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Dirk and Summer joined them for a brief late breakfast before they left for Sandecker's office This tiators that were part of the fleet of agency vehicles He stopped at Loren's town house to drop her off

"Dinner tonight?" he queried

"Are Dirk and Su too?"

"I , "but only if you insist"

"I insist" Loren gave his hand a squeeze and elegantly exited the Navigator, stepped lightly to the driveway and walked up the steps to her door

The NUMA headquarters building rose thirty stories on a hill above the Poto view of the city Sandecker had personally chosen the site when Congress provided hi It was far inally conceived and ran several et Because it was on the east side of the river just out of the District of Columbia, the ad height restrictions and erected a lass tubular structure that could be seen from miles around

Pitt drove into the crowded underground parking and pulled into his reserved slot They took the elevator up to Sandecker's office on the top floor and exited the elevator into an anteroo from old shipwrecks The ad a

Almost before the words left her lips, the door to the admiral's office opened and two old friends stepped into the anterooray hair, as Pitt's counterpart as director of special projects, and Joe Zava

la, the wiry engineer who often worked on subns and construction with Giordino, stepped forward and shook hands

"Where is the old geezer sending you two?" asked Giordino

"Heading for the Canadian north country There's rumors of mutant fish in some of the lakes The admiral asked us to check it out"

"We heard about your rescue of the Ocean Wanderer in the middle of Hurricane Lizzie," said Zavala "I didn't expect to see you back in the harness so soon"

"No rest for the weary in Sandecker's book," Pitt said with a half grin

Austin nodded at Dirk and Summer "One of these days I'll have you and the kids over for a barbecue"

"I'd like that," accepted Pitt "I've alanted to see your antique gun collection"