“All clear, sir,” Bennett shouted from just ahead.
Shortly thereafter, the group spilled out of the trees into a clearing. Zane’s eyes widened as he took in the view.
“Good heavens,” Katiya whispered.
A short mountain rose up in front of them. Its steep slope was covered with a tangled mass of vines, ferns, and bushes. The vegetation was so thick that most of the mountain itself couldn’t be seen, save for a few patches of rock here and there.
Brett looked up. “No wonder this didn’t show up on any satellite photos. Even though it rises above the canopy, it looks just like the surrounding jungle.”
“It’s gorgeous,” Amanda said, her voice barely above a whisper.
Zane noticed the precipice rose at a sharp angle before transitioning to a flat crown about four hundred feet up. He looked to the right then to the left. The base seemed to cover a large area. What the mountain lacked in height, it made up in circumference.
“It looks like we’re standing on some sort of buffer,” Bennett said, tapping the ground with his rifle.
Zane looked around. He was right. A barren strip of land seemed to run around the circumference of the mountain, at least as far as he could see.
“I think this is the winding strip you saw in the satellite photos,” Zane said.
Brett nodded. “I was just thinking the same thing.”
As the group began to fan out, Zane asked the two Green Berets to take up positions along the buffer, one to the east and the other to the west. Now was not the time to let down their guard. If anything, they needed to be more cautious.
Katiya kicked at one of the rocks. “It’s almost like someone came through here with a jumbo bottle of Roundup.” She squatted and looked at a very lonely-looking weed that had sprouted up through a crack in the hard soil.
Zane looked at her. “Any ideas why nothing seems to grow here?”
Katiya rose, placing her hands on her hips. “It’s hard to say. Perhaps the soil quality is poor.”
“Why would the soil be fine in the jungle and fine on the mountain but not on this fifty-foot strip?” Brett asked.
Zane walked toward the mountain base. He stopped and tilted his head back. “It’s hard to tell from this angle, but it looks like our mountain has a flat top.”
Brett and Amanda walked over and looked up. “Obviously that’s where I’d want to be if I were going to transmit a signal.”
Zane nodded slowly. “We need to find a way up there.”
Brett set down his pack then retrieved a pair of binoculars from one of the pockets. He trained them on the slope. “I hope you’re not thinking about climbing up.” He lowered them and looked at Zane. “That would be pure suicide without the appropriate gear.”
“It might not be as hard as you think.” Amanda pointed at the vines. “It has its own built-in climbing ropes.”
“Yeah, good luck with that,” Brett said. “One snap, and you’re done.”
“She may actually be on to something.” Zane squatted and grasped one of the cordons. “These things appear to be pretty strong. I’m thinking they’d hold pretty well.” He stood and looked up. “The slope is steep, but it isn’t anywhere close to ninety degrees. That means a group of us could probably get to the top if we took our time.”
Amanda wandered off to join Katiya, who was examining a flower on one of the vines. Brett turned to Zane. “I’m not sold on attempting a climb. I’d like to find a flatter slope than the one here.”
“I agree with you that climbing up is not our best option.” He glanced at the jungle. “After seeing that bridge, I’m convinced some ancient culture lived here. I’m also convinced that they either lived in or on that mountain. That being said, we need to—”
Zane was cut off by the sound of Jorge’s approach. The Brazilian’s brow was furrowed with concern.
“You don’t look too happy,” Zane said.
Jorge nodded at Max and Osak, who were standing about fifty yards down the buffer. “Take it for what it’s worth, but our little friend doesn’t like this place at all. He feels we need to turn back.”
Zane frowned. “You know that’s not an option. Did he say why?”
“He kept talking about bad spirits living on this mountain.” He pointed at the ground. “He said it’s why nothing will grow here. Even the jungle keeps its distance.”
“That’s nonsense.”
“Perhaps.” Jorge pulled a cigar from his shirt pocket. After lighting it, he said, “Like I said, take it for what it’s worth. I would simply remind you that he’s been pretty reliable so far.”
Zane looked down. “I still think Katiya’s theory is the right one. The soil just seems bad here.”
Jorge nodded toward the mountain. “The boy also said something else… he said that the vines have a voice.”
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I don’t know. He didn’t say, but he didn’t seem to like whatever they were saying.”
Zane did have to admit the plants seemed odd, particularly their white flowers the size of dinner plates. He made a mental note to ask Katiya about it later.
“I wonder if Osak knows how to get up the mountain,” Brett said.
“He’s never been here before, so I doubt it,” Jorge said. “But as long as we can convince him to stay, I’m sure he can help us find a way.”
Zane turned and looked west. The last tiny sliver of sun sat on the horizon, deepening the shadows along the buffer. “Speaking of which, we need to get moving. We don’t have much daylight left.”
“Shouldn’t we just set up camp here?” Brett asked. “Everyone is exhausted, and it would give me time to work on the sat phone.”
He was right. The group was exhausted. But Zane knew now was not the time to stop, with one or even two hostile groups pressing them from the rear. If there was something here to find, then they needed to find it first.
“Unfortunately, we don’t have the luxury of stopping right now,” Zane said. “I want to at least find a way in or up before nightfall. Besides, it will be easier to travel on the buffer.”
Brett nodded, although Zane could tell he was disappointed.
Zane glanced at his watch. “We still have an hour or two left. Let’s split into two teams. We travel and search in opposite directions along the base.” He looked at Jorge. “Sound good?”
The Brazilian was staring out at the jungle through narrowed eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
“I think you’re right.” He broke his stare and looked at Zane. “We need to do as much as we can now. If the night was bad in the crater, then it will be even worse here.”
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
After calling everyone together, Zane divided the group into two teams. He, Jorge, Brett, and Artur would search east along the base of the mountain. Bennett and Tocchet would lead the others to the west. The thought of separating concerned him, but it would allow them to cover more ground. It would be dark soon, and he was determined to find a way up the mountain before stopping to set up camp.
He watched Amanda and Katiya gather their belongings. He wouldn’t like them being out of sight but took comfort in the fact that they’d be under the protection of heavily armed Green Berets.
And what about the mole? He still had no idea who it might be, and at this point, he still couldn’t rule out either of the remaining soldiers. For that matter, he couldn’t rule out Wilson. Maybe he had wandered off and joined the people he’d been working with. Although Zane found that hard to believe, it would certainly explain a lot of what had happened.
He pushed all the concerns aside as he addressed the group. “Each team will continue searching until we find something.”
“And if we don’t?” Max asked.