“What kind of insurance?”
“I found a cave deep in the rain forest, about thirty miles from here. I told Mandell’s men to cover the opening with branches. It’s completely undiscernible. You’d have to stumble across it.”
Margaret frowned. “I want to see it and check it out.”
“What a surprise,” Cambry murmured.
Lassiter nodded. “I thought you would. I have to take medical supplies and an IV unit up there anyway. As I said, it’s just insurance. We wouldn’t want to move Patrick until the last minute, so that he’ll be comfortable as long as possible.” He took her hand and pulled her toward the door. “But I still want everything prepared for him. Let’s go.”
*
Lassiter had spoken the truth, Margaret thought as he stopped the van a hundred yards away from the cave beside a small rushing river. It was absolutely hidden from view as it faded into the hillside, which was covered with a jungle of glossy shrubs and trees.
“Satisfied?” Lassiter said as he got out of the van. “It looked pretty good to me.”
She nodded as she emerged from the van. “I’d never know there was anything here but all that beautiful foliage.” She stood there gazing around her, taking in the exotic orchids and bromeliads, the large twisting vines that wound around the broadleaf evergreen trees that towered high in the sky and formed a canopy that allowed only a hint of sunlight to pierce the secret dimness. She glimpsed a brilliant scarlet-and-cobalt-hued parrot, heard the sounds of unseen life all around her, which were as mysterious as the rest of this shadowed world. “You know, it’s wonderful here. I’ve never spent much time in rain forests. It’s so different from the woods where I grew up. I’d like to stay for a while after all this is over.” She drew a deep breath of the moist, heady fragrance of earth, ferns, and flowers surrounding them. “Or maybe go down to Monkey Island and then see the pink dolphins. That’s supposed to be special.”
“Pink dolphins?”
She nodded. “They live in the Amazon River and are sometimes nine feet long. They’re either solid pink or pink-gray. I heard about them when I was working at the aquarium in Atlanta.”
“You’d rather see dolphins than monkeys?”
“Monkeys are interesting, but dolphins are more of a challenge. Their intelligence is almost alien. They don’t really think like we do.”
“I see.” A smile tugged at his lips. “And we know that you can’t resist a challenge.”
“Not true. I ran away from one for three years. It’s just that the world is full of wonderful and beautiful creatures that should be known and experienced.”
He chuckled. “Like your friends the tigers? I’d just as soon not experience them. I admit I’m glad there aren’t any big cats hanging around here.”
“But there are.” She tilted her head, her gaze shifting to the hills far to the north. “Not tigers, of course, but jaguars. There are jaguars living about fifteen miles from here. I don’t feel any of them closer, but perhaps I’d better check.…”
“By all means,” he said drily.
She concentrated, searching the hills to the north, where she’d first sensed the jaguar presence strong and clear. Male. Female. Cub.
She probed the male gently.
He was startled. Who?
No threat. Friend.
He didn’t understand the concept. He was a top-level predator in this rain forest. He did not need friends. But he was intelligent. If she had time, she could make him understand.
She did not have that time.
Never mind. Later. Others?
She was getting a flow of thought and pictures from him.
Yes, very intelligent.
She left a memory of friendship, good wishes, and warmth, then gently disengaged.
She turned back to Lassiter. “A male, female, and cub to the north. The closest other jaguar is about twenty miles upriver. She usually doesn’t hunt this far south.”
“So it would be safe here if we had to move Patrick?”
“Probably. But it’s smart to be careful. Jaguars are always dangerous. They have the strongest bite of any of the big cats. Even their name comes from the Native American word for ‘he who kills with one leap.’ They generally don’t hunt human prey, but if they’re hungry, they’ll eat anything.”
“Comforting.”
She shrugged. “At least, they don’t usually hunt in packs. They’re generally solitary. And if Patrick has to be moved, I’d come here with him.”
“And try to convince the jaguars to change their spots?”
“You’re thinking about that saying about leopards changing their spots. But actually both cats markings are rosette-shaped, though jaguars have spots in the middle of their rosettes.”
“I’m glad you cleared that up,” he said gravely.
“You’re laughing at me.”
“No, I’m enjoying you.” His eyes were twinkling. “I like to watch your intensity when you talk about your four-footed friends. Though, come to think of it, dolphins don’t have feet. So I’d have to encompass an entire—”
“You were wrong.” She grinned at him. “And I felt it my duty to try to educate you about jaguars. Though, hopefully, we aren’t going to have to worry about them.”
“You can never tell. That’s why we’re here.” He turned and started to unload the equipment from the van. “Grab that other bag and we’ll get everything set up for Patrick.” He moved toward the cave opening. “We may have to be careful about jaguars, but I promise you there are no golden poison dart frogs. I had Mandell’s men go over every inch of the interior and then sweep and clean the area. It’s as sanitary as we could make it.” He moved the huge branches away from the corner of the opening. “Just to make sure, I’ll go in first.”
She chuckled. “Stop being defensive. I believe you. I just thought I should check out the animal and insect threat.” She looked around as much as she could in the dimness of the cave. “Flashlight?”
He took out his flashlight and handed it to her. “Be my guest.”
She shined the beam around the cave. It appeared to be fairly large, with seven-foot ceilings and a ledge that ran across the west wall. There was a little seepage of water coming from the back of the cave, but nothing threatening.
And it was clean, amazingly clean. Lassiter had kept to his word about its being as sanitary as possible considering the circumstances. “You did good. Not that I doubted you would. I knew you’d want the best for Patrick.”
“But you had to be certain,” he said drily.
“I’m used to having to do things for myself.”
“Do you think I don’t know that?” he said thickly. “And you’re still doing it. Why the hell won’t you let me help you?”
She tensed. There was something in his voice, something in the stillness of his body, that was causing a response that was purely erotic. She could barely make him out in the dimness and she wouldn’t lift the beam to see his expression.
Because she had an idea what she would find there.
Heat.