The Pharaoh's Secret by Clive Cussler Read Free Book Online

cradle.
    â€œWhat’s the word?”
    â€œI told them what we’ve found,” Joe said. “Based on AIS data from last night, they’re guessing the freighter is the M.V.
Torino
.”
    â€œWhat’s she carrying?”
    â€œMachine parts and textiles, mostly. Nothing dangerous.”
    â€œTextiles, my eye,” Kurt said. “What’s the ETA on those helicopters?”
    â€œTwo, maybe three hours.”
    â€œWhat happened to getting airborne in thirty minutes?”
    â€œThey took off,” Joe said. “But based on our report, they’re returning to Sicily to refuel while a hazardous-materials crew is rounded up.”
    â€œCan’t say I blame them,” Kurt replied. Still, his mind was on the fate of the doctor who’d radioed them and the NUMA team members who were still not responding to calls, not to mention the five thousand other men, women and children who lived on Lampedusa. He made a quick decision. The only decision his conscience would allow.
    â€œLet’s get the Zodiac ready, I’m going in to look for our friends.”
    Reynolds overheard this and responded instantly. “Are you out of your mind?”
    â€œPossibly,” Kurt said. “But if I wait around for three hours to find out whether our people are living or dead, there’ll be no doubt I’ll end up losing my marbles for sure. Especially if it turns out we could have helped them but sat on our hands instead.”
    â€œI’m with you,” Joe said.
    Reynolds shot them a stern gaze. “And how do you propose to not die of whatever it is that apparently affected the rest of the people on that island?”
    â€œWe have full-face helmets and plenty of pure oxygen. If we wear them, we should be fine.”
    â€œSome nerve toxins react with the skin,” Reynolds pointed out.
    â€œWe have dry suits that are waterproof,” Kurt shot back. “That ought to do the trick.”
    â€œAnd we can wear gloves and tape up every gap,” Joe added.
    â€œDuct tape?” Reynolds said. “You’re going to bet your lives on the integrity of duct tape?”
    â€œWouldn’t be the first time,” Joe admitted. “I used it to tape the wing of an airplane back together once. Although that didn’t work out the way we planned.”
    â€œThis is serious,” Reynolds said, baffled at what the two seemed intent on doing. “You’re talking about risking your lives for nothing. You have no reason to think anyone is even still alive on that island.”
    â€œNot true,” Kurt replied. “I have two reasons. First, we received that radio call, which was obviously made after the event happened. That doctor and several others were alive—at least at that time they were. In a hospital, no less. They mentioned being sealed-off, presumably to keep this toxin from reaching them. Others could have done the same thing. Including our people. Beyond that, some of the squid aren’t dead out there. They’re flapping around, grabbing onto each other and moving just enough to tell me they’re not ready to be thrown onto a barbecue yet.”
    â€œThat’s pretty thin,” Reynolds said.
    It was thick enough for Kurt. “I’m not waiting around out here only to find out there were people we could have helped if we’d have moved sooner.”
    Reynolds shook his head. He knew he wasn’t going to win this argument. “Okay, fine,” he said. “But what are we supposed to do in the meantime?”
    â€œKeep an ear to the radio and an eye on the pelicans sitting on that buoy,” Kurt said, pointing to a trio of white birds on the channel marker. “If they start to die and drop off into the sea, turn the boat around and get out of here as fast as you can.”

5

    A few miles away, a brooding figure sat in a small Zodiac boat, one that he’d stolen from the doomed freighter. Ammon Ta