Page 27 of Vaquero
When two more guards below Julio’s position took off at a dead run into one of the tunnels, still the most northern tunnel, he backtracked to his previous location. There’d been no sign of actual mining or slaves yet. He needed confirmation those Brazilians were still alive. He had a fuel dump to torch. Human collateral was unacceptable. Except Oz and his army. They didn’t count.
The sun had barely begun to set, turning the sky beyond the quarry a majestic blue, and tinging the universe overhead with gathering purples to the east. Brilliant oranges flamed to the west even as inky black fingers stretched across the forest around the quarry. Sunsets came early on the west side of mountain ranges, even earlier for those in valleys. Or gravel pits.
Julio inhaled deeply of what he now knew would be the end of a life well spent. And that was okay. Saving others was a good way to die.
*****
By the time Meg made it to the southern edge of the gravel pit, her backside was dragging. So were her arms. Her ten minutes to locate Pepe had come and gone hours ago. As were Charlie Brown and his Blackhawk, her aid-workers, and every last one of her children. She’d heard the bird lift off. She’d seen it fly away from the gravel pit. It had actually brought a tear to her eye knowing her children were now safely beyond Oz’s grasp. Not once had she regretted her decision to stay.
Finally, Dom and the kids would receive the care and medical attention they deserved. Army medics were the best in the world, and a lot of them were fathers with hearts as big and soft as hers. They’d spoil these orphans like they spoiled all the children they’d been called in to rescue over the years. She had no idea where they’d take her kids, though. Most likely, the chopper would head straight for a US aircraft carrier somewhere off the coast in international waters. While the Brazilian government accommodated most adoptions, they probably wouldn’t appreciate US interference inside their country, even if it meant saving kids.
Meg didn’t really care what Brazil’s officials thought, as long her children were safe. Let Sullivan work out the foreign relations nightmare this extraction would surely create. Let him face political assassination for the undisclosed covert exfil. That was his job. Hers was to save one little boy from himself.Pepe, where are you?
If only she could find him. If only she’d thought to bring her backpack when she’d charged out of camp. Then she’d at least have bottled water. But she’d been tired and…
Aww, who was she kidding? She’d run away because she couldn’t handle all those tear-jerking goodbyes. Man, she was going to miss her kids. Mostly Dom. He’d needed her the most, and she’d fallen in love with him the first time she’d seen him. That poor little guy needed a chance to live to a ripe old age. Now, maybe he could.
Something warm trickled down her grimy cheek.Knock it off, Duncan. Stop crying! You’ve got a runaway child-hero to find, and an asshole to kill. Buck up, or back off and quit. Your choice. Winner or loser. Who you gonna be today?Trevor’s tough, tender encouragement assailed her. Just what she needed.
“Winner,” she told him in no uncertain terms, wiping a finger under her nose in defiance. Okay, so Trevor couldn’t hear or see her show of attitude, but maybe he could. They’d always had an unbreakable bond. Wherever he was, he was probably smiling. That was all the incentive Meg needed.Okay, then. Find Pepe. Stop Oz’s heart. Run like hell.
Almost sounded easy.
Yet there she stood like a lump at the edge of a forest, overlooking what resembled an armed camp instead of a mine down deep in Oz’s gravel pit. Sheer granite walls, broken only by a couple steep footpaths and a sturdy, wide, gravel road, dropped to the level floor of the pit. The sun had just set, making it difficult to see. Nights in the forest were exceedingly dark. And dangerous. Not a sign of Julio or Pepe. Was she a complete idiot to think she could ever hook up with either of them? In these woods? Maybe...
She folded, ending on the ground with her hands on her knees and her heart in her throat. What the hell had she been thinking, that someone like her could ever save another missing child? Her? An exhausted stroke victim who’d been running on empty for too many days now? Who’d been stupid enough to taunt Orlando Zapata by stealing her kids back from under his nose? What a fool.
When a spotlight flashed on below, the quiet rustlings of birds and small forest animals quieted behind her. She leaned forward to see exactly what she was up against. Another set of bright lights, an array actually, cast light farther over and into the camp. Lots of trucks. Heavy digging equipment. A few tents. What might be an office. Oz had certainly turned this pit into an organized headquarters. What was he thinking, of moving OZ Metallurgy Mining, Inc. down there? Sure as heck looked like it.
Well, okay then. She hadn’t spotted any children, but Pepe had to be down there somewhere. Maybe Julio too. That’d be nice, to work with him again. Not likely, but yeah. Nice.
Meg made her move, inching forward to the trail she’d glimpsed before the sun set. But twilight was not her friend, not as tired as she was. Inching along only helped her avoid the worst pitfalls and vines. Didn’t help her tired, grit-filled eyes distinguish between the dark and a sturdy branch pointing straight at her, the one that stabbed her hard in the chest when she hit it head-on.
An unintentional “Oomph!” breathed out of her on impact. She dropped to her butt, rubbing what felt like a hole drilled in the center of her sternum. Damned pointy finger of God. But okay then.If at first you don’t succeed…
Slower now and breathing hard, she lifted to her feet and began again. At least, there was no moon tonight. Made it easier to stay out of sight. But it didn’t do much good for walking. The glaring beams from those floodlights cast eerie black shadows across her path, blurring the way forward. More than once, she landed on her rear end, then scooted along when moving forward that way seemed easier. Also kept her low to the ground and out of sight.
Because there were so many more men over by the heavy equipment, and she doubted Pepe would be stupid enough to engage with them first, Meg eventually climbed to her feet and veered toward the cabin at her far right. Oz was either out with the men, or hiding while everyone else did his dirty work.The ass.Maybe Pepe would be there, too.
