As the biplane lined up to make it's approach from the south to the WACO Field airstrip outside of Troy, Ohio a train was heading south on it's tracks that ran parallel to the line of trees that were on the east side of the airstrip. A gust of wind hit the biplane and with some effort the pilot managed to keep his heading straight, but not without some strain on the biplane. As the biplane came down on it's approach another gust of wind hit the biplane stronger this time. The pilot fought it but failed and the biplane skewed towards the line of trees and the oncoming train on the other side of them. The pilot tried to head towards the trees but there was still too much lift and he came down on the other side of the trees as the train approached. Crash! The biplane landed heavily on the tracks and in less than two minutes it was smashed by the train, not giving the pilot enough time to get out. Several yards to the east of the railroad tracks there was a bike path with a bicyclist who witnessed the whole scene. 43 year old Tony Sinclair had stopped when he heard the biplane approach the airstrip. He now grabbed his backpack off and reached inside for his cellphone. He called for emergency services. The train had dragged the biplane aways before it stopped.

Tony ran to the biplane and found the pilot still barely alive. After giving the man CPR the EMS team arrived on the run because a post prevented their van from approaching down the bike path. They thanked him and Tony watched as they checked the man's vitals and took him on the stretcher back to the Van. Tony continued on the bikepath as it rounded the east side of Troy crossing the Great Miami Valley River and following the bike path as it paralleled the river on it's way around the northeast corner of Troy where he passed a golf course on the north side and the river and the city of Troy on the south side of him. Finally he headed north towards Piqua until he came to the unfinished part that still separated Troy and Piqua and turned around. Tony headed back to the parking lot that was on Dye Mill Road and drove to K's in Troy where he stopped and had a Hamburger, French Fries and a milkshake. After that he drove to the Browse Awhile bookstore and looked around for just over two hours covering both the ground and second floor of the bookstore and buying a handful of books including a rare edition of a Clive Cussler novel. Then Tony drove south on the Dixie Highway to Vandalia, where he lived. After arriving home he called the hospital in Troy to check on the biplane's pilot and the man was reported in critical condtion with severe injuries but his vitals are stable.

Unknown to the world at his advanced age, Vauclaire De Agrigente lay in bed at the Upper Miami Valley Hospital on the north side of Troy, Ohio that summer day of 2006. But back in World War 2 he had been well known for a brief time because he was acquitted by the Nuremberg Trials for crimes committed against humanity. He and Dr. Hjalmar Schacht were just two of the three who had been acquitted.

Tony Sinclair calls to check up on the old man again and leaves his phone number to be reached if there is any change. Nearly two weeks pass, when Tony receives a phone call. "Hello Mr. Sinclair, I am Vauclaire De Agrigente, the man you rescued from the biplane I was piloting and I wanted to thank you for your being such a Gentleman". "Your very welcome Mr. De Agrigente, it was just an instinctive act on my part to do whatever I could to save you". "Mr. Sinclair, I was wondering if you could do me the favor of calling a friend of mine for me, because I am unable to do much at this time". "Why, of course, Mr. De Agrigente, it would be my pleasure to help you". "Please call my friend, Dayton Duncan at 818-555-6109 and tell him about my condition and where I am at, please and thank you". "I will call him for you, Mr. De Agrigente. I hope your recovery is quick and you get out soon, good bye and take care". Tony, when he heard the name, recognized it right away as his childhood hero, the voice over actor in radio and cartoons of his youth. He called Mr. Duncan and spoke with his hero, telling him about Mr. De Agrigente and admitted to being a fan of Mr. Dawson. Mr. Dawson promised to send an autographed letter and picture to Mr. Sinclair. Unknown to Tony Sinclair, was that Dayton Duncan was not the real name of a german jew who helped Vauclaire enter into American society after World War 2 by giving him a pivotal job in the U.S. Department of War.

