“Turn it off.”
“But…”
“We can’t take any chances.”
DeeAnn looked at Juan, hoping for another option, but he simply frowned.
Reluctantly, she squatted down in front of Dulce so she could see her face. She placed a hand gently on Dulce’s head and again put her fingers to her lips.
Dulce watched her curiously, unsure of why they had to be quiet. No one else was talking. With a troubled expression, she watched as DeeAnn made the blue light go off.
The screaming of the capuchin monkeys from their cages began even before an angry Hugo pushed his way through the thick brush. He stormed into their small camp, followed by the other three, and dropped his gun on a fold-out table. In frustration, he then turned and kicked dirt into the smoldering embers of their fire.
Behind him, Vito approached the truck and pulled an empty cage up onto the flatbed. He pushed the limp body of his prize into the cage and closed the wooden door, securing it with a clasp and cable.
He suddenly stopped. One of the cages was empty.
“Merda.”
The others looked up, including Hugo, who was now searching for something to stem the bleeding from his cheek. He grabbed a piece of cloth from his bag and pressed it in place before turning back to the truck.
Without moving his head, Vito’s eyes stared across the bed. “Another one gone.”
“What?!”
“Another one is gone,” he repeated.
Hugo stormed over to the truck and glared at the crate in disbelief. “How the hell…” He moved around to the back, keeping the cloth pressed hard against his cheek. “I told you to lock it right this time!” he bellowed.
“I did!”
“Then it’s broken.” Hugo pushed him out of the way and studied the cage. Primates, even capuchins, could be stronger than they looked. Especially when locked in an enclosure and panicking.
He spun the cage around with one hand, examining it closely in the dim light of a nearby lantern. He couldn’t see anything wrong. The thick wood frame still felt strong. He refastened the clasp and cable –– they locked securely. Finding nothing broken, he yelled and threw the crate, sending it tumbling over the ground.
“I saw him check it,” one of the others said.
Hugo shook his head, scowling. “Then you’re both idiots!” He glanced at the amount of blood on his cloth and threw it away.
“What the hell is happening?” he yelled. The night had already been a waste, with only a single capture between them. Now another was lost.
He didn’t know how the capuchins were escaping, but they were. Somehow.
“ETA?”
“About fifteen minutes,” Caesare replied.
Tiewater nodded from his hiding spot less than sixty feet from the poacher camp. Their faces painted black, both he and Anderson watched the poacher’s outburst from a distance.
“What’s happening?” Caesare called over the radio.
Tiewater spoke quietly. “Our friends are home and one of them seems to have gotten his panties in a wad.” He continued his reconnaissance, motionlessly.
From the other side of the encampment, Anderson also lay watching, listening to Tiewater through his own headset.
“How many are there?”
“Four. The big one is in charge. Camp is probably a couple thousand square feet, with two vehicles. One small and the other larger for cargo. Observable weapons are sidearms and some tranquilizer rifles. Doesn’t look like they’ve been here more than a few days.”
“Any defenses?”
“None.”
A few minutes later, Tiewater slid backward out of position and stood without a sound. Remaining low, he moved back through the trees where he found Caesare and Corso waiting in the darkness.
“What are they doing?”
Tiewater shrugged. “Eating. But it sounds like their poaching isn’t going too well.”
“What a shame,” Caesare remarked sarcastically. “We’re out of time. Otero is here. We need to find the monkey in a hurry.”
“Well, I suspect these guys have a pretty good guess as to where.” Tiewater motioned over his shoulder and turned back, followed by Caesare. But as Corso took a step forward, he suddenly paused. He felt something stuck in his collar and reached up to grab it.
It was soft, and only when he examined it closely could he make out the shape. One of Dulce’s flowers. He shook his head. Then, glancing forward to make sure he wasn’t seen, Corso raised it up and sniffed it.
Hugo was still stewing from his seat on a fold-out chair. He took another bite of dried meat and shook his head, keeping his eyes on the fire.
The other men were also seated around the fire, eating silently. They’d had a definite streak of bad luck. One that was refusing to break, leaving the last few hunting trips as complete losses.
“We need to try something else,” Vito replied, after dropping his metal plate to the ground. “They’re learning our ways.”
“They hear us coming,” Claudio, the third man, replied.
“Then what do you suggest?”
Vito turned around and faced the cages on the back of the truck. “Maybe we can use the ones we have…to catch more.”
“You mean as bait?”
“Yes. Maybe we tie one up in the forest to lure the others.”
“His screaming will warn the others before that.”
“Not if we sedate him.”
Hugo considered it. More of the powerful tranquilizer in such a short amount of time would cause problems with the animal’s nervous system, but if it allowed them to catch more, the risk would be worth it. If they caught enough monkeys, they could simply kill the bait.
Hugo raised his eyes and began to nod, then suddenly froze. The rustling behind Vito had been subtle. Not enough to be heard and barely enough to be seen in the dim light. At that exact moment, the other three poachers each witnessed the same dreaded sight –– figures dressed in black and hidden behind the barrels of their assault rifles.
