Andy McDermott - The Midas Legacy

‘I’m staying with you,’ she insisted.

He sighed. ‘I’d argue, but we’ve been together ten years now, and I know how well that works out!’

By the time she recovered the Crucible, the abbot had reached the bottom of the line. Without a word, he leapt backwards to land heavily in a drift. ‘Bloody hell!’ cried Eddie, running to him. ‘You all right?’

Amaanat stood painfully. ‘I am fine. How far away are those men?’

‘Not far enough!’ The next monk was already beginning his descent, leaving only one more and Jayesh still on the ledge. ‘You need to warn the monastery that there’s trouble coming. ’

‘Use the satellite phone to call for help,’ Nina added.

‘I… Yes, I will go ahead,’ Amaanat said, with deep reluctance. ‘But you must follow quickly.’

‘Don’t worry, we’ll be running after you as fast as we can!’ she promised. The abbot placed his palms together and bowed, then started a trudging jog through the snow.

The descending monk soon reached the end of the rope. Eddie pointed to a patch of virgin snow. ‘Over here.’ The man positioned himself, then launched off the cliff — only to wail on landing. The Englishman hurried to him. ‘What is it?’

‘Hurt… arm,’ the monk gasped, clutching his left shoulder. A dark grey rock was exposed in the impression where he had fallen.

Nina joined her husband. ‘Can you move your hand?’ The monk grimaced, but managed to flex his fingers. ‘I don’t think it’s broken, but you need to get to the monastery to check it. Do you want me to come with you?’

‘No, I am okay. I go with Abbot Amaanat.’ A pained bow, then he followed the old man’s path through the snow.

Eddie glared at the rock. ‘That’s what I was worried about. These things could be all over the place like a bloody minefield.’

‘At least they won’t explode.’ Nina watched the last monk’s progress. Above him, Jayesh shouted in Nepalese, getting an alarmed response from the descending man. ‘Oh, he didn’t like that.’

‘Getting the feeling I won’t either,’ said Eddie, before raising his voice. ‘Jayesh! What’re you doing?’

‘Coming down now!’ the Gurkha replied.

‘What, two on one rope?’

‘Can’t wait! Bad guys almost here.’ The Nepali dropped over the edge and scrambled down the knotted line. The monk below him let out a fearful yelp as the rope jerked in his grip.

‘Jayesh!’ Eddie yelled. ‘For Christ’s sake slow down, or you’ll knock him off!’ The Gurkha reduced his pace, but only slightly.

The Englishman could do nothing but clench his teeth and watch the two men clamber towards him. The monk was clearly struggling, but eventually he reached the bottom of the rope. ‘Here,’ said Eddie, indicating a clear patch of snow.

The monk dived from the rock face with a panicked cry. To Eddie’s relief, there were no screams as he landed, just frantic gabbling in Nepalese.

‘I don’t speak the language,’ said Nina, seeing the monk shoot an angry look at Jayesh, ‘but I’m fairly sure that wasn’t complimentary.’

‘What’s the Buddhist line on calling someone a bell-end, anyway?’ Eddie asked the monk, whose only reply was a bemused stare. ‘You don’t speak English? Probably for the best. Amaanat, that way.’ He pointed at the retreating monks. The man hurried after them.

Nina looked up. The Gurkha was moving faster now that the line was free. ‘Aim for a clear patch!’ Eddie called up to him.

Jayesh found a landing spot — and jumped.

He disappeared into a snowdrift. Neither the Yorkshireman nor his wife needed to see him to know that he had been hurt. The dull snap of breaking bone as he hit a buried boulder was more than enough. ‘Shit! Jayesh!’ Eddie cried, finding his friend’s face screwed up in agony. ‘What’s broken?’

‘Leg,’ Jayesh rasped. ‘Left ankle…’

Eddie scooped away the snow around his foot. ‘I’m going to check it. Hold on.’

Jayesh braced himself. The Englishman carefully ran his fingertips over the other man’s ankle. The Gurkha flinched, but made no sound. ‘I can feel the break, but I don’t think it’s come through the skin,’ Eddie told him.

‘Leave me,’ said the Nepali, voice strained. ‘You get out of here.’

‘Don’t be a bloody idiot. Nina, help me lift him.’ Jayesh continued to protest, but the couple hoisted him upright and supported him on their shoulders. ‘Okay, try and hold up your foot so it doesn’t drag in the snow.’

The other man made a choked snort that could almost have been a laugh. ‘Yeah. Easy to do that!’ But he lifted his knee as high as he could as the trio set off, following the monks’ trail.

Axelos raised his gun as he reached the ledge and hurried along it. Collins had already reported that the fugitives had descended to the ground below, but he quickly checked in case they had left a rearguard in ambush. Nobody was there.

Their means of escape was obvious. He went to the rope. No one directly below, but tracks had been cut through the snow. His eyes followed them — to see three people about to round the base of a cliff.

One of the twins raised his rifle. ‘Wait!’ Axelos barked. ‘I don’t want to risk damaging the Crucible.’ He faced his men. ‘We’ll go down after them.’

Nina looked back as she and Eddie, carrying Jayesh, made it to cover. Figures watched them from above. ‘Oh crap. They’re on the ledge! Can we get to the monastery ahead of them?’

Eddie didn’t reply, that exact thought already dominating his mind. The great natural bowl opened out before them as they rounded the cliff’s foot. The religious redoubt awaited at the top of the slope, prayer flags fluttering. Ahead, the other monks had caught up with Amaanat. The abbot paused to check on the progress of his visitors; on seeing Nina and Eddie supporting the wounded Jayesh, he gave an urgent command and one of the monks ran back to meet them, Amaanat and the other continuing on to alert their brothers at the monastery.

‘Careful!’ Eddie warned. ‘He’s got a broken ankle.’ The monk didn’t appear to understand English, so he directed him to hold the Gurkha under his knees. Nina shifted to put her free arm beneath his lower back as Eddie took up position to carry his friend from behind, arms supporting his shoulders. With the load spread between them, their pace up the hill quickened.

A monk appeared on the wall, bewildered by Amaanat’s arrival from an unexpected direction. The abbot called out to him. After a moment, the gates began to open.

‘The mercs’ll have a hard time getting through those,’ said Nina, panting as the slope became steeper.

‘Won’t keep ’em out for ever,’ Eddie countered.

‘Maybe not, but the monks are going to call for help on the satphone.’

‘And how long’ll it take to get here?’

‘You know, sometimes I hate being married to a realist…’

A noise rose behind them. Apparently responding to an order from Axelos, the helicopter descended towards the foot of the slope, aiming for a patch of relatively flat ground. The large Crucible still hung beneath it, the pilot slowing to lay it in the snow as gently as possible before sliding his aircraft sideways to land beside it.

As it touched down, the mercenaries emerged from behind the cliff — but by now, Amaanat and his companion had reached the safety of the monastery. The others passed the tethered yaks, which raised their heads in bemusement to watch them. ‘We’re going to make it!’ Nina cried.

Eddie was less exuberant. ‘Split up! They’re going to shoot!’

Nina let go of the Gurkha and darted clear, ducking. The monk was confused, but the flat thud of a bullet smacking into the snow a few feet away was more effective than any translation. The Yorkshireman pulled Jayesh from him to take the other man’s whole weight himself. His friend held in a gasp as his injured foot brushed the snow.