In the days of the post-war period, there was an internal struggle in the U.S. Department of War as the OSS was being dismantled and an internal war ensued in the efforts to build an intelligence agency with more centralized powers and soon the two encampments fighting were the remaining OSS members and their fellow members in the U.S. Army and the other group was the Departments of State, War and the U.S. Navy fighting for control of a new intelligence establishment. The Army-OSS camp were members of the eastern establishment elites that had come from Wall Street Investment and Law firms. The State-War and Navy group included a number of the eastern elites and others who joined, including J. Edgar Hoover. Dayton Duncan had been left out of the war because of flat feet and took an office job in Washington, D.C. while still maintaining his Radio career. That job was in the U.S. War Department where he worked in the Special Intelligence Group as an office manager. After the war he found himself straddling the fence in the intelligence war and found himself developing his own theories on the post war period to come and realize an opportunity and when his friend, Vauclaire De Agrigente crossed the ocean to the states after being acquitted in the Nuremberg Trials, had set Vauclaire up in a job in the White House near President Truman and they worked together in coming up with a plan that would control the White House with the coming of a new intelligence establishment.

When President Truman announced the development of the National Military Establishment with his executive order on July 26, 1947, the result of a compromise between the State-War and Navy group and the U.S. Army-OSS group that had taken nearly two years in negotiations. Finally, a centralized intelligence agency with broad powers. What went down on paper was one thing but not on paper was a deal to control the Presidency. The result was the elevation of Dwight Eisenhower, a U.S. Army General and later, the elevation of several U.S. Navy men to the Presidency. President Ronald Reagan was the second U.S. Army President who served in the film department of the U.S. Army during World War 2. And then in 1992 a truly CIA controlled President who had helped the CIA in their efforts in the 1980s by allowing them to operate out of Mena, Arkansas with Arms and Drugs Running. This Presidency allowed weapons to be used to gain favors with eastern european war lords, who would then act facetiously in their farce of a Peace Treaty signed in Dayton, Ohio.

1944. Vauclaire De Agrigente made sure the barrel was labeled Oil that had been secretly transferred from Norway through the Rumanian company, Schenke and Company after the handoff from Allen Dulles and Brian Shaw. In the meeting with the manager of the company, Landesgruppenleiter Kohlhammer, also a SD and Nazi official, Vauclaire showed the paperwork for the barrel that was in actuality full of heavy water. Landesgruppenleiter knew there was something of value in the barrel but did not pursue it and handed over some documentation in return that contained valuable lists of the Nazi party,agents,offices, etc...that Vauclaire would then hand off to Brian and Allen. The X-2 branch of the OSS would pore over the documents thoroughly after Brian and Allen sent them to Washington in the diplomatic pouch. Unknown to Vauclaire and Landesgruppenleiter, the meeting was monitored by a secret group that was to receive the barrel and use the Heavy Water to develop for nuclear purposes in eastern europe. The man in charge of monitoring the transaction was Rolfen De Montespan. He turned to his assistant and smiled. Knowing that Landesgruppenleiter was handing over access to eastern european agents to the OSS that would continue after the Soviets occupied the countries to the newly formed CIA in 1947. Rolfen had plans for this spy network.

Rolfen De Montespan barely escaped World War 2 alive. He found his way to french held Vietnam where he settled into a position of power overseeing the flow of munitions, drugs and intelligence. He helped both the rebels and the forces of Ho Chi Min in their fight against each other. Eventually when the CIA came in late 1958 to train and advise the rebels in the south, Rolfen made friendly contact with them by mentioning his previous contacts with the OSS. They were happy to have his help.

Deron Dunovich aka Dayton Duncan flew into Dayton International Airport and hired a car at Westwind Limousines on National Road to take him to the Upper Miami Valley Hospital on the northern side of Troy, Ohio and paid a visit to Vauclaire De Agrigente. Vauclair woke to find himself looking into the eyes of his old friend, Deron and smiled weakly. "I don't know how much time I have but I am happy to see you, Deron. It looks like my injuries are too much for this old body to survive much longer. I am afraid that with what is left of the old Knights Templar families of 1307 still surviving, our days are numbered. As far as I know, young Cecile DePoulignac will be the last of the surviving group of families after you and I are gone, old friend. If there are any distant family relations, I know not of their existence".

