to the southern end of the valley. Even at the tank’s top speed, it would be another couple of minutes before they reached open desert. ‘How far will we be able to get?’
As if in answer, the diesel’s roar momentarily hiccuped. The engine was straining to draw the last dregs of fuel into its cylinders. ‘At a guess, maybe, er… fifty yards?’
He checked the valley walls. Off to the runway’s left they were too steep to climb, almost cliffs, but those on the right were lower and more accessible, with potential for concealment. The downside was that going that way would take them deeper into the enormous military range, in the direction of Groom Lake and Area 51.
But there was no other choice. He angled the M60 across the runway towards the lower western side of the valley. The engine coughed again as its insatiable thirst drained the fuel tank dry. Their speed began to drop.
‘Shit, we’re not even going to reach the bottom of the hill,’ he realised. ‘Go back into the turret and open the top hatch. Soon as we stop, get out and run for that little gully there.’ He pointed at a narrow channel winding up into the brown rocks. ‘I’ll be right behind you.’
Nina retreated to the commander’s position, pulling the lever to unlock the hatch above. She glanced back though a porthole at the gaping hole in the huge door — and saw tiny figures spilling through it. ‘Eddie! They’re coming after us!’
‘In jeeps or on foot?’
‘On foot.’
‘Good — that gives us a few minutes’ start, at least.’ The lack of fuel reaching the choking engine caused a literal death-rattle to echo through the cabin. The M60 slowed sharply. ‘That’s it, we’re done. Get out now!’
Nina forced the heavy hatch open and climbed out on to the top of the turret. Behind her, the massive diesel finally cut out. The squeal of the tracks faded as the tank ground to a standstill. She lowered herself to the hull, then jumped off, running for the gully.
Eddie exited via the driver’s hatch and quickly caught up. ‘Dunno how the fuck we’re going to get out of this one.’
‘No, no no,’ Nina admonished. ‘You’re supposed to say something positive.’
‘I would, but unless somebody offers us a free helicopter ride we’ll have a job.’ They reached the gully and started up it. The ascent was steeper than it had looked from the tank, wind-deposited sand making finding footholds a treacherous task. ‘Head over to your left, it looks a bit easier.’
She hauled herself up to a flatter area of rock, looking back towards the base. The running figures were making worryingly rapid progress. ‘Oh God, they’re catching up! How long before they can shoot at us?’
Eddie followed her up. ‘If any of ’em are good shots, they already can! But they’re air force, so we’re probably safe until they’re within twenty feet…’
‘Why do people in one branch of the forces hate everyone in the others more than the people they’re supposed to be fighting?’ Nina gasped as she ran up the slope. A clump of boulders ahead offered temporary cover from gunfire.
Beyond them, a hundred or so yards distant, rose a ridge. ‘We need to get over that,’ said Eddie. ‘The rock on the right, go up behind it.’
Nina changed direction. The slope became steeper, slowing her. Her throat began to burn with each breath. A look back: the men chasing them were blocked from view by the boulders. ‘At least they can’t shoot at us now —’
A distant sound caught her attention. Eddie immediately picked up on her alarm. ‘What is it?’
‘I can hear something! Sounds like—’
‘A chopper,’ he finished for her. Even with his diminished hearing, he could make out the thump of rotor blades. Someone at Silent Peak had called for help, and with the other secretive military facilities in the region essentially on permanent alert, it hadn’t taken long for the response to arrive.
No sign of the aircraft yet, though. They still had a chance to find cover. ‘Come on, go!’ he shouted. ‘We’ve got to get over the ridge!’
‘I’m going, I’m going!’ Nina complained, panting.
Feet rasping over rock and sand, they pounded up the slope. The incline became steeper as they approached its top. Eddie had to use his hands for support to clear the final yards. ‘Almost there…’
The helicopter’s rotor noise became a boom as it came into view. A Black Hawk; it was about half a mile away, but curving towards the base. ‘Down!’ Eddie commanded, but more as an automatic response to an airborne threat than in any real hope of finding concealment — they would be plainly visible against the barren hillside.
He looked for cover. Nothing usable on this side of the ridge. On the other side was a shallow natural bowl, broken rocks strewn within.
Not great, but better than nothing. ‘Over this side, quick!’ They scrabbled over the ridge and half ran, half slid down to the nearest large rock and crouched behind it. Nina cautiously peered round the boulder to find the Black Hawk.
It was changing course, turning sharply to head towards them. ‘Oh, crap,’ she squeaked.
Eddie was already searching for better cover, but nothing presented itself. Wherever they went, the Black Hawk could simply hover overhead. ‘So much for ’em not being able to shoot at us.’
‘This is
‘You don’t have a white flag, do you?’
Even if she had, it became clear a moment later that they wouldn’t get the chance to use it. A man leaning from the Black Hawk’s cabin opened fire with a machine gun. Bullets cracked noisily off the rock above them. Nina shrieked and scrambled round the boulder in an attempt to keep it between her and the helicopter; Eddie followed, stone chips biting at his heels. Choking dust swirled around them as the aircraft descended.
The assault continued without pause. A chunk of stone the size of a human head splintered from the rock and smacked down between Eddie and Nina. ‘Jesus Christ!’ she cried, flinching away — and in her peripheral vision catching movement at the top of the ridge.
The Security Forces had found them.
‘Eddie!’ She dropped flat as more gunfire struck from a different direction. More men were climbing over the hill.
Their orders were obviously to kill the intruders. Eddie gave Nina a last despairing look, grabbing her hand as the Black Hawk moved directly overhead—
The gunfire stopped.
The helicopter briefly hung above them, then veered away. Nina squinted through the billowing dust to see the troops also departing, one man with a hand to his head as if listening to a message through an earpiece — and unable to believe what he was hearing. He glared at the couple, then lowered his weapon and followed his companions out of sight.
Eddie wiped grit from his face. ‘What the hell? Why did they stop?’ He risked raising his head to look for the Black Hawk. It was on a course back to its home base.
‘You got a problem with that?’ Nina asked. ‘Because I don’t.’
‘Neither do I, but why are they just fucking off like that?’ He double-checked the ridge, expecting to see the pursuing troops lurking in wait, but it appeared that they really had retreated. ‘Stay there and keep down — I’ll see what’s going on.’
‘Shouldn’t we, y’know, run while we can?’ Nina called after him, but he ignored her and quickly scaled the ridge, dropping to his stomach near the top and peering over it.
The troops had indeed retreated, but not far. One man was surveying the ridge; he did a double-take as he spotted Eddie, pointing him out to his fellows, but none of them took a shot at him, or even raised their weapons.
‘What are they doing?’ Nina asked as he returned.
‘I dunno, but I don’t like it. They don’t want to kill us — but it doesn’t look like they’re going to let us leave either. They didn’t look happy about it, though. Somebody’s ordered them to stand down.’
‘Who?’
‘I wish I knew. But I get the feeling they’ll keep us here until we find out.’
That turned out to be the case. After several minutes, they heard another approaching chopper: not the Black Hawk that had attacked them, but a much smaller OH-6 Cayuse scout helicopter. It passed over the bowl, then moved to land near the abandoned tank.
