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They flew into Peru on Livingston's private jet during the first week of January. The view from the plane as they approached Cuzco was of a wide, fertile valley set between green mountains. A broad river flowed through it. Below them, the city was a sprawling sea of whitewashed walls and red tile roofs.
The plane taxied to a private section of the airport. It was summer on this side of the equator. The cabin door opened. This high up in the mountains, the temperature was pleasant and cool. The sky overhead was dark with clouds.
Sir Jeffrey Livingston was waiting for them. He was about fifty years old, around six feet tall, the same height as Nick. His face was square, with a prominent chin. A deep tan set off ice blue eyes. He wore high brown leather boots with khaki pants, a khaki safari vest with half a dozen pockets, and a broad brimmed hat over dark hair worn a little too long. He looked like a wannabe Indiana Jones. All that was missing was a whip and a pistol on his belt.
"Oh, oh," Ronnie said. "Is this guy for real?"
"Sir Pies-a-Lot," Lamont said
"Must be the height of archaeological fashion," Nick said.
An unsmiling man in a dark suit and maroon tie stood at Livingston's side. He was not a tall man, but carried himself with a military bearing. His black shoes gleamed in the sunlight. He had a black mustache and calculating, dark eyes. The corners of his mouth were turned down.
"Who's that with him?"
"Probably somebody from the government."
They walked down the stairs from the plane. Livingston stepped forward.
"Welcome to Cuzco. Good flight, I trust?"
His voice was deep and authoritative.
"Yes, thanks. I'm Nick Carter."
Nick introduced the others.
"Pleased to meet you," Livingston said.
He turned to the man standing next to him. "This is Colonel Alvarez from DIRCOTE."
"DIRCOTE?"
"The Dirección Contra El Terrorismo. His agency is responsible for counterterrorist activities. Colonel Alvarez is our liaison with the government. He's been extremely helpful in expediting things."
Colonel Alvarez clicked his heels.
"I am at your service, Señor Carter. Please do not hesitate to ask if there is something I can do to assist you."
"Counterterrorism? I take it you're concerned about MRTA activity where we're going?"
Alvarez shrugged. "There is always the possibility these animals will make trouble for you. I will not be accompanying you on the expedition. Señor Livingston assures me that you and your team are all the protection he needs. But please do not hesitate to call upon me while you are here if you need assistance."
"Thank you, Colonel."
Alvarez looked at his watch.
"I'm afraid I must go. I simply wanted to welcome you to our beautiful country. I hope success follows your effort." He turned to Livingston. "Sir Jeffrey."
"Colonel."
They watched Alvarez walk away. Nick and Ronnie looked at each other. Ronnie raised his eyebrows. Livingston turned back to them. He smiled at Selena.
"Doctor Connor, I'm looking forward to working with you. Your reputation as a linguist has preceded you. If a pure form of the spoken Inca language still exists, we will find it among the indigenous people where we are going."
"That's intriguing, Sir Jeffrey."
"Speaking of that, where are we going?" Nick asked.
"First let's get you settled in. Then I'll be happy to go over everything with you."
He gestured at three men waiting off to the side. They came forward to stand next to him. Livingston indicated each of them in turn.
"This is Francisco, Alonso, and Javier. They will be going with us upriver. They'll unload your gear and bring it to the villa where we're staying."
"We'll keep the hand luggage," Nick said. "Do we go through customs?"
Each member of the team carried a small bag that contained personal items, papers, and a weapon.
"Colonel Alvarez has already cleared you through. All I need is your passports. If you'll give them to me, I'll take care of it. If you're ready, I have transportation waiting in front of the terminal."
They went into the terminal and waited while Livingston gave the passports to an official who stamped them and handed them back. Then they went through the glass doors of the terminal to the outside. Not far away, the majestic snowcapped mountains of the Andes stretched away under a sky filled with shifting dark clouds.
"Looks like rain," Lamont said.
"Better get used to it," Ronnie said. "It's going to rain every day."
"Better rain than snow," Selena said.
"Tell me that after you've spent a month in the rain forest," Ronnie said.
"I am getting headache," Valentina said.
Nick looked at her.
"Probably the altitude. We're at about eleven thousand feet. It's going to take time to acclimate."
"I wonder if we'll be going any higher?" Selena said.
"We'll find out soon enough," Nick said.