Boyd shielded his eyes the best he could, but the mixture of dust and sunlight prevented him from seeing much. ‘Hello!’ he screamed. ‘Can I help you with something?’
When he heard nothing, he figured he needed to alter his approach. So instead of shouting, he simply waved at the helicopter, hoping its passengers would wave back, then move on.
‘Hold steady,’ the sniper ordered. ‘Steady!’
But it was an impossible task. The wind was surging off the top of the ridge like a waterfall, then swirling on its descent to the rocky terrain below. The result was an aeronautical nightmare, a pocket of turbulence that literally chewed at the lift the helicopter was trying to produce. The pilot did his best to compensate, increasing and decreasing the pitch of the main rotor. But it made little difference. Choppers weren’t meant to fly in these conditions.
‘I’m losing it,’ warned the pilot. ‘I swear to you I’m losing it!’
With camera in hand, Maria strolled into the colorful first chamber, making her way directly to the Catacombs’ exit. As she crawled through the narrow opening, she suddenly became aware of the noise and vibrations that had intrigued Boyd. ‘Professore?’
She continued up the slope of the rocky trail, trying to shield her eyes from the intense glare. With the exception of her hand, the only thing protecting her from total blindness was the figure that stood in the cave’s entrance. And from his slender frame, she knew it was Boyd.
‘Professore? What’s making that noise?’
Before he could respond, she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire, then watched in horror as Boyd turned from his perch and scrambled down the path. Without hesitation he buried his shoulder into her gut and tackled her to the floor, protecting her from the blitzkrieg. Skidding to a painful stop, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the nearby corner, making sure they were out of the gunman’s range. ‘Are you all right?’ he demanded. ‘Are you hurt?’
Stunned, she took a moment to probe her body. ‘No, I’m fine.’
Boyd climbed to his feet and peeked around the nearest outcropping. The roar of the chopper still thundered outside. ‘I think we’re in trouble. There’s a helicopter out there.’
‘A helicopter?’
‘Yes! And it’s got a nasty little passenger. All I did was wave, and he started shooting at me!’ He peered around the rock, still unable to see. ‘But that’s not the worst thing. I saw a sign on the chopper that said Polizia.’
‘What? Are you serious?’
‘Of course I’m serious.’ He grabbed her hand. ‘Listen to me, we’re in grave danger. But if you follow my lead, we’ll survive.’
‘We can beat an armed helicopter?’
‘Yes! But we have to act quickly. If they land and come inside, we’re going to be killed.’
‘Wait! You want to fight a helicopter? With what?’
Boyd rushed to the corner and rummaged through their tools. ‘Did we bring any rope?’
‘Rope? Not with us. We left that in the truck.’
Quickly, Boyd turned the toolbox upside down and dumped its contents with a loud clatter. ‘I guess this will have to do instead.’
She stared at him, confused. ‘You asked for a rope but settled for a toolbox? Do you mind telling me what you’re going to do?’
‘Watch and learn, my dear. Watch and learn.’
Boyd carried the box toward the entrance of the cave and studied the machine that threatened their lives. It hovered less than fifty feet in front of the opening, its occupants glaring out the front window of the craft. ‘Maria, come here. Grab the camera and anything you want to take with us. Whether this works or not, I think it’s best if we leave this place as soon as possible.’
‘We’re leaving?’
‘Go!’ he ordered. ‘And be quick about it!’
She scampered to the rear while Boyd moved forward, boldly walking into the line of fire. He wasn’t sure if his idea was going to work, but he figured it was better than being trapped inside the Catacombs without any weapons. ‘Hello! Come and get me!’
He quickly repeated the phrase in Italian, just to make sure they understood his command. The chopper instantly moved closer, trying to reduce the angle between the sniper and target, hoping to avoid another misfire. But the maneuver was a tactical mistake. As the craft inched forward, Boyd extended the toolbox behind him, then tossed it underhanded as far as he could. The container sailed through the air until it floated into the path of the main rotor blades.
As the box closed in, the pilot suddenly realized what was about to happen. He’d been so concerned about the gusting wind and the dangerous rock face that he never paid attention to Boyd or his toolbox. It was an oversight that would cost him his life.