“There are rumors.”
“Well, keep them to yourself,” said Brown.
“They’re true?”
Brown didn’t answer. Rubens had no choice but to drop it as the helicopter touched down.
54
“I’m not saying there’s no fig trees here, but if there are, I can’t find them,” Karr told Chafetz as he walked through the camp.
“Kite packed away?”
“Yup.”
“Have you killed all the pigs?”
“All but the one we’re taking back.” He’d also taken blood and tissue samples from each for analysis.
“Buried ’em?”
“You know, you’re starting to sound a little like my mom before going on a camping trip.”
“I’ m just tired.”
“Hey, that was a compliment,” said Karr. He could definitely sympathize with her. He hadn’t slept now for more than twenty-four hours. His normally robust body was turning against him, weighing him down so badly his fatigue felt like a physical thing clamped over his head and chest.
Sourin and his men were waiting at the far end of the camp, near where they had launched the assault. The Thai major had gotten over his earlier crankiness and hadn’t objected to the burial of the men and pigs they’d found.
The promise of an unspecified “burial bonus” might have had something to do with his heightened spirits, but Karr preferred always to look on the brighter side of human nature, and put it down to the fact that the major and his men were glad to be going back to camp with the satisfaction of a job well done.
“Your helicopter’s en route. It’s a replacement — the Special Forces units had to punch over east,” added Chafetz. “Things are heating up over near Cambodia. Replacement is a Thai military helicopter. Sorry.”
“Not a problem,” said Karr. “As long as it comes.”
“It will.”
Sourin ran scouting parties and had teams flanking them as they walked to the landing zone. Karr tried looking for fig trees, though it was becoming a struggle to keep his eyes open. He felt incredibly cold — odd, because the others were stripping off their vests and seemed to be sweating.
“What do you think about a pig roast when we get back?” asked Gidrey.
“I’d love to, but not with that pig,” said Karr.
“Why not?”
“Doctors want to see if it’s growing bacteria or a virus or something,” said Karr.
“You don’t think the guerrillas kept it around for food?”
“Doesn’t matter what I think. It’s what they think that counts.” Tommy smiled at the Marine.
“Who is ‘they’ anyway?”
“The Big They,” said Tommy. “The They above all other Theys. They.”
“You ever stop joking around?”
“When I’m sleeping. Which I hope will be pretty soon.” Karr could hear the harsh beat of the Chinook as it chomped through the air. “Here comes our taxi.”
Karr slid down into a crouch as they waited at the edge of the clearing.
“Tired?” asked Foster.
“Yeah, I guess so.”
“You don’t look that good.”
“Just tired. It’s cold for the jungle.”
“Cold? Hell, it’s got to be close to ninety,” said the Marine.
The wind from the helicopter felt good for a moment, but then the grass and grit formed into a kind of paste covering Karr’s face. He started to trot with the others, but by the time he reached the rear ramp of the big air- going bus, he had slowed considerably. His legs felt shaky.
The rotors whirled up, the helicopter shuddering. They did a slow orbit around the camp, then began angling back toward the border. Karr tried to think about the other camps he had to inspect, but he couldn’t focus.
“I think I’ll take a nap!” Karr shouted to Foster, who was sitting next to him on the long bench. “Wake me up when we’re home.”
As he turned to hear Foster’s reply, something exploded above him.
“Uh-oh,” said Karr, grabbing for the seat as the helicopter lurched sickeningly and began to rotate.
55
Lia twisted the washcloth in her hands, wringing the excess water into the basin. She went back to Dean’s bed and laid it over his forehead.
He seemed a bit cooler at least, and he’d stopped mumbling in his sleep.
Maybe she could leave him.
She would, if she had any idea where to go.
Back to New York, get into Kegan’s lab.
Karr had already been there. But really, what the hell did he know? God bless him, he was a great op, resourceful and all, but no genius. How he’d managed to sneak through RPI and get his college degree in three years was beyond her.
Legacy admission, obviously.
Lia took the electronic thermometer and placed it into Dean’s ear. He was down to ninety-nine degrees.
If she got out of here, could she get back to the States? The Art Room would be tracking her.
Maybe the thing to do was to go back to Crypto City — confront Rubens — confront the Director himself. Demand—
Demand what?
Lia put the thermometer back and walked from the room pensively, still not entirely sure what to do. She paced in the hall, then went to the door. She was about to open it and step into the vestibule when the outer door opened. A man carrying a large duffel bag and what looked like an old-fashioned doctor’s bag entered. He was the first person who’d come in without wearing a moon suit, and Lia stepped back, waiting to see if he’d come in.
He saw her at the glass door, waved, then pointed at the door.
“It’s not locked,” she said.
He didn’t hear. She scowled but opened it for him.
“Better stand back. I’m highly contagious,” she told him.
“Maybe,” said the man. “But probably not.”
His hair had started to gray, but he was fairly young, early thirties at most. Lia stepped back as he shut the door.
“Where’s the patient?”
“Other room.”
He nodded but then took a step toward her, peering at her eyes. “How do you feel?”
“Who the hell are you?”
“Lester. CDC. I’m a doctor.” He stuck his hand out to shake. Lia scowled at him without taking it. “Good idea,” he said. “A lot of germs are passed that way.”
“What’s going on?” she asked.
“I don’t know for sure. Stick out your arm and I’ll take some blood. Then we’ll have a look at the
