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➞ START READING ➞ 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 CELTIC 11 12 13 EMPIRE 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 S28 N29

9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd i 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 TITLES BY 02 03 ® ADVENTURES SAM AND REMI FARGO ADVENTURES 04 (with Dirk Cussler) The Gray Ghost (with Robin Burcell) 05 Havana Storm (with Dirk Cussler) The Romanov Ransom Poseidon’s Arrow (with Dirk Cussler) 06 (with Robin Burcell) Crescent Dawn (with Dirk Cussler) 07 Pirate (with Robin Burcell) Arctic Drift (with Dirk Cussler) 08 of Khan (with Dirk Cussler) (with Russell Blake) 09 Black Wind (with Dirk Cussler) The Eye of Heaven (with Russell Blake) 10 The Mayan Secrets (with Thomas Perry) 11 (with Thomas Perry) 12 Atlantis Found (with ) 13 Flood (with Grant Blackwood) 14 (with Grant Blackwood) 15 16 ISAAC BELL ADVENTURES 17 (with Justin Scott) 18 Treasure (with Justin Scott) 19 The Assassin (with Justin Scott) 20 The Bootlegger (with Justin Scott) Pacific Vortex! 21 (with Justin Scott) Night Probe! The Thief (with Justin Scott) 22 Vixen 03 The Race (with Justin Scott) 23 Raise the Titanic! (with Justin Scott) 24 The Wrecker (with Justin Scott) 25 26 27 28S 29N

9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd ii 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 KURT AUSTIN ADVENTURES OREGON® FILES (cont.) 03 Novels from The NUMA ® Files The Jungle (with ) 04 Sea of Greed (with Graham Brown) (with Jack Du Brul) 05 (with Graham Brown) (with Jack Du Brul) 06 (with Graham Brown) Plague Ship (with Jack Du Brul) 07 The Pharaoh’s Secret (with Jack Du Brul) (with Graham Brown) 08 (with Jack Du Brul) Ghost Ship (with Graham Brown) 09 (with Craig Dirgo) Zero Hour (with Graham Brown) 10 (with Craig Dirgo) The Storm (with Graham Brown) 11 Devil’s Gate (with Graham Brown) 12 (with Paul Kemprecos) NONFICTION 13 The Navigator (with Paul Kemprecos) Built for Adventure: The Classic 14 Polar Shift (with Paul Kemprecos) Automobiles of Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Lost City (with Paul Kemprecos) 15 Built to Thrill: More Classic (with Paul Kemprecos) 16 Automobiles from Clive Cussler (with Paul Kemprecos) and Dirk Pitt 17 (with Paul Kemprecos) The Sea Hunters (with Craig Dirgo) 18 (with Paul Kemprecos) The Sea Hunters II (with Craig Dirgo) 19 Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed 20 (with Craig Dirgo) OREGON® FILES 21

Shadow Tyrants (with Boyd Morrison) 22 CHILDREN’S BOOKS (with Boyd Morrison) 23 The Adventures of Vin Fiz The Emperor’s Revenge 24 (with Boyd Morrison) The Adventures of Hotsy Totsy 25 Piranha (with Boyd Morrison) 26 Mirage (with Jack Du Brul) 27 S28 N29

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9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd iv 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 CELTIC 14 15 16 17 EMPIRE 18 19 20 21 A DIRK PITT NOVEL 22 23 24 25 26 27 S28 G. P. PUTNAM’S SONS New York N29

9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd iv 12/11/18 12:11 PM 9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd v 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 03 04 G. P. Putnam’s Sons Publishers Since 1838 05 An imprint of Penguin Random House LLC 06 375 Hudson Street New York, New York 10014 07 08

