Scene 58

X Marks Mountain

I quickly jumped into the driver’s seat and started the van. Throwing it into gear, I hit the gas and the van jumped across the courtyard.

I headed for the road, but there was a problem. Three men were blocking the road and were aiming their pistols at the van.

The men began firing at the van and I could hear the bullets striking the vehicle. A couple of shots hit the windshield and small spider webs of cracks formed around the holes.

I ducked as low as I could and pushed the van faster. As the van neared the road, the men quit firing and dove to the side out of my path.

All but one, that is; I could see John still standing directly in the path of the van, firing directly at me. I lowered myself as much as I could to avoid his shots, some of them coming very close to me.

I kept heading for the road, silently hoping that John would get out of the way. A shot penetrated the windshield and passed only an inch from my head, striking the roof of the van. I ducked to avoid it, temporarily losing sight of the road.

A loud thump and a slight jarring of the van told me that John had not moved, standing and firing to the last in his attempt to stop me.

I raised my head and found that I had left the courtyard and was now on the road heading down the mountain.

I looked down and found the van’s radio. I quickly dialed the frequency to the one we had used for this mission and picked up the mike.

“Home Roost, this is Dove, over,” I said into the mike.

“This is Home Roost,” came the reply.

I glanced down at my watch; it was almost five-thirty. “Get my flock out to the gateway. I’ll be coming in hot.”

“Roger, get the flock to the gateway.”

“I have bad news as well. We’ve lost Julie.”

There was a pause before they answered. “Roger, Julie is lost,” the voice said sadly.

“Dove, out.”

Now I had to throw off any pursuers.