Part 16 (1/2)

”We're moving again,” said Alpha. ”That was the cartel's easternmost lookout post on Route 2. They focus on traffic inbound to Mexicali, so it's unlikely they reported our approach, but they would have dimed us out in another ten seconds.”

”If you knew they were going to be there,” Nathan said, ”you think you could've given us a little warning?”

David laughed to himself, shaking his head. A car full of guys Nathan had never met before tonight were risking their lives to escort him through cartel land, and he didn't hesitate to give them s.h.i.+t. What had happened to the gentle scientist who'd climbed on this ride?

”They change location every night,” said Alpha, maintaining admirable cool. ”Thermal imaging didn't pick them up until the last minute.” He chuckled. ”We'll try to antic.i.p.ate your needs better next time, though.”

Nathan still bristled. ”They knew we'd be hitting those lookouts somewhere along here. Their need-to-know att.i.tude doesn't work for me,” he said to David. ”When it comes to my family's safety-I need to know what we're up against.”

”We'll be on our own soon enough,” said David.

The lead SUV sped away, David flooring the accelerator to keep up. The highway rumbled underneath them, amplifying the heavy silence. They cruised east at seventy miles per hour, the land on each side of the highway flattening away to desert. After a few minutes, he spotted the overpa.s.s marking the Route 20 connector. From there on, they'd have the road to themselves for several hours. If the other car followed, they'd undoubtedly spot it at some point on Route 2.

”We're almost there,” said David.

Nathan raised his rifle and peered through its magnified optics. ”Looks clear.”

The radio crackled. ”We're going to range ahead of you to check the other side of the underpa.s.s. Just in case. Slow to forty miles per hour-please.”

”Copy your last. Slowing to forty,” said Nathan, then lowered the radio. ”Smart-a.s.s.”

The distance between the two vehicles opened swiftly, as if the lead SUV had turboboosted forward. It pa.s.sed underneath the low bridge well ahead of them, pulling off the road just beyond the structure.

”All clear,” said Alpha. ”Pull in front of us, and we'll get you on your way.”

”Be there shortly,” said Nathan.

”I don't know whether to be nervous or happy,” said Keira.

”Both,” replied David.

”Definitely both,” said Nathan. ”What about you, big guy?”

Owen leaned forward between the seats. ”How long until we meet up with Grandpa and Grandma?”

”A few days,” said Nathan.

Best-case scenario, thought David, keeping that to himself. Owen settled into his seat without responding. He couldn't imagine what was going on inside that kid's head. Excitement. Fear. Anxiety. Hopelessness. Anger. Probably a toxic mix of everything. But despite the unrelenting h.e.l.l tossed in his lap, the kid appeared to be coping better than David imagined possible-especially for an eleven-year-old.

His train of thought continued to derail as the underpa.s.s grew rapidly in the winds.h.i.+eld. Maybe Alison's fertility challenges had been a blessing in disguise, saving him the grief of losing both his wife and the mother of their children. Or maybe he would have delivered the phones and driven off if there had been more at stake. Lots of maybes.

”You gonna stop?” said Nathan.

David overcorrected in response, jamming on the brakes as they pa.s.sed under the metal bridge, throwing them all against their seat belts and eliciting a round of curses from Nathan and Keira. The SUV barely slowed in time to park a reasonably close distance in front of Alpha's vehicle.

”What was that about?” said Nathan.

”Just testing the brakes,” he said lamely. ”Sorry to scare everyone.”

”Yeah. Well, they work,” said Nathan, detaching his seat belt.

Bravo and the two operatives who'd joined them at the school formed a three-point perimeter around the cars, scanning the distance with their rifle scopes while the rest of them huddled around the hood of the SUV with Alpha.

”You still have that map?” Alpha asked Nathan.

For a moment, Nathan looked like he might deliver a sarcastic retort. Instead, he silently dug the road map out of one of his cargo pockets and spread it on the hood. They squeezed together in front of the vehicle to better view it from the proper orientation, including Owen, who stood in front of Keira. Alpha checked his watch before s.h.i.+ning a flashlight on the map.

”It's five after ten. Barring any difficulty, you're looking at a seven-hour drive to Nogales. About three hundred and sixty miles. As you can see, Route 2 follows the Arizona border pretty closely until you hit Sonoyta. Do not try to cross the border in Sonoyta, and do not stop in Sonoyta. Do I need to repeat that?”

”What's in Sonoyta?” said David.

”Nothing. It's completely dead-for a reason. Drones out of Yuma have recently started killing anything trying to cross over. The Sinaloa cartel doesn't bother with it anymore.”

”Maybe we should avoid it altogether,” said Nathan.

”We thought about that, but the only other way is to take Route 8 along the north coast here,” he said, pointing at the top of the Sea of Cortez. ”That adds close to three hours to your trip and puts you at the crossing well after sunrise. You'll already be cutting it close. The sun comes up early there-around five thirty. Jose thinks you'll attract too much attention.”

”A lone car crossing at five in the morning won't attract attention?” said Nathan.

”The city will be wide-awake at eight, injecting too many variables into the equation. Plus, we have no idea when Cerberus might locate our headquarters in Mexicali. When they find it abandoned, it won't take long to connect the dots from there. You need to be across the border before people start keeping an eye out for gringos heading north.”

”I see,” said Nathan, crossing his arms.

”Keep an eye on the road conditions beyond Sonoyta. You only have one spare tire. And follow the d.a.m.n map. Jose's route keeps you out of most towns. There's no way to avoid Altar when you turn north on Route 43 here,” he said, tracing the route with a finger. ”But after that, you're home free until you hit the HermosilloNogales border station just west of Nogales proper.”

”Is the border station manned?” said David.

He shook his head. ”It's no longer a functioning port of entry. Just a road now.”

”US Customs doesn't monitor the border?” said Keira.

”No,” he said, giving her an odd look. ”They abandoned the Arizona border more than two years ago. New Mexico shortly after that.”

”What are you talking about?”

”What do you mean?” said Alpha.

”You're just saying that things are bad on the border, right?” said Nathan.

”No, I'm saying the previous border doesn't exist, for all practical purposes. Don't you watch the news?”

”You don't see this on the news in California,” said David.

What Alpha was saying wasn't news to him-he'd read highly cla.s.sified area reports and situation reports on the cartels' influence along the state borders, though even those reports downplayed the extent of the problem Alpha was describing.

”I don't know this for a fact, but for a while now, we-as in, many Marines-have suspected there's a state-imposed media blackout regarding the true state of affairs in the Wastelands.”