Dirk Pitt - 15 - Atlantis Found by Clive Cussler

Author:Clive Cussler
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Thriller
ISBN: 9780425177174
Publisher: Penguin Group
Published: 2001-07-14T10:00:00+00:00

27

AFTER THE MEETING, PITT returned to his office and was greeted by his longtime secretary, Zerri Pochinsky. A lovely lady with a dazzling smile, she was blessed with a body that would make a Las Vegas showgirl envious. Fawn-colored hair fell to her shoulders, and she peered at the world through captivating hazel eyes. She lived alone, with a cat named Murgatroyd, and seldom dated. Pitt was more than fond of Zerri, but exercised iron discipline in not coming on to her. As much as he often imagined her in his arms, he had a strict rule about socializing with any members of the opposite sex employed with NUMA. He had seen too many office affairs inevitably lead to disaster.

“FBI Special Agent Ken Helm called and would like you to return his call,” she announced, handing him a pink slip of paper with the number of Helm’s private line. “Are you in trouble with your government again?”

He grinned at her and leaned over Zerri’s desk until their noses were less than an inch apart. “I’m always in trouble with my government.”

Her eyes flashed mischievously. “I’m still waiting for you to sweep me off my feet and fly me to a beach in Tahiti.”

He pulled back a safe distance, because the scent of her Chanel was beginning to stir unnatural feelings within him. “Why can’t you find some nice, stable, home-loving male to marry, so you can stop harassing an old, unanchored, derelict beach bum?”

“Because stable home-lovers aren’t any fun.”

“Whoever said women are nest-oriented?” He sighed.

Pitt pulled away and stepped into his office, which looked like a trailer park after a tornado. Books, papers, nautical charts, and photographs littered every square inch of space, including the carpet. He had decorated his workplace in antiques he’d bought at auction from the American President Lines elegant passenger ship President Cleveland. He settled behind his desk, picked up the receiver, and dialed Helm’s number.

A voice answered with a terse “Yes?”

“Mr. Helm, Dirk Pitt returning your call.”

“Mr. Pitt, thank you. I just thought you’d like to know that the Bureau has identified the body you shipped from the Antarctic and also the woman you apprehended last night.”

“That was fast work.”

“Thanks to our new computerized photo ID department,” explained Helm. “They’ve scanned every newspaper, magazine, TV broadcast, state motor vehicle driver’s license record, company security face shot, passport photo, and police record to build the world’s largest photo identification network. It consists of hundreds of millions of enhanced facial close-ups. Combined with our fingerprint and DNA files, we can now cover a vast spectrum for identifying bodies and fugitives. We had a make on both women within twenty minutes.”

“What did you discover?”

“The name of the deceased from the submarine was Heidi Wolf. The woman you apprehended last night is Elsie Wolf.”

“Then they are twin sisters.”

“No, actually, they’re cousins. And what is really off the wall is that they both come from a very wealthy family and are high-level executives of the same vast business conglomerate.”

Pitt stared

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