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verify the signal.” The machine-gun fire resumed, this time much closer. Clearly the perimeter
     guards had survived the grenade.
    “I’ll see if I can buy you some time.” Without waiting for an answer, he jammed a new cartridge into the Sig, and keeping
     low, moved in the opposite direction from Tyler. Once he’d managed to put some distance between the two of them, careful to
     keep himself between the encroaching terrorists and her position, he twisted to a standing position and lobbed another grenade.
    His last one.
    For a moment everything moved in slo-mo, the shooters first freezing as they recognized the impending disaster and then running
     and diving for cover as the grenade exploded, sending chunks of mud raining down into the night.
    Firing over the top of a fallen log, Nash kept the pressure on, all the while waiting for Tyler’s signal. There were six shooters
     now. And despite the momentary obstacle created by the grenade, they had resumed their press forward.
    One of the men stepped out from the protection of the vegetation to get a better angle on Tyler’s position, but fortunately,
     Nash was faster. Three down, five remaining, and two more unaccounted for. A quick flash of light from above him indicated
     that Tyler was ready, so, still firing, he moved back again into the cover of the jungle, making his way over to her position.
    “You ready?” she mouthed, holding up the transmitter.
    “Go,” he bellowed, shooting as a man broke through the vegetation, his body breaking bamboo as he fell.
    Tyler pressed a button, already moving deeper into the woods, but nothing happened.
    “Shit,” she said, pressing again. This time, however, the motion was rewarded as a maelstrom of thunder and light split the
     night, embers and debris raining down into the jungle.
    For a moment everything was quiet, and then all hell broke loose, shots volleying off the trees.
    “Run,” Nash yelled. And the two of them sprinted through the jungle, the shots growing fainter as the distance grew. As they
     neared the rendezvous point they slowed, and Tyler pulled her gun.
    “It’s awfully quiet,” she said.
    “Too quiet, if you ask me.”
    Together they inched forward until they had a clear view of the beach. Drake and Emmett were huddled next to one of the dinghies,
     two Red Sword thugs holding them at gunpoint. Emmett’s pant leg was stained with blood and Drake had a bloody nose, which
     meant he hadn’t gone down easily, but it was clear that for the moment at least the terrorists had the upper hand.
    Of course they hadn’t counted on Nash and Tyler.
    With a mutual nod, they separated, shifting so that they each had a clear shot. And then on a silent count of three, they
     fired. Nash’s man was dead before it even dawned on him that he’d been hit. Tyler’s had enough time to get off a shot, but
     it went wild, and he, too, went down as Nash and Tyler broke free of the undergrowth and sprinted into the clearing.
    “About damn time,” Drake said with a grin.
    “You get the virus launched?” Tyler asked.
    “Do we look totally incompetent?” Drake quipped. “Of course we got it off. Truth is we had everything under control.”
    “Yeah, right,” Nash returned as they pulled the boats into the water and helped Emmett on board. “I don’t know what I was
     thinking.”
    “We should have let them shoot you,” Tyler said, pulling the cord to start the outboard motor.
    Still grinning, Drake did the same with the other dinghy, and the two boats headed for the safety of open water, the jungle
     glowing silently behind them, backlit by the eerie fire of the burning array.

CHAPTER 2
    Creede, Colorado
    A nnie Gallagher stood at the window watching the fairy fall of snow, each flake glistening as it fell through the swath of
     gold cast by the lamplight. Tomorrow she’d have to shovel, but tonight she was content to simply enjoy the magic.
    She thought about waking Adam, but resisted the urge. It was