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"Then I will begin preparations for an immediate departure," Bergman said, standing up.

"We have five of the C-130 troop transport aircraft at our disposal,"

Bottger said. "Send a few thousand of our best troops in those, and put the rest of the twenty thousand men and our equipment on the troop transport ships. They should be able to make it to Perro Loco's base within a week."

"I'll see to it immediately, Herr General," Bergman said, and left the room.

"Get me President Osterman on the scrambler," Bottger said to Hessner.

Claire Osterman was in a strategy meeting with her top advisors when her phone rang.

"President Osterman, this is Bruno Bottger."

"h.e.l.lo, General," she said.

"I am advising you that I am sending my men and equipment to Mexico today. I feel it is imperative we advance the attack date on Mexico."

"Is there some reason for your haste?" she asked, tapping a switch on the phone and putting him on the speaker so her advisors could hear the conversation.

"Yes. I have just found out that Ben Raines sent a team of spies into my camp. I'm afraid they now know of the strength of my forces and our plans to aid you in your attack on Mexico."

"And you let them get away with this information?" she asked, steel in her voice.

"Not yet, Madame President," Bottger answered. "They are still in the jungle and haven't been able to communicate what they found out to Raines. However, if he does find out how large our force is, he may be able to convince the Mexican president to allow his SUSA forces to join the Mexicans. That would make it very difficult for us to succeed in our attempt to take Mexico City."

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Osterman hesitated a moment, then nodded as she answered. "Yes, General, I see your point. Better to make a quick strike before Raines has a chance to reinforce the Mexican troops."

"That is what I thought," Bottger said. "Do you think Perro Loco will have any trouble getting ready earlier than antic.i.p.ated?"

"No. He has been pushing me to move the attack date forward. There should be no problem at all.""How about your forces?" Bottger asked. "Will you be able to attack Raines from the north in conjunction with our attack from the south?"

"I have already started moving my men into position," she said. "We will be able to start by the time your men and equipment get to Mexico."

"I believe we will be in place and ready to move within one week, Madame President."

Osterman consulted a calendar on her desk and marked the date. "One week it is, General."

After she hung up, Claire glanced around at the men in her office. Herb Knoff, Harlan Millard, Major General Bradley Stevens, Jr., and his second in command, Colonel James King, were all watching her intently.

"What do you gentlemen make of that?" she asked.

Stevens shrugged. "It doesn't matter to me when we attack. Our forces are almost in place and will certainly be ready within the week."

"I'm a little concerned, Claire," Harlan Millard said, his eyes narrowed.

"Why is that, Harlan?" she asked. Though she had little respect for Harlan as a man, she knew him to be a shrewd thinker and politician.

"His reasons for advancing the date of the attack don't make any sense.

We always knew Raines was going to find out about Bottger and his mercenaries sooner or later. Why the sudden panic when it happens?"

She glanced at Herb Knoff. "What do you think, Herb?"

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Herb shrugged. "I agree with Harlan. I don't think Bottger is telling us the whole truth about his reasons for advancing the attack date. I've never trusted him."

"Nor have I," Claire said. "There's something he's not telling us, but until we can discover what it is, I can see no harm in moving up the attack. He's right about one thing. We can't afford to let Raines talk the Mexican president into allowing the SUSA to send troops to aid him before our attack."

"Our intel says that's not going to happen, Claire," Stevens said. "From what our spies in Mexico City say, the president is a vain, stupid man who thinks his Army can handle Perro Loco without letting the SUSA help."

"By the time he finds out differently," Colonel King added, "it'll be too late for Raines and his Army to make much difference in the battle for Mexico City."

"What about after we take Mexico City?" Claire asked.

"Raines won't dare counterattack then, Madame President," Stevens said, " 'cause we'll have the ten million citizens of the city as virtual hostages. We'll just let Raines know if he interferes, we'll raze the city and he'll have the deaths of millions of innocent civilians on his conscience.""That b.a.s.t.a.r.d doesn't have a conscience," Claire said spitefully.

"No, but the United Nations does," Millard said. "Once we've taken the city, we'll appeal to the U.N. to intervene and keep the SUSA from doing anything to help."

"Do you think they're dumb enough to fall for that?" Claire asked.

Millard grinned. "You'll never go broke underestimating the stupidity of the U.N., Madame President. Their only function seems to be to maintain the status quo. Once we're in a position of power in Mexico City, they will do everything in their power to stop further warfare."

"But Raines has shown he has nothing but contempt for the UN.," Claire argued.

"If it were up to Raines, the U.N.'s opposition would mean 123.

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less than nothing," Millard said. "But the president of the SUSA, Cecil Jeffreys, is more of a political animal. I feel if the U.N. strongly opposes intervention, he will keep Raines under control to prevent it."

Claire slammed her hand down on her desk. "It's settled then. General Stevens, inform your commanders we attack the SUSA in one week all along its northern border."

"Yes, ma'am," Stevens said with a smile.

"Harlan," she said.

