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Nothing but the sound of the birds and insects filling the air around him.
“Remi?” he said a little louder.
A rustle to his right. And then the welcome sight of his auburn-haired wife as she emerged through a curtain of vines. “They have Nando,” she said, stepping into his arms.
“I saw.”
“I was right here, across from him, and he told them he was alone. We have to go after him.”
“We will,” he said. “Where’s your pack?”
“Over here,” she said, pushing back through the vines.
He followed her to the banyan tree where she’d left her gear.
“Drug runners?” she asked.
“Maybe. I saw a wolf’s head tattoo on the arm of one of the gunmen.”
“You’re kidding . . .” She looked over at him. “They can’t possibly be related to the group in Europe? I know Tatiana warned us, but—”
“Why not? Argentina’s known for being a safe haven for Nazis after the war. Why wouldn’t they have a branch of the Wolf Guard here, too?”
“You’re right,” she said, picking up her pack. “But first things first.”
“Get Nando out of there.”
Remi smiled, leaned over, and kissed him. “And that’s why I love you, Sam Fargo.”
—
THE TRIP WIRES made Sam and Remi’s progress slower than Sam had anticipated, but he soon realized that they were marked with stones off to one side of the trail, allowing them to pick up speed. After a couple of hours, they heard raindrops hitting the treetops above them. “A good time for a break,” he said, pulling off his hat, wiping the sweat from his brow. “Let’s see if we can’t find somewhere to rest.”
They found a place far enough off the trail to avoid being seen and, they hoped, to stay dry. The rain added to the already thick humidity, and, within a few minutes, rivulets of water started running down the branches.
Remi, watching a tree frog make its way up a nearby tree trunk, wiped her sweat-soaked forehead with the scarf she’d tied in her hair. “What do you think they’ll do to him?”
Trying to stay positive, he didn’t tell her his worst fears. That he’d be tortured to find out what he was doing in an area he shouldn’t have been. “It’s a good sign they didn’t kill him right off.”
“You think they’ll hold him for ransom?”
“Hard to say.” The rain finally stopped. Sam held out his hand to her, pulling her to her feet. “Let’s get moving.”
Unfortunately, the edge of the trail wasn’t clear-cut and finding anything that resembled a footprint after the rain wasn’t going to be easy. The moist forest floor was layered with fallen leaves, creating a spongy surface that seemed to bounce back after each step. If the men veered from the path, he and Remi might miss it if they weren’t careful.
After another hour of walking, the trail ended at a clearing. There was a momentary silence in the jungle as they stepped into it. A monkey screamed at them from a nearby tree and scampered off, and suddenly it was back to normal, the constant chirping, clicking, ticking, and buzzing surrounding them like a white noise machine.
Sam slapped at a mosquito on his neck as he took a look around. “I don’t know about you, but dinner and a glass of wine right now would be nice.”
“How does hot water sound?” Remi asked, opening her canteen and taking a sip, before handing it to him.
“Not something I want to hear unless it’s followed up with the words long shower.”
“Sorry, Fargo. The closest we’re going to get is the tropical kind.”
“Let’s hope it’s done for the day.” He took a drink, eyeing the area around the clearing before returning the canteen. They walked a few feet farther, about to turn around, when he noticed where some animal had dug a shallow hole in the ground, the center still filled with water from that afternoon’s rain. There, in the mud at the very edge, was a partial footprint. He walked over, crouched down, taking a closer look.
“What is it?” Remi asked, coming up behind him.