Page 65

‘That’s our target. Kibish Camp. To get there, we’ll need to detour via Wajir, where we’ll hop into a 15-seater Leonardo AW139 rescue helicopter with a spacious cabin. The ash will clog standard turbine intakes, so I’ve made sure the helo is ruggedized with modified filtration systems. We’ll also be flying low, below the dense particulate shelf right into the encampment, get her back and reverse our journey.’

‘But how do we get through the plume cloud?’ I countered.

‘It’s been a few days; some of it is dissipating but when the wind gusts it shifts directions and gets thicker,’ Luka said.

Jane raised her chin to me.

‘Regardless, visibility is not ideal. So to reach Ana, I’ll utilize Synthetic Vision Technology alongside raw dead reckoning to cut through the dispersing haze. The SVT system will feed real-time GPS data into my display, rendering a 3D digital horizon through the blinding haze to prevent spatial disorientation. I’ll still have to track our airspeed and mapped landmarks manually in case the instruments falter.’

‘Ace,’ I said. ‘Besides, we don’t have a choice.’

‘How badly is she injured?’ the doctor asked.

‘Let’s get an update on her condition now,’ I said. ‘Can we call the team on the ground?’

Luka pulled out a satellite phone and hit the redial button for the Panoramik crew.

The line clicked, static howling before Baz’s gravelly timbre came through. ‘Luka?’

‘Hey buddy, I’m here with Deacon now.’

‘I’m in Nairobi, Baz. We’re about to board the bird now, with a stop in Wajir to board a helo,’ I told him, my voice tight. ‘How’s Ana?’

‘She’s hanging in, mate, but the Paracetamol still isn’t cutting it,’ Baz reported over the crackle. ‘Her leg is immobilized, but she’s in severe pain, fading in and out of sleep. We’ve also got more ash drifting into the valley. The sky is a toxic yellow. We’ve got the tent sealed, but we have to move her before the air quality drops further.’

‘Keep her stable. We’ll be on the deck in less than four hours,’ I said, severing the connection.

‘You heard the man,’ Luka roared, turning to his crew. ‘Gear up. Weapons strapped on for wildlife and possible bandits on the border. Also grab your night-vision helmets.’

I lifted my chin to him. ‘Do I need a piece?’

His eyes raked me, then he prowled to a metal storage arsenal cache.

He punched a code into a small pad on its exterior, opened it, and handed me a sleek, gunmetal Glock.

I nodded, took it, checked the magazine, set it to safety, and slipped it into my waistband.

‘Thanks.’

‘Change rooms in that direction.’

I swept the immediate area, caught the sign, and headed that way.

Inside, I stripped off my civvies and pulled on rugged camo gear.

After packing a rucksack with my shit, I joined the rest to board the plane and buckled in.

The others strapped in, and soon Malik started the engines, sending a rumbling reverberation through the cabin.

The transport craft taxied onto the pitch-black runway and, moments later, vaulted into the sky.

ANA

My entire right side throbbed, every pulse radiating with excruciating pain.

I was also cold despite the thick woolen blankets Yael piled on me.

Yet each tiny shift or tremble in my cot sent white-hot spikes of agony through me.