[Mercy Merchant]

Alyce is amazed at her reaction to Al's undressing her and tossing her to the bed.  She smiles up at Al and raises a hand to show him.  "Al, look.  I am quivering like a schoolgirl about to lose her virginity and I gave mine away decades ago.  I want to please you so much."  Her ultrasound is at its most sensitive setting as he removes his shirt and trousers.  She has felt him before, but only through his clothes and the first sight of him has her gasping.  She sits up on the edge of the bed and points a finger at the floor in front of her.  "Come stand here, please, and let me get better introduced."

Al move closer and Alyce rubs her hands up and down his sides, feeling his skin beneath her hands as she leans forward to kiss his stomach.  She lets her fingers brush across his ass before they move back to his front.  She grasps his hardness in her hands and begins stroking slowly.  "My God, Al.  I want this so much."  She falls silent and lets her hands and fingers work magic on him.  She is every bit the expert she had told him she is and she knows how to bring pleasure this way.  Seconds stretch to minutes before she allows her tongue to join in and she thoroughly enjoys the reaction she gets from Al, and his moans of pleasure seem to goad her on.  They are both lost in the physical moment when her internal commlink chimes simultaneously with the chirp of the one in his jacket pocket.  The jarring tones also coincide with a hammering at Al's door. 

The voice from the hallway is very insistent.  "Mister Al.  Boss wants see you now.  Most urgent,  Police man come."

Frowning, Alyce removes her hands and tongue from her treasure and slides off the bed as she curses softly in Russian.  "Policeman?  Maybe more questions about Trader Jim?  I guess you ought to go.  I have Yao Lung messaging............."  She swears again and starts pulling her clothes on.  "Al, Yao Lung says that they are here to question you about the men that died in the bar brawl.  I am telling him that I will be right there.  You should do the same."

There is another knock at the door.  "Mister Al?  Are you there?"

[adamu]

"No good deed unpunished," Al muttered, pulling his own clothes on and checking the cuff key he kept secreted under the waistband at the rear of his fatigue trousers. He handed Alyce his shotgun, saying, "Take this ta your room. Even if I need it, I won't really need it, but it'd be a hassle if it got locked away somewhere." Then he opened the door as Cheung's hand was raised to knock again. Alyce slipped out past the man, and Al told him, "Reckon I'll be right here, writin' my memoirs or somethin'."

He sat on the bed, leaned his back against the wall, and lit up a cigarette, cursing the timing. Bad luck was a way of life, he always found a way to beat it. But the timing - it was like some sort of cosmic un-serendipity.

He didn't have to wait long before the hallway outside his room was crowded with people. Alyce had gotten back first and made it into the room, where she now perched on a chair at the small table. Then Yao came in, showing the local lawman in, as two other cops stood outside and Ling looked on with an expression of infinite annoyance. Al did not stand.

"Al, these men wish to question you about a recent incident in which two local miners were killed. They wish to conduct the interview at their office here, and as such will take you into custody. I have promised them there would be no trouble."

"Well, Yao mi amigo, that were a hell of a promise ta make. Ya gon' also promise me I ain't gon' git sent up the river on this? Cuz I'd hate ta queer this whole expedition on ya, git a buncha gummint types combin' the jungle up there for me, but I am not goin' back ta prison." He said the last with a tone and a look into Yao's eyes that left no doubt of his resolve. "So uniess ya wanna find yer lost city o' legend on yer own, I suggest Richie Rich over there makes this go away."

[Mercy Merchant]

Alyce takes the shotgun with a nod and slips through the open door past Cheung, headed for her own room.  Stashing the shotgun among her things, she returns to Al's room to find Ling Tse Tau in conversation with Yao Lung and one of the three police constables.  The other Wuxing guards and the Gaxxin brothers were gathered in the hall, all watching the proceedings.  Soon enough, Yao and the policeman are smiling and shaking hands.  Ling Tse Tau gives a rather nasty look towards Al's room and stalks off.  Yao tells everyone in the hallway to go back their rooms and get some sleep as he steps back inside to talk to Al.  Alyce obeys the instructions with the others, returning to her room. 

