Читать книгу Two Dauntless Hearts онлайн | страница 21

Marly glanced around the open field, searching for a stand of trees large enough to park the plane beneath. “The engine isn’t working.”

Talia smiled. “I’m sure you can get some old-fashioned brawn to help get it where you want it to go. I wouldn’t leave it out in the open. You never know what might happen if it’s left alone.”

Familiar with the nature of the inhabitants of the savannas and jungles of Africa, Marly agreed. Gangs of miscreants, poachers and rebels would have the plane stripped of anything salvageable in no time.

She located a copse of trees three hundred yards to her south. “If we could get it to that stand of trees, I’d feel better about leaving it.”

Pitbull stepped forward. “Let us handle it.”

The six SEALs and the three guards positioned themselves around the aircraft at Marly’s direction and began pushing the plane across the bumpy terrain and toward the trees.

Talia followed in the truck.

Once they had the plane positioned between the trees, Talia hauled out a large bundle from the back of the truck and dropped it on the ground. “You can use this camouflage netting to conceal the plane. Trust me, I wouldn’t want anyone to find it. We’ve had some near misses with a local rebel group. The cowards try to get our people alone. Then they attack and steal whatever they might sell on the black market. They’d steal this plane piece by piece if they found it.”

“Should I stay with the plane until the part comes?” Marly asked.

“I think it will be okay as long as you conceal it well enough.”

“Great,” Marly said, grabbing a corner of the netting.

The others took up the other ends and dragged the net over the nose and wings, and finally over the tail.

When they had secured the ends to the ground using sticks and rocks, Marly stood back and examined the effect. From a distance, it would blend into the shadows of the trees.

Talia waved toward the truck. “We can fit two inside—me and one other—and the rest in the back. I’ll let you figure out who goes where.”

Pitbull hurried to the front of the vehicle and opened the passenger seat. “Marly,” he barked like a command.