"We've entered Matses National Park. If we head northwest a little farther, we'll reach our destination. Our people are waiting in Lecna." Camila carried her food and water over one shoulder as she struggled across a stream strewn with loose stones. Yet her words offered little reassurance, because Peru's Matses National Park was simply too vast. The expedition had crossed the border between Brazil's Amazonas State and Peru, heading west all the way, yet they had not found the slightest trace of human civilization. The humid, stifling rainforest and the ever-present threat of malaria were deadlier killers than The Trinity's mercenaries. Fortunately, the City of Immortals had planned ahead. Along with food and water, they had been issued water purification tablets, insect-repellent camouflage paint, and quinine-based antimalarial medicine.
But Camila wanted an electric mosquito swatter more, or a working communications device. Even one that needed a hand-cranked generator to charge would do. "We've traveled more than two hundred kilometers, Camila." Laura, despite being an archaeologist, had also been assigned hauling duties. Gasping for breath, she said, "It's already the fifth day. The Trinity can't possibly still be tracking us. Maybe we could change routes. Lecna is just too far away."
"Where do you want to go, girl? Lecna is the nearest settlement to us." Camila's face was cold. "To the west is another nature reserve, and to the south is another national park. If we don't follow the Ucayali River, once our food runs out, we'll die in the rainforest. Let me make this clear: I don't care whether you live or die. I only care whether we complete the mission."
"I know, I know. I just wanted to ask if there was any other way for us to contact the organization?" Laura said. "I know the City of Immortals