Yao shuts the door behind him and looks at Al.  "Was close, Al.  Ling Tse Tau is not happy that he has to pay money for this go away.  Such things are in the budget, but are not desirable.  Is good for you that you have proven your worth to Ling Tse Tau.  Get sleep now.  We leave early morning.  On mission time now."

Yao Lung nods at Al and leaves the room.

[adamu]

Five seconds after Yao closed the door, Al said to himself, "Fuck mission time," and was out the door headed to Alyce's room. He thought about just picking the lock, but figured that might be a good way to get a scalpel in his throat. So he knocked. She answered the door nude, and he wondered if there was a way for her to know it was him. Her smile was radiant and inviting, and then his comm beeped again. "Joseph an' Mary inna manger..." Lok was on sentry dury with the gear, and apparently thought he'd heard some people sneaking around in the bush nearby. He was a pro and didn't exaggerate, putting the probability of hostile contact at about 20%. But they all knew that was enough to warrant a look, and Yao detailed Al and Cheung.

Looking Alyce up and down, Al held up the offending commlink, shrugged with a grin and just said, "Duty calls."

Of course they found nothing, but by the time they'd finished their sweep it was time to start loading up.

[Mercy Merchant]

Alyce smiles glumly at Al's back as he turns to leave her door to check on some possible snoop at the gear.  Given the events of the last couple of days, anything is possible and mission security has to come first.  She cleans up and dresses for a jungle walk, turning to her Big Game Hunter outfit and setting the colors to match the rain forest outside the village.  She checks on Sasha's feed and whistles as she makes notes to share with the others at breakfast.

Finally ready, Alyce takes up her pack and looks about the room one last time before leaving and heading downstairs and out the door to go to the where the equipment is stashed.  She is not a bit surprised to see Al and the Gaxxins already there and putting the finishing touches on the mules.  Four skinny guys are also present, transferring gear to large whicker baskets that they will carry on their backs.  While they look like the next light breeze would knock them over, Alyce is pretty sure that they could probably outlast any of the expedition, although she and Al might give them a run for their money.  She assists as best she can, particularly intent on making sure that the medical and cooking supplies are broken up among her mule and the bearers.  Although she has already checked the supply list, she does it again, touching every ampule and checking the expiration dates and making sure she knows where everything is.

Finally satisfied, she and the others leave a guard on the equipment and go up to the hotel for breakfast.  The rest of the team is assembled in the dining room and already eating when they walk in.  Milo and Xander take some food and go sit out on the large lanai.  Alyce pings all of the commlinks and tells everyone that she has an update on the Azzies.  She talks while she sends files to the other links, opening them as needed.  She has photos of Senor and twenty other people on his team.  She gives bios on eight of these as known Azzie assets, to include the woman, Mai Lin.  Ling Tse Tau splutters at her picture but otherwise says nothing.  Six of the others are apparently toughs carried on Azzie books but not known assets.  The other six are hired guns, mercenaries, and are equipped as if they are going to war.  All of the pictures are taken from several angles and include group and solo shots.  There are four shots taken from across the river with the man identified as Senor talking rather animatedly with several boatmen.  Alyce chuckles a bit and says, "It appears my little bug in the ear of a few boatmen is having an effect.  I might have mentioned that there would be another group wanting boats to Chi Pat and that they could probably get four or five times the going rate if they bargained hard.  That and the Wuxing money Al and I used to pay them double the rate if they also delayed a day there." 

Yao Lung sniggers.  "Money well spent, Miss Krait.  Consider that approved.  You and Mister Guthrie have proven effective." 

Alyce smiles in thanks and flashes through several more stills and three short vids of Senor and his team and their equipment.  The mercenaries are carefully checking out their weapons, which certainly seem more than enough.  "Alright.  Lollipops to the people who can tell me what they do not have."