09 Copyright © 2019 by Sandecker, RLLLP 10 Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels creativity, encourages diverse voices, promotes free speech, and creates a vibrant culture. Thank you for 11 buying an authorized edition of this book and for complying with copyright laws 12 by not reproducing, scanning, or distributing any part of it in any form without permission. You are supporting writers and allowing Penguin 13 to continue to publish books for every reader. 14 Library of Congress Cataloging‑­in‑­Publication Data 15 Names: Cussler, Clive, author. | Cussler, Dirk, author. 16 Title: Celtic empire / Clive Cussler, Dirk Cussler. 17 Description: New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, [2019] | Series: Dirk Pitt adventure; 25 18 Identifiers: LCCN 2018056946| ISBN 9780735218994 (hardcover) | 19 ISBN 9780735219007 (epub) Subjects: LCSH: Pitt, Dirk (Fictitious character)—​­Fiction. | BISAC: FICTION 20 / Action & Adventure. | FICTION / Suspense. | FICTION / Thrillers. | 21 GSAFD: Adventure fiction. | Suspense fiction. Classification: LCC PS3553.U75 C45 2019 | DDC 813/.­54—​­dc23 22 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/​​ ​2018056946 23 Printed in the United States of America 24 1 3 5 7 9 10 8 6 4 2 25 Book design by Katy Riegel 26 27 This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, 28S living or dead, businesses, companies, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. 29N

9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd vi 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 03 04 05 CAST OF CHARACTERS 06 07 08 09 10 11 12

1334 B.C.E 13 14 Meritaten Egyptian princess, daughter of Pharaoh. 15 Gaythelos Meritaten’s husband. 16 Osarseph Prophet aided by Meritaten. Ahrwn Osarseph’s brother. 17 18 2020 19 20 NUMA Team 21 Dirk Pitt Director of the National Underwater and Marine 22 Agency. 23 Al Giordino Director of Underwater Technology, NUMA. 24 Rudi Gunn Deputy Director, NUMA. 25 Zerri Pochinski Pitt’s longtime secretary. Michael Cruz Marine engineer and salvage expert, NUMA. 26 Dr. Rodney Zeibig Archeologist, NUMA. 27 Summer Pitt NUMA Special Projects director and daughter of S28 Dirk Pitt. N29

9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd vi 12/11/18 12:11 PM 9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd vii 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 Dirk Pitt, Jr. NUMA Special Projects director and son of Dirk 02 Pitt. 03 Hiram Yaeger Computer Resources director, NUMA. James Sandecker U.S. Vice President and former Director of 04 NUMA. 05

06 Officials, Politicians, and Businesspeople

07 Loren ­Smith-​­Pitt Dirk Pitt’s wife and congresswoman from 08 Colorado. 09 Senator Stanton Bradshaw Chairman of the Senate Committee 10 on Environment and Public Works. 11 Evanna McKee CEO of BioRem Global Limited. 12 Audrey McKee Field manager with BioRem Global Limited and daughter of Evanna McKee. 13 Rachel Associate of Evanna McKee’s. 14 Ross FBI agent protecting Elise Aguilar. 15 Abigail Brown Former prime minister of Australia. 16 Gavin Operative working for Evanna McKee. 17 Ainsley Operative working for Evanna McKee. 18 Irene Operative working for Evanna McKee. 19 Historians, Experts, and Medical Professionals 20 Elise Aguilar Scientist with United States Agency for 21 International Development in El Salvador. 22 Phil Scientist with United States Agency for International 23 Development in El Salvador. 24 Rondi Salvadoran villager aiding the U.S. scientists. 25 Dr. Stephen Nakamura Epidemiologist, University of 26 Maryland. 27 Dr. Susan Montgomery Head of the Environmental Health 28S Laboratory, Centers for Disease Control. Dr. Miles Perkins Scientist, Inverness Research Laboratory. 29N

9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd viii 12/11/18 12:11 PM Dr. Harrison Stanley Emeritus professor of Egyptology from 01 Cambridge University. 02 Riki Sadler Biochemist and archeologist and daughter of 03 Evanna McKee. 04 Dr. Frasier McKee Biochemist and deceased husband of 05 Evanna McKee. Aziz Egyptian Antiquities Authority agent. 06 St. Julian Perlmutter Nautical historian and longtime friend of 07 Pitt’s. 08 Byron Lab Research director, Centers for Disease Control. 09 Dr. Eamon Brophy Former archeology department head, 10 Dublin University. 11

Other 12 13 Manjeet Dhatt Father of ill boy in Mumbai. 14 Pratima Dhatt Mother of ill boy in Mumbai. Ozzie Ackmadan Proprietor of the Abu Simbel Inn. 15 Friar Thomas Franciscan Friary of Killarney. 16 Captain Ron Posey Captain of the Mayweather. 17 Gauge Helmsman of the Mayweather. 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 S28 N29

