A career that, after reading all of the information she’d been given, just might include the zoological breakthrough of the century. She was now convinced that at least part of what Salazar and Otero were after…was real. A capuchin demonstrating a significantly higher level of cognition.
If it was true, it was the kind of discovery for the record books and one from which world renowned careers were launched.
In front of Becca, Salazar leaned forward, attempting to reach the dashboard in spite of the vehicle’s bouncing. His fingers found the small vent and adjusted the angle higher, trying to cool his beading forehead. The air was gradually growing cooler the higher they climbed, but it still wasn’t enough yet.
He returned his hand to the grab handle overhead, trying to steady himself after one bounce from a particularly large hole. Salazar’s own satellite phone rang loudly just as it fell from its tucked position against his leg. He fumbled for it but managed to get the phone to his ear by the third ring.
“Yes,” he answered, over the vehicle’s revving engine.
The voice on the other end was deep. “How close are you?”
“About five or six hours.”
“It’s about time.”
Salazar opened his mouth to explain but was cut off.
“Does anyone suspect anything?”
“No. I don’t think so.”
“Good. Surprise will be key. You cannot risk anyone knowing. Do you understand?”
“I do.” Salazar glanced at his driver for any indications that he was listening in.
“You should also know you’re going to have company.”
“What do you mean?”
“There is someone else at the top.”
Salazar’s brow lowered. “Who?”
“We don’t know. One of our AEW aircraft spotted an airplane over the area, which abruptly turned around over the mountains.”
A drop. Salazar cursed silently to himself and gritted his teeth. It was exactly what he was trying to preempt.
“You know what’s at stake,” said the voice. “And you know what happens if you fail.”
56
“This is bullshit.”
Everyone turned to Corso, standing in a small patch of shade with his HK416 gripped firmly in his large hands.
“Excuse me?”
His eyes moved to DeeAnn, then to Caesare. Dulce was sitting overhead in a young aphandra tree, examining its branches.
“She’s not going to find a damn thing.”
DeeAnn turned to Caesare before he could reply. “We need to give it time. This isn’t exactly a science. She’s doing the best she can.”
Corso looked up again into the tree. “Yeah, it looks it.”
A moment later, a large white and yellow flower fell down onto Corso’s shoulder, where he brushed it away and glared at the gorilla. Dulce returned a toothy grin.
“What the hell you expecting, Corso?” Tiewater grinned, descending from the top of a large rock. “You want the little thing to draw us a map?”
Anderson shrugged. “That would be nice.”
DeeAnn was still staring at Caesare. “We need more time.”
Time was a luxury they didn’t have. Caesare glanced at his watch again and peered up at the sky. They had three hours of daylight left at the most. And all the while Otero was getting closer. He needed to know how close but Borger still wasn’t answering his phone. Something was wrong.
“Ask her again,” he said.
After a moment, DeeAnn sighed and turned back around to face Dulce. “Where is our friend, Dulce?”
No know. Me look.
“How much more time?”
Her vest unexpectedly beeped, signaling a bad translation.
“How much longer?”
Dulce peered at her curiously from the tree. She looked like she was about to reply when she stopped. The gorilla abruptly stood up in the tree and steadied herself with a branch. Her posture was stiff. Alert. After a long silence, she spoke.
Go there.
Everyone on the ground looked up with surprise.
“Go where?”
There. Dulce raised her lanky arm and pointed.
“Is that where friend is?”
Dulce scampered down and leaped from the tree, landing on Corso’s broad shoulders. Her focus still in the direction she had pointed.
“Get the hell off me!” Corso violently shook his shoulders, sending Dulce jumping to Tiewater, who caught her in his arms.
“You’re really something with the ladies.”
“Shut up.”
DeeAnn closed in and repeated. “Where, Dulce? Show us where.”
She pointed again, across a large section of the burnt field. There.
Past the field, a wide section of trees covered the area, which sloped away from the peak. Their dull green color bore a resemblance to olive trees, with thin branches swaying gently from side to side in the breeze, now blowing over the top of the mountain. The trees continued on for as far as they could see. They became denser before rising again over another ridge, and then disappeared where the mountain continued another long descent.