Inca Gold (Dirk Pitt 12)

"Fine as far as it goes," said Gunn. "But State Department experts and the Congressional Committee on Latin American Affairs think you both should hang around and make the dirty Yankees look good by helping to halt the looting of Peru's cultural heritage."

"In other words, our esteemed government wants to milk our benevolent image for all it's worth," said Pitt stonily.

"Something along those lines."

"And Sandecker agreed to it."

"Goes without saying," Gunn assured him. "The admiral never misses a chance to stroke Congress if it can lead to more funding for NUMA's future operations."

"Who is going in with us?"

"Dr. Alberto Ortiz from the National Institute of Culture in Chiclayo will supervise the archaeological team. He'll be assisted by Dr. Kelsey."

"Without reliable protection we'll be asking for trouble."

"The Peruvians have assured us they will send in a highly trained security force to control the valley."

"But are they trustworthy? I don't want an encore by an army of rogue mercenaries."

"Nor me," Giordino agreed firmly.

Gunn made a helpless gesture. "I can only pass on what I was told."

"We'll need better equipment than what we took in on our last trip."

"Give me a list and I'll handle the logistics."

Pitt turned to Giordino. "Do you get the distinct impression we've been had?"

"As near as I can tell," said the stocky Italian, "this makes about four hundred and thirty-seven times."

Pitt did not look forward to a repeat dive in the sinkhole. There was a haunted aura about it, something evil in its depths. The yawning cavity gaped in his mind as though it were the mouth of the devil. The imagery was so irrational that he tried to erase it from his mind, but the vision would not go away. It clung like the vague memory of a repugnant nightmare.

Two days later, at about eight in the morning, preparations were completed for the dive to retrieve Doc Miller's body from the sacred well. As Pitt stared down at the surface slime of the sinkhole, all his apprehension evaporated. The loathsome cavity still looked as menacing as when he had first encountered it, but he had survived its deadly surge, climbed its sheer walls. Now that he knew its hidden secrets, it no longer held any threat. The first hurried, planned-on-the-spot rescue was quickly forgotten.

This was now a state-of-the-art project.

True to his word, Gunn had chartered two helicopters and scrounged the necessary gear for the job.

One whole day was spent ferrying Dr. Kelsey and Miles Rodgers, the dive crew, and their equipment to the site and reestablishing the destroyed camp. Gunn was not known for running sloppy operations.

There was no deadline, and he took the time to plan every step with precision. Nothing was left to chance.

A fifty-man contingent from Peru's elite special security unit was already in place when Gunn's first helicopter landed. To the taller North Americans the South American men seemed small in stature. They had an almost gentle look on their faces, but they were a tough lot, hardened by years of fighting Shining Path guerrillas in the heavily forested mountain country and barren coastal deserts. They quickly set up defenses around the camp and sent patrols into the surrounding jungle.

"Wish I was going with you," said Shannon from behind Pitt.

He turned and smiled. "I can't imagine why. Retrieving a human body that's been decomposing in tropically heated soup is not what I call a fun experience."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to sound cold-hearted." There was little expression of sorrow in her eyes. "I had the deepest admiration for Doc. But the archaeologist in me wants desperately to explore the bottom of the sacred pool."

"Don't get your hopes up of finding a treasure in antiquities," Pitt consoled her. "You'd be disappointed. All I saw was an acre of silt with an old Spaniard growing out of it."

"At least allow Miles to dive with you and make a photo record."

"Why the rush?"

"During the recovery, you and Al might disturb the bottom and move artifacts from their original positions."