It was no coincidence that Rolfen De Montespan had chosen Vietnam after fleeing Romania at the the end of World War 2. He had decided to move to a French Colony and Vietnam was still relatively undeveloped. He maintained his French business contacts in Romania after moving to Vietnam and built up new ones in Vietnam. And some of his Romanian contacts also had contact with the old OSS spies that had gone underground after the Berlin Wall went up. Rolfen was upset that many of the Romanian resistance were sent to the Russian gulags for slavery if not massacred in their homeland. This grew into a cold fury at some of the failures of the American efforts to help Eastern Europe, especially Romania. Now living in Vietnam he was finding it profitable to deal with the French Oil interests, as he had done back in Romania. The American Oil companies were interested in Vietnam and soon he sensed a growing American presence in Vietnam, and found himself with a foreboding about a war between America and the Communists in Vietnam. He soon found he was taking advantage of these interests that provided business opportunities.

Soon he was dealing with Griffen Calthrop, a french-american who was his CIA contact. As the American military presence grew in Vietnam so did the conflicts with the Communists. Griffen confided that he was not happy with President Kennedy's policies toward the CIA. Rolfen sympathized. It soon dawned on Rolfen he could help Griffen by leading him to some other disgruntled soldiers and advisers who felt the same way. When he helped Griffen make contact with the Oil companies, things began to happen among a growing group of people who wanted to take things into their own hands. Soon a plan emerged. As Rolfen listened to Griffen's reports of the plans being made against President Kennedy take shape, he knew he had to distance himself from the whole thing despite his feelings.

1974. Algiers. Now living in Algeria, Rolfen De Montespan watches President Nixon announce his resignation on TV. It hits Rolfen that the Intelligence wars are still continuing between the CIA and Navy-State Department. Apparently the CIA's killing team of mercenaries had succeeded in killing President Kennedy and now President Nixon was victim to the consequences of the Moorer-Radford affair that involved the Navy and Kissinger's State department that would cost Nixon the Presidency.

Tony Sinclair received a call from Dayton Duncan that Vauclaire De Agrigente had passed away in the hospital and that Dayton Duncan was taking the man's body to be buried in Switzerland on the De Agrigente family estate in Unterwalden. Tony thanked Dayton Duncan for calling him.

After the private funeral was over, Cecile De Poulignac walked over to Dayton Duncan and said, "I am saddened that Vauclaire has passed away and that the two of us are the last of the great families of the Knights Templar that survived the arrests and executions of October 13, 1307 and our escape into these mountains of Switzerland. I was reading one of the journals of my great ancestor who was a member of that council that directed many families either to Switzerland and to the shores of America. It was my family that set up the first of the many great banks of Switzerland. And Vauclaire's family that made sure Switzerland was well protected and taken care of". "Yes, I was reading a journal of my great ancestor too last night". They both walked towards the mansion.

During the 1980s and 1990s Rolfen made sure that the old network of spies behind the Berlin Wall were refreshed with new people and eventually there was a big windfall in the making when the Berlin Wall came down. Eastern Europe exploded and Rolfen waded in making more money and despite his age he felt good in the alliance of the war lords and the Clinton presidency. In 2001, a deal went bad with some middle eastern arabs and as a consequence they retaliated with their attack on America. Rolfen was furious that the Bush presidency had interfered with his deal between Romania and the arabs. The arabs wanted revenge and they wanted more after their attack on New York City. Rolfen finally realized that it was time to use the heavy water that he had been doling out to the Romanians to help their nuclear program. Finally, he made a deal to give some to the Iranian nuclear program. He knew it would be used for terrorism and sure enough they had set off a nuclear explosion in 2006 against Chisinau, Moldavia in a plan to provoke a war between the United States and Russia. However, he learned that NUMA had interfered and prevented a nuclear war. Rolfen began learning what he could about NUMA.

Deron Dunovich aka Dayton Duncan, the famous Radio Actor and Vocal talent of many cartoon characters in the late 50s up to the mid 1980s passed away in his sleep December 31, 2006. Also, on December 31, 2006 the NUMA ship, "Circe of the Seas" disappeared at sea with all her hands.

