The three men waited in the Sullivan seaplane, who kicked the Samuel boot, imperceptibly when he saw her coming. He smiled at her.
Edna wore the same style of dress she wore in their old adventures. A thermal shirt next to the body, a vest with short sleeves and military style, trousers of the same type, firm sole boots, dark hair in a ponytail, a backpack of very generous proportions, a ski jacket, black, hanging off. All over-pockets and shades of green and brown. It was a style, copied from his childhood, thanks to her father and his military lifestyle.
And of course, she walked with a firm step.
- Good morning Official- Sam joked when she had close- ¿You know that if you get lost in the woods, we don't will see you?
- I have flares- She shook her overloaded backpack.
- You always have flares. You always have all...
- Victor... Please... Say it is not the same seaplane- She complained.
- It's perfectly functional...- Said Sullivan, patting the fuselaje- I do not know what's bothering you.
- God... I will sleep during the flight... So I do not think the high probability that this plane fall apart...
- So little faith...
Already during the trip, they began to put the plan clean. They had to stop at several airports in China, be scanned and reviewed to death, only to fly into his airspace. The main objective was go to Qinghai, a province in the center of the country, but more precisely Muhammad Shan mountain in the Qilian Mountains.
They should be cautious. First, because the Chinese would notice immediately that they were not mere tourists. They review their belongings, so suspect a treasure hunt. That made, barely they arrived, they had to hurry, so no state sent decided to observe the area before.
Then they should be attentive to the area and climate. The area was particularly high, so the oxygen in the air was pretty lame if they climbed more, and even more at that time, in mid-autumn, very likely to attract intense cold and snow avalanches. The place was also a land of Tibetan nomads, who used to bring their enormous and ferocious Tibetan dogs for protection.
Another reason to do it fast.
According to information gathered, Muhammad Shan was a mountain where there was nothing but a communications tower at a good height, a cable car, snow and rocks. In one of its slopes there was a long smooth terrain and devoid of obstacles, next to a hangar that had served as a runway during the war and which serve the same purpose with the Victor airplane.
They also found something referred to a strange artificial cave near a lake in tourist purposes, which was quite suspicious.
The plan was to get to that cave, inspect it and see that the destination store for them.
And with clear ideas, seeing that had yet to arrive, Edna had reclined on the plane, with the backpack aside and arms in her lap. She opened his eyes and closed them occasionally, a little tired. Nathan was co-pilot, talking with Victor, and Samuel was promptly seated in front of her, with legs extended all along the seat and crossed arms.
He watched her, sometimes, knowing she was half asleep.
For a moment he saw her watching him, fixedly
- ¿What?- Sam asked.
- Nothing... I remember the time we had to stay up in London- She laugh- We fell sleep.
- Yes...- He laugh- We had to invent conversations and games to distract us.
- We have a few good stories...
- And then we'll have another.
- ¿Did I ever tell you... that hear you relaxes me?- She settled a bit, with small eyes.
- Yes Edna... Countless times...- He smiled sweetly.
Shaareim closed his eyes, to get some sleep, guarded by Drake.
After a lot of flight they came to China, and after nearly a couple of days and pure bureaucratic paperwork, nervous about carrying false papers, at last Sullivan's plane flew over the Qilian Mountains and down gently to the improvised runway along the side of Muhammad Shan, as the sun dawned hardly among the peaks.
The provisional hangar doors was functional, so Victor could protect his precious apparatus from the climate.
The four were standing outside, looking at the planes, very warm and very prepared.
- Ok. Remember the points- Nathan put the plane on a box lid- We are here. The cave is not far, but a bit high. Luckily it is a ski area for crazy extremists, so there is a functional cable car from the base to the watchtower. We must go there, then down.
- Down is always better- Said Victor- Is not the season ski ¿How are we going to come up with the cable car off?
- It turns on- Edna settled his backpack- You just have to violate some input, the power button has no code.
- ¿Where did you learn that?- Sam looked at her, surprised.
- I went skiing once... Alone... In summer...
- You are crazy.
- Yep.
- All right- Nate folded the map- At the cable car then. Walking.
The four were walking, after many hours, up the slope slowly, very slowly. Soon they come to the area where the trees began to disappear to give way to snow and the expected cable car station.
And of course, the height was beginning to annoy a bit.
Samuel was behind all, making sure that the female figure before him, was fine. And she was, at least until midday, where she stopped. The cold and the least amount of air had made him severely hurt his ribs.
- Boys- Sam alerted and approached to Edna.
He looked at her face, and her bent semblance.
- Hey...- Sam took his arm- ¿You're ok? ¿You need to sit down?
- I'll be fine…- She said, slowly- Give me just a moment...
- Can we stop for a while if you need it- Nathan said.
- No... I will go...- She rubbed his chest.
- ¿Do not you have any medicine for that in your backpack?- Sam asked.
- No... I have no medicines for months... Not even they sell them in the capital. And if I do not have money even to travel there... Much less to buy them at the price they are.
- ¿Are you... twisting yourself in pain for months?
- I have three years with Costochondritis, Sam... The anti-inflammatory drugs are non-sedating, just make it hurt less time, no less strongly.
- ¿Why did you not tell me? You could have said you did not have your health to come here or at least we'd order go buy some drugs...
- I was not going to make you traveling to the capital by a dozen anti-inflammatory drugs.
- Edna...
- And I'm not disabled- She looked at him- It hurts sometimes, yes, but it leaves me…
- ¿What if you get an attack of those while you hang from a ledge or something? ¡You'd'd fall!
- Do not give me reason to hang and matter settled.
- Child…- Victor also came- Is seriously. If you need to sit or stay on the plane, tell us.
- Don't- She straightened, with serious look- Stop. The three of you. Stop treating me like a useless flower. I was trained by a soldier ¿Remember? I am not unless to you just for not having testicles. Walk.
The woman stepped forward, ahead of the three men who had been left behind, watching her.
- She never liked being treated as a weak- Sam said, watching the eyes of Sullivan.
- I can see that- He said, walking.