David Golemon - Legend

"Even with what we have, it won't be much against those fifties mounted in those Zodiacs," the Delta sergeant said.

"Come on, guys, we have to make sure those boats don't get to the other side," Ryan said anxiously.

"That's what we plan on doing, Mr. Ryan, but we only have so much fire-power to accomplish that mission," Delta Sergeant Melendez said. "Look, I hate to say this, but our opening salvo can't be kill shots; we have to first slow and then stop the Zodiacs. Punch as many holes in 'em as we can. We're going to take one hell of a lot of return fire. Discipline, gentlemen, discipline."

The thirteen men gathered around nodded their understanding.

"Okay, two-man firing teams: my people pair up with the blue birds and I'll take Ryan. Boats first, assholes second, got it? Wait till my fire, then let all hell break loose."

The men paired up without comment and started to file into the dense terrain.

As the makeshift rescue force moved out, they failed to see the small Indian who went right to the spot the men had been only moments before. The mud-covered man raised a small whistle to his bone-pierced lips and lightly tooted, imitating one of the many Amazonian birds perfectly. As he did, the jungle started filling with the not-so-lost tribe of Sincaro, and they moved off silently, following the Americans.

Everett swam to the right side of the cave opening. He waved at Jack and the two men made eye contact. The major knew exactly what Carl was up to. Jack shot the lieutenant commander a sloppy salute, then reached out and helped the others pull the master chief from the water and onto the stone steps.

"Look at my boat," Jenks wailed.

Carl waited. As he did so, he pulled his last clip of ammunition from his rear pocket and ejected the empty from the Berretta. He inserted the new one with no time to spare as the two men came sputtering out of the cave. Farbeaux was first as he tried to hold the heavier Mendez up. The fat man wasn't trying to assist the Frenchman in the least; he only held his wounded arm. Farbeaux saw Carl immediately and continued on. Carl followed.

Jack was there with the rest of the survivors and even helped Mendez to the steps. As the Colombian collapsed, Jack held out a hand to Farbeaux and the Frenchman took it.

"Major, you amaze me no end. Your calculated risk seemed to have paid off; unfortunately, I'm afraid it was for nothing, unless of course you managed among your other miraculous activities to have disarmed a certain war-head in your mad rush down the feeder canals."

"Afraid not, Colonel."

Farbeaux found footing on the steps and collapsed in exhaustion. "A shame," was all he said as he lay back against the stone beneath the legs of Supay.

Carl held Farbeaux and Mendez at gunpoint. The Colombian had offered the American everything this side of the moon to set him free. But Carl and even Farbeaux laughed at the attempt. They followed Jack and the others up the stone stairway and into the brighter chamber lights they had set up before.

Jack and Virginia found a smooth spot in the floor and lay the grumbling master chief down. He immediately slapped Jack's hands away. The major stood up, wondering where Sanchez, Danielle, and Ellenshaw were. He didn't have to wait long. He heard a sound and the professor stumbled out from behind the wall of supplies. Jack reached for his nine-millimeter just as Heidi, her head bandaged and still bleeding, came next, supported by Danielle and Sanchez. Then came a man Jack didn't know. He was dressed in a wetsuit, the same as himself and Carl. The stranger had a lethal-looking handgun pointed at the head of Heidi Rodriguez.

"You will release Senor Mendez, or this woman will be the first to be blown apart," the man said menacingly in accented English.

"I would do as he says, Major; he is rather an unsavory character," Farbeaux said as he advanced and slowly removed Jack's handgun.

With his good arm, Mendez relieved the lieutenant commander of his weapon and then slammed Carl in the face. The navy man didn't go down; he just wiped the blood from his nose and mouth, and gave the fat man a strange smile.

The others reacted with cries to the assault on Carl but Jack held up a hand, stopping them from moving. Robby was pulled back by Kelly, who watched the scene with dawning horror.

"Sorry, Major, this dick came out of nowhere," Sanchez said as he was silenced by a shove in the back.

The man motioned for Carl to get closer to Jack so he could keep them both in his line of sight.

"Why don't you let Sanchez help Dr. Rodriguez, Danielle, so you can join your partner?" Jack said as Sarah and Carl raised their eyebrows.

Danielle looked at Jack, and then at Carl, knowing it was he who had found her out.

"You three knew?" she asked as she let Heidi's arm drop. Robby rushed over to help Sanchez as Ellenshaw sat hard on the floor.

Jack looked at his watch and remained silent. Twenty minutes.

"Yes, our boss is just a tad smarter than you gave him credit for. Director Compton never believed your story for one minute, especially after Commander Everett here saw your tan line on the George Washington , which sent Dr. Compton off investigating."

Danielle closed her eyes, then reached down and fingered the spot on her ring finger. It had once held her wedding ring, whose recent presence had left a clear mark of untanned skin beneath.

Farbeaux laughed. He stepped forward and put his arm around Danielle and brought her close to him.

"I told you they would be hard to fool, my dear."

She shrugged out of his embrace and looked at Captain Rosolo.

"It took everything I had to convince this maniac not to murder us all," she said as she took a menacing step toward Rosolo.

Mendez, still holding his arm, stepped forward and aimed the gun he had taken from Carl at the French couple. "Stop or I will shoot you," said Mendez to Farbeaux. "Now I have two reasons to kill you, senor , for lying to me about the dangerous mineral, and now to find your supposed ex-wife, who seems to still be very much connected to you, very devious."

Jack was watching Rosolo. The weapon he held was of an obscure Russian make, a Malfutrov fifty-caliber. There was a running joke in American Special Forces that named the weapon the Malfunction for its proclivity to misfire after being dunked in water. As Jack watched, a small drop of water fell from the handgrip where the weapon's ammunition clip was stored. It was something that gave him hope.

"It is time to leave this place," Farbeaux said as he turned Danielle toward the stairs. "In case you have forgotten, there's a rather nasty little device floating around somewhere."

"I agree, senor . But you will remain here with the Americans."

Farbeaux turned to look at Mendez. The barrel of the Berretta was pointed right at him.

"Please remove the gun from your belt," commanded Mendez.

Farbeaux flashed a significant look at Carl, who began to prepare himself.

"My man, Captain Rosolo, will shoot everyone here if you do not comply." Mendez looked over at the major. "I'm sure he would very much like to complete what he failed to do in Montana."

Jack half smiled and asked Rosolo, "That was you?"

"Yes, you can be assured the mission would not have failed if I had been on the ground and not in the air," the thin man said as he took a quick step over to his left. He snatched Sarah away from Jack's side and placed the gun to her head and fired.

Captain Santos chomped on his cigar as he throttled the Rio Madonna forward. He knew certain places where the shallow draft riverboat could penetrate the rapids, and he steered toward the first. His men were hung onto the gunwales and surveyed the rushing waters out ahead of them as he steered the large boat to the left. He had released the equipment barge back on the river and beached it as he had started his run. He cursed as the bottom came out of nowhere; the Rio Madonna lifted free of the water momentarily and then slammed back down.