As the storm neared the Circe of the Seas, her captain, Frederick Galen Burmeister strode over to the window with his spyglass watching the storm head his way. A burst of bullets crashed through the windows of the cabin as four men clad in black wet suits stepped into the cabin and herded the crew out to the main deck and other crewmembers appeared with more men in black wetsuits pushing them. Everyone was forced into a diesel submarine that was tied up to the Circe. As the diesel submarine left the Circe of the Seas, small explosions rumbled along the bottom of the NUMA ship opening holes that caused the ship to sink.

On the third day after the disappearance of the Circe of the Seas, Admiral James Sandecker strode his office in a tight circle furious that there was no news of the Circe of the Seas and her crew. Dirk and Al sat stunned watching the Admiral and trying not to let him intimidate them. Al grinned at a thought and pulled out a cigar and clipped it before lighting up. James Sandecker stopped and looked at Al with hard eyes before relaxing and knew what Al was doing. Sandecker had been aware for sometime that his passion for leading NUMA was waning and knew that the day was coming when he would no longer lead NUMA. Finally, after seven days of searching by the Navy and NUMA ships the search was called off.

The Director of NUMA sat at his desk contemplating about the loss of the Circe of the Seas, Admiral Sandecker has to decide whether to replace the loss of the Circe of the Seas ship or forgo a new ship for awhile. Looking at the budget and all the administrative tasks involved in implementing it and the decisions involved in setting the priorities. In Dirk's office the phone buzzes, he pushes the button to listen to his secretary. Zeta Petrosky announces that a package has been delivered to him. Dirk tells her to bring it in. After she leaves, he opens it and find's a DVD. He pops it in the DVD player and turns the TV on. A man with a headdress covering most of his face looks into the camera and speaks some arabic language for a moment and then the camera pulls back and turns to the right where the crewmembers of the Circe of the Seas are shown lined up against one wall and then one at a time each is shot to death. Dirk sits stunned, helpless and and sickened. All of the crewmembers except the captain are slaughtered, and the DVD ends. A growing coldness of fury envelops Dirk and his vision reddens.

After Al and Admiral Sandecker saw the DVD they too felt the same cold fury. The immediate goal was to find out who was responsible and the first and most obvious answer was Islamist terrorists. But that seemed too obvious despite the one man in a headdress. The messenger company that had delivered it naturally did not know who had paid the cash for the delivery. And nothing on the DVD itself provided no clues whatsoever. The one question was why the captain of the Circe of the Seas was not shown being killed. Was he alive? They concurred that Hiram Yaeger Jr. might be able to come up with something so Dirk called Hiram and asked the man to try and see if he can come up with some answers.

After nearly thirty-six hours with little sleep Hiram came up with very little to tell Dirk. "Dirk, there's very little in the way of clues but I do have something about the means it took to carry out this operation and that there are few countries that have diesel submarines and only one country that maintains a fleet of them and that is Iran. After doing some research about Iran there is little that can be learned because it is a closed society. However, I have come across an interesting item and that there is a floating crew of submariners out there that are for hire and if they can be found maybe we can learn something. Also, after watching that DVD several times I found what looked like some sort of antique in the background. I did a search on it and found that it had been bought at an antique store called Odyssey in Maine. The store owner's name is Ken Jordan. I have sent you a report on my findings. I will continue of course in my efforts to find anything else". "Hiram, get a good night's sleep before you do and take care" replied Dirk.

The Red Swan was a most unusual sculpture and was made in the late 19th century by an unknown sculptor. The story is an old Indian tale about two lovers who were separated by the death of the male. Eventually the two lovers were reunited after death as Red Swans. Swans mate for life. Jordan Andrews had sold it to Tony Sinclair several years ago when Jordan needed the money. Tony kept it for several years before selling it to an antique store in Troy, Ohio. Eventually someone had bought it but did not keep it for long and wind up selling it to Ken Jordan at his antique store in Maine. When Dirk learned that the previous owner had bought it at an antique store in Troy, Ohio he was of two minds whether he would be able to learn anything by going there. Finally he decided against it and left it for Zeta to display it in her office. When she inquired why he had it she offered to go to Troy, Ohio and see if she could find out anything.

