He was moving, planning, already four steps ahead of where anyone else would have been. Heady excitement was suddenly zinging through her. He was going to make it happen. No, they were going to make it happen. She shook her head. “I wouldn’t dare.”

“Bullshit.” He grinned at her over his shoulder. “You’d dare anything. We’ll just have to make sure you don’t get killed doing it.”

*  *  *

Masenak’s Camp
5:40 A.M.

Message sent.

It was all she could do, Sasha thought. Now stop worrying about it.

Easy to say. She drew a deep breath as she tried to relax on her blankets. She had been on edge about whether she was going to be able to get through to Juno, and she was still tense hours after she knew that she’d communicated with Margaret. She realized it was because she felt so powerless, but that didn’t help. She hated the idea of leaving the fate of those girls in anyone’s hands but her own. She knew Alisa and Margaret would do everything they could to stir Korgan into moving faster, but it might not even be possible.

And what if Masenak decided to jerk her away from the camp later today? He’d been so damn eager…

Think positive. She’d given warning and she had to trust in them to follow through. She’d done all she could do for the time being. She’d done what Gilroy had told her to do about weakening those chains. She had the signal jammer device tucked away safely to stop any detonation.

But hell, she had no idea what time she was supposed to press that button!

Think positive, she told herself again. Gilroy had told her they wouldn’t leave her alone to do this and she believed him. He’d find a way to give her that information and anything else she needed to know even though she’d told him she didn’t want him here.

It would get done.

All she had to do was to have faith, watch, and wait.

None of which was easy for her.

Okay, then just be alert and ready for any emergency. She could do that.

She was definitely ready.

*  *  *

Border Base Camp
7:05 P.M.

At last.

Alisa saw Gilroy stride out of the jungle and head for Korgan’s tent. She’d been waiting for him for the last two hours and rushed to intercept him. “Korgan’s not there,” she said quickly. “He’s at the munitions shed with Vogel and a roomful of team leaders discussing strategy. Unless you have something urgent to tell him, you have a few minutes to talk to me.”