Globusz^® Publishing 

ow was the time, at last the night sea breeze had picked up, the sky was fairly clear and she was sure the moon was about to rise. Helen was impatient to be gone but Peter was still sleeping, he’d had about six hours and she’d had enough of this rock, new every inch of it, and wanted to be off flying. “Peter! Come on time to get up. It’s late, time we were on our way.” He was difficult to wake and she had to shake him again. “Peter! Wake up, time to go.”

At last he blinked his eyes, shivered, sat up and stretched. Then rubbing his stomach he looked around. “God! I’m hungry. Isn’t there anything to eat, can’t we find anything in this damn forest.”

“No! Definitely not, neither of us knows what can be eaten and what to avoid. A person can go for at least seven days without eating, but we must have water... here drink this.” She said, handing him the water bottle.

Peter took a good swig from the bottle before climbing to his feet, then stretched and rubbed his back. “I ache all over,” he muttered, then with the water bottle in hand prowled around the site, noting the fissure had been filled in and the already assembled glider. “My! You have been busy, how long have I been asleep?”

“Several hours, you obviously needed it, so I let you sleep.”

“You shouldn’t have let me sleep that long, any bits left over?” He asked, gesturing towards the glider. Then after receiving a negative he walked to the edge of the rock to feel the updraft of air. Pausing he gazed at the distant horizon of mountain peaks before turning to Helen. “Great! We’re almost ready. Do you mind if I just give the glider a look over? Just to make double sure of things.”

“Of course not... It’s only the second time I’ve put it together.”

Peter checked everything, and found no faults. “Right! Lets get hooked on, I can see a faint glow from the moon all ready and there’s some light from the stars. Wind’s good too. You’ve done a good job. You can’t have had much sleep though.”

“Enough! I’m okay Peter. I can sleep on the wing! What about being seen from the ground when we are flying, we’re near civilisation now and there will be more people about, not to mention the soldiers.”

“Yes! Well we will just have to stay below the edge and close in to the slope. It’s a stealth aircraft, all black and the engine is ultra quiet. I doubt we would even show up on the airport radar. We can’t do anything more.”

“The radar, I hadn’t considered that.”

“Neither had I until this moment. Still we can’t do much about it except stay close to the edge, let’s not worry ourselves unnecessarily.”

Helen with newfound confidence took charge of the launch as they hooked on. “Ready?” Peter gave a nod. “Then we take six strides dive forward and GO!”

Once again they were flying after an easy take off, holding the rising air from the steep slope whilst heading down the valley then drifting along just below the cliff edge. Peter watched the slope and with a confidence drawn from experience was getting the best out of the glider. Helen searched everywhere, eyes continually scanning the road, ahead and even the rail line. Even with no traffic she could easily make out the road, alongside the river whilst the rail line appeared and disappeared under overhanging trees. “By the way I saw a train whilst you were asleep; it was only a little one pulling three goods wagons up towards the dam.” Then she remembered the pylons and electricity cables. “And Peter, I also saw the electricity cables slung between pylons along the mountain slope. I can only see them occasionally now, so we had best keep a sharp lookout for them if we fly any lower.”

Peter gave a grunt in reply. They were making rapid progress, flying fast above the forest. The wind had changed direction slightly since they last flew, not only giving them lift but part of the time actually pushing them down the valley towards the sea. Now after an hour of flying they found the edge of the cliff forming this side of the valley curved further North as it began to open out towards the sea and Sao Agusta. They were still flying high when ahead Helen saw a shoulder of the mountain forming a barrier, though below them. The shoulder projecting out had a short pass or saddle between it and the mountain. She pointed it out to Peter. “This is probably where the railway goes into a tunnel for a short period. I remember seeing it when we came up the road.”

“Yes! As I recall there is a road junction there too, and almost certainly a roadblock. If we go round the shoulder we’ll be right above that junction and we could be seen. I think it’s best if we fly directly over that pass, we should have enough height.” Peter pushed forward slightly and they slowed gaining even more height as the ground rose up sharply beneath them, but they were only halfway across the saddle when the fickle wind died on them and the rising air current disappeared. They started to lose height. Next moment the glider entered a down draft and rapidly sank towards the saddle. Helen was suddenly aware how close to the ground they were when she saw the thin lines of the power cables glistening in the moonlight. “Peter! The power cables. They’re directly below us, they run write over the pass and we haven't much height. Can we turn back?”

