Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3)(96)
Caesare immediately continued forward, leading the way over the burnt ground and into the tall grass on the other side. When he reached the edge of the trees, he stopped and turned to Dulce, who passed him and climbed another tree. She sat, listening.
Corso shook his head. “This is a waste of time.”
“Not necessarily,” DeeAnn replied, crossing her arms. “All primates are semi-terrestrial, meaning they live in large social groups. They don’t roam very far from a home location except for foraging. Most humans are the same. Like nesting with birds.”
Corso smirked. “Well, we’re pretty far from home now.”
“That’s because we have airplanes,” Juan quipped, sitting down. He unzipped his bag, pulled out several square-shaped bundles and turned to DeeAnn. “Time for a battery swap.”
She nodded, twisting away from Corso and powering off the vest. Together, she and Juan removed the previous batteries and inserted a new set. Once Juan double-checked the connection and secured the Velcro flaps back over the pockets, she turned it back on.
“Can you hear me, Dulce?”
Dulce looked down from the tree and frowned. She held a dark finger over her mouth.
DeeAnn rolled her eyes while Caesare laughed.
“You might be teaching her too well.”
Several minutes later, Caesare’s phone rang in his pocket.
“Wil, where the hell have you been?”
“Sorry, Steve. I don’t have time to explain, but things are getting crazy. I see you guys are on the ground.”
“We are. And looking for our friend. Where’s Otero?”
“Hold on.” Borger pulled up his live feed from the ARGUS satellite. “They’re close. Very close. Maybe an hour or two from the summit. I’m counting…seventeen vehicles, most are large trucks. Probably carrying men or supplies.”
“They’re carrying both,” Caesare said dryly.
“Right. The only road bears north across the top of the peak, about a mile or so from where you are, so you should see them soon.”
“Great. Anything else?”
“Not at the moment. But call me if you need any more. I’ll try to ring you back if I can’t answer. I need to help Clay.”
Caesare’s brow rose. “What’s going on with Clay?
“I’m not sure yet. He reached the hospital but now it looks like he’s moving again. I’ve been trying to reach him, but he’s not answering.”
“All right. I’ll ring off. We’re fine for the moment.” Without waiting for a reply, Caesare ended the call but remained staring at the phone.
Caesare had his own problems to worry about, but he did have one guess on why Clay wasn’t answering his phone.
57
Clay wasn’t answering his phone because he couldn’t. With a rifle in one fist and the hand of Wei’s daughter in the other, he was rushing down the steep embankment, half running and half sliding. He struggled to find a smooth path, knowing the girl couldn’t see what he could through his night-vision goggles.
Behind him, Li Na lost her footing several times but Clay’s strong arm kept her on her feet. When they reached the bottom of the ravine, they both splashed through a shallow stream and scrambled up the other side.
Through the tall trees, the two helicopters to the south could be heard taking to the sky. Qin had apparently gotten to a radio –– most likely aboard his own chopper.
He suddenly slipped in a thick pile of leaves but managed to catch himself. He regained his footing and pulled Li Na up behind him. Once they cleared the top of the incline, he continued again as fast as the girl could keep up.
Several hundred yards later they reached another drop, this one much steeper. He panned from one side to the other, looking for a way down. Almost as if on cue, the phone in the pocket of his pants rang.
His answer was immediate. “Need some help, Wil.”
Borger was already studying a daytime image of the area. “There’s a fairly large stream in front of you. Let me see if I can find an easier way across.”
“I’m not worried about the water. I need a way down.”
“There’s a small area to the east where it looks like it flattens out. One hundred yards upstream, or maybe two.”
Clay slung the rifle over his shoulder to keep the phone in his hand. He kept a tight grip on Li Na and moved quickly along the ridge.
“The choppers are in the air,” he said, panting into the phone. “And headed this way. What’s ahead of us?”
“Us?” Borger raised his eyebrows. “You have Wei’s daughter?”
“Well, I sure as hell hope that’s who I grabbed.”