“Keep your eyes open!” one man yelled.
“How many of them are there?” another man asked.
“I’m not sure!” a third one shouted.
Zahra redrew her pistol but kept her light holstered on her hip. She stepped lightly, impressed at how solid the platform was. It had been constructed of logs that had been tied together with hand-woven ropes. The entire cenote was lined with similar platforms. They led the way down to the bottom, where most of the buildings had been built.
Snaking left, Zahra found steps instead of a ladder. She quickly descended them and stepped onto another landing. This one was only ten feet wide, but it went on forever before ending at another stairway. Unfortunately, these steps weren’t in the best of condition. Zahra looked over the edge and estimated that she was still, at least fifty feet above the floor. A fall would kill her.
“Really wish I had my hook right about now.”
If she did have it, Zahra would have simply rappelled down to the bottom and skipped the stairs altogether. She groaned and took a careful step. The wooden plank groaned back. It was the only noise in the entire cavern. Even the incoming force had quieted. The next three steps were solid enough, barely creaking at all. But the fifth step cracked and fell apart beneath her foot. It started a chain reaction of events.
Zahra took off at a chaotic sprint as the stairs, and the wall next to her, were torn apart by automatic gunfire. Luckily, the shooters were still airborne. There was no way they could get their sights set on her long enough to get off an accurate shot — not unless they got their shit together and put their rounds in front of her and not on her. It was plain to see that these guys didn’t have any formal instruction. If Zahra could make it to the city, she knew she would survive, though she still needed to find a way out. The forced entry couldn’t have been the only way in.
The stairs began to collapse with only ten feet to go. Zahra dove forward, rolling right onto her good shoulder. She took the hard landing in stride and rolled to her feet and darted into the closest cover she could find. The dwelling was well-built and concealed her exact position from view. She didn’t stay in one spot, either. Zahra kept moving, zigging and zagging around the structures, paying them no attention until she felt that she was safe.
Thirty seconds after her intense arrival, Zahra paused, settling her racing heart. She kept her Glock holstered and, instead, unsheathed her SOG knife. The lighting was low, reminding her of the dusk that preceded a full sunset. She could see just enough to navigate the city, but the range was low. She lost the next dwelling to the low light. If a fight came to her, it would be fought close up and in the dark. Zahra’s black clothes would aid in her ghost-like movements.
She kept her footfalls steady and came to a
She ducked around the log cabin-like building and knelt as a light swept over her head. Scurrying around the front of the hut, she, again, paused and waited.
“Fan out! Find her — but be careful!”
Moving like molasses, Zahra leaned around the next structure and watched as all six men headed down separate paths. One of them stepped toward her. Every time the mercenary pointed his flashlight down one of the crossroads, Zahra moved up and closed in. After five such moves, she slunk behind the next building and flattened herself against its outer wall. Zahra was halfway to the center of the city now. She let out her ponytail and tossed it over her bare right shoulder. Her black hair would help conceal her contrasting, lighter skin. Zahra really could have used her black thermal long-sleeve at the moment.
She tucked her arms up high into her chest and turned away just when a light swept across her form. As soon as it passed her, Zahra faced her pursuer. It wasn’t Joe, but that didn’t mean she would just let him go.
Zahra wasn’t heartless. She would disable these men without ending their lives unless she were forced to do otherwise. This guy wasn’t all that big. He was around her height but outweighed her by about forty pounds. But no matter. It didn’t matter how big they were, especially when their prey didn’t mind fighting dirty.