“No! We’re committed.” He shouted; as he pulled back slightly trying to keep flying speed. The glider sank lower. “Lookout for a landing sight because we’re not going to get over the pass.”

“The only clear ground I can see is beneath the power lines. There’s trees every where else.”

“That’s it then we have to land there.” Peter pulled back more and they dived towards the ground and the power lines. “Feet down!” He called as they slid to the right then held off to pass a pylon before pulling further back and diving to the left under the power lines. They were now going very fast and low. The next pylon approached rapidly as he realised he had badly misjudged it. To the left and right were trees, above, the power lines, if he pushed too much they would climb into them, if he put the glider down, they were travelling too fast and would crash.

The gap between the pylon and the trees on the left was slightly wider than the gap on the right. He turned and flew first to the right. “Hang on we are going to turn left then violently right.”

Helen closed her eyes and again found this was much worse, she opened them again just as Peter pushed the control forward and far too the right. The glider hesitated, climbed slightly and put the left wing tip down; momentarily he straightened out as they shot across the clearing under the power lines heading for the trees. Quickly he swung the control bar the opposite way, hard over to the left. Again the hesitation then the glider rolled like a fighter. With the right wing tip down and a groan from the bamboo wings as they took the strain, they flew round the pylon. A moment later after straightening out and flying across a narrow track, they had lost enough speed and he pushed forward. They came to a gentle stop a hundred metres from the next pylon.

“Wow! That was a bit scary; I thought we were going to clip that pylon. We came in like a fighter plane.” Helen commented, as with shaking hands she unhooked from the glider.

“Yes! I too was a bit worried back there.” The relief showed in his voice, “we couldn’t go up or turn round and there wasn’t enough clearance between the pylon and the forest to fly level. We nearly had ‘flied rice and bamboo shoot’ in the power cables.”

Helen smiled but otherwise ignored the outrageous joke. “How far do you think we flew tonight, we weren’t up so long but we were going fast most of the way.”

“I think we did pretty well, maybe twenty miles or more. You remember when we were driving up to the dam and you pointed out the pylons to... David and I.” Peter stopped suddenly in embarrassment at having brought up David’s name.

Helen looked at him, but the pain of being reminded of that time was easing. “You think this is the place?” Then determined to accept things as they were continued, “if it was daylight you could probable see the place where David was murdered.”

Shortly the glider was once again packed up and stowed in the plastic-bag. Helen stood, stretched and looked about her. “Where to now Peter, back to that small road and then up? Can we risk it? I mean do we trust it won’t have any traffic on it at this time of night?”

“I think so but let’s have a look at the road first, see how often it’s been used. We also have to bear in mind that we didn’t have anything to eat yesterday, nothing at all. We have to find some eats today, even if we have to steal it.”

Helen didn’t answer at first, she was only too aware this was their fifth day of freedom and in all that time they had only had one decent meal two pack lunches and several small snacks. This was a diet that she didn’t want or need. Even these jeans were beginning to feel loose. “Peter the only place to get food is down in the valley, and that’s where the soldiers are. We’re not going to be lucky again and find another isolated homestead, though I still have that other note on me so we could buy something if we get the chance... Should we take the risk and go down?”

Peter, very quiet, busied him self with the sling for the glider and didn’t answer as they lifted it and their back packs before making their way to the road. But it wasn’t a road as such, just a vehicle track that narrowed considerably as it left the clearing and entered the forest. It was also going in the right direction but didn’t appear to be climbing. Peter knelt down to look at the surface. “I don’t think it is used very much, even less than the previous one. I vote we use it and keep our ears open for any traffic. If we see any lights or hear anything then we quickly get into the forest.”

“Right! That’s okay by me, lets be on our way then.”

