much higher today when bullets filled the air like mist.
As Collins drove the ATV towards the gorge, Payne jogged behind the trailer. Occasionally, he dashed into the woods whenever he spotted something that bothered him - whether that was a flash of colour that didn’t belong or a glimpse of movement in the nearby trees - but he always came back to the rugged trail where he could watch over his injured friend. In Payne’s mind, Kaiser was the number-one priority.
Forced to move at a sluggish pace because of the terrain, they had been travelling for nearly fifteen minutes when Collins slowed the ATV to a gradual halt. Not a quick, jolting stop that screamed of panic, but a calm, leisurely stop that whispered confusion. Hoping to get a better view of the situation, Payne hopped on the back of the trailer and quickly spotted the problem. Fifty feet ahead, there was a rustic intersection, a place where two hiking paths came together. Payne’s trail was going east and west; the other was going north and south. Unfamiliar with the territory, Payne told Collins to stay put as he ran ahead to investigate a large display case that had been posted at the junction for confused hikers.
Thirty seconds later, Payne was cursing loudly.
Inside the glass case was a detailed map of the area, written in German and English. It showed everything - ski slopes, mountain peaks, major roads, museums, theatres, hotels, restaurants and the best places to park. Of course, none of that mattered to Payne since he was desperately trying to get out of town, not looking to enjoy his stay. The only thing he cared about was getting through the gorge as quickly as possible. But everything changed when he studied the map.
Using the butt of his gun, Payne smashed the case open and ripped the map off the corkboard inside. Then he stomped back towards Collins, anger punctuating his every step.
‘What’s wrong?’ Collins asked.
Payne shoved the map against Collins’s chest. ‘Where’s the chopper going to land?’
‘What?’
‘Where’s the chopper going to land?’ he asked again.
‘By the entrance to the gorge,’ Collins said.
‘Really?’ Payne growled, his voice dripping with sarcasm. ‘And how are we going to get there? I’d love for you to show me!’
Collins knew something was wrong, but he didn’t know how dreadful the situation was until he glanced at the map. There were several photos of area attractions, including a picture of the narrow trail that ran through the gorge. It was barely wide enough for two people; there was no way it could handle an ATV and a trailer. ‘Shit. We won’t fit.’
‘Exactly! So why in the hell did you choose the gorge as the rendezvous point?’
‘I didn’t,’ Collins argued. ‘It was Kaiser’s plan, not mine. And in his defence, he thought we’d be escaping on foot, not on an ATV.’
Payne took a deep breath and nodded. It was a valid point. As an apology, he patted Collins on the shoulder and grunted. He knew it wasn’t Collins’s fault. He was simply frustrated by an oversight that could have led to their demise. And since Kaiser was currently unconscious, Payne had lashed out at the first person he encountered. That just happened to be Collins.
‘What’d I miss?’ someone said from behind.
Payne whirled and raised his gun in one fluid motion, like a gunfighter from the Wild West. Thankfully, he didn’t squeeze his trigger or else he would have killed his best friend.
‘What the fuck?’ Jones shouted, not the least bit amused. ‘If you want to get rid of me, just say the word. I’ll go to Oktoberfest alone.’
‘Sorry,’ Payne said. ‘I’m having a bad day.’
‘Not as bad as mine, if you had shot my ass.’
‘I wasn’t aiming for your ass. I was aiming for your heart.’
‘Oh,’ Jones mocked, ‘now I feel much better.’
Payne turned and pointed at the map. ‘We have a problem.’
‘Yeah, I thought I detected a disturbance in the Force.’
Payne ignored the Star Wars reference. ‘You know that expression, “You can’t get there from here?” Well, we’re facing it right now.’
‘Wonderful,’ said Jones as he snatched the map from Collins’s grasp. ‘It looks like I arrived at the perfect time. I love rescuing damsels.’
When it came to planning missions, Jones was a brilliant strategist. He had received the highest score in the history of the Air Force Academy’s MSAE (Military Strategy Acumen Examination) and had organized hundreds of operations with the MANIACs. He had a way of seeing things several steps ahead, like