Vixen 03 (Dirk Pitt 5)

"Come in," Pitt answered without rising.

The man's body was squat and barrel-chested and must have sagged the scales, Pitt judged, at close to two hundred twenty pounds. The stranger shoved out a beefy hand.

"You must be Pitt."

"Yes, I'm Pitt."

"Good. I found you on the first try. I was afraid of taking a wrong turn in the dark. I'm Abe Steiger."

"Colonel Steiger?"

"Forget the title. As you can see, I came dressed like an old pack rat."

12

"I hardly expected you to answer my inquiry in person. A letter would have done just as well."

Steiger gave a wide grin. "The fact of the matter is, I wasn't about to let the price of a stamp cheat me out of a prospecting trip."

"A prospecting trip?"

"I'm killing two birds with the same stone, so to speak. One, I'm scheduled to speak next week at Chanute Air Force Base, in Illinois, on aircraft safety. Two, you're sitting in the heart of Colorado mining country, and since I have a raving fetish for prospecting, I took the liberty of stopping over in hopes of getting in a little gold panning before continuing on to my lecture."

"You're more than welcome to bunk with me. I'm baching it at the moment anyway."

"Mr. Pitt, I accept your hospitality."

"Did you bring any luggage?"

"Outside, in a rented car."

"Bring it in and I'll fix some coffee." Then, as an afterthought, "Would you like some supper?"

"Thanks, but I had a bite with Harvey Dolan before I drove up."

"You saw the nose gear, then."

Steiger nodded and produced an old leather briefcase. He unzipped the sides and passed Pitt a stapled folder. "The status report on Air Force Boeing C-ninety-seven, number 75403, commanded by a Major Vylander. You might as well go over it while I unpack. If you have any questions, just holler."

After Steiger was settled in a spare bedroom, he joined Pitt at the table. "Does that resolve your curiosity?"

Pitt looked up over the folder. "This report states that 03 vanished over the Pacific during a routine flight between California and Hawaii during January of 1954."

"That's what Air Force records show."

"How do you explain the presence of the nose gear here in Colorado?"

"No great mystery. Sometime during the aircraft's service life the gear assembly was probably replaced with a new one. It's not an uncommon occurrence. The mechanics found a flaw in the structure. A hard landing cracked the strut. Perhaps it was damaged while being towed. There are a dozen different reasons that would require a replacement." "Do the maintenance records show a replacement?"

"No, they do not."

"Isn't that a bit peculiar?"

"Irregular, maybe, but not peculiar. Air Force maintenance personnel are noted for their skill at mechanical repair, not for administrative bookkeeping."

"This also states that no traces of the aircraft or its crew ever turned up"

"I'll concede a puzzler on that score. The records indicate the search was an extensive one, much larger than the normal air-sea rescue procedures called for by the book. And yet, combined units of the Air Force and Navy drew a big fat zero." Steiger nodded thanks as Pitt handed him a steaming cup of coffee. "However, these things happen. Our files are crammed with aircraft that have flown into oblivion."