David Golemon - Legend

"Dr. Pollock, isn't it?" Jenks asked as he slid his side window open and tossed the remains of his cigar into the river.

Virginia was in Levi's and a black mock turtleneck shirt. "Yes, how are you, Chief?"

"Me, I'm fine, what can I help you with?" he asked, his eyes roaming over her chest and then quickly back to her eyes. "You come a-slummin', or what?"

"Well, I was up in the galley, waiting for coffee, and I thought I would come up front and see the ogre himself. Judge for myself and see if you're the gruff bastard everyone says you are," she said, raising her left eyebrow as she removed her glasses.

"Well, am I?" he asked.

"I don't know yet. I did hear you yelling at that poor marine from all the way in the galley. You seem to think you're mean and tough, but I don't know; I haven't formed an opinion just yet."

He looked the tall woman over even more closely than before, or for what etiquette called for. One eye twitched as he tried to figure out what she was about.

"Would it make a difference if I kicked your ass?" he suddenly blurted.

"Perhaps it would," she answered, "but how about taking a break and buying me a cup of coffee instead. Then we can discuss the side of you no one sees." She stood up and left the cockpit.

Jenks followed her with his eyes and then leaned over to look as she went through the glass hatch and into the navigation compartment. He started to reach for a fresh cigar, then thought better of it and stood and followed. He stopped long enough to look at himself in the large window next to the navigation table as he entered section two, and decided a trip into the head wouldn't be a bad idea. His eyes were bloodshot and his breath smelled as if he had just come off leave in Shanghai. He didn't know it, but Virginia Pollock had a thing for lost causes, and the master chief was definitely one of those.

At the break of dawn, with the antenna array up and operating, and the radar dish turning to Jenks's satisfaction, Jack attempted to check in with the Event Group Complex. They had an opening in the tree canopy of only sixty feet or so, and thus he hoped Boris and Natasha had made the move that had been planned. Pete Golding responded as clearly as if he were talking from the riverbank. Jack reported that they had penetrated the falls and had found the tributary just as the map had indicated. Then Pete handed the conversation off to Niles.

"Jack, we should have visual of you in the next hour or so, via Boris and Natasha. When you find yourselves in thick canopy country, we'll use space-based radar to keep track of Teacher , using her heat signature," Niles said.

"Okay. We're just now getting under way; nothing earthshaking to report as of yet."

"Jack, we have two problems. One, the president will not, I repeat, will not permit Ryan and the Delta on the ground in Brazil; it's political and he just won't make that call."

"Well, hopefully we can handle anything Farbeaux can throw our way."

"That's problem number two; you have company headed your way besides the Frenchman."

"The boat and barge, we know about those. They're probably him," Jack countered.

"No, Jack. Boris and Natasha has picked up an armed group of about fifty men on foot, just entering the area of the falls. And I've more good news — your trailing boat and barge are nowhere to be found; I suspect they may have followed you into the tributary."

"Have you alerted Ryan to our backup? Operation Spoiled Sport will replace Conquistador?" Jack asked.

"Done, he's on full alert for plan two. The Delta team will act as security while Proteus is on the ground in Panama, but that's not a sure thing, Jack; they're having trouble getting the system online. Remember, the whole program is experimental and the whole damned platform could possibly explode over half of South America, so you be careful. Any rough stuff, get your team out of there, into the jungle if you have to. Are your orders clear enough, Major?"

"Got it; go get some sleep, Niles," Jack said and clicked off the satellite communication link. He patted Tommy Stiles on the back. "Thanks, it was clear as a bell."

"Is everything all right?" Sarah asked.

He winked. "Yeah, just cautionary. Inform everyone that from here on out we'll be going to fifty percent alert status, half on, half off."

Carl, Sarah, and Danielle gathered close to study the computer-generated version of the Padilla map on the navigation table. Carl slid his finger along the shoreline of the tributary. Then he punched in the current coordinates on a small keypad, and the small blip that indicated Teacher 's position showed itself in red, underneath the deep tree canopy.

"According to the map, Padilla's Sincaro village was only about three klicks up the river. That would place the lagoon and valley not that far away."

"We can't even report our location since the sky disappeared," Sarah said.

"Yeah, I've never seen trees like these. How can they grow so much that they block out the entire sky?"

"Water, constant rain. They fight each other for the right to sunlight, making it a battle for supremacy," Danielle stated, "each one vying for the sun by reaching out over its neighbor, thus creating a giant umbrella effect that will allow nothing through."

The engines of Teacher were like the sad drone of a constant lullaby. Most of the team had sacked out as they entered the darkness of the rain forest, knowing sleep could be hard to come by in a few hours. Jenks was at the helm with Virginia. She was actually getting a kick out of his permitting her to use the toggle controls of the cockpit, as she had been amazed at how responsive the big boat was. As she copiloted the vessel, she laughed at almost everything Jenks had to say. The master chief had never smiled so much as during the time he was spending with Virginia.

Carl was still leaning over the navigation table with Sarah and Danielle when he heard the master chief and scientist erupt with laughter; he never knew Virginia had such a deep and reactive laugh. He stood up and looked at the two women at the table.

"Does anyone else find that disturbing?" he asked.

Ambrose had received his marching orders. He didn't like it and knew the secretary was escalating the situation before he knew for a fact that there was even a need to. He picked up the phone and punched in the numbers he had memorized.

"Yes."

"General, how are you, my friend?"

The man in Brazil sat up straighter in his chair. He swallowed as he tried to find his voice.

"I am…I am well, senor ."

"Good. Are you prepared on your end to do what is necessary?"

"Yes. Yes, I am."

"Good. You may send your ground element onto the river to follow my countrymen now. If the area in question is found, you may set them loose. There will be no foreign element allowed out of your country, General, is that clear?"

" Si …uh… yes, I understand."

"Are ten boats enough, General?"

"They are the best assault force in the private sector, senor . They will do their jobs."

"Good, good. Your reward will be handsome as we promised, both monetarily and politically. Your air force is ready in case?"

"This is an element I would rather not use—"

"It will only be used if something unforeseen arises; don't worry, my friend."

The connection was cut and the general was left holding the phone, aghast that he had gotten himself into this very dangerous game of treason.

Mendez had bided his time. He was a patient man when it came to killing. That was where his former partners in the drug trade had failed on a monumental scale. Targets and places of assassination were to be chosen with expert precision and never, ever was the decision to be made hastily. Mendez and his operatives knew when the iron was hot enough to strike. Why place the blame of murder upon yourself, when you can make people believe the illusion of someone else's doing the dirty work?