“Absolutely. Unless we get really heavy cloud cover for multiple days in a row, we shouldn’t see a significant impact to our readiness. We should all pray for sun, though. Because one of the first things that get cut is the latrine fan.”

Rapp nodded in the darkness. “What’s the status of our air support? Any improvement?”

The Ugandan air force had offered to loan Ward six Mi-24 helicopters based on the lie that they’d be used to relocate Chism’s research operations to the north. One small detail the government had left out, though, was that none of them actually worked.

“Believe it or not, our guys have gotten two of the choppers flying by scavenging parts from the other four. They say that’s the best they can do until they get the shipment from Russia next week.”

“Are they going to be able to get here from Mbarara?”

“It’s about twenty minutes flying time, so yeah. But not much more than that. The mechanics say they probably only have about an hour of operating time before they start falling from the sky.”

“Armament?”

“Door guns. The sexy stuff is either broken or there’s no ammo. They’ll put on a good show, though. No one likes to see a Russian chopper bearing down on them. I figure you probably know that better than me.”

It was a true statement. Those things made even the Afghans shit themselves.

“Thanks, Levi. Why don’t you go get some sleep?”

“Roger that. And don’t forget that it’s your turn on the surveillance monitors at noon.”

Generally, Rapp would pass on staring at a bank of screens depicting empty roads and jungle. In the current environment, though, two hours of studying waving branches and blowing dust sounded downright thrilling.

“I’ll be there.”

Rapp woke to a shrill tone in his earpiece. Normally, it would be Irene Kennedy checking up on him, but she’d lost confidence in electronic communications since the breach at Langley. Instead, his satphone displayed an alphanumeric code that corresponded to Claudia’s secure mobile.

“Yeah? What’s up?” he said, connecting the call.

Instead of Claudia’s elegant French accent, he was greeted with Anna’s increasingly South African one.

“Mitch? Is that you?”

“What are you doing on this phone?” he said quietly.

She ignored the question. “Mom won’t let me ride my bike ’cause she’s sick and can’t watch me. But there aren’t any big trees in the yard. There’s nothing I can hit. It’s, like, totally safe.”

Rapp stood and peered through a small peephole cut into the wall behind him. Outside, the moonlight illuminated a runway and the dark tree line exactly 133 yards beyond.

“Back up. Did you say your mom is sick?”