Page 72 of Clive Cussler's Quantum Tempest
The two operators gathered up their gear and made their way back just in time to observe the Iranians breaking camp in the dark and leaving. Whether or not Raven had spooked them didn’t matter. They were leaving the main body and heading for another destination—it had to be the Quds base.
Linc and Raven were clearly outnumbered and carried only two guns between them. But their mission wasn’t to engage the enemy, only to discover their location. They gave the Iranians plenty of space before setting out after them, careful to keep themselves hidden. It was rough going. By not using their headlamps or flashlights, the two stealthy operators managed to stumble over nearly every tree root and sharp rock on the path the Iranians were taking. They trudged for hours, keeping count of the Iranian headlamps ahead of them, making sure one or more of them hadn’t snapped off their light and circled back.
By the time the sun rose, the jungle path had turned into a steep mountain trail, where the trees were thinner and the sight lines much longer. The Iranians doused their lights, which made it more difficult to track them, especially as the trail curved and dipped on the snaking route up the mountain.
With light and elevation on their side, the Iranians finally decided to follow security protocols, whether out of training or skittishness was unclear. Raven and Linc were losing ground to the advancing party. Every time a rear-guard sentry turned around or halted, the twooperators had to scramble for cover by ducking behind trees, hiding behind boulders, or even retreating back down the trail.
Despite their burning thighs, throbbing heads, and parched throats, the two Gundogs continued noiselessly up the trail. The Iranians had traveled for several hours and covered at least twenty klicks. Was it possible their base camp was at the top of this mountain?
A young Iranian stood at the apex of a steep hairpin turn, his eyes sweeping back and forth down the mountain and across the forested valley below him. He took a long pull of water from a canteen, then lit a cigarette, his eyes never ceasing their search. Ten minutes passed. He rubbed his cigarette out and pocketed the butt before turning on his heel and scrambling up the trail until he disappeared around the bend.
The two Gundogs exchanged a glance. No doubt the rest of the group had moved on quite a distance and the young Iranian was racing to catch up. They would all be out of earshot by now.
Linc and Raven carefully broke out their water bottles and a couple of power bars, slaking their thirst and hunger quickly, always with their eyes on the trail.
Raven was press-checking her weapon as Linc pulled the cheap AK rifle from his pack.
“Not a Barrett, but it’ll do,” Linc said.
Raven smiled. “It’s the samurai, not the sword.”
“Let’s see what’s what.”
The two operators sped to the top of the trail bend and peeked around the corner. The rocky path led into the black mouth of a yawning cave.
“Bingo,” Raven said.
The two Gundogs crouched behind a boulder, staying out of sight, their ears on high alert, their heads on swivels, hoping they hadn’t missed any Iranians who might have dropped off the main trail and circled back around behind them. None had.
They waited in that posture for another ten minutes. Dead silence. Lincoln checked his watch. He signaled “ten more” with his hands.
Another ten minutes passed. Nothing.
“I’m tired of this,” Raven said as she bolted for the cave entrance.
Linc raised his weapon to cover her advance.
Raven leaned against the rock just beyond the cave’s mouth. She waited, listening, then did a quick peek around the edge, and pulled her head back.
She turned to Linc and signaled “All clear.”
But even from this distance Linc could see the look in her eye.
Not just all clear.
They were gone.
39
Aboard theOregon
Juan Cabrillo was deep in the bowels of theOregon’s engine room with Max Hanley when he took another call from his primary client, Langston Overholt IV.
“Kinda in the middle of an inspection, Lang. What’s up?”
“Just wanted you to know the fentanyl sample and evidentiary materials you passed along have been received. The secretary of state is beyond thrilled. Well done.”
“It’s why you pay us the big bucks—speaking of which, when can I expect your deposit?”
