Cargo: A Leine Basso Thriller (24 page)

They made it
back to the Rover with no sign of Wang or Assad. Even though the sun had climbed above the horizon, the temperature still ranged between pleasant and bearable. Although, after the heavy deluge of rain the night before, the cloudless, sunny sky promised a soggy, humid day ahead.

Zara ran from the Rover to meet them.

“Thank God, you found her.” The two women hugged each other. Zara stepped back and held out a canteen of water. Kylie smiled in thanks and took a drink.

Derek walked to the Rover and was about to open the door when the sound of revving engines shattered the silence. Three vehicles—two pickups with a Land Cruiser in the lead—roared up the hill toward them. Leine counted five men with machine guns in the pickup beds, and at least two occupants in each cab.

“Get to the truck—now!” Leine yelled. Kylie dropped the canteen, and she and Zara took off at a dead run, with Leine close behind. Derek dove behind the back wheel well and aimed at the approaching vehicles with the MP5, shouting at Zara and Kylie to stay down.

Leine reached the Rover and set the M21 on the hood, flipping up the dust covers. She sighted on the lead truck, her finger on the trigger. She waited until she knew she had the shot, and fired.

A hole appeared in the windshield on the driver’s side and the Land Cruiser veered right. Leine sighted on the passenger and squeezed the trigger, but he lunged for the steering wheel at the same time and she missed.

She swiveled at the rapid thud of automatic gunfire strafing the ground near the Rover. Two men fired at them from the bed of the lead pickup. Kylie and Zara screamed and covered their heads. Leine shifted her stance, aimed at the two men, and fired. The one on the left snapped backward and tumbled out of the pickup. At the same time Derek returned fire, smashing through the windshield. The passenger dropped from view, but Leine couldn’t tell if he’d been hit. The driver leaned out of the window, shooting with one hand. Derek fired again, this time hitting the driver. The pickup bounced over a rock and sent the second gunman flying from the bed. He landed hard and rolled. Leine watched him for a moment, but he didn’t move.

The remaining pickup went wide, heading around them. Leine changed her position to accommodate. Derek flung the back door open and motioned to Kylie and Zara.

“Get in and stay down,” he yelled. The two women climbed inside the Rover, and Derek slammed the door shut. He fired on the other pickup while Leine turned back to the Land Cruiser.

A young boy sat on the hood. The man behind him held a gun to his head, the barrel resting on the child’s temple.

She was certain the man holding the boy was Victor Wang, as he wore the same clothes he’d been wearing at the camp. Leine searched for a shot but couldn’t find it. Standing behind the front wheel well of the Cruiser eliminated the possibility of shooting his legs out from under him.

Gunfire erupted behind her as Derek attempted to hold off the second pickup.

“Fuck—” Derek gasped, clutching his arm. He’d been hit.

Leine pivoted and dove for the MP5. At the same time, a searing pain bit into her calf. Gripping the gun, she rolled onto her back and fired.

The second pickup swerved and pulled to the left, headed for the other side of the Rover. Leine tossed the MP5 back to Derek and grabbed the M21, which she’d left when she went for the machine gun. Ignoring the pain in her leg, Leine rolled onto her stomach and slid underneath the Rover. The pickup was coming around for a second pass. She shot the front tire, but it didn’t blow like she’d planned.

The assholes have run-flat tires,
she thought. “Coming your way,” Leine yelled to Derek.

“Got ’em.” Derek sat with his back against the wheel, holding the MP5 in his good hand, the stock braced against his chest.

Blood pounding in her ears, Leine keyed in on the Land Cruiser. Wang had stepped from behind the vehicle, still holding his gun to the boy’s temple while he watched the action.

The weight of the child must have been too much, or maybe Wang assumed Leine and Derek were out for the count, because she had a clear shot. Wang was smiling, clearly thinking he’d won. Leine sighted on him, took a deep breath, exhaled.

And squeezed the trigger.

Wang’s head jerked back and his knees buckled as he collapsed to the ground, still holding the boy. The boy struggled out of Wang’s grasp and climbed to his feet.