"Yes, Claire?"

"I want you to start to work on the U.N. Call in some debts, bribe whomever you have to, but make d.a.m.ned sure that once we've taken Mexico City, they keep Raines and the SUSA out of it."

"That shouldn't be a problem, Claire."

"Okay, gentlemen, you've got your orders. Now, get to work."

After the men filed out of her office, Claire put her head in her hands.

"All this has given me a headache," she moaned.

Herb Knoff got to his feet and walked around behind her chair. He put his hands on her shoulders and began to knead the muscles there.

"I know a great cure for a headache," he murmured in her ear.

She leaned her head back and kissed him on the lips. "You must have read my mind," she said in a soft voice.

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Jersey^ body shook with a chill, and sweat broke out all over her body.

She glanced to the side, and saw Coop wasn't much better. His skin waspale and pasty-looking, and he was breathing heavily through his mouth as they made their way through heavy jungle undergrowth.

Harley was keeping them off the main trails to prevent their being ambushed, but it was heavy going. He was constantly checking his maps and compa.s.s as he led them toward the coastline of the island.

Anna looked back over her shoulder as Jersey stumbled over a root and almost fell.

"Jerse, you all right?" she asked worriedly.

Jersey nodded, accepting Coop's arm to help her stand up. "Just keep your distance, Anna," she said.

A cough started deep in her chest and exploded from her mouth, causing a deep, burning pain in her lungs that almost made her faint. She sleeved her face off, and noticed flecks of blood on the cloth when she looked at her arm.

"Trouble breathing?" Coop asked from her side.

She nodded. "Whatever the h.e.l.l this bug is, it must attack the lungs, 'cause I feel like a truck is sitting on my chest."

He reached over and wiped sweat from her brow. "You're burning up, Jerse," he said. "Your fever must be up to a hundred and four."

"You don't look so hot yourself, Coop," she answered with a wan smile.

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"I'm still in the early stages," he answered. "You were exposed before me."

"How much farther till we can rest?" she gasped through the mucus clogging her throat.

"Hey, Harley," Coop called. "How soon 'fore we can take a break?"

Harley stopped and turned to look at them in the slight light from a half-moon. His eyes widened when he saw how bad the two of them looked.

"Jesus," he whispered. "We've got another couple of hours to the coast, but we can take five now if you need it."

Jersey flopped down on the ground and lay on her back, breathing heavy, her BDUs saturated with sweat.

Coop broke out his medical bag and opened a bottle of aspirin. He poured several into his palm and handed them to Jersey along with a canteen.

After she swallowed them, he took a handful and did the same, wincing at the bitter taste they left in his mouth.

As they sat there, munching on MREs to keep their strength up, the whoop-whoop of a low-flying helicopter sounded over their heads.

Harley glanced upward. "Looks like they've found out we're missing."Hammer nodded. "They'll be sending teams ahead of us to set up ambushes."

"If we can make the mainland, it'll be tougher for them to figure out which way we're going," Anna said.

Harley shook his head. "Not really, Anna. The Pariba do Sul runs parallel to the coast a few miles inland."

"What the h.e.l.l is a Pariba do Sul?" Coop asked irritably.

"It's a wide river flowing to the sea," Harley answered, looking at his map. "Several hundred yards wide and filled with crocs and snakes and other goodies, I imagine. The leader of the meres has got to know we won't be able to cross it, so we'll be trapped in a corridor a few miles wide. He'll also 126.

know we're bound to head south, 'cause there's nothing north except more jungle."

"That means we're gonna have to fight our way to Santos," Hammer added unnecessarily.

Jersey had another shaking chill as the aspirin began to lower her body temperature. Some of the aching in her joints eased a bit, and she felt well enough to try to force down an MRE, knowing she had to keep her strength up as much as possible or she'd never make it back to the ship.

Harley glanced at his wrist.w.a.tch. "Time to saddle up," he called.

"Do we have to?" Coop groaned.

"Only if you want to live," Harley replied with dry humor.

Coop helped Jersey get to her feet, concerned when he felt how weak she was. If she got much worse, he was going to have to carry her.

Harley, seeing that Jersey was not going to be able to make much speed, pulled Hammer to the side.

"Hammer, we're never going to make it at this speed, not with men on our tail."

Hammer followed his glance at Jersey and Coop, both barely able to stand. He nodded.

"I need a rear-guard action to slow them up a bit," Harley said. "You think you can manage it?"

Hammer grinned without speaking.

Harley squatted and shined his flashlight on the map. "Here's where we'll rendezvous, just before first light. Once we get there, I'll scout up and down the coast until I find a boat suitable to take us across the strait. You just be there by 0400 and we'll cross then."

"If I'm not there, go without me," Hammer said."No way, pal. We all go, or none of us goes," Harley replied grimly.

"So, be careful not to get your ugly b.u.t.t fragged or you'll do us all in."

Hammer held out his fist and they touched knuckles. Then he whirled and disappeared into the darkness of the jungle.