She heard the man’s position shift, mentally picturing him snap his attention off her fit form and back on the landscape. Zahra reached down and adjusted her war belt. Her Glock 19 stayed in place, securely fastened to her right thigh thanks to a heavy-duty strap. Attached to her belt was Zahra’s other gear — her
Zahra looked every bit the part of a global explorer. And she wasn’t the only person armed either. Joe carried a Baretta M92 pistol from the 1970s and an AK-47 built around the same time. Dangers lurked around every corner in places like this, and not just of the human variant.
She slipped back into her backpack and leaned out over the ledge. It wasn’t a far drop, but one that would likely break her legs and back if she jumped. She needed a way down without circumnavigating the entire area, which would add time to her trek. As a result, it would eliminate the rest of her light. Zahra could simply continue her search in the dark with her powerful LED flashlight, but she wasn’t stupid enough to explore a South American jungle after the last light. It would be a death sentence.
She reached around to her hip and unclipped her grappling hook. It contained plenty of cord for the descent. She leaned over the drop again and calculated it.
“What do think, Joe, twenty-five-feet?”
Her guide joined her and cautiously took a look. He swallowed hard, and his face fell.
Zahra sighed. She knew the look. “You’re afraid of heights, aren’t you?”
Joe nodded. “Yes, I—”
Zahra held up her hand. She didn’t need an explanation as to why the man feared heights. Her eyes found a thick tree limb growing out over the plunge pool, and she grinned. Joe noticed her change in expression.
“What is it?”
She tipped her chin to the tree limb. “I think I found us a way down.”
Joe looked back and forth between Zahra and the tree. It took him a second to understand what she was planning. Instead of putting on a mask of bravery, Joe shrank away from Zahra and the ledge. She rolled her eyes and flicked her wrist. The piercing sound of the steel foldable grappling hook opening and locking into place made the already nervous local flinch.
She chuckled softly. “Time to man up, Joe.” She winked and let up a few feet of nylon cord. Then, as if he was about to lasso a horse, Zahra began to spin the hook in her right hand, increasing speed with every rotation.
After eight rotations, Zahra released the grappling hook with a grunt, heaving it toward her target. A heartbeat later, the four-bladed hook buzzed over the tree limb with little room to spare. Gravity did the rest, and the hook dipped behind the limb. Zahra yanked on the cord, pausing its trek across the drop. It settled into place, and its sharp blades dug in.
Zahra smiled and looked back at her guide. Joe still looked terrified of doing what he was about to do. The man’s demeanor tore the joy out of Zahra. In a matter of minutes, she became a grown man's babysitter. She couldn’t worry about him, however. The next part of her plan wasn’t an easy one.
“I can’t. I–I will find another way around.”
Zahra paused and turned, eyeing him. He appeared to be sweating even more than before. It was obvious that this was where the pair would part ways.
With nothing else to say to the man, Zahra shrugged. “See you below.”
She let out what she figured was enough cord and took a deep breath. Then she jumped, staying as close to the cliff face as possible. Usually, she’d want to avoid the jagged rocks, but not now. Zahra needed as much distance between the tree limb and herself. As it had done with the grappling hook, gravity took hold of her weight, and she fell like a bomb. She gripped tightly and allowed the cord to swing her forward as the slack was replaced with tension. The entire event only took seconds to execute.
Zahra reached the bottom, skidding the heels of her hiking boots on the rocky terrain. Ten feet later, she stopped in an upright, seated position and popped to her feet. Glancing up, she spotted Joe just barely peeking over the edge. He waved and then disappeared. Zahra didn’t have time to return the gesture.
She grunted and stood. “And who said chivalry was dead?” Her guide in the Amazon Rainforest had just ditched Zahra. “Just swell.”
