4E

How do you think Cassandra manages to stay one step ahead of Painter?

Cassandra is more cunning than Painter and she knows his plans having worked with him.

I think she has someone on the inside.

She either has someone on the inside or she has a transmitter planted in someone in the party. I'm beginning to wonder if the informant isn't someone that Painter is reporting to and the only person he has reported to is the head guy...McKnight I think his name is.

I think she has inside information from 2 directions - Clay is reporting on the team's whereabouts, and there's also a mole back at DARPA.

I think Clay is the inside man on the expedition. I also think that she has someone at DARPA - as I mentioned in Section 2, it seemed odd that when she was talking to the Minister, his voice was synthesized, leading me to believe it's someone we (and Cassandra) already know

>5 Sergeirocks: >6 bhabeck: Just a question. I'm not saying that you are wrong about Clay...anything is possible in these books and he doesn't appear to have any real purpose to this mission except a grade. My question is...how and to whom is Clay reporting? I just can't come up with any answers. He's a grad student...this must be true because he came with Safia. He doesn't appear to have access to communication devices and I don't remember if it said he even had a computer. He has stayed back out of most of the action so I guess he could have somehow made contact then... it's an interesting thought and I was just wondering if I have missed or overlooked something that could be the answer. I have great faith in my 'fellow detectives":)

>7 Carol420: It said in one of the previous sections that Clay was outside having a cigarette after having found a packet of them in the kitchen at the safe house. 1, this was a convenient find; 2, I feel a cigarette packet is big enough to contain a communicator of some description.
We also read at one point that Cassandra took or made several phone calls while in the back of the car with Safia, the timing of these would have coincided with the email Pointer sent to McKnight plus the team's arrival at the safe house.
IMO, Clay is reporting directly to Cassandra.

>8 Sergeirocks: Okay. I do remember that. I just didn't attach the points that you made. It diffidently puts a different spin on the possibility of Clay being the mole in the team. Thank you.

>9 Carol420: I'm not saying these are definite pointers, Carol, merely that I've made deductions based on these factors. Only time will tell whether I'm anywhere near the mark, :)

>10 Sergeirocks: They are good deductions and have merit. I love these discussions as they usually give so many opportunities to see different points of view. You are our GREAT COD so how could you possibly be wrong? :)