CHAPTER 4 #2
She put on the backpack. “I won’t fall behind.
You worry about keeping up with me. This stroll through the jungle is going to be a little more demanding than playing tennis at one of your fancy country clubs.
” She looked around and suddenly realized they were the only two in the clearing. “Where’s Galen?”
“He went on ahead.”
“Why?”
“To take care of a few things. We have information that Rudzak may have set up a decoy camp about ten miles to the west. Galen will join us later.”
“And what direction are we taking?”
“East.” Logan was putting out the fire. “We should reach the search area by noon. After that, it’s up to you and Monty.”
“Right. Do you have anything belonging to Bassett?”
“Margaret expressed me an old baseball cap he’d left in his locker at the Silicon Valley plant. But he hasn’t been home in six months. Will the scent still be strong enough?”
“Probably. But couldn’t Castleton have gotten you something down here belonging to him?”
“No.” Logan turned away. “That wasn’t an option.”
“Why wasn’t it—”
“Does Monty eat this early?”
She shook her head. “He can do that after we’ve been on the trail for a while.”
“Then let’s get going.”
No question about breakfast for her. He was as cold and efficient as a surgeon’s scalpel and she didn’t like the fact that he hadn’t told her earlier about the decoy camp. “Do you suppose I could brush my teeth and go to the bathroom?”
The sarcasm didn’t faze him. “If you hurry.”
She stiffened when she saw his gaze go to the trees at the edge of the clearing. “What are you looking at? Do you think someone’s watching us?”
“No, Galen reconnoitered the area before he set up camp, and he didn’t think it was necessary to take turns on guard duty last night.”
She hadn’t been aware there had even been a discussion about setting up guards. She had thought they were safe for at least that one night. “Then why are you behaving as if you think someone is—”
“It doesn’t hurt to be careful. Rudzak seldom does the expected.” He moved toward the trees. “But this time neither are we.”
They stopped to eat at ten and reached the search site at twelve forty-five. By that time Sarah’s shirt was plastered to her body with perspiration, but Monty was still moving swiftly. She gave him his third bowl of water and sank down beside him as he drank it.
“We need to hurry.” Logan had come back to stand beside her.
“Fifteen minutes. Monty needs rest.” She took off her backpack, then took a drink of water herself. “From now on we’ll be leading, not following. Give me Bassett’s cap.”
He reached into his pack, pulled out a faded Giants ball cap, and tossed it to her.
She put it aside and dug into her pack for the canvas utility belt. It was a little large, and she took out her knife and cut additional holes. Then she got out Monty’s leash and tossed it on top of the utility belt.
“Why do you need the utility belt?” Logan asked.
“I probably won’t need it this time, but I always wear it when I’m on a search. When I put it on, it’s a signal to Monty that we’re going to go to work.” She leaned back against a tree. “I’d advise you to rest. If Monty catches the scent, we’ll stop only to give him water.”
He sat down across from her and took off his hat. “Okay, I could use some rest.”
He didn’t look tired. He looked tough as hell.
His shirt was as damp with perspiration as hers was, but she could feel the waves of energy and tension he was emitting.
Was the tension caused by fear? Maybe. But if he was afraid, he wouldn’t give in to it.
He was totally relentless as he had led her through the jungle.
She stroked Monty’s head. “You set a pretty hard pace.”
“I told you we were in a hurry.” He smiled sardonically. “I’m sorry if you were disappointed. I know you would have enjoyed leaving me in the dust.”
“You’re in good shape,” she said grudgingly.
“It must be all that tennis at the country club.”
“Maybe.” At that moment she couldn’t imagine him in a country-club setting. He looked more like a scruffy gunrunner than a tycoon. After a short silence she asked, “What’s Galen up to?”
“What?”
“You said Galen was taking care of a few things. What’s he planning on doing? Or aren’t I supposed to know?”
“You want details? I thought you weren’t interested in anything but your and Monty’s involvement.”
“This does involve us. If you manage to get yourselves killed, I want a decent chance of getting out of this jungle. What’s Galen doing?”
“Attacking the decoy camp.”
Her eyes widened. “By himself?”
“No, Galen’s good, but he’s not Superman. When he’s ready, he’ll radio for his team to come in by helicopter.”
“How many are in his team?”
“Twelve.”
“Against how many of Rudzak’s men?”
“Our informant, Sanchez, said at least twenty. That leaves eight at the real camp, where Bassett should be.”
“And the plan?”
“Galen’s unit hits the decoy camp and makes Rudzak think we’ve fallen into the trap. Galen pretends to get out by the skin of his teeth and proceeds to the main camp to rendezvous with us. We get Bassett out, hop on the helicopter, and head for home.”
