“Aboard the Odysseus. Safe with the other archeologists. When can we expect your husband?”
“I have no idea,” she said, her eye on his two men as they moved out of the cabin, Fayez walking with a definite limp.
“Check her tank,” Adrian said. “I want to know how much air her husband has.”
Remi sensed Dimitris bristling beside her. “They both have plenty of air down there. Don’t expect them anytime soon.”
Ilya walked over and checked the gauge. “Less than half a tank. As deep as the water is, I doubt they can stay down longer than ten minutes at that level.” He glanced over, saw the knife strapped to Dimitris’s leg, and removed it. He looked over at Remi. “Where’s your dive knife?”
“I don’t use one.”
Fayez
laughed. “For good reason. She’s likely to hurt herself.”
“How’s that knee of yours?” she asked.
“Enough!” Adrian said. He motioned with his gun toward the open door of the helm. “I’ve never been a patient man. Which means I’m going to need you to convince Fargo to make an appearance.”
“Good luck with that.”
Ilya, his expression never wavering, raised his pistol, pointing it at Dimitris’s chest.
Adrian, however, never took his eyes from Remi. “If you want your friend to live long enough to see his father again, you’ll do as I say. Bring your husband and Nikos to the surface.”
“Don’t do it, Remi,” Dimitris said. “He’s going to kill us anyway.”
Of that, she had no doubt. Especially when she noticed two men in wet suits and scuba gear, each carrying a speargun, standing on the swim deck of the Odysseus. She looked at them, then Adrian. “What’s going on?”
“Let’s just say I was anticipating your refusal to be cooperative. Either Fargo comes up, or those two go down.” His smile was chilling. “The question you might want to ask yourself is if you’d like to see your husband one more time before you all die.”
“Not a very generous choice. Fine. I’ll do what you ask.”
“I thought you might.”
She glanced at Dimitris, then down at her tank and vest. He knew how much air Sam and Nikos had left. Getting her gear into the water might be their only chance. She rested her hand on his shoulder, then squeezed it. “I’ll be fine,” she said.
He gave a slight nod.
“Enough,” Adrian said. He pushed her into the cabin.
Remi stood in front of the underwater radio, which had been switched off. She glanced out the window, past Adrian, saw Ilya picking up her tank and moving it away from the opening, then ordering Dimitris out of his gear.
So much for that idea, she thought, picking up the microphone.
Adrian stepped back, raising his gun. “Choose your words wisely, Mrs. Fargo.”
She took a deep breath, then keyed the mic.
CHAPTER EIGHTY-FOUR
Sam, holding the light for Nikos, heard a slight crackle on the radio, then Remi’s voice on his internal speaker. “How’s it going down there?”
He pushed the talk button. “We’re making progress.”
“You need to come up.”
“Is something wrong?”