From different directions, Caesare, Tiewater, Corso, and Anderson all stepped out in unison. Each emerging from a position visible by one of the poachers, all of whom froze in stunned silence…except one.
Claudio, the youngest of Hugo’s group and an Argentinian…panicked. At the sight of Tiewater, he was immediately on his feet before anyone could stop him and drawing his weapon.
Corso, moving slowly out of the brush behind him, saw the kid draw and bolted for him. It took only a few steps at full speed for Corso to reach him and knock him out with the butt of his rifle, but not before a single shot exploded from the .45 caliber pistol.
65
Hiding less than a hundred yards away, DeeAnn, Dulce, and Juan all jumped when they heard the loud gunshot. But it was the Brazilians, even further away, who stopped in their tracks. All eyes turned north with dozens of hands instinctively gripping their own guns.
Salazar and his lieutenant looked back at each other, completely ignoring both Otero and Russo.
There was no second shot.
Salazar began yelling. “Hurry! Move!” He locked eyes with his lieutenant. “Move your men out with the search team. NOW!”
It was less than a minute before Caesare reappeared in the darkness and looked down at DeeAnn. “We have to move. Right now!”
They scrambled to their feet. “What the hell was that?”
“An accident.”
“Did you shoot them?”
“Not exactly.”
“Not exactly? What does that mean?”
“It means we’re going to have company if we don’t get out of here immediately.”
A few minutes later they all emerged into what DeeAnn recognized as a small camp. Surrounded by four tents, several fold-out tables and chairs, they could see Anderson standing nearby, bandaging Tiewater’s arm. On the ground was a large man with his arms bound behind his back. He had a deep bronze complexion and sat dressed in rumpled camouflage clot
hes. He watched the SEALs standing over him with a look of confusion.
“You okay?” Caesare asked Tiewater.
“Yeah. Just a graze.”
“Where’s Corso?”
“Here.”
He turned to his left to see Corso’s large frame appear, pushing through a wall of waist-high plants.
“Where are the others?”
“Sleeping.”
Caesare grinned and knelt down in front of the man, resting his rifle across one arm.
“What’s your name?”
The man stared at him without replying.
“Name,” Caesare asked again, louder.
Hugo stared uncomprehendingly at the men.
Caesare sighed and stood back up. “Anyone speak Portuguese?”
“I can ask how much cab fare is,” Tiewater said with a grimace. “But that’s about it.”
“Great.”
“Portuguese wasn’t exactly popular in high school.”
Caesare looked at Corso with surprise. “Really? Now you get funny?”
“It takes me a while.”
“No kidding.”
Tiewater straightened his arm and snaked his sleeve back down over his bandage. He stared down at the poacher. “We don’t need him. We know where they were.”
Anderson nodded in agreement.
Steve Caesare thought for a moment before turning around to DeeAnn and pointing at her vest.
“Turn it on.”
“I thought you wanted it off?”
“It doesn’t matter now. Everyone heard the gunshot. Which means a company of soldiers is now headed this way.”
He watched DeeAnn turn the vest back on before kneeling down again, in front of Dulce.
From her own viewpoint, the small gorilla watched Caesare’s frame lower to the ground. He was looking at her with an expression she’d come to know as worried.
She stepped forward, studying him, and wiggled her large black nostrils. She could smell his nervousness.
When he spoke, she heard his mechanical voice through DeeAnn’s vest.
You hear now, Dulce?
She nodded at the mechanical sound from the vest.
“Yes. I hear you.”
Me need you help.
“Yes. I help.” Dulce grunted, smiling at Caesare. “How help you?”
We need find friend. Need fast. Very fast.
“Yes. I can find friend. I find friend quickly.” Dulce sniffed again. It wasn’t just nervousness she could smell on Caesare. Some of it was fear. They were in danger.
“I find him.”
Yes Dulce. Now. Fast!
Dulce snorted confirmation. At this distance, she could already hear the monkeys. And they were close.
66
The rolling of the ship caused Alison to stumble and brace against the wall for support. A few steps in front of her, Neely seemed to have less trouble keeping her balance, but even she stumbled slightly as she reached for Alison.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” Alison stepped back into the middle of the narrow passageway and continued forward with a hand on each wall.
Together they reached the door at the end, on which Neely knocked firmly. She glanced anxiously at Alison and cleared her throat.
The door opened moments later with Captain Emerson standing on the other side. Dressed in a pressed white, short-sleeve shirt, his trim frame filled the opening. He examined them with his piercing gray eyes. After a brief moment, he pushed the door open further and stepped back.
“Commander Lawton. Dr. Shaw. Please come in.”
They both entered without a word and walked into a surprisingly roomy cabin, complete with a small dining room table and leather couch. On the opposite wall stood a chest-high shelf, filled neatly with books and secured behind four small, decorative glass doors.
“Have a seat,” he said, motioning to the couch.
The two women complied as they watched Emerson pull out a chair and sit facing them, wearing a dour expression. “We should be arriving in a little less than an hour. So I thought we should have a talk.”
