Read Online Pale Horse (A Project Eden Thriller) by Brett Battles - Free Book Online
Authors: Brett Battles
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PM MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME
B RANDON LEANED AGAINST the tree, panting. Once more he could hear the helicopter heading in his direction. He slid around so the trunk was between him and the aircraft, hoping it would mask him from any heat-seeking scanner they might have.
He’d been doing the same thing for what seemed like hours now, running when the helicopter was far away, then using the trees as a barrier when it came near. So far it had worked.
When he’d left Hayes’s body, he’d been hoping he wouldn’t see any of the helicopters again, but the empty skies hadn’t lasted long, and soon the one he was now hiding from had begun its slow methodical search over the forest.
This time it was flying just above the trees on a line that would take it over his position. Once it reached the point directly above him, the only things between it and his heat-radiating body would be a less-than-solid layer of branches. Would they be enough to hide him?
He thought about running to the side out of the helicopter’s path, but he worried that he’d already waited too long, and would be seen the moment he took his first step.
Go? Stay?
Stay, he decided.
The treetops began swaying from the wind generated by the helicopter’s approach. Another few seconds and it would be right above him. He squeezed his eyes shut as if doing so would make him invisible, and pressed as tightly as he could against the tree.
Fifty feet away now, the rotors so loud he could no longer hear anything else.
He angled his feet so that he could shimmy around the trunk as the helicopter passed above, and hoped that would be enough to keep him from being discovered.
Twenty feet. His mind screamed at him to move around the tree now.
Wait. Wait.
He held his position.
Suddenly the sound of the engine changed as the helicopter stopped in midair.
He shoved his eyelids even tighter together, sure that he’d been seen, and those soldiers he’d been worried about earlier were descending to the ground.
The helicopter hung in the air above him. Why? What were they doing?
Reluctantly, he opened his right eye, then his left. Very slowly, he tilted his head up. Through a small gap in the tree cover, he could see a portion of the helicopter’s tail section. Knowing he was taking a big chance, he leaned a few inches further around until he could see the main cabin.
No ropes. No men hanging below. The door was shut.
Run!
He didn’t move, not because he thought the urge was wrong, but because his feet suddenly felt as if they were a thousand pounds each.
Without warning, the engine noise increased again, this time even louder than before. He looked up just in time to see the helicopter turn. It wasn’t moving toward him now; it was moving away.
Run!
This time his feet obeyed.
Dodging trees and jumping over dead branches, he raced as fast as he could through the woods in the opposite direction of the helicopter. Every few minutes he’d look over his shoulder, expecting to catch a glimpse of the aircraft following him from above, but not once did he see it.
Run!
Since the helicopter had returned, he’d never been able to go for more than fifteen minutes without it flying somewhere close by, but now he’d been racing through the woods for twenty minutes and there was still no sign of the aircraft’s return.
Run!
The gentle downward slope of the ground was a good indication he was heading in the same eastward direction as earlier, but he would feel better if he could get a glimpse of the mountains to be sure.
He glanced over his shoulder again, but could only see the trees. As he turned back around, he caught a split-second glimpse of the dead branch sticking up from the ground just before his shin slammed into it.
Down he went, his backpack crashing into him as he hit the ground, and spilling out several items from inside.
He lay there for a moment, not moving. Once his breath slowed, he pulled the backpack off, and sat up. Head throbbing, he
B RANDON LEANED AGAINST the tree, panting. Once more he could hear the helicopter heading in his direction. He slid around so the trunk was between him and the aircraft, hoping it would mask him from any heat-seeking scanner they might have.
He’d been doing the same thing for what seemed like hours now, running when the helicopter was far away, then using the trees as a barrier when it came near. So far it had worked.
When he’d left Hayes’s body, he’d been hoping he wouldn’t see any of the helicopters again, but the empty skies hadn’t lasted long, and soon the one he was now hiding from had begun its slow methodical search over the forest.
This time it was flying just above the trees on a line that would take it over his position. Once it reached the point directly above him, the only things between it and his heat-radiating body would be a less-than-solid layer of branches. Would they be enough to hide him?
He thought about running to the side out of the helicopter’s path, but he worried that he’d already waited too long, and would be seen the moment he took his first step.
Go? Stay?
Stay, he decided.
The treetops began swaying from the wind generated by the helicopter’s approach. Another few seconds and it would be right above him. He squeezed his eyes shut as if doing so would make him invisible, and pressed as tightly as he could against the tree.
Fifty feet away now, the rotors so loud he could no longer hear anything else.
He angled his feet so that he could shimmy around the trunk as the helicopter passed above, and hoped that would be enough to keep him from being discovered.
Twenty feet. His mind screamed at him to move around the tree now.
Wait. Wait.
He held his position.
Suddenly the sound of the engine changed as the helicopter stopped in midair.
He shoved his eyelids even tighter together, sure that he’d been seen, and those soldiers he’d been worried about earlier were descending to the ground.
The helicopter hung in the air above him. Why? What were they doing?
Reluctantly, he opened his right eye, then his left. Very slowly, he tilted his head up. Through a small gap in the tree cover, he could see a portion of the helicopter’s tail section. Knowing he was taking a big chance, he leaned a few inches further around until he could see the main cabin.
No ropes. No men hanging below. The door was shut.
Run!
He didn’t move, not because he thought the urge was wrong, but because his feet suddenly felt as if they were a thousand pounds each.
Without warning, the engine noise increased again, this time even louder than before. He looked up just in time to see the helicopter turn. It wasn’t moving toward him now; it was moving away.
Run!
This time his feet obeyed.
Dodging trees and jumping over dead branches, he raced as fast as he could through the woods in the opposite direction of the helicopter. Every few minutes he’d look over his shoulder, expecting to catch a glimpse of the aircraft following him from above, but not once did he see it.
Run!
Since the helicopter had returned, he’d never been able to go for more than fifteen minutes without it flying somewhere close by, but now he’d been racing through the woods for twenty minutes and there was still no sign of the aircraft’s return.
Run!
The gentle downward slope of the ground was a good indication he was heading in the same eastward direction as earlier, but he would feel better if he could get a glimpse of the mountains to be sure.
He glanced over his shoulder again, but could only see the trees. As he turned back around, he caught a split-second glimpse of the dead branch sticking up from the ground just before his shin slammed into it.
Down he went, his backpack crashing into him as he hit the ground, and spilling out several items from inside.
He lay there for a moment, not moving. Once his breath slowed, he pulled the backpack off, and sat up. Head throbbing, he
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