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Page 94
named the Yuri Andropov, and before that the Andrei Vishinsky. It left Kola last November to dump its armament at sea and then report to the ship breakers at Murmansk to have the nuclear pile deactivated. Never happened. Pravdaa nice touch that, calling a Hotel-class sub 'Truth'did not arrive on schedule. Did not arrive at all. Finally, she was reported to the Nuclear Disarmament Commission as lost at sea with all hands." Jones shrugged and spread his hands. "End of story, Colonel." He hesitated and then said, "How's that for competence? ONI's not worth a fart in a barrel.''
Morgan looked at the rain falling on the air station. The runway lights glowed red, green, and amber. Beyond lay the bay and beyond that, the San Francisco skyline, misty and mystical in the rainy night. "Is that an Agency sentiment, Mr. Jones, or your personal view?" Of all the secret services in peacetime, the Office of Naval Intelligence had the best opinion of itself.
"It is a generally held opinion in the Company, sir."
"I share it, Jones."
"This Karmann, Colonel. He claimed to have walked all the way from Honduras. The Mosquito Coast. That's one hell of a hike."
Morgan flashed on the images he had seen only yesterday in Kellner's office in the White House. Men in the sea. How could they all have been lost? Had the Cuban gunboat refused to pick them up? Or had something uglier happened?
Jones said, "One thing more. Odd."
"Which was?"
"This man Karmann shouldn't be impossible to find if it is really necessary. The Marine guard who first saw him at the gate reported that he was missing a hand."
"He had a prosthetic?"
"Not exactly, Colonel. He had a steel hook for a left hand. There can't be many of those around in our enlightened age, can there?"

 
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