The Four Corners of the Earth

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Drake spun mid-step, and opened fire. His bullets tore up the grass around the elite soldier but didn’t spoil his preparations. The rocket launcher never wavered; the arm balancing it remained firm. His comrades fanned out all around him, returning fire. Drake suddenly found himself in a world of danger.

The French ran hard straight for the landing chopper. Drake, along with Dahl and Smyth, kept the Russians at bay and wary. The pilot’s face was visible, focused on a place to land. Alicia and Mai didn’t slow one bit, and waved to catch his attention.

Bullets laced the air.

Drake winged one of the Russian, sending him to one knee. Hayden’s voice thundered across the comms.

“Pilot, evade! Lauren tell him, they have rockets!”

Drake, Dahl and Smyth battered the Russian contingent, but they remained too far away to line up properly, especially whilst moving. The pilot looked up, face stricken.

The RPG fired, the missile shooting out with a whoosh of air and a hefty clap. Drake and the others could only watch helplessly as it left a trail in the air and flew unerringly straight toward the chopper. Panicking hard, the pilot made a jerky evasive maneuver, banking the helicopter, but the streaking rocket was too fast, impacting with the underside and exploding in a billow of smoke and flame. The chopper lurched and fell, pieces falling away and hurtling beyond its flight path.

It was only then, as he stared in disbelief, distress and grim anger that he saw where its terrible trajectory would take it.

The French saw it coming and tried to scatter, but the devastated helicopter smashed to the ground among them.

Drake hit the ground, burying his head inside a divot. Red and orange flames shot upward and outward, and black smoke billowed up at the sky. The bulk of the chopper landed on one man; he and the pilot dying instantly. A rotor blade sheared away and passed clean through a third unfortunate, so fast and sudden he knew nothing about it. Drake looked up to see another struck by an enormous chunk of burning debris. The force of the blow knocked him off his feet and a dozen steps backward, after which he ceased all movement.

Only two Frenchmen remained alive; the bulk of the team devastated in one unfortunate incident. Drake saw one of them crawling away from the raging fire, his arm singed, and the other staggering over. Somehow, the second managed to cling to a weapon and help his comrade away at the same time.

Drake swallowed his rage and kept a tight hold on his focus. Their only method of extraction was down, destroyed. Hayden still held the box, but now the Russians were rushing at them, intentions absolutely apparent. The man with the RPG was still aiming at the wreckage as if considering a second strike.

Drake rose and the team rose with him. Moving away from the Russians and toward the fire, they laid down a net of cover that forced their enemies to lie low. Drake and Dahl both struck men in their vests, sending them sprawling. The seething flames reached for them as they came closer, sharp pops and heavy creaks bursting from within. Drake felt the wash of it across his face and then ducked around the blind side. The remaining French were already far away, struggling with their wounds and losses, and clearly out of the conflict for now.

Drake spun on one knee, keying the comms.

“Chopper down,” he said to confirm with Lauren, then: “We need another mode of evac right now.”

The reply was subdued. “On it.”

The team continued to back away, putting some distance between the flaming obstacle and the oncoming enemy. Incredibly, and callously, the Russian with the RPG loosed another missile at the already demolished chopper, sending further gouts of flame and shrapnel into the air.

Drake felt a chunk of metal glance off his shoulder and spun around with the impact. Dahl glanced over but the Yorkshireman nodded—I’m okay.

Alicia pointed them toward the far fence. “That road’s the only option. Hoof it, people!”

Hayden steadied the box and ran. Smyth and Kinimaka stayed at the back, keeping the fire between themselves and the Russians. Drake scanned the ground ahead, always ready for more surprises and expecting the worst. The Chinese were somewhere, and the Israelis, Swedes and Brits were in the wind.

Their speed distanced them from the pursuing Russians and they arrived at the fence with time to spare. Alicia and Mai cut a way through and then they were standing on the other side, next to a two-lane stretch of blacktop that vanished both ways into a seeming wilderness. Lauren hadn’t come back to them as yet, but they left her to her devices, knowing DC would be helping.

Drake wasn’t filled with a huge amount of confidence. He didn’t blame Lauren — the New Yorker was treading fresh waters, but nothing so far on this mission told him the men and women sitting safe and warm in the Capitol fully had their backs.

Alicia set out at a jog. It was an increasingly odd scenario. Drake knew the Russians had to have some kind of backup. Maybe it was on its way.

“Look there,” Kenzie spoke up.

Approximately half a mile ahead, a black SUV had stopped to pick up the struggling Frenchmen. As they watched it made a fast one-eighty in the road, loaded the two operatives and then screeched away.

“Poor bastards,” Dahl said.

“We should worry about ourselves,” Smyth said. “Or we’re gonna end up the ‘poor bastards’ too.”

“Grumpy has a point,” Alicia said, scanning all directions. “Seriously, we have nowhere to go.”

“Bury the box.” Kinimaka indicated a stand of trees close to the road. “Come back for it later. Or ask Lauren to send another team.”

Drake looked at Dahl. “Shouldn’t be too difficult, eh?”

“Too risky,” Hayden said. “They could find it. Intercept the message. Besides, we need this information. The other teams might already be headed for the third Horseman.”

Drake blinked. He hadn’t thought of that. A knot of stress began to pulse right in the middle of his forehead.

“Never thought I’d be stranded in friggin’ China,” Alicia complained.

“It is one of the four corners of the earth,” Dahl told her. “So take comfort in that.”

“Oh, thanks dude. Thanks for that. Maybe I’ll buy a condo.”

