David Golemon - Legend

"They found the map?"

"We must assume they have, and they will undoubtedly act upon it," Mendez said, slapping his hand on the tabletop angrily.

"The organization in question is rather tenacious when it comes to getting at the heart of any matter. I have learned through experience that their resources are astounding and their pockets very deep, even deeper than yours."

"Well, they seem to be everything you admire about them. I came very close to ordering a hit on your ex-wife and their big man in New Orleans. But what sense would there be in closing the gate after your dog has already run away?"

Farbeaux closed his eyes and forced himself to relax. He slowly pulled out a chair from the table and sat down.

"I will state this very clearly to both of you. No one is to ever lay a hand on Danielle. Do I make myself clearly understood?" His blue eyes never flinched. His gaze froze Rosolo, after the killer had quickly rose from his seat to stare at Farbeaux after his not-so-veiled threat to his boss.

"Is that so?" Mendez asked.

Farbeaux leaned back in his chair. "It is I who will end her life, not you, and most certainly not him," he said, nodding toward Rosolo.

"Let us hope it is after this excursion, so you may be allowed to take your time with this troublesome woman, which is a husband's right, yes?" Mendez said, trying to break the tension he had created.

"If I know these people, they may already be on their way here. Of course, your security chief here would know that, if he would have stayed and done the job you pay him for, instead of showing up here in the one place on this planet where he is clearly not needed."

"It will take those people weeks to gather the means to follow us here. They will not be coming anytime soon!" Rosolo argued. "And I go where I am told to go, and I was told to come here."

Farbeaux lightly shook his head. Then he felt the gentle vibration under his feet first, as it traveled all the way up to his arms long before the sound reached his ears. He saw the concerned looks on the faces of the two Colombians. It would have been comical if he himself didn't have so much riding on the line.

"You'd better tell the captain to throttle this boat into a faster speed and get this expedition to our destination, because we are about to have company. A lot of company," Farbeaux said, standing. "And if I were you," he added, looking at Mendez, "I would fire this fool for incompetence, because the people he pronounced so proudly weren't coming anytime soon have just arrived." The Frenchman looked skyward and then easily backed under the bridge decking and out of sight.

Captain Santos, to his credit (or the instincts needed by a smuggler and gunrunner), quickly maneuvered the large boat under the overhanging canopy and expertly sliced the bow into the mud, effectively bringing the boat to a harsh stop and hiding her at the same time from any eyes that could spy them from above.

The quiet river was rocked by the sound of helicopters as they flew high overhead. Through the thick trees that crowded the riverbank, Farbeaux could see cargo of some kind hanging from cables attached to the gray-colored choppers. As he watched, he could see the words united states marine corps stenciled in darker gray paint on their rotor booms. The eleven helicopters were followed by two strange-looking craft that screeched over the flowing Amazon. The MV-22 Ospreys shook the jungle as they roared past with their famed tilt rotors in the three-quarter position that supplied them with speed greater than that of any helicopter in the world. The Frenchman noticed the fact that they were traveling low to the ground, possibly meaning they had to stay below radar. Indicating the intruders might not have official clearance to be in Brazil.

But nonetheless, the Event Group was indeed here, and Henri Farbeaux helplessly watched their arrival from the shadows.

Niles and Alice had just received notice of the Group's arrival near the Black River Tributary. The director was talking with the president while Alice listened and took notes. Niles's other assistants were busy in the communications center, monitoring radio traffic for as long as they could before the expedition went in to radio-dark territory. Director Compton was in the process, along with Pete Golding and the computer center and Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena, California, to retask Boris and Natasha, and once that was done the satellite would have been moved farther south by a thousand miles to a place directly over the lagoon and valley. After it had been found, they not only hoped for satellite communication with the Amazon team, but also they thought it possible to get a video feed from Jack.

"Niles," the president said, "the intelligence chiefs of the three branches are gathering what information they can find. But no one has a clue as to why Kennedy and his men would have been on that boat. The consensus is that they were working outside the command of the navy and air force, possibly freelance. I made inquiries with the FBI. They say they have verified there was gunfire at the cemetery and that there was damage sustained to some of the monuments, but there were no bodies."

"With your permission, sir, I would like to start working on this and the Kennedy connection myself, if you concur, of course."

"Granted. Someone somewhere thinks they can do as they please around here. Find out who it is. Now, tell me about the progress of the rescue team."

"We now have competent people in the field and moving upriver, Mr. President. I believe we will know more this time tomorrow. Major Collins knows what the priorities are in this situation. I briefed him about your daughter." Niles paused. "Jack will get those kids home. And maybe it will work out for the best that her expedition was tagged by those SEALs, for whatever reason they were there. I can't see them allowing harm to come to innocents."

"Agreed," the president said. "You keep me informed on what's happening out there when you can." He hesitated. "Something far more precious than gold or prehistoric animals is at stake for me here." He cleared his throat. "I have the coordinates where Proteus will be passing by the site. Damn, they have to be inside Brazilian airspace for a long time. I hope they're not tracked as something other than a commercial airline."

"That's a chance we have to take. Proteus is Jack's only backup in case the school bully shows up."

"I just don't think we can protect her over the target area."

"If they run into trouble, Proteus has her fighter escort. They may be able to drive any hostiles off her until she gets out of Brazilian airspace."

The president did not respond for a moment. Then he told Niles, "If I allow a fighter escort inside Brazilian airspace right now, and if they either intentionally or accidentally fire on any attacker, it would be construed as an act of war. The president of Brazil is already giving me one hell of a hard time through the secretary of state."

Niles deflated. Now Proteus was going to be flying into hostile airspace without her needed fighter protection. The mission backup was nothing of the sort. The odds of it working were astronomical, and the odds that they could even get over the right area of jungle even greater.

"We'll talk soon, Niles. Let me know as soon as you hear anything from Major Collins, please."

Niles faced Alice. "Jack has to find Helen and those kids alive."

"You know, Niles?" She looked him straight in the eyes. "I think you should unburden yourself and tell me what has you and the president so frightened."

"How did the senator ever keep anything from you?"

"I'm waiting."

"Helen's graduate students, well, one student in particular…" Niles shook his head. "She slipped her Secret Service protection and got on that boat with Helen and the others. She's the president's eldest daughter, Kelly."