Miles calls in from outside the building.  "I don't see any Trolls."  Everyone laughs, but Alyce holds up her hand.  "He is absolutely right.  They have paid some money for these mercenaries, but they are not the right kind.  Look at their boots.  These blokes are going to be having troubles walking in the rainforest and swamps we will be traversing.  Poor preparation.  Now, what else?"  Over the next few minutes, Alyce points out some of what her sensors back in the village are picking up.  "No mules means that they will have to carry everything on their backs from the start.  Even if we have to ditch ours on the way, they will have allowed us to carry more equipment farther without straining our people.  These two Azzie chaps here are rifling a pack that is not theirs.  Let me focus in on what.......yes, med ampules.  Either dopers or sellers.  Either is bad for an expedition like this."  Alyce ends up passing out four lollipops for good observation skills. 

Then she focuses Sasha on one of the mercenaries, more correctly on his assault rifle.  Telling the others to watch, she softly says  "Now."  The arming light on the rifle glows to green and she throws up a schematic of the rifle indicating its condition, ammo status, and ammo load out.  "This is real-time.  I have complete control of this weapon right now through its wireless connectivity.  I am very good at this and have enough noise cancelling ability to be able to do this from here.  I do not know if their decker can do the same.  His name is in the files, but I have never worked with or against him before.  Milo or Xander?" 

"He is not familiar to us, either, Alyce."

"That does not mean he is not good, so I prefer to expect that he is very good.  It is possible for this decker to take control of your weapons like I did with this rifle.  Your best bet is to either use them without the wireless connectivity on, or to assign them to me for protection.  I have some of the very best firewall and protection software available and can take all of the weapons and commlinks here under my wing if you let me.  If not, then I strongly urge you to turn your devices off.  It is no fun to need a weapon in a fight and have it go dead on you, or fire on the wrong targets."

She stops the feeds from Sasha and releases the other rifle as she turns to the group.  "Any questions?"

[adamu]

Al reflected on the make-up of the opposing team - the one they knew about - he didn't want to think about the possibility there could be others. There were certainly a hell of a lot of them. He didn't relish the idea of being sandwiched between the shaman and his minions to their front and Senor and his lackeys to their rear. But Alyce had bought them a head start, and he intended to make good use of it.

"Yeah, I got a question - any sign they carryin' any holy rollers in they group? Not that I'm worried about anyone slowin' us down, mind ya. Nope, not worried about that one bit on this here speed-is-of-the-essence little stroll we's about ta embark upon. Jist wonderin' if they got any o' that divine pertection that I know this southern mother's son is countin' on."

[Mercy Merchant]

Alyce shakes her head.  "There is nothing my sensors are picking up that would indicate that they are bringing missionaries along for the ride."

Yao Lung is an experienced hand at expeditions like this and he takes Ling Tse Tau away from the table to talk for a bit.  After an animated exchange, during which, Ling Tse Tau looks several times at Jiahui, the two return to the table and Yao Lung says, "It is decided that we will keep missionaries with us for now.  If they slow us down, we will discuss returning them to Chi Pat to wait for our return."  He looks over at Al.  "Decision is made.  Thank you for asking question."

Alice's deck pings her and she scans the data coming in.  "OK.  Getting names from some of the mercenaries based on facial software.  Sending files now.  It would seem that Senor has hired what he could on short notice as his men appear to be a group of three, another of two, and a single soldier.  Some minor reps on the first five, but the last one is interesting.  Milo, you guys recognize him?"

After a short silence, Milo comes back, "No, Alyce.  Not by......what?  Hold on."  Xander comes on.  "Wait a minute.  Never seen the face, but the name.........  Got it!  Juan Seppedo.  He is called The Gaucho.  Never worked with him before, but he is pure trouble if I remember."

Alyce jumps back in.  "You do, Xander.  I have heard of the name as well.  His bio says that he was a Renraku agent, operating out of Rio, but that he went freelance from that AAA three weeks ago.  So they have at least one of their hitters that is experienced in this sort of terrain.  Hmmm.  Let me see if I can even our chances a bit."  After a few minutes, Alyce looks up and nods.  "Done the best I can on two levels.  Mister Seppedo has been a naughty boy and has a trail of wanteds behind him, several with sizeable rewards.  I have made sure that his name will pop when they check in here, along with those of two others that also have active international wanteds in their files.  I have also alerted the Phnom Penh authorities and placed an order in the file to have the local military authorities come in to question these three on what they are doing in the country without valid passports.  Senor is not being too picky about his hires and we might be able to either delay him while things are being worked out or weaken his team if he decides to push on without these three men."

