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“It would be the only way,” Driver said then amended, “knowing Mac. He’d blame himself. Convince the higher-upsthat it would be easier to go solo. Not as many moving parts to worry about.”
Or he might have had help for at least part of the adventure.John thought back to Ustinov, how helpful he’d been. Procuring weapons, those rigged money bags which had so tempted Parviz.
“How’d he manage getting you out this time?”
“I make map from here.” Shahida tapped her temple. “As much as I know because this time, we all have to go into mine. I tell to Mac, and he have all on paper and thenheput in his head because we got night vision, you know?”
“And then?”
“Map was bad.” Shahida’s eyes seemed to shutter. “Mine tunnels are changed.”
“They would,” John said. “If you got out in early 2022. A lot of time between now and then for them to extend the mine.”
“And why the hell go in winter?” Driver asked.
“Not as many men.” When they all turned, Poya continued, “The mine stops because it’s too cold. They don’t run the generators much at all. Sarbaz usually goes away in winter, too.”
“We got candles. Sarbaz want save money so sends all the men away. Only boys still there.” Shahida paused. “Sarbaz, too. I no know why he there now.”
“You don’t?” Driver hacked a harsh laugh. “You’rethe reason. You came back, you got caught, and the guy wants to know what you know. You worked with a friggingspook,Shahida. That’s why he let his guys shoot you up like that.”
“Me?” Shahida shook her head. “But I no know nothing much.”
That, John thought, was a lot of bull. “So, Mac and his guys come to get you and then? Were you as jacked up?”
She shook her head. “Sarbaz make mens give me shot make me better, not so…” She waved her arms. “Flappy-flappy. I gosleep. I wake up when Mac come. I start having big…” She flapped a hand. “Shakes.”
“Did they give you the shot in an IV or your arm?” When Shahida pointed to her upper arm, John said, “Well, that explains why. You need a good IV dose to come out of it. What then?”
“Mine bigger now. Longer than before. Shahida’s gaze ticked from him to Driver and then away. “I stay with Mac, but we do not find my boys where they used to be.”
“Because they’re further back in the mine by now. The lithium would’ve played out where they were.”
“Mmm.” Shahida’s shoulders rose then fell. “Mac lose Meeks and Flowers on radio. He give me weapon, say go back out because I not so good and still…” She waggled both arms. “Twitchy. Then I hear shooting, and Mac come running back. He not have his helmet anymore. He said got knocked off in fight and night vision get smashed. So, he kill guard, take his helmet and go look for boys and find Flowers and Meeks.” Her eyebrows pulled into a frown. “I think he take wrong turn. He get into fight. I hear big shouting and then I hear more guards, and he comes back, and he has…” She made a face. “Big shit. Bad smell.”
“What happened?” John asked.
Shahida shrugged and spread her hands at the same time. “He say small person he have to knock out hit him with pail of…you know.” She made a blatting sound.
“Talk about a shit show,” Driver said.
Shahida ignored him. “Guards come, and he run. I think maybe he found one of my boys.”
“One of your kids hit him with a piss bucket?” John asked.
“Maybe? Sarbaz do that. Separate boys who talk back and put on chain and make them sit in dark cave until they sorry and do what he say. Mac never get chance to tell me because then we are running out. We get some away, but he is shot. Guards chase andthen I shoot.” Another shrug. “Then I find cave where is warm and I drag him inside. And then we wait,” Shahida said. “We wait to die.”
4
After a long silence.
“Okay,” John said. “Given that Mac tried again andthatwent sidewaysandthe mine system is more complex than before, where does that leave us?”
“I no leave my boys,” Shahida said.
“As you have said,” Driver observed. “Many times.”
Shahida opened her mouth, but John cut her off. “Enough. You guys duke it out later. Right now, we have a problem. Mac’s out of it. Shahida’s out of it. You got a chopper coming, but no reinforcements. Meanwhile, Meeks and Flowers are still up there.” They might also be dead, but as with Roni…wherever she was…John wouldn’t leave them behind.