She jumped at the voice and looked up at Joker who had picked up her silver blanket and was holding it out to her.
She wasn’t, not with the thick sultry night air and the adrenaline pumping in her body, but she accepted it.“Thank you.”
He offered her a protein bar and sat next to her.“Can you tell us what happened?”
Mila glanced around the clearing to find the team watching her.Of course, they didn’t know.She explained about running into the guards and distracting the dog.
Joker sighed.“The dog was half starved.People like Agus seem to think a hungry dog makes a good attack dog, but it doesn’t.”
“Did they see you?”Radar asked.
“I don’t think so.How’s Ethan?”
Axle glanced up.“These things will help.He’s stable at the moment.”
“Any news from base?”she asked.
“Nothing new,” Radar answered.“With the boat out of the running, our best chance is via helicopter as soon as they get permission.Is there a clearing somewhere away from Agus’s house?”
Mila pursed her lips.“How much space do you need?”
“About the size of two tennis courts.Best case we want it to land because it will be quicker and easier to board with Hawk.”
The square would have been ideal, but it was covered in rubble now.“The village on the south coast has a soccer pitch and all the villagers play games there once a month.”
“The road is blocked,” Joker said.“We have to carry Hawk.Anywhere closer?”
“When the tide goes out, the beach is clear.”She sighed.“But not today.”
Joker nodded.“What else?Just throw out ideas even if you think they won’t work.”
“Anywhere else they play soccer or field games?”Radar asked.
“Each village has a market square, but chances are high they’re all destroyed.”She bit her lip.“And the easiest way to get to the villages is by boat.”
“Are there any roads?”Joker asked.
“There’s a dirt track running from the main road to each village, but they’re rough and they always get washed out in the wet season.People travel by boat at this time of year.”
“This just keeps getting better and better,” Radar grumbled.
“The best place is Agus’s cliff,” Mila said.“It’s a clear area and it’s close.Perhaps there’s some way we could lure him away and land there.”
Joker grinned.“I like the way you think.Will he leave to check on anyone in the village?”
She shook her head.“All of his family lives with him.”
“We think he sent them away on his boat,” Joker said.
“Vance might know for sure,” Mila said.
They all looked over to where he slept.Radar stood and tapped him on the foot.“Wake up, Vance.”
Vance groaned and grumbled.
“Do you want to be rescued or not?”Radar barked.
Vance sat up, brushing his long fringe out of his face.“Are we leaving?”
