‘Go!’
Dan checked none of the militiamen were present, and pushed Anna through the door.
He began to follow, then pivoted and ran back to the cell, crouched down next to the unconscious guard and tore more strips from the blanket next to him.
He joined Anna, swung the door shut, and shouldered the rifle.
‘Here,’ he said, and handed her one of the cloth strips. ‘Tie this around your mouth and nose.’ He waited until she was ready, and then grabbed her hand.
‘Stay behind me. Do what I do. Watch our rear,’ he commanded. ‘Got it?’
She nodded. ‘Got it,’ she said, her voice muffled behind the cloth.
Confused shouting filtered along the passageway as they hurried towards their escape, the sound of a man’s screams piercing the smoke-filled air.
Miraculously, candles still burned in some of the recesses, and Dan pulled down his makeshift mask to blow them out, casting their position into shadows.
He put a finger to his lips and turned as footsteps drew closer.
A curse echoed around the space, and Dan heard the distinct sound of a round being chambered. He clenched his jaw, forcing himself to wait until the last minute to show his position.
He signalled to Anna to crouch and stay down. He figured the guard would expect them to walk around the corner of the passageway.
Instead, Dan crept forward in a stooped position, his rifle raised.
The guard spotted him a moment too late, and Dan fired a short burst as the man’s finger found the trigger of his own weapon.
Dan threw himself to the floor as a hail of bullets hit the wall next to him, before the man fell to the ground, the gun silent.
‘Okay, come on.’ Dan straightened and beckoned to Anna. ‘Let’s find the back door to this place.’
Then a second explosion rocked the building, and Dan pulled Anna to the wall with him, shielding her face from the rush of air that was sucked from the passageway to fuel the flames.
‘What–’
Anna’s confused eyes found his.
‘I also booby-trapped the arms cache,’ said Dan. ‘Let’s go.’
He had realised when he’d planted the two live grenades that there was a risk of fire spreading uncontrollably once it exploded, but he was desperate. He had to get Anna away from the fort before reinforcements arrived in the morning.
Reaching the main passageway that bisected the fort, he turned the opposite way from where he’d found the arms cache, the air filled with choking smoke.
Breaking into a jog, he led the way to where he’d heard the sounds and aromas of cooking only hours before.
He slowed as they reached the room, signalled to Anna to stay behind him, then swung into the room, rifle raised.
The room was deserted, all its occupants having left to find the cause of the first explosion and arm themselves.
‘Come on,’ he said.
The back door to the fort was unguarded, another sign of the rag-tag militants’ inexperience.
A single long piece of timber acted as a lock, and Dan slung his rifle over his shoulder.
He removed the timber, propped it against the wall, and then opened the door a crack, the rifle ready.
‘Okay, we’re clear,’ he said, pushing the door open. ‘Let’s go.’
He waited until she was through, and then pushed the door shut, wedging a stone into the uneven surface of the frame to jam it.
He grabbed Anna’s hand and pulled her towards the vehicles that were parked at the side of the building.
Dan tore open the door to the vehicle they’d travelled in to the fort and checked the ignition. He swore.
‘What’s the problem?’
‘No keys.’ He pointed towards another vehicle. ‘Let’s try that one.’
‘Can’t you hot wire this one?’
Dan glanced over the top of her head towards the fort. Angry shouts began to draw closer from the building, and then a heavy object was launched at the barricaded door.
It shook in its frame, but held, dust crumbling around its edges.
‘No time,’ said Dan. ‘I don’t think that door is going to hold for much longer.’
He grabbed Anna’s hand and they ran towards the other vehicle, Dan breathing a sigh of relief as the firelight from the fort shone upon a single key in the ignition.
He turned, aimed the stolen rifle at the other vehicles and shot out the tyres, then slid behind the wheel and started the engine, the sound of urgent voices reaching his position as another resounding crash reverberated against the thick wooden doors of the fort.
‘Use your gun to smash the brake lights,’ he yelled as Anna opened the passenger door.
She nodded and disappeared to the rear of the vehicle, then returned and slammed her door shut moments before Dan released the hand-brake, took his bearings from the compass that bobbed on the dashboard, and floored the accelerator.
He pushed the assault rifle towards Anna. ‘Take this. If anyone comes out that door while you can still take a shot, do it.’
‘What about the unexploded bombs Salim told us about?’
Dan peered into the darkness. ‘I’d rather take my chances with those than wait for the Russians to arrive.’ His eyes found hers. ‘Wouldn’t you?’
‘Yes.’ She wound down her window and twisted in her seat until she had a clear view.
Dan’s eyes flickered to the fuel gauge.
Half full.
He swore again.
‘What?’ Anna peered over her shoulder at him.
‘We’ve only got half a tank of fuel.’
‘It’s okay,’ she said, raising her voice over the sound of the wind rushing through her window. ‘There’s a jerry can on the back of the vehicle. I think it’s full.’
For one moment, Dan thanked his stars for the good luck, and then realised that if Salim’s men got one clear shot at the rear of the vehicle, he and Anna were sitting on a potential bomb.
‘Crap,’ he muttered. ‘Could this week get any worse?’
He changed through the gears and flicked the headlights onto low beam, checking the mirrors at the same time Anna cried out.
‘They’re coming!’
‘Short bursts,’ he commanded. ‘Don’t waste the ammunition. The best you can do from here is provide cover fire until we get out of their range.’
Anna shuffled around until her back was pressed against the dashboard and planted her feet against the back of her seat. Wedged into place, she raised the rifle and pulled the stock into the muscle between her arm and her breast to counteract the recoil.
Dan swung the vehicle so Anna could take aim.
No sooner had he spun the wheel than the noise of gunfire filled the four-wheel drive as Anna let loose a volley of rounds, her face a mask of concentration, her ponytail whipping across her forehead. She paused and readjusted her grip.
‘Can you turn to your right a bit?’ she yelled.
Dan glanced across, noted her range, and made a slight correction in the direction he drove, angling the vehicle so Anna now had the door to the fort almost directly in front of her.
‘Got you.’ Anna’s chin dropped as her eyes found her targets, and she pulled the trigger again. The staccato burst of energy stopped as quickly as it had started. ‘I think I got two of them.’
‘Good,’ said Dan. ‘Are the rest taking cover yet?’
‘Yes.’
Dan didn’t wait for further confirmation. He reached across and dragged Anna back into the vehicle. ‘Wind the window up,’ he said. ‘That’s enough. We’re far enough away now.’
He floored the accelerator and pointed the four-wheel drive into the night.