Part 16 (1/2)

The group wound back through the forest. As they marched, Kelly felt numb. Another man gone . . . so suddenly. She hiked past the nest of fire liana vines and eyed them warily. It wasn't only chemical warfare going on out here, but a savage feeding frenzy, where the strong consumed the weak.

Kelly was glad to reach the campsite with its roaring fires-the warmth, the light. In a small way, the flames were rea.s.suring, temporarily driving back the dark heart of the forest.

She found the eyes of the other teammates upon them. Anna Fong stood with Richard Zane. Frank's fellow operative, Olin Pasternak, stood near the fires, warming his hands.

Manny quickly explained what they had found. As he talked, Anna covered her mouth with her hand and turned away. Richard shook his head. And as usual, Olin remained his stoic self, staring into the flames.

Kelly barely noticed their reactions. Standing by the campfire, her attention remained focused on Nate and Kouwe. The pair had moved to the side, near Nate's hammock. From the corner of her eye, she watched them. No words were exchanged between the two men, but she caught the inquiring look on Kouwe's face. An unspoken question.

Nate answered with a small shake of his head.

With some secret settled between them, Kouwe reached to his pipe and moved a few steps away, clearly needing a moment alone.

Kelly turned, giving the older man his privacy, and found Nate staring at her.

She glanced back to the fires. She felt foolish and oddly frightened. She swallowed and bit her lower lip, remembering the man's strong arms catching her, saving her. She sensed Nate still staring at her, his gaze like the sun's heat on her skin. Warm, deep, and tingling.

Slowly the feeling faded.

What was he hiding?

CHAPTER SEVEN.

Data Collection.

AUGUST 12, 6:20 A.M.

LANGLEY VIRGINIA.

Lauren O'Brien was going to be late for work. ”Jessie!” she called as she nestled an orange beside a peanut-b.u.t.ter-and-jelly sandwich in a lunch box. ”Hon, I need you down here . . . now.”The day-care center was a twenty-minute drive out of her way, followed by the usual fight through morning traffic into Langley.

She checked her watch and rolled her eyes. ”Marshall!”

”We're coming,” a stern voice answered.

Lauren leaned around the corner. Her husband was leading their granddaughter down the stairs. Jessie was dressed, though her socks didn't match.Close enough, she thought to herself. She had forgotten what it was like to have a child in the house again. Patterns and schedules had to be altered.

”I can take her to day care,” Marshall said, reaching the bottom stairs. ”I don't have a meeting until nine o'clock:”

”No, I can do it:”

”Lauren. . .” He crossed and gave her a quick peck on the cheek. ”Let me help you:”

She returned to the kitchen and snapped shut the lunch box. ”You should get into the office as soon as possible:” She tried to keep the tension out of her voice.

But Marshall heard it anyway. ”Jessie, why don't you get your sweater?”

” 'Kay, Grandpa:' The girl skipped toward the front door.

Marshall turned back to Lauren. ”Frank and Kelly are fine. If there was any change, we would know it right away”

Lauren nodded, but she kept her back toward him. She did not want Marshall to see the threatening tears. Last night, they had heard about the first Army Ranger being attacked by a crocodile. Then, a few hours past midnight, the phone had rung. From Marshall's tone as he spoke, Lauren had known it was more bad news. A call this late could only mean one thing-something horrible had happened to either Frank or Kelly. She was sure of it. After Marshall had hung up the phone and explained about the second dead soldier, Lauren had cried with selfish relief. Still, deep inside, a seed of dread had been planted that she could not shake. Twodead . . . how many more? She had been unable to sleep the rest of the night.

”Another two Rangers are being airlifted to their campsite as we speak. They have plenty of protection:”

She nodded and sniffed back tears. She was being foolish. She had spoken with the twins last night.

They were clearly shaken by the tragedy, but both were determined to continue onward.

”They're tough kids,” Marshall said. ”Resourceful and cautious. They're not going to take any foolish chances:”

With her back still turned to her husband, she mumbled, ”Foolish chances? They're out there, aren't they? That's foolish enough:”

Marshall's hands settled on her shoulders. He brushed aside the hair from the back of her neck and kissed her gently. ”They'll be fine,” he whispered in her ear calmly.

At fifty-four, Marshall was a striking man. His black-Irish hair was going to silver at the temples. He had a strong jaw, softened by full lips. His eyes, a bluish hazel, caught her and held her.

”Kelly and Frank will be fine,” he said succinctly. ”Let me hear you say it.”

She tried to glance down, but a fingertip moved her chin back up.

”Say it . . . please. For me. I need to hear it, too:”

She saw the glimmer of pain in his eyes. ”Kelly and Frank . . . will be fine:” Though her words were muttered, speaking them aloud was some-how rea.s.suring.

”They will be. We raised them, didn't we?” He smiled at her, the pain fading in hiseyes.

”We sure did:” She slipped her arms around her husband and hugged him.

After a moment, Marshall kissed her on the forehead. ”I'll takeJessie to day care:”

She didn't object. After giving her grandchild a long hug by the front door, she allowedherself to be guided to her BMW. The forty-minute drive to the Instar Inst.i.tute was a blur. When she arrived, she was glad to grab herbriefcase and head through the cipher-locked doors into the main building. After such adisturbing night, it was good to be busy again, to have something to distract her from her worries.

She crossed to her offices,greeting familiar faces in the hall. The complete immunologyreport was due today, and she was anxious to test Kelly's theory about an alteration to Gerald Clark's immune status. Preliminary results, comingpiecemeal, were not terribly helpful. With the degree of cancerous processes ravaging the body, a.s.sessment was difficult.

Reaching her office, Lauren found a stranger standing by her door.

”Good morning, Dr. O'Brien,” the man said, holding out a hand. He was no older thantwenty-five, slender, with a shaved head, and dressed in blue scrubs.