“Greetings, Austin,” Baltazar said. “I apologize for this hasty message, but I had family business to attend to. Miss Mechadi is with me. You didn’t know that she is the direct descendant of Solomon and Sheba. I must carry out my family mission and offer her to Ba’al. I had plans to spare her, but Ba’al sent you as a scourge who would remind me to return to my family roots. Adriano will be disappointed, but he has become quite obsessed with you. I suggest that you keep looking over your shoulder. Thank you, Austin. It was a pleasure jousting.” He smiled. “You can keep my car. I have others.”

The picture faded.

Flagg frowned. “Guy’s a real nutcase.”

“Unfortunately, he’s a lethal nutcase. And he’s got Carina. You found this place. Any luck locating other holes where he might go to ground?”

“It was hard enough to locate this shack,” Flagg said with a shake of his head. “We’re still working on it, but with all the dummy corporations he’s got set up it’s tough. Who’s this Adriano?”

“The stuff of nightmares.” Austin stuck his hand out. “I need to borrow your phone.”

ZAVALA WAS CLIMBING into the helicopter cockpit when he heard “La Cucaracha” jangling in the pocket where he kept his phone. He put the phone to his ear and heard a familiar voice:

“You’re still answering calls, so I guess you didn’t run off to Mexico with Solomon’s gold,” Austin said.

Zavala grinned broadly.

“And Baltazar must have gotten sick of your wisecracks because you’re still making them.”

“Something like that,” Austin said. “Did you find the mine?”

“Yup. No gold, Kurt, but we found another treasure hidden in the mine. The other piece of the vellum map in a box apparently owned by Thomas Jefferson.”

“Jefferson again. I’m going to let you and the Trouts work on that one. Baltazar’s still got Carina. I need to talk to Saxon.”

Zavala passed the phone to Saxon, who said, “Kurt, can you believe it?”

Austin cut him short. “I’m interested, but not now. Baltazar left me a message. I’m going to let you hear his exact words. If there is any hint of his plans, no matter how slight, I want you to tell me.”

Austin clicked the television remote and held the phone up so Saxon could hear Baltazar’s chilling good-bye.

There was a stunned silence at Saxon’s end, then he said, “He believes Carina is descended from Solomon?”

“Apparently so. What’s the reference to Ba’al mean?”

He quickly regained his composure.

“He said he’s going to offer Carina to Ba’al. It can only mean one thing. He’s going to sacrifice her to the god Ba’al. The bastard! We’ve got to find her before it’s too late.”