Minutes to Burn

"Donald took it heavy," Samantha said. "It won't be easy with the sci-entists. And you're going to need their help. If need be, I can bottom-line them on the decisions of my ever-astute superiors."

"I don't think that'll be necessary. I can handle it."

"Page me if you need anything."

"Thank you. But I won't."

There was a long pause. And then, "Cameron?"

"Yes?"

"Good luck." Samantha clicked off, and Cameron took a moment to collect herself before returning to the others. They'd noticed her talking but had given her space. She walked back with an armful of branches, and the others watched her expectantly. The fire was almost out, a glowing heap of embers. She caught Diego's eye. "Samantha and Donald back our decision to take out the remaining larvae."

Diego took the news calmly, with an air of mournfulness. "Why?" he asked.

She dropped the wood. "Because they're pretty sure that if we can't exterminate the virus reservoir and provide damn good evidence that the water samples are virus-clear by 2200 on Monday, there's not gonna be an island left to argue over."

Rex exhaled in a sharp sigh. Diego eased himself down onto a log.

When Savage looked up, his eyes were flat and dark like water-smooth stones. "Sometimes you have to destroy a village to save it," he said.

Chapter 54

It felt odd to Cameron, reconning with Justin. But since Derek was obviously out of the picture for the time being, and Szabla and Savage were standing guard over his tent, it made the most sense for her and Justin to pair up. Tank and the scientists took the western rim of the transition zone, hooking north around the Scalesia zone.

Cameron followed her husband through the dark forest, covering the terrain with slow sweeps of her elbow light. The Estradas' violent deaths and the mutiny had drained her, so she tried to keep her mind on the task at hand. It occurred to her just how odd it was that they were out here to dispose of gentle creatures that crawled in the night. Such a task seemed discordant at a time when her whole body was yearning for softness.

When he'd realized that the entire island was at stake, Diego had yielded to their objectives, finally agreeing to help dispose of the larvae. His advice was simple-the larvae would be attracted to light and humans, and want to keep to the shade. The first larva they'd captured had never made an effort to flee, and it had all but sought Cameron out by the lagoon. It was part of the larvae's strategy to locate other organ-isms to look over them, a strategy that had worked out nicely on an island with few predators.

Diego and Rex had also urged that they all keep an eye out for any other irregularities in the flora or fauna.

Cameron and Justin marched through the foliage, the branches arched like gothic gables, the trunks rising like spires to the vast spread of leaves floating overhead. They were enclosed, the two of them, in a world of vegetation, and it seemed that the canopy above was the floor of another world just out of reach. It was cavernous, the forest, a living stomach dripping with vines and life.

Cameron had the sudden peculiar sensation that she was going to her wedding. Aside from the fact that she was alone with the man she loved and the night hovered ahead of them intimidating and yet unrealized, she did not know why.

She passed the entrance of a cave, more like a deep niche carved into the side of a hill, and noticed movement just inside. She called Justin back and he came quietly. They stepped inside, the light casting shadows broad and fearful.

The cave's wide entrance afforded a view of a cluster of avocado trees just outside-smooth trunks and wide, dark leaves. Rocks and boulders lined the interior. Cameron felt her stomach roiling as they stepped inside. Something flickered in the darkness, and she drew back her spike as Justin fell out to her right. She tried not to imagine what it would be like to batter one of the larvae. She pictured the smooth green head, the sentimental eyes, the soft prolegs that grasped and released, and she felt her mouth go dry.

There was a flash of movement behind a rock. Justin reached the rock first and shoved it over with his boot. Cameron held the spike cocked back over her shoulder like a golf club. A rice rat scurried for the cave entrance.

Cameron lowered the spike, relieved, her arm weak under its weight. She dropped her elbow light, and it dangled from its sling around her neck.

Justin turned to her, concerned. "You all right?" he asked.

She nodded, then shook her head, then nodded. "It's just that…I don't know if I could… they're so much larger than… their faces look so…" She stopped, lowering her head. "I don't know what the fuck is happening to me," she said. "I don't know why I care about this, Flore-ana, any of it." Anger colored her voice; it was proud, almost defiant. "I never used to care."

Justin waited patiently for her breathing to slow.

"I used to be locked on," she said. "All the time, you know?"

"I know," Justin said. "I know."