African Ice by Jeff Buick Page B

across her brow. It left a dirty smudge on her tanned skin. She sat down heavily on a low stone wall, her breathing shallow. Unpacking the exploration gear and checking it was an onerous task, one made even more rigorous by the heat and humidity. She looked up as Travis and Alain pulled the Land Rover into the hotel compound. Travis smiled at her as he got out of the vehicle.
    â€œFinished, Doc?” he asked.
    She nodded. “How did it go? You know, getting the helicopter?”
    â€œPerfectly. If there’s one part of this mission that’s totally acceptable, it’s Billy Hackett and his machine.”
    â€œMission?” Samantha repeated. “You make it sound like a military exercise. We’re just here to find some diamonds, not to get in a fight.”
    He slipped a cigarette from his pocket and crushed the empty package in his left hand. He lit the smoke and took a long, deep drag. “Whether you want to admit it or not, Samantha,” he said, “this
is
a mission. We’re surrounded by hostile jungle and escorted by twenty-some soldiers about whom I have grave concerns. Dan got a quick look inside that truck they keep tarped over. It’s loaded with Bofors Carl-Gustaf CGA5 assault rifles.”
    â€œSo?”
    â€œThe M-16s the guys are carrying around with them are just for show. The real firepower is in the back of that truck. If and when they come gunning for us, they’ll have the CGA5s loaded and the safeties off. And trust me, Sam—they’re coming. Dan and Troy finished checking the gear and gave me their findings just before I stopped in to see you. The sights on our guns had all been tampered with. Nominal changes, but adjustments that would make hitting a target at any distance over thirty feet very difficult. And they both think that the inside of some gun barrels have been scored. It’s tough to tell, but if they have been, it’ll throw off the trajectory of a bullet enough to miss the target. These guys sabotaged our gear, Sam. Only people who think they may end up facing off against us would do that. It’s not a very comforting thought, but it certainly makes me think that this is beginning to resemble a military mission more than a mining one.”
    â€œJesus, Travis, this is getting scary.”
    â€œScary is
not
seeing the signs—not knowing your equipment was sabotaged until it’s too late. That’s scary.”
    Samantha stared straight into his eyes as he spoke. She saw an iron resolve behind the blue facade. She saw a man who had been in this situation before and who had survived. She saw a man she trusted. And she liked what she saw.

S EVEN
    The Land Rovers led the way as the team departed Butembo and headed into the jungle. Behind them trailed the twelve porters, each leading a loaded pack animal. The animals were split evenly between horses and donkeys, each heavily laden with supplies and armaments. Travis, with Samantha and Hal in the lead Rover, kept the pace slow. This was more for their own benefit than that of the porters, as the road they were traveling was a series of tangled roots and exposed rocks that threw the occupants of the trucks about. They headed almost due east, cutting across a couple of ridges before joining up with a slightly better road leading south. They made better time for about two miles before Troy waved for Travis to stop and pointed at a tiny, almost impassable road leading back into the jungle.
    â€œThat’s the quickest way,” he said as they scanned the topographical map together. “If we stay on this road we’ll make better time, but we’ll end up too far south. We’ll lose time backtracking.”
    â€œOkay,” Travis said reluctantly. “We’re not going to have the vehicles for much longer by the looks of this. This upcoming low-lying area looks like it could be swamp.”
    Troy Ramage agreed and took the lead as they left the road for the