He put down the paper and began putting away the groceries in the cupboards and refrigerator, using the activity as a distraction while his eyes darted into every nook and cranny. He found nothing conspicuous. Then he began casually glancing at the log walls of the cabin, peering into the cracks and chinking. He finally hit paydirt when he spotted a tiny lens pressed into a wormhole, burrowed when the log was the trunk of a growing tree. Playing the role of an actor in front of a camera, which indeed he was, Pitt swept the floor with a broom. When he was finished he turned the broom upside down and leaned the sweeper part against the wall directly in front of the camera.

As if given a shot to spur his adrenaline, he brushed off any feelings of fatigue and tension and stepped outside, walking thirty paces away from the cabin into the woods. He pulled a Motorola Iridium phone from the inside pocket of his jacket. After dialing a number, his signal was bounced over a network of sixty-six satellites around the world and down to the private line of the person he was calling at the NUMA headquarters in Washington, D.C.

After four rings, a voice with a slight New England twang answered. "This is Hiram Yaeger. Be brief, time is money."

"Your time isn't worth a dime stuck in gum on the bottom of a shoe."

"Am I the subject of mockery by NUMA's special projects director?"

"You are."

"What are you doing that's not worth repeating?" asked Yaeger facetiously. Yet his voice betrayed a trace of concern. He knew Pitt was still recovering from injuries suffered during a volcanic eruption on an island off Australia only the month before.

"I haven't time to leave you breathless with my daring adventures in the north woods. But I do need a favor." "I'm drooling with anticipation."

"See what you can dig up on a Qin Shang."

"How's it spelled?"

"Probably like it sounds. If my limited knowledge of Chinese menus serves me correctly, the first name begins with a Q. Shang is a Chinese shipping magnate who operates out of Hong Kong. He also owns a private retreat on Orion Lake in Washington State."

"Is that where you're at?" asked Yaeger. "You never told anyone where you were going when you up and disappeared."

"I'd just as soon Admiral Sandecker was kept in the dark."

"He'll find out anyway. He always does. Just what is it that intrigues you about Shang?"

"You might say I'm irritated by nosy neighbors," replied Pitt.

"Why don't you go over and borrow a cup of sugar, have a few laughs and challenge him to a fast game of mah-jongg."

"According to the locals, no one can get within ten city blocks of his place. And at that, I doubt if he's at home. If Shang is like most wealthy celebrities, he has several different houses around the world."