Chapter 12
WE’D BEEN CLIMBING for ten minutes when a twig snapped in the darkness behind us.
“Hide,” Ahmed whispered, leading us quickly off the path and behind cover. He crouched in front of us, rifle at the ready. There was a rustle of leaves. Someone, or something, was moving our way. At first I thought it might’ve been Mama Bear but the footfalls were too irregular, as if someone was struggling to move fast. And the breathing was labored. I reached out with my senses, and then I knew. I stepped around my brother and onto the path.
“What are you doing?” Sarafina whispered behind me. “Get back here!”
I held my ground, and a moment later Uncle Timmy appeared around the corner. He spotted me and stopped, dripping with sweat, out of breath, grinning from ear to ear. I rushed forward and held up a high five, and he crouched down to return it. “Hey, little dude,” he said, slapping my palm. “It sure is good to see you.”
“Timmeee,” Sarafina cried out, rushing to embrace him. She squeezed him for a long moment. When she pulled back, one of her cheeks glistened with his perspiration, something that would’ve made her puke two days ago. Instead, she was beaming.
“Jeez,” Timmy said breathlessly. “I thought I’d never find you guys.”
Ahmed gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. “You were awesome, man. What you did was pure genius.” He scanned the darkness behind them. “Did you lose them?”
“I-I think so. It didn’t take them very long to figure out that I was by myself. I kept dropping wads of cash on the trail to keep them interested, but after a while I saw three flashlights split off from the main group and head in your direction.” He pointed over his shoulder with his thumb. “I guess that was them in the clearing back there. At least two of them, anyway.” His face crinkled at the memory of what he’d seen.
“Allah is just,” Ahmed said. “They got what was coming to them. So did the third guy.”
My sister shivered.
“How’d you track us?”
“To be honest, I was lost,” Timmy said. “So I left the duffel and the rest of the money on the trail, figuring the poppy lord and his goons would find it and quit following. I kept moving in the general direction I knew you were headed and prayed for a miracle. When I heard the gunshots, I knew it had to be you guys, so I came running. Then I saw the...mess down there. How’d you do it?”
“Long story,” Ahmed said.
Sarafina glanced in my direction. “We had help,” she said.
“Mama Bear,” I said.
“No way,” Timmy said.
“It was the miracle you prayed for—that we all prayed for,” Sarafina said.
“Up there!” a distant voice shouted. A hundred yards down the slope, several flashlights popped on.
“Move!” Ahmed screeched, motioning us upward.
Sarafina led the way, clambering up the path so fast I had trouble keeping up. I heard tiny yelps sneaking from her throat. Timmy was beside me, helping me forward, and Ahmed was on our heels, constantly glancing over his shoulder.
There was a spit of automatic fire and bullets whizzed through the foliage around us. We dropped to the ground.
“Cease fire,” the boss man yelled from below. “I want them alive.”
“Hurry!” Ahmed said, pushing to his feet.
We charged up the steepening path. Within a few minutes my heart was pounding in my ears and I could barely catch my breath. The scattered shouts behind us didn’t seem as far away now.
Then the path died at a vertical incline covered in a tangle of roots and shrubs, disappearing into the darkness above. Another trail at its base stretched left and right. Sarafina glanced in both directions, her chest heaving and perspiration dripping from her nose.
“Which way?” she asked.
“Our only chance is straight up,” Timmy said. “They’re gaining on us. If we take the easy route, they’ll be on us in minutes.”
A deep inhale was all my sister took before she grabbed a root above her and pulled herself up. She quickly found another root and kept going, moving with the assuredness of an athlete. Timmy helped me to the first foothold and I scrambled to catch up with her. It was tiring but not as hard as I’d thought it would be; it was kind of like the jungle gym at school. Before too long, fueled by fear, the four of us were scaling the wall like spiders. Within a few minutes the path beneath us was out of view, obscured by the overhang of trees and foliage.
“Freeze,” Ahmed whispered from behind Timmy. “They’re coming.”
We stopped and pressed ourselves into the wall. I did my best to control my ragged breathing. The voices were directly below us. Someone issued an order and it sounded like they split into two groups, then each one ran up a side path. Ten heartbeats later, the footfalls receded and the voices faded.
“Okay,” Ahmed said softly. “But keep it quiet.”
Ten minutes later my sister disappeared over the top. After a few breaths her head popped back over the edge. “There’s a bridge up here,” she said eagerly. “I’m going to check it out.”