Ling Tse Tau cannot help himself.  "You did that from sitting here?  With hands on table?"

Alyce nods.  "Yes, Ling Tse Tau.  I hope that it works to help slow them down."

The Wuxing boss gives Alyce a look of something nearing appreciation, but quickly goes back to just ignoring most of the briefing.

[adamu]

Al fiddled a bit with his commlink - he couldn't do it with his hands on the table - and sent out some map graphics for everyone to access as they chose. It was obvious the majority were using image links, contacts, or glasses. Al just squinted at his screen, tapping at it from time to time.

The intial view was of the southern Cardamom region, large enough to include Andoung Tuek, but he quickly narrowed it to show Chi Pat at the southern end and a little graphic of a devil near the north extreme of the display. "Okay, near as I can tell, the devil worshippers is buildin' they new clubhouse here. So we cross the lowlands" a single black line found its way over a light brown part of the map,heading north to the dark green of the forested mountains. "Once we hit the mountains, they's a number of options." A swipe of his finger and the black line split into three, and as they wound their way over the rough terrain towards the devil icon, each broke into multiple forks again. "We won't know which way looks best until we see whether it rains before we git there, or whether the weather-amigo thinks it will soon. Few other factors, but point is we got sev'ral options however ya wanna slice it."

In fact, Al already had a pretty good idea of which route worked best, but there were too many spies - both mean and electronic - to be broadcasting it. And it never hurt to be the only one with the ball.

"Reckon we can make the base o' the mountains by tonight. After that the goin' gits tougher - I'm thinkin' maybe a week up ta la-la land unopposed, but since it won't be then maybe ten days fer those of us that survives." If Ling wouldn't throw the missionaries off the expedition, maybe he could scare them off.

"All my map data," except for any assessment of which way would be best "is backed up with Alyce, in case anything happens ta me. Anyone else wants a copy, jist grab it now, cuz after seein' what Alyce can do, an' knowin' she got an opposite number, reckon I'm goin' wifi-dark with all the navigational data right after this here meetin'. An' I suggest ever'one do the same - ya take this data, ya store it offline."

[Mercy Merchant]

Al's words about surviving to get to the mountains seems to have a sobering effect on the expedition team.  Po and Baozai confer with each other in hushed tones, but Alyce's enhanced hearing picks up that they are quite concerned.  Cheung looks a bit worried as well, but mans up when Yao asks him if he has a problem.  The Gaxxins decline to turn their wireless capabilities off at this time, trusting in Alyce's ability to protect them, or at least to warn them when they are being hacked so that they can shut their systems down.  Ling Tse Tau shrugs and says his link and gun are protected by the best that Wuxing money can buy and is not interested in further protection.  Yao Lung and the three guards give Alyce permission for access to protect their 'links and weapons, while only Jiahui among the missionaries does.  Po and Baozai side with Al on this and just turn their wireless off. 

After the briefing concludes, the team moves out of the hotel for the last time and goes to where the equipment and bearers are waiting.  After a last check on the equipment, the team assembles in preparation for leaving.  Ling Tse Tau does not waste any time on speeches and simply indicates to Al to lead out.

[adamu]

Cheung was scout-certified in the Wuxing military, so Yao and Al agreed to have him range ahead a few hundred meters. Al went over the first day's route with the goateed Chinese in detail with a blown-up 3D topo image, then turned him loose, figuring a warning about booby traps went without saying. Alyce provided him with a throat mic and earbud to stay in contact with Cheung hands-free. Once they were deeper in, Al intended to take point himself and keep Cheung hanging well back of the group, watching for trailing opposition. He knew Alyce had her drones both front and back of them, but he wasn't going to rely on just machines. As Cheung took off, Al squeezed his shoulder and said quietly, "I catch ya placin' bets on my time, reckon I'll sic Alyce on yer accounts." The man blanched slightly and then moved off.