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9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd xi 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 PROLOGUE 12 13 14 NILE FLIGHT 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 S28 N29

9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd 1 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 03 04 05 Memphis, Egypt 06 1334 B.C.E. 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 ails of grief drifted over the city like a black aria. 14 The mud brick dwellings burst with anguish, as the 15 Wsorrow swirled into the night desert. But the winds 16 ferried more than just the cries of mourning. 17 They carried the stench of death. 18 A mysterious scourge had descended upon the land, striking 19 at nearly every household. The young were most afflicted, but 20 not exclusively. The claws of death had grasped even the royal 21 family, snatching the Pharaoh himself in their cold grip. 22 Crouched in the shadows of the Temple of Aten, a young 23 woman tried to block the din and odor. As the moon slipped 24 from behind a cloud, casting its glow over the landscape, she 25 rubbed a heavy gold amulet on her chest and listened for sounds 26 of movement. The rustle of leather soles on stone pricked her 27 ears, and she turned to a figure running toward her across the S28 temple’s front portico. N29

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01 Her husband, Gaythelos, was tall, with dark curly hair and 02 broad shoulders. His skin was damp in the hot night air as he 03 grasped her hand and pulled her to her feet. “The way to the 04 river is clear,” he said in a low voice. 05 She gazed beyond him. “Where are the others?” 06 “Securing the boats. Come, Meritaten, let us delay no further.” 07 She turned to the shadows behind her and nodded. Three 08 men emerged from along the temple wall, armed with spears 09 and heavy khopesh swords. As she followed her husband, they 10 took up a triangular defensive position around her. 11 Gaythelos led them away from the temple entrance and down 12 a side street, their sandals kicking up dust. Despite the late hour, 13 many houses showed the gleam of burning oil lamps through 14 cracks in their shutters. The group moved at a quick pace, keep‑ 15 ing silent as they crossed the former capital city. 16 The road sloped gently toward the riverside, where rows of 17 small merchant boats were tied to a dock. As they moved along 18 the bank, two men arose from the reeds. They wore long gray 19 beards and were dressed in shabby linens. 20 The escorts raised their spears and sprang forward. 21 “Guards! Cease!” Meritaten cried. 22 The armed men froze. 23 She stepped past them and greeted the two men. “Osarseph, 24 Ahrwn, what are you doing here? Why have you not departed?” 25 The younger of the two men stepped forward. His eyes held 26 a determined look, shrouded by a weathered face. “Meritaten,” 27 he said, “we could not taste freedom without offering you our 28S thanks. Your influence with Pharaoh was instrumental in his 29N edict. I am saddened for you to learn of his passing at Amarna.”

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“My influence was debatable,” she said. “What is not ques‑ 01 tioned is that Pharaoh’s high priests are now in control of our 02 ­lands— ​and have blamed the royal family for the sorrows 03 brought upon Egypt.” 04 “You are guilty only of having an open heart for the down‑ 05 trodden.” He slipped a goatskin bag from around his neck and 06 passed it to her. “You saved us from the tainted waters of the 07 Nile. I pray it is now time to save yourself.” 08 “You took heed where Pharaoh did not. It is Gaythelos you 09 should thank, not me.” She nodded toward her husband. “He 10 knew the power of the apium.” 11 Osarseph turned and bowed to the man. “You will join us?” 12 He waved an arm toward the river. On the opposite bank, the 13 glow from a thousand campfires dotted the horizon. 14 “No,” Meritaten said. “We will cast our fate to the sea.” 15 The old man nodded, then knelt before her. “My brother and 16 I shall carry your deeds close to our hearts. May you live in 17 peace for the life of the stars.” 18 “And you as well, Osarseph. ­Good-​­bye.” 19 The two men climbed aboard a small raft, pushed into the 20 dark river, and paddled for the opposite bank. 21 “Perhaps we should join them?” she whispered. 22 “The desert brings nothing but hardship, my love,” Gaythe‑ 23 los said. “More hospitable lands await. We must delay no 24 longer.” 25 He led the company along the shoreline, turning away from 26 the vessels at the town’s landing to a trio of boats hidden in the 27 reeds downriver. As they approached, they were challenged by S28 armed sentries, who then guided them aboard one of the boats. N29

