‘But how the hell are we supposed to carry them all?’ Wolf said. ‘Forty, we might have been able to manage in the truck. But sixty-four? Plus the rest of us, it comes to well over eighty people to transport.’

Ben had been thinking the same, and there were too many ifs and mights in Holt’s plan for his liking, but he forced himself to stay focused on the immediate situation. ‘We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it. In the meantime, Jaden, you and I will drive the Humvee back to the village, take care of the water supply and see about bagging a few of those goats.’

‘Let’s hope you can fire an arrow straight this time,’ Wolf said.

‘Maybe you’d like to try your luck, Robin Hood,’ Ben said.

‘I told you I’m no good with one of tho—’

But Wolf never finished his sentence, because he was cut short by the staccato reports of automatic gunfire that came echoing up the hillside and rolled all around the valley below, sharp and clear in the still air.

Chapter 43

They froze as the sound of gunfire paused for an instant, then crackled back into action, single shots interspersed with short bursts. On such a clear day as this, across open hills and plains, the high-decibel reports of a supersonic assault rifle round could carry an enormous distance. But these were coming from not far off.

‘Jesus Christ, we’re under attack,’ Baldacci yelled, instinctively unslinging his weapon and flicking off the safety.

‘No, it’s not for us,’ Ben said. ‘It’s coming from down by the river.’

‘Who the hell’s doing all that shooting?’ demanded Holt.

Wolf’s face tightened. He groaned. ‘Shit. It’s Hank. I told him about the goats. He’s been prattling on and on about how starving he is. The stupid bloody fool must have gone down there to bag one.’

‘And sent a telegram to anyone within five miles that we’re here,’ Holt growled, livid with anger. ‘I swear, when I get hold of that moron I’ll wring his neck.’

‘What’s done is done,’ Ben said. ‘Let’s keep moving.’

The firing seemed to have stopped, at least for the moment. They continued hurriedly down the hillside and reached the orphanage to find that the Humvee was gone. Moments later they discovered that, sure enough, Hank Schulz had taken it down to the village for his impromptu hunting spree. ‘I couldn’t stop him,’ Nielsen protested to a furious Holt. ‘The guy was out of his mind with hunger. I thought he was gonna shoot me if I got in his way.’

‘Who goes hunting with a full-auto carbine?’ Wolf said, shaking his head in disgust.

‘A fucking meathead, that’s who,’ Baldacci replied. ‘If Chris doesn’t tear the asshole to pieces, I will.’