The closed-door meeting at the UN headquarters began at ten o'clock in the morning and lasted well past midnight. Twenty-five of the world's leading ocean and atmospheric scientists along with another thirty biologists, toxicologists, and contamination experts sat in rapt attention as Hala Kamil made a short opening address before turning over the secret conference to Admiral Sandecker who kicked off the proceedings by revealing the scope of the ecological disaster.
Sandecker then introduced Dr. Darcy Chapman who lectured the assembly on the chemistry of the prolific red tides. He was followed by Rudi Gunn with an update on the contamination data. Hiram Yaeger rounded out the briefing by displaying satellite photos of the spreading tide and providing statistics on its projected growth.
The information session lasted until two o'clock in the afternoon. When Yaeger sat down and Sandecker returned to the podium, there was a strange silence in place of the normal protests by scientists who seldom agreed with each other's theories and revelations. Fortunately, twelve of those in attendance were already aware of the extraordinary growth of the tides and had launched studies of their own. They elected a spokesperson who announced findings that supported the results accumulated by the men from NUMA. Those few who had refused to accept a catastrophic: disaster in the making now came around and endorsed Sandecker's dire warning.
The final program on the agenda was to form committee and research teams to commit their resources and cooperation in sharing information toward the goal of halting and reversing the threat of human extinction.
Though she knew it was a futile plea, Hala Kamil returned to the podium and begged the scientists to not speak to members of the news media until the situation had attained a measure of control. The last thing they needed, she implored, was worldwide panic.
Kamil closed the meeting with an announcement of the time for the next conference to assimilate new information and report on progress toward a solution. There was no polite applause. The scientists filed up the aisles in groups, talking in unusually quiet voices and motioning with their hands as they exchanged viewpoints in their respective areas of expertise.
Sandecker sank wearily in a chair on the rostrum. His face was lined and tired but splendidly etched with strength of will and determination. He felt at last that he had turned the corner and was no longer pleading a case before deaf and hostile ears.
"It was a magnificent presentation," said Hala Kamil.
Sandecker half rose from his chair as she sat down beside him. "I hope it did the job."
Hala nodded and smiled. "You've inspired the top minds in the ocean and environmental sciences to discover a solution before it's too late."
"Informed maybe, but hardly inspired."
She shook her head. "You're wrong, Admiral. They all grasped the urgency. The enthusiasm to tackle the threat was written in their faces."
"None of this would have happened if not for you. It took a woman's foresight to recognize the danger."
"What looked obvious to me, seemed absurd to others," she said quietly.
"I feel better now that the debate and controversy are over and we can concentrate our efforts to stop this thing."
"The next problem we face is keeping it a secret. The story will most certainly go public within forty-eight hours."
"An invasion by an army of reporters is almost inevitable," Sandecker nodded. "Scientists aren't exactly noted for keeping a tight lip."
Hala stared out over the now empty auditorium. The spirit of cooperation was far above anything she'd seen in the General Assembly. Maybe there was hope after all for a world divided by so many ethnic cultures and languages.
"What are your plans now?" she asked.
Sandecker shrugged. "Get Pitt and Giordino out of Mali."
"How long has it been since they were arrested at the solar waste project?"
"Four days."
"Any word of their fate?"
"None I'm afraid. Our intelligence is weak in that part of the world, and we have no idea where they were taken."
"If they've fallen into Kazim's hands I fear the worst."
Sandecker could not bring himself to accept Pitt and Giordino's loss. He changed the subject. "Have investigators found any sign of foul play in the deaths of your World Health inspection team?"
For a moment she did not answer. "They're still probing through the wreckage of the plane," she finally said. "But preliminary reports say there is no evidence the crash was caused by a bomb. So far it's a mystery."
"There were no survivors?"
"No, Dr. Hopper and his entire team were killed along with the flight crew."
"Hard to believe Kazim wasn't behind it."
"He is an evil man," Hala said, her face somber and thoughtful. "I too think he was responsible. Dr. Hopper must have discovered something about the plague that is sweeping Mali, something Kazim could not allow to be revealed, especially among foreign governments that provide him with aid."
"Hopefully, Pitt and Giordino will have the answers."
She looked at Sandecker, an expression of sympathy in her eyes. "You must face the very real possibility that they are already dead, executed on Kazim's orders."
The weariness seemed to fall off Sandecker like a discarded overcoat as a grim smile touched his lips. "No," he said slowly, "I'll never accept Pitt's death, not until I make a positive identification myself. He's come back from the dead on any number of occasions with uncanny regularity."
Hala took Sandecker's hand in hers. "Let us pray that he can do it again."
Felix Verenne was waiting at the Gao airport when Ismail Yerli came down the boarding stairs. "Welcome back to Mali," he said, extending a hand. "I hear you spent time here some years ago."
Yerli did not smile as he took the offered hand. "Sorry for arriving late, but the Massarde Enterprises plane you sent to pick me up in Paris had mechanical problems."
"So I heard. I would have ordered another plane, but you had already departed on an Air Afrique Bight."
"I was under the impression Mr. Massarde wanted me here as soon as possible."
Verenne nodded. "You were informed by Bordeaux as to your assignment?"
"I'm well aware, of course, of the unfortunate investigations by the United Nations and the National Underwater and Marine Agency, but Bordeaux only insinuated that my job was to become chummy with General Kazim and prevent him from interfering with Mr. Massarde's operations."
"The idiot has blundered this whole contamination inspection thing. It's a wonder the world news media hasn't gotten wind of it."
"Are Hopper and his team dead?"
"Might as well be. They're laboring as slaves in a secret gold mining operation of Mr. Massarde's in the deepest part of the Sahara."
"And the NUMA intruders?"
"They were also captured and sent to the mines."
"Then you and Mr. Massarde have everything under control."
"The reason Mr. Massarde sent for you. To prevent any more fiascos by Kazim."
"Where do I go from here?" asked Yerli.
"To Fort Foureau for instructions from Massarde himself. He'll arrange an introduction with Kazim, glorifying the horrifying little man with your intelligence accomplishments. Kazim has a fetish for spy novels. He'll leap at the opportunity to use your services, unknowing you will be reporting his every movement and action to Mr. Massarde."
"How far is Fort Foureau?"
"A two-hour flight by helicopter. Come along, we'll pick up your luggage and be on our way."
Like the Japanese who conducted their business without buying products manufactured by the nations they hustled, Massarde only hired French engineers and construction workers as well as using French-manufactured equipment and transportation. The French-built Ecureuil helicopter was a mate to the one Pitt crashed in the Niger River. Verenne had the copilot collect Yerli's bags and deposit them on board.