Sahara (Dirk Pitt 11)

The door was thrown open moments before the container was to be lifted onto a railroad car. They had no chance of putting up any fight or making an attempt to escape. The surprise was well coordinated and complete.

Ten, Pitt counted them, ten men standing with menacing steadiness, pointing machine guns at the two unarmed men inside the cargo container. Pitt felt the stinging bitterness of failure cut through him like a knife. He could taste the bitterness of defeat on his tongue. To be trapped and caught once by Massarde was a miscalculation. To be caught twice was damned stupid. He stared at the guards feeling no fear, only anger for getting snared. He cursed himself for not being more alert.

They could do nothing now but bide their time and hope they weren't executed before another chance at escape, no matter how slim, appeared. Pitt and Giordino slowly raised their hands and clasped them behind their heads.

"I hope you'll forgive the intrusion," Pitt said quietly. "But we were looking for a bathroom."

"You wouldn't want us to have an accident," Giordino added.

"Still! Both of you!" A voice erupted from a security officer in a smartly creased uniform, a red pillbox cap of the French military perched on his head. The tone was harsh and cold in English with almost no trace of French. "I'm told you are dangerous men. Push all thoughts of escape from your minds. My men are not trained to wound resisting captives."

"What's the big deal?" asked Giordino with an innocent look. "You act like we stole a drum of used dioxin."

The officer ignored Giordino's remark. "Identify yourselves."

Pitt stared at him. "I'm Rocky and my friend is--"

"Bullwinkle," Giordino finished.

A tight smile curled the officer's lips. "No doubt more appropriate than Dirk Pitt and Albert Giordino."

"So if you know, why ask?" said Pitt.

"Mr. Massarde was expecting you."

"The last place they'd expect us to cut and run is the middle of the desert," said Giordino, mimicking Pitt's words in Bourem. "Kind of misguessed, didn't we?"

Pitt lightly shrugged his shoulders. "I read the wrong script."

"How did you men penetrate our security?" asked the officer.

"We took the train," answered Pitt easily, making no attempt to hide the truth.

"The doors to the cargo containers are locked with combinations after loading. You could not have forced your way inside while the train was moving."

"You should tell whoever monitors your television cameras to study the air conditioners on the roofs. A simple matter to remove a panel and use it as a screen."

"Indeed?" Captain Brunone was highly interested. "Most clever. I'll see that your means of entry is added to our security manual."

"I'm deeply flattered," Pitt grinned.

The officer's eyes narrowed. "You won't be for long, rest assured." He paused and spoke into a portable radio. "Mr. Massarde?"

"I'm here," Massarde's voice rasped through the speaker.

"Captain Charles Brunone, sir, Chief of Security."

"Pitt and Giordino?"

"In my hands."

"Did they resist?"

"No, sir, they gave up quietly."

"Please bring them to my office, Captain."

"Yes, sir, as soon as they've been decontaminated."