“Don’t be rude, Korgan.” A man dressed in camouflage fatigues with dark curly hair and blue eyes was strolling out of the jungle. He might have been in his thirties, but he looked younger with that puckish grin lighting his face. “I said that it was a headache. I didn’t say it couldn’t be done.” He shook Korgan’s hand. “But then you always like to hand me the jobs that are most likely to get me killed. Vogel says this one is high up on that list. Masenak and the CIA?” He turned to Alisa and smiled. “John Gilroy. You have to be the rogue agent who’s luring Korgan into this disaster, pretty lady. Vogel let me read your dossier. He’s a little concerned about you.”

“You have a big mouth,” Vogel said sourly. “I just said that you should know everything if you took the job.”

“And so he should,” Alisa said. “No one should go into a job blind. Did I make good reading?”

“Excellent. It was very entertaining.” Gilroy beamed at her. “And you don’t have my dossier, but I don’t want you to go in blind, either. I’m a very good pilot and I can handle a Chinook 47 and get those young girls out of here. It’s just going to be a hassle and no fun for me. But then Korgan makes me do a lot of things I don’t like. I put up with it because he pays me so well that I’m on my way to becoming a billionaire myself in a decade or two.” He tilted his head. “However, Vogel says this time I actually might not mind some of the work connected with the job.” His gaze shifted to Korgan and he asked softly, “What about it?”

Korgan smiled faintly. “Possibly.”

“That’s good enough for me.” He grinned. “I can tell you’re jealous as hell.” He glanced at Alisa. “Did he tell you we were in special forces together when we were young and stupid? Then he decided to become Einstein and I decided to become Indiana Jones. Of course mine was the better choice since everyone knows Indiana is much sexier and more admired.”

“Absolutely,” Korgan said solemnly. “And you don’t even have to think. That was always a plus with you.”

“Ouch,” Gilroy said. “Masenak had better be very entertaining to make up for this abuse.”

“You don’t have to deal with Masenak,” Alisa said. “Not yet. You just have to be ready to get those students away from Masenak and his men. That comes first.”

“I know. I’m not going to rock the boat,” he said gently. “I can wait for Masenak, but I’m not sure that Korgan can. He’s been tracking him for the past two years.”