High Alert

CHAPTER 39

Nick couldn't raise anyone. Tracks in the snow showed where Ronnie and Lamont had moved about as they set their charges. Nick and Selena followed the tracks away from the battery to a place where they merged with dozens more. The snow was trampled and disturbed over a wide area. Nick's scarred left ear began to itch. He reached up to scratch it. Selena saw the gesture and swore under her breath. Whenever that ear acted up, it meant trouble. She bent low as she moved, her weapon held up against her cheek with the muzzle ready.

They climbed a small rise. Selena's hearing was better than Nick's. He'd been subjected to the sound of guns and explosions for more than twenty years. For her, it hadn't been as long. Her hearing was still intact, which meant she heard what was ahead before he did.

Voices. Speaking Chinese.

She held Nick back with her hand before they reached the top of the rise. She leaned close and whispered.

"Someone's speaking Chinese up ahead."

They heard Lamont, speaking loudly.

"Get your damn rifle out of my face, you commie asshole."

Nick heard a muffled thud and a grunt of pain.

A new voice with an Asian accent said, "Shut up," That was followed by an order in Chinese.

"What was that?" Nick asked, softly.

"Someone in command said to shoot the prisoner if he made any more noise."

More rapid Chinese.

"He said to put the Americans with the others. That would explain why the Russians aren't answering."

"How the hell did everyone get caught with their pants down? I don't believe this."

Selena waited.

"Okay. They don't know we're here. We don't know how many there are, but it can't be too many. We have to take them down. Follow my lead."

He flattened himself against the ground and began crawling toward the sound of the voices. Selena dropped down next to him and kept pace. They reached the top of the rise.

Twenty yards away, Ronnie and Lamont stood in a tight group with Major Vasiliev and six of the other Russians. Missing was Valentina. Selena felt her heart skip a beat.

Why isn't she there?

Four Chinese soldiers carrying QBZ-95 assault rifles guarded the group. They looked seasoned, hard.

Those aren't regular army, Nick thought. Must be Special Forces.

An officer and five more Chinese soldiers stood by an armored transport vehicle with Korean markings. It was big enough for the Chinese troops. It wasn't big enough to take anyone else back to China or wherever they'd come from.

Nick had no illusions about the so-called rules of war. The Chinese were hostile. Once they were done with their prisoners, they'd kill everyone. Nick put his head next to Selena's and whispered.

"I'm going to work my way over to the right. You take the group by the vehicle. I'll target the guards by Ronnie and the others. When I open up, shoot the officer first. Try to get them all if you can. If you can't, toss smoke and move toward me. There's ten of them and two of us but the odds are going to get better quick."

Selena nodded and took a bead on the officer. He was telling one of his men what was going to happen to him for letting a prisoner escape.

Valentina is out there somewhere.

Nick sidled away. Selena's adrenaline kicked in and her mouth went dry. The end of her weapon began moving. She took deep breaths and calmed herself until the sight was steady again on the officer's torso. Her heartbeat slowed and time seemed to slow with it. Then she heard the suppressed stutter of Nick's MP-7. Time sped up again.

She let off a three round burst. The officer slammed back into the vehicle and slid to the ground. Bright red blood spurted out over the white snow. The soldier he'd been dressing down stood in shock. She shot him and swiveled toward the others. They were moving, their training taking over. Selena shot one as rifles came up. She flattened herself as a stream of bullets passed over her head.

At the sound of Nick's first shots, Ronnie took down one of the guards with a flying tackle. The Russians dropped to the ground. Lamont saw one of the Chinese bring up his rifle and point it his way.

The man jerked and crumpled as Nick's rounds found him.

Selena rolled, ejected a spent magazine and slammed in a new one. Valentina appeared out of the darkness, firing as she ran, and fell down beside her. Chinese bullets sang overhead.

"Still two of them, sister. One is by the rear of the vehicle, one by the front."

"Cover me," Selena said.

"Wait…"

"Cover me."

Valentina flipped to full auto and laid down suppressive fire. Selena sprang to her feet and raced for the front of the armored carrier. Valentina's shots rang off the hood. Selena came around the front bumper and shot the soldier crouching there. At the rear, the last Chinese swung toward her and fired.

A bullet struck her in the thigh. It felt as though she'd been hit with a train. She went down, hard.

Then everything went black.