“Yes, but that would only extend the danger. Our best bet is to get Erin on that helicopter and away from Kadmus.”

“You told me that he would still never give up the search.”

“And he won’t, but it will be a new playing field, and it will give me time to try to persuade the committee that I’m right, and they’re wrong.”

“What are the chances?” Hu Chang asked. “Can you do a little mental manipulation with them?”

“No,” he said curtly. “That wouldn’t be honorable. I made promises when I became Guardian. Besides, they think they’re doing what they should for the good of the organization. They’re all supersmart and claim they have a long-range view. I’m the rebel. I’ll just have to contact a few members who are leaning my way and see what I can do.”

“Catherine will want to know that there’s a threat.”

“I’m sure she will. You tell her. I’m heading out now. I’ll tell the pilot to touch down and pick you all up. I want you on board and away from the mountain in two minutes flat. I don’t think I can manage any more time than that.”

“Time? What—” He stopped as he saw Luke coming toward them from the hut. “Catherine’s going to hate this for him. She would have preferred a smooth, safe exit.”

“I know. I promised her I’d keep him safe.” He smiled and waved at Luke. “And he will be safe as long as you don’t take longer than those two minutes.” He turned and started down the road. “I’ll be in touch.”

“Where is he going?” Luke had reached Hu Chang and was staring after Cameron. He called, “Cameron?”

Cameron looked over his shoulder and smiled. “I’ll see you later. Take care of Catherine, Luke.”

The next moment, he had disappeared around the curve.

“Hu Chang?” Luke was frowning. “Where is he going?”

“He did not communicate his exact destination, but I believe it had something to do with our departure. So I think that we should follow his example and start down the mountain.” He looked at the hut and saw Catherine and Erin coming toward them. “And with all due speed.”

*   *   *

“So much for Cameron’s keeping Luke safe, Hu Chang,” Catherine said as she strode quickly down the mountain. “Kadmus appears on the horizon, and he takes off.”

“Kadmus is not on the horizon yet. Cameron said it would be very close.”

“But he didn’t want to take a chance of an encounter.”

“He did not discuss his plans with me. He just said to get everyone on that helicopter in two minutes.” He gazed at Erin, who had moved ahead of them with Luke. “She appears better. And she asked no questions about Cameron.”

“She trusts him. No matter what he does, she sure it’s the right thing. I can’t—” She stopped, her head lifting. “What’s that?”

He listened. “Vehicles. It appears that Kadmus may be closer than we thought.”

“We can’t be sure. These mountains echo like crazy. I made that mistake when Erin and I were in the hot springs.” She gnawed at her lower lip. “But if we go forward, we could run into Kadmus’s men if they get to the plateau before the helicopter.”

“Cameron said that it would be close, but we would have the edge and get there first.”

“And we should just trust his judgment?”

“Do you have the facts to make your own? Cameron knows these mountains.”

And, according to Hu Chang, he was accustomed to fighting in them.

Hu Chang gazed at her. “No time for hesitation. Go back, or trust Cameron and go forward?”

The sound of Kadmus’s vehicles sounded aggressively loud in the clear mountain air.

She muttered a curse, and her pace quickened. “Trust Cameron.”

*   *   *

“There’s the plateau.” Brasden gestured up ahead. The first gray of dawn breaking was lighting the sky. “But we’ve still heard no electronic communication. No radio transmissions at all. If a helicopter is coming in, the pilot is too far out for us to detect.”

“Or he’s on complete radio silence,” Kadmus said. “We’ll camp out for a while and see which is true.” He gazed thoughtfully up at the footpath leading up and north from the plateau. Then he looked back at the cavalcade of jeeps behind him. The second vehicle was the one carrying the soldiers with the missile launchers. “And then we’ll do a little more exploring. How long until we reach the plateau?”

“Fifteen minutes.”

“See if we can get it down to ten.”

*   *   *

“Four minutes, Cameron,” Tashdon said. “I told you I’d be right on time, sir.”

“Kadmus will be able to hear your approach in another two minutes. You’re going to be busy. You brought a copilot?”

“Ralph Martin. I’ve used him before.”

“No mistakes. They’re going to be throwing big stuff at you, but you just obey instructions.” He paused. “All instructions.”

Silence. “I don’t like it, sir.”

“You don’t have to like it. Just do it.”

“Yes, sir.”

Cameron broke away.

He didn’t have to glance up the trail to know that Hu Chang would be bringing Erin, Catherine, and Luke down to the plateau within a few minutes. They should be rounding the curve at the same time as the helicopter landed.

He reached into his backpack and brought out his case containing the dissembled parts of his Springfield. A minute later, he had assembled it. The he grabbed his AK-47 and started climbing up the rocks and boulders bordering the trail.

Two minutes.

*   *   *

“There’s the helicopter,” Erin said over her shoulder as she moved around the curve. “He should be landing any—Oh, shit.”

Catherine could see what she meant. Kadmus’s caravan of jeeps and trucks was barreling up the hill toward the plateau. They should reach it in minutes. She caught a glimpse of a missile being loaded. “Stop. Luke, come back and—”

“Move, Catherine!”

Cameron. Where the hell—

A bullet exploded from the boulders above the plateau!

She saw the driver of the third jeep in the caravan careen off the road and over the edge of the cliff.

“Run.” She streaked down the hill toward the plateau.

Another three shots.

The tires on Kadmus’s jeep blew an instant later. Brasden and Kadmus jumped from the vehicle to the road.

The helicopter touched down.

“Hu Chang?” she gasped.

“Here.” He had already passed her and grabbed Erin. “Cameron said two minutes. Get on board.”

The door of the helicopter opened, and a man in uniform was lifting Erin on board.

Another shot from the rocks, and the driver of the fourth jeep in the caravan slumped over the steering wheel. But the other soldiers were pouring out of the vehicles and tearing up the road toward the plateau on foot.

“Get that son of a bitching sniper.” Brasden’s harsh voice. “And I want that missile loaded and off now.”

“Catherine.” Luke was suddenly beside her, taking her arm and jerking her toward the helicopter. “Get on board. Hurry.”

But Cameron was alone up there with all those soldiers crawling over the rocks like scorpions. And the missile had to be disabled. She had only her Luger, but she could go down and get the rifle from that disabled jeep and—

“You get on board,” she told Luke. “I’ll be right—”

But Luke was not leaving her, and she had to get him on board and out of here. She turned and dashed toward the helicopter at a dead run. The next instant, they both dove into the copter.

“Lift off, Tashdon,” Hu Chang ordered the uniformed pilot who had opened the door. “Now.”

“Not yet.” Catherine got to her feet. “That missile. Cameron needs help.” She headed for the door. “Get everyone out of here, Hu Chang. I’ll go take care of that missile and make sure they don’t get—”

“No. Take off, Martin.” The pilot, Tashdon, was behind her, tone regretful. “I’m sorry, ma’am. Cameron gave very definite orders.”

Pain.

Darkness.

*   *   *

The copter moved jerkily off the plateau.