But in the end the responsibility was her own and she had to accept it. She put on her jacket and slipped the signal jammer in the pocket. She left her tent and headed for the prisoner tents. She wanted to be there to rouse the girls quickly when the time came. Perhaps even warn some of them ahead of time if she thought it safe. It was unusual for Sasha to go back at night, but she could always pretend she was concerned about Jeanne. It wasn’t really pretense. The child had been hurt physically as well as mentally, and Sasha was afraid of infection.

But if all went well, Jeanne might get the help she needed before the night was over. Only a little longer…

One forty-five A.M.

*  *  *

Border Base Camp
11:25 P.M.

“It looks like a military staging area for a major invasion,” Margaret said dryly to Alisa as she glanced from the teams getting their final orders before they got ready to move into the jungle to the two waiting trucks. “Which it probably will be.”

“Which it has to be,” Alisa said tensely. “We don’t have any choice. We won’t get a second chance if we screw up.” She moistened her lips. “And Sasha and those students won’t have a chance in hell to survive.”

“Then don’t screw it up,” Korgan said. Alisa turned to see him coming out of the munitions shed a few feet away from where they were standing. “And stop complaining. I’m giving you the best shot I can, and it should work. It’s all a question of timing. All you have to do is keep to the plan.”