The rest of the mercenaries advanced with MacKenzie. They followed the incline of the hill and stayed behind boulders and scrub grass as much as they could. The proximity of the campfires would dull the Bedouin warriors’ night vision, as well. All small things, but they were the edge MacKenzie planned to capitalize on. Carrying the AK-47 in front of her, Annja stayed to MacKenzie’s left as she crept down the incline. Although the day had been fiercely hot, the night had cooled considerably, dropping into the high fifties. The wind chill dropped that even further. Her boots crunched in the arid soil despite her attempts to remain silent. Thirty yards ahead of them, a Bedouin guard sat on a rock and stared out at the night, looking right at them. Except he couldn’t see them. Then, abruptly, his body language changed as he sat up straighter and took a new grip on his assault rifle. The earwig in Annja’s ear picked up MacKenzie’s quiet order.
