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The open area by the river was ideal for getting a signal through to the satellite. Nick called Elizabeth.
"Your timing is perfect," she said when she picked up. "I was about to try and reach you. Satellite shots show there's a boat about a day behind you, with a dozen or so armed men on board. It can't be a coincidence. Someone is following you."
"Terrorists?"
"That would be my guess."
"Wonderful. I'm beginning to wish we'd never come here. It's been nothing but trouble. Earlier today we were attacked by river pirates. We drove them off, but there were casualties. None of us were hurt."
"Thank God for that. What casualties?"
"One of Livingston's men. Also the captain and the engineer. Livingston got nicked in the arm. Lamont will drive the boat on the return trip."
"What's your next move?" Elizabeth asked.
"We've reached the place where we leave the river. From here we follow a stream inland. We'll bury the captain and the others, then continue on. Once we get deeper into the forest, communication is going to get difficult."
"I won't be able to see you with the satellite, but I'll get your GPS signal whenever you pass through an opening in the canopy. I should have a good idea of your progress and where you are. Be careful, Nick."
"Copy that."
Nick ended the call.
"What did she say?" Ronnie asked.
"Were being followed by a boat that's probably full of terrorists. Aside from that, everything is just great."
"How close are they?"
"About a day behind."
"Did I hear you say were being followed?" Livingston said.
"That's right."
Nick told him what Elizabeth had said.
"What are you going to do about it?"
"What am I going to do?"
"Yes. After all, this is what I hired you for."
"You see any terrorists around here?"
"No."
"If and when they show up, we'll be ready for them. Until then, there's not much I can do."
"Hmmph. Well, at least we know they might come after us."
"Yeah, there's always a silver lining," Nick said.
They wrapped Javier, the captain, and the engineer in hammocks. Diego and Alonso dug out a grave near the beach. Overhead, monkeys chattered in the trees, watching the intruders.
"Make sure it's deep," Livingston said. "If it's too shallow, something will dig them up."
Lamont and Ronnie stood off to the side.
"Helluva place to end up," Lamont said.
"I don't think they care," Ronnie said.
He swatted a mosquito.
After the common grave had been filled in, they stood around the mound of earth.
"Anyone want to say something?" Nick said.
"Shouldn't we mark the grave?" Selena said.
"With what?"
"Were they Catholic?"
"Javier was," Livingston said. "I know he went to mass on Sundays."
"Then we should make a cross. The others were probably Catholic as well. There must be something on the boat we could use."
"There are some boards in the engine room," Ronnie said.
Ronnie went into the engine room and came out with boards for a cross. It didn't take long to nail them together and plant them at the new grave. He took out his knife, scratched in the names, and stepped back.
"Okay," Nick said. "Does anyone have anything to say?"
"Javier was a hard worker," Livingston said. "I'm sorry he's gone. He deserved better from his life."
Not much of a eulogy for three dead men, Nick thought.
There was an awkward pause.
Nick said, "Anyone else?"
No one spoke.
"All right. We need to talk about that satellite phone Javier had with him. The only reason he'd have it is because someone gave it to him who wanted to know what we were doing."
"Are you saying he was a spy?" Livingston said.
"That's exactly what I'm saying."
"That's ridiculous."
"Do you have a better explanation for why he had an expensive satellite phone, or why he kept it hidden?"
"There could be a reason."
"Yeah, right," Ronnie said. "He probably wanted to keep in touch with his mom."
Livingston looked offended.
"He was reporting to someone," Nick said. "It could be the people in the boat following us. Probably telling them where we were. Whoever it is, we have to assume they're after the gold. They're hoping we'll lead them to it. We have to step up our security."
"What do you wish to do, Nick?" Valentina said.
"It won't be hard to pick up our trail. We go fully armed, we stand watch when we camp. The good news is that whoever it is doesn't know where we're going and they don't know we know about them. I don't think they'll do anything until we reach whatever it is the scan shows under the canopy. At that point, all bets are off."
"We could leave a few surprises for them along the way," Ronnie said.
"We could. We'll talk about that later."
"There's still a lot of daylight left," Livingston said. "I want to get started."
Fifteen minutes later, they set off in single file along the edge of the stream. Each carried a pack with everything they'd need. Even keeping it light as possible, the packs weighed in at around forty pounds. The weapons added more. It wasn't a lot, but in the humidity and heat it didn't take long to feel the weight.
It was hot under the canopy. They walked in perpetual shade, broken only by shafts of light where the sun broke through. The trees reached high above on both sides. The lower canopy was sixty or seventy feet above them. Above that was the upper canopy, formed by trees that were easily a hundred feet tall. It reminded Nick of a mission he'd been on long ago in South America, when he'd still been in Recon. This was different, but some things never really changed.
Like then, he was walking in a loose combat formation. Everyone on his team carried an automatic weapon. Everyone wore floppy hats in camouflage pattern. All that was missing was camo grease paint on their faces.
The forest was alive with colorful birds. A troop of howler monkeys chattered angrily overhead and defecated on them. Most of it missed.
"Damn it," Lamont said. "Stupid animals."
Selena and Valentina walked together.
"Sister, I am confused," Valentina said.
"About what?"
"We are in rain forest, yes?"
"That's right."
"So why does Nick and Ronnie say sometimes we are in jungle?"
"They're mixing the two of them up. Look around. The rain forest doesn't let in much sunlight, so there's not as much growth down here on the ground. Everything happens up above. You get jungle when the sun can get through. Then everything gets tangled and wild. What both of them have in common is that it's damn hot and humid."
Valentina looked down at her feet as something scuttled away.
"I do not like this place," she said. "It is full of bugs."
"I read once that there are more insects here than anywhere else in the world."
"This does not make me feel better," Valentina said.
They had been walking along the stream for more than two hours, when Livingston called a halt. He held up his GPS.
"According to this, we've come about the right distance. This is where we leave the stream and head toward the mountains."
"Take a break," Nick said. "Look around for marks Gomez might have left, anything out of the ordinary. Fill up your canteens. Make sure you use the filters. There are parasites and God knows what else in the water. This is malaria country, so don't spare the bug spray. Take your pills. The mosquitoes will get worse as we get deeper into the forest."
"Paradise on earth," Lamont said.
Ronnie slapped away a mosquito. "You know people pay good money to come to places like this?"
"Takes all kinds."
"It could be worse. At least we don't have to cut our way in."
"Just another walk in the park," Lamont said.
"Yeah. Jurassic Park."
Valentina was filling her canteen, drawing water through a filter. She finished, stood, and looked around. Something caught her eye.
"I have found mark," Valentina called. "Maybe is useful."
They came over to where she stood.
She pointed out a wedge shaped gash, cut in a tall tree at the stream's edge. The cut was old and deep. It was pointed like an arrow toward the forest.
"That's not natural," Livingston said.
"I'll be damned," Lamont said.
"Guess we're in the right place," Ronnie said.