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n inside the metal…walled hangar。 A surge of satisfaction swept through him as he heard the thud of a body against the concrete floor。 Reckoning the second assassin would be expecting him to hide by throwing himself under the car； he stretched out horizontal on the wide running board and waited for a hail of gunfire。 It never came。
The second killer failed to react because he was searching for Pitt inside an antique Putfman coach parked at one side of the hangar on a pair of rails。 The car had once been part of the crack express train called the Manhattan Limited that ran between New York and Quebec； Canada； between 1912 and 1914。 Pitt had acquired the old coach after finding it in a cave。 The killer barely perceived the brief flash of light through a glass window of the Pullman before hearing the explosive roar of the shotgun。 By the time he rushed to the rear platform； the hangar had been plunged back into blackness。 He was too late to hear the impact on the floor of his acplice's body or know what target to fire at。 He crouched behind a massive Daimler convertible and panned his night…vision goggles around and beneath the maze of parked cars。 As he peered through the binocular eyepiece connected to a single objective lens that was attached to his head with straps； giving him the look of a robotic Cyclops； the pitch…black interior of the hangar appeared bathed in a green light that distinguished surrounding objects。 Twenty feet ahead of him he spotted the body of his acplice crumpled on the cold； hard floor； a pool of blood spreading around the head。 Any confusion as to why their prey had willingly and knowingly walked into the trap evaporated。 He now realized Pitt had somehow armed himself with a weapon。 They were warned that their target was a dangerous man； and yet they had still badly underestimated him。
It was essential for Pitt to make a move while he had an advantage； and move as quickly as possible before the remaining killer pinpointed his location。 Pitt made no attempt at stealth。 Speed was what counted。 He scrambled around the front end of the cars toward the entrance door； keeping low and using the wheels and tires to shield his movement from the view of a night scope probing the floor beneath。 He reached the door； threw it open and fell back behind a car as bullets sped through the opening into the night outside。 Then Pitt crawled along the wall of the hangar until he could huddle against the wheel of a 1939 540…K Mercedes…Benz sedan。
The move was foolhardy and reckless； but he only paid a small price。 Pitt could feel blood streaming from his left forearm where the flesh had been nicked by a bullet。 Had the remaining assassin been given five long seconds to divine Pitt's intention； he would have never rushed headlong toward the door in the certain belief that his quarry had tried to escape from the hangar。
Pitt heard the soft drumming of supple rubber soles against concrete。 Then a figure dressed from the top of the head to his feet in black became outlined in the doorway by the dim light outside on the electrical pole。 All's fair in love and war； Pitt thought； as he pulled the trigger and cut down the killer with a shotgun blast through the back below the right shoulder。
The arms flew upward and outward； his tactical machine pistol clattering to the walkway in front of the hangar。 The killer stood there a moment； tore off his night…vision goggles and slowly turned。 He stared disbelievingly into Pitt's face as the hunted approached the hunter and saw the muzzle of vicious…looking shotgun aimed at his chest。 The shocked realization of his deadly blunder； the awareness that his death was only seconds away； seemed more to anger than frighten him。 The bitter； stunned expression in his now visible eyes gave Pitt a chill。 It was not the look of a man afraid to die； it was the desperate look of a man who had failed his mission。 He staggered toward Pitt in a hopeless gesture of tenacity； the lips that were faintly visible through the open slit in his black hood hideous in a blood…flecked snarl。
Pitt did not send another burst from the shotgun into the assassin's body。 Nor did he use his gun as a club。 He stepped forward and lashed out with one foot； kicking the man's legs out from under him and sending him crashing heavily to the ground。
Picking up the killer's weapon； Pitt did not immediately recognize it as Chinese…manufactured； but he was impressed with its advanced innovations： a plastic frame with integral electro…optics； a fifty…round magazine in line with the bore； and cased； telescoped cartridges with the ballistics of a rifle shell。 It was a handgun for the twenty…first century。
