Every minute he sat there felt like one too many. But decisions had to be made, each one of them potentially causing a slew of side effects that could either derail their escape, or make it a success.
Then there were the things out of his control.
Would Gifford be able to hold up much longer? Was help on the way? Had Chong stationed more men along their escape route to thwart their plans? How much longer until daylight would aid their frantic run through the woods?
All that time, Mike's eyes had been glued to the vehicle parked down below, a silent yet deadly observer capable of destroying any headway they'd made so far.
Following the paved road to his left, the ravine alongside it grew steeper, making any attempts to climb down the embankment downright treacherous. He had no way of knowing if the terrain would eventually flatten out again, and with a struggling Gifford in tow, and a manic doctor on his heels, he didn't necessarily have the luxury of time to try it out and see.
It limited his choices to one of two things.
Make it down the mountain side and take on the driver, grab the car and rush for help, or hide until daylight, hoping that Chong would suspend his deadly cat and mouse game and retreat to the lab once more.
Favoring the initial plan to take on the driver, Mike had spent quite a bit of time evaluating the embankment, hoping to find a path down that would allow for them to stay undetected for as long as possible.
Much of the area was covered in loose stone and brush, giving them few objects to hide behind. It would take only a few pieces of gravel rolling down toward the road to give their location away, leaving them painfully wide open for any attacks.
But time was against them in this case.
He glanced down at his raggedy dress pants, the material dirty and ripped in places. His right hand holding onto the revolver tightly, knowing that his defense included a mere six bullet, six shots that would make the difference between life and death.
And then Mike let his mind wander back to his partner, hoping that Steve's youth and optimism would help keep the young Inspector going until help arrived.
"I could try and distract him…"
Gifford's words tore through the tense silence and the reporter appeared next to him shortly after, her warm eyes scanning his intently.
"This way you could take him out and we could flee in the car. Wouldn't that work?"
Biting his lip, Mike let his glance drift back to the lonely car parked below, his active mind envisioning various harrowing scenarios that could derail their plan. In the end, his skepticism succumbed to the overwhelming logic that their best hope for a safe outcome would be to get the car.
"I won't lie. You could get hurt.", he explained evenly, only to see Gifford shrug dismissively.
"It's a chance I am willing to take. We gotta get out of here and get help. And we need to stop this madman. You're the guy with the gun. Let me be the bait…please"
Nodding gratefully, Mike lowered his head, ready to get back on his knees and elbows, when he heard a twig snap nearby.