The Tombs (A Fargo Adventure) by Clive Cussler, Thomas Perry Page B

friend.”
    Sam said, “I’m a bit uncomfortable about the idea that these people could be the kidnappers. They’re not ethical, but they don’t seem to be violent.”
    Captain Klein shrugged. “You said they sabotaged diving equipment, perhaps endangering you. They’ve followed you from one continent to another. Sometimes criminals thrive because they don’t seem to be the type. We’ll know soon.”
    Klein’s radio gave a blast of static. He said into it,
“Ja?”
There was a recitation by a male voice on the other end, and Klein replied briefly. He said to Sam and Remi, “Your friend is not in either of their rooms. We have some men searching other areas—the basement, storerooms, linen closets, offices, and so on.”
    “What about the specimens?” Remi asked. “There would be no legitimate reason for them to have any ancient artifacts or remains. They’ve been in Europe for only a few hours.”
    “Could you identify these objects if you saw them?”
    “Some of them,” she said. “Professor Fischer showed us the skeleton of an ancient warrior. There was a rusty partial sword or dagger, part of a leather wrapping or strap. And he had a map divided into a grid that showed the place where these had been found.”
    “Where did he find them?”
    “Somewhere in Hungary,” Sam said. “Captain, I would appreciate it if the description of the find and the location could be kept out of any public report. Professor Fischer has been keeping these things secret. If the word got out, the excavation of the site would be threatened. I personally assure you that the finds will all be reported to the government there and all permits obtained.”
    “Thank you both for your candor. I’ll do my best to keep this information confidential.” There was another blast of static, and he listened to his radio.
“Danke.”
To Remi and Sam he said, “They’re ready for us upstairs.”
    Sam, Remi, and Hauptmann Klein took the narrow elevator to the fourth floor and walked to an open doorway, where a police officer waited. He stepped aside, and they entered. The six Americans Sam and Remi had first seen in the boat off Louisiana were seated in the room, three on the couch and three at the small table by the window. Now that they were close and in a well-lighted room, Sam could see they showed red spots from mosquito bites, severe sunburns, and a number of scratches from struggling through thick foliage.
    “Do you recognize these people?” asked Klein.
    “I do,” said Remi.
    “So do I,” Sam said.
    “Yes,” said Captain Klein. “As you predicted, they’re carrying identification from Consolidated Enterprises in New York, and I’m sorry to say all six are here. I had hoped one or two of them would be with your missing friend.”
    The young blond woman at the table stood up, angry. “What are these people doing here?”
    “Mr. and Mrs. Fargo reported a professor missing. Do you know them?”
    “Yes,” she said. “They stole our boat and stranded us in a Louisiana swamp. We could easily have died out there.”
    “And now they’ve gotten you detained in a foreign country for a very serious crime. If I were you, I would stay far away from them.”
    “
Falsely
detained!” said the tall man with the shaved head. “I demand to have our lawyer present.”
    “Falsely or truly detained, still detained,” said Klein. “We are simply attempting to eliminate one possible set of suspects. Trust me, if you are eliminated now, you will have good cause to thank us. Kidnapping a world-renowned German scholar is not something you want to be tried for in Berlin.”
    Klein stepped away from them and beckoned to the Fargos. They went out into the hallway and closed the door. He said, “My men thoroughly searched their rooms. They found no bones, no rusty objects, and no notes or maps.”
    Sam said, “I don’t think these people abducted Albrecht Fischer. We saw two of them following us on Unter den Linden to our hotel. Then