He stepped back inside the hangar and switched on the lights again。 Despite the harrowing ordeal； Pitt felt strangely unaffected。 He walked the aisle separating the cars until he stood below the balcony of his apartment。 Then he stared down at the second killer's body。 The partner of the man he dropped in the doorway was as dead as a rat in a sprung trap。 One of Pitt's shots had missed； but the other had taken off the top of the killer's head。 Not a sight to remember at the dinner table。
Wearily； Pitt climbed a circular metal staircase and entered his apartment。 There was no sense in calling 911。 He expected federal marshals to e bounding up the road any minute。 Methodically； he rinsed a glass with water； shook it partially dry and inverted it in a bowl of salt。 Then he added crushed ice； a sliced lime； and two shots from a bottle of Don Julio silver tequila。 Relaxing in a leather sofa； he savored the drink like a thirst…stricken bedouin who staggered onto an oasis。
Five minutes and a second tequila later； Admiral Sandecker arrived with a team of marshals。 Pitt came down to the hangar floor and met them； drink in hand。 〃Good evening； Admiral； always good to see you。〃
Sandecker grunted something appropriate and then nodded at the body beneath the apartment。 〃You really must leam to pick up after yourself。〃 The voice was caustic； but there was no mistaking the concern in his eyes。
Pitt smiled and shrugged。 〃The world needs murderers like it needs cancer。〃
Sandecker noticed the streak of blood on Pitt's arm。 〃You took a hit。〃 〃Nothing a Band…Aid won't fix。〃
〃Let's have the story；〃 demanded Sandecker； all preliminaries over。 〃Where did they e from？〃
〃I haven't a clue。 They were waiting for me。〃
〃A miracle they didn't kill you。〃
〃They didn't plan on me ing to the party prepared after I saw that my security system had been tampered with。〃
Sandecker looked at Pitt cautiously。 〃You might have waited until I arrived with the marshals。〃
Pitt motioned through the door toward the road and barren land outside the hangar。 〃If I made a run for it； they'd have cut me down before I got fifty yards。 Better to go on the offensive。 I felt my only chance was to do something quickly and catch them off balance。〃
Sandecker stared at Pitt shrewdly。 He knew his special projects director would never attempt anything without a solid reason。 His eyes took in the bullet…riddled doorway。 〃I hope you know a good handyman。〃
At that moment a man wearing casual clothes and a wind…breaker over a ballistic armor vest with a Smith & Wesson model 442 。38 revolver in a shoulder holster approached。 In one hand he held a hooded mask worn by the killer whom Pitt had dropped in the doorway。 〃Won't be easy to ID them。 They were probably imported for the hit。〃
Sandecker made the introduction。 〃Dirk； this is Mr。 Peter Harper； executive associate missioner of field operations for the Immigration and Naturalization Service。〃
Harper shook Pitt's hand。 〃A pleasure to meet you； Mr。 Pitt。 It seems you had an unexpected homeing。〃
〃A dubious surprise I wasn't counting on。〃 Pitt was not at all sure he could warm to Harper。 The associate missioner of the INS struck him as a man who spent his spare time working algebra problems。 Despite the fact he carried a weapon； Harper looked benign and scholastic。 〃There is a van parked a short distance from the hangar。〃
〃We already checked it out；〃 said Harper。 〃It belongs to a rental…car agency。 The name on the agreement is fictitious。〃 〃Who do you suspect was behind this？〃 Sandecker asked。 〃The name Qin Shang es to mind；〃 said Pitt。 〃I'm told he has a retaliatory nature。〃
〃The obvious choice；〃 Sandecker agreed。 〃He won't be happy when he finds out his assassins failed；〃 added Harper。
Sandecker's expression turned foxlike。 〃I think it only appropriate that Dirk tell him in person。〃
Pitt shook his head。 〃I hardly think that's a sensible idea。 I'm persona non grata in Hong Kong。〃
Sandecker and Harper exchanged glances。 Then Sandecker said； 〃Qin Shang saved you the trip。 He recently arrived in Washington to grease his way out of any connection with Orion Lake。 As a matter of fact； he's throwing a party at his residence in Chevy Chase to stroke congressmen and their staffers。 If you hurry and dress； you can just make it。〃
Pitt looked as if he'd been sandbagged。 〃I hope you're joking。〃
〃I was never more serious。〃
〃I believe the admiral makes a good case；〃 said Harper。 〃You and Qin Shang should meet face…to…face。〃