Give me equipment that works in the jungle and I will, Parlier thought as he handed the mike back to Graham. “Good work, Graham. Keep this radio clean. We can’t afford another break like that.”

“Yes, sir.”

Parlier stood, walked to the boulders cropping from the crest, and glanced over his men. Phil and Nelson were on glass duty, peering diligently through the high-powered field glasses to the cliff lip below. Next to them, Giblet rested on his back, shooing away various flying insects with his hands. His sniper rifle sat propped on a tripod beside him, readied for a shot. Of course, even if they did spot the man, it was highly unlikely that Giblet would have the time to get a shot off. And even if he did, it would be a quick one—he could miss.

Graham’s recommendation that they descend to the cliffs had gnawed in his gut all night. Beta and Gamma had established similar observation posts from which they studied the forests in the valley below. In addition to the cliff, they watched the canopy, looking for anything unusual that might indicate the passage of humans below them. So far they had observed nothing.

Except for insects, of course. They had observed plenty of those.

Parlier walked back to his radioman. “All right, Graham. Tell Beta and Gamma to hold tight. I’m taking this team to the cliff.”

Tim Graham grinned and snatched the mike from its cradle. “Immediately, sir.”

“Make sure you explain that we’re not going to the cliffs. We’re just going near the cliffs. You got that? And tell them I want them on the horn if they hear so much as a monkey fart.”

“Yes, sir. Anything else?” The radioman grinned.

“Pack up. We’re headed down.”

DAVID LUNOW knocked once and walked into Ingersol’s office without waiting for a response. The man looked up, staring past bushy black eyebrows. His hair slicked back nicely, David thought, the kind of hairdo he could wear without washing it for a week.

David walked up and eased into a wing-backed chair facing Ingersol’s desk. He stroked his mustache and crossed his legs.

“If you don’t mind, I have to express my concerns. In the fifteen years I’ve been at the agency, I don’t remember a single occasion when we’ve gone after anyone like we’re going after Casius. Except in situations where we had full knowledge of a specific intent to damage. Now, correct me if I’m wrong here, but Casius isn’t exactly on a course to inflict any real damage. He may take out some rogue drug operation, but so what? Explain to me what I’m missing.”

“He broke ranks. A killer who breaks ranks is a dangerous man.”

“Yes. But there’s more, isn’t there?”