Chapter 17 Wednesday, 0730 hours (7:30 AM)

Jungle World was also quiet. Rom and Derek circled this building too, and again found no obvious way in.

"And now what?" asked Derek, disappointed.

Rom pointed to an open window, little more than a duct, at the second floor level. "That window. They could have gotten in there."

"They’d have had to climb like monkeys to get up to that window."

"Yeah. Anyway, I’m going to give it a try. Stay here. I’ll be back soon."

Rom approached the building obliquely and Derek was amazed how animal like Rom looked. Rom jumped up for a handhold, climbed up and vanished out of sight through the duct.

New York has lost a very good second story man in him. Derek wished he had that agility. Alone in broad daylight, he felt exceptionally exposed. He crouched down, but that just made him feel silly. He jogged to an area of brush under the Bengali Express monorail. Derek dropped to the ground and tried to be invisible. Through the high grass he still had a good view of Jungle World. He was amazed how good and exhilarated he felt. He hadn't hidden in the bush since he was a boy, and he'd forgotten how good it felt. He glanced at his spear. Yeah. It really did feel good.

A half hour later, it didn't feel so good anymore. He was getting stiff, cold, and bored. Where was Rom?

Derek eyes glued to the entrance, didn't see Rom emerge from the high window that he'd used to get in. Not until Rom dropped to the ground did Derek notice him.