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“Bandits,” Jack says tersely

“Yeah,” Rio agrees, staring at four i for trouble with people who can shoot back”

“Bona sira,” one of the Sicilians says in the local dialect

“Evening,” Jack says

“Amici,” Rio says “Americans Yankees”

“Si, lu capisciu, signore, signorina”

It sounds peaceable enough, and Rio orders her squad forward The bandits are someone else’s problem, not hers

After a while they reach a crossroads Question is, is this the right crossroads?

Petersen speaks up for the first ti them”

“What?”

“The plane I thought you knew” There’s a note of triu The downed plane still has a functioning radio, although their signal is weak That’s hoe knohere they are”

No, no one has h it’s obvious once she thinks of it, which irritates her extremely But there’s no point in resentment, so she says, “Okay, try to raise them”

He swings the radio off his back onto the ground and squats before it It’s a rectangular object, painted the inevitable olive drab There are a few knobs on the top and a hand piece snugged into the side Petersen fiddles with it then lifts the hand piece

“AAC 5348, AAC 5348, this is Ditch Digger, do you copy?”

He repeats it half a dozen tiarbled transmissions from other outfits on the saain