“Poor bastard.” Dundee breaststroked over to join the other two and they all drifted together, holding on to the raft. They agreed to stay with the raft where Kemal would find them, rather than risk going ashore. The Zodiac was low in the water, but some compartments still held air. Several times they tried to flip the boat over, but the weight of the outboard and the slipperiness of the rounded sides made it impossible. They were tiring fast and the waves were pushing them ever closer to the beach.

“That's it,” Lombardo said, after an unsuccessful effort that left them all breathless. “Looks like we're going in after all.”

“What if the guys who shot at us are still there?” Dundee said.

“You got a better suggestion?”

“The gunshots look as if they came from directly ahead,” Kaela said. “Let's hide under the raft and move it off at an angle.”

“We don't have a hell of a lot of choice,” Lombardo said. He ducked underneath.

When the other two joined him, he was smiling. “Look at this,” he said, grabbing onto the waterproof bags that were suspended from the seats, where they had been tied. “The cameras are okay.”

Kaela let out a whooping laugh that had a damp echo in the enclosed space. “What are we supposed to do if somebody points a gun at us, Mickey, take their picture?”

“You'll have to admit it would make a good story. What'ya think, Dundee?”

“I think you two Yanks are bloody crazy! But so am I, or I wouldn't be here with you. Tell me, luv,” he said to Kaela, “didn't your Russkie friend say this place was abandoned?”

“He said the Russians had left a long time ago.”

“Maybe it's like one of those islands in the Pacific where the Japanese soldiers hid in the jungle, not knowing the war was over,” Lombardo suggested. “Maybe the guys here haven't heard the Cold War ended.” He was clearly excited at the prospect.

“Sounds pretty far-fetched,” Kaela said.

“Yeah, I agree, but do you have a better idea of who took the potshots at us?”

“No, I don't,” Kaela said. “But if we don't start kicking, we're going to find out real soon. I'll check things out.” She disappeared for a few moments. When she returned, she said, “The beach looks deserted. I suggest we start moving this thing off to the right. Otherwise we'll drift straight in."