The Covenant of Genesis (62 page)

‘How long?’

‘Four minutes.’ He climbed into the driver’s seat, starting the engine. The 6.5 litre turbo-diesel growled as he made a U-turn to face along the shore.

‘We’ll never make it,’ said Nina, a chill running through her. ‘Callum had that much of a head start on us, and he hasn’t even got round the end of the ravine.’

Chase pushed down hard on the accelerator. The Humvee’s wheels spun, slipping sideways in a spray of mud and earth before finding grip and surging forwards. ‘We’re not going round the ravine.’

‘We’re not?’

They charged through a stream, kicking up a massive shower of crystalline droplets. ‘Taking a short cut.’

Nina gripped her seat as the Humvee bounced back on to dry land. ‘I don’t think this thing’s gonna fit over that log!’

‘I’m not going for the log.’ Chase swerved round a tree, wheels carving through the water before he straightened out and smashed the 4x4 through some bushes on to a small hill.

‘What
are
you going for?’

Despite the rockier terrain, Chase kept the pedal down, building up speed as they approached the top of the rise. ‘You remember
The Dukes of Hazzard
?’

Nina blanched. ‘You’re going to
jump
the ravine?’

‘If we go the long way round, we’ll never make it!’

‘And we’ll never make it if we jump! We’re not in an action movie, and this thing must weigh five tons!’

They reached the top, the western side of the Garden of Eden opening out before them. Verdant jungle lit by shafts of sunlight to the right, the dark crack of the ravine slashing across the landscape ahead—

‘There he is!’ Chase yelled, catching a flash of reflected light on the far side of the ravine. Callum’s Humvee was bounding along the edge of the cliff, squeezed between the trees and the near-vertical drop. He pushed the pedal to the floor, the engine surging. ‘How long?’

‘Three minutes!’

The log bridge was off to the right; almost directly ahead was the large, slanted rock Chase had noticed earlier, protruding over the side of the chasm. Callum was still short of the log, but would reach it in seconds. ‘Soon as we stop on the other side, no matter what happens, you run for the tunnel!’ he told Nina.

‘And if we don’t reach the other side?’

The Humvee picked up speed as it descended the rise, flattening everything in its path. Chase aimed for the rock, then looked at Nina. ‘Then this is your last chance to say I love you!’

‘I love you,’ Nina said, grimacing. ‘But I hate the way you
driiiiiive
!’

The Humvee hit the rock at over fifty miles an hour and shot up the impromptu ramp—

And flew across the ravine.

C
allum glimpsed movement to his left as he passed the log. He looked round - and froze at the sight of the black colossus arcing across the gap at the head of a trail of dust and dirt from its still-spinning wheels.

Fear snapped him back to life as he realised that the other Humvee was not only going to make it over the ravine, but would collide with him if he didn’t stop—

He slammed on the brakes. His Humvee slewed on the damp ground as the other vehicle smashed down in front of him.

Even with the soft earth absorbing the impact, its suspension collapsed, one wheel ripping away. Amidst a whirlwind of churned soil and shredded creepers, the Humvee tore through the tangled net of vines hanging from the trees before slamming sidelong into the trunks and bouncing back towards the cliff . . .

Smashing into Callum’s skidding vehicle.

Glass shattered and metal tore with a banshee screech. The colliding 4x4s swept over the edge, teetering on the brink before starting to fall—

And abruptly jerking to a stop.

The wrecked suspension of Nina and Chase’s Humvee was entangled in vines and creepers. It hung sideways over the edge of the cliff at a forty-degree angle - as Chase discovered when he opened his eyes to find that the steep tilt of the world around him wasn’t solely down to his dizziness.

He saw blood on the steering wheel where he had banged his head against it. Below him, Nina was crumpled in the footwell.

Pulling himself upright, Chase forced open his door, immediately seeing how perilous their position was. Even as he watched, the vines holding them vibrated like plucked guitar strings, the weaker creepers twisting . . . and snapping. The little pops and cracks sounded like someone stepping on bubblewrap - but each break put more strain on the others. It was only a matter of moments before the Humvee fell.

‘Nina, get up,’ he said, reaching down to take hold of her arm.

