Gunn whistled softly. “That story should cause quite a stir when it hits the headlines.”

“That won't happen any time soon. The paper killed the Gogstad story for no reason. The other three members of the investigative team have disappeared, and my friend has gone into hiding.”

“You're sure there's no mistake,” Gunn said with alarm.

Zavala slowly shook his head. There was silence in the room, then Gunn spoke.

“There's obviously a pattern, then,” he said. “Let me think about this.” Gunn's unprepossessing appearance was misleading. His graduation at the top of his class in the Naval Academy was no accident. He was a sheer genius, and his analytical skills were uncanny. He cradled his chin between his thumb and forefinger and lost himself in deep thought for a moment. “Something has changed,” he said abruptly.

“What do you mean, Rudi?” Sandecker said.

“Their methodology has shifted gears. Let's assume that our basic premise is right and Gogstad is behind all this murder and mayhem. According to Joe, they have acted quietly. People quite simply vanished or were killed in so-called accidents. This changed with the murders of the Mexican and the crooked lawyer. I believe the word the admiral used to describe them was spectacular. ”

Austin chuckled. “Those were love pats compared with the attack in Alaska. Joe and I had to contend with an all-out military assault.”

“The attack on my house was on the heavy-handed side, too,” Trout added.

“I think I see where you're headed with this, Rudi,” Sandecker said. “Paul, how soon did word get out that Dr. Cabral was alive?”

“Almost immediately,” Trout said. “Dr. Ramirez called Caracas from the helicopter that rescued us. The Venezuelan government lost no time making the news public. I would guess that CNN was broadcasting the story around the globe while we were still in the rain forest.”

“Events accelerated shortly thereafter,” Sandecker said. “The situation is clear to me. The catalyst was the news that Francesca Cabral was alive. Her emergence from the grave meant that her water-desalting process was again within the realm of possibility. With her expertise once more available, all that was needed was the rare substance that makes her process work. Dr. Cabral again planned to give her discovery to the world. The people who opposed this simply picked up where they left off ten years ago.”

“Only this time they succeeded,” Austin said.

“Okay, that explains Francesca's kidnapping,” Trout said. “But why did they take Gamay?”

“This outfit does nothing at random,” Austin replied. “Gamay may have been lucky. She might have been killed if they didn't have need of her. Is there anything else you can remember about the kidnapping, Paul?”

“I didn't see much after the first few minutes they were in the house. The leader, the guy in black leather, spoke with an accent I can't place. His pals had heavier accents.”

Sandecker had been sitting back in his chair, fingers tented in front of him, listening to the conversational byplay. He snapped upright.