Long Road to Mercy

Chapter 54

For the first time since seeing the M4 guys, her optics fastened on something of interest. She had awoken while it was still light and decided to venture a little into the side canyon. The sun was high in the sky, powerful enough to reach into the depths of the Canyon like a trillion-watt light dumped into the ocean.

And, right now, that sunlight was catching on something farther up the side canyon.

She looked to the left and right to gain some plot points to help her locate it later. She was tempted to try now, only it was brutally hot, there was little wind, and it looked to be quite a hike. And it was still daylight. It seemed to be something metallic. And she assumed it wasn’t a beer can. At least she hoped it wasn’t.

She kept staring at it through her optics, memorizing every detail of the path she would take. At night, things looked different. She couldn’t afford to lose the spot when she made her attempt later. Fortunately, there was a very unusual rock configuration to the immediate right of the reflection.

She returned to her camp, and ate and drank and daydreamed that come nightfall she would find Roth.

And the bomb.

Or maybe I’m wrong about all of this. And I’ll find nothing. So, what will my second career be after the FBI cans my ass?

The fact was, this was way out of her league. She was an FBI agent. Give her a bank robbery, a kidnapping, even a serial killer or two, and she would do fine. She would catch her man.

This was not that.

She closed her eyes, then swiftly opened them.

No, this is not a dream. This might be the end of the world if that nuke goes off.

She forced herself to sleep, but set an automatic alarm clock in her head. She awoke at eleven p.m. ready to roll.

Pine was climbing over several large rocks when she heard a rattle that froze her for an instant, but then she kept going.

She reached a plateau and looked around, and then down. She figured she had scaled close to a thousand feet.

The odd rock assemblage she had seen during the day presented itself to her through her night optics. She hurried toward it. Was the Holy Grail lurking just up ahead? Or would it be something totally and completely unconnected to her search?

Please, God, if you can get reception down here, make it the former.

She stiffened and then halted as she drew closer.

The light had been reflecting off something metallic.

It was a pole. A long, collapsible pole that was leaning up against a round boulder taller than Pine and more than three times her width.

As she grew closer, Pine noted something truly astonishing. Camouflage netting was hanging off the rock wall. She wouldn’t have noticed it except for being this close. It perfectly blended in with the surroundings.

She gripped one edge of the covering and tugged. She peered through the opening this created.

Pine gasped.

A cave. She glanced at her compass. This spot was well within the parameters left on the flash drive. Had she just found Roth? And the bomb?

She let the cover fall back into place, took a step back, and peered around. There was no evidence that anyone had been here. But somebody had to have put up the covering. About thirty seconds went by as she contemplated what to do.

Pine heard nothing, no boot hitting rock. No squawks from a comm pack. No heavy breathing.

She heard nothing until the light hit her and the man said, “Turn around very slowly. Do not let your hand go anywhere near your weapon or we will open fire.”

“I’m FBI. I’m going to show you my creds.”

His next words hit her like one of Chung’s massive kicks.

“Don’t bother, Agent Pine. Turn around and keep your hands away from your weapon. Do it!”

She slowly turned, her hands held up near her chest, but no higher. She wasn’t preparing to draw down like they were standing in the middle of the OK Corral. But her hands fully up in the air would signal complete surrender. She was an FBI agent. She wasn’t surrendering to these guys, whoever the hell they were.

And it indeed did appear to be the same three men from the other night.

“What are you doing down here?” barked Pine.

“I don’t see you having the leverage to ask us questions,” said the man.

“I’ve got a federal badge, that leverage enough for you? And you guys are Army.”

“Why, just because we have cammies on?”

“More than that. You’re outfitted in ACU, Army Combat Uniforms.”

He shrugged. “Hell, you can buy those uniforms on eBay.”

“But not ones with the Operational Camouflage Pattern. That’s very recent. And you’re armed with M4s.”

The man took a step closer. “What are you doing here?”

“I imagine I’m doing the same thing you’re doing. Looking for somebody.”

“Who would that be?”

“Do we really have to play this crappy game?”

“Who would that be?” he asked again.

“That would be ‘kiss my ass.’ Now let me ask you a question. How did you find me?”

“We found you the first day you came down. We’ve been following you.”

“Bullshit. I spotted you going up a side canyon. You turned back because it was getting light.”

“We turned back before we could stumble right over you. You were behind a boulder, crouching down, your pistol aimed at us. Probably thinking that a Glock against three M4s was not going to end well. For you.”

Pine looked up into the sky. “You got sat eyes all the way down here?”

“No, we just know how to track people.” He held up his weapon. “You ever been shot with one of these?”