She raised her head, looking dazedly at him. ‘Did we make it?’ she asked absently. He nodded. ‘Oh, good.’

‘We’re not safe yet. We’ve got - shit, two and a half minutes.’

‘Until what again?’

He pulled at her. ‘You know? The bomb?’

‘What bomb?’ Her eyes finally focused on him. ‘The bomb! Oh, shit, the bomb!’ She tried to stand, only to gasp in pain. ‘Oh, God, my leg still hurts!’

‘Think you can walk?’

‘I’m gonna have to! No, wait,’ she added as she forced herself up, ‘I’m gonna have to
run
!’

A much louder snap from outside was accompanied by a jolt. One of the thicker vines had just given way. ‘This thing’s going to fall! Come on!’ Chase put both feet against the high transmission tunnel between the seats and straightened his legs, lifting Nina up. ‘Climb over me!’

‘But—’

‘Quick!’ He shoved her through the door. More snaps. The Humvee lurched.

Nina scrambled clear. Chase gripped the door frame and pulled himself upwards, using the steering column for a step as he dived out—

Several vines snapped at once. The battered Humvee swung round, tipping over the edge - and plummeted into the ravine, bouncing off the rockface and cartwheeling into the darkness below.

Nina hobbled to Chase, who lay at the lip of the chasm, both legs hanging out over nothingness. Despite the pain, she pulled him clear. ‘Jesus! Are you okay?’

Chase could hardly speak, his heart slamming in his chest. He managed a thumbs-up, before seeing they were not alone.

Callum’s Humvee hung almost vertically over the cliff edge, nose down at what seemed like an impossible angle until Chase saw it was suspended from a pointed rock, its tip wedged under the 4x4’s rear axle. The engine was still running, and its front doors were both open, extended like stubby wings - revealing Callum slumped over the wheel inside.

Unconscious.

‘Get to the tunnel,’ Chase said, standing.

‘Not without you,’ Nina said. ‘What are you doing?’

‘I can use his radio to delay the strike - I remember the code. Look, go!’ he said, seeing that she was about to object. ‘There’s only two minutes left!’ He waited until she reluctantly turned and began a limping run towards the exit, then bunched together several creepers and used them to climb down the cliff.

Not sure how much weight the passenger-side door could take, he kept hold of the creepers as he gingerly put his feet on it. The hinges creaked. Wincing, he eased himself into the cabin. The armoured windscreen was cracked, loose gear strewn across it. Not sure if it would support his weight, Chase instead stood on the dashboard and looked more closely at Callum.

The white-haired agent still seemed out cold, a deep cut across his cheek. His jacket hung open. There was no sign of a radio in the equipment on the windscreen, so it was probably still in his pocket.

Chase edged closer, alert for any noises or movements warning that the Humvee was about to fall. It swayed as he crossed the cabin, but the rock supporting it seemed solid - for now.

He reached Callum. The American was still breathing. Chase hunched lower, carefully slipping his arm through the steering wheel to reach Callum’s inside pocket. His fingers touched the fabric; something hard and heavy inside. He edged his hand up, feeling plastic, switches . . .

Callum’s eyes opened.

He grabbed Chase’s outstretched arm and slammed it against the wheel, sweeping his other hand across to deliver a crunching backhand blow to the Englishman’s face. Chase tried to pull back, but Callum bent his wrist backwards over the wheel’s rim until the joints crackled, pinning him as he swung at Chase’s head again, catching his jaw.

Chase retaliated with a punch of his own, then gouged Callum’s eye with his thumb. Callum jerked away, releasing his grip on Chase’s arm.

Chase stumbled back, one foot slipping off the dash on to the windscreen. Fractured glass squealed, cracks spreading out from beneath his boot like thin ice. He hurriedly lifted his foot—

Callum hit him in the chest. Caught off balance, Chase staggered . . . and fell backwards.

He landed on the open door - which buckled, one of the hinges snapping. With a yelp of ‘Oh,
shit
!’ Chase slid down it and was pitched into the chasm below—

His hand clamped round the window frame.

The jolt as he stopped his fall almost wrenched his arm from its socket. He slammed against the Humvee’s mangled front wing, swinging helplessly. More cracks came from the door’s overstressed hinge as it was bent past its limit.

