What plan now, hero boy?
9:34 A.M.
Zane knelt on one knee, aiming out with his pistol. Tiring, he supported his weapon arm with his other. But he refused to let down his guard, not when victory was so close. He only had to hold out a little longer, then his role in this mission would be over.
One eye twitched to the nut full of the miraculous sap. It was a fortune worth billions. Though St. Savin Pharmaceuticals had made a sizable deposit in Zane’s Swiss account to buy his cooperation, it was the promised bonus of a quarter percentage point of gross sales that had finally sold him on the betrayal. With the potential in the Yagga’s sap, there was no limit to the wealth that could flow his way.
Zane licked his lips. His role here was almost at an end. Days ago, he had successfully slipped the computer virus into the team’s communication equipment. Now all that remained was the final endgame.
Late last night, Favre had instructed Zane to obtain a sample of the sap and protect it with his life. “If those damn natives pull some jackass stunt,” Louis had warned, “like setting fire to their precious tree to protect their secret, then you’re our fail-safe.”
Zane had, of course, agreed, but unknown to his murderous partner, Zane had his own backup plan in mind, too. Once secure here, Zane had poured a small sample of the sap from the nut, sealed it in a latex condom, tied it off, and swallowed it. An extra bit of insurance on his own part. Any betrayal and a competing pharmaceutical company, like Tellux, would find itself in possession of the miraculous substance instead of St. Savin.
Distant rifle shots sounded from the woods. He spotted flashes of muzzle fire. Favre’s men were cinching the noose. It would not be long.
As if confirming this, a grenade exploded at the glade’s fringe. A dwelling in one of the huge trees blew apart, casting leaf and branch high into the air. Zane smiled—then he heard a voice within the echo of the blast. It sounded close.
“Watch out! Grenade!”
Something hit the trunk of the tree just over his head and bounced into the flanking root. Grenade! his mind echoed.
With a cry of alarm, he dove away from the entrance and rolled deeper into the shaft, arms shielding his head. He waited several tense seconds, then several more. He panted, ragged from the near escape. The expected explosion never came. Cautiously uncovering his head, he clenched his teeth. Still no blast.
He sat up, crawled slowly back toward the entrance, and peeked around the corner, where he spotted the small coconut-shaped object resting in the dirt. It was just one of the immature nut pods from the damn tree! It must have fallen from an overhead branch.
“Goddamn it!” He felt foolish at his panic.
He straightened, raising his weapon, and stepped back to his guard position. Getting too damn jumpy…
A blur of motion.
Something solid struck his wrist. The pistol flew from his fingers as his wrist exploded with pain. He started to fall backward—then his arm was grabbed by someone stepping from the blind side of the entrance. He was yanked out of the entrance and thrown bodily forward.
His shoulder hit the dirt. He rolled and stared back around. What he saw was impossible. “Rand? How?”
Nathan Rand towered over him at the entrance to the tunnel, a long, thick section of branch in his hand, which he raised menacingly.
Zane crab-crawled backward.
“How?” Nate asked. “A little lesson from our Indian friends. The power of suggestion.” Rand kicked the immature seed pod toward him. “Believe something strongly enough, and others will believe, too.”
Zane scrambled to his feet.
Nate swung the branch like a bat, striking him on the shoulder and knocking him back down. “That was for the shaman you shot like a dog!” Nate lifted the branch again. “And this is for—”
Zane glanced over Nate’s shoulder. “Kelly! Thank God!”
Nate turned half around.
Using the moment of distraction, Zane shot to his feet and darted away. He cleared the side root in three steps.
He heard the blistering protest behind him and smiled.
What a…
…fool! Tricked by his own damn ruse! No one stood at the tunnel entrance. Kelly was not there.
Nate watched Zane race around the thick buttress. “No, you don’t, you bastard!” With club in hand, he gave chase.
Still ringing with anger, Nate flew around the tree and spotted Zane fleeing along the base of the trunk, toward a tangle of roots. The traitor could easily get lost among them and escape. Nate thought of going back for the abandoned pistol, but he didn’t have the time. He dared not lose sight of the bastard.
Ahead, Zane ducked under an arched root and wriggled through agilely. He was one wiry son of a bitch. In this race, Zane’s smaller frame and lighter build were advantageous.
Realizing they were matched now fist to fist, Nathan tossed aside his club and pursued Zane. They fought through the snarl, crawling, climbing, leaping, squirming their way through the tangled maze. Zane was making headway on him.
Then the roots opened. They both stumbled onto some path amid the mess. Zane ran, pounding down the trail. Nate swore and went after him.
Ahead, water glistened. As they raced along the snaking trail, Nate saw the path ended at a wide pool, blocking the way. A dead end.
Nate smiled. End of the line, Zane!
As they neared the pool, his quarry also realized he had run himself into a blind alley and slowed—but instead of a groan of defeat, Nate heard a snarl of glee.
Zane leaped to the side, diving for the ground.
Nate closed the distance.
Zane swung to face him, a gun in hand. A 9mm Beretta.
It took Nate a startled moment to fathom this miracle. Then he saw his own shotgun, hanging by its shoulder strap from a rootlet a few steps to his right. The pistol was Kelly’s! One of the weapons Zane had made them toss out of the treetop.
Nate groaned. The gods were not smiling on him. He took a step toward his shotgun, but Zane clucked his tongue.
“Move another inch, and you get a third eye!”
9:46 A.M.
Kouwe herded Anna ahead of him. The crack of rifle fire was closing all around them. Dakii led the way, expressionless, in scout mode. He wound with calm assurance through his village forest, guiding them back toward the nightcap oak. They needed to rendezvous with the Rangers. Put together some semblance of a plan.
Kouwe had been able to contact Sergeant Kostos over the radio and inform him of their status. He had also learned that Olin, left up in the dwelling, had been able to report in, too. The Russian was keeping himself well hidden in the tree. But so far no word had come from Nate’s party. He prayed they were okay.