Ling was in command, but Yao was in charge, and he let Al manage the group's cross-country movement. Yao and Al walked in front, Lok was at the rear. Al would have liked the trolls at each end of the line, but turned out Ling thought it more sound tactically for their firepower to be massed in the center - where he was - for more rapid deployment wherever it might be needed. Al set an easy pace, worried that even that would prove unsustainable for the two older missionaries.

The first several hours saw them on a clear trail winding through light woods and over fields with grass growing over the humans' heads, rock outcroppings here and there. At first there were cultivated fields, mostly corn, some with minefield warnings, though people were still walking around working in them. Within a few hours the trail still had unexploded mine warnings wherever they crossed an open space, but there were fewer crops growing. They hit steep grades  - up and down - by mid-morning. Po complained that he'd thought they wouldn't hit the mountains until nightfall, to which Al replied, "These ain't even the hills, kemo sabe. Gird yer loins, padre."

Bhaozhai watched the morning cloud cover nervously, but Al assured her that the "weather amigos" had promised no rain today. That had brightened the crone's scowl, until the sun burned the clouds away and started beating down on them. By noon, with no canopy yet, everyone was drenched in sweat and Po was already huffing and puffing and struggling to keep the pace. Al wanted to keep going, figuring if they weeded out the weak while they were still in spitting distance of Chi Pat they might not have to detail anyone to go back with them. But of course Ling was eager for a nice lunch break the moment they hit a copse of shade trees, and set Alyce cooking.

Just as with the interminablle delays in Andoung Tuek, Al was annoyed as hell about the slowdown, but happily enjoyed what was going to happen anyway. He sat down with a smoke and watched Alyce cook. Even though he was good and hungry, he figured he'd trade his next six meals for a chance to sink his teeth into her instead.

[Mercy Merchant]

Alyce shouldered her pack and stepped over to where the missionaries were trying to put theirs on.  She noticed some oddities in how their packs were set up and tried to give them some advice, but Bhaozhai shooed her away, telling her that they were all set.  Jiahui smiled thanks and hefted her pack.  Alyce moved over to Pyotr and made sure that he was ready.  The winch and pull arm at the front of the drone seemed incongruous and even Yao Lung seemed a bit willing to chuckle at the configuration.  Milo had fired up his own mule and the machine gun was rotating on its arm as he checked the ammo feed lines.  The boys would be carrying Troll-sized variations of common assault rifles and leaving the heavy ordnance on the mule for the beginning of the trip.  Alyce detailed Misha to remain at Chi Pat and the other two would cover the front and rear of the march. 

Once on the way, it easily became obvious who was going to be a problem.  Po was the first to complain about the rate of march, and the heat, and the bugs, and the everything.  He mostly kept his complaints to himself, but frequently shared them with the other missionaries.  It was obvious to Alyce that their packs were set wrong on their shoulders and that the weight was not distributed well.  Both of the Trolls were seasoned hands and even though not terribly experienced with this sort of terrain, were clearly able to handle the route and the pace.  Ling Tse Tau was clearly used to doing his walking on city streets and in bedrooms.  Twice he came to Alyce at a break, wanting to add his pack to the load on the mule.  She fobbed him off by explaining that the mule was optimally packed for this terrain and that any additional weight would cause trouble.  She pointed out each time that this was her mule and did not belong to Wuxing.  She did not have to be able to see to know that he was quite upset at her words, which were pure bunk, but she was not about to clean up after the man who should have paid more attention to his second.  Jiahui tried gamely to keep up and offered no complaints, in direct contrast to Tau and the older missionaries.

