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utalized his friends. He took a deep breath to regain control. He swore under his breath that the man standing in front of him would pay. Not now. But the time would surely come if he didn't try anything foolish.
He glanced casually toward the nearest railing, gauging its distance and height. Then he turned back to Sarason.
"I don't like big, tough men who beat up defenseless women," he said conversationally. "And for what purpose? The location of the treasure is no secret to you."
"Then it's true," Sarason said with a pleased expression. "You found the beast that guards the gold on the top of Cerro el Capirote."
"If you had dropped for a closer look instead of playing peekaboo in the clouds, you'd have seen the beast for yourself."
Pitt's last words brought a flicker of curiosity to the beady eyes.
"You were aware you were being followed?" asked Sarason.
Ìt goes without saying that you would have searched for our helicopter after our chance meeting in the air yesterday. My guess is you checked out landing fields on both sides of the Gulf last night and asked questions until someone it San Felipe innocently pointed the way to our ferry.'
"You're very astute."
"Not really. I made the mistake of overestimating you. I didn't think you'd act like a reckless amateur and begin mutilating the competition. An act that was completely unwarranted."
Puzzlement filled Sarason's eyes. "What goes on here, Pitt?"
"All part of the plan," answered Pitt almost jovially. "I purposely led you to the jackpot."
"A barefaced lie."
"You've been set up, pal. Get wise. Why do you think I let off Dr. Kelsey, Rodgers, and Giordino before I returned to the ferry? To keep them out of your dirty hands, that's why."
Sarason said slowly. "You couldn't have known we were going to capture your boat before you came back."
"Not with any certainty. Let's say my intuition was working overtime. That and the fact my radio calls to the ferry went unanswered."
A shrewd hyenalike look slowly spread across Sarason's face. "Nice try, Pitt. You'd make an excellent writer of children's stories."
"You don't believe me?" Pitt asked, as if surprised.
"Not a word."
"What are you going to do with us?"
Sarason looked disgustingly cheerful. "You're more naive than I gave you credit for. You know full well what's going to happen to you."
"Crowding your luck, aren't you, Sarason? Murdering Congresswoman Smith will bring half the United States law enforcement officers down around your neck."
"Nobody will know she was murdered," he said impassively. "Your ferryboat will simply go to the bottom with all hands. An unfortunate accident that is never fully solved."
"There is still Kelsey, Giordino, and Rodgers. They're safe and sound in California, ready to spill the story to Customs and FBI agents."
"We're not in the United States. We're in the sovereign nation of Mexico. The local authorities will conduct an extensive investigation but will turn up no evidence of foul play despite unfounded accusations from your friends."
"With close to a billion dollars at stake, I should have known you'd be generous in buying the cooperation of local officials."
"They couldn't wait to sign on board after we promised them a share of the treasure," Sarason boasted.
"Considering how much there is to go around," said Pitt, "you could afford to play Santa Claus."
Sarason looked at the setting sun. "It's getting late in the day. I think we've chatted long enough." He turned and spoke a name that sent a shiver through Pitt. "Tupac, come and say hello to the man who made you impotent."
Tupac Amaru stepped from behind one of the guards and stood in front of Pitt, his teeth set and grinning like a skull on a pirate's Jolly Roger flag. He had the joyful but clinical look of a butcher sizing up a slab of prime, specially aged beef.
