She returned her focus to the phone call. “Right. Also, we’ve got another situation here: a missing EIS agent named Millen Thomas. He was exploring some nearby caves today, and we haven’t heard anything from him for a couple of hours. I’ve sent out a search team.”

“Understood. He’ll turn up, Peyton. Probably lost his phone or batteries went dead.”

“Yeah, I hope so.”

“Anything I can do?”

“No, we’re working on it here.”

“All right. Call me if you need anything. And keep your head up, okay?”

Back at the tent, Jonas was typing on his laptop.

“Lucas Turner passed away en route to Emory,” Peyton said, trying to sound unemotional.

Jonas looked up, his big brown eyes focusing on Peyton. “I’m really sorry.”

“Yeah. Me too.”

A few hours later, Hannah ducked through the tent flaps, the satphone held to her ear. “The second team is at the cave site. The SUV is gone. Kito hasn’t made radio contact.”

“Signs of a struggle?” Peyton asked.

“No,” Hannah replied; she had apparently already asked.

Peyton thought for a moment. “Maybe their phone is dead. They could be on their way back here, or they may have moved on to the second cave.”

“Or they’re trapped in the cave,” Hannah said.

“It’s certainly a possibility. Have two of the men suit up and go in. Tell them not to separate and to make radio contact on the minute. Call the Kenyan MOH. Request a medevac helicopter be sent to the location; we have reason to believe that one of our personnel and one or more of theirs is injured. If we don’t find any signs of Millen, we’ll move to the next location on their itinerary.”

To Colonel Magoro, Peyton said, “Can you send more men?”

Magoro looked uneasy. “Yes, but we’re spreading ourselves too thin.”

“Do it,” Peyton said. “And let’s get reinforcements here asap.”

“Understood.”

At six p.m. the team cleared some of the clutter off the long conference table and sat down to eat. They had still heard nothing from Colonel Magoro’s second team. The third team would arrive within another hour.

The sunlight was fading fast, and the lights were on in the main tent. The army men were changing shifts, and about a dozen soldiers made their way into the tent, seeking their evening meal.

Outside, Peyton thought she heard a faint popping noise, like an air rifle. Jonas glanced at the flaps leading out of the tent. He had heard it too. Together, they walked to the opening. Just beyond the camp’s perimeter, two helicopters kicked up dust from the dry terrain as they landed.

A moment later, a dozen figures emerged from the red dust cloud. They wore black body armor and held assault rifles before them. Two of Colonel Magoro’s men fell as bullets struck them.

Peyton heard Jonas yell, “Contact! Intruders!”