intrigued Boyd.
She continued up the slope of the rocky trail, trying to shield her eyes from the intense glare. With the exception of her hand, the only thing protecting her from total blindness was the figure that stood in the cave’s entrance. And from his slender frame, she knew it was Boyd.
‘
Before he could respond, she heard the unmistakable sound of gunfire, then watched in horror as Boyd turned from his perch and scrambled down the path. Without hesitation he buried his shoulder into her gut and tackled her to the floor, protecting her from the blitzkrieg. Skidding to a painful stop, he grabbed her hand and dragged her to the nearby corner, making sure they were out of the gunman’s range. ‘Are you all right?’ he demanded. ‘Are you hurt?’
Stunned, she took a moment to probe her body. ‘No, I’m fine.’
Boyd climbed to his feet and peeked around the nearest outcropping. The roar of the chopper still thundered outside. ‘I think we’re in trouble. There’s a helicopter out there.’
‘A helicopter?’
‘Yes! And it’s got a nasty little passenger. All I did was wave, and he started shooting at me!’ He peered around the rock, still unable to see. ‘But that’s not the worst thing. I saw a sign on the chopper that said
‘What? Are you serious?’
‘Of course I’m serious.’ He grabbed her hand. ‘Listen to me, we’re in grave danger. But if you follow my lead, we’ll survive.’
‘We can beat an armed helicopter?’
‘Yes! But we have to act quickly. If they land and come inside, we’re going to be killed.’
‘Wait! You want to fight a helicopter? With what?’
Boyd rushed to the corner and rummaged through their tools. ‘Did we bring any rope?’
‘Rope? Not with us. We left that in the truck.’
Quickly, Boyd turned the toolbox upside down and dumped its contents with a loud clatter. ‘I guess this will have to do instead.’
She stared at him, confused. ‘You asked for a rope but settled for a toolbox? Do you mind telling me what you’re going to do?’
‘Watch and learn, my dear. Watch and learn.’
Boyd carried the box toward the entrance of the cave and studied the machine that threatened their lives. It hovered less than fifty feet in front of the opening, its occupants glaring out the front window of the craft. ‘Maria, come here. Grab the camera and anything you want to take with us. Whether this works or not, I think it’s best if we leave this place as soon as possible.’
‘We’re leaving?’
‘Go!’ he ordered. ‘And be quick about it!’
She scampered to the rear while Boyd moved forward, boldly walking into the line of fire. He wasn’t sure if his idea was going to work, but he figured it was better than being trapped inside the Catacombs without any weapons. ‘Hello! Come and get me!’
He quickly repeated the phrase in Italian, just to make sure they understood his command. The chopper instantly moved closer, trying to reduce the angle between the sniper and target, hoping to avoid another misfire. But the maneuver was a tactical mistake. As the craft inched forward, Boyd extended the toolbox behind him, then tossed it underhanded as far as he could. The container sailed through the air until it floated into the path of the main rotor blades.
As the box closed in, the pilot suddenly realized what was about to happen. He’d been so concerned about the gusting wind and the dangerous rock face that he never paid attention to Boyd or his toolbox. It was an oversight that would cost him his life.
Metal struck metal in a sickening scream, shattering two of the four rotor blades on contact and sending shrapnel in every direction. With the sudden loss of lift, the chopper lurched forward, missing the rock face by inches before the pilot managed to pull the craft back. The sudden change in pitch couldn’t be handled by the rear rotor, causing the vehicle to spin like a broken Tilt-A-Whirl as it tumbled toward Boyd’s truck 700 feet below. Seconds later, the crunch of metal was masked by the powerful explosion that engulfed the side of the rock face, literally shaking the ground underneath Boyd’s feet.
‘Brilliant!’ he cheered. ‘Bloody brilliant!’
As the roar continued, Maria burst from the interior of the cave to see what had happened. ‘
He nodded, happy with his handiwork. ‘Thank goodness we paid the renter’s insurance.’
Normally she would’ve howled at his comment, but Boyd didn’t give her the chance. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back inside, where he started gathering his equipment. Unfortunately, he was forced to stop when he heard a distant rumbling.
‘Maria? What is that? Is that another chopper?’
She grimaced, then took a few steps toward the mouth of the cave. Leaning back, she glanced at the cliffs above her. A slow trickle of rocks and debris were heading down the steep slope. ‘Oh my God!’
In a flash Boyd knew what was happening. The impact of the explosion had forced the ground around them to shake, producing the last thing that he wanted. ‘Avalanche!’
The duo burst from the tunnel entrance, running as fast as they could. Although it was a risky choice, they knew they’d rather face an onslaught of falling rocks than the sudden impact of a cave-in. Debris they could dodge. Collapsing tunnels they couldn’t.
Grabbing Maria by the hand, he led the way along the narrow rock face, making sure they stayed together as they hugged the wall of the cliff. They scurried on the precipice for several seconds when they realized they couldn’t outrun the falling debris. The footing was too unstable, and the stones were too constant for escape. They needed to find cover and hope for the best.
They scrambled under the first ridge they found, hoping the large outcropping would shield them from the debris. Unfortunately, as they stood underneath the slab, they realized that the ledge had several cracks near its base, flaws that might collapse when put under sudden duress.
‘Please hold!’ Maria begged. ‘Oh God, please hold!’
The two soldiers stared in disbelief as the helicopter plummeted past them. Flames shot skyward like a geyser from hell, forcing the men to cower against the rock face for protection. But it wasn’t the heat that they needed to worry about.
The landslide started with a trickle. First a pebble, then a stone, and finally a massive boulder. Before long, half the damn ridge was heading toward them, and they realized it was just a matter of time before they’d be joining their commander in the afterworld. The younger of the two men was the lucky one, for he died without suffering. A sharp piece of rock hit him squarely on the head, shattering his skull and rupturing his frontal lobe like a blow from a battle-ax. One minute he was by his partner’s side, the next he was splattered on his face.
Soon his lifeless body was swept down the cliff face in a torrent of dust and stones.
The older man tried to ignore the gruesome scene, though it was impossible. Chunks of brain stuck to his face like scraps of sushi, while blood seeped into the corner of his eyes, stealing his ability to see. Despite this hindrance, he somehow managed to hang on, shaking off the falling stones that tore at his flesh, praying he could somehow survive this horror and scramble back to his squad in one piece. But it was not to be.
The rock that sealed his fate struck him squarely on the right shoulder, ripping his arm from its socket with a nauseating pop and shattering his clavicle like it was made of glass. He teetered on the edge for several seconds — just enough time to express his agony with a scream that rose above the roar of the fire below — before crashing to the earth.
One toolbox. Four dead.
The outcropping shook and trembled throughout the landslide. Maria watched nervously as stones plunged past her, but nothing, not even the tiniest of pebbles, managed to find them in their protective haven.
