Golden Buddha

“How’s it look, Tiny?” Michaels asked.

“So far so good,” Gunderson answered, “but this unit burns through batteries like a kid with a video game. Did they by chance load any spare batteries on board?”

Pilston, who was crouched between the pilot’s and copilot’s seat, rooted around in a pair of paper bags but came up empty. “Sorry, Chuck,” she said, “no luck.”

“What did we get?” he asked.

Pilston did a quick inventory. “Some MREs, two thermoses of what I assume is coffee, some Hershey bars and M&M’s, bottled water, maps, and some mouthwash.”

“What about towels and soap?”

Pilston dug around in the bottom of one of the bags. “Yep.”

“Ga

Michaels stared at the speed indicator. “We have five more hours until we reach the Oregon,” she said. “Tracy and I got some sleep last night. Why don’t you clean up a little and try to get some rest. We’ll wake you when we get close.”

“Think you can fill the copilot’s duties?” he asked Pilston.

“I received my private pilot’s certificate last year,” Pilston told him. “I don’t have many hours, but I think I’m qualified to watch the needles quiver.”

Gunderson nodded wearily. “Off the controls,” he said.

As soon as he was sure Michaels had the plane, he stood up, slid out of his seat, and slid past Pilston, who quickly climbed into the pilot’s station. The Antonov could be flown from either the left or right seat, so there was no reason for Michaels to move across the cockpit. Once Pilston was situated, she turned around to Gunderson.

“There’s a cot that folds out of the wall,” she said, “and a toilet that basically dumps out the side of the plane. You want anything to eat first?”

“No, ladies,” Gunderson said. “Just wake me if you need me.”

Then he walked back to the cot, removed his shirt and crumpled it up as a pillow, stretched out and was asleep within minutes. The Antonov droned north for the rendezvous.

OVER the years of its existence the Corporation had invested in a variety of legitimate businesses. The company was either owner or part owner of mining concerns, a coconut plantation, a specialty firearms manufacturer, hotels, resorts, a machine tool company, even a charter jet service with divisions in North America, South America, Europe and Asia.

None of the employees of these concerns had any idea of the source of the parent company’s funding and true purpose. They only knew they were highly paid and treated well and never subject to cutbacks or layoffs. For the most part, the actual operations end of the Corporation—the specialized army and intelligence apparatus that formed the nucleus of the growing fortune—left these companies alone to operate on their own. Sometimes, however, they came in handy.

Right now was just such a time.

Max Hanley returned to the Oregon’s control room and slid into his chair.

“Pull up the flight operations center of Pegasus Air,” he asked Stone.

Stone punched commands into the computer, and a few seconds later a worldwide map filled one of the large monitors. “What’s the fastest way to fly the chairman to his meeting?”

Stone punched in commands and the route filled the screen. “It’s a long flight,” he said, “and I assume you want it nonstop?”

“Absolutely,” Hanley said.

“That pretty much ensures that we’ll need to use the G550, then.”

“Where are they now?” Hanley asked.

Stone punched in commands and flight records over-laid the map.

“The Asian G550 is in route to Hawaii, so that’s out,” Stone noted. “Paris on one—no, hold on—the South American G550 just landed in Dubai. She’s due to leave again tomorrow.”

“How long for her to reach Da Nang?”

“It’s thirty-six hundred miles, so roughly six and a half hours.”

Hanley took a pad of paper and a pencil and began writing numbers. “It’ll be tight,” he said finally. “We’re bucking time zones, refueling and getting fast clearances to land, but it’s doable.”

“Want me to book the jet?” Stone asked.

Hanley handed him a sheet of paper. “This is the flight plan.”

“What else?”

“Make sure our man in the Vietnamese air force is greased so we don’t have any problems getting in and out of Da Nang for a quick refuel,” Hanley said.

“What else?”

“Set up a secure link to Karamozov,” Hanley said. “I need to confirm.”

“Anything else?” Stone said as he made notes on a pad.

“When all that’s done,” Hanley said, “call Truitt to relieve you and go get some sleep.”

“What about you, sir?” Stone asked.

“I’ll catnap here,” Hanley said, “right where I like to be.”

THE Dalai Lama was praying in front of a statue of Buddha when Overholt walked into the room. He stood quietly until he rose.

“I sensed you come into the room,” the Dalai Lama said, “and you seem happy.”

Overholt asked, “Are you ready to return?”

“Yes,” the Dalai Lama said, “very much so.”

“Good,” Overholt said, “it will be tomorrow.”

“Did your people recover the Golden Buddha?”

“They did,” Overholt said, nodding.

“And have they found the compartment yet?”

“They’re still working on it, Your Holiness.”

The Dalai Lama nodded and smiled. “They’ll figure it out. And then they’ll know what to do with what they find.” He paused. “Hard to believe,” the Dalai Lama said, “that something my people have owned all along shall be our salvation.”

“We’re not home free yet, Your Holiness,” Overholt said.

The Dalai Lama smiled and considered this for a few moments. “No, Mr. Overholt, we’re not—but we will be. Greed is what brought the Chinese to my country. And greed again will set us free.”

Overholt nodded silently.

“Life is a circle,” the Dalai Lama said, “and someday you will see that.”

Overholt smiled as the Dalai Lama began to walk toward the door.

“Now,” he said kindly, “let my people feed you. You must be hungry from your long journey.”

The two men walked out of the room toward a destiny determined by an obscure ship ma

AT 11 A.M. local time, the Oregonexited the fog bank. In front of the advancing storm, the weather was perfect, a calm before the storm. The sky was azure blue and the seas were as flat and reflective as a mirror. In the hours since leaving Macau, the Oregonhad made good time. The ship was off Hainan Island in international waters. At the current rate of speed, the vessel would pass along Singapore tomorrow at noon local time. After turning and traveling through the Strait of Malacca and heading north, she was due to arrive high in the Bay of Bengal off Bangladesh sometime around 2 P.M. Sunday.

By then, if all went according to plan, the Dalai Lama would be in power again, and the Corporation would make its exit with no one ever the wiser.

Juan Cabrillo woke in his stateroom, then showered and dressed.

Leaving his suite, he walked along the gangways toward the control room, then stopped and opened the door. Max Hanley was asleep in his chair, but he sat upright as soon as Cabrillo entered. Hanley rose and walked over to the coffeepot and poured two cups.

Handing one to Cabrillo, he asked, “Feel better?”

“Amazing what a little rest will do,” Cabrillo said, taking the cup.

“Richard?” Hanley asked.

Truitt turned from the screen he was studying. “I’m okay,” he said.

“What’s the score?” Cabrillo asked without further preamble.

Hanley walked back to his chair and motioned for Cabrillo to sit. Then he pointed at a screen that showed a red line from Ho Chi Minh City directly toward the Oregon. “That line is Gunderson and his team. They will be arriving in about a half hour to pick you up.”