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"Was everyone killed?" asked another. "Were there no survivors?"
"The workers were all saved by a fleet of boats around the lake and helicopters from United States Special Forces that attacked our headquarters Our sisters, who heroically defended our headquarters building, were all killed."
Epona rose and moved away from her chair. She took Summer by the arm and pulled her to her feet. Then the two of them walked haltingly toward the door as if one was in a dream and the other a nightmare. Epona turned, the red-contoured lips spread in a leer. Her head tilted toward Dirk a fraction.
"Enjoy your last few hours on Earth, Mr. Pitt."
Then the door opened, the guard walked in and pressed the muzzle of her gun against Dirk's temple as he came to his feet, knocking over the chair, and made a move toward Epona with murder in his eyes. He stopped dead in his tracks, raging with frustration.
"And bid farewell to your sister. You won't be enjoying her company again."
Then she placed her arm around Summer and led her from the room.
46
The sun blazed down on the asphalt outside the private aircraft terminal of the Managua International Airport as Pitt and Giordino stood under a covered patio and watched the NUMA Citation jet land. The pilot took it down to the last turnout and taxied back to the terminal. As soon as the plane came to a halt, the door was opened from the inside and Rudi Gunn stepped to the ground.
"Oh, no," Giordino groaned. "I can smell it in the air. We're not going home."
Gunn did not walk toward them but motioned for them to approach the plane. As they neared, he said, "Climb aboard, we haven't time to spare."
Without comment Pitt and Giordino threw their bags into the cargo compartment. They had no sooner sat down and snapped their seat-belt buckles than the turbines roared and the plane was speeding down the runway and rising into the air.
"Don't tell me," said Giordino dryly, "we're going to spend eternity in Nicaragua."
"Why the rush?" Pitt asked Gunn.
"Dirk and Summer have disappeared," Gunn said without prelude.
"Disappeared," said Pitt, with a sudden flash of apprehension in his eyes. "Where?"
"Guadeloupe. The admiral sent them to an offshore island to search for the remains of Odysseus' fleet of ships thought to be destroyed there during his voyage from Troy."
"Go on."
"Mr. Charles Moreau, who is our representative for that part of the Caribbean, called last night and said that all communication with your son and daughter had ceased. Repeated attempts to contact them proved fruitless."
"Was there a storm?"
Gunn shook his head. "The weather was ideal. Moreau rented a plane and flew over Branwyn Island, where Dirk and Summer were headed. Their boat had vanished and there was no sign of them on or around the island."
Pitt felt as if a great weight was pressing against his chest. The appalling possibility that his children might be injured or dead was barred from his mind. For a moment he was incapable of believing harm had come to them. But then he looked into the face of the usually taciturn Giordino and saw a look of deep concern.
"We're headed there now," Pitt said, as if it was a point of fact.
Gunn nodded. "We'll land at the airport in Guadeloupe. Moreau has arranged for a helicopter to take us directly to Branwyn."
"Any speculation as to what might have happened to them?" asked Giordino.
"All we know is what Moreau has told us."
"What of this island? Are there inhabitants? A fishing village?"
A grave expression spread across Gunn's face. "The island is privately owned."
"By whom?"
"A woman by the name of Epona Eliade."
