Chapter 13
NICK left the HILUX with the empty gas tank sixty-two klicks from the steep ridge line they gratefully hadn't had to cross on foot. Zimmerman lay on a canvas tarp Nick had found in the back of the HILUX, and he pulled it behind him like a pack mule having secured it to the bottom of his vest with parachute cord. The prisoner marched in front of him, weak from lack of water and lack of rest.
He knew an outpost lay just over the next rise. He prayed it was manned. The first time he had stumbled, he dropped any nonessential gear and left it for the desert to claim. He kept only his ammunition, his knife, his water, and his Soldier's Bible. The sun was starting to rise the second time he stumbled. On his knees, he prayed, "Please, God. Half a klick. I just need that much more stre
