"You say you and your husband are also on Zolar's death list?" asked Loren.

Micki shrugged. "Yes, we're to be silenced too."

"If you'll pardon me for saying so," said Gunn, "you seem pretty damned indifferent."

"My husband also has plans."

"To escape?"

"No, Henry and I can break out any time it's convenient. We intend to take a share of the treasure for ourselves."

Gunn stared at Micki incredulously. Then he said cynically, "Your husband must be one tough anthropologist."

Perhaps you might better understand if I told you we met and fell in love when working on an assignment together for the Foreign Activities Council."

"Never heard of it," said Gunn.

Loren gave Micki a bemused stare. "I have. FAC is rumored to be an obscure and highly secret organization that works behind the scenes in the White House. No one in Congress has ever been able to come up with solid proof of its existence or its financing."

"What is its function?" asked Gunn.

"To carry out covert activities under the direct supervision of the President outside the nation's other intelligence services without their knowledge," replied Micki.

"What kind of activities?"

"Dirty tricks on foreign nations considered hostile to the United States," replied Loren, studying Micki for some kind of sign. But her expression was aloof and remote. "As a mere member of Congress I'm not privy to their operations and can only speculate. I have a suspicion their primary directive is to carry out assassinations."

Micki's eyes turned hard and cold. "I freely admit that for twelve years, until we retired from service to devote our time to archaeology, Henry and I had few peers."

"I'm not surprised," Loren said sarcastically. "By passing yourselves off as scientists, you were never suspected of being the President's hired killers."

"For your information, Congresswoman Smith, our academic credentials are not counterfeit. Henry has his doctorate from the University of Pennsylvania and I have mine from Stanford. We have no misgivings about the duties we performed under three former Presidents. By eliminating certain heads of foreign terrorist organizations, Henry and I saved more American lives than you can imagine."

"Who are you working for now?"

"Ourselves. As I said, we retired. We felt it was time to cash in our expertise. Our government service is a thing of the past. Though we were well paid for our services, we weren't considered for a pension."

"Tigers aren't known for changing stripes," mocked Gunn. "You can never achieve your objective without killing off Amaru and the Zolars."

Micki smiled faintly. "We may very well have to do unto them before they can do unto us. But only after enough of Huascar's gold is brought to the surface for us to carry out."

"So the trail will be littered with bodies."

Micki passed a weary hand over her face. "Your involvement in the treasure hunt came as a complete surprise to everybody. Stupidly, the Zolars overreacted when they discovered another party was on the trail to the gold. They ran amok, murdering or abducting everyone their greed-crazed minds saw as an obstacle. Consider yourselves lucky they didn't murder you on the ferryboat like your friend Pitt.

Keeping you alive temporarily is the hallmark of rank amateurs."

"You and your husband," murmured Loren caustically, "you would have--"

"Shot you and burned the boat down around your bodies?" Micki shook her head. "Not our style.

Henry and I have only terminated those foreign nationals who have indiscriminately gunned down unfortunate women and children or blew them to pieces without blinking an eye or shedding a tear. We have never harmed a fellow American, and we don't intend to start now. Despite the fact your presence has hamstrung our operation, we will do everything in our power to help you escape this affair in one piece."

"The Z

olars are Americans," Loren reminded her.

Micki shrugged. "A mere technicality. They represent what is perhaps the largest art theft and smuggling ring in history. The Zolars are world-class sharks. Why should I have to tell you? You've experienced their brutality firsthand. By leaving their bones to bleach in the Sonoran Desert, Henry and I figure to save the American taxpayers millions of dollars that would be spent on a complicated and time-consuming investigation into their criminal activities. And then there are the court and prison costs if they're caught and convicted."

Tags: Clive Cussler Dirk Pitt Thriller
Source: readsnovelonline.net