Her lips twisted. “Very simple.”
“Not simple at all. If Galen’s not convincing enough, Rudzak will head back to the base immediately and we’ll be in deep shit.”
“Why even go after the decoy?”
“Rudzak will be getting suspicious that he hasn’t heard from Sanchez or his man in Santo Camaro. If an attack on the decoy doesn’t occur by tonight, then he’ll think we’re onto him and we’ll lose the element of surprise.” He glanced at Monty. “That’s why Monty has to find this base by nightfall.”
“I can’t promise that. What do we do if we don’t find it? What if Rudzak isn’t fooled by Galen’s attack?”
“Then we try to get out of the jungle before Rudzak tracks us down.”
There were too many things that could go wrong. She didn’t like it.
“I don’t like it either.” He was reading her expression. “But it’s our best shot.” He got to his feet. “Monty’s had his fifteen minutes. Let’s go.”
She slowly stood up and looked at the sun. Seven, maybe eight hours until nightfall.
“Ready?”
“Yes.” She didn’t look at Logan as she picked up the utility belt and fastened it around her middle.
Monty froze, his gaze on the belt. Then he jumped to his feet.
“Time to go to work.” She took Bassett’s hat and let him sniff it. “Find.”
He whirled and took off running.
“Won’t we lose him?” Logan asked.
“No, he’ll keep coming back. When he catches the scent, I’ll put on his leash and run with him.”
“You’re afraid he’ll get excited and not come back?”
“No.” She started in the direction Monty had taken. “I’m afraid some son of a bitch will shoot him, and I want to be there to protect him.”
Two hours later Monty had still not caught the scent.
“I think we’re going around in circles,” Logan said with a frown.
“We might be.” Sarah pushed through a screen of palms. “But Monty knows what he’s doing.”
“Does he? He’s not even sniffing the ground.”
She gave him an impatient glance over her shoulder. “He’s scenting the air. He doesn’t always have to keep his nose to the ground. Air scenting is much more accurate in cases like this. He lifts his nose high and waves it back and forth until he catches the large end of the cone.”
“Cone?”
“Bassett’s scent will be dispersed downwind in a cone-shaped pattern.
The smaller end will be centered around his body, and as the distance from him grows, the cone widens over a large area.
Monty will find the large end of the cone and then work back and forth as it narrows until it leads him to Bassett.
Are you sure they’re encamped and not moving? ”
“So my source told Galen. Would that make a difference?”
“Of course it would,” she snapped. “Even if Monty finds the scent, he could lose it again and have to start all over again.”
“Sorry. Just asking. This is all new to me.”
It would have been new to most people, and she wouldn’t have snapped at him if she hadn’t been so frustrated. It wasn’t unusual for a search to take this long, but she had found herself looking behind every tree, afraid to let Monty out of her sight. God, she wished this were over.
“Will you jump on my ass again if I ask you how long this could take?”
“Monty can’t go by your time schedule. It will take as long as it takes. He’s doing his best, dammit.”
“I know,” he said quietly. “Is there anything I can do to help?”
She drew a deep breath. “No, there’s nothing either of us can do. It’s all up to Monty. We’re lucky it’s so hot. Bassett’s body will be producing a stronger scent.”
He grimaced. “At the moment I don’t feel lucky.”
Neither did Sarah. She felt acutely on edge and so hot, she couldn’t breathe.
Find him, Monty. Find him and let’s go home.
It was over an hour later that she heard Monty bark.
Relief surged through her. “Thank God.”
“He’s found something?” Logan asked.
“I think so. I taught him not to bark until he caught the scent. If he comes back to get me, we’ll know that he’s—”
Monty bounded toward her, barking up a storm, tail wagging with excitement.
“He’s got it.” She took the leash out of her backpack and fastened it to his collar. “Come on.”
“Can you stop him from barking? We don’t want to alert—”
“He barks only to signal me when he’s on a search. If I’m with him, there’s no need for him to bark.” She broke into a fast trot to keep pace with Monty. “Keep up, Logan. We can’t wait for you.”
Christ, she was tough, Logan thought.
Sarah was moving at almost a run ahead of him, weaving, pushing through the brush, pausing occasionally to let Monty sniff the air before taking off again.
She must be as tired as he was, but she had kept going at this speed for over an hour.
During the last ten minutes the pace had picked up and Monty’s eagerness had intensified.
Logan’s own breath was coming in gasps, and he could see Sarah’s shoulders rise and fall as she struggled to force the hot, muggy air into her lungs. She was covering the ground with the same speed and concentration as her dog.
Then she skidded to a halt.