allie protested. “There has to be another way.”

Spencer shook his head. “We’ll do the best we can.”

Allie’s face froze in horror at the finality of his words, and she followed Drake numbly into the temple. Joe moved to the door and pushed it closed as far as it would go with the rocks blocking it, and then settled down into his position by Spencer’s side.

“What’s that line from that old movie?” Joe whispered. “The Indian chief on the mountain, with Dustin Hoffman? ‘It’s a fine day to die’ or something?”

“Before my time,” Spencer said. “What happened to positive vibes?”

“That’s all the positive I have right now.”

They focused their attention on the cave opening, weapons at the ready, and waited with grim determination for the onslaught that would end their lives.