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nk of the inflatable boat's outboard motor。 The shaft and propeller were buried in the sand about thirty feet from the high…tide line。 He dug away the damp sand until he could pull the motor free。 Then he hoisted it over his shoulder and began walking down the beach away from the Russian pound。
Pitt had no idea where he was going or where he was going to hide the motor。 His feet dug into the sand and the burden of sixty pounds made it tough going。 He had to stop every few hundred yards and rest。
He had walked about two miles when he met a weed…covered road that passed through several rows of deserted and decaying houses。 Most of them were little more than shacks and they nestled around a small lagoon。 It must have once been a fishing village； Pitt thought。 He could not know it was one of the settlements whose residents had been forcefully uprooted to the mainland during the Soviet takeover。
He gratefully shrugged off the motor and began rummaging in the houses。 The walls and roofing were made from corrugated iron sheets and scrap wood。 Little of the furnishings remained。 He found a boat pulled up on the beach； but any hope of using it was crushed。 The bottom was rotted away。
Pitt considered building a raft； but it would take too long； and he couldn't run the risk of putting together something under the double handicap of working in darkness with no tools。 The end result would not offer much peace of mind in rough water。
The luminous dial on his watch read 1：30。 If he wanted to find and talk to Giordino and Gunn； he'd have to get a move on。 He wondered what to do about fuel for the outboard motor； but there was no time to search now。 He calculated it would take him a good hour to regain his cell。
He found an old cast…iron bathtub lying outside a collapsed shed。 He placed the outboard motor on the ground and turned the tub upside down over it。 Then he threw some tires and a rotting mattress on top and walked backward； brushing sand over his footprints with a palm frond until he stood a good seventy…five feet away。
Sneaking back in went more smoothly than sneaking out。 All he had to remember was to restraighten the bars in the culvert。 Belatedly； he wondered why the island pound wasn't crawling with security guards； but then it came to him that the area was constantly overflown by American spy planes whose cameras had the uncanny ability to produce photographs that could read the name on a golf ball from ninety thousand feet。
The Soviets must have figured it was better to trade heavy security for the appearance of a lifeless； abandoned island。 Cuban dissidents fleeing Castro's government would ignore it and any Cuban exile mandos would certainly bypass it for the mainland。 With no one landing and no one escaping； the Russians had nothing to guard against。
Pitt dropped through the air ventilator and stealthily made his way back across the garage and down the exit shaft。 The corridor was still quiet。 He checked his door and saw the hair was still in place。
His plan now was to find Gunn and Giordino。 But he didn't want to crowd his luck。 Although their imprisonment was lax； there was always the problem of a chance discovery。 If Pitt was caught outside his cell now； it would spell the end。 Velikov and Gly were sure to keep him tightly locked away if they didn't outright execute him。
He felt he had to risk it。 There might not be another opportunity。 Any sound echoed throughout the concrete corridor。 He would be able to hear footsteps in plenty of time to regain his cell if he didn't probe too far。
The room next to his was a paint locker。 He searched it for a few minutes but found nothing useful。 Two rooms across the corridor were empty。 The third held plumbing supplies。 Then he unlatched another door and found himself staring into the surprised faces of Gunn and Giordino。 He quickly slipped inside； careful to keep the door's bolt from engaging。
〃Dirk！〃 Giordino cried。
〃Keep it down；〃 Pitt whispered。
〃Good to see you； buddy。〃
〃Have you checked this place for ears？〃 Pitt asked。
〃Thirty seconds after they pitched us in；〃 answered Gunn。 〃The room is clean。〃
It was then Pitt saw the dark shades of purple around Giordino's eyes。 〃I see you've met with Foss Gly in room six。〃
〃We had an interesting conversation。 Pretty much one…sided； though。〃
Pitt looked at Gunn but saw no marks。 〃What about you？〃
〃He's too smart to beat my brains out；〃 said Gunn with a taut smile。 He pointed to his broken ankle。 The cast was gone。 〃He gets his kicks by twisting my foot。〃
〃What about Jessie？〃
Gunn and Giordino exchanged grim looks。 〃We fear the worst；〃 said Gunn。 〃Al and I heard a woman's screams late in the afternoon as we stepped out of the elevator。〃
〃We were ing from an interrogation by that slimy bastard Velikov。〃
〃Their system；〃 explained Pitt。 〃The general uses the velvet glove and then turns you over to Gly for the iron fist treatment。〃 He angrily paced the tiny room。 〃We've got to find Jessie and get the hell out of here。〃
〃How？〃 asked Giordino。 〃LeBaron has paid a visit and made a point of stressing the hopelessness of escaping the island。〃
〃I don't trust rich and reckless Raymond as far as I can throw this building；〃 said Pitt acidly。 〃I think Gly has beaten him into jelly。〃
〃Agreed。〃
Gunn twisted to his side in his bunk； favoring the broken ankle。 〃How do you intend on leaving the island？〃
〃I found and stashed the outboard motor for insurance if I can't steal a boat。〃
〃What？〃 Giordino stared at Pitt incredulously。 〃You walked out of here？〃
〃Not exactly a garden stroll；〃 Pitt replied。 〃But I scouted an escape route to the beach。〃
〃Stealing a boat is impossible；〃 Gunn said flatly。
〃You know something I don't。〃
〃My smattering of Russian came in handy。 I've begun developing a prison grapevine through the guards。 I was also able to glean a few details from Velikov's papers in his office。 One item of interesting information is that the island is supplied at night by submarine。〃
〃Why so plicated？〃 muttered Giordino； 〃Seems to me surface transportation would be more efficient。〃
〃That calls for docking facilities that can be seen from the air；〃 explained Gunn。 〃Whatever is going on around here； they want to keep it damned quiet。〃
〃I'll second that；〃 said Pitt。 〃The Russians have gone to a lot of work to make the island look deserted。〃
〃No wonder it shook them up when we walked through the front door；〃 Giordino said thoughtfully。 〃That explains the interrogation and torture。〃
〃All the more reason to make a break and save our lives。〃
〃And alert our intelligence agencies；〃 Gunn added。
〃When do you plan to cut out？〃 asked Giordino。
〃Tomorrow night； right after the guard brings dinner。〃
Gun gave Pitt a long； hard stare。 〃You'll have to go it alone； Dirk。〃
〃We came together； we'll leave together。〃
Giordino shook his head。 〃You can't carry Jessie and us on your back too。〃
〃He's right；〃 said Gunn。 〃Al and I are in no condition to crawl fifty feet。 Better we stay than foul your chances。 Take the LeBarons and swim like hell for the States