“No, nor do I want to be. So you were following me. Why?”

“Pretty obvious. If you knew where Roth was, you’d lead us to him. After that my orders are to intercept. That’s why we’re here.”

“Okay, you intercepted. What’s the rest of the order?”

The man shrugged and attempted a smile, but it got nowhere near the rest of his face and he quickly let it fall.

Pine looked around at the men. They looked to be late twenties, early thirties. Definitely old enough to have been in wars, killed, maybe been wounded. Hardened guys, guys you’d want on your side in a fight.

Only, apparently, they’re not on my side.

“Have you been told what’s going on here? What’s really going on? What this shit is all about?”

“We know enough to do our job. We don’t need any more than that.”

“That’s another way of saying you’re burying your head in the sand.”

She never once looked at the camouflage netting, hoping beyond hope that they hadn’t noticed it.

“You’re going to need to come with us, ma’am.”

“You got a chopper? Is that your in-and-out method? Saves a lot of time over hiking this sucker.”

“Just come with us.”

“I’m not going anywhere with you. I’m a federal agent. You can’t order me to do anything. So back the hell away before I call in reinforcements.”

The man looked around and lightly shook his head, his eyes filled with mirth. “I don’t see that you have any backup. And your phone doesn’t work down here.”

“Back the hell away.”

“We have other orders in the event you refused to come with us.”

“What’s that, shoot me? I’m an FBI agent.”

“No, ma’am, right now, you’re just an enemy of this country.”

“How the hell do you figure that? We work for the same country.”

“Are you going to come with us? Last call.”

The two other soldiers raised their M4s and took aim. One for her head, the other the torso.

Nonsurvivable.

“This is nuts,” barked Pine. “I’m a federal agent. Lower your weapons and stand down. Now.”

“No can do, ma’am. Last call. Three seconds.”

Pine stood there frozen. They were really going to execute her, right on the floor of the Grand Canyon.

She made to reach for her Glock. She might be able to get off one shot.

Good-bye to everybody who cares. I’m coming, Mercy.

Shit.

The round fired. And then a second.

It had happened so fast that Pine thought she had taken both impacts.

The two guys behind the point man flinched, stiffened, and then both fell forward.

Point Man whirled, his weapon aimed on his target.

“No!” screamed Pine, drawing her weapon. “Drop it, drop it or I will fire.”

The M4 barked at the same time Pine pulled the Glock’s trigger once, her laser sight dead on the back of the guy’s neck.

Point Man dropped.

Pine, her hands shaking, slowly lowered her weapon.

Twenty yards away, Sam Kettler stared wildly at her. He was carrying a backpack and there was a pistol in his hand.

Pine looked down at the three dead bodies. Two had been shot by Kettler, one by her.

“Shit,” she hissed. “They were our guys. At least I think they were.”

Kettler scrambled forward. “Funny way of showing it. They were going to kill you.”

She looked up at him. “What are you doing here?”

He pointed at the men. “I’ve watched a chopper come in the last three nights. I finally decided to do something about it. I grabbed my go pack, picked up their trail, and followed them up here. And saw what they were about to do to you.” He looked down at his gun and shook his head. “Why the hell are American soldiers down here in the first place?”

“It’s a long story.” She reached out and gripped his arm. “Thanks for saving my life.”

“Well, you saved mine. The guy had me lined up for the kill. If you hadn’t fired and spoiled his aim, I’d have had an M4 round right through me.”

She removed her hand from his arm and steadied herself against a rock outcrop.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’m getting there,” she said, taking several deep breaths.

He shot her a glance. “And what are you doing all the way out here? You’re not just hiking, that’s for sure.”

“I’m looking for the missing guy. They were, too.”

“You think he’s around here? Why?”

“Again, long story.” She looked at the bodies. “We have to do something. We can’t just leave them here.” She looked around. “But this is, well, I guess it’s a crime scene. We can’t disrupt anything.” She rubbed her forehead. “I need to call in a team. I need to secure the area. I... I need...” Her mind was swirling with so many competing thoughts Pine thought she might puke.

Kettler drew closer to her and gripped Pine’s arm. “What you need to do is just take a few more deep breaths and give yourself a little time. You were almost killed, Atlee.”

“I just shot an Army guy, Sam!”

“Well, I just shot two of them.”

While Pine was regaining her composure, Kettler spotted the cammie blanket. He moved it aside and saw the cave opening. “Damn, where did that come from?”

“It might be what I was looking for.”

“Well, I can put the bodies in there for now.”

“I’ll help.”

“Then we can call in reinforcements.”

“No. We have to locate something else first.”

“What’s that?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”