Amazonia

They helped each other up and stumbled away from the stream, aiming for the other camp.

When they marched out of the forest, a cheer went up. “Way to go, Carrera,” Kostos said, a true smile on his lips.

Nate’s greeting was no less earnest. As soon as he arrived, Kelly threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. “You made it,” she mumbled in his ear. “You did it.”

“And not a minute too soon,” Nate said with a nod.

Frank patted him on the back.

“Well done, Dr. Rand,” Captain Waxman said stoically, and turned to organize his troops. No one wanted to remain this close to the stream, poisoned or not.

Kelly dropped her arms, but not before planting a soft kiss on his cheek. “Thanks…thanks for saving us. And thanks for returning safely.”

She swung away, leaving Nate somewhat bewildered.

Carrera nudged him with an elbow and rolled her eyes. “Looks like someone made a friend.”

10:02 A.M.

AMAZON JUNGLE

Louis stood in the center of the blasted region near the river’s edge. He could still smell the acrid tang of napalm in the air. Behind him, his team was off loading the canoes and loading up backpacks. From here, the journey would be on foot.

With the dawn, clouds had rolled in, and a steady drizzle fell from the sky, dousing the few fires that still smoldered. A smoky mist clung to the dead pocket of jungle, ghostly white and thick.

Off to the side, his mistress wandered around the site, a wounded expression on her face, as if the damage to the forest were a personal injury. She slowly circled a pole planted in the ground with a speared creature impaled on it. It was one of the strange beasts that had attacked the other group. Louis had never seen anything of its ilk before. And from Tshui’s expression, neither had she. Tshui eyed the beast, cocking her head like a bird studying a worm.

Jacques stepped up behind Louis. “You have a radio call…on your coded frequency.”

“Finally,” he sighed.

Earlier, just before dawn, one of his two scouts had returned, badly frightened and wild-eyed. He had reported that his partner, a squat Colombian who went by the name of Toady, had been attacked by one of these beasts and died horribly. Malachim had barely made it back alive. Unfortunately, the man’s report of the other team’s whereabouts was thready at best. It seemed the Rangers’ group, chased across a tributary stream, had fled these same beasts, and was now heading in a southwesterly direction. But toward where?

Louis had a way of finding out. He accepted the radio from Jacques. It was a direct link to a tiny scrambled transmitter held by a member of the opposing team, a little mole planted under the Rangers’ noses at significant expense.

“Thank you, Jacques.” Radio in hand, Louis stepped a few yards away. He had already had one previous call this morning, from his financiers, St. Savin Pharmaceuticals in France. It seemed some disease was spreading across the Amazon and the United States, something associated with the dead man’s body. Stakes were now higher. Louis had argued to raise his own fee, on the grounds that his work was now more hazardous. St. Savin had accepted, as he knew they would. A cure to this disease would be worth billions to his employer. What were a few more francs tossed his way?

Louis lifted the radio. “Favre here.”

“Dr. Favre.” The relief was clear in the other’s voice. “Thank God, I reached you.”

“I’ve been awaiting your call.” A bit of menace entered Louis’s tone. “I lost a good man last night because someone did not have the foresight to inform us of these venomous little toads.”

There was a long pause. “I…I’m sorry. In all the commotion, I could hardly sneak off and place a call. In fact, this is the first chance I’ve had to slip away to the latrine alone.”

“Fine. So tell me about this commotion last night.”

“It was horrible.” His spy blathered in his ear for the next three minutes, giving Louis an overview of what happened. “If it wasn’t for Rand’s use of some powdered fish toxin, we would all have surely died.”

Louis’s fingers gripped the radio tighter at the mention of Rand’s name. The family name alone bristled the small hairs on his neck. “And where are you all now?”

“We’re still heading in a southwesterly direction, searching for Gerald Clark’s next marker.”

“Very good.”

“But—”

“What is it?”

“I…I want out.”

“Pardon, mon ami?”

“Last night I was almost killed. I was hoping that you could…I don’t know…pick me up if I wandered off. I would be willing to pay for my safe delivery back to civilization.”

Louis closed his eyes. It seemed his mole was getting cold feet. He would have to warm the little mouse up. “Well, if you vacate your post, I will certainly find you.”

“Th…thank you. I would—”

He interrupted. “And I’d be sure, when I found you, that your death would be long, painful, and humiliating. If you’re familiar with my dossier, I’m sure you know how creative I can be.”

There was silence on the other end. Louis could imagine his little spy blanching and quivering with fear.

“I understand.”

“Excellent. I’m glad we’ve settled this matter. Now on to more important matters. It seems our mutual benefactor in France has placed a request upon our services. Something, I’m afraid, you’ll have to accomplish.”

“Wh…what?”

“For security purposes and to ensure their proprietary rights to what lies ahead, they wish to choke off the team’s communication to the outside world, preferably as soon as possible without raising suspicion.”

“How am I supposed to do that? You know I was supplied the computer virus to degrade the team’s satellite uplink, but the Rangers have their own communication equipment. I wouldn’t be able to get near it.”

“No problème. You get that virus planted and leave the Rangers to me.”

“But—”

“Have faith. You are never alone.”

The line was silent again. Louis smiled. His words had not reassured his agent.

“Update me again tonight,” Louis said.

A pause. “I’ll try.”

“Don’t try…do.”

“Yes, Doctor.” The line went dead.

Louis lowered the radio and strode to Jacques. “We should be under way. The other team has a good start on us.”