think they have driven this route many times before. They know the problems. It will be difficult driving. It could be dangerous. We must decide together.’
Li looked around the group, unable to keep the excitement out of her eyes. ‘All those in favour of going over the top, raise your hand!’ She stuck her hand straight up in the air. Alex followed her lead, then Amber. Hex hesitated, looking at Paulo then raised his hand too.
Paulo nodded, then turned the ignition key. The Monster roared into life. He patted her dashboard, then turned her nose towards the dunes and moved off.
T EN
As the Monster fought her way across the spine of the dune system the rest of Alpha Force saw how good a driver Paulo was. Time after time, he took the Unimog up vast slopes, moving diagonally across the incline at just the right speed to avoid bogging down in the soft sand. Time after time, he clambered down from the cab and climbed the next dune-face to see what was on the other side and plan his next move. He kept to the firmer sand of the windward slopes where he could, riding high on the side of the dune banks so that he had a downward slope for extra momentum if he needed it. It was exhausting work but Paulo stuck at it until, finally, they came to a dune-face so steep, he knew he would have to take it head-on. If he tried to traverse that incline diagonally, the Unimog would roll.
Paulo sighed and prepared to clamber down from the cab once more and check out the other side of the dune.
‘I’ll come with you,’ said Alex, grabbing his binoculars and clambering from the other side of the cab. Instantly, he felt the skin on his face and hands tighten as the sweat evaporated away in the hot wind. The sun hit the back of his neck like a hammer, and under his gandourah and sirwal the sweat formed in a slick layer. Alex licked his dry lips and reminded himself that they were all due a water break when he got back to the Unimog.
They reached the top of the dune and Paulo’s exhausted face creased into a tired smile. Ahead of them stretched a sandy plain of low, undulating rises. ‘Dios ,’ he breathed. ‘I thought we would never reach the other side.’
Alex grinned at Paulo, then peered more closely at the plain ahead of them. There was a cluster of low buildings about halfway across. Alex lifted his binoculars and focused.
‘It’s a village,’ he said. ‘Out here in the middle of nowhere. There’s a small date palmery around an oasis – and some tatty-looking mud-brick houses. A few goats on the outskirts, the usual thing.’ He held the binoculars out to Paulo. ‘It’s a poor place, not much to look at, but they might be able to tell us something about the slavers.’
Paulo ignored the binoculars. He was gazing intently over to the west. ‘We may not need to ask,’ he said quietly.
Alex turned to look and saw a fast-moving cloud of dust heading towards the village. Quickly, he focused the binoculars on the dust cloud and got his first look at the Scorpion’s Unimog. It was rattling along and the canvas covering over the back was rippling in the wind. The canvas was laced tightly shut to hide what was inside. Alex clenched his jaw as he imagined Khalid under that canvas, packed in with a scared huddle of other children, baking in the airless heat and hanging on to the bench seat to stop himself being flung to the floor.
‘They’re definitely heading for the village,’ he said, lowering the binoculars. ‘They must be planning a stop.’ He scanned the open ground at the base of the dune. ‘See that wadi?’
Paulo gazed down at the dry river bed and nodded.
‘Here’s what I think we should do,’ said Alex. ‘We’ll hide the Unimog in the wadi, then me and Amber can take one of the quads and head for the village.’
‘Why Amber?’ asked Paulo.
‘She speaks excellent French: if we’re spotted, we may need to do some fast talking,’ said Alex, gazing across the plain. ‘I’m hoping we can sneak in,
Li looked around the group, unable to keep the excitement out of her eyes. ‘All those in favour of going over the top, raise your hand!’ She stuck her hand straight up in the air. Alex followed her lead, then Amber. Hex hesitated, looking at Paulo then raised his hand too.
Paulo nodded, then turned the ignition key. The Monster roared into life. He patted her dashboard, then turned her nose towards the dunes and moved off.
T EN
As the Monster fought her way across the spine of the dune system the rest of Alpha Force saw how good a driver Paulo was. Time after time, he took the Unimog up vast slopes, moving diagonally across the incline at just the right speed to avoid bogging down in the soft sand. Time after time, he clambered down from the cab and climbed the next dune-face to see what was on the other side and plan his next move. He kept to the firmer sand of the windward slopes where he could, riding high on the side of the dune banks so that he had a downward slope for extra momentum if he needed it. It was exhausting work but Paulo stuck at it until, finally, they came to a dune-face so steep, he knew he would have to take it head-on. If he tried to traverse that incline diagonally, the Unimog would roll.
Paulo sighed and prepared to clamber down from the cab once more and check out the other side of the dune.
‘I’ll come with you,’ said Alex, grabbing his binoculars and clambering from the other side of the cab. Instantly, he felt the skin on his face and hands tighten as the sweat evaporated away in the hot wind. The sun hit the back of his neck like a hammer, and under his gandourah and sirwal the sweat formed in a slick layer. Alex licked his dry lips and reminded himself that they were all due a water break when he got back to the Unimog.
They reached the top of the dune and Paulo’s exhausted face creased into a tired smile. Ahead of them stretched a sandy plain of low, undulating rises. ‘Dios ,’ he breathed. ‘I thought we would never reach the other side.’
Alex grinned at Paulo, then peered more closely at the plain ahead of them. There was a cluster of low buildings about halfway across. Alex lifted his binoculars and focused.
‘It’s a village,’ he said. ‘Out here in the middle of nowhere. There’s a small date palmery around an oasis – and some tatty-looking mud-brick houses. A few goats on the outskirts, the usual thing.’ He held the binoculars out to Paulo. ‘It’s a poor place, not much to look at, but they might be able to tell us something about the slavers.’
Paulo ignored the binoculars. He was gazing intently over to the west. ‘We may not need to ask,’ he said quietly.
Alex turned to look and saw a fast-moving cloud of dust heading towards the village. Quickly, he focused the binoculars on the dust cloud and got his first look at the Scorpion’s Unimog. It was rattling along and the canvas covering over the back was rippling in the wind. The canvas was laced tightly shut to hide what was inside. Alex clenched his jaw as he imagined Khalid under that canvas, packed in with a scared huddle of other children, baking in the airless heat and hanging on to the bench seat to stop himself being flung to the floor.
‘They’re definitely heading for the village,’ he said, lowering the binoculars. ‘They must be planning a stop.’ He scanned the open ground at the base of the dune. ‘See that wadi?’
Paulo gazed down at the dry river bed and nodded.
‘Here’s what I think we should do,’ said Alex. ‘We’ll hide the Unimog in the wadi, then me and Amber can take one of the quads and head for the village.’
‘Why Amber?’ asked Paulo.
‘She speaks excellent French: if we’re spotted, we may need to do some fast talking,’ said Alex, gazing across the plain. ‘I’m hoping we can sneak in,
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