The second book in the Leopard People series, 2004

THE small launch chugged up the fast-moving river at a pace that allowed the group of travelers to see the surrounding forest. Thousands of trees competed for space, as far as the eye could see. Creeping vines and plants hung low, some sweeping the water's surface. Brilliantly colored parrots, lorikeets and kingfishers flitted continually from branch to branch, so that the foliage appeared to be alive with movement.

"It's so beautiful here," Amy Somber said, turning away from the forest to look at the others. "But all I can think about is snakes and leeches and mosquitoes."

And the humidity," Simon Freeman added, unbuttoning the top two buttons of his shirt. "I'm always sweating like a pig."

"It is oppressive," Duncan Powell agreed. "I feel like I'm suffocating."

"That's strange," Rachael Lospostos said. And it was strange. The humidity didn't bother her at all. The heavy trees and creeping vines sent blood singing through her veins, making her feel more alive than ever. She lifted the heavy mass of thick dark hair from her neck. She'd always worn it long in memory of her mother, but had sacrificed it for the sake of a very good cause-saving her own life. "I really love it here. I can't imagine anyone lucky enough to live here." She exchanged a small smile of camaraderie with Kim Pang, their guide.

He nodded toward the forest and Rachael caught a glimpse of a noisy troop of long-tailed macaques leaping from branch to branch. She smiled as she heard the rasping call of the sap-sucking cicadas even above the roar of the water.

"I like it too," Don Gregson admitted. He was the acknowledged and respected leader of their group, a man who often visited the rain forest and raised funds for medical supplies for regions in need.