Page 92

CHAPTER 91

THE SHOT CAME from the jungle.

Kira blinked as the man from the helicopter tumbled headfirst into the mine. Her curiosity had overwhelmed her instinct for self-preservation. She had worked her way back to the edge of the pit, crouching behind a felled tree trunk, close enough to overhear what the stranger had been saying. She saw the way the five giants kowtowed to him—right up until the second his skull exploded.

A few seconds later, the entire tree line erupted with gunfire, splintering the wooden platform and kicking up dirt on the rim of the mine. Kira saw the giants take cover behind anything they could find. They leveled their rifles and started to return fire. The air crackled and popped with single shots and long automatic bursts. Muzzle flashes lit up the compound.

Kira pressed herself flat onto the ground, lifting her head just enough to peek around the tree trunk. Suddenly, a figure flopped down beside her with a heavy thump. Kira rolled onto her side and brought up her knife. A hand grabbed her wrist. “Stop! It’s me.”

Lial’s face was shiny with sweat and streaked with dirt. She released Kira’s hand and nodded toward the jungle. “Cal’s men—a Somali militia,” she said between breaths. “About fifty of them.”

“Why are they here? What were they saying?”

“They have a very specific mission,” said Lial. “They came to kill you.”

That was a bit of a gut punch, but in a strange way, Kira felt flattered. “Me? Why send a whole army?”

Lial inched forward on her belly and peeked over the dead tree. “Because they think Doc Savage is here with you.”

Kira felt a surge of adrenaline. She grabbed Lial’s arm. “Doc? So he’s still alive?”

“Apparently Cal thinks so.” Lial glanced down and saw Kira’s blood-soaked thigh. “What happened there?”

“Stupid. The assholes set a trap, and I walked right into it.”

Another volley of fire blasted from the jungle, pinning the giants down. Lial reached into her backpack and fished out a plastic syringe. She pulled the needle cap off with her teeth and spit it away. She nodded toward Kira’s hip. “Pants.”

Kira tucked her thumb under her waistband and lowered it enough to expose the top of her right buttock. Lial jabbed the needle in. “Gentamicin,” she said. “Kills almost anything.” She tossed the syringe away. “How’s the pain?”

Kira’s leg was throbbing and burning from hip to toe. “It’s fine.” She knew Lial would have said the same thing.

The firing from the jungle was getting more intense. Kira saw the first line of invaders emerge from the trees, taking positions on the opposite side of the mine. The five giants were laying down a field of fire, but they were clearly outgunned.

Kira realized now that this was her fight. She was done running. But to engage, she needed weapons and ammunition and support. Lial seemed to know what she was thinking. She pulled out her Glock, slid in a fresh clip, and rose to her knees. She pointed toward the right flank of Cal’s force. “I’ll go make a nuisance of myself. Do what you need to do.” She made a dash for the undergrowth.

Kira moved around the edge of the trunk and started crawling toward the compound. Every move put her punctured thigh in contact with the rough ground. Agony. She gritted her way through it and kept going. Kira had been shot at more times than she could remember. But this was different. This was a battle zone. It was terrifying. It was deafening. The air was buzzing with death.

As she moved through the field of fire, puffs of red dirt exploded around her. She heard bangs from Lial’s pistol in the jungle. Muzzle flashes started blasting in that direction. The distraction was working. It was giving the five defenders time to find better cover and reload.

Kira inched closer, circling behind them. The giants reminded her of Doc. At least in size. They were fierce fighters. And for the moment, they were holding off the men who came to kill her.

That made them her new best friends.