The Emerald Scepter

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

When Marzak regained consciousness, Professor Saleem was bending over him. Sledge hammers pounded against the inside of his skull.

The professor spread Marzak’s eyelids open wide with his fingers. “Do you know your name?”

Marzak slapped the arm away.

“Don’t be a fool!”

“I have some first aid training and was checking for signs of dilation, which would indicate a serious condition. My guess is that it is only a concussion; although your nose may be broken. There’s lots of blood.”

Marzak pushed himself up to a standing position.

“Wonderful.” Marzak said, spreading his mouth in a grin that looked ghastly against the drying blood that streaked his upper lip. “Simply wonderful. You can send me the bill for your insightful diagnosis.”

The mercenaries stood around awaiting orders, but he only gave them a glance and staggered to the edge of the cliff. Three bodies floated in the bloodied waters a few yards from shore. He couldn’t believe it! Hawkins had wiped out his entire dive team.

He scanned the lake surface further from shore. Nothing. Hawkins could have swum further out, but it was doubtful he would have had the strength or the air supply to reach the far side. Marzak guessed that Hawkins was swimming parallel to the shore, looking for a safe spot to come out onto land.

He whirled around and shouted at the mercenaries to spread out along the bluff. Then he strode over to the pile of hand grenades and clipped them onto his belt. He walked along the lake and lobbed the grenades in, one-by-one, creating a line of foamy explosions. He quickly exhausted his supply of grenades, and paced up and down the shoreline, exhorting the mercenaries to keep a sharp eye out, promising a reward to the first man to report seeing a diver, dead or alive.

After a while it became clear that the reward would go unclaimed and he ordered the mercenaries to get back into the helicopter.

The professor confronted Marzak at the door of the aircraft. “What are you going to do about the treasure?”

“You saw for yourself, the dive team is no more. Kaput! We will now proceed to the next stage of our mission, the destruction of the village. Unless you want to walk home, I suggest you get into the helicopter.”

A few moments later, the helicopter was rising into the air. The Cobras were taking on fuel and ammunition on the other side of the camel’s back. Marzak had the pilot radio the gunships to get in the air for an attack.

While he waited to rendezvous with the Cobras, he directed the Blackhawk pilot to fly over the lake on the off-chance that his prey had actually attempted the crossing. There was no sign of anyone in the water, but at five hundred feet altitude, they had a clear view of the entire lake.

The pilot pointed at the dust cloud being kicked up on the far side of the lake and Marzak told him to check it out. As the helicopter sped across the lake, Marzak leaned out the window. In his excitement, he no longer felt the throbbing pain from the ugly bruise in his forehead and the smashed bridge of his nose.

Seconds later they caught up with the three vehicles. He had the helicopter circle around the convoy and saw the open car with two women in it, leading the way. Some of the men in the jeep raised their guns and were trying to get a bead on the helicopter.

As the helicopter banked out of range, the driver of the last vehicle looked up. Marzak recognized the tanned features immediately. Hawkins had somehow made it to safety. He ordered the pilot and mercenaries to prepare for a strafing run.

The helicopter circled around and followed the line of vehicles.

“It’s Hawkins and another man,” Marzak said to the professor. “They’re wearing dive suits. Somehow they swam across the lake.” He laughed. “It’s too bad we have to spoil their day at the beach.”

“Wait,” Saleem said.

“No need. We can take care of Hawkins without the help of the gunships.”

“No!” the professor said. “We need them both alive.”

The smile froze on Marzak’s lips. “Alive? What are you talking about?”

“Our dive team is dead. We need experienced divers to look for the treasure.”

The helicopter had made its turn and was coming in at a low angle, running a parallel course that would allow the mercenaries to unleash a deadly fusillade from the doors and window.

Marzak glared at Saleem. “I know Hawkins. He’s not going to dive for you,” he said with unveiled contempt.

“He might if there was enough at stake. I want them alive for now. Or I’m calling this mission off.”

The professor’s insistent voice and hard-eyed expression told Marzak that there was no room for debate. He watched the vehicles recede to pinpoints in the distance and called on almost superhuman willpower to issue his next order.

“Lower your guns,” he said.