After arriving at Dayton International Airport, Zeta rented a car and drove north to Troy and found the Antique store on Market Street. She inquired about the history of the Red Swan and Liz Keifer, the owner of the antique store gave Zeta the information about the previous owner, Tony Sinclair and Zeta drove back to Vandalia and found Tony's apartment. When Tony opened the door he found himself looking at a very beautful woman that made his heart leap. Zeta smiled and looked up into Tony's eyes and she knew in her heart she had found the man she would love for the rest of her life. Tony let her in after she mentioned the Red Swan and told her about Jordan Andrews selling him the Red Swan and that the Red Swan had been in the Andrews family for a long time.

Upon Zeta's return to NUMA she reported what she had learned about the Red Swan itself and the history of it's ownership. Dirk called Hiram and asked him to find out about Jordan Andrews. Two hours later Hiram called Dirk back and was excited that Jordan Andrews not only was an experienced Submariner but had a criminal record with ties to the underground and foreign contacts. The CIA had a report on the man's shadowy career. Dirk called Admiral Sandecker and coaxed him into getting something from the CIA on Jordan Andrews.

With the report on Jordan Andrews in his hands Dirk reread it again and then handed it back to the CIA man, Rick Lassiter. "Thank you very much Mr. Lassiter for letting me read this" says Dirk. He returns to his office at NUMA HQ and enters Hiram's Lab and tells Hiram what he had just read at the CIA Headquarters. Hiram asks Max to find out more based on the information Dirk just relayed about Jordan Andrews, whom with his experience as an Soldier of Fortune type had been around in Africa, Asia and the Middle East. Finally, Max came up with a law firm that has been conducting business with Jordan Andrews off and on for years, Calthrop, Jones and McCloud. Max then informs that the company has been used by the CIA since the late 1950s. Max then reports that one Griffen Calthrop, a partner had been an employee with the CIA from the mid 1950s until 1972. And that at one point his brother, Charles Harold Calthrop had been suspected of being an assassin in the attempt on Charles DeGaulle's life and the JFK assassination.

Dennis McCloud, former U.S. Marshall and U.S. Senator from New Mexico welcomed Admiral Sandecker and Dirk Pitt into his office. "Thank you for letting us come and interview you on an important matter" says Admiral Sandecker. Admiral Sandecker then tells about the possible connection between Jordan Andrews, a client of the law firm and the sinking of the NUMA ship, Circe of the Seas. "I'm afraid that I can't be of much help to you gentlemen except that Jordan Andrews is a client that we trust to do business with". "Please, this is a matter that would help in the finding of those responsible for the sinking of our ship and the murders of the crewmembers". "Tell you what Admiral, the best I can do is to contact Mr. Andrews and implore him to cooperate in the best interests of all here, with myself as his representative to make sure that my client is protected". "Thank you, Mr. McCloud" replies Admiral Sandecker. Admiral Sandecker and Dirk Pitt leave McCloud's office and as they leave, a beautiful blonde woman steps into the lobby. Countess Cecile De Poulignac admires Dirk Pitt, who returns his appreciative look with a smile that devastates her.

After returning to his office, Dirk calls Hiram to see if there's any progress in the investigation. Zeta walks into his office with a serious look and asks to sit and talk about something important. 'Dirk, I am leaving my job and want a period of two weeks notice before I move to Ohio. I am continuing my relations with Tony Sinclair and plan on marrying within a few months". "I hate to see you go, Zeta, but you have my gratitude and devotion for the help you have been to me. Congratulations on meeting the man whom you are going to marry. I am happy for you and want the best for you". After Zeta leaves, Dirk ponders the women who have worked with him over the years. Zerri was one of those women with whom he had thought of in a similar way that he felt for Zeta. Both very attractive and desirable and now happy in their new lives. It makes Dirk wistful but happy that they are doing great for themselves. With Loren, it has been an off and on thing for many years. Maybe someday he will consider that ultimate decision of commitment.

