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at pocket and took out a small Thai police evidence envelope He said, “My na to tell us why you were following us, I’d also like you to explain why you have one of these in your pocket”

Brekker emptied the envelope and showed him the Typhoon pill he’d taken from the police station Then he upended the metal container from Lynch’s pocket and held up the pill that had been inside it next to the one from the envelope

Both tablets were etched with identical symbols of a cyclone

23

THE PHILIPPINES

With a fresh tire on the PIG, Juan climbed back in with Eddie, and they continued toward Manila at a fast clip Juan swiveled in his seat and saw Mel Oca at him with a mixture of weariness and curiosity, the torn sleeve of his lab coat replaced by a white gauze bandage expertly wrapped by Raven The other four scientists, looking shell-shocked after the escape, sipped froiven them They chewed in silence

“Thank you for saving us,” Ocampo said

“We just happened to be there at the right time,” Juan replied

“Actually, if you hadn’t been there, we ht never have been able to make an escape attempt in the first place”

Juan nodded in understanding “When the Humvees took off after us, you took the opportunity to make a run for it”

“I had been hoping for a distraction, and you and your people provided it for us”

“And the grenades?” Eddie asked from the driver’s seat

“Made from chemicals in our lab,” said Maria Santos, one of the other chelad they worked We didn’t have a chance to test them”

“Why were you there in the first place?” Raven asked

“Locsin brought us there,” Ocaht it was to do top secret research for a pharmaceutical company When eren’t allowed to leave, we soon realized that his goal was more sinister”