“Guess so. Joe says they’ve set up a meth factory and are pretty well armed. Hundreds of men. Most ex-Shan, so they know each other’s tricks. It’s a standoff right now.”
Allie sat back. “Great. So both the plane and the valley are in this group’s territory?”
“Joe thinks so, but he says the situation’s fluid. It’s more like they’re in a no-man’s land between the two areas. Shan to the north, the splinter faction to the south.”
“And us in the middle. This just gets better and better,” Spencer said.
They sat wordlessly as the storm tore at the thatched roof, and Allie and Drake dozed while Spencer joined Uncle Pete in watching the downpour. After an hour the intensity lessened, and in another half hour the rain had stopped completely. Uncle Pete grinned like he’d just won a marathon and gave Spencer a high five.
Minutes later Joe’s voice called from outside the doorway. “Phone’s charged.”
Allie and Drake awoke and eyed the opening groggily. Allie stood and moved to the threshold. Joe approached, the phone in hand. “Hate to let this baby go. It’s a vintage piece. Collector’s item.”
“You mean relic,” Allie said.
“He means worthless pile of old junk,” Drake corrected.
“Such a downer, man,” Joe said. “Turn that frown upside down. Hey, I know. You want some weed? Put you in touch with your higher energy.”
“Pretty sure I just need some sleep,” Drake said.
“This stuff’s killer. I mean, like, ‘whoa, whose hands are these attached to my arms’ kind of otherworldly high,” Joe persisted. “Takes it to a whole ’nother level.”
Drake shook his head. “I’m holding out for the heroin.”
Joe made a face. “That’s mean stuff, dude. Sledgehammer to the back of the head.”
“I’ve heard.”
“Oh, I get it. You’re F-ing with me.” Joe chuckled. “That’s cool. Remember Buddha was always smiling.”
“Maybe he was wincing because he had gas,” Spencer said, and Uncle Pete snorted.
“The cosmos is absurd, it’s true. But beautiful, man. You should take some time to appreciate it.” Joe handed over the phone and battery. “By the way, when you power it on, might not want to talk too long. And once you’re done, turn it off and remove the battery right away.”
Drake frowned. “Why? Is the battery that much of a dud?”
“Nah, it’s primo. More the phone. I mean, it’s probably nothing. The dude I bought it from said it might be a little hot, that’s all.”
“Hot? As in stolen?”
“I wouldn’t traffic in stolen goods, young man,” Joe said, his tone serious. “No, apparently he had a disagreement with some government or other and narrowly missed being taken out by a drone strike. He thinks they triangulated the phone chip. But that was probably just a story, you know? Everybody likes a good story. I’m pretty sure it’s fine.”
Drake eyed the phone like it was a scorpion. “You are frigging joking, right?”
Joe shrugged. “You wanted a bargain, dude, and hot deals always have strings. Nothing in life’s free, kid. Just don’t stay on the call too long, and pull the battery as soon as you can — and just to be safe, might want to go down the trail a ways before plugging it in. Not that there’s anything to worry about.” Joe smiled. “And send positive vibes. Don’t worry, be happy.”
They watched Joe shuffle off through the mud, whistling to himself, and Spencer shook his head. “Drone strike? Can that be for real?”
“Who is this guy?” Drake asked. Allie slid the battery into place with a snick and powered the phone on. The signal was moderately strong. She handed the phone to Uncle Pete and told him to make the call from the airstrip. The little Thai stepped down into the mud and disappeared into the jungle. Drake turned to Allie when he was gone. “Once he gets back, I want to talk to Collins. This is not what we signed up for at all.”
“What? You’re going to let a little Shan Army and some drug lords keep you from the temple?” Spencer teased.
“I’m serious. They shot at the plane. We could have been killed.”
“Well, let’s see what he says, but remember that Christine — if she’s alive — has now been out there for a week,” Spencer said. “I have a feeling he’s going to insist we investigate the wreckage immediately. We’re her only chance.”
“It’s not worth risking our lives for,” Drake insisted. He was looking at Allie, and it was obvious he was intent on protecting her from harm.
“True. Maybe our new best buddy Joe will have some ideas,” Allie said.
Drake shook his head. “Right. Mr. Super Bong is going to lead us to victory.”
“He did find the plane, and we narrowed the valley down to the one in Myanmar.”
Spencer nodded. “I agree with Drake: it’s dangerous. But I also know how the agency works. If we’re this close, there’s no way they’re going to let us turn back. Remember that we’re the only ones with the permits, and those are ostensibly to search for the temple. If we turn our backs on this, the girl’s dead.”
“She’s probably dead already,” Drake stated flatly. “We’ve gotten a sense of how bad the jungle is. She crashed in it at night. Let’s be honest, at least among ourselves.”
Allie sighed. “The difference between ‘probably’ and ‘not’ is the difference between thinking you’re pregnant and being pregnant,” Allie said softly. “Might not matter to anyone else, but it matters a hell of a lot to the baby and the mom.”
Drake remembered the discussion with Christine’s mother, and his tone softened. “Yeah, you’re right. We gave our word to Ms. Blakely we’d see this through. I just don’t want to risk anyone’s life to keep that promise.”
Uncle Pete returned. He passed the phone to Allie, who handed it to Drake. “Do what you think best, Drake. For what it’s worth, I think you made the right call when you agreed to this.”
Spencer stepped aside so Drake could pass. “I’m not big on altruism, but Allie’s got a point. We didn’t say we’d do our best unless it got dangerous; we agreed to the terms, and the CIA did its part and got us the permits. Seems like a deal’s a deal, even if the deal sucks for us now. I bet that’s what Collins says.”
“Collins isn’t risking his life.”
“True.” Spencer exhaled and met Drake’s stare. “It’s also true that I need the money this treasure could mean, Drake. So maybe I’m more motivated to make it work. I’m not dissing you in any way, but if you walk from this, you’re still set. My life’s more of a question mark, so I’m in, no matter what.”
“You’d continue even if I pulled the plug?”
“Cornered rats fight harder.”
“You’re not a rat. And the hedge fund still has your money, remember?”
“That’s what they say. But when you ask someone to hold your wallet, and they agree but then come up with fifty reasons you can’t have it back? Not a good sign.” Spencer looked at Allie. “Ever.”
Ten minutes went by agonizingly slowly, and Allie’s lids were growing heavy when Drake reappeared, his jaw set in grim determination. He removed the battery from the phone and sat down on the mat next to Allie, took her hand in his, and looked her in the eyes.
“They want us to get going at first light.”
“And you said?”
Drake squeezed her hand, his gaze unflinching.
“We’re going in.”
Chapter 31
Reggie Waters rolled over on the mat he was trying to sleep on and waved away a mosquito with a listless hand. The persistent insect ignored the feeble gesture and landed on his lip, the one spot Reggie hadn’t slathered with insect repellent. Reggie stirred as the mosquito crept to a promising area and drove its long proboscis into the tender flesh. The sting of the forced entry woke Reggie fully and he sat up. The mosquito took flight, its search for nourishing blood aborted at the unexpected jarring.