Inca Gold (Dirk Pitt 12)

Sarason related the entire story from the murder of the true Dr. Miller by Amaru to the escape of Pitt and the others from the Valley of the Viracocha to the death of Juan Chaco. He finished by giving a rough tally of the artifacts he had salvaged from the valley, and how he arranged to have the cache transported to Callao, then smuggled out of Peru in a secret cargo compartment inside an oil tanker owned by a subsidiary of Zolar International. It was one of two such ships used for the express purpose of slipping looted and stolen art in and out of foreign countries while transporting small shipments of crude oil.

Zolar stared into the desert without seeing it. "The Aztec Star. She is scheduled to reach San Francisco in four days."

"That puts her in brother Charles's sphere of activity."

"Yes, Charles has arranged for your shipment to be transported to our distribution center in Galveston where he will see to the restoration of the artifacts." Zolar held his glass up to be refilled. "How is the wine?"

"A classic," answered Sarason, "but a bit dry for my taste."

"Perhaps you'd prefer a sauvignon blanc from Touraine. It has a pleasing fruitiness with a scent of herbs."

"I never acquired your taste for fine wines, brother. I'll settle for a beer."

Zolar did not have to instruct his serving lady. She quietly left them and returned in minutes with an iced glass and a bottle of Coors beer.

"A pity about Chaco," said Zolar. "He was a loyal associate."

"I had no choice. He was running scared after the fiasco in the Valley of Viracocha and made subtle threats to unveil the Solpemachaco. It would not have been wise to allow him to fall into the hands of the Peruvian Investigative Police."

"I trust your decisions, as I always have. But there is still Tupac Amaru. What is his situation?"

"He should have died," replied Sarason. "Yet when I returned to the temple after the attack of our gun-happy mercenaries, I found him buried under a pile of rubble and still breathing. As soon as the artifacts were cleared out and loaded aboard three additional military helicopters, whose flight crews I was forced to buy off at a premium, I paid the local huaqueros to carry him to their village for care. He should be back on his feet in a few days."

"You might have been wise to remove Amaru too."

"I considered it. But he knows nothing that could lead international investigators to our doorstep."

"Would you like another serving of pork?"

"Yes, please."

"Still, I don't like having a mad dog loose around the house."

"Not to worry. Oddly, it was Chaco who gave me the idea of keeping Amaru on the payroll."

"Why, so he can murder little old ladies whenever the mood strikes him?"

"Nothing so ludicrous." Sarason smiled. "The man may well prove to be a valuable asset."

"You mean as a hired killer."

"I prefer to think of him as someone who eliminates obstacles. Let's face it, brother. I can't continue eliminating our enemies by myself without risk of eventual discovery and capture. The family should consider itself fortunate that I am not the only one who has the capacity to kill if necessary. Amaru makes an ideal executioner. He enjoys it."

"Just be sure you keep him on a strong leash when he's out of his cage."

"Not to worry," said Sarason firmly. Then he changed the subject. "Any buyers in mind for our Chachapoyan merchandise?"

"A drug dealer by the name of Pedro Vincente," replied Zolar. "He hungers after anything that's pre-Columbian. He also pays a cash premium since it's a way for him to launder his drug profits."

"And you take the cash and use it to finance our underground art and artifact operations."

"An equitable arrangement for all concerned."

"How soon before you make the sale?"

"I'll set up a meeting with Vincente right after Sister Marta has your shipment cleaned up and ready for display. You should have your share of the profits within ten days."

Sarason nodded and gazed at the bubbles in his beer. "I think you see through me, Joseph. I'm seriously considering retiring from the family business while I'm still healthy."