The track followed the contour of the slope for a couple of miles before gradually descending. To their right the hillside climbed steeply whilst on their left it fell away into the valley. They were in a dilemma and Peter who was in the lead called a halt. “Helen, we have to make a decision. We have two options, keep on this track and lose some height but maybe get closer to some food. Or we can go back half a mile or so and climb upwards away from the track. What do you think?”

“Well! I don’t fancy going back, and we certainly can’t go up here. Let’s stick with this track for a while longer.”

“Okay! I think this track is used for maintaining the pylons and power cables. We’ve passed several pylons so far so it will probably descend with them. We’ll keep on going though.”

Another hours walking found them still on the track and still in close proximity to the power cables. Fortunately the track had descended very little but they were already getting tired. The lack of food and the continual chafing of the glider on both shoulders and hips, took its toll. This time Helen called a halt. “I’m sorry Peter I need a rest for a moment.” The glider was lowered and back packs removed before the water bottle passed between them.

They rested for half an hour before noticing a lightening of the sky. This spurred them on and again they set off, this time Helen took the lead. A few hundred metres further and after the track rounded a contour in the hillside it turned sharply left by the side of a pylon and headed down hill. It was obvious when they got to the corner why this was so, twenty metres further on they could see through the forest there was a ravine with a waterfall and a stream in full flood. The hill to their right was still too steep to climb with what they carried. Helen stopped again and lowered the glider. She looked around. “Damn!”

“Well that’s solved one problem.” Peter murmured.

“How far do you think we’ve walked this morning?” Helen asked.

“About five maybe six miles.”

“Is that all, we’ve been walking ages, we must have done more than that.”

“No! I don’t think so. I’m not going to give you any false hopes. We’ve slowed down considerably. I feel deadbeat, so I’m sure you must be too. The last few days have been no picnic and taken it out of us. We haven't been walking very fast... Now we can’t cross that ravine or climb the hill I don’t think either of us has the energy. So! ... It’s down there or back up the track.”

“Well I don’t want to go back up the track Peter. That would knock all the spirit out of me. Let’s go on down and look for a place to cross that ravine.”

“That way lie demons! It’s risky, but I agree... and the sooner the better,” he added looking up at the sky.

The track zigzagged twice, the ravine never far away, when at one of the turns they saw the roof of a building just below them. This caused yet another halt. And after a quick consultation they decided to hide the glider and reconnoitre unencumbered but keeping their back packs with them. It took only a moment to stand the glider on end behind a tree before they walked the last hundred metres to where the track widened out to become a rough road.

It was still early and no sound came from the building which was an old colonial hacienda. As they crept past, Helen looking at the style of the place noticed the front door and immediately the words of Angie sprang to mind. ‘It had a large double door with iron studs, and a knocker in the shape of a crucifix,’ Angie was describing the convent where she had been looked after before she was captured.

“Peter, wait a moment!” Helen stood still as she tried to recall all that Angie had said, ‘long hinges on a solid looking door and a large iron crucifix for a knocker.' Helen moved towards the gate, stopped and stared at the door. “Peter this is the convent Angie was talking about, she was brought here before being captured and transported to the prison.”

“Are you sure? How do you know this is it?”

“I distinctly remember she said it was at the end of a road and described the door and knocker exactly, there can’t be another like that. She described the hacienda and this fits with what she said.”

“So! What are you proposing we do? Knock on the door and say we are friends of Angie and could you feed us.”

“Well! ... Yes! Something like that, but not in those words. I’m sure this is the place though.”

“What did she say the place was called?”

“She didn’t know; it was dark when she arrived and then left quickly escorted by two men.”

Peter didn’t say anything for a while, thinking of the consequences if they were wrong. Helen also was unsure and didn’t wish to force the issue. In the end it was Peter who spoke first. “Let’s move out of sight of the windows and discuss it. We’re a bit over exposed standing here.” They retreated up the road but kept the door in view. Eventually after much discussion, they agreed to wait for a while and see if anyone came in or out or if they could hear any movement. Ten minutes went by, twenty minutes, after thirty minutes or so they were getting impatient.

“This is no use Helen we could be waiting here all day.”

“Give them another ten minutes, please.”

