He smiled as the boat skimmed across the water and the wind beat against his face. The Americans had chosen a small team, perhaps emphasizing mobility over strength. That would be a fatal mistake. Yes, there were current and former US Special Forces soldiers in the group, but most of the others looked soft. American soft.
Now out on the river, he opened the throttle. Seconds later, he passed the Izabel. An excited shiver ran through his body as he stared at the people he would soon kill.
CHAPTER TWELVE
After a light dinner of broiled fish and fruit, the group gathered on the bridge of the Izabel. Zane and Jorge stood at the front next to Marcos, who was at the helm. The others were seated in folding chairs arranged in a semicircle.
A storm raged outside, rocking the boat slightly as it chugged downriver. Rain pounded the roof so hard that it sounded like the beating of a hundred snare drums, while wind swept across the bow, carrying with it small tree limbs and leaves.
As the rain hit a momentary lull, Zane cleared his throat and said, “First of all, I’d like to thank each and every one of you for coming.”
Max Cameron leaned toward Katiya. “What is this, The Love Boat?”
Zane looked over at him. “Excuse me?”
“Thank you,” Katiya said, digging her elbow into Max’s side. “It’s a pleasure to be here.”
Zane nodded but let his eyes linger on Max a moment before continuing. “As I was saying, thanks to each and every one of you for coming. We have a long, tough journey ahead, and I need you to pay close attention to what we’re going to cover tonight.” He nodded at Brett, who typed out a command on his laptop. A satellite map of the Amazon River appeared on a wall to the operative’s left. He lifted a laser pointer and hovered the dot over a city. “We have just left Manaus, which is here. Sometime tomorrow we will take this tributary north toward our destination.” He moved the red dot along the route. “We’ll follow the tributary for another day before finally anchoring somewhere along in here.” He hovered the dot over an area near where the tributary disappeared into the green of the jungle. “That means we’ll be in the boat for about two days before starting our trek across land.”
Amanda raised her hand. “What can we expect once we’re off the boat? Are there trails, or are we going to have to cut our way through the jungle?”
Zane noticed Max rolling his eyes and shaking his head. Katiya elbowed him again.
“Jorge, perhaps you can answer that,” Zane said.
The Brazilian pulled an unlit cigar from his mouth and said, “There is a path that runs east then north through the jungle. I’ve traveled it many times. Unfortunately, it’s been a while, so I can’t guarantee what it will look like now. Any of you who have spent time in the jungle know a place can look completely different even after a year or two.”
“Our ultimate goal is to reach an area right along in here.” Zane twirled the red dot at an area well north of the tributary. “When we arrive at the perimeter, I may lead a one or two man team into the target zone before we bring all of you in.”
Katiya cleared her throat. “Zane, I think it’s important that Max and I be a part of any team that might establish first contact, whether with indigenous people, extraterrestrials, or something not yet defined. It’s going to be vital that we have people who can communicate if necessary.”
Zane nodded. “I appreciate that. Right now, we don’t even know what we’re going to find once we get there. Safety has to be our first priority, and the area we’re going to enter is—”
Max held his hands in the air. “Of course we don’t know what to expect. Dr. Mills and I still haven’t been given access to map routes or the audio files of the supposed transmission.”
“Your maps are right here.” Zane jerked a thumb toward the image on the wall. “As for the audio file, I haven’t had access to that either. But even if you had it, would you know what you were listening to? Of course not. The bottom line is, we know where the signal came from. What we don’t know is what caused it.”
Max muttered something and shook his head.
“Have they heard anything since the first broadcast?” Amanda asked.
“No, they haven’t. But they are continuing to monitor our atmosphere for additional sounds. If they can shed more light on the target zone, they will.”
Landon Tocchet, the Green Beret in charge, raised his hand. “Sir, is there anything we need to be aware of? Hostiles, dangerous animals, that kind of thing?”
Corporal Nash patted his M4 rifle. “Yeah, just tell us what needs to die, and we’ll make it happen.”
“Yes, there are a few things we all need to be aware of,” Zane said. “And with that I’ll turn it over to Jorge.” He nodded at the Brazilian.
Jorge stepped forward. “Please remember that the most dangerous part of the Amazon is the water — the creeks, streams, and dark pools that seem to be everywhere. It’s in those places that you’ll find… how you say in English… your worst nightmares: leeches the size of your hand, caiman, electric eel, piranha, and even the anaconda.” He looked at Max. “Unless I’ve given you the green light, please don’t enter any body of water. Stay clear and pay close attention to my instructions. We want everyone back alive.”
“What about human hostiles?” Tocchet asked.
Jorge crossed his arms and thought for a moment. Finally, he said, “There are tribes in the area, but I wouldn’t call them hostile. Most are peaceful and won’t bother you unless provoked.” He walked over to the image on the wall and moved his finger along the route they would take across land. “Most of the area we’ll pass through is either outside or along the edge of tribal communities. So, it is possible that we’ll encounter an Indian or an indigenous tribesman. But I wouldn’t say it’s likely. And even if we do, they shouldn’t pose a threat. There are hostile tribes in the jungle, but most are many miles to the west.” Zane thought he saw a flicker of something in the Brazilian’s eyes. A secret perhaps.
Katiya looked at Zane and caught his attention. “I hate to beat a dead horse, but that goes back to what I said earlier. Max and I need to be there when you enter each new stretch of jungle. As you probably know, Max can speak over a dozen indigenous languages. In fact, he and I have both worked with tribes around the world, including ones in other parts of the Amazon. We know how they think and how they react to contact with those from the outside world.”
“Dr. Mills—”
“Call me Katiya.” She gave him a grin.
“Katiya, the two of you do have impressive resumes. That’s one of the reasons you were selected for the team. And I agree with much of what you said a moment ago.” He paused for a moment then continued. “Let me promise you this… I’ll assess the situation when we get there. If I feel comfortable, then we may all go in together. If not, then my first priority has to be getting all of you out alive. We don’t believe this mission involves any imminent threat to our national security, so the gathering of information will always be secondary to everyone’s safety.”
“I appreciate that,” she said. “That’s all we can ask for. I would just remind you that Max and I are here voluntarily. We knew the danger involved and gladly accepted. We don’t want to do anything stupid, but at the same time, risk is an inherent part of this entire operation. There is no way to avoid it. We’ll be in a danger zone the minute we step on land.”