She ran her finger across a line on the page。
〃Huh？〃 she said aloud。 Another reporter at a desk nearby looked up from his work。
Alison didn't notice him。 She just continued to stare at the page in front of her。
Her finger marked the point on the map designated latitude minus 66。5 degrees and longitude 115 degrees； 20 minutes； and 12 seconds east。
Alison frowned。
Her finger was pointing at the coastline of Antarctica。
The Marines gathered around the pool on E…deck in silence。
Montana； Gant； and Santa Cruz wordlessly shouldered into scuba tanks。 All three wore black thermal…electric wet suits。
Schofleld and Snake watched them as they suited up。 Rebound stood behind them。 Book Riley walked off in silence toward the E…deck storeroom； to check on Mother。
A large black backpack…the French team's VLF transmitter that Santa Cruz had found during his search of the station…sat on the deck next to Schofield's feet。
The news of Samurai's death had rocked the whole team。
Luc Champion； the French doctor； had told Schofield that he had found traces of lactic acid in Samurai's trachea； or windpipe。 That； Champion had said； was almost certain proof that Samurai had not died of his wounds。
Lactic acid in the trachea； Champion explained； evidenced a sudden lack of oxygen to the lungs； which the lungs then tried to pensate for by burning sugar； a process known as lactic acidosis。 In other words； lactic acid in the trachea pointed to death due to a sudden lack of oxygen to the lungs； otherwise known as asphyxiation； or suffocation。
Samurai had not died from his wounds。 He had died because his lungs had been deprived of oxygen。 He had died because someone had cut off his air。
Someone had murdered Samurai。
In the time it had taken Schofield and Sarah to go out and meet with Montana at the perimeter of the station…the same time it took for Rebound to climb down to E…deck and collect Luc Champion…someone had gone into the dining room on A…deck and strangled Samurai。
The implications of Samurai's death hit Schofield hardest of all。
Someone among them was a killer。
But it was a fact that Schofield had not told the rest of the unit。 He had only told them that Samurai had died。 He hadn't told them how。 He figured that if someone among them was a killer； it was better that that person not be aware that Schofield knew about him。 Rebound and Champion had been sworn to silence。
As he watched the others suit up； Schofield thought about what had happened。
Whoever the killer was； he had expected that Samurai's death would probably be attributed to his wounds。 It was a good assumption。 Schofield figured that had he been told the Samurai hadn't made it； he would have immediately assumed that Samurai's body had simply given up the fight for life and died from its wounds。 That was why the killer had suffocated Samurai。 Suffocation left no blood； no telltale marks or wounds。 If there were no other wounds on the body； the story that Samurai had simply lost the battle with his bullet wounds gained credence。
What the killer had not known； however； was that asphyiation did； in fact； leave a telltale sign…lactic acid in the trachea。
Schofield had no doubt that had he not had a doctor present at the station； the lactic acid would have gone unnoticed and Samurai's death would have been attributed to his bullet wounds。 But there had been a doctor at the station。 Luc Champion。 And he had spotted the acid。
The implications were as chilling as they were endless。
Were there French soldiers still at large somewhere inside the station？ Someone the Marines had missed。 A lone soldier； maybe； who had decided to pick off the Marines one by one； starting with the weakest of their number； Samurai。
Schofield quickly dismissed the thought。 The station； its surrounds； and even the remaining French hovercraft outside had been swept thoroughly。 There were no more enemy soldiers either inside or outside Wilkes Ice Station。
That created a problem。
Because it meant that whoever had killed Samurai was someone Schofield thought he could trust。
It couldn't have been the French scientists； Champion and Rae。 Since the end of the battle with the French they had been handcuffed to the pole on E…deck。
It could have been one of the scientists from Wilkes… while Schofield was outside with Montana and Hensleigh； they were all in their mon room on B…deck； unguarded by any of the Marines。 But why？ Why on earth would one of the scientists want to kill a wounded Marine？ They had nothing to gain from killing Samurai。 The Marines were here to help them。
There still remained one other alternative。
One of the Marines had killed Samurai。
The mere possibility that that might have happened sent a chill down Schofield's spine。 The fact that he had even considered it chilled him even more。 But he considered it nonetheless； because aside from the residents of Wilkes； a Marine was the only other person in the station who'd had the opportunity to kill Samurai。
Schofield； Sarah； and Montana had been outside when it had happened； so Schofield was at least sure about them。
As for the other Marines； however； there were difficulties。
They had all been； more or less； working alone at different places in the station when the murder had occurred。 Any one of them could have done it without being detected。
Schofield checked them off one by one。
Snake。 He had been on C…deck； in the alcove； working on the destroyed winch controls that raised and lowered the station's diving bell。 He had been alone。
Santa Cruz。 He had been searching the station for French erasing devices。 That search had turned up nothing but the VLF transmitter that now sat silently at Schofield's feet。 He had also been alone。
Rebound。 Schofield thought about the young private。 Rebound was the prime suspect。 Schofield knew it； Rebound himself knew it。 He was the one who had said to Schofield that Samurai was stable enough for him to go down to E…deck and fetch Champion。 He was also the only one who had been with Samurai since the battle had ended。 For all Schofield knew Samurai had been dead for over an hour； killed by Rebound long ago。
But why？ It was this question that Schofield just couldn't figure out。 Rebound was young； twenty…one。 He was fresh and green and eager。 He followed orders immediately； and he wasn't old enough to be jaded or cynical。 The kid loved being a Marine； and he was as genuine a kid as Schofield had ever met。 Schofield had thought that he had a good measure of Rebound's character。 Maybe he hadn't。
The thought of Rebound as the killer did； however； trigger one other unusual thought in Schofield's mind。 It was a memory； a painful memory that Schofield had tried to bury。
Andrew Trent。
Lieutenant First Class Andrew X。 Trent； USMC。 Call sign； 〃Hawk。〃
Peru。 March 1997。
Schofield had gone through Officer Candidate School with Andy Trent。 They were good friends； and after OCS they had risen to the rank of First Lieutenant together。 A brilliant strategic thinker； Trent was given mand of a prized Atlantic…based Marine Reconnaissance Unit。 Schofield…not quite the tactical genius that Trent was…was awarded a Pacific…based one。
In March of 1997； barely a month after he had taken mand of his Recon Unit； Schofield and his team were ordered to attend a battle scene in the mountains of Peru。 Apparently； something of tremendous importance had been discovered in an ancient Incan temple high in the Andes and the Peruvian President had called upon the United States for aid。 Bands of murderous treasure hunters are rife in the mountains of Peru； they have been known to kill whole teams of university researchers in order to steal the priceless artifacts that the researchers find。
When Schofield's unit arrived at the mountain top site； they were met by a squad of American troops； a single platoon of U。S。 Army Rangers。 The Rangers had formed a two…mile perimeter around a particular rain forest…covered mountain。 On top of the mountain stood the crumbling ruins of a pyramid…shaped Incan temple； half…buried in the mountainside。
A Marine Recon Unit was already inside the temple