Silence! They waited. Then quite suddenly they heard children’s voices, busy excited voices... several of them.

“They’re awake; I’m hungry, and tired. I vote we go knock on the door and ask for sanctuary.” Helen said, before adding. “Only if a nun answers the door that is.”

“And if a nun doesn’t answer the door, what then?”

Helen shrugged her shoulders. “We just ask for directions to the convent.”

“Yes! Yes okay... but you do the talking. It’d be less intimidating.”

Helen led the way and they were soon standing in front of the door. She raised the crucifix and gave a gentle tap. Then a second double tap as her confidence grew. The door opened silently to reveal a young nun who looked first at Helen then Peter, before turning again to Helen. “Can I help you?”

“We’ve been walking in the mountains and are very tired and hungry could we rest awhile and perhaps have a wash. We were told of this convent by a... friend... Angelica.” Helen’s speech tailed off as the nun appeared to lose concentration, her eyes flicked past towards Peter. Helen turned to look at his face only to see with a great deal of astonishment it was covered in a radiant smile.

“The flying nun,” he muttered in a quiet whisper, whilst rubbed the right side of his forehead.

“Don’t I know you? I mean... I’ve seen you before. Were you the man in the train crash?”

Helen’s eyes switched rapidly from one to the other. “You two know each other?” She asked in astonishment.

Peter answered the question. “Sort of! This nun... lady and I were in a train crash together. That is... we were in the same carriage when it was derailed... In Spain.” Then added, “Hello, I’m Peter,” but refrained from adding his usual ad joiner, ‘same as the saint’ before putting his hand forward. The nun, after a slight hesitation, proffered her hand and with great cordiality they shook hands.

It was at this moment that Helen saw a much older nun come through a door into the vestibule. She spoke just one word “Sister?” and raised her eyebrows.

The nun started almost with alarm, before turning and introducing them to mother Violeta. Then informing her of what the visitors had said and concluded by adding, “This is the gentleman that saved my life in that train crash in Spain. I have not been able to thank him before now.”

They were invited into the convent and in a small office Helen began an explanation of their circumstances before again repeated her request for rest, a wash and if possible something to eat. The mother superior then explained to them that as this was a convent. Helen could stay for a short while or over night but Peter however, would have to use a small annex in the grounds. Peter assured her that he fully understood and that this was perfectly okay. Helen addressing the mother superior then asked if it was possible to contact the man who had brought Angelica to the convent. She looked at Peter for confirmation who nodded his agreement.

* * *

A thin mist lay over the surface of the water as the three soldiers on the semi-rigid inflatable boat or RIB, motored slowly across the lake in the first light of the dawn. The dam wall they had just left was soon hidden by the clinging vapour. There was no wind but the passage of the three men caused the mist to swirl and eddy in sympathy with the water disturbed by the boat. Having just started their shift the three fresh faced youths were cruising along the West shore of the lake examining the gravel bank and the fringes of the rain forest. They hadn’t yet become bored with the assignment, which was a novelty and much more pleasant than trudging through the forest. “I can’t see anything through this mist you will have to run in closer to the shore,” said the youngest.

“If I go in much closer we’ll need wheels on the bottom,” replied the helmsman.

“And if you don’t then we may as well not be here,” the younger man quipped.

The third man, the eldest and nominally in charge, lay back in the front of the boat. “Do you mind, when you two have stopped arguing I’m trying to get some kip before the mist clears.”

The youngest turned again to the one on the helm. “Slow right down and go in closer, if you run onto the beach it won’t matter.” Then in an attempt to get support from the other man added, “It will also be quieter for our friend in the front.”

The boat slowed and with the engine ticking over they closed within two metres of the shore. For ten minutes they continued in this fashion before the young man shifted his seat, ten minutes later and he returned to his original position. After thirty minutes even the earnest zeal of the young man began to wane as the rising sun began to burn of the low-lying mist. But before further distractions drew the young man’s eyes away, he saw a line of scraped bark on the stony beach. His eye followed it into the fringes of the rain forest and there he could just distinguish what may be part of a raft. “Turn in to the beach, turn in, I see something.” The boat turned and grounded on the shingle with a slight scrape. The youngster, mindless of wet feet, leapt over the side and quickly made his way to the pile of logs. “Here! Come and give me a hand, I think this is a raft, help me pull it out.”

