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rode hard and put away wet,’” I said, yawning. Ishi never met an American idiom that he couldn’t completely destroy.
    “ Either way, you look like shit, kemosabe.” He grinned. Obviously, the bastard had slept well and was looking forward to the latest chapter in our ongoing pursuit of adventure and illegal riches.
    I ignored him. “So, whose idea was it to change last night’s plans for today?”
    “It was determined by our council that we needed to visit the island’s main lagoon on the way to the other side,” said Norema, stepping into the glow from the torch’s flame.
    She looked as radiant as she had smelled up close. Ishi looked uncomfortable, perhaps from the fact she had obviously bathed, and the two of us...well, it had been two heat-filled days since either of us had enjoyed that luxury. Hell, when exploring the jungles of South America we’d be lucky if either of us took a bath for weeks at a time. But that meant just us having to deal with each other, and when looking for forgotten buried treasure neither one of us could give a crappola about hygiene.
    But that perspective has never worked well in mixed company.
    A dozen women from the village soon emerged and, like their leader, all appeared to have recently bathed. Some had removed the bindis from their foreheads, and wore light makeup—something none of them had done the previous day. It was as if they were all ready to go shopping at an upscale fashion boutique, and wore the best apparel they had to their name. Even the cholis, lehengas, and saris were much more colorful than what even Norema had donned yesterday afternoon.
    “What the devil does taking a side trip do to save your son?” I asked, not liking the extra event added to the previous plan for today’s search and rescue mission.
    “ You will see...it will make complete sense once you are there.” She motioned for the girls guarding us the previous afternoon and evening to resume their positions behind Ishi and me and at our sides. Norema then handed me an unwrapped granola bar and one of the bottled waters that Marie had left for us. “The lagoon is not that far, and we will be there before the sun has fully risen.”
    I had a sinking feeling inside. The lagoons on remote islands are often beautiful and make great attractions for tourists. But getting up early and taking a side trip to start the day seemed like a very bad idea—and something we would surely regret.
    “You can eat your breakfast on the way there,” she said, eyeing me knowingly, as if she had a clear view of my most recent thoughts. “Mr. Caine, I have no doubt this will all make sense to your keen mind very soon. But for now you will have to trust me.”
    “ Little lady, I hate to break it to you but, if you’ll take a look around, you’ll see that if anyone has trust issues it’s you,” I advised, pointing to our armed entourage. “Is this really necessary?”
    She nodded thoughtfully, allowing a slight chuckle to escape her mouth. “Perhaps you are right...but until we arrive at the lagoon, I prefer to keep the guns on you both,” she said, still smiling. “Perhaps I will feel safer around you after we take care of our business there.”
    Okay, now I was intrigued. What the hell did she mean by that?
    Unlike the previous sweltering afternoon, the pre-dawn jungle bore a coolness that was refreshing. Soon, I heard a waterfall. It was straight ahead, and even though the rising sun provided welcome illumination, I couldn’t see an end to the vegetation ahead of us. Obviously, we were above the waterfall, and I assumed the lagoon lay below it.
    “Watch your step as I pull aside the last of the palm fronds,” Norema advised. “You both need to be careful when you approach the edge.”
    The edge of what?
    It was a silent question I should’ve voiced. Norema pulled the fronds aside and motioned for us to step out onto the ledge. I believe both Ishi and I were surprised by the gorgeous waterfall view