ivilized meal； with the tale he had heard of her reign as a white goddess among savage Indians。 She seemed relaxed and entirely at ease； but even as they laughed over her inept use of chopsticks； Austin couldn't shake the feeling he experienced when they first met。 Despite the civilized veneer； the jungle had seeped into her blood。 He saw it in the feline gracefulness of her movement； and the watchfulness in her dark eyes。 It was a quality that fascinated and attracted Austin； and he vowed to see more of Francesca when he returned from his mission。
Which was why it was all the more painful when Austin apologized for calling it an early night。 He had much to do be fore leaving for Alaska； he explained。 As he dropped her off on the Trouts' doorstep； he asked if she would like to go out again when he returned。
〃Thank you。 I'd like that； very much；〃 she said。 〃I plan to be in Washington for some time and hope we can get to know each other better。〃
〃Until then；〃 Austin said。 'At a time and place to be announced。〃
She smiled and pecked him lightly on the lips。 〃It's a date。〃
Chapter 29
With Sandecker's backing Austin had no trouble mandeering a NUMA jet。 Streaking across the country at five hundred miles per hour； the turquoise Cessna Citation Ultra had refueled at Salt Lake City before pushing on to Anchorage。 After the all…night trip they arrived as the morning light cast a rosy glow over the Chugach Mountains on the outskirts of Alaska's big city； which some of the locals call Los Anchorage。 They were airborne within minutes。 Dashing on to their destination in Nome。
Shortly after the NUMA jet took off from Anchorage； Zavala came back from the galley with a couple of steaming mugs of coffee。 Austin was studying an old map spread out on the table that folded down between the seats。 He was directing his attention to a fist of land whose knuckles jabbed at the former U。S。S。R。 a few miles across the Bering Strait。
Settling into the chair opposite Austin's； Zavala sipped his coffee and looked out the window at the vast land mass below。 Black mountains edged by rivers and heavy forests were visible through a scattering of whiskered cirrus clouds。
〃That's big country；〃 Zavala said lazily。 〃Any idea of our next port of call after Nome？〃
Austin leaned back； laced his fingers behind his head； and stared into space。 His broad mouth curled in a wry smile。 〃More or less；〃 he said。
Zavala knew his partner wasn't trying to be mysterious。 Austin simply didn't like surprises。 When time allowed he cautiously collected the facts before making a move。 Zavala pointed downward。 〃I'm sure it doesn't e as any surprise to you that there is more down there than less。〃
〃Something like six hundred thousand square miles； last I heard。 I have no illusions about the formidable task we're up against。 We could search until we became eligible for NUMA pensions and not find a thing。〃 Austin's brow furrowed in thought。 〃That's why I decided to work my way backward from what we know； not what we don't know。〃
Zavala swiftly grasped the premise。 〃We know what the tar get was in the Soviet Union。〃 He pointed on the map to the northwest coast of Alaska where blunt fingers of the ragged coastline； all that remained of the old land bridge； reached to ward Asia。 〃What was the flying wing's statistical range？〃
〃Around three thousand miles cruising at around five hundred miles per hour。 I'm assuming that its fuel storage capacity would have been beefed up to extend the range as much as possible for this mission。〃
〃There's always the possibility of midair refueling；〃 Zavala said。
〃I've taken that into consideration。 I'm guessing that they would have kept the operation simple and short to avoid detection。〃
Taking a sharp pencil in hand； Austin drew an arc from Barrow to the Yukon Delta。
Zavala let out a low whistle。 〃You're talking about a trip that could be more than a thousand miles from target。 That's still a lot of territory to cover。〃
〃It's bigger than some states；〃 Austin acknowledged。 〃So I made an educated guess。 The cloak…and…dagger boys wanted to keep this crazy scheme as hush…hush as possible。 Building a new base would be costly and time…consuming； and most important； it might attract unwanted attention。〃
Zavala snapped his fingers。 〃They would use an existing base。〃
Austin nodded。 〃During World War II； Alaska bristled with gun emplacements and airfields because of fears Japan would invade。 Each red dot on the map denotes an airstrip from World War II。〃