A raft it was and recently constructed it seemed. The young soldier without thought of taking credit for his discovery, immediately volunteered to stay behind whilst the other two returned to report their find. Ten minutes later they were reporting directly to Fidel, who importunately had arrived at the top of the dam at first light.

“We have them, if it was their raft. They must have swum across with the raft during the night. Wake the dog handler, get that dog and,” he looked at the boat, “two more men. If the dog gets their scent I want them by midday.”

Forty minutes later to the accompaniment of joyous barking four men and the dog set out on the trail. The boat returned to the dam towing the raft for Fidel to inspect. A short time later he was standing in the middle of the dam with his mobile phone to his ear. Noberto sleepily answered the other end and Fidel gave an update of the situation without apologising for the early hour.

“A raft you say? Why would they want a raft? And the dog has definitely picked up their scent. It’s not just chasing after something else.”

“Si! It would seem so Noberto, it is definitely them. But I do not understand how they are travelling so quickly. They cannot be sleeping at all and must be completely exhausted yet they are out running fresh soldiers.”

“Exhausted! I hope so Fidel, I hope so. Never mind how they are doing it. All soldiers are lazy and these two are running scared. Have you got any men ahead of them?

“No! Not yet, there’s no natural line of defence for twenty miles or so down the valley. I’m going to work on that now and bring the scouts back from el Castillo Botas. But I’m worried. I don’t know how those two escapees got past the soldiers. They have been very lucky.”

“Yes! Well make sure that their luck runs out now. The other matter what is going on there?”

“Our man has been working all night, undisturbed inside. He will come out this evening and we will start charging it immediately. This incident with the escapees should be completed by then.”

* * *

Peter and Helen having washed and eaten well had slept in relative comfort for six hours. Helen in a small room in the convent and Peter in a ‘garden shed annex’ where later he was rudely awakened by Vittorio shaking his shoulder. “Seņor! Seņor Peter.”

Peter pretended sleep a moment longer as his mind woke up, assimilated the facts, and couldn’t provide an answer. His right hand shot out, fastened on another’s wrist and he pulled sharply. Vittorio came down on top of him, a startled oath escaping form his mouth before another hand closed over it. Peter rolled over on top of the man and Vittorio found one arm up behind his back whilst the other lay trapped by Peter’s knee as he quickly scanned the room for further danger. Peter brought his attention back to the man beneath him whilst Vittorio stared in frightened wonder at a pair of glassy eyes just inches from his own.

“Who are you, how do you know my name?” Peter whispered whilst bringing a finger to his lips as he cautiously removed the hand from the man’s mouth.

“I am Vittorio Seņor, mother Violeta said you wished to see me. I know Angelica... or rather I know of her being brought here,” he whispered.

“And the man who brought her here, where is he?”

“The old man, he disappeared two weeks back, we think Fidel has him.”

“We? ... Fidel?”

“Si! My arm Seņor, it is breaking.”

“Oh! Yes, no sudden movements, you understand?” Peter quickly patted the man down before releasing his arm and rolling off him. The man slowly sat up and massaged the maltreated arm. “Seņor, a question please, you are one of the people who own la presa Milagro, this is true?”

“Sort of, I work for them.”

“Then Seņor Peter we are on the same side, let me explain.”

Twenty minutes later it was all confirmed as Vittorio explained what they had been doing and how the old man had been captured. He described the last prisoner that had arrived at the prison el churro to perfection. Peter reassured the man that he was alive and reasonably well when he last saw him. This brought the conversation back to what they were going to do. “Can you help get me to the British or US embassy?”

“No Seņor all the embassies are guarded.”

“Is the US fleet still in port? Can you help me get aboard one of their ships?”

“Si! The Navy is anchored in the bay Seņor, but we cannot go near the ships. All the boats are checked in the port before they are allowed to leave.”

“Do you know when the fleet is due to sail?”

