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“No, but it’s also not probable. Worthy, you’re alive because that water was freezing. How long do you think she’d have lasted?”
Not long.It was a question that didn’t require an answer, and he felt that sudden, nascent hope flowering in his chest wilt. “Then the only other possibility is her body was found by the same group that sent its guys to smoke us in the first place.”
In the murky silver light of dawn, he saw Driver’s face fold in a frown. “And kept as a bargaining chip?”
“I seem to recall that the tactic has moved governments before.”
Driver’s head moved in a slow nod. “I can see that. The only way that would work, of course, was if they had some way to both prove and spread the news.”
“Exactly. Our military would be anxious to avoid bad publicity. Except the guys who attacked us would have to suspect or know that someone hadn’t made it out. If that’s true, that would indicate surveillance for a prolonged period.”
Driver’s nose wrinkled as if something smelled bad. “I dunno, Worthy. Those guys who raided us that day didn’t seem the patient type.”
“Ah, but you see, that fits neatly into my second hypothesis.”
“Which is?”
“That they were trying todelayus. For argument’s sake, let’s say that they saw or knew I was leaving with some of the boys.”
Driver was quiet. Then he said, “What you’re saying is that they either picked up Mac’s chatter or had eyes on us for a while.”
“Or on one particular person.”
“Who was?”
“Driver, who was the one person who’d probably pissed off a lot of people?”
“Excluding present company and our government?” Driver paused. “Shahida.”
“Precisely.”
“You think they were after her?”
“I think that’s what this whole thing was about. Driver, I spent a lot of time beating up on myself, thinking that it was because Mac broke radio silence to get in touch with Drummond to meet me and those kids halfway which started the ball rolling. That whoever was after us homed in on Mac’s communications. Except I got back too soon and spoiled everything by sending up that flare. After that, they didn’t have much choice but to attack outright.”
“They could’ve withdrawn.”
“I don’t think that was an option. My guess is they’d gotten word back to more of their people and hoped that help was on the way. Leaving them only one course of action, really.”
“To delay us.”
“Exactly. They had rifles and that RPG launcher. If they played it right, they could’ve kept us there for quite a while. They had to know we wouldn’t risk the boys.”
“Then how do you explain the RPG?”
“Nerves? Crappy aim? Actually,” he said, “thatdiddelay Flowers, Mac, and Meeks.”
“Who then wasted them.”
“But think, Driver. Someone somehow got ahold of Roni’s body. So, I think they were trying to keep you from leaving until their guys could get there and come at you from behind. Just do a flanking maneuver. You guys would’ve been pinned, and Mac would’ve given up rather than risk the boys’ lives. They may have been fighters under Shahida’s command, but with no weapons, they were just a bunch of kids.”
He watched Driver think about that. “Okay, I’ll give you that. But how did anyone get ahold of Roni’s body? The way out was blocked.”
“There had to be another entrance into those caves you guys didn’t know about. Think about it. Think about all those artifacts Flowers showed me. The carvings on the walls.”
“Indicating the caves had been in use before.”
“Precisely. You said that Roni got sucked back the way we came, right? Only that way wasblockedbecause of a cave-in.”