Клайв Касслер - Typhoon Fury

“We all do,” Max said. “Eric has the Oregon headed to a harbor on Panay, where we can ride out the rest of the storm. The ship will rock you to sleep.”

Juan handed a couple of the tubes of paintings to Max and took the rest himself.

“Before I turn in, I want to see what we’ve got here.”

They went to the boardroom, where Juan opened the tube marked Picasso . He carefully pulled the paintings out and unrolled them on the conference table.

“Wow,” Max said when he saw the masterpieces lying there. “I can’t wait to hear what the reward is for returning these.” The top one was a Rembrandt that Juan recalled from the Gardner Museum heist. The one below it was signed by Gauguin.

“I know how we’re going pay for repairs to the Oregon ,” Juan said.

“And maybe a few upgrades?” Max asked with a cocked eyebrow.

“Not a bad idea.”

The third painting was a small cubist oil instantly identifiable as a Picasso.

“Beth said this one is available for purchase since it was stolen from an auction.”

“Picassos always make a good investment.” The Corporation already had one in its possession, currently in a bank vault in Monaco. “This one might look good on the walls in here.”

As Juan lifted it up for Max to get a better look, he suddenly understood why Locsin had wanted it back so badly.

He nodded appreciatively and grinned at Max. “I’ll take it.”

EPILOGUE

ONE WEEK LATER

GUAM

Juan found Max in the starboard ballast tank, which also doubled as an Olympic-length lap pool. Juan’s preferred method of exercise was swimming in its dual lanes, but he hadn’t been able to use it since the Kuyog blew a hole in the side of the ship, which was why they were now docked at a maintenance depot.

The hull had since been patched up on the outside, appearing as slipshod as possible of course. On the inside, Max was inspecting the welds, making sure that the new armor plating was seamless.

“When can I go back to doing laps?” Juan asked, his voice echoing off the marble-clad flooring. A week’s worth of algae had been scrubbed away, revealing the gleaming surface.

“When I’m sure that all the damage has been repaired,” Max said. “Should take another hour. Then, remember, we head out for beer and nachos at eighteen hundred.”

“Should I invite Hux?” Juan teased.

Max shot him a look that would melt steel. “Don’t you dare.”

“I was about to talk to Raven. Do you want to be in on the conversation?”

“No, it’s your call. A good one, by the way. You can tell me how it goes at the bar.”

“I’ll meet you on deck.”

Juan left Max muttering to himself and went up to the boardroom, where Raven was waiting.

He took a seat next to her as she put down the Jane Austen book she was reading.

“ Persuasion ,” Juan said, reading the title. “I haven’t read that one.”

“Everyone thinks I’d want to watch war movies or read about military history,” Raven said. “It’s nice to get away from all that once in a while.”

“I’m glad you’ve been taking advantage of our library. It’s nice that you’ve stuck around during Beth’s recovery.”

“I’ve been there. A familiar face helps you get through it. Besides, the facilities on your ship are incredible, and my little apartment in San Diego isn’t much to look at.”

“You don’t have anyone back in the States?”

“My parents, but I don’t see them all that much.” She ran her fingers through her hair. “I don’t have a boyfriend, if that’s what you’re asking.”

“It was, actually. But not for the reason you’re thinking.”

She tilted her head and gave him an amused look. “I’m listening.”

“Everyone in the Corporation, myself included, was very impressed by your skills and composure in the Philippines. You may not realize how difficult it is to find someone with your set of abilities.”

“Very difficult, I’d guess. They’re aren’t many women out there like me.”

Juan laughed. “At least you know your worth.”

She shrugged. “False modesty isn’t one of my flaws.”

“Then you’d fit right in with us. What do you think about joining the Corporation? As you can tell, it’s dirty work sometimes, but you’d be surrounded by people just like you, people who are the best at what they do.”

“I’m assuming the job isn’t open because someone retired.”

Juan’s eyes clouded with Mike Trono’s memory. “It’s also dangerous work, as you’ve seen.”

“Being a bodyguard is, too. And from what I’ve heard, the pay isn’t nearly as good as it is for your crew.”

“You’d be well compensated. We can talk numbers, if you’re interested.”

She paused. “Let me think about it.”

“Absolutely,” Juan said, rising from his chair. “Max tells me we’ll be ready to set sail in two days. We hope you’ll still be here when we cast off.”

Raven never took her piercing brown eyes off him as he left.

Juan smiled to himself as he walked to the medical bay, since he thought he already knew her answer. It would be fun having her around.

When he got there, he found Julia helping Beth from her bed into a wheelchair. She looked much better than she had while going through the depths of Typhoon withdrawal. Julia had told him it was touch-and-go for a while, especially with the added complication of the gunshot wound, but Beth hadn’t become fully addicted in the short time she’d taken the drug. Still, Julia had been tending to her round the clock to keep her from succumbing to its effects.

“You’re looking good,” Juan said. “Ready for our outing?”

“Are you kidding?” Beth said with a voice that remained weak. “I’ve been getting claustrophobic in here.”

“Not too long,” Julia warned him. “She’s still regaining her strength.”

“Just a spin around the block and we’ll be back,” Juan assured her.

As he pushed her into the corridor, Beth said, “Now, what’s this surprise you promised?”

“Boy, talk about impatience. You’ll see soon enough.”

“Sorry. I’m still getting over that drug they forced on me. I hope every single one of those pills was destroyed forever.”

“We think that’s the case,” Juan said. “NUMA is currently diving on the Pearsall , but most of the destroyer was wrecked in the blast created by Gerhard Brekker. If there was any still aboard, it’s gone now. The police are still excavating the entrance to the cavern, but I doubt there’s any left in there after that explosion.”

“What about the load in Tagaan’s truck?”

“Vaporized. And I don’t think Dr. Ocampo has any reason to keep trying to synthesize it. He and all the other scientists have been returned safely to their families, by the way.”

“That’s good to hear. I don’t want anyone else to go through what I’ve experienced over the last week. And with Salvador Locsin dead, the last link to Typhoon is gone.”

Juan frowned. “No one told you?”

“Told me what?”

“I guess they didn’t want to bring it up when you were in recovery. They found Locsin pinned in the wreckage of his helicopter two days after it went down.”

Beth turned in her chair to look at Juan with concern. “He’s not dead?”

Juan shook his head. “Not yet, anyway.”

MANILA

Locsin writhed in agony, chained to a bed in a prison infirmary. He begged for death that wouldn’t come.

The doctors tried to pump him full of morphine and sedatives to ease his suffering, but nothing worked on his now skeletal body, his muscles atrophied beyond recognition. The medical staff didn’t know how long he’d survive, but they told him it wouldn’t be long. His body was literally consuming itself.