“Soon Seņor, but I do not know exactly when.”

“Can you take me to a place high above the bay so I can look down on them, the edge of a cliff perhaps?”

A puzzled expression came over Vittorio’s face and he thought for a moment. “Si Seņor Peter, I know such a place, la vista blanco, I take you, but the lady, is best if she not come, wait here in convent. It is difficult to walk in rain forest.”

This comment brought a big smile to Peter’s face as he replied, “you can tell the lady then because I’m not. Wait here whilst I go and fetch her.”

However Peter had no need to fetch Helen for at that moment she put her head around the door of the shed. “Hi! So you won’t tell me what and why won’t you?”

“And good afternoon to you too,” said Peter, moving along the bed he was sitting on and inviting her to sit down. Helen sat whilst giving Vittorio the once over and repeating her question, “what won’t you tell me?”

“This is Vittorio... Helen,” Peter indicated waving his hand, “he is a friend of the new prisoner, the old man at the prison. He was just saying he could take me to a high point over looking the U.S. fleet, but the walk in the rain forest is difficult and he suggested you stay here in the convent.”

At this point Peter was having difficulty keeping his face straight and broke into a smile as Helen gave a snort of disgust. “Seņor Vittorio... I will out walk and out climb you and all of your friends in this damn forest of yours. Now how far is it to the point, and when do we start? I presume the embassy is out?” She added, turning to Peter who nodded an affirmative before turning to Vittorio.

“We will need a truck or lorry to take us as far as possible. With a ladder, at least five metres long. Can you arrange it?”

“Si Seņor, we have small truck but a ladder that long it will overhang the truck. Why do you wish for such a ladder Seņor?”

“I’ll explain later, how long will it take to get the truck here?”

“Two three hours Seņor it will be nearly dark then, is best if we move when it is dark, yes?”

“Much better, yes,” said Helen, “and can you bring a pair of binoculars? So we can look at the ships. And some sandwiches, we don’t want to take it all from the convent. Water we will be okay with.”

Vittorio nodded again and again, continually glancing between them. “Si Seņora Helen I will see what I can provide. The walk through the rain forest, it will take three, four hours and will be warm and damp and... we will have to sleep. Si!”

“Yes, that will be okay Vittorio. We’ll wait for you in the lane outside the convent in two or three hours. Meanwhile Helen we could see if the convent can give us another meal, I’m still hungry.”

* * *

It was the middle of the afternoon, his scouts on motorbikes had still not returned when Fidel got news from the group with the dog that had been following their scent.

“You’ve what!!” Fidel exclaimed.

“I am sorry Seņor Gamboa but the dog, it has lost the scent, we came to a ledge, an outcrop of rock overlooking the valley, the dog cast around and could not find the scent where they left this rock. It was as if they jumped of the rock itself.”

“Did they climb down the face of the rock?”

“No Seņor Gamboa, the rock ledge, it was only five or six metres high and we took the dog all the way around it.”

“Did you go back up their trail and see if they had gone back before stepping off in another direction?”

The guard somehow refrained from saying ‘of course’ and playing safe answered. “Si Seņor we reversed some way up the trail but the dog found no other scent trail.”

“Get your dog and take it down the cable car, at the bottom you will take a truck along the road to here.” Fidel jabbed the map with his finger. “Then come back up this track, it is a service road for the electricity pylons. When you come to a clearing set up a line and wait there. And take those soldiers with you; they’re no damn use up here.”

“Si Seņor.” And before Fidel could change his mind the guard turned and ran. Fidel put both hands on the table with the map before him and gazed at it in wonder. The fingers of both hands clenched then spread, only to clench again. ‘So many questions. How are they doing it? How are they moving so quickly? How are they evading the dogs? Is this all a false trail? Are there other men laying a scent for the dogs then covering up their scent? Are they playing a game with me? If so my friends it is a very dangerous game you play. When I catch you, and catch you I will, you will be very sorry you ever toyed with Alexandrov Ivanich Pencovskiy... Now why did I think to use my old name?’