I was so excited we’d finally made it that I stretched too far when I reached for the ledge and my foot slipped. The next instant I was falling. Timmy grabbed for me but all he caught was the strap of my pack and my body cartwheeled to one side. The momentum caused him to lose his opposite grip on a limb and we both tumbled free—until Ahmed hooked one arm around a thick root and the other around Timmy’s ankle. Ahmed grunted at our combined weight but didn’t let go. There I was, facing outward, swinging side to side in midair from Timmy’s grip on my backpack, with Timmy hanging upside down above me while Ahmed hugged Timmy’s ankle to his chest.
Timmy’s voice was strained but controlled. “Alex, I’m going to slowly spin you around so you’re facing the wall. But listen carefully—you can’t use your hands to grab hold of a root or limb. You have to get a foothold first. Understood?”
I was confused by his instructions, until I looked down and saw I’d locked my arms so tightly around my chest that they were shaking. It was the only thing keeping me from sliding out of my straps. I tried to say something but fear paralyzed me. Then I felt a tremble through Timmy’s grip. I looked up beyond him and saw a grimace on Ahmed’s face that told me he couldn’t hang on much longer.
“O-okay,” I said.
“Here goes,” Timmy said.
I felt myself slowly turning. When I was facing the wall, I stretched my toes out as far as I could toward a solid-looking root in front of me. I couldn’t reach it; I was still inches away.
“Hurry,” Ahmed urged.
“Can’t…reach,” I said.
“Hang on,” Timmy said. “I’ll swing you.”
I felt Timmy shift above me, and heard a continuing grunt from my brother in reaction to the extra weight of the movements. I swung outward and then back toward the wall. My toes caught the limb but couldn’t hold on, and suddenly I was swinging farther out for another try. Ahmed’s grunt grew louder and I knew this was our last chance. I swung forward and this time my foot lodged itself on top of the root. But the reverse momentum was going to pull me away, so I released my grip on my pack and reached for the wall.
“Got it!” I cried as my hands wrapped around a tangle of shrubs. Timmy released his grip and I clung to the wall for dear life, my knees wobbling from relief.
Timmy swung one last time and hooked his arm around a limb above me. “Okay, Ahmed. Let me go.”
Ahmed released his ankle and Timmy allowed his body to pivot until he slammed upright into the wall, at which point he was directly beside me. In the same instant, Ahmed’s assault rifle sailed between us and lodged itself on a branch several yards beneath us.
Timmy and I exchanged a glance.
“What a rush!” he said.
Sarafina returned from her recon of the bridge and stuck her head over the edge. “What’s taking you so long?” Her voice told me she liked what she’d learned from her inspection of th
e bridge. “Can’t you guys keep up with a teenage girl?”
“Yeah, right,” Ahmed said, moving to one side as I climbed past him. He put his hand under my butt and heaved me onto the ledge. We were on a path that led into a stand of trees, beyond which loomed a moonlit mountain shrouded in mist. There was a gentle breeze and the air smelled fresh.
Timmy said, “I’m going back for the rifle. Be up in a second.”
“No time!” Sarafina said, pointing to the canopy of trees stretching below us to our left, where twinkles of flashlight beams interrupted the darkness. “They’re coming.”
Ahmed scrambled over the edge and followed her gaze. “One of the side paths must lead up here.” He reached down, grabbed Timmy’s hand, and hauled him up.
“This way,” Sarafina said, running into the trees.
We followed closely, and twenty paces later we were standing at the edge of a narrow rope bridge that spanned the chasm separating our ridge from the mountain. The bridge was about half the length of a football field and dipped low in the middle. It looked ancient, though I could see signs of maintenance. The handwoven ropes had been repaired here and there, and several of the rough-hewn, wooden planks that made up the walking platform had been replaced. There were six support ropes, each one as thick as my wrist, looped around stout logs that appeared to have been pounded deep into the earth.
“Don’t look down,” Sarafina said. She grabbed the rope handrails and jogged across, each step causing the bridge to bounce and sway.
The handrail was a little high for me but I could still reach it. I focused on skipping every other plank as I ran across.
“Oh, crap,” I heard Timmy mutter behind me as he stepped onto the swaying bridge. Even though he’d been willing to jump out of an airplane to save our lives, he hated heights.
A minute later we were all across. We turned and spotted the flashlight beams climbing the trail toward the bridge. It only took a moment for us to realize that was a different group from the one we’d spotted earlier on the opposite side of the ridge.
“Both trails lead to the bridge,” Timmy said.
Ahmed took out his pocketknife and started sawing through one of the support ropes. The blade was sharp but the rope didn’t split easily, and after several strokes it became obvious he wouldn’t be able to cut through all six ropes in time.
“Dammit!” His face was red as he exerted more pressure, each stroke causing strands of fiber to split and curl away. “If only I hadn’t dropped the rifle.”
A wave of guilt washed over me. He wouldn’t have dropped it if I hadn’t slipped.
If we get caught...
I slung my backpack off my shoulder and reached inside for the mini.
