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It wasn't Druot at least a dozen witnesses including you and me, Admiral, ill testify that he's been on board the Titanic since yesterday It would have been iram on a ship that was fifty miles away"

At that ht Pitt's arm "Sorry for the interruption, boss, but we just received an urgent call from the Juneau I'm afraid it's bad news"

"Let's have it," Sandecker said wearily "The outlook can't possibly be painted any blacker than it is now"

"Oh, but it can," Woodson said "The e is from the missile cruiser's captain and reads 'Have received distress call frorees, a hundred and ten miles north of your position Must respond Repeat, must respond Sorry to leave you Good luck to the Titanic!'"

"'Good luck to the Titanic'," Sandecker echoed His voice was flat and en on the hull that says, 'Welcome thieves and pirates Come one, come all'"

So now it begins, Pitt thought to himself

But the only sensation that coursed through his body was a sudden, overwhelo to the bathroom

61

The air in Adarette smoke and half-eaten sandwiches, and it almost seemed to crackle under the invisible cloud of tension

Keram were huddled over the admiral's desk in quiet conversation while Mel Donner and Warren Nicholson, the CIA director, sat together on the sofa, their feet propped on a coffee table, and dozed But they jerked upright in full wakefulness when the strange buzz that was specially tuned into Kerunted into the receiver and laid it back in its cradle

"It was the security desk The President is on his way up"

Donner and Nicholson glanced at each other and heaved themselves off the sofa They had no sooner cleared the coffee table of the evening's debris, straightened their ties and donned their coats when the door opened and the President strode in followed by his Kremlin security adviser, Marshall Collies

Kemper came from behind his desk and shook the President's hand "Nice to see you, Mr President Please ?"

The President scanned his watch and then grinned "Three hours yet before the bars close How about a Bloody Mary?"

Kerinned back and nodded to his aide "Commander Keith, will you do the honors?"