In anger he rounded on the lieutenant from the army. “Are there any more army units idling about up here instead of searching for those escapees? If there are then get them down the cable car and set up a cordon along this line, it’s twenty miles down the valley, even they can’t travel that fast. You go with the soldiers.” Then uncharacteristically he added an explanation. “I’ll stay here until those bike riders come back and they can beat up from the rear. I’ll catch up and set up headquarters at this road junction when I get the helicopter.”

An hour later after ensuring there where no stragglers he brought Shaun and Alto out of the dam. “Everything okay?”

“Fine no problems, I just have to stick this cord near the top of the door then you can start filling the void with gas. You just have to pull this cord to put power on the... mechanism, which will give you about twenty four hours of battery life, I used more batteries.”

“Good! Excellent, well you stay with Alto, the gas will be coming up in the lift as soon as it gets dark and you can supervise filling the void. Then your part of the contract will be completed.”

“I thought I had finished, any one can fill the dam with gas... Look Fidel I’ve done my bit, I just want to go.”

“Patience my friend, patience! We are all in this together. There may be an unexpected hitch that only you could fix.” With this he turned away gesturing with his eyes to Alto.

* * *

Peter and Helen after eating a second meal in the same day were now feeling full for the first time in days, if not weeks. They had said their good byes and were walking back up the track to recover the glider. As they approached the place where it was hidden the sound of a snarling lorry engine coming up from behind gave a clear warning. The engine, revving high in a low gear dragged, the lorry up the steep zigzag track, it appeared someone was in a hurry and coming towards them. Quickly stepping of the track into the forest, they crouched low amongst the undergrowth whilst wondering if they had been betrayed. The lorry, an army vehicle similar to the one they had seen the previous day, ground past them almost within touching distance. It was several metres further up the track when a dog in the back started barking and snarling. Immediately loud voices took up the challenge telling the dog to shut up and to be quiet. Peter glanced at Helen who was trembling; he reached over, took her hand and gave it a squeeze. It was only when the sound of the lorry with the barking dog couldn’t be heard any more that she was able to recover her self.

Peter handed her back onto the track. “Come on lets not hang about any more, we’d best collect the glider then walk down the road to meet Vittorio.”

“Yes! Anything to put more distance between us and that animal. Where do you think they are going? When do you think they will let the dog start tracking us again?”

“Don’t worry. I think they will drive all the way up to the clearing where we landed last night before they give the dog its chance. It’s a good job it can’t talk though.”

They collected the glider and made their way back onto the track before heading down towards the convent. Peter called a halt lowered his end of the glider and start feeling in his back pack. Helen was on edge and impatient to be gone. “For heavens sake what are you doing, hurry up, they will be coming back soon.”

“I’m just getting the pepper out,” he said, before walking round and giving the little bag a good shake. “I’ll sprinkle some more near the convent gate as we go past. That dog is going to be dreaming of pepper.” He put the bag back in his pocket and picked up his end of the glider. Helen was eager to be gone and practically dragging him down the steep track couldn’t walk fast enough whilst continually looking over her shoulder. In no time at all they were walking past the convent gate and then on down the road. Another half mile and they came to a road junction where they had to wait not too sure from which direction Vittorio would come. Once again they hid the glider just off the road.

Now the enforced wait started to get to them. Helen began to think about what would happen when the lorry with the dog arrived at the clearing. At this moment Vittorio arrived with the truck, it was much lighter, looked and sounded so much different to the army lorry that Peter was in no doubt it was Vittorio, especially when it turned up the road towards the convent. He waved them down. It took only moments for the glider to be brought and tied onto the ladder which gave it some support. The truck turned around and the road junction was soon left behind. Peter and Helen, riding in the cab with the driver who they later learnt was Jorge, relaxed, the dog couldn’t follow their scent now. Vittorio and Alfredo were in the back keeping a close eye on the cargo.

Helen hadn’t lost her sense of humour and began to smile. “Peter, what do you think they will do when they let that dog out of the lorry? Can you imagine it running round then starting back down the track that they have just driven up?”

“Hey! Now that would be funny, back down that track with everyone running behind it and the lorry taking up the rear,” he guffawed.