Callum crossed the cabin. He saw Chase’s hand gripping the frame, knuckles white. A nasty smile crossed his lips as he edged closer - and smashed his heel down on the door. The hinge groaned. Another strike, and another. Metal strained, split—

Snapped.

The door dropped into the ravine - just as Chase caught the Humvee’s wing with his free hand. He slammed face first against the wheel as the door fell past him, hitting his shoulder and almost tearing him loose. Blood seeping from his fingers where he clutched torn metal, he kicked and flailed before finally finding a second handhold.

Callum leaned out of the doorway above him. Their eyes met. For a moment Chase thought he was going to lower himself out and stamp on his hands, but then he retreated into the cabin.

He knew why. The Humvee was hanging from a single rock; a couple of kicks would send the entire vehicle plunging to its doom. If Callum reached the top of the cliff before he did—

The thought spurred him to action. He pulled himself up, climbing hand over hand until he managed to get a foothold on the bumper.

Callum heard him moving as he was about to climb out through the driver’s-side door. He halted, spotting something in the footwell. A pistol.

Chase kept climbing. He reached the doorway, looked inside—

To see Callum bringing up a gun.

He ducked as Callum fired. Two shots zipped just above his head, a third striking the door frame. The Humvee shook as Callum climbed across the cabin, coming to finish the job.

Nowhere to go . . .

Except down.

Chase released his grip - and dropped.

He caught the front wheel, hands slipping over the mud clogging the tread before finding purchase. Without a pause, he swung himself underneath the Humvee, grabbing the front axle and clambering along it like a monkey bar.

Callum returned to the doorway and looked down again. No sign of Chase. With a satisfied smirk, he peered up the cliff, comparing the vines Chase had used to climb down to the ones on the other side of the vehicle. Deciding that the latter appeared stronger, he turned back across the cabin.

Reaching the other end of the axle, Chase hauled himself round the wheel and pulled himself up beneath the open door. Through the window, he saw Callum negotiating the steering wheel, not wanting to stand on the damaged windscreen.

Chase grabbed the dangling vines beside the door and rapidly climbed upwards. Callum, halfway through the door, heard the noise - as Chase pulled up both legs and booted him back into the cabin. The gun clattered on the windscreen. Chase dropped on to the door, the hinges screeching. He grabbed the door frame - and smashed a nose-breaking punch into Callum’s face.

The American fell, sprawled over the dashboard. Chase stepped inside and plucked the radio from Callum’s jacket. He pulled back, reaching for the vines outside.

Callum’s hand closed round the gun. Eyes narrowed to pain-filled slits, he brought it up, taking aim—

Chase stepped on the accelerator.

The Humvee’s wheels spun, finding grip even on the cliff face - and wrenching the rear axle off the pointed rock.

Clinging to the vines with one hand, Chase yanked his leg out of the cabin as the Humvee fell. Callum’s scream echoed up the canyon as the vehicle disappeared into shadow - then was cut off by a huge crash of metal on stone.

‘Fuck you, whitey!’ Chase gasped, shoving the radio into the waistband of his jeans before gripping the vines with both hands and climbing. He could feel the plants straining under his weight. Only six feet to go, five, the edge of the cliff tantalisingly close—

A loud snap. One of the larger creepers gave way, the smaller vines bunched with it in his hand also ripping. He snatched at others, but they had been damaged by the Humvee when it ground over the edge and broke instantly. He swung, the vines in his other hand tearing . . .

Hands gripped his flailing wrist. Startled, he looked up.

Nina.

‘I got you,’ she said.

She pulled. Toes scrabbling against the rocks, Chase forced himself upwards until he was able to get one hand over the edge. He dragged himself on to solid ground, staring up at Nina as he panted in relief. ‘I told you to get out!’

‘Like you say, I never listen to you.’ She helped him sit up. ‘I wasn’t going to leave you here.’

‘Thanks.’ He examined the radio. He didn’t recognise the type - some kind of spook special, he guessed - and hoped Callum hadn’t changed the frequency. ‘Okay, let’s give this a try.’

‘You’re not going to do your John-Wayne-with-brain-damage voice, are you?’ said Nina as he switched it on.