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。 It's impossible for someone to have put a bomb in the plane and escaped without us knowing。〃
〃The bomb was placed inside the plane before we took off from Cape Town；〃 said Giordino； his tone like ice。 〃Set and timed to detonate on our return trip。〃
Gunn stared at him blankly。 〃Those hours we spent examining the crypt。 。 。〃
〃Saved our lives。 Whoever the killers are； they didn't count on us finding anything of great interest or spending more than an hour or two looking around； so they set their detonator four hours early。〃
〃I can't believe anyone else has seen the chamber since the castaway。〃
〃Certainly not our friends from Telluride； or they'd have destroyed the first chamber。 Somebody leaked our flight to St。 Paul Island； and we showed them the way。 Now it's only a matter of time before they arrive to study the inscriptions in the first chamber。〃
Gunn's mind struggled to adjust to a new set of circumstances。 〃We've got to apprise the admiral of our predicament。〃
〃Do it in code；〃 Giordino suggested。 〃These guys are good。 Ten to one they have a facility for listening in on satellite conversations。 It's best that we let them think we're being eaten by fish on the bottom of the Indian Ocean。〃
Gunn raised his Globalstar phone and was about to dial； when a thought occurred to him。 〃Suppose the killers get here before the admiral's rescue party？〃
〃Then we'd better practice throwing rocks； because that's the only defense we have。〃
Almost forlornly； Gunn gazed around the rocky landscape。 〃Well；〃 he said woodenly； 〃at least we don't have to worry about running out of ammunition。〃
The Polar Storm with her scientists and ship's crew had worked its way around the Antarctic Peninsula and across the Weddell Sea when Sandecker's message came in； ordering Captain Gillespie to shelve the expedition temporarily。 He was to leave the ice pack immediately and sail at full speed to the Prince Olav Coast。 There he was to heave to and wait off the Syowa Japanese research station until further orders。 Gillespie called on his chief engineer and the engineer room crew to push the big icebreaker research ship to her maximum。 They nearly achieved the impossible by gaining twenty knots out of her。 Quite impressive； when Gillespie recalled that her top speed as specified by her builders twenty…two years before was eighteen knots。
He was pleased that his old ship had reached the rendezvous area eight hours earlier than expected。 The water was too deep to drop anchor； so he ran the ship onto the outer edge of the ice pack before he ordered the engines shut down。 Gillespie then notified Sandecker that his ship had arrived on station and was awaiting further orders。
The only reply was a succinct 〃Stand by to receive a passenger。〃
The respite gave everyone time to catch up on unfinished work。 The scientists busied themselves analyzing and recording their findings into puters； while the crew went about making routine repairs to the ship。
They did not have long to wait。
On the morning of the fifth day since leaving the Weddell Sea； Gillespie was studying the sea ice through his binoculars when he saw a helicopter slowly emerge from an early…morning ice mist。 It flew on a direct line toward the Polar Storm。 He ordered his second officer to receive the aircraft at the landing pad on the stern of the ship。
The helicopter hovered for a few seconds； then descended onto the pad。 A man carrying a briefcase and a small duffel bag jumped from an open cargo door and spoke to Gillespie's second officer。 Then he turned and waved to the pilot who had flown him to the ship。 The rotor blades increased their beat and the helicopter rose into the cold air and was heading for home when Pitt stepped onto the Polar Storm's bridge。
〃Hello； Dan；〃 he greeted the captain warmly。 〃Good to see you。〃
〃Dirk！ Where did you drop from？〃
〃I was flown from Punta Arenas on the Strait of Magellan by Air Force jet to the airstrip at the nearby Japanese research station。 They were kind enough to give me a lift on their helicopter to the ship。〃
〃What brings you to the Antarctic？〃
〃A little search project farther down the coast。〃
〃I knew the admiral had something up his sleeve。 He was damned secretive about it。 He gave me no idea you were ing。〃
〃He has his reasons。〃 Pitt set his briefcase on the chart table； opened it； and handed Gillespie a paper with a set of coordinates。 〃This is our destination。〃
The captain looked at the coordinates and studied the appropriate nautical chart。 〃Stefansson Bay；〃 he said quietly。 〃It's near； on the Kemp Coast not far from the Hobbs Islands。 Nothing there of interest。 It's as barren a piece of property as I've ever seen。 What are we looking for？〃
〃A shipwreck。〃
〃A wreck under the ice？〃
〃No；〃 said Pitt with a half grin。 〃A wreck in the ice。〃
Stefansson Bay looked even more desolate and remote than Gillespie had described it； especially under a sky filled with clouds as dark as charcoal and a sea sullen with menacing ice。 The wind bit like the needle teeth of an eel； and Pitt began to think of the physical effort required in crossing the ice pack to reach the continent's shore。 Then the adrenaline began to pump as he thought of discovering a ship whose decks hadn't been trod since 1858。
Could it still be there； he wondered； just as Roxanna Mender and her husband had found it nearly a century and a half before？ Or had it been eventually crushed by the ice or bulldozed out to sea where it finally sank deep in icy waters？
Pitt found Gillespie standing on a bridge wing； peering through binoculars at an unseen object far back in the spreading wake of the icebreaker。 〃Looking for whales？〃 he asked。
〃U…boats；〃 Gillespie answered； matter…of…factly。
Pitt thought the captain was joking。 〃Not many wolf packs in this part of the sea。〃
〃Just one。〃 Gillespie kept the glasses pressed against his eyes。 〃The U…2015。 She's been following our wake ever since we almost collided with her ten days ago。〃
Pitt still wasn't sure he was hearing right。 〃Are you serious？〃
Gillespie finally lowered the glasses。 〃I am。〃 Then he proceeded to tell Pitt about the meeting with the U…boat。 〃I identified her from an old photo I have in my maritime library。 There's no doubt in my mind。 She's the U…2015； all right。 Don't ask me how she survived all these years or why she's tracking this ship。 I don't have the answers。 All I know is that she's out there。〃
Pitt had worked with the captain on at least four projects over the years。 He knew him as one of the most trusted captains in NUMA's fleet of research ships。 Dan Gillespie was not a kook or someone who told tall tales。 He was a sober and decisive man who had never had a black mark on his record。 No accident or serious injury ever occurred when he trod the deck。
〃Who would believe after all these years。 。 。〃 Pitt's voice trailed off。 He was unsure of what to say。
〃I don't have to read your mind to know you think I'm ready for a straitjacket；〃 said Gillespie earnestly； 〃but I can pr