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01 Meritaten and Gaythelos took a seat on a bench beneath the 02 lone mast as the boat was released from its mooring. Crewmen 03 rowed away from the bank, following the other two vessels to 04 the Nile’s center. 05 Meritaten cast an uneasy eye about the boat. It was less than 06 100 feet long and ­open-​­decked, with an ­upward-​­curving hull stem 07 and stern. Pots and baskets filled with provisions littered the deck. 08 Soldiers lined the gunwales, most rowing with short oars. The 09 other two boats, veteran merchant ships that had crossed the 10 Mediterranean many times, sat equally low in the water. 11 Square mainsails were partially raised and rigged fore and 12 aft for maneuvering as the boats navigated north, propelled by 13 the . Small oil lamps dangled off the prows, providing 14 faint light to the dark waters ahead. Leaving the city of Mem‑ 15 phis in their wake, the boats sailed silently, except for the slap of 16 water against their hulls and the dip of oars into the river. 17 Twelve miles downriver, murmurs rippled through the boats. 18 Ahead, a string of lanterns had appeared. It was a vessel moored 19 in the center of the river. 20 Meritaten squinted at the illuminated barge. Ropes stretched 21 from it to either shore, to serve as a ferry during daylight hours, 22 while at night it served as a tax station for passing merchant 23 boats. But shouts of alarm from the barge revealed it was pre‑ 24 pared this night for more than tax duty. 25 “Extinguish the lantern!” called the captain of Meritaten’s 26 boat, a gruff man with ac ­lean-​­shaven head, and looked to the 27 other boats. 28S Too late. All three had been seen. A team of archers assem‑ 29N bled on the barge let loose a barrage of arrows.

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Gaythelos shoved Meritaten to the deck. A crewman screamed 01 and grabbed his neck where an arrow had struck. 02 “Stay down!” As two guards stood watch alongside, Gaythe‑ 03 los dragged a sack of grain across the deck and covered his wife 04 with it. 05 Under the sack, she could only listen to the battle. The three 06 boats turned to the far shoreline, putting as much distance as 07 they could between themselves and the barge. The first boat ap‑ 08 proached one of the barge’s ropes, and men with swords leaned 09 over the bow to sever it. Several were picked off by the archers, 10 others sliced the barrier free. 11 The three boats continued downriver, but the barge released 12 a small chase vessel, filled with warriors and more archers. Put‑ 13 ting oars to water, the pursuit craft made for the closest mer‑ 14 chant vessel, the one carrying Meritaten and Gaythelos. It closed 15 the distance quickly and pulled alongside. Its warriors swarmed 16 over the side, expecting little resistance. 17 Gaythelos and the armed contingent sprang from the shad‑ 18 ows, thrusting spears and striking their attackers with bronze 19 swords. Hand‑­to‑­hand fighting spilled across the deck as every 20 crewman fought to repel the boarders. Archers on the attack 21 boat fired arrows into the melee, killing warriors on both sides. 22 Bodies of the dead splashed into the Nile. The battle raged back 23 and forth until the attackers seemed to gain the upper hand. 24 Sensing defeat, Meritaten rose from her hiding place and picked 25 up a dead warrior’s sword. 26 “Seize victory!” she implored, plunging the blade into an at‑ 27 tacking boarder. S28 The defenders rallied at the sight. Charging the attackers, N29

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01 they drove them to the stern, killing them without mercy. The 02 attack boat came next. The princess’s raging swordsmen jumped 03 into the vessel and massacred the remaining archers, then shoved 04 the boat to drift away with its cargo of the dead. 05 Meritaten stepped to the bow in search of her husband. The 06 deck was soaked in blood, dead and wounded men lay everywhere. 07 Gaythelos appeared, holding a bloody dagger. She wrapped her 08 arms around him. 09 “We are safe now,” he said. “You have led us to victory.” He 10 turned to the captain, who sat at the steering oar, an arrow pro‑ 11 truding from his shoulder. “Isn’t that true?” 12 The man nodded. “There will be no more obstacles. We are 13 nearly to the D­ elta—­​and multiple paths to the sea. By morning, 14 Egypt will be in our wake.” 15 The armada sailed through the night, squeezing down an 16 eastern branch of the Nile Delta bordered by fields of