Both women nodded in silence.
“This isn’t the first time Langford has commandeered my ship like this. In fact, he seems to be making a habit out of it lately. This is, however, the first time he’s done so without giving me much information as to why. What he did tell me is that you two ladies are looking for something pretty damn important. And my job, and that of my crew, is to do whatever we can to help you find it.” He leaned back slightly and crossed his arms. “Is there some light you two care to shed on this?”
Neely and Alison looked at each other, unsure of what to say. Emerson continued, shifting his gaze over to Neely. “I’m sure you would agree that being ordered to relinquish part of my ship to a junior officer, and a civilian, begs for a bit more explanation.”
Neely cleared her throat, nervously. “Uh, well, the truth is Captain, we’re under orders as well.”
“From Langford?”
“Yes, sir.”
“I’m not surprised.” He relaxed slightly and reached up to rub an eyebrow. “Okay. Then let me go first. Some of what I’m about to tell you, you may already know, but some you may not. Our destination, from the coordinates that I believe Ms. Shaw provided, seems to be pretty damn important. And not just to us. Therefore, I’ve been ordered not to loiter.”
Alison looked at the captain with a confused look. “What does that mean?”
“It means we are not to be here when the sun comes up.”
“What? Why?!”
“Because there are dozens of satellites poised to snap pictures of this area, and someone may be watching. And if whatever you’re looking for is as important as it sounds, Langford is not willing to broadcast precisely where we’re looking.”
“H-how long do we have then?”
Emerson glanced at his watch. “A little less than ten hours.”
“Ten hours?!” She glanced nervously at Neely. “Then what?”
“Then we leave. And head for Guyana where we will anchor and appear to be examining the wreckage of the Bowditch.”
Emerson watched the expression change on Neely Lawton’s face.
“Guyana?”
“I’m afraid so. I’m sorry, Commander. It’s the only place the Pathfinder will seem expected. If we need more time back here, we’ll have to figure out how to do it without being noticed.”
“And how will we do that?”
“Likely with something less noticeable, perhaps a fishing boat.”
“We’re going to steal a fishing boat?”
A smile emerged from Emerson’s mouth. “No, Ms. Shaw. We’ll charter one. I’m aware of your opinion of the Navy, but we’re not that bad.”
Emerson turned back to Neely. “I know this won’t be easy for you, Commander. Your father managed to bring us to a draw on the first fight, but it seems the battle isn’t over. So if you two are going to find what it is you’re after, I suggest you do it before sun up.”
Neely blinked at him, surprised. “With all due respect, sir, ten hours isn’t nearly enough time.”
“Then I guess we’ll have to make the most of it. Which leads me to my next question. How can my ship, and my crew, assist you?”
Alison wasted no time. “Let me talk to Sally and Dirk. We need time to test with them. Otherwise, our translation system may not operate correctly in the open water.”
Emerson thought it over. “You’ll have to wear a harness. These swells won’t get any better until we can power down. And even then only moderately.”
“Fine, I’ll wear a harness.” Alison was growing desperate. They’d planned to use the entire trip to work out the bugs in the new software code, but outside conditions on the deck had made it impossible. Instead, Lee was left trying to make some progress through loopback testing, but there was only so much he could do through simulation.
What Alison feared now was that it simply wouldn’t be enough time. Th
at a badly functioning unit would make their deadline impossible to meet. And on top of it all, if these plants were like those in Guyana, it wouldn’t just be amazing. It would call into question something even bigger –– where exactly was the source? And that was why she needed Dirk and Sally so badly, not to mention a working vest.
Sitting next to her, Neely Lawton felt a very different fear building up inside her. She was now quietly praying that the plants were in fact what they hoped they were –– not just for the discovery, but because the last thing she was prepared for was revisiting the place of her father’s death.
Emerson was still watching them from his chair. “Anything else?”
“Yes,” Neely said in a low voice. “Admiral Langford ordered us not to reveal what we’re looking for…to anyone.”
“He informed me of that as well. Not exactly as easy as it sounds. Nevertheless, all personnel aboard have been instructed to provide whatever assistance you need, but they are not to ask any questions outside of their charge.”
Alison turned curiously to Neely, who merely nodded in response to the captain.
“A question, Ms. Shaw?”
She looked puzzled. “Is that…even possible?”
“A ship-wide gag order?” The corner of Emerson’s lips curled. “It happens more than you might think. Especially on this ship.” He leaned forward and stood up. “All right, that should do it. The ship is yours for the next ten hours. Whatever you need, we will provide. But as of this moment, we weigh anchor at zero-five-thirty, sharp.”
“Captain,” Alison said, standing up with him. “I hate to say this…but I think we’re going to have even less time at the site.”
“And why is that?”
“Because we have to slow the ship down.”
“What do you mean, slow it down?”
“We’re going too fast.”
“Too fast for what?”
“Captain, those coordinates you’ve plotted are home to the largest breeding ground for mammals I’ve ever seen. We’re about to sail straight through an awful lot of dolphins.”
Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3) Page 28
