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“No,” she told Josh. “Not as far as we can tell.”
    Josh leaned forward. “And how are we able to tell?” he asked. “We have no…um…intelligence operators, do we?”
    Duardo shifted in his chair. “We do have my brother, Cristián. He has an unmonitored internet connection that is still working and a Facebook account with over a thousand friends. He uses open code and his friends use fictitious names and free email accounts. They report back to him from across the four islands. I have been receiving status reports on the movements of Serrano and his key personnel for about three weeks. It’s not as good as having someone inside the palace, but for now, it works.”
    “And the insurrectos haven’t noticed all this news about their activities flowing across Facebook?” Josh asked, with a half-amused, half-baffled expression. The new generation of online social networking was a mystery to him.
    “Serrano knows as much about the internet as you do,” Duardo replied. “And there were very few officers of Zalaya’s capabilities that would think to monitor the social networks. But even if they were to stumble over Cristián’s Facebook account, they would find he has a passion for independent professional wrestling. So do his friends. They discuss individual wrestlers’ latest matches, upcoming appearances and performances with much relish. They’re very big fans of a promotion outfit called International Wrestling United, that they spend most of their time obsessing over in minute detail.”
    Josh sat back. “International Wrestling…” He considered that for a moment. “It’s a euphemism for the insurrectos ?”
    “Yes.”
    “And the wrestlers are all insurrectos they’re watching.”
    Duardo nodded.
    “You’re on this Facebook thing, too?” Josh asked.
    “That’s how Cristián and I talk,” Duardo replied. “Direct email is too easily traced.” He smiled. “I am a thirteen-year-old girl in Montana, nicknamed Amazonia13. She wants to be a professional wrestler when she grows up.”
    Josh gave a low laugh that made his belly jiggle. “That must make for some interesting conversations.”
    Duardo shrugged a little. “It allows me to speak to my family and assure myself they are safe and well. I would wear a tutu and pretend to be a ballerina for such a privilege. I am aware that very few others in this house can reach out and speak to their families as I can and my gratitude will not fade.”
    Josh lifted his brow. “Of course. I apologize.”
    Duardo nodded stiffly and turned to Nick. “We will continue to monitor as well as we can if Mexico approaches Serrano to open diplomatic channels. There will be signs we can pick up. Did they close the door permanently to us?”
    “No,” Nick admitted. “But of course, they wouldn’t burn their bridges either way. They’re waiting to see how things shape up. We need a major coup, something to show Mexico we’re stronger than the insurrectos and will win back Vistaria.”
    “But we cannot win back Vistaria without Mexico’s support,” Flores pointed out. “There is so few of us now.”
    Calli strung her fingers together. “Actually the plan was bigger than that. We win over Mexico and that gets us the United States. The United States won’t commit to us without Mexico jumping first, despite the American companies working silver mines and other business interests on the island.”
    “That’s quite a quandary isn’t it?” Josh asked. “You need Mexico to win Vistaria. Mexico wants you to win Vistaria before it’ll commit.”
    Nick shook his head. “Mexico will commit to us before then,” he assured Josh. “We just need to demonstrate that we have the cojones needed to win. Losing Blanco was a blow and not being able to root out the one responsible they see as a sign of weakness. They want to see a strong leader emerge now. Plus they want to see action. Results.” He sat up straighter. “We’ve been drifting for too long.