Part 29 (1/2)

”Mostly in Florida, but we're now seeing cases in California, Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri:' ”What about in Langley?” Kelly asked. ”At the Inst.i.tute?”

A glance was shared between her parents.

”Kelly. . :” her father began. His tone sounded like Frank's from a moment ago, cautionary. ”I don't want you to panic:'

Kelly sat up straighter, her heart already climbing into her throat. Don't panic? Did those wordsever calm someone? ”What is it?”

”Jessie's sick-”

The next few words were lost on Kelly. Her vision darkened at the cor-ners. She had been dreading hearing those words since first learning of the contagion.Jessie's sick . . .

Her father must have noticed her falling back in her seat, pale and trembling. Frank put his arm around her, holding her.

”Kelly,” her father said. ”We don't know if it's the disease. It's just a fever, and she's already responding to medications. She was eating ice cream and chattering happily when we came to make this call:”

Her mother placed a hand on her father's shoulder, and they exchanged a look. ”It's probably not the disease, is it, Lauren?”

Their mother smiled. ”I'm sure it's not:”

Frank sighed. ”Thank G.o.d. Is anyone else showing symptoms?”

”Not a one,” her father a.s.sured them.

But Kelly's eyes were fixed on her mother. Her smile now looked sickly and wan. Her gaze slipped down.

Kelly closed her own eyes. Oh, G.o.d . . .

”We'll see you soon;” her father concluded.

Frank nudged her.

She nodded. ”Soon...”

Zane again spoke behind her. ”What did your father mean that he'd see you soon? What's this about revised plans? What's going on?”

Frank gave Kelly a final squeeze. ”Jessie's fine,” he whispered to her. ”You'll see when you get home:”

He then turned to answer Zane's question.

Kelly remained frozen before the laptop as the arguments began to rage behind her. In her mind's eye, she again saw her mother's smile fade, her eyes lower in shame. She knew her mother's moods better than any-one, possibly even better than her father did. Her mother had been lying. She had seen theknowledge hidden behind the rea.s.suring words.

Jessie had the disease.Her mother believed it. Kelly knew this with certainty. And if her mother believed it . . .

Kelly could not stop the tears. Busily arguing about the change in plans, the others failed to notice her.

She covered her face with her hand.Oh, G.o.d . . . no . . .

CHAPTER ELEVEN.

Aerial a.s.sault.

AUGUST, 14, 1:24 PM.

AMAZON JUNGLE.

Nate could not sleep. As he lay in his hammock, he knew he should be rest-ing for the next leg of the journey. In only another hour, his group was due to depart, but questions still persisted. He stared around the campsite. While half the camp napped, the other half were still quietly arguing about the split-up.

”We can just follow them,” Zane said. ”What are they going to do, shoot us?”

”We should mind their orders,” Kouwe said calmly, but Nate knew the older professor was no more pleased with being abandoned than the Tel-lux rep.

Nate turned his back on them, but he understood their frustration. If he had been one of those left behind, they would've had to hog-tie him to stop him from continuing on his own.

From this new vantage, he spotted Kelly lying in her hammock. She was the only one who had not protested. Her concern for her daughter was clearly foremost in her mind. As he watched, Kelly rolled over and their gazes met. Her eyes were puffy from tears.

Nate gave up trying to nap and slid from his hammock. He crossed to her side and knelt. ”Jessie will be fine,” he said softly.

Kelly stared at him in silence, then spoke through her pain, her voice small. ”She has the disease:' Nate frowned. ”Now that's just your fear talking. There's no proof that-”

”I saw it in my mother's eyes. She could never hide anything from me. She knows Jessie has the disease and is trying to spare me.”

Nate didn't know what to say. He reached through the netting and rested a hand on her shoulder. He quietly comforted her, willing her strength, then spoke with his heart, softly but earnestly, ”If what you say is true, I'll find a cure out there somewhere. I promise:”

This earned a tired smile. Her lips moved, but no words came out. Still, Nate read those lips easily.

Thank you. A single tear rolled from her eyes before she covered her face and turned away.

Nate stood, leaving her to her grief. He noticed Frank and Captain Waxman conferring over a map splayed across the ground and headed toward them. With a glance back at Kelly, he silently repeated his promise.1 will find a cure.

The map the two were surveying was a topographic study of the ter-rain. Captain Waxman drew a finger across the map. ”Following due west of here, the land elevates as it approaches the Peruvian border. But it's a broken jumble of cliffs and valleys, a veritable maze. It'll be easy to get lost in there:”

”We'll have to watch closely for Gerald Clark's signposts,” Frank said, then looked up to acknowledge Nate's presence. ”You should get your pack ready. We're gonna head out shortly and take advantage of as much day-light as we can:”

Nate nodded. ”I can be ready in five minutes:”

Frank stood. ”Let's get moving then:”

Over the next half hour, the team was a.s.sembled. They decided to leave the Rangers' SATCOM radio equipment with the remaining party, who needed to coordinate the retrieval effort by the Brazilian army.

The group heading out would continue to use the CIA's satellite array to main-tain contact.