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feet,” Rebecca said.
    “There’s a small tunnel in the back,” Bunny added, leaving the mouth and hurrying across the cave.
    The guide tried to help, but the tour leader shook his head. “I can’t.” Rebecca tried to argue, but the man gripped her arm. “You know that I can’t.”
    Rebecca had seen enough wounds to know when one was fatal. By the man’s ashen, gray features, he was not going to recover—and, in fact he would slow them down.
    “Give me the gun,” the tour leader said. “I will hold them off for as long as possible.”
    Rebecca would have liked to have argued, but she knew this was the only way. “Bunny.”
    The redhead handed over the gun. “We’ve got to hurry.”
    To Rebecca’s surprise, Erik didn’t get up to leave.
    “Bunny isn’t exaggerating,” Rebecca urged.
    “I’m staying here too,” Erik said. “I started this mess. Let me help fix it.”
    There was no fixing anything.
    “That is straight-up suicide,” Bunny added. “Once he starts shooting, the Disciples won’t stop.”
    “I know,” the guide said. “All’s we can do is buy you time.”
    Again, Rebecca would have loved to argue, but the only slight chance they had to escape was to haul ass now . “Thank you,” she said, squeezing the tour guide’s hand. “Thank you both.”
    “Rebecca,” Bunny urged from the back of the cave.
    As another bullet zinged into the cave, chipping the ice, Rebecca got up and did what she did best.
    Run.
    * * *
    Brandt squeezed his shoulders through the narrow opening as dirt, soot, and mud caked into his skin. The ventilation shaft had been crudely dug into the mountainside, and was not rappelling-friendly.
    Levont, who had come down before him, wiped off his sleeves. as well. The tunnel may have been a tight fit, however it did the trick. They were deep into the mine, behind the guards at the mouth.
    His feet landed on a large crate branded with a Nazi swastika. The uranium was underfoot, all packaged and ready to go to the highest bidder. Lopez waved his radation dosimeter over the crates and the needle moved into the mid-range.
    “We’re good for a while. Just don’t bathe in it,” the corporal joked.
    Then Levont pointed up as Vakasa shimmied down the rope. Her guardian followed close behind.
    “I told you to keep her up there,” Brandt reprimanded the woman. The last thing he needed was civilians mucking up a perfectly good military operation.
    “She wouldn’t stay behind,” the woman said. “And I won’t leave her.”
    While Brandt would have loved to carry the little girl right back up that rope, he simply did have the time. They needed to make the most of the commotion out front.
    “Levont, plant the C-4,” Brandt whispered harshly. He turned to Lopez. “As soon as he’s done, we are evacuating, and if you have to hog–tie the girl to get her topside, I’m okay with that.” –
    Brandt meant to give Vakasa a scathing glare, but with her bright smile, it was hard to be mad at her. Then the earth shook underfoot. The area had been seismically active for the past few weeks. Just another wrench thrown into the works on this mission.
    A shout went up from outside the cave. Guards were diving out of the way. Brandt didn’t need to know Swahili to know they were yelling “Incoming.” That high-pitched scream was pretty much universal.
    Brandt threw himself over Vakasa as the RPG flew overhead, flying down the mine shaft until it hit the back wall. His ears threatened to rupture as the explosion rocked the mountain. The ceiling overhead cracked and fell in huge chunks all around them.
    The guards rushed in to probably check if their uranium was still intact—which meant they were about to discover his team. Levont shot, taking down the first guard. Two others fell in quick succession as Lopez added his gun to the mix.
    Brandt shoved up, getting ready to fire, when Vakasa grabbed his gun, holding it down. The girl’s interference was getting a bit annoying.