Tadeas held out his hand, and Captain Norton shook it. “Godspeed, Captain.” He turned to Cynthia. “Doctor, it was a pleasure working with you.”

“And you. I hope to be back.”

He gave a smile that said he didn’t anticipate her return though he admired her optimism. “Have a good journey.” He picked up the cage of chickens at his feet and walked down to the river.

Cynthia turned to Captain Norton. “I’ll ride in the back with Sergeant Sanders.”

“I’d prefer it if you rode in the cab.”

“I—”

“Have no body armor and a blond head that makes a perfect target for a man with a high-powered rifle. You’re also half the size of any of my men, so you’ll fit back there. Not everything has to be a debate. Now, we’re on a bit of a tight schedule here. So please, Doctor, climb into the back seat.”

He turned away from her, clearly expecting her to comply without another word. Setting her jaw, she climbed into the back seat and sat sideways. She glanced through the glass and saw McBride settle in next to Sanders as Fisher jumped out of the bed.

As Captain Norton drove the truck slowly down the road, she looked at the empty huts. No children played. No chickens scratched the red ground. Sadness filled her heart at the ways of man and the kind of evil that emptied an entire village of people, forcing them to flee into the jungle to save their lives.

Chapter
Six

Wanting to give the scouts ahead time to assess their situation, Rick drove the truck slowly. When they’d walked into the village this morning, it had been full of life. They’d heard men at the river, fishing. Children played, groups of women gathered together over fires or in circles with younger children. Chickens scratched the ground, and goats enjoyed the grass in a fenced area. Now not even a chicken remained, no fires burned, and every hut stared back at them with empty windows.

After conferring with Tadeas, they had decided to go north, away from Chukuwereije’s current base of operations. At a point about thirty kilometers ahead, Rick would go east and drive to the rendezvous point, where the helicopter would meet them.

Doctor Myers had convinced Ozzy to recline his seat. She had enough room to minister to him as needed and had opened the back window to facilitate communicating with McBride about Sanders. Rick heard her voice but didn’t pay attention to anything but her tone. Instead, he thought about what he would do if they encountered enemy resistance. How could he protect the two injured men and the civilian with him?