Suddenly, Timmy was dashing back across the bridge. I realized he was going for the gun.
“No!” Sarafina said, starting after him.
“You can’t,” Ahmed said, stepping in front of her. “He can make it back in time.”
“Are you sure?”
Ahmed glanced at the partially cut rope and pocketed his knife. “He must.”
A half minute later we heard the first burst of gunfire.
Angry shouts echoed across the canyon walls, and the flashlights bounced and flittered more quickly. There was a scatter of gunshots and Timmy dashed out of the trees, carrying the assault rifle. He took a knee, aimed in the direction he’d run from, and fired a burst from the AK-47. It was answered by several more shots. Timmy ducked and rolled and came to his feet at the end of the bridge. He glanced across at us, then back over his shoulder, then back at us.
I gulped.
“Run!” Sarafina screamed.
Instead, Timmy seemed to draw in a long breath. He said, “Love you all!” then opened fire on full auto at the support ropes on that side of the bridge. The first rope shredded and one of the handrails collapsed.
“God, no,” Sarafina said.
Ahmed pocketed the knife. “Allah is with you, my friend,” he said, his voice choked with emotion.
Timmy aimed at a second rope and opened fire. But only two shots rang out. The rope jiggled but remained intact. Timmy removed the magazine, examined it, and gaped at us.
Ahmed gasped, his hand slapping the magazines attached to his web belt. “Run!” he shouted, waving Timmy toward us.
Timmy spun around as if he’d heard something behind him. There was a shout and he threw down the rifle and dropped to his knees.
The boss man stepped from the trees.
There were two guards on either side of him, and they stood in a semicircle in front of Timmy, each with a weapon trained on him. The boss man said something but he was too far away for us to hear his words. Timmy replied, shaking his head. The man spoke again and Timmy’s head shakes grew more insistent.
The three of us stood frozen. One of the guards pointed at us and all eyes turned our way. Timmy swiveled around on his knees to face us. His mouth was wide open, as if he was shocked we’d remained in sight. After a moment, he hung his head.
The boss man stepped behind him, grabbed Timmy’s hair, and pulled his head back. His other hand held a knife and the blade glimmered in the moonlight as he held it against Timmy’s throat. The boss man stared at us, as if awaiting our response.
I swiveled my backpack around and unzipped the top. I pulled out the mini’s case and held it in front of me with trembling hands, focusing my thoughts on the men surrounding Uncle Timmy. The mini’s surge of power caused my skin to prickle. But it wasn’t enough. The mini needed to be free of its housing. I twisted, pressed, and squeezed, but nothing seemed to open the case. In a moment of frustration and panic, I screamed, launching my thoughts at it.
There was a click and the case opened like a clamshell in my palms. I pulled the mini from the case with my right hand, and the full force of the shiny black pyramid from another world was suddenly a part of me.
My senses expanded outward, stretching across the chasm until I could feel the hatred emanating from the men around Timmy. I breathed in the foul odors of their sweat, heard their quickened breaths, and the anxious pounding of their hearts. These were living beings and I possessed the power to kill them. If I didn’t, Timmy would die.
What would Dad do?
I knew from the stories I’d overheard from Dad and Tony that killing someone changed a person forever. But I had no choice. I drew in a deep breath...
“Wait,” Sarafina said, placing her hand on the mini.
The contact broke my concentration. I stared up at her.
“We can reason with them.”
Was it possible? I lowered my arms. What if she was right? She was my older sister and I had always trusted her. Maybe she could sense something I couldn’t? But I found myself shaking my head because something deep in my stomach disagreed with her. I remembered something Dad had said: Only reasonable men can be reasoned with.
The mini’s energy was inside me, anxious to burst forth and do my bidding. I was unsure what to do. The choice was made for me when Sarafina stepped forward and stood at the entrance to the bridge. Ahmed moved beside her and my view was blocked. I lowered the mini as I squeezed between them. Uncle Timmy’s eyes got huge and he was shaking his head despite the blade at his throat. I reached out with my mind and felt his fear for our safety. I also felt his overwhelming sense of guilt. He’d wanted to protect us and failed.
Just then the second group of poppy guards appeared from the front trail. They joined the others behind the boss man.
Sarafina gathered her courage. “We meant you no harm, sir. Our plane crashed and we’re simply trying to make our way to our family. We returned all your money and our parents will gladly pay you more if you help us. Won’t you please release our uncle?”
The boss man hesitated a moment, as if confused. Finally, he said, “You wish to bargain for this man...your uncle?”
Sarafina nodded, and the man said something in Chinese to the men surrounding him. They laughed, and it brought a
wide smile to the boss man’s face.
Then he sliced Timmy’s neck from one end to the other.