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Then a high-pitched whine made them glance up. An enormous fireball erupted less than a hundred meters in front of them. The officer talking to them was knocked off his feet.
Tom took advantage and put his foot down. The SUV jerked forward. The sandy ground didn’t have much traction and the wheels spun, kicking up a deluge of sand behind them as they sped off.
“Hold on,” he told Hannah, still hunkering down in the back.
A thick, dark cloud seeped over the soldiers, over the tents and over Anwar’s helicopter that had just landed. In the mayhem, Tom slipped through the gates unnoticed.
That had to have come from Abu-al-Rashid. They were sending a message. We have firepower too.
But was it enough?
He didn’t know how well equipped the rebels were, but he was willing to bet it was nothing like the army’s arsenal.
“What was that?” she asked.
“Abu-al-Rashid making a bold statement. There’s going to be hell to pay now.”
“Do you think they’ll come after us?”
“Yeah.” There was no doubt about that. “Once they realize you’re gone. They have a chopper, remember?”
“Oh, shit. How are we going to outrun them in that?”
“We’re not.” He set his jaw determinedly. “We’re going to find some cover. Do you remember the map we looked at?”
“Yes.” She sat up now that they were clear of the base.
“Wasn’t there some sort of farming structure nearby? I seem to recall seeing it on the map.”
There was a pause as Hannah filtered through the filing cabinet in her brain.
“Yes, there was. You’re right. It was a grain facility, I think. It must be approximately two miles west of here.
“Right.” He swung the wheel and headed on a westward bearing. “I’m going to head for that. It will give us some cover from an air assault.”
They bounced over the grueling landscape, keeping to their bearing until the grain handling facility came into view. It was hard to miss. The steel corrugated silos shone like reflective mirrors in the stark sunlight. It looked completely out of place in the otherwise barren desert.
“What’s that behind the silos?” asked Hannah, pointing into the distance.
“It looks like a warehouse,” he said, gunning it across the hard sand. It had large open garage doors and was perfect for hiding a vehicle.
They were nearly there when Tom heard the familiar throb of the helicopter.
Hannah cried, “Oh, no. They’ve found us.”
“Must have followed our dust trail,” he gritted out. “We may as well have left a line of breadcrumbs.”
He drove into the warehouse and cut the engine. With the double doors wide open, the occupants of the helicopter would be able to see right in.
“Should we try to hide it?” she asked.
“No point. They know we’re in here.” The warehouse was a storage facility for farm and industry equipment, but it was all neatly lined up at the rear.
“Let’s go.” Tom jumped out of the vehicle. Hannah followed, pale and disoriented. “Here’s a side door.” He tried it, but it was locked. With a mighty heave, he threw his shoulder against it, and it burst open.
The helicopter was approaching fast.
They ran toward the silos. The silver containers were so bright they had to squint against the reflection. They zigzagged around the first two and ducked in between the third and fourth. At several hundred metric tons each, they were fat and bulky and offered a good degree of cover.