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d Grand Banks finally came to a stop； with only ten feet separating her ruptured stern from the edge of the rocky shoreline。
Pitt snatched up the little directional puter and rushed out the bridge door。 〃Everybody ashore who's going ashore；〃 he shouted。 He snatched up Megan under one arm and smiled at her。 〃Sorry about this； young lady； but we can't hang around to find a ladder。〃 Then he slid over the railing and lowered himself and Megan into the frigid water； his feet touching bottom in four feet。 He knew Pat and Giordino were right behind him； as he struggled over the rocky bottom and slimecovered rocks toward dry land。
As soon as his feet cleared the water； he released Megan and checked his directional puter to make absolutely certain they had the right ravine。 They did。 The Skycar was only minutes away。
〃You're hurt；〃 said Pat； seeing the dark stream of blood on Pitt's hand under the light of the stars and falling crescent moon。 〃You've got a nasty gash。〃
〃A glass cut；〃 he said simply。
She inserted a hand under her red coveralls； ripped off her bra； and began using it to wrap Pitt's hand to stem the flow of blood。 〃Now； there's a bandage I've never seen before；〃 he murmured with a grin。
〃Under the circumstances；〃 she said； tying the ends tightly in a knot； 〃it's the best I can do。〃
〃Who's plaining？〃 He gave her a hug and then turned to the shadow that was Giordino。 〃All present and accounted for？〃
Giordino had Megan by the hand。 〃Adrenaline still pumping。〃
〃Then e on；〃 said Pitt。 〃Our private plane awaits。〃
To Sandecker and Agent Little； the wait for the next contact from Pitt and Giordino seemed interminable。 The fire had died to a few smoldering embers； and the admiral seemed to have no interest in rekindling it。 He puffed on one of his big cigars； covering the ceiling with a haze of blue smoke。 Both he and Little passed the time sitting spellbound； listening to the tales told by Admiral Hozafel； tales he had never told anyone in more than fifty…six years。
〃You were saying； Admiral；〃 said Sandecker； 〃that the Nazis sent expeditions to explore Antarctica several years before the war。〃
〃Yes； Adolf Hitler was far more creative than people thought。 I can't say what inspired him； but he acquired a fascination for Antarctica； primarily to populate and to use as a giant military establishment。 He believed that if such a dream came true； his naval and air forces could control all the seas south of the Tropic of Capricorn。 Captain Alfred Ritscher was put in mand of a large expedition to explore the subcontinent。 The Schwabenland； an early German aircraft carrier used to refuel seaplanes flying the Atlantic in the early 1930s； was converted for Antarctic exploration； and left Hamburg in December of 1938 under the pretense of studying the feasibility of setting up a whaling colony。 After reaching their destination in the middle of the southern summer； Ritscher sent out aircraft with the newest and best German cameras。 His flyers covered over two hundred and fifty thousand square miles and took more than eleven thousand aerial photographs。〃
〃I've heard rumors of such an expedition；〃 said Sandecker； 〃but until now I never learned the true facts。〃
〃Ritscher returned with a larger expedition a year later； this time with improved aircraft with skis； so they could land on the ice。 They also brought along a small zeppelin。 This time they covered three hundred and fifty thousand square miles； landing at the South Pole and dropping flags with the swastika emblem every thirty miles as markers for their claim of Nazi territory。〃
〃Did they discover anything of unusual interest？〃 asked Little。
〃Indeed they did；〃 replied Hozafel。 〃The aerial surveys recorded a number of ice…free areas； frozen lakes whose ice surface was less than four feet thick； and steam vents with signs of vegetation growing nearby。 Their photographs also detected what looked like bits and pieces of roads under the ice。〃
Sandecker sat up straight and gazed at the old German U…boat mander。 〃The Germans found evidence of a civilization on Antarctica？〃
Hozafel nodded。 〃Teams using motorized snow vehicles found natural ice caves。 While exploring them； they stumbled onto the remains of an ancient civilization。 This discovery inspired the Nazis to use their engineering and technical ingenuity to build a vast underground base in Antarctica。 It was the best…kept secret of the war。〃
〃To my knowledge；〃 said Little； 〃Allied intelligence sources ignored rumors of a Nazi base in Antarctica。 They considered them far…fetched propaganda。〃
Hozafel gave a crooked smile。 〃They were meant to。 But once； Admiral Donitz nearly gave it away。 During a speech to his U…boat manders； he announced； ‘The German submarine fleet is proud of having built for the Fuhrer； in another part of the world； a Shangri…la on land； an impregnable fortress。' Fortunately for us； nobody paid attention。 The U…boats I manded earlier in the war were never sent to the Antarctic； so it wasn't until near the end； when I became mander of the U…699； that I learned of the secret base； whose code name was New Berlin。〃
〃How was it built？〃 inquired Sandecker。
〃After the war began； the first step the Nazis took was to send a pair of raiders into the southern waters to sink all hostile shipping and keep the Allies from obtaining any information concerning the project。 Until they were eventually sunk by ships of the British navy； the raiders captured or destroyed entire fleets of Allied shipping and all fishing and whaling ships that strayed into the area。 Next； an armada of cargo ships； disguised as Allied merchant vessels； and a fleet of huge U…boats； built not for warfare but to transport large cargoes； began moving men； equipment； and supplies to the area of the ancient civilization they thought might be Atlantis。〃
〃Why build a base on ancient ruins？〃 said Little。 〃What military purpose did it serve？〃
〃The dead and lost city itself was not important。 It was the vast ice cave they found under a field of ice that led from the city。 The cave traveled twenty…five miles； before ending at a geothermal lake that covered a hundred and ten square miles。 Scientists； engineers； construction teams； and every arm of the military army； air force； navy and； of course； a large contingent of SS to maintain security and oversee the operation； landed and began an immense excavation project。 They also imported a large army of slave labor； mostly captured Russians from Siberia； who had built up a resistance to cold climates。〃
〃What happened to the Russian prisoners after the base was pleted？〃 asked Little； suspecting the answer。
Hozafel's face turned grim。 〃The Nazis could never allow them to be released and reveal Germany's best…kept secret。 They were either worked to death or executed。〃
Sandecker studied the smoke spiraling from his cigar soberly。 〃So thousands of Russians lie under the ice； unknown and forgotten。〃
〃Life was cheap to the Nazis；〃 said Hozafel。 〃The sacrifice to build a fortress to launch the Fourth Reich was well worth the price to them。〃