Leine swore. “Stay there, stay there, stay there,” she muttered under her breath. He stared at Wang lying on the ground until another round of gunfire split the air. Startled, he broke into a run, heading for a clump of dirt nearby. Relieved he was out of the line of fire, Leine craned her neck to see whether Derek needed help.

He wasn’t there.

“Come out, come out, wherever you are.” It was a man’s voice. Leine’s stomach twisted at his cheerful tone.

“I have your friend, so if you refuse I will have to kill him. Although,” he paused. “He’s already been shot and looks weak. He might bleed out soon.” The man’s laugh echoed against the surrounding hills. “And don’t forget—your gun comes first.”

Fighting to quell the anger burning in her chest, Leine shoved the rifle out from under the Rover. A pair of military-style boots appeared and someone picked up the weapon. She unbuckled the shoulder holster and slipped it off, hiding the PPK in the waistband of her pants.

“You are taking much too long,” the man scolded.

“I’ve been wounded. It’s going to take time.”

The same pair of boots walked to the Rover and crouched down. He reached underneath, seized her ankles, and dragged her out. A stabbing sensation shot through her calf, arcing up the back of her leg. Leine gritted her teeth against the pain.

She sat up to the barrel of an AK-47. Two men in military uniforms, one on each side of her, aimed machine guns at her head. The bearded man Leine had seen at Wang’s camp stood to her right, grinning. A gold tooth with a diamond embedded in it glittered in the early morning sun. Next to him was another thug holding Derek at gunpoint. His complexion gray, Derek looked like he was going into shock.

“He needs a doctor,” Leine said, gripping her own leg to stop the bleeding.

“That won’t be necessary,” the man with the beard said. “I am a doctor.”

“What?” Incredulous, Leine stared at him.

“My men refer to me as Doctor Death. Although, my women call me the Amazing Assad.” His smile vanished. “Open it,” he snapped at one of the gunmen, gesturing toward the Rover.

The man stepped past Leine and reached for the door. A distant crack split the air, followed by a thud. The gunman lurched forward and collapsed to the ground.

Assad’s eyes widened, and he threw his head back, searching the sky. “Drones,” he breathed.

Leine yanked the gun from her waistband and fired, catching the two remaining gunmen off guard. With what must have been his last ounce of strength, Derek knocked his captor’s weapon to the side and head-butted him.

Dazed, the gunman staggered back. Derek stepped away and Leine finished him off with two rounds to the chest. She scanned for Assad but didn’t see him.

“Where’d that come from?” Leine asked, gripping the door handle and pulling herself to her feet. She searched the surrounding hills, looking for Assad and the mysterious gunman as a wave of dizziness spiraled through her. She put a hand out to steady herself. Derek slumped against the Rover.

Leine got to him before he fell and threw his arm over her shoulder. Whoever had killed the other gunman weren’t interested in shooting them, or they’d be dead by now.

“Come on,” she said, and limped with him to the back of the vehicle. Opening the door, she eased him onto the floor of the cargo area, laid him on his back, and elevated his feet. Kylie and Zara peered over the backseat, their faces drained of color.

“Are they gone?” Kylie asked, her voice shaking.

“Heads down,” Leine ordered. Both of them ducked out of sight. “I don’t know, but we’ve got a lull. Derek’s not doing too well.”

“I have first aid training,” Kylie said softly.

“So do I,” Zara added.

Leine sighed. “Okay, you—” She stopped short at the sound of a vehicle approaching. Remaining behind the Rover, she stepped away from the cargo area and raised her weapon.

An open, military-style jeep with two men came toward her but slowed to a stop several yards away. A larger pickup followed behind.

“Drop your weapon.” The man riding shotgun spoke into a PA system.

Leine squinted, trying to make out who it was. He seemed familiar.

“Drop your weapon,” he repeated.

Leine glanced at Derek. He looked bad. “I’ve got wounded here,” she yelled. She tossed her gun to the ground and stepped away from the Rover, hands up.

