But si? Chino had been talking to someone else, possibly by telephone. How much time had passed since they’d cut the mike on Amy? Merrill had toured the room searching for cameras. That had taken five minutes — maybe ten. Why was the place radioactive? In any event, Merrill had to let a little more time go by.

He returned to the console, checking himself out in the monitor. The darkness didn’t let Chino see his hands. Merrill flipped some switches. Nothing happened. The power switch. Nothing.

The whole system was being overridden from somewhere else.

He eased the chauffeur’s cell phone out of the bag onto the console. Chino was quiet. Merrill pushed Gregory’s two-digit code and Recall. The readout showed the call being connected. Merrill palmed the unit and turned his head away from eh camera.

Gregory answered on the fourth ring. “Hola?”

Merrill could hear a very faint hum. An automobile engine?

“Hola? Hello?” Merrill kept silent. “Son of a bitch!” Gregory snarled, and disconnected. Merrill pressed Disconnect, returned the unfolded cell phone to the bag — and waited. When he thought two minutes had passed, he waited another two minutes. More.

“Tell me what the television setup is about.”

“Ah, you’re still there,” Chino said.

“Right where you can see me.”

“Quite so.”

“Tell me about the television setup.”

“The telephone, Commander Merrill.”

“What about it?”

“You just called Gregory. Why didn’t you speak?”

“I didn’t have to.”

“Of course. Well, you’ve already proved yourself to be a formidable adversary. And you’re right, Gregory is taking your wife away from here. Now you know that my word can be taken. The telephone, Commander. Before I tell you about the television, I want to see the telephone destroyed. Step into the light, please.”

Merrill did. “Tell me how you did it. How did you set this up?”

“Oh, please, Commander. I own Resorts Worldwide. Now stop playing for time.”

He opened the bag, and groped amidst all the guns for O’Malley’s closed cell phone. He held it up for Chino’s inspection, then dropped it on the metal floor and stomped on it.

“That’s quite a bag of goodies you have there, Commander.”

Merrill pulled out one of the automatics and waggled it at the camera. “Come on down!”

“Thank you, no.”

“Now keep your part of the bargain.”

“Of course, but you disappoint me. I’ve had Gregory on the line since you called him. Now he’s going to connect the speakerphone so your wife can hear us, too.”

“Gregory, can she hear me?”

“Yes, Chino.”

“Amy!” Sam yelled.