At the second stop, Alyce went to the young woman and offered her some water, which the girl took gratefully.  Alyce looked her over and softly said, "OK.  Enough.  I can tell that you are trying, but you are killing yourself out here and this is still the first morning.  DO you want some advice?"  Jiahui looked around at the others then nodded.  "First, let's go through your pack.  I am sure that we can help you a bit there."  She and Jiahui opened the girl's pack and Alyce started removing things and putting them in two piles.  "This pile we will put back in and this pile will be left behind here."  Jiahui looks at the other missionaries nervously and says, "But I am required to have everything here.  It is per the loadout manual."

"Honey, you can either learn a bit about walking in the jungle or you can suffer.  It is up to you."

The woman laughs, "They will not like it, but I do not wish to suffer more than necessary.  Thank you."

Alyce nods and continues to work on the pack, stuffing things back in and explaining what she is doing and why.  She repacks the load so it is better distributed.  When they stand up, they find that Bhaozhai has moved over to see what they are doing and she tries to force Jiahui to put everything back in her pack.  Much is said in Chinese, but finally Jiahui just tells the older woman that she can carry the things if she thinks they are so important.  Bhaozhai looks venomously at Alyce, calling her the devil's instrument, a tramp, a slut, and a whore.  Alyce laughs and says, "Almost right, sister.  But I do not take money for sex, so the whore part is out."

Alyce breaks out her cook stove when Ling Tse Tau calls a halt for lunch and wants something more than biscuits and water.  Alyce advises him that a heavy meal at this time will only harm the team, but he does not listen.  Alyce asks the others what they want and only Po and Bhaozhai wish to join the boss in a heavy lunch; all the rest are more than happy to take her advice and eat lightly, but hydrate well.

[adamu]

Al hydrated well with the two beers he'd obtained that morning from the hotel restaurant's storeroom. He'd meant to pay, of course, but no one had been around. Always mindful of his health, he balanced his meal with a couple of Lucky Strikes.

The caloric requirements of the trolls, of course, were prodigious. But they had adapted their habits, avoiding taking it all in at once - Al had seen them chewing on energy bars throughout the morning, and noticed that their mules load out was as much about feeding their bodies as feeding their weapons.

After he'd eaten, Lok spelled Cheung out on point so the scout could get a little fresh chow. The guy didn't even seem to taste his food, though, intent as he was on his commlink throughout his break. Al wondered what he'd do when they lost coverage up in the mountains.

All too soon it was time to go back into the sun. Cheung went back out first, then they linked up with Lok and were back on their way. Al was starting to doubt they'd make the forested lower slopes of the mountains by evening, but hoped he'd be able to keep them going a couple hours into the night with the promise of spending the next morning under the sun-filtering canopy.

Pretty good plan unless Ling decided to stop for tea time and then a four-course feast at sundown.

[Mercy Merchant]

The afternoon's hike was worse than the morning, with Po, Bhaozhai, and Ling Tse Tau complaining about the pace and the heat.  Even some of the veteran hikers were showing the strain and it became increasingly obvious that the team was not going to get as far as Al had hoped for the first day.  Not even the promise of shade in the morning could keep Ling Tse Tau on the road after dark and he called a halt at a small copse of trees well short of the slopes of the mountains.  After stopping, Alyce made everyone take their boots off and show her their feet, looking for blisters.  She explained that an infected blister could slow the team down immensely and took care of the few she found.  Camp was fairly simple, with netted hammocks set up beneath the trees.  Alyce helped Jiahui set up hers but was rebuffed by both Po and Bhaozhai when she offered her assistance to them.

Al rigidly enforced a rule of no one ever leaving camp without an escort.  And no one meant no one.  Alyce refilled the water reservoirs on her mule from the stream near the camp, setting the purification treatment system to make sure that they would have clean water to drink in the morning.  So far, the two mules had performed admirably and had not been part of the reason for the slowdown.  A watch was set and people started drifting off to sleep soon after dinner.