After moving to Ohio, Zeta find's her new life with Tony wonderful. One day the two are biking on the same bike trail where Vauclaire De Agrigente had crashed in his biplane and Tony tells her the story. They enjoy long walks, biking and swimming. Tony loves her Vegetarian dishes that she makes but still eats meat. Zeta in turn finds him an intelligent and well read man. One day, a man knocks on the door and Zeta answers it. He introduces himself as Jordan Andrews, an old schoolmate friend in elementary and junior high school. She is startled but stays calm as Tony and Jordan commiserate over old times. After Jordan Andrews leaves she calls Dirk, but he is not in and she leaves a message.

Rolfen finds himself deathly ill and decides to strike at NUMA once more. He makes plans to kill Admiral Sandecker. And he hires some mercenaries to do the job. A muggy morning in August of 2007 Admiral Sandecker takes his usual jog on his way to NUMA HQ. Three men jump the Admiral on the path and beat him mercilessly until a car slows down on the road nearby and they flee. The driver calls for emergency on his cell phone. Even though he is rushed to the hospital in a short time, the Admiral lies in critical condition. Rolfen De Montespan is furious at the incompetency of the mercenaries. The Admiral slips into a coma and his injuries heal as time goes by. His critical condition lessens as his body begins a slow recovery. Dirk and Al know there's a war against NUMA now and plan for a counterattack. The driver of the car gives a good description of the men who attacked the Admiral. Eventually the police come up with an identity of two of the men and put out an APB and warrant for their immediate arrests. One of the mercenaries is spotted in Virginia in September and is arrested. Even with interrogation it takes time for the mercenary to divulge what he knows. Finally, a contact person is identified as the go-between the mercenaries and the man who hires them. The CIA knows the history of the contact person and keeps an eye on him. Rolfen plans one more attack on NUMA and it involves the freelance submariners again in a high seas attack.

Early November, a gathering of NUMA Ships in the Pacific Ocean converge near Howland Island for a big project involving ocean bottom profiling. The news leaks to the Media and Rolfen picks up on the news and sends his crew of submariners on their way to the area in a diesel submarine provided by the Iranian submarine fleet. The Office of Naval Intelligence picks up news of the Iranian participation in loaning their submarines for hire to outsiders. Dirk and Al are on the Icelandic Princess, a NUMA ship captained by Nostradamus Leigh Hannerford. They know that with half of their fleet here on a mega-project that they are painting themselves with a bulleseye target on their backs. Luckily they have come up with some ideas for a counterattack and with the Navy lying by silently they are hopeful to get by with little damage.

On the morning of November 14, 2007 a diesel submarine silently wends it's way into the middle of the NUMA ships. Four missiles are immediately fired at four of the NUMA ships as an EH-101 helicopter silently fires an anti-submarine stinger missile at the diesel submarine a second before the release of the four missiles towards the NUMA ships. Simultaneously four missiles from the U.S.S. David Lee Whechel, an Los Angeles class attack submarine are fired at the attacking missiles. As three of the missiles heading toward NUMA ships are taken out by the missiles from the U.S.S. David Lee Whelchel, the fourth one hits the Icelandic Princess. The diesel submarine is mortally damaged and she comes to the surface where a few survivors scramble out and dive into the water. Immediately the NUMA crew go to work on pumping out the water and fixing the damage. The survivors of the diesel submarine are taken aboard the Icelandic Princess by way of rubber boats sent out to pick them up. Dirk walks among the men and recognizes Jordan Andrews from the CIA file photo. He looks into the eyes of Jordan Andrews and asks who killed the crewmen of the Circe of the Seas. Jordan Andrews says it was the very man who had hired him and his crew, Rolfen De Montespan. "You are going to jail, man because you participated in the slaughter of my friends" states Dirk Pitt, who stares hard at Jordan Andrews. Jordan Andrews indeed was sentenced for 25 years but would escape jail in 2014.

