〃Would you believe me if I told you we'd all be fish food if it wasn't for you？〃 Pitt smiled and then gently probed Giordino's knee； guessing that the injury was a torn tendon。 Then he turned his attention to the shoulder。 〃I can't do anything about your ribs； knee； or thick skull； but your shoulder is out of place； and if you're in the mood I think I can manipulate it back where it belongs。〃
〃Seems I recall you doing that to me when we played football in high school。 The team doctor raised holy hell。 Said you should have let him do it。〃
〃That's because he was a sadist；〃 Pitt said； grasping Giordino's arm。 〃Ready？〃
〃Go on； tear it off。〃
Pitt yanked and the joint snapped into place with an audible pop。 Giordino let out a gasp that died into a relieved sigh。 Pitt felt around in the dark beside the road until he found a stout branch that had been torn off a small scrub pine； and gave it to Gunn to use as a staff in place of a crutch。 Jessie clutched one of Gunn's arms to steady him； while Pitt hoisted Giordino onto his sound leg and supported him with an arm around his waist。
This time Pitt led the way； mentally flipping a coin and heading up the road to their right； plodding close to the high embankment to shelter their progress from the unabating onslaught of the storm。 Now the going was easier。 No deep sand to wade through； no fallen trees to stumble over； not even the wind…propelled rain to torture them； for the edge of the slope caused it to fly over their heads。 Just the graded flat of the road leading off into the stricken darkness。
After an hour had passed； Pitt figured they had hobbled about a mile。 He was about to call a rest stop when Giordino suddenly stiffened and stopped so unexpectantly that he lost Pitt's support and toppled to the road。
〃Barbecue！〃 he yelled。 〃Smell it？ Somebody's barbecuing beef。〃
Pitt sniffed the air。 The aroma was faint； but it was there。 He lifted Giordino and pushed ahead。 The smell of steaks broiling over charcoal grew stronger with every step。 In another fifty yards they met with a massive iron gate whose bars were welded in the shape of dolphins。 A wall topped by broken glass stretched into the darkness on either side and stood astride a guardhouse。 Not surprisingly； in light of the hurricane； it was vacant。
The gate； reaching a good twelve feet toward the ebony sky； was locked； but the outer and inner doors of the guardhouse were open； so they walked through。 A short distance beyond； the road ended in a circular drive that passed in front of what seemed in the stormy dark to be a large mound。 As they approached； it became a castlelike structure whose roof and three sides were covered over with sandy soil and planted with palmetto trees and native scrub brush。 Only the front of the building lay exposed； starkly barren with no windows and only one huge； mahogany door artistically carved with lifelike fish。
〃Reminds me of a buried Egyptian temple；〃 said Gunn。
〃If it wasn't for the ornate door；〃 said Pitt； 〃I'd guess it was some kind of military supply depot。〃
Jessie set them straight。 〃A subinsulator house。 Soil is an ideal insulation against temperatures and weather。 Same principle as the sod houses on the early American prairie。 I know an architect who specializes in designing them。〃
〃Looks deserted；〃 observed Giordino。
Pitt tried the doorknob。 It turned。 He eased the door open。 The aroma of food wafted out from somewhere within the darkened interior。
〃Doesn't smell deserted；〃 said Pitt。
The foyer was paved in tile with a Spanish motif and was lit by several large candles set on a tall stand。 The walls were carved blocks of black lava rock and their only decoration was a gruesome painting of a man hanging from the fanged mouth of a snakelike sea monster。 They entered and Pitt pulled the door closed behind them。
For some strange reason； the howl of the tempest outside and everyone's weary breathing seemed to add to the deathly stillness of the house。
〃Anyone home？〃 Pitt called out。
He repeated the question twice more； but his only reply was a ghostly silence。 A dim corridor beckoned； but Pitt hesitated。 Another smell invaded his nostrils。 Tobacco smoke。 Stronger than the nearlethal gas emitted by Admiral Sandecker's cigars。 Pitt was no expert； but he knew that expensive cigars smelled more rotten than the cheap ones。 He guessed the smoke must be ing from prime Havanas。
He turned to the others。 〃What do you think？〃
〃Do we have a choice？〃 Giordino asked dumbly。
