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The guard went by the book He took a longthe passport photo with Flidais's facial features The hair was covered by a scarf, but a few red strands seeped from under the silk He was not concerned Women seldom tinted their hair the same color they wore the month before The face seelasses

"Please open your luggage"

"Sorry, I don't have luggage Toift, so I'ua I intend to return in the "

Satisfied, the guard handed back the passport and waved the car through

Five minutes later, everyone within a mile of the airport stared in awe as a lavender-colored aircraft that looked too large to land on the airstrip caines and braking, it stopped a hundred yards short of the runway's north end Then it turned and taxied to where Flidais aiting in the car Five minutes later, she was aloft on the Beriev Be-210 bound for Panama City

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The two ers called a panga looked like any of the local y white shorts and T-shirts with soft white baseball-style caps Two outriggers hung over the panga's stern on an angle, their lines trolling for the fishermen's next dinner

Except for a passing experienced fisheruessed the lines carried no hooks In a ay tee with fish, no hook ithout a bite more than a few seconds after it dropped under the surface

The skiff was propelled by a thirty-horsepower Mariner outboard steered by cables running to a center console-colu wheel The flat-bottoh the tropical rain forest under a light shower They were traveling in the an in May and lasted through January The jungle vegetation was so thick along the shore it seehbor for a glih the never-ending mass of clouds

Pitt and Giordino had purchased the panga, whose boas painted with the na w

ith fuel and supplies, within hours after the NUMA jet had taken off for Washington with Rudi Gunn, Patrick Dodge and Renee Ford's body The repair crew that was flown into Barra Colorado had beached Poco Bonito at low tide and orking efficiently to e north

Jack McGee threw the their boat with enough beer and wine to start a saloon Inspector Ortega was on hand, graciously expressing his appreciation for their cooperation in his investigation, and his sorrow for Renee's senseless retful that the wonet Once Ortega's tea passport, and they interrogated the owner of the lodge and the security guard at the airport gate, they were certain Rita had fled Costa Rica to the United States Pitt added a piece to the puzzle when he heard the aircraft was painted lavender This fact placed Rita squarely in the Odyssey caa vowed to pursue Renee's murder internationally and to seek the cooperation of American law enforcement

Pitt sat relaxed, leaned back in a raised chair in front of the wheel column, and steered the boat with one foot as they passed quiet picturesque lagoons that opened onto the river Giordino had borrowed a lounge chair and pad fro over the boarily eyeing the occasional eighteen-foot crocodile that he spotted sunning itself on the bank

Wise to the ways of a rain forest, Giordino shrouded hi Not usually mentioned in the travel brochures, in this part of the world the little bloodsuckers were nearly as prolific as raindrops Not wanting to hinder his movements, Pitt soaked his exposed skin with repellent

The first twentythe Rio Colorado until it eventually met theborderline between Nicaragua and Costa Rica Frohty kilometers up the river until they reached the town of San Carlos on Lake Cocibolca, better known siua