Algiers, Algeria. Dirk and Al silently approach the modest house Rolfen De Montespan lives in. Al heads toward the back door. Dirk decides not to bother with the front door but dives through the front window. rolling on the floor Dirk jumps to his feet and aiming his gun but spies no one in sight. Dirk slowly walks into the hallway and see's a partially open bedroom door and with one hand pushes it open. A nurse looks at him with frightened eyes and cowering at the sight of the gun. Dirk see's the old man in the bed and walks over to him. Al walks into the bedroom and keeps his gun trained on the nurse. "Hello, Mr. Pitt, I am Rolfen De Montespan, the man you want to kill because of my vengeance towards NUMA and the United States government. As you can see, my health is failing. My time is nearly up after a lifetime of operating in the shadows of both the government and outside. I have left a chronicle for you to read about my participation in the many operations I served in administering for the U.S. Government and beyond. Only you are to read it. Also, I have a letter I would like you to deliver for me. It is to be handgiven to one Countess Cecile DePoulignac. I'm sorry to disappoint you by dying this way Mr. Pitt but if it is any consolation I am sure I will fit in well with the fires of hell". Rolfen coughed and wheezed for minute before he took his last breath.

November 20, 2007. Admiral Sandecker opens his eyes and first thing he see's is Al Giordino smiling at him. "Oh, god please preserve me from the dealings of this character" the Admiral quips at the sardonic look of Al's and then the Admiral smiles. "It's always an experience with you isn't it, Al?". "Sure, it is Admiral, because it's always a pleasure to see you twist everytime I am near". "Where is Dirk?". "He is on a postal delivery job for the late Rolfen De Montespan, who spent over a year trying to take out NUMA". The Admiral looks down and wonders about the strange man that he feels so fatherly towards.

Outside Chaumont, Switzerland Dirk finds the road that leads to the DePoulignac estate. After he finds the entrance roadway he drives up the hill aways until crests the hill and see's the mansion lying in a Valley on the other side of the hill. He dtives down to the mansion and parks. He walks up to the door and rings the bell. A stiff looking butler opens the door and spying the casually dressed American he turns up his nose and inquires as to who is calling. "I am Dirk Pitt, delivering a letter to the Countess Cecile DePoulignac". "Very well, indeed come on in and I shall take you to the Countess". The Butler walks down a hallway and turns left at the apex of the T shaped hallways. He ascends a set of stairs that leads to the second loor and walks the opposite direction to the center of the hallway and knocks on a door. "Come in, Giles" replies the silky voice of the Countess. The Butler opens the doors and preceds Dirk toward the desk where Countess Cecile is sitting at. "A Mr. Dirk Pitt delivering a note for you madam". And he turns around and walks out. "Have I seen you before?" asks the Countess. "I believe that we have crossed paths together at a law firm in Washington, D.C. Countess". "Ah, of course, now I remember. Your smile was most effective" demures the Countess. "Here is a letter from one Rolfen De Montespan, a most despicable man who is responsible for the deaths of my fellow workers at NUMA". "Oh, how dreadful" as she takes the letter from Dirk. "Would like to stay and have a drink with me, Mr. Pitt?". "Yes, I would love to spend a few minutes with such a beautiful woman as yourself" replies Dirk. Indeed the two of them chat for nearly an hour until Dirk says he must return to the United States. "I certainly enjoyed your company, Dirk. Maybe we will meet again someday", she smiles. Dirk leaves and she settles back into her chair at the desk and opens the letter. She reads about Rolfen's life and his ancestry that leads back to the survivors of the executions of October 13, 1307.

Dirk Pitt arrives at Dayton International Airport and awaits for Zeta's arrival to pick him up. Zeta is happy to see Dirk and drives him to her and Tony's apartment and introduces Dirk to Tony, "It's a pleasure to meet you Mr. Pitt. I have read of your many adventures in the newspapers, of your discovery of the Titanic and many other stories that no average person could expect to live through in one lifetime". Dirk proceeds to tell Tony of the arrest of Jordan Andrews and his involvement in international crimes. I hope you didn't mind my sending you the Red Swan, Tony. I believe that it belongs to you rightfully. It was one of the clues that helped us in tracking down the outlaws involved in a plot against the government". Dirk spends over a day with Tony and Zeta and see's that Zeta is very happy before he returns to Washington, D.C. THE END.

The title to this story is Rolfen's Revenge