“Identify yourself,” the man continued.

“Leine Basso,” she yelled back. “I’m American.”

The jeep pulled forward and stopped in front of the Rover. The second vehicle followed. The man who was using the PA climbed out.

“You. What—” Leine said when she recognized the uniform. It was the man from the lion encounter. “Where did you come from? Naasir, right?”

“Good memory. I thought your name was Claire?” Naasir glanced at Derek and motioned to his driver. “We’ll need the first aid kit. He looks like hell.”

“What are you doing here?” she asked.

“A mutual friend told me you needed help.” He eyed the dead bodies surrounding them. “I’m not so sure he was right.”

“By any chance, are you talking about Lou?” Leine asked.

Naasir nodded. “Lou Stokes and I go way back. Went through covert ops training together. We keep in touch—Christmas cards, that kind of thing. When you notified him of your need for support he thought of me right away. Sorry we didn’t arrive sooner.” He glanced at the carnage surrounding them and whistled. “Lou mentioned you knew how to handle yourself.”

“Yeah, well, I had help.”

She glanced at Derek. His skin didn’t look as pasty, and he was talking to the medic. Leine limped to the passenger side and opened the door. “You can come out now.”

Kylie and Zara emerged from the backseat. Kylie’s knees buckled and Naasir grabbed her before she collapsed. Zara looked shaken up but otherwise appeared to be in good condition. The cubs were all strangely quiet. A couple of them gazed up at Leine with inquisitive blue eyes.  She was glad to see none of them had been hurt. The loud gunfire must have scared them silent.

Then Leine remembered the boy. She started for the rock where she’d last seen him.

“Wait. What’s the hurry? You’ve been hurt.” Naasir followed her. When she didn’t respond he looked up, following her gaze.

Jaidee hovered near the rocks, his eyes round.

“Jesus,” Naasir breathed. “Where’d he come from?”

“It’s all right, Jaidee,” Leine called to him. “You’re safe.” She reached toward him, smiling. Brows drawn together, he grimaced, making a valiant effort not to cry. “Come on,” she urged.

Naasir stepped back in a clear attempt to lessen the perceived threat. Jaidee took a tentative step forward and looked around, his expression wary.

“It’s okay, I won’t hurt you—I promise,” Leine coaxed.

“Jaidee!” Kylie shouted from behind Leine. The boy shifted his attention to his friend and after a moment’s hesitation, ran to her.

Leine limped to the passenger side of the Rover and parked herself in the seat. Lifting her knee, she pulled her pant leg out of her sock to assess the damage to her calf. The skin was chewed up and a painful, bloody mess, but it didn’t look like the round had penetrated. She tore a paper towel from the roll on the floor and pressed it to the wound, wincing as she did.

“Daniel,” Naasir called to the medic. “When you’ve got him stabilized, bring the kit over here. The lady has a flesh wound.”

“How did you find us?” Leine asked, leaning her head back.

Naasir glanced skyward. “Unmanned aerial vehicle.” He returned his attention to the dead bodies. “Is that Victor Wang?”

“You know him?”

“A man named Assad Khoury’s been linked to several terrorist organizations. We’ve been monitoring him for quite a while, hoped he’d lead us to his backers. Thought it might be Wang.” He shook his head. “It wasn’t, although Wang used Khoury to move massive amounts of ivory. We could never prove it.”

“Assad was here,” Leine said. “He muttered something about drones before he disappeared.”

“I saw him run.” Naasir’s gaze was intense. “We had to let him go. We still need to track the money.”

“What happens to Wang’s people now? Most of his staff are victims.”

“All of them are being taken care of. My unit is there now, making sure everyone has a chance to contact their families and friends, let them know where they are.”

“You wouldn’t happen to have a phone on you?” Leine asked. “I’d like to call Lou, let him know what’s happening.”

“Of course.” Naasir whistled and raised his hand. “Phone.” One of his men ran over with an iridium satellite phone and handed it to Leine.

She entered Lou’s number and waited.