〃Two；〃 replied Pitt。 〃We can either get out of here while we can and take our chances in the hurricane。 Then； when it begins to die down； we can try to steal a boat and head back to Florida=〃
〃Or throw ourselves on the mercy of the Cubans；〃 Gunn interrupted。
〃That's how it boils down。〃
Jessie shook her head and stared at him through soft； tender eyes。 〃We can't go back；〃 she said quietly with no trace of fear。 〃The storm will take days to die； and none of us is in any condition to survive out there another four hours。 I vote we take our chances with Castro's government。 The very worst they can do is throw us in jail while the State Department negotiates our release。〃
Pitt looked at Gunn。 〃Rudi； how say you？〃
〃We're done in； Dirk。 Logic is on Jessie's side。〃
〃Al； how do you see it？〃
Giordino shrugged。 〃Say the word； pal； and I'll swim back to the States。〃 And Pitt knew he meant it too。 〃But the honest truth is we can't take much more。 It pains me to say this； but I think we'd better throw in the towel。〃
Pitt looked at them and reflected that he couldn't have been blessed with a better team of people to face an unpleasant situation； and it didn't take a visionary to see things were going to bee very unpleasant indeed。
〃Okay；〃 he said with a grim smile。 〃Let's crash the party。〃
They set off down the corridor and soon passed under an archway that opened onto a vast living room decorated in early Spanish antiques。 Giant tapestries hung on the walls； depicting galleons sailing sunset seas or being driven helplessly onto reefs by thrashing storms。 The furnishings seemed to have a nautical flair； the room was illuminated by ancient ship's lanterns of copper and colored glass。 The fireplace was glowing with a crackling fire that warmed the room to hothouse temperatures。
There wasn't a soul to be seen anywhere。
〃Ghastly；〃 murmured Jessie。 〃Our host has simply dreadful taste in decor。〃
Pitt held up his hand for quiet。 〃Voices；〃 he said softly。 〃ing from that other archway between those two suits of armor。〃
They moved into another corridor that was dimly lit by candle holders every ten feet。 The sounds of laughter and obscure words； from both male and female； became louder。 A light loomed from under a curtain ahead。 They paused for a second； and then swung it aside and passed through。
They had entered a long dining hall filled with nearly forty people； who stopped in midconversation and stared at Pitt and the others with the awed expression of a group of villagers meeting their first aliens from space。
The women were elegantly dressed in evening gowns； while half the men wore tuxedos and the other half were attired in military uniforms。 Several servants waiting on the table stood stock…still like images on motion picture film that was suddenly freeze…framed。 The stunned silence was as thick as a wool blanket。 A scene straight out of an early thirties Hollywood melodrama。
Pitt realized he and the rest must have made a shocking picture。 Soaking wet； their clothing torn and ragged； bruised and gashed skin； torn muscles； broken bones。 Hair plastered down around their heads； they must have looked like drowned rats rejected from a polluted river。
Pitt looked at Gunn and said； 〃How do you say ‘Pardon the intrusion' in Spanish？〃
〃Haven't the vaguest idea。 I took French in school。〃
Then it struck Pitt。 Most of the uniformed men were high…ranking Soviet officers。 Only one appeared to be from the Cuban military。
Jessie was in her element。 To Pitt she couldn't have looked more regal； even if the designer safari suit hung on her body in tatters。
〃Is there a gentleman among you who will offer a lady a chair？〃 she demanded。
Before she received an answer； ten men with Russian…type machine pistols burst into the room and surrounded them in a loose circle； sphinx…faced men whose weapons were aimed at all four stomachs。 Their eyes were icy and their lips set in tight lines。 There was little doubt in Pitt's mind that they were highly trained to kill on mand。
Giordino； with the appearance of a man run over by a garbage truck； painfully pulled himself to his full height and stared back。 〃Did you ever see so many smiling faces？〃 he asked conversationally。
〃No；〃 said Pitt with the beginning of a to…hell…with…you grin。 〃Not since Little Big Horn。〃
Jessie didn't hear them。 As if in a trance she shouldered her way through the armed guards and stopped near the head of the table； staring down at a tall； gray…haired man attired in formal evening wear； who stared back at her in shocked disbelief。
She brushed back her wet； tangled hair and struc