"I've met a few slick operators in my short life span, but by God, Kirsti, or Kristjan, or whoever, you've got to be the shrewdest bastard… or rather, bitch that ever came down the pike. You took everyone. You conned Admiral Sandecker into thinking you were going to turn the undersea probe over to our government. You faked a thousand men and their ships and aircraft into a wild-goose chase, searching for a ship that was never missing. You beguiled Dr. Hunnewell, an old friend, into identifying a charred body as your own. You used Fyrie Limited's personnel-and they died carrying out your orders. You used Rondheim.
You used Kelly. And you even tried to use me in the hope I might erase Oskar. Too bad the bubble had to burst. The first step to all frauds is to cheat oneself. At that you were a raving success."
Kirsti had moved slowly around to a small traveling case on an end table, lifted out a tiny Colt twenty-five automatic and leveled it on Pitts chest. "Your accusations are not nearly as neat and organized as you think. You're groping, Dirk; you're groping in the dark like a blind man."
Pitt glanced at the gun and then nonchalantly turned away and ignored it. "Suppose you show me the light."
She looked uncertainly at Pitt, but she still held the gun as steady as a statue. "I had every intention of turning the undersea probe over to your country. My original plan was to put my scientists and engineers on board the Lax and send them to Washington for the presentation ceremonies. Then on the voyage across the North Atlantic, Kristjan Fyrie was to have been lost overboard."
"In the meantime, you had flown to Mexico for the operation."
"Yes," Kirsti answered softly. "But the totally unexpected, and unforeseen coincidence, spelled disaster to the new life I had so carefully planned. Dr. Jesus Ybarra was a memberof Hermit Limited.)) 9$ "So he blew the whistle and informed Rondheim.
Kirsti nodded, "From that moment on I was Oskar's slave. He threatened to expose my transition to the world if I didn't turn my business resources over to him and Kelly. I had no choice. If my secret had become known, the resulting scandal would have wrecked Fyn'e Limited and shattered the economy of my country."
"Why the masquerade with the Lax?"
"Now that Oskar and Kelly controlled me, they were not about to let the sea probe out of their hands.
So they created a fraudulent story about the Lax's disappearance. You must admit, it was an efficient situation. To the world the sea probe was lost on the bottom of the sea."
"And so was Kristjan Fyrie."
"Yes, it also served my purpose."
"That doesn't explain the alteration to the Lax's Superstructure," Pitt persisted. ")"y wasn't the sea probe simply removed and installed on another ship?" For the first time she smiled. "The sea probe is a complicated piece of equipment. A ship must literally be designed around it, To have taken it from the Lax and reinstalled it in a nondescript fishing trawler would have taken months. While everyone was searching for her, the Lax was secretly being face-lifted in a cove on the eastern coast of Greenland."
"And Dr. Hunnewell, how did he figure in the picture?"
"He worked with me in developing the probe."
"I know, but why you? Why not with someone in his own country?"
She looked at him and studied his face for a long moment. "I paid for the research and development with no strings attached. The technological corporations 'm the United States wanted to tie up his services and all his experimental results. Dr. Hunnewell despised doing anything that reeked of commercial profit."
"Yet he became associated with Kelly and Hermit Limited."
"When the Lax was prospecting the sea floor off Greenland, the probe malfunctioned. Dr. Hunnewell was the only one with the technical knowledge to suggest a quick repair. Kelly flew him there from California. A very persuasive talker, that F. James Kelly. He sold Dr. Hunnewell on jog Hermit Limited to save the world. The doctor couldn't resist. He was always what you Americans call a do-gooder." A pained expression crossed Kirsti's face. "He came to regret his decision, and he died for it."
"That explains the fire on the ship," Pitt said thoughtfully. "You underestimated Dr. Hunnewell. He didn't fall under the spell of Kelly. He saw through the whole dirty scheme. He didn't like what he saw on the Lax-Rondheim's crew holding your scientists prisoners. It's even likely your people on the ship slipped him the facts on Dr. Matajic's and his assistant's deaths.
Hunnewell knew then he had to do something to stop Kelly so he wired the probe, timing it to self-destruct after he was in the air and on his way back to the States. Only he made a mistake. Something even he didn't understand about the reactive elements of celtinium caused it to ignite and not only destroy the probe but the entire ship and the crew as well. I was there when he set foot on the Lax again. I saw the stunned expression on his face when he realized what he'd done."
"It was my fault," Kirsti said shakuy. "I am to blame. I should have never divulged Dr. Hunnewell's name to Oskar and Kelly."
"Kelly guessed what had happened and ordered Rondheim to silence Hunnewell."
"He was my oldest friend," Kirsti moaned softly.
"And I signed his death warrant."
"Did he know about you?"
"No, Oskar simply told him I was in the hospital recuperating from another illness."
"He was a better friend than you knew," Pitt said.
"He falsely identified a body on the Lax as yours. Dr. Hunnewell did it so that Kristjan Fyrie he knew wouldn't be implicated when he went to the authorities and spilled the damning facts about Hermit Limited. Unfortunately, evil triumphed over good. Rondheim got to him first." Pitt shook his head sadly and sighed. "Then enter Dirk Pitt, stage left."
Kirsti shivered visibly. "that's why I insisted on meeting you. I had to express my gratitude for your attempt to save his life. I am still in your debt."
Pitt rolled the cool glass over his forehead. "Too late; it makes little difference now," he said wearily.
"It does to me. That's why I saved you from being beaten to pieces by Oskar." Her voice began to tremble.
"But I… I can't save you a second time. I must protect myself, Dirk. I am sorry. Please do not move and make me pull the trigger. You must wait until Oskar arrives."
Pitt shook his head again. "Don't look for Oskar to come bounding in here to rescue you. At this moment, your ex-slavemaster is lying unconscious, encased in half a ton of plaster in a hospital bed. Surrounded, I might add, by a bevy of National Intelligence agents.
They may have to push him to the gallows in a wheelchair, but walk or ride, he will surely swing."
The gun wavered a hair. "What do you mean?"
"It's done, over with. You're free. Hermit Limited and its management just went belly up."
Strangely, Kirsti didn't accuse Pitt of insanity. "I want to believe you, but how can I?"
"Pick up the phone and call Kelly, Marks, Von Hummel, or your friend Rondheim. Or better yet, search every room on the sixth floor."
"And what do you expect me to find?"
"Nothing, nothing at all. They've all been arrested." Pitt finished the drink and set it down. "You and I are the only ones left.
Courtesy of the N.I.A.
You're my bonus-a little side gift-for services rendered. Love it or hate it, your soul has passed from Rondheim to me."
The room swayed around Kirsti as the truth of Pitts words took hold. She had wondered why Rondheim hael not contacted her, why Kelly had not visited her as he had promised, why there had been no ring of the phone, no knock at the door for nearly two hours.
She steadied herself, quickly accepting the realization of what had taken place.
"But… what of me? Am I to be arrested also?"
"No, the N.I.A. knows of your new status. They put two and two together and figured that Rondheim was blackmailing you. They considered taking you in as an accomplice, but I talked them out of it."