would take us at least ninety seconds to make that distance over muddy ground, and that's a very long time for an M-16 to have you in its sights.
But who knew what the next hour held? The three of us could be split up and moved to separate rooms, killed, or even put into the remaining Huey and flown out. We had no control over that, and by waiting could end up squandering the chance Aaron had given us.
As I looked through the glass and mesh, it was easy enough to confirm our route half right towards the dead ground, then into the treeline. We'd be moving at an angle away from the front of the house and the veranda, but there'd come a point where we cleared the corner at the back and were in the Huey's line of sight. Would there still be people aboard? Maybe the pilot carrying out his checks? There was no right or wrong about the decision to go now. These things are not a science: if we died, I'd have been wrong; if we lived, I'd have been right.
Once absorbed by the wall of green we'd be relatively safe; we'd just have to contend with a night out on the jungle floor, then spend the next day moving through the canopy towards the dead valley, navigating by paralleling the track.
We'd cross the tree graveyard at night, hiding under the dead wood in the day, until we made Chepo. From there, who knew? I'd worry about that then. As for Aaron, I doubted that he'd last much past eight thirty.
Carrie and Luz were still comforting each other on the bed. I went over to them and, with Britney on the wall overseeing events, whispered, 'We're going to go for the trees.'
Luz looked at her mother for reassurance.
'The thing to remember is that we must spread out when we're running, OK? That way it's harder to be seen.'
Carrie looked up from her child and frowned. She knew that wasn't the reason.
She knew a single burst from an M-16 could kill all three of us, and if we were spread out, we'd be that bit harder to hit.
Luz tugged at her mother's arm.
'What about Daddy?'
I could see Carrie fighting back the tears and put my hand on her shoulder.
'I'll come back for him, Luz, don't worry. He wanted me to get you two into the jungle first. He wants to know you're safe.'
She nodded reluctantly, and we heard more mumblings from the veranda and boots the other side of the door. Going immediately was the right thing to do.
'If we get split up,' I said quietly, 'I want you two to carry on into the trees without me, then make your way towards the far right corner and wait for me there.' To Luz I added, 'Don't come out if anyone calls for you, even if it's your dad it'll just be a trick. Just my voice, OK? Once you're safe, I'll come back for him.'
I'd cross that bridge when I came to it, but for now a lie was necessary to keep them quiet so I could get on with what he was sacrificing himself for.
'Ready?'
Both heads nodded. I looked at Luz.
'Me first, then you, all right?'
I moved back to the window and out of whisper range. Carrie followed, looking out to the treeline, listening to the laughter out front.
They're outside, on the deck, Nick, isn't it-' 'No time, not interested.'
'But how are we going to get to the trees without-' 'Just get her ready.'
She was right. How were we going to make it? I didn't know. All I did know was that there wasn't any time for fancy plans, even if I could think of one. We just had to get on with it. We were dead anyway, so anything else was a bonus.
Pulling open the windows let the sounds of crickets and the boys on the veranda trickle into the room. I thought of the Beirut hostage who could have escaped within the first few days of capture when a toilet window was left open. But he didn't take the chance, didn't seize the moment. He had to live with his regret for the next three years.
My mind went into auto-drive, just getting on with the job. Fuck 'em, fuck the noise outside, fuck the Huey. I was almost wanting them to see us.
The wooden pegs squeaked as I swivelled them to release the mozzie screen. It rattled in its frame as I pushed it free. I froze, waiting for the murmuring on the veranda to change into shouts. It didn't happen. I pushed again and this time the screen came away. Slowly and carefully, I lowered it towards the ground. Boots banged about on the decking and the front door slammed as I felt the screen touch the mud and broken tiles.
I clambered out feet first. My Timberlands squelched into the mud and I moved the screen to one side before beckoning Luz, not even bothering to check the noises. I'd know if they saw me. Better to concentrate on what I was doing rather than flap about something I had no control over.
Her mother helped her, even though she didn't need it, and I guided her down beside me into the mud. Using one hand to hold her against the wall, I held out the other for Carrie as the boys on the veranda appreciated a punchline and one of the rocking chairs was scraped across the wood.
Carrie was soon beside me. I got her to stand next to Luz against the wall, and pointed to the treeline to our half right. I gave them the thumbs-up but got no reply so, taking a deep breath, I took off. They knew what to do.
Within just a few strides the mud had slowed our run into not much more than a fast walk. Instinct made all three of us hunch low in an attempt to make ourselves smaller. I pushed them ahead of me and kept motioning to them to spread out, but it wasn't working. Luz ran close to her mother, and it wasn't long before they were actually holding hands, breathing hard five or six metres ahead.
It was difficult going and I fell twice, sliding as if on ice, but we'd covered the first hundred metres.
The heli came into view to our right, parked just short of the dead ground.
There didn't seem to be anyone in or around it, or any sort of movement at the rear of the house. We pushed on.
There were maybe thirty metres to go when I heard the first reports. Not big, inaccurate brass, but single, aimed shots.
'Run!' I yelled.
'Keep going!'
An enormous flock of little multicoloured birds lifted from the canopy.
'Keep going, keep going!' I didn't look behind us; it wouldn't have helped.
Carrie, still gripping her daughter's hand, was focused on the treeline, half dragging Luz along as she shrieked with terror.
The rounds cracked behind us as they went supersonic. My mind was trying to beat them by going at a million miles an hour, but my feet were only taking me at ten.
With maybe twenty metres of open ground left, the rounds finally started to zero in on us. The cracks were accompanied by thuds as they slammed into the mud ahead and to the side of us, until all I could hear was an almost rhythmic crack thump, crack thump, crack thump as they opened up big-time.
'Keep going, keep going!'
They lunged into the jungle, still slightly ahead and to my right.
'Go right, go right!'
Almost at once, I heard a scream. It was a strangulated half gasp, half howl of pain, just metres into the foliage.
More rounds ripped into the jungle, some with a high-pitched ziiinnng as they ricocheted off the trees. I dropped to my hands and knees, gasping for breath.
'Luz! Call to me where are you? Where are you?'
'Mommy, Mommy, Mommy!'
Ziiinnng-ziiinnng... 'Luz! Lie down! Keep down! Keep down!'
The single shots now become bursts as I started crawling. The M-16s were firing into the entry points in an effort to hose us down; we needed to move offline to the right, downhill into dead ground. Leaves give cover from view but not fire, dead ground does.
'I'm coming, keep down, lie down!'
