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“It’s your best route to the river and then to the ocean.”

“The ocean? What happened to going out through Guatemala?”

“I don’t know, dude. Some political thing, probably. Anyway, the stream leads to the river, and you’ll follow the river to a mangrove swamp that’ll lead you to the ocean.”

“Details?”

“Later. Just get to the river first. The stream is shallow. Lots of vegetation on the banks, lots of overhanging trees. In other words, good cover. Stay in it for a couple of miles. It’ll widen, then narrow again. Ford it right before it splits, at the coordinates I just gave you, and that southwest branch will be the river. All told, you’re looking at four, five hours.”

“Meaning, it’s gonna take longer.”

“Meaning, you have far less chance of running into anybody.”

“Because?”

“Because nobody much uses it that stream.”

Tanner waved away a large, buzzing insect. “Because?” he said again.

“A minor detail.”

“Which is…?”

“Crocs.”

“Wonderful.”

“Only where the stream widens. Just keep your eyes open and you’ll be fine.”

“You’re just full of advice, aren’t you?”

“One more thing.”

Tanner puffed out a breath. “Let’s have it.”

“Weather’s coming in. Rain.”

“Yeah, what a surprise. It’s late summer, this is Central America. Who’d expect rain?”

“Heavy rain, smartass. By mid-to-late afternoon. You won’t want to be on the river then.”

“Okay. Got it.”

“Here’s the good news. SAT Recon says there’s a couple of canoes tucked into the bank where you’ll be crossing. They’re nobody’s. Or anybody’s, depending on how you look at it. There used to be a fishing village there, but no more.”

“Don’t tell me,” Tanner said dryly. “The natives got eaten by the crocs.”

“Very funny. Cross the stream, find the canoes, head downriver and go these new extraction coordinates. You listening?”

“Go.”

Chay rattled off map coordinates. Tanner repeated them.

“Good,” Chay said. “Make contact when you get there. By then, I’ll have lined up a safe place in the area for you and the general’s daughter to wait for the chopper.”

“Alessandra. Her name is Alessandra.”

“Right. Sure. Alessandra. Point is, I’ll come up with something good.”