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f boats leading the pack by a quarter of a mile。
The speeding craft skimmed the wave tops； their forty…foot hulls planing with elevated bows as if trying to escape the restraints of gravity。 The lead boat was painted a bold firehouse red。 Trailing by less than a hundred yards； the second boat sparkled like a gold nugget。 The boats were more like star fighters than craft designed for travel over water。 Their flat decks connected two knife…edged catamaran hulls called sponsons and aerodynamic wings over the engine partments。 Twin F…16…type canopies were set side…by…side two…thirds of the way back from the sharp…pointed double prows。
Squeezed into the red boat's right…hand canopy； his sun bronzed face fixed in a mask of determination； I Curt Austin braced himself as the eight…ton craft slammed against the concrete…hard water again and again。 Unlike a land vehicle； the boat had no shock absorbers to cushion the jarring impact。 Each jolt traveled through the one…piece Kevlar and carbon posite hull up through Austin's legs and rattled his teeth。 Despite his broad shoulders； his muscular biceps； and the five…point harness system that strapped his two…hundred…pound frame in place； he felt like a basketball being dribbled down the court by Michael Jordan。
Every ounce of strength in his muscular six…foot…one body was needed to keep a steady hand on the trim tabs and the throttle levers and a firm left foot on the engine pedal controlling the pressure in the mighty twin turbos that sent the boat thundering over the water。
Jose 〃Joe〃 Zavala sat hunched over the steering wheel in the left canopy。 His gloved hands tightly gripped the small black wheel that seemed inadequate for the task of keeping the boat pointed in the right direction。 He felt as if he were aiming rather than steering the boat。 His mouth was set in a grim line。 The large dark brown eyes had lost their usual soulful look as they strained intently through the tinted Plexiglas visor to read the sea conditions for changes in wind or wave height。 The up…and down movement of the bow pounded the difficulty。 Where Austin gauged the boat's behavior； quite literally； by the seat of his pants； Zavala felt the waves and troughs through his steering wheel。
Austin barked into the inter mike that connected the canopies。 〃What's our speed？〃
Zavala glanced at the digital speed gauge。 〃One twenty…two。〃 His eyes went to the GPS position and pass。 〃Right on course。〃
Austin checked his watch and looked down at the chart fastened to his right thigh。 The one…hundred…sixty…mile race began in San Diego； made two sharp turns around Santa Catalina Is land； and came back to the starting point； giving thousands of spectators along the beaches a view of the dramatic finish。 The final turn should be ing up any minute。 He squinted through the spray…splashed canopy and saw a vertical line off to the right； then another。 Sailboat masts！ The spectator fleet flanked a wide swath of open water。 Once past the spectators； the racers would pick up the Coast Guard cutter near the turn buoy and head into the last lap。 He snapped a quick glance over his right shoulder and caught the reflection of the sun off gold。
〃Kicking it up to one…thirty；〃 Austin said。
The hard shocks ing through the steering wheel indicated that the wave height was growing。 Zavala had observed white flecks in the water and a distinct marbling to the seas that told him the wind was up。
〃Don't know if we should；〃 Zavala yelled over the shriek of the engines。 〃Picking up a slight chop。 Where's Ali Baba？〃
〃Practically in our back pocket！〃
〃He's crazy if he makes his play now。 He should just lie back and let us take the lumps like he's been doing； then go for the home stretch。 Sea and wind are too unpredictable。〃
〃Ali doesn't like to lose。〃 Zavala grunted。 〃Okay。 Take it to one twenty…five。 Maybe he'll back off。〃
Austin pushed down with his fingertips on the throttles and felt a surge of speed and power。
A moment later Zavala reported： 〃Doing one twenty…seven。 Seems okay。〃
The gold boat fell back； then speeded up to keep pace。 Austin could read the black lettering on the side： Flying Carpet。 The boat's driver was hidden behind the tinted glass； but Austin knew the bearded young Omar Sharif look…alike would be grinning from ear to ear。 The son of a Dubai hotel magnate； Ali Bin Said was one of the toughest petitors in one of the world's most petitive and dangerous sports； Class 1 offshore power boat racing。
Ali came within a whisker of beating Austin at the Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix the year before。 The loss in his own back yard before his home audience was particularly galling。 Ali had beefed up the power in the Carpet's twin Lamborghini engines。 With improvements in its power plant the Red Ink squeezed out a few extra miles per hour； but Austin estimated Ali's boat was a match for his。
At the prerace briefing Ali had jokingly accused Austin of calling in the National Underwater & Marine Agency to quell the seas in his boat's path。 As leader of the Special Assignments Team for NUMA； Austin had the resources of the huge agency at his mand。 But he knew better than to play King Canute。 Ali had been beaten not by engine power but by the way Austin and his NUMA partner clicked together as a team。
Zavala； with his dark plexion and thick； straight black hair always bed straight back； could have passed for the maitre d' in a posh Acapulco resort hotel。 The slight smile al ways on his lips masked a steely resolve forged in his college days as a middleweight boxer and honed by the frequent challenges of his NUMA assignments。 The gregarious and soft spoken marine engineer had thousands of hours piloting helicopters； small jets； and turbo…prop aircraft and easily switched to the cockpit of a race boat。 Working with Austin as if they were parts in a precision machine； he took mand of the race from the second the referee raised the green starting flag。
They were up on plane at a near…ideal angle and blasted across the start line at one hundred and thirty miles per hour。 Every boat had hit the finish line with throttle straight out。 Two hard…driven petitors blew out their engines on the first lap； one flipped on the first turn； probably the most dangerous part of any race； and the rest were simply outclassed by the two leaders。 The Red Ink rocketed by the others as if they were stuck on fly paper。 Only the Flying Carpet kept pace。 During the first Catalina Island turn； Zavala had maneuvered the Red Ink around the buoy so that Ali went wide。 The F7~ing Carpet had been playing catch…up ever since。
Now the Carpet had taken wing and was ing abreast of the Red Ink。 Austin knew of Ali's last…minute switch to a smaller propeller that would be better in rough seas。 Austin wished he could trade in his large calm…water propeller。 Ali had been smart to listen to his weather sense rather than the forecast。
〃I'm cranking her up another notch！〃 Austin shouted。
〃She's at one…forty now；〃 Zavala yelled back。 〃Wind's up。 She'll kite if we don't slow down。〃
Austin knew a high…speed turn was risky。 The twin catama