Part 25 (1/2)

He stared at the paper, running a finger over the words. ”Who wrote the original coded message?”

”Zenka's husband, one of the African shamans,” Ramirez said. ”I gave their book to Mamie.”

Jorge nodded slowly. ”The cave, yes? In Africa?”

”Yes,” I said.

”Describe it for me again.”

”Two pentagrams. One with the single point up, the other with the single point down. The one pointing up was done in white, and depicted the wielders at each point. The other was done in black and showed the prime monsters, including the Shadow Man, who was at the bottom point.”

”'Look to the stars,'” Jorge murmured. ”Your answer lies in Botswana. These people weren't astrologers, they were people of the land, of the earth. This message isn't about a constellation. It's calling you back to their caves, to their stars.”

Could it be that simple? I took the note back and stared at it. ”Do you think that's what this means?”

”Runs like blood,” Will murmured.

My head snapped up. ”What?”

”You told me Zenka said if anyone touched those stars on the cave walls, the paint ran like blood, and the person's hands burned.”

”Yes,” Lanningham said, nodding. ”I remember that.”

”So do I,” Uncle Mike said.

Will locked eyes with Jorge. ”Runs like blood.”

”The blood of one in particular,” Jorge said, nodding. ”Matthew, you have to go to Africa. You have to touch the stars.”

”Wait. She said they'd burn anyone who did,” I said, not daring to hope.

”And that's probably true of everyone-except the Sentinel.” Jorge turned to Uncle Mike. ”Colonel, we need to travel to Botswana as soon as possible. Matthew needs to lay hands on those stars. It's the only lead we have.”

My uncle stood there, still as stone. I couldn't begin to understand what he was thinking about. That Jorge's a.s.sumption-and it was just that, an a.s.sumption-was nuts? That sending me to Botswana was too big a risk, given the attack on our family? That, like me, he'd lost more than he could bear?

”Sergeant Davis?” he said. ”Tell the general to call the Air Force. We're going to Africa. We need a ride, air support and supplies.”

I was as stunned as Davis, who had to snap his jaw shut before asking, ”Sir, yes sir. How many traveling, sir?”

He leveled a cool stare in my direction. ”All of us.”

Seven hours later, as evening fell at Andrews Air Force base, five wielders-each with two support staff except for Jorge-a colonel, and a platoon of highly trained Army Rangers boarded a Globemaster bound for Botswana. The front of the cargo hold had been converted into a pa.s.senger area, with seats temporarily bolted to the floor. The back half held crates of ammunition, medical equipment, and tents. A second Globemaster carried our Humvees and-to my complete shock (and grim delight)-an Abrams tank.

”When Colonel Tannen makes a decision, he doesn't mess around,” Will said, strapping himself into the seat next to mine. ”I'm surprised he's letting us travel together, though. What if there's a mysterious mechanical failure?”

The other side could do that, we both knew. But I felt in my bones, as did Tink, that we weren't in danger. The Dark Master wanted us to find him. ”We won't.”

Definitely. What fun would it be for him if you all died over the ocean? No, he's playing with us. That's the problem with the terminally overconfident. He'll boast his way to a very painful defeat. And we'll be ready for him, mark my words.

Tink's anger meter had been set somewhere between active volcano and supernova ever since Brent's death and her furiousness somehow balanced my own, allowing me to stay focused. It was like we'd reversed our relations.h.i.+p-she was drawing my rage into herself, instead of bleeding hers into me.

”Still, I'm surprised,” Will said, tearing into a protein bar. n.o.body's appet.i.te was right. While I was hardly eating, Will ate everything in sight. Stress was a strange thing.

”I'm not,” I said. ”We're at the end, Will. The colonel wants the team fully a.s.sembled and mobilized at all times.”

Almost like he heard me, Uncle Mike looked up from the laptop he and Julie were studying. Our eyes locked and held. Without words, he told me what Tink had been saying all along: we win this thing, or we die trying.

Maybe both.

It was the longest conversation we'd had since that night in the conference room. In fact, it was longest he'd looked at me since I'd arrived from Billings. It was like my presence reminded him so painfully of Brent and Mamie, he could hardly stand to be around me. I couldn't pretend it didn't hurt, but I understood.

A soldier I hadn't seen for a while plopped down in the seat in front of me, smirking. ”Well, well, well. If it isn't the wonder twins.”

”What's up, Murph?” I asked, smiling. ”Good to see you here.”

”Yeah, the major picked me to be his second out here.” Murphy's chest swelled with pride, and no wonder. He'd survived Peru, Afghanistan, Africa and D.C. with Ramirez. He'd earned his right to be on this plane.

”I heard a rumor,” he said. ”I'm hoping for confirmation.”

Will and I exchanged glances. ”Okay. What?” I asked.

Raising his voice to be heard above the dull roar of the plane's engines, he said, ”So, Archer, I hear you've finally become a man.”

How long he'd waited to razz me, G.o.d only knew. But I loved him for it-we needed some smack talk around here. ”Rumor's true. When's it your turn, Murphy?”

Everyone within earshot burst out laughing. It was nervous laughter, but I'd take anything to lighten the mood. Even Murphy laughed, his ears turning red. ”Yeah, yeah, you got me.”

He held out a hand and I shook it, saying, ”I'm really glad you made the trip with the major.”

”Remember, I have your back-and Cruessan's-too. I'm here for all of you.” With a solemn nod, he took off to sit with a few of the enlisted guys. Good thing, because I had a lump forming in my throat.

Jorge got up from his seat as soon as we were airborne and came to take the empty seat on my other side. Will, being able to sleep in any aircraft known to man, had already dropped off.

”How are you holding up?” Jorge asked.

”About as expected.”

”That well?” He chuckled sadly. ”But it's more than that, I think. Something's been weighing on you ever since we met up in Europe.”

Even though I wanted to keep what I'd heard in Marrakech limited to a few people, Jorge had a way of looking at me like he already knew all the answers. I found myself whispering the whole thing to him. I told him about Zenka's insistence that I was the Sentinel, and how I found Mount Sentinel at the University of Montana after Mamie had been kidnapped. I walked him through every detail of my conversation with Xing Lie and Jie-the-demon. I even told him about the man in Marrakech and the Jinn's message.

”Hmm.”

I sighed. ”I get nervous when you say that.”