Relentless

CHAPTER 5
1

Through the infrared scope they showed up plainly: boot-heel indentations, scuffed ground, a patch where the pebbles had been disturbed when they’d set down their burdens to rest or reconnoitre.

“Watch yourself now. Monument Rock just over the hill.”

“Okay, kemo sabe.” The knapsack made Stevens look hunchbacked.

Sam Watchman covered the last twenty yards on his belly and took his time looking it over. There were lights burning in the front room of the house. He didn’t see anything move.

After he had completed his naked-eye inspection he lifted the Weatherby to his shoulder, switched on the infrared beam and put his eye to the scope.

The snooperscope was designed to make heat visible. The image on the lens revealed contours of temperature rather than light. The warmth of the earth made it red; the relative coldness of the air made it green. The buildings, which stored less heat than the ground but more than the air, were an indeterminate mauve. The heat of lamplight against the front window made it show up very hot. The trees behind the house were a madras patchwork of shades.

If there had been human flesh in the beam’s line it would have shown up heavily red on the lens.

Watchman made a hand signal and the rookie handed him the walkie-talkie. He spoke into it with low-voiced clarity: “Watchman to Vickers. You still reading me?”

“I hear you.”

“How long since you’ve heard from the deputy at Monument Rock?”

“I haven’t heard from him at all. Hold on, I’ll check with Cunningham.”

Watchman put the scope on the tracks going down the hill. It took a few minutes to sort out the spoor. Four of them had walked down the hill. Two had walked up again. Three, carrying heavy loads-the indentations were deeper-had walked down again.

The FBI agent’s voice sputtered in his ear. “No word from Deputy Foultz since eleven o’clock.”

Watchman twisted his wrist to check the time. Almost two in the morning. “Then you’d better get over here and bring some people with you.”