Free Hostage by Chris Ryan

said Paulo. 'The fuel pump is shotted. It is burned out, Alex, and we do not have a replacement.'
    'Yeah, but we can still complete the mission,' said Li hastily. 'These snowmobiles will carry two people. Alex can share with someone.'
    'Me,' said Amber. 'He can ride with me. You can even drive if you want, Alex,' she added generously.
    'Gee, thanks,' said Alex, raising his eyebrows at her. Everyone knew that Amber hated machines. She was much happier with forms of transport that did not require engines, such as her yacht or her thoroughbred horses. Amber grinned at Alex without a hint of embarrassment.
    'Will it carry two people on the sort of journey we're planning?' asked Alex, looking at Paulo.
    'Of course it will,' said Li. 'Won't it, Paulo?'
    'I think we must lose the trailer,' said Paulo.
    'But that's two trailer-loads of stuff!' said Amber. 'Alex's and mine. Can we afford to leave so much behind?'
    'We can redistribute,' said Li. 'We can get rid of the tents for a start. We didn't need them tonight, did we? And we could leave the diving gear—'
    'I think we should hang on to the dry suits,' interrupted Hex, looking up from his screen. 'I've been checking out the layout of the mine. They're very security conscious. The front way in is patrolled and floodlit, so we may have to go in the back way.'
    'Which is?' asked Amber.
    'Into the old, abandoned mine workings, from the river.'
    'OK, then,' said Li. 'But we'd only need a couple of dry suits. Two in, the rest on land, right? It's diving protocol. We can dump the other suits and that'll leave plenty of room for the essentials, won't it, Alex?'
    Everyone looked at Alex. Would three trailers carry all they needed to survive in the interior? As their survival expert, the final decision had to be his. Alex hesitated. Three trailer-loads would be cutting it fine. He looked around at the others, weighing up all the variables. He was the only one in the group with experience of cold-climate survival. On the other hand, if he had to choose anyone as travelling companions, it would be the other four members of Alpha Force. He would trust them with his life. It was as simple as that. Alex looked over at Li, who was watching him intently, waiting for his decision.
    'All right,' said Alex, standing up. 'Let's reload.'
    An hour later, it was done. A neat stockpile of tents, spare diving equipment and supplies was hidden in the trees alongside the crippled snowmobile and the two spare trailers. The three remaining trailers were packed and ready to go.
    'I'll take first watch,' said Alex as they all headed for their sleeping bags. 'Two hours. Then, Hex, you take second watch.'
    Hex groaned. 'Are you sure we need to set a watch?' he yawned. 'The more I think about it, the more I'm sure that guy was operating alone.'
    'Besides,' added Amber. 'If someone else was following us, they'd've been here by now.'
    Alex shook his head. What Hex and Amber said made perfect sense, but he could see the tracks of their snowmobiles cutting across the snowfield in front of the trees. The tracks stood out clearly in the moonlight, pointing the way straight to the camp.
    'I'd just feel more comfortable if we set a watch,' he said. 'Even if there's no-one out there looking for us, there are still the bears to think about. They can smell food from twenty miles away – and we've been cooking.'
    The others headed for bed and Alex piled fresh wood on to the fire. He laughed softly as he listened to Hex grumble his way into his sleeping bag. Gradually, the muffled curses and mutterings about unnecessary watches subsided into silence and Alex was left alone by the fire. He did not mind. He was solitary by nature and he was never happier than when he was outdoors.
    He sat for an hour, feeding the fire and letting the peace of the night settle over him, then he strapped on his snowshoes and went to check the willow thicket. He was pleased to find two rabbits and a hare in the snares. Now that Alpha Force had