Black Wind by Clive Cussler Read Free Book Online

that it was not the sky above her but a ceiling. A softness beneath her revealed that she was lying in a bed with a thick pillow under her head. An oxygen mask was covering her face, which she removed, but she left alone the intravenous needle that was stuck in her arm. Carefully taking in the surroundings, her eyes gazed upon a small, simply decorated room featuring a small writing desk in one corner with an impressive painting of an old ocean liner above it, while off to the side was a small bath. The bed she lay in was mounted to the wall and the open door to a hallway had a stepover threshold. The whole room seemed to be rolling, and she was uncertain if it was her head creating the motion as a result of the deep throbbing sensation that pounded at her temples.
    A movement caught her eye and she turned back to the doorway to find a figure standing there, looking at her with a slight grin. He was a tall man, broad-shouldered, but on a fit and somewhat wiry frame. He was young, perhaps in his late twenties, she guessed, but moved with the confidence of a more mature man. His skin showed the deep tan of someone who spent a good deal of time outdoors. Wavy black hair set off a rugged face that was more intriguing than classically handsome. But it was the eyes that radiated an aura about the man. They were a deep shade of iridescent green and revealed a sense of intelligence, adventure, and integrity all rolled into one. They were the eyes of a man who could be trusted. And they were the same green eyes, Sarah recalled, that she had seen before blacking out at the camp.
    â€œWell, hello, Sleeping Beauty.” The words came from a warm, deep voice.
    â€œYou . . . you’re the man at the camp,” Sarah stammered.
    â€œYes. My apologies for not properly introducing myself on the island, Sarah. My name is Dirk Pitt.” He neglected to add “Junior,” although he shared the same name as his father.
    â€œYou know who I am?” she asked, still confused.
    â€œWell, not intimately,” Dirk smiled nonthreateningly, “but a brainy scientist named Irv told me a little about you and your project on Yunaska. Irv seemed to think he poisoned everyone with his chili.”
    â€œIrv and Sandy! Are they all right?”
    â€œYes. They took a little nap, like you, but are fine now. They’re resting just down the hall,” Dirk said, motioning with his thumb toward the corridor. He could see the look of bewilderment in Sarah’s eyes and touched her shoulder with his hand in a reassuring squeeze.
    â€œDon’t worry, you’re in good hands. You’re aboard the National Underwater and Marine Agency research ship Deep Endeavor . We were returning from an underwater survey of the Aleutian Basin when we picked up a distress call from the Coast Guard weather station on Yunaska. I flew to the station in a helicopter we have on board and happened to see your camp while flying back to the ship. I gave you and your friends an all-expense-paid aerial tour of Yunaska, but you slept through the whole thing,” Dirk added with mock disappointment.
    â€œI’m sorry,” Sarah murmured, feeling somewhat bashful. “I guess I owe you a big thanks, Mr. Pitt.”
    â€œPlease, call me Dirk.”
    â€œOkay, Dirk,” Sarah replied with a smile, feeling an odd flutter as she spoke his name. “How are the Coast Guard people?”
    Dirk’s face went dark and a look of sorrow crossed his brow. “I’m afraid we didn’t make it in time. We found two men and a dog at the station. They were all dead.”
    A shiver went up Sarah’s spine. Two men dead, and she and her companions nearly as well. None of it made any sense.
    â€œWhat on earth happened?” Sarah asked in shock.
    â€œWe don’t know for sure. Our ship’s doctor is running some tests, but, as you can imagine, his resources are somewhat limited. It appears to have been some sort of