Ben Greenwald slammed a lin on the affair until you gentlemen could be informed. Outside this room, only three Secret Service personnel, including Greenwald, are privy to the facts."

"There has to be a logical explanation," said Mercier. The President adviser on national security rose to his feet and paced the room. "Twenty people were not whisked away by supernatural powers or aliens from outer space. If, and I make that a questionable if, the President and the others are indeed missing from the Eagle, it has to be a highly organized conspiracy."

"I assure you, sir," said Lucas, staring directly into Mercier's eyes, "my deputy agent found the boat totally deserted."

"You say the fog was thick," Mercier continued.

"That's how Agent Blackowl described it."

"Could they have somehow penetrated your security network and driven away?"

Lucas shook his head. "Even if they managed to elude my security detail in the fog, their movement would have been detected by the sensitive alarm systems we installed around the estate."

"That leaves the river," observed Jesse Simmons. The Secretary of Defense was a taciturn man, given to telegramlike statements. A leathery tan face was evidence of his weekends as an avin water skier.

"Suppose the Eagle was boarded from the water? Suppose they were forcibly removed to another boat?"

Oates gave Simmons a dubious stare. "You make it sound as if Blackbeard the Pirate was responsible."

"Agents were patrolling the dock and riverbank," Lucas explained.

"No way passengers and crew could be subdued and carried off without a sound."

"Maybe they were drugged," suggested Dan Fawcett.

"A possibility," admitted Lucas.

"Let's look at this head-on," said Oates. "Rather than speculate on how the abduction occurred, I think we must concentrate on the reason and the force responsible before we can plan a response."

"I agree," said Simmons. He turned to Metcalf. "General, any evidence the Russians are behind this as a time cushion to launch a first strike?"

"If that was the case," answered Metcalf, "their strategic rocket forces would have taken us out an hour ago."

"They still might."

Metcalf gave a slight negative tilt to his head. "Nothing indicates they're in a state of readiness, Our Kremlin intelligence sources report no signs of increased activity in or around the eighty underground command posts in Moscow, and our satellite surveillance shows no troop buildup along the Eastern bloc border.

Also, President Antonov is on a state visit to Paris."

"So much for World War Three," said Mercier with a look of relief.

"We're not out of shallow water yet," Fawcett said. "The officer carrying the codes designating nuclear strike sites is also gone."

"Not to worry on that score," said Metcalf, smiling for the first time. "As soon as Lucas here alerted me to the situation, I ordered the alphabetical code words changed."

"What's to stop whoever has them from using the old code words to break the new ones?"

"For what purpose?"