rather than a full seatbelt, and a threadbare one at that. She spun the wheel to straighten out, aiming for the tail- lights ahead. Nina was charging through the desert like a maniac, far too fast for the terrain.
But she wasn’t the only one.
Movement in her peripheral vision - a man on horseback galloping parallel to the Land Cruiser, a hundred feet away and closing as he swung an AK from his back and aimed it at her.
She tried to swerve away, but too late.
Only a few bullets from the wild spray of fire hit her vehicle - but one found a vital spot. The front tyre blew out, the wheel hub digging into the sand. The Land Cruiser skidded to a stop in a huge cloud of dust, almost rolling over before dropping heavily back on to its remaining three wheels.
Dazed, Sophia sat up - to see the horseman flash through her headlight beams, still pursuing the other truck.
‘Shit!’ said Chase as he saw Sophia’s 4x4 slew to a halt. The Janjaweed rider was still gaining - and now had his gun at the ready.
He struggled to load the machine gun, having to rely almost entirely on touch to figure out the unfamiliar mechanism in the dark. He managed to open the ammo feed’s cover, hinging it up and trying to load the first round—
The AK-47 spat fire. A bullet hissed past Chase’s head; he dropped, the ammo belt chinking down beside him as more shots hit the back of the Hilux. Nina ducked in her seat.
The gunfire stopped. Chase risked a look over the tailgate. The rider was a blood-red demon in the rear lights. He shouldered the AK - out of ammo.
But he had another weapon.
A machete. He raised the long, brutal blade high like a sword.
Chase retrieved the ammo belt and jumped back up to reload the machine gun, glancing at Nina to check she hadn’t been hit. She was only just sitting up . . .
And hadn’t seen what was rushing at them in the headlights.
‘Look out!’ he started to shout - but the Hilux had already reached the edge of the ditch.
The empty stream bed was shallow, the steep bank no more than eighteen inches deep - but it was enough to tip the Toyota over as its right wheels dropped into the depression. Nina braked hard and tried to stop the truck overturning . . .
Too late.
Chase threw himself out of the cargo bed as the truck rolled, landing hard in dry stream. The pickup hit the far bank and crashed to a standstill on its side.
He crawled towards it. Only one headlight was still working. No sign of Nina. He stood—
And was smashed to the ground as something huge and heavy hit him from behind.
Hamed pulled the reins to slow his horse and wheel round for another attack, preparing to trample Chase into the sand.
Chase dived into the ditch as the horse thundered at him, then scrambled clumsily back to his feet. The rider turned again, his horse jumping down into the red-lit arena of the stream bed.
They faced each other for a moment. Then the Janjaweed leader extended his arm, pointing his machete at Chase - and spurred the horse into a charge.
Chase grabbed for the Browning. It wasn’t there - he had lost it when he jumped from the truck. He turned and ran for the pickup, the pounding hooves closing fast, almost on him.
A swish—
Pure instinct made him dive and roll as the machete swept over his head. Hamed pulled up. The horse turned and reared, front legs swiping at Chase. He threw up his arms to protect his head, taking a savage kick and falling on his back.
Hamed jumped from the horse, slashing the machete at Chase. He rolled as the blade smacked down where his shoulder had just been. Another roll, springing up as the blade hacked again, narrowly missing his legs.
Behind Hamed he saw Nina crawling from the Hilux’s open cab. The machine gun was pointing towards him. If she could reach it—
No good. It wasn’t loaded, the ammo belt a coiled snake in the ditch.
Hamed advanced, jabbing the machete. Chase ducked back, the two men slowly circling.
Nina groaned, catching the Janjaweed leader’s attention. He leered. Chase had no doubt what his intentions were: kill him, then . . .
‘No you fucking don’t,’ he growled. Hamed might not have understood the words, but still knew what Chase was saying, and grinned malevolently as he lunged. Chase dodged the heavy blade as it whipped past. He tried to knock it from the Janjaweed’s hand, but Hamed anticipated the move and twisted the machete to rip through his sleeve, the blade’s ragged edge drawing blood. Chase jerked away, realising too late that the horse was right behind him.
Hamed shouted a command. The horse reared again, knocking Chase down.
The Janjaweed leader moved in for the kill, raising the machete high to cleave it down through Chase’s spine—
The tip of the ammo belt lashed across Hamed’s face as Nina swung it, tearing bloody gashes in his skin. He staggered back.
Chase jumped up. ‘Here!’ Nina tossed him the belt. He caught one end with his left hand, whirling it - and snagging it round Hamed’s machete arm. He cracked the belt like a whip. Hamed’s arm shot up, the machete flying out of his hand.
Chase yanked hard, pulling Hamed towards him - and delivering a nose-crushing punch.
The Janjaweed leader reeled, but didn’t fall, held up by the ammo belt as Chase caught the falling machete with his right hand . . .
And swung it.
Hamed’s body collapsed, blood squirting from the stump of its neck. His head bounced away down the stream bed, rolling to a stop - at Sophia’s feet. She eyed it. ‘This is no time for football, Eddie.’
Chase didn’t reply, instead going to Nina. ‘You okay?’
‘I think so . . .’ She saw the cut on his arm. ‘What about you?’
‘It’s not as bad as it looks. Just hope he washed his machete after he used it last.’ He crouched and unwound the ammo belt from Hamed’s arm.
Sophia reached them, the rifle over one shoulder, a backpack on the other. After exchanging looks of mutual loathing with Nina, she went to the horse, which had taken its owner’s death with a complete lack of concern, and patted the animal’s neck. ‘You found another ride, then. Although it might be a little cramped for three of us.’
‘Dobbin wasn’t what I had in mind. Give me a hand.’ He spotted and retrieved the Browning, then went to the pickup to push it back on to its wheels. The two women joined him; after a few seconds of effort, it toppled back down. He dropped the ammo belt into the rear bed, tossing other spilled items after it, then hopped into the cab and turned the key. To his surprise, the engine started first time. ‘Wow, these things really
Sophia held up the bubble compass from the Land Cruiser as she and Nina climbed aboard. ‘And I’ve got the perfect dashboard accessory.’ She looked northwest. ‘That way.’
‘The gang’s all here,’ Nina said sarcastically, giving Chase a pointedly questioning glare when she realised Sophia was wearing his leather jacket. He took it back, to Sophia’s annoyance, and put it on.
‘Okay, then,’ he said. ‘Next stop . . . the Garden of Eden.’
33
They drove through the night, Chase guiding the Hilux across the desert. There was no sign of pursuit, by either the Janjaweed or the Covenant. Even so, the going was slow, with treacherous terrain and only one working headlight to guide them. More than once, they had to dig the truck out when it became bogged in soft sand.