Zavala pondered the problem。 〃What if the base were secret？〃
〃It was secret； at least up to now。〃 Austin jabbed the map with his pencil at Nome and drew a wide circle around the dot。 〃We'll find what we're looking for here； although I must admit that with all the suppositions I've made； it's still a crap shoot。〃
Zavala studied the map； and his lips twitched up at the corners in his trademark smile。 〃How can you be certain this is the right area？ The plane could have taken off from dozens of places。〃
〃I had a little help from a ghost。〃 Austin reached into his jacket pocket and produced a small spiral…bound notebook。 The brown cover was worn； but it was still possible to read the words 〃U。S。 Army Air Force〃 and the name inked just below。 He handed the notebook to Zavala。 〃This is the diary of Buzz Martin's father； the pilot who flew the wing on its last mission。〃
Zavala laughed with delight。 〃You should have been a magician。 You couldn't have done better pulling a rabbit out of a hat。〃
〃This rabbit jumped into my lap。 After Sandecker met with LeGrand； the CIA poked around and came up with Martin's personal effects。 They must have been in a hurry to get rid of in criminating evidence and didn't vet the stuff thoroughly。 Buzz found the notebook tucked into his father's uniform。 He thought it might contain something of importance and gave it to me just before we left Washington。〃
Zavala thumbed through the curling pages。 〃I don't see a de tailed map to follow。〃
〃You didn't think this was going to be easy； did you？〃 Austin took the book back and opened to a page where he had placed a yellow sticky tab。 〃Martin was a good soldier。 He knew that loose lips sink ships。 Most of the diary is devoted to how he missed his wife and kid。 But he let a few things sneak in。 Here； let me read you the first paragraph：
〃To my dear wife Phyllis and son Buzz。 Maybe someday you will read this。 I had a lot of time on my hands and started this diary on the way to No…Name。 If the brass knew I was taking notes； I'd be in hot water。 This thing is even more secret than the Manhattan Project。 As the spooks frequently reminded me； I'm just a dumb sky jockey who's sup posed to follow orders and not ask questions。 Sometimes I feel more like a prisoner： I'm kept under close supervision with the rest of the crew。 So I guess this journal is a way of saying； hey； I'm a person。 They're feeding us well； Phyllis； I know how you worry about the way I eat。 Lots of good fresh meat and fish。 The Quonset hut was not made for the frozen north。 The snow slides off the roof but metal is a lousy insulator。 We keep the wood stove going day and night。 We'd be better off in an igloo。 The plane gets the first…class acmodations in its hidey…hole。 Sorry to plain。 I'm lucky to be flying this baby！ I can't believe an aircraft as big as this can maneuver like a fighter plane。 It's definitely the aviation wave of the future。 〃
Austin stopped reading。 〃He goes on to say how homesick he is and how glad he'll be to get back。〃
〃Too bad Martin didn't get to enjoy that future。 He had no idea he was not only a prisoner but a condemned man as well。〃
〃Martin wasn't the first or last patriot thrown to the dogs in the interests of what the higher…ups said was the greater good。 Unfortunately he can't have the satisfaction of knowing his little diary will show us the way to No…Name。〃
〃That's even more obscure than the dateline they used to use during the war： 'Somewhere in the Pacific。' 〃
〃I thought so； too； until I remembered a story I heard years ago。 Seems a British Navy officer sailing off Alaska in the 1850s saw land that wasn't on the chart so he wrote in '？ Name。' The Admiralty draftsman who recopied the chart thought the question mark was a C and that the a in Name was an o。 No name became Cape Nome which became Nome。 Here's something else：
〃Uneventful trip from Seattle。 Plane handles like a dream。 Touched down thirty minutes past No…Name。 〃
〃What was the cruising speed of the wing？〃 Zavala asked。
〃About four hundred to five hundred miles per hour。〃
〃That would put them two hundred to two hundred fifty miles beyond Nome。〃
〃My calculations exactly。 Here's where it starts to get interesting：
〃Got my first look at our destination。 Told the guys it looks like Doug's nose from the air。 〃
'A dog's nose？〃
〃No； the proper name； Doug；〃
〃That narrows it down to a few million guys；〃 Zavala said wearily。
〃Yeah； I know； I had the same reaction until I read the rest： All it needs is a corn