It looked like any other greasy steel cable. Each piece was about two feet in length and contained twenty-four hundred strands that were braided into a standard five-eighth-inch diameter. The cable was not broken in a compact area. The breaks were spread over a fifteen-inch distance that gave both frayed wires the appearance of a pair of uneven, unwound horse tails.

Something caught Pitt's eye, and he took the magnifying glass and peered through the heavy lens. His eyes glinted with intensity and his lips slowly spread into a grin of smug satisfaction. The old feelings of excitement and intrigue began to course through his veins. This might turn out to be an interesting operation after all, he thought.

"See anything?" asked Gunn.

"Yes, a great deal," replied Pitt. "Somewhere along the line you've found yourself an enemy who doesn't want you fishing around in his territory."

Gunn became flushed and his eyes opened wide. "What did you find?"

"This cable was purposely cut," said Pitt. His voice was very cold.

"What do you mean: cut," cried Gunn. "Where do you see evidence of human tampering?"

Pitt held up the magnifying glass for Gunn. "Notice how the breaks spiral down and bend inward toward the core? And see how the strands have a smashed appearance. If a cable of this diameter is pulled at each end until it snaps, the strands are clean and the ends have a tendency to point out and away from the core. That didn't happen here."

Gunn stared at the shattered cable. "I don't understand. What could have caused this?"

Pitt looked thoughtful for a moment. "My guess is Primacord."

Gunn was stunned. His eyes flew wide behind the big glasses. "You can't be serious? Isn't that an explosive?"

"Yes it is," Pitt said calmly. "Primacord looks like string or rope and can be made in any thickness. Mainly, it's used for blasting down trees and setting off different groups of distantly spaced explosives at the same time. It reacts like a burning fuse except that it moves and bursts rapidly, almost with the speed of light."

"But how could anyone plant explosives under the ship without being seen? The water is crystal clear in this area. Visibility is over one hundred feet. One of the scientists or crew members would have seen any intruder…Not to mention hearing the sound of an explosion."

"Before I attempt to answer that, let me ask you two questions. What equipment was attached to the cable when it parted? And at what time did you discover the break?"

"The cable was connected to the underwater decompression chamber. The divers have been working at one hundred and eighty feet and it has become necessary to begin decompression underwater for long periods of time to prevent the bends. We discovered the broken cable at about 0700 in the morning right after breakfast."

"I take it that you left the chamber in the water overnight?"