“Laos, Vietnam, Thailand. They’re breeding hundreds of them in anticipation of the new CITES regulations.”

“Can you get me the exact locations?”

The South African shook his head. “The big boss keeps that information close hold. But I guarantee that’s where your sick tiger came from. There have been others that were dead by the time they arrived here for transshipment.”

Knight called to the waiter. “I’ll take the bill.” He then turned his attention to his visitor, curious to understand him.

“Tell me, with all the fucked-up stuff in the world, like wars and starving kids, why do you fight for animals? And don’t give me the line you tell chicks at bars. What’s the real reason?”

“Because they can’t fight for themselves.” Knight could see in his eyes that this man was a true believer who was willing to die for his cause, and someday soon, he probably would.

High on opportunity, Knight glided back through the casino, toward the hotel section. He had hit a dead end in his claim investigation, but in the process he had unearthed something of much greater financial consequence.

He dialed his cell phone as he passed the baccarat tables. As it rang, he covered his ears to block out the cacophony of slot machines.

“Neil, it’s Randall.”

“What’s that dinging noise?” said Knight’s boss.

“I’m in Macau.”

“Jesus, Randall, you’re calling me from a casino at three a.m.! Go get some rest and call me in the morning—my morning.”

“Hear me out, Neil. This could be big. Not just big—fucking Forbes cover story big. I think that cub with the virus came from a farm in Southeast Asia.”

“So what?” Perkins said. “As long as the client didn’t have knowledge of that, the claim is still legitimate.” Knowledge was always the operable word in an investigation. If the client didn’t have knowledge that the animal came through illicit channels, they were in the clear. This was also the reason zoos notoriously didn’t ask too many questions about where animals came from when they were trying to get their hands on rare and desirable inventory.

Knight was normally extremely professional with the old Brit, but at the moment, his inhibitions were blunted by booze and excitement. “Screw the claim! That’s peanuts. If these tiger farms are real, this could be our ticket into the Asian market.”

“Tiger farming? I know you’re the animal expert, but I didn’t think that was legal.”

“It will be. I can’t tell you how, but this is our chance to get in on the ground floor. Do you have any idea how massive this thing could be? And not just tigers, but other endangered species as well. We’re talking about a billion-dollar market emerging overnight, and we’ll be the only players on the field.”