The Russians had already reached the road. Drake could see one of them shouting into a radio. His eyes then moved past the Russians and tried to focus on something moving in the distance.

“Could be their transport,” Dahl said, running and staring backward at the same time.

Yorgi laughed, eagle-eyed. “I hope so. And ten years ago you might have been correct.”

Drake squinted. “Hey, it’s a bus.”

“Keep running,” Hayden said. “Try not to look interested.”

Alicia laughed. “Now you’ve done it. I can’t stop looking. You ever do that? You know you shouldn’t stare at someone and find you can’t bloody look away?”

“I get it all the time,” Dahl said. “Naturally.”

“Well, a skin-covered muppet is a rare sight,” Drake put in.

The bus was bright yellow and modern, and sped past the Russians without slowing. Drake considered its speed, its driver and the passengers, but knew they had no choice. They were a good few miles from any large city. As the bus approached and the Russians stared, the SPEAR team blocked the road.

“Slow down,” Alicia mouthed.

Smyth barked out a laugh. “This ain’t Kansas. He ain’t gonna understand you.”

“Universal language then.” Alicia held up her weapon despite Hayden’s glare.

“Quick,” Dahl said. “Before he jumps on the radio.”

The bus slowed and swerved a little, wide front end moving to the offside. Already the Russians were running. Drake nudged the door, motioning for the driver to open it up. The man’s face was scared, eyes wide and flitting between the soldiers and his passengers. Drake waited for the door to open and then stepped up, holding out a hand.

“We just want a ride,” he said as comfortingly as he could.

The team filed down the center of the bus. Dahl jumped up last and tapped the driver on the arm.

“Go!” He pointed down the road.

The Russians were no more than a hundred yards behind, weapons raised as the driver mashed his foot to the floor. Clearly, he’d been watching his side mirrors. The bus lurched into action, the passengers jerking backward. Drake held on. Alicia strode down to the rear of the bus to gauge the pursuit.

“They’re gaining,”

Drake waved at Dahl. “Tell Keanu to get a bloody move on!”

The Swede looked a little confused, but spoke to the bus driver. The vehicle picked up speed slowly. Drake saw Alicia wince and then turn quickly, shouting at the bus passengers.

“Get down! Now!”

Fearing the RPG, Drake dropped too. Luckily, only bullets spattered the back of the vehicle, all wedging into the chassis. He sighed with relief. Clearly, the Russians had been warned against civilian casualties. That was something at least.

Again, the political machinations behind each elite team’s agenda came to mind. No way was every team state-sponsored; nor were some leaders even aware of what was happening. Again, his mind went to the French — and the soldiers that had died.

Doing their job.

The bus pulled away from the Russians, speeding down the road, its entire frame juddering. Drake relaxed a little, knowing they were headed back toward Ejin Horo by the direction they were taking. The driver negotiated a wide sweeping bend. Drake turned as Alicia let out a low squawk from the back seat.

And saw a black chopper that belonged to the Russians swooping down to pick them up.

Hayden’s voice filled the comms. “They won’t attack.”

Drake pursed his lips. “Fluid op. Orders change.”

“And they might still force the bus off the road,” Dahl replied. “How long to the city?”

“Eight minutes,” Lauren responded.

“Way too long.” Dahl strode down the aisle toward the back of the speeding coach and began explaining to passengers that they should move toward the front. A few moments passed and then he joined Alicia.

“Hey Torsty. And I always thought back seats were just for kissing.”

The Swede made a choking sound. “Are you trying to make me travel sick? I know where those lips have been.”

Alicia blew him a kiss. “You don’t know everywhere they’ve been.”

Dahl suppressed a smile and made the sign of the cross. The Russian chopper touched down briefly whilst the soldiers climbed on board, hovering over the tarmac. The bus put some distance and the bend between them, and Alicia and Dahl scanned the air.

Drake kept an eye up front for the escaping Frenchmen, but was in two minds if they’d attempt an assault. They were undermanned and struggling with losses. They were re-evaluating. It made more sense that they’d jump straight onto the third clue.

Still, he watched.

Lauren’s voice came over the comms. “Six minutes. You guys have time to talk?”

“About what?” Smyth growled, but refrained from adding anything inflammatory.

“The third Horseman is a mystery, someone the Order threw in there to muddy the waters. Famous Indians include Mahatma Gandhi, Idira Gandhi, Deepak Chopra, but how do you find the worst that ever lived? And was famous.” She sighed. “We’re still checking. The think tank back in DC is stumped so far though. I told them it might not be a bad thing.”

Drake breathed easier. “Aye, love. Not the worst thing that could have happened,” he said. “It should slow down the other nations.”

“It sure will. In other news, we think we’ve cracked the four corners of the earth.”

“You have?” Mai said. “That’s good news.”

Drake loved her typical understatement. “Steady on, Mai.”

“Yeah, don’t wanna blow your socks off with excitement,” Alicia added dryly.

Mai didn’t deign to respond. Lauren went on as if nothing had been said: “Wait a moment, guys. I’ve just been told the Chinese are back at it. That’s at least two choppers headed your way.”

“We’re in a Chinese bus,” Yorgi said. “Won’t we be safe from them, at least?”

“That’s a bit naïve,” Kenzie said. “Governments don’t care.”

“Despite the over-generalization,” Hayden added. “Kenzie is right. We can’t assume they won’t hit the bus.”

Prophetic words, Drake thought, as a black speck grew in the blue skies that stretched in front of the bus.

Alicia said, “The Russians are here.”

This just got a whole lot harder.