The second day started out as the day before, but now there were sore muscles to deal with and it was hard to get some of the people moving at anything like the pace Al wanted to keep.  Unsurprisingly, Ling Tse Tau proved to be one of the weaker links in the team, demanding a slower pace.  After all, in his opinion, the Azzies were sufficiently delayed, so why the need for such speed?  It was nearly noon when the team broke into the shade of the canopy.  There was an almost instant change in climate as the crushing heat of the sun was hidden by the triple set of large branches and leaves of the rain forest.  Different did not necessarily mean better.  Gone was the merciless beating down of the sun, but they had traded grassland and a relative easy walk for the need to skirt huge trees and thickets, and the walk was mostly at an upward incline over rough ground.  Al had to call Cheung in closer or risk losing him in the foliage.  Alyce's ultrasound sensors proved quite useful in determining the route of march.

[adamu]

What the idiots whining about the heat had failed to account for was the humidity under the canopy. The bearers and many of the armed members of the company were soon shirtless, as much because their clothing was soaked beyond usefulness as due to the heat itself. Al hung his jacket from the back of his pack and continued in his sweat-stained wifebeater. Master Po looked as if he'd soon expire in his heavy robes.

They also hadn't counted on the bugs, though Al and Alyce were fine thanks to their landlady's secret recipe. Being the generous soul she was (besides being in charge of their health), Alyce shared it around to those that would take it.

They were only a few hours in when Cheung called to Al to halt the group and come forward. A minute later, Al, Cheung, and Yao were looking up at three elaborate wicker and clay dolls hung from the trees, pincushioned with arrows.

"Is this the shaman?" asked Cheung.

"Warnin' I reckon. Too good a warnin', really. You hadn't stopped to call us...well..." He pointed at a spot on the trail just ahead of where Cheung stood. Yao could see nothing, but Cheung clicked his tongue and used the front sight of his rifle to lift a dirt-covered mat off a small pit filled with sharpened stakes. "Meant not only ta warn ya off, but ta take yer eyes off the trail ahead. Don't reckon they's much chance of ya doin' that from here on out though, hey kemo sabe?"

"No, not much chance of that," Cheung was muttering, already stripping a long, thin branch to use as a probe.

"Well, we knew the job was dangerous when we took it. Keep goin', but you'll have ta slow down a bit. We'll march ever'one past this - no better way ta impress upon 'em the importance o' watchin' where they step. Once we pass it, I'll mark it on my map an' then cover it back up as a present fer Senor an' his people."

[adamu]

Less than an hour into the day's hike, Alyce used her throat mike to send a note out.  "Alright.  Update on the Azzies.  Senor has worked out his problems at Andoung Tuek and is loading boats now for the trip to Chi Pat.  He is leaving three of his men behind for some reason.  It looks like they will be staying in the same barracks we were using because it is closer to the river and the road than where they had been staying.  His decker has already made a sweep of the building.  He found and erased the three obvious sensor tags I left there but has missed the three I hid in off mode.  I will turn those on after the main body departs on the boats and keep track of what is being done there.  It is not logical for him to keep a supply line going, but he might be waiting on reinforcements of some kind."
 
The heat and humidity is oppressive, especially for the unprepared.  Alyce removes her outer layer, leaving her covered by a light tee-shirt, which hides next to nothing as it is soon drenched with sweat.  Po's looks are more an ogle than anything else, but in this case, he is not alone as even Ling Tse Tau and the other men share an ogle now and then.  The purple robes of the missionaries are not well suited for this sort of exertion and Alyce can tell that the three are flagging.  She calls a halt for rest and water and tries to convince them that they are risking heat stroke or worse if they continue as is.  She offers a pair of light trousers and a shirt to Jiahui, who is close to her size, but has nothing to offer to Po or Bhaozhai.  Jiahui gratefully accepts the clothing, stepping aside to change over the arguments of her superiors.  She also takes advantage of some of the baby powder that Alyce offers to reduce chaffing.  Po now has two women to letch after and his eyes are clearly focused on their chests.  The older missionaries loosen their robes as much as possible, but that is still insufficient and at the next stop, Alyce scrounges clothing for them from the other guards.
 
When Al halts the party to show everyone the pit trap, Alyce speaks up.  "I can see these, Al.  Let me walk in the front with Cheung and I can find them if they are pits like this.  I can scan a good topo of the nearby area and anything that is like this will stand out like a sore thumb."