Massive Attack (A Guy Niava Thriller Book 1) by Dana Arama (e reader for manga .txt) 📗

I could make out three youngish men with drawn rifles and they were looking for something. Most probably us. They were quiet. They walked professionally, but one of them had a cigarette in his mouth. In the forest, amongst the smell of mildew and flowering, in the midst of light decay and earth, a burning cigarette was a clear sign of humans and we preferred to stay away from humans.

Zorro signaled three and a finger on the throat and then on them, and I signaled negative. First of all, because we had no reason to leave a trail of bodies behind us. And second, they most probably hadn’t arrived on foot and there could be a whole platoon of cartel soldiers or other soldiers nearby, waiting as backup. I didn’t have time to signal to her a ‘don’t move’ before the sound of a vehicle’s motor echoed through the air. Momentarily, a Jeep with another three young men appeared. I didn’t see any night-vision equipment on them, which put me at ease. We waited for them to drive further away and then we came out of our hiding place.

“I want you to stay here, at the tree line, with your eye on the telescopic lens on the rifle,” I said to Zorro. I surveyed the area. I knew that even though the Jeep and the foot soldiers had gone, it didn’t mean that there weren’t any more soldiers following their tracks as well. “I have to advance towards the field and get Laura out of there.” I didn’t have to tell Zorro that their eyes were also aimed at the same field, and if they caught a glimpse of the parachute then both Laura and I would be in trouble.

Zorro nodded and laid down with her legs spread on the moist ground, her rifle ready to fire. I looked around once more and concentrated again on the sounds and the smells of the forest. I had no more than a moment because the skyline was getting lighter frustratingly fast. I had no choice but to move, and began to sprint, close to the ground, towards the center of the field. All the while, I kept calling her name. “Laura, wake up. Answer me.”

But she was silent.

When I reached her, I understood why. She had twisted her ankle in such a position. If it wasn’t broken, it would be a miracle. As a result of her bad landing, the parachute had wrapped itself around her. I fought to get to the straps and release her. I prayed she hadn’t been strangled to death. I drew the knife strapped to my leg and cut through the cords. Laura lay there, covered with hundreds of silk threads, looking like a butterfly pupa. I then felt my way along her body in order to release the clasps of the parachute and quickly free her from them.

When she was freed from all unnecessary equipment, I slung her over my shoulder and hurried back to the forest. I heard the shots and felt the bullet that scorched my flesh. I ignored the temptation to lie on the ground and shoot back. I had to get back into the safety net of the forest.

I spoke to Zorro over the headset. “I am being shot from the north, cover me!” I picked up speed and zigzagged. Laura’s weight became marginal. The problem was the ploughed ground under my feet. I just needed to get to the pathway. I heard more shots and the whiz of a bullet pass close by me and felt something ricochet off my leg. How much luck was needed to hit a rock in the middle of a ploughed field? I hoped they had run out of luck.

In my earpiece I could hear Laura groaning. At least she was waking up out of unconsciousness. On the other hand, soon she would start feeling the pain. I didn’t even want to think about how she would continue with the mission on her injured foot.

Another burst of fire. They had changed direction and this time I saw the projectile tracers, which for them was a sign they were halfway through their magazine. It was a sign for me as well. How much ammunition did they have? I hoped that Zorro had also noticed. I didn’t hear her answer because of the silencer, but she was very accurate, as I heard cries in the local language. Even though I wasn’t fluent in Spanish, I recognized the curse words. It was a good thing she’d hit one of them, but it wasn’t good that she’d only injured him. Because a wounded, hot-headed soldier, shooting at me with an automatic weapon as I made my way through a never-ending field was not a good thing. Another burst of fire and this time I recognized the sound of pistol bullets as well. This didn’t sound good. I was already feeling frustrated with these bad signs.

Zorro fired a few more shots to the same spot as before. She was assuming they weren’t on the move. As before, I heard no shots, but rather their angry responses. Zorro had turned herself into their target and I hoped her position was safe and well-guarded.

“Are you okay?” I asked her, panting, still running towards safety.

“Yes… Changing position.” She was impressively cool-headed. I could hear it in her voice.

I don’t know how I managed to collect myself and accelerate on the soft ground. The last five meters of the exposed area I covered in three large strides, managing to glide over to the trees. On the other side of the pathway, I unexpectedly slipped on the wet leaves accumulated there and lost my grip on Laura. The angle her body fell told me we were on a slope. At the last minute, I managed to grab hold of a protruding root with my right hand, and with my left,