Argent Glass

Chapter 26 - Scout - Pierce

Pierce stood at the edge of the eight-foot drop and stared at the ATV. It rested on its side, left where it had tumbled after he had taken wings and flown into the gap. Broken wings, apparently.

He shook his head in disgust, then dropped down into the crevice and walked to the machine. He kicked a tire hoping it would make him feel a little better, then spent the next hour working on repairs. Considering how the machine had crashed and rolled end over end, it was still in decent shape. The frame was bent and a tie rod was not looking good, but it could be fixed. The chopper could bring in new parts on its next visit.

After flipping the ATV upright, he opened the utility box and took out a wrench and the tow rope. With a loud grunt, he flipped the ATV onto its back and used the tow rope and wrench to create a winch on the center bar. Muscles bulged in his arms and chest as he spun the wrench and tightened the rope. He corrected the frame as best he could. Without a replacement for the tie rod, he would have to see how long it lasted. If he went slow and avoided the worst bumps, it might last the rest of the trail. Probably wishful thinking.

Sweat rolled down Pierce's face and neck. Dark circles stood out under his armpits and the top half of his back. It was still too hot in late September to be in the sun for hours at a time. Even the native creatures were still conserving their energy or sleeping through the hottest part of the day. Pierce pulled out a piece of white fabric with frayed edges from a side pocket in his fatigues. The fabric had been a gift from Ibrahim.

"This will not do." Ibrahim removed Pierce's camouflaged cap from his head. He walked to the window and tore a strip off the fabric covering it. The old woman muttered, and Pierce made a mental note to purchase new fabric for her. With the strip covering the back of his neck and wrapped over his mouth and nose, Ibrahim plopped his cap back on. "Now you are ready."

They stepped into the heat of the late afternoon sunshine, and Alam jumped up from scribbling in the sand with a stick. Much to his dismay, his father had shooed him out earlier to practice his English words and let the men speak. His grandmother had taken his hand when he protested and led him out. Pierce could find no demarcation between the pupils and irises that lingered on the mask across the lower half of his face before rising to meet his eyes. Alam pulled his shirt up over his mouth. "I will go too."

"No, Alam. You will stay here and protect your grandmother." Ibrahim said gently as he crouched and took Alam's thin shoulders. The boy looked deep into his father's eyes, and when he held out his hand, his father closed Alam's palm around something small. "You will keep my world safe."

Alam walked to his grandmother and took her hand. Before turning a corner out of sight, Pierce looked back. Young and old stood watching their departure from the courtyard. "What did you give him?"

"A piece of polished feroza. He holds it so we are forever together."

The strip of frayed fabric soaked up the sweat when it hit the back of Pierce's neck. He took his cap off, wrapped the strip around the lower half of his face, and settled the hat back on his head.

The ledge where the man had been still held the evidence that confirmed he had been shot with a bullet. Even astride the ATV, he could see the small spatter pattern where a fresh chip in the rock marked the spot. The ATV rumbled low in neutral as he stepped to the ledge.

One clear diamond pattern shoeprint was etched into the brown blood that had dried under the hot sun. More blood was smudged on the rocks that formed the handholds and footholds advancing up the cliff.

Pierce stepped back, gazed at the flat face of the mountain, and looked down at his ATV. "Well, you aren't going to make that climb."

From the box on the back of the ATV, he dug out a can of fluorescent pink spray paint. Robin had thought she was being funny when she brought him pink paint when he requested yellow, but the first time he used it, he found the pink more visible against the golden hues of the desert and mountains.