a fraction, and he tumbled to the road. His elbow burned as he rolled away from the street, then hopped to his feet.
“Finn, come back.”
Riley frowned. Why was he using call signs? “I hear you.”
“He’s on the docks.” Max’s voice popped in his ear. “Two men in a boat heading toward him. Christ, the package waves like a pansy.”
Riley paused on the balls of his feet, spying between the trees. The river looked almost black from the road. It was deceiving, the tributaries only hip deep. It confused him when he heard the soft putt of a motor and he rushed into the trees toward the water. Two men in a flat bottom boat floated toward the dock, the trolling motor small enough to accommodate the low water level. The pair in the boat looked like any local; big shirts over a muscle tank, but that’s where it ended. Riley was thinking fast as Vaghn waved with big gestures. It annoyed his chauffeur as he expertly slid the boat sideways to the dock.
“Back off, Drac.”
“We’ll lose him.”
“They’ve been here before and the locals know it. Look at them.” On their approach, people vanished, retreating into huts, dropping what they were doing and melting into the forest along the banks. “That’s too familiar.”
He recognized fear in their faces. If just showing up provoked that, then it was probably a smuggling trail. Within moments, there was only Vaghn, the docks, and his cabbies. The boat rocked as Vaghn stepped in and apparently not fast enough. The cabbie yanked him into the center seat, his partner in the rear. They used the long handled paddles to push away and under their loose shirts, Riley saw weapons.
“Christ, they’ve got an Israeli Galeils, and I’ve got two magazines. Sebastian where are you, man?”
“Stuck behind a rickshaw,” Sebastian said. “ I could walk there.”
He looked back at the road and saw the hood of the truck behind a cycle cart. “When you can, go north, cut them off.”
“What are you thinking?”
He told them.
Sebastian snorted. “You don’t actually think that will work, do you?”
“We don’t have much choice now that he has help. And I’m not into automatic gunfire with so many locals nearby.”
He wasn’t leaving without Vaghn. No bloody question about it. He hauled ass to get further ahead of them. The craft was moving slow, idling in the short canal as one man used a cell phone, the call no more than seconds. The main body of water was just a few yards ahead. The only path was around hundreds of soggy juts of land. Riley moved out on one of them, stopping to yank on thick green vines and cut a portion. He turned in a small circle to wrap it around his chest, then moved further out on the peninsula.
Max appeared in the forest several yards to his right. He crouched low, winded, then swiped his hand over his face. “That’s some definite skill there.”
“The norm lately, huh?” Riley approached a tree and quickly climbed.
Max moved into position. “This better work.”
The armed twins kept an eye on their surroundings and only the dense undergrowth concealed Riley. Broad branches curled without direction, the porous limbs seeking water and light. Soft moss coated the north side, and he slipped, hitting his chin, nearly biting off his tongue. He shimmied quickly toward a thick branch hanging over the river. Stringy green-gray moss draped inside the trees so dense it felt like a cave. Riley slid a length of vine free, rolling it, then feeding it down and up. This would be tricky, but automatic gunfire could spray the huts hiding villagers.
“Eagle’s in the nest.”
The craft was about fifteen feet long. He’d seen the like all over Asia. Farmers used them to bring goods to market. They could accommodate a lot of weight. Lucky for me, they tip easy . The boat slipped forward on the current, its motor silent, the pair of guards using the paddles to guide. He could tell it was shallow, too flat and clear nearly to the center. Drowning their asses wasn’t an option. Vaghn wore a satchel and pack like the last guy, yet it was his death grip hug on it that clued Riley in. No telling what that guy could invent when he wasn’t restrained.
Fifteen feet away, Max laid on the branch hanging over the water, his legs hooked around the wood. The boat passed. Max waited till it was nearly beyond his reach to grab the rear man and drag him off the back. It rocked the craft, and Riley dropped the vine around Vaghn’s head and shoulders. He swatted at it, lifting one arm to take it off and Riley pulled. He jerked up, his legs scraping the boat and the man in front turned, drew his gun. Vaghn kicked, dangling over the water, and Riley almost laughed when crocs slid into the river from the opposite bank.
Vaghn saw them and screamed. “Help me! You have to help me! Shoot them! Shoot them !”
The twins didn’t. The boat driver was on the bank, out cold and face down already. Way to whip on it, Max.
Riley’s muscles strained and he swung Vaghn, the branch bending under their weight. He heard a crack. Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea. Vaghn was sliding out of the loop. The second guard had recovered, aiming his weapon, but he didn’t shoot, searching the foliage for a target. Crocs moved in. Riley heaved, giving the guy a chance and let go. Vaghn barely landed on the bank, wet to his thighs and digging at the mud to get out.
“Drac,” Riley warned.
“I’m on him,” Max said.
Riley moved briskly down, tough to do going backwards, then he jumped. Max held the vines, having a little too much fun sweeping the jungle floor with Vaghn. The geek clawed the ground and screamed like a slasher movie victim, false arrest or something. Riley was on him, a knee in his back, and pushing his face into the ground so he’d shut up. He pulled off his backpack. Max tossed him cuffs and he twisted Vaghn’s arms behind his back and locked them down.
“Help me, you have to!” he shouted at the boat trolling just out of range.
One man was looking for his buddy. Oh yeah, feel the love. Riley stood, pulling Vaghn to his feet. Recognition was instant and Riley smiled. “You knew this would happen.”
“Give it up, Donovan. You have no jurisdiction here!”
“Ahh, but today, I do.”
Max flipped the Diplomatic Security ID in front of his face. It paid to have friends in the intelligence community.
“That’s bullshit. You’re Dragon One.” Vaghn struggled.
Riley tightened his grip, pulling him back toward the dirt road, Max covering his back. It didn’t surprise him that Vaghn knew his business.
Mud and dirt spewed as Sebastian braked nearby. “My God. It worked?” He jumped out and sighted over the open door at the river.
“Not for long.” The boat moved swiftly upriver toward the bridge.
Quickly, Riley threw open the door, and with a hand on his head, pushed Vaghn into the back of the truck cab. Like a panicked toddler, Vaghn tried to go out the other side, but Max was already there, moving in and closing the door. Sebastian hit the
