Catalyst (Breakthrough Book 3)(66)
“You’ve got a big storm headed right at you.”
“That’s very helpful, Wil. Any other good news?”
“Yes. Otero and his army are about a third the way up the mountain. They’ve stopped for the moment, but they’re moving faster than we thought. What’s your ETA?”
Caesare rolled his eyes. ETA? Chances of survival might be a better question. He raised his voice over a sudden wave of thunder. “Soon.”
“How soon?”
“VERY soon! I’ll call you back when we’re on the ground.”
“Okay. Be safe.”
Caesare ended the call and shook his head. His estimated time of arrival on the mountain was complicated. Their situation had gotten considerably more difficult…and he still hadn’t told DeeAnn the worst part.
36
The Brazilian’s stop on the way up the mountain was more than momentary. Otero stood in the shade of a small rubber tree, watching the long line of Salazar’s men digging along a deteriorated section of road, trying to repair it enough for their trucks to pass.
Otero lazily slapped a hand against his neck at another insect. The treelined canopy above them was not enough to block the glaring sun, which had turned their stretch of the forest into a sweltering sauna.
After being outside for even a short time, it was enough to drive Otero back to the air conditioning of his Land Rover. Russo faithfully followed and climbed in on the opposite side.
The road reconstruction was being directed by Salazar’s second lieutenant. A man in his early thirties, standing out in the heat with his men while Salazar also remained inside his lead vehicle.
Sitting silently behind Salazar was a female with short dirty-blonde hair, dressed in a white sleeveless shirt. Being a civilian zoologist assigned to the mission by a much higher-ranking officer did not prevent Salazar from pushing his authority onto her. Authority she had thus far largely ignored.
Dr. Becca, as she was known, kept her head down inside the cab, reading more on the work the deceased Mr. Alves had been conducting at his so-called “preserve.” A place which apparently had a number of dark secrets.
She’d read the information on the capuchin monkey several times, looking for any details or facts she may have missed. It was crucial she knew everything she could. One of the images gleaned from a security camera gave a better than average picture of the monkey –– all solid gray fur, as opposed to the more common speckled colors, which meant at least some hope of ever finding the animal. But all in all, Becca was highly skeptical.
From her perspective, she had been pulled from her existing job at a prominent research center in Salvador to assist an army group of Neanderthals into the jungle in search of a mystical primate, supposedly carrying the secret to immortality. And not just human immortality but apparently all cellular life on the planet. It sounded ridiculous.
Becca had enough biology experience to know that immortality was a farce. A dream envisioned by people who never made very good use of the time they had until it was nearly up. Nothing in the biological kingdom had thus far escaped the tendrils of death, and she was sure that neither she nor any of the grunts outside were going to be the first.
Her goal was simply to find whatever they were looking for so she could return to her work in Salvador. However, she did have to admit that, while she found the immortality story absurd, she was somewhat fascinated by the more credible possibility of a capuchin having a higher level of intelligence than normal. That was how nature worked. Advances in small steps over long periods of time, not some magical leap. And given that capuchins were already rather intelligent, finding an outlier was far more believable…and interesting.
Becca continued reading through her thick folder, unaware that Salazar had opened his own door and climbed out until she felt the wave of heat rush past her.
Outside, he approached his lieutenant and waited for an update, even though there was little to offer. Anyone could observe the men still toiling away in sweat-soaked shirts.
“How much longer?”
His lieutenant turned away from one of the other soldiers. “At least an hour, maybe two.”
Salazar pursed his lips with agitation. With hands on his hips, he spun around and looked back downhill the way they came. He spotted the Land Rover with Otero and Russo speaking inside and smirked. He wondered just how the two thought they would possibly retain control of anything they found when surrounded and outgunned by Salazar’s men.
Fools.
Inside, Otero was looking forward to the look on Salazar’s face when he found out who was really in charge. And where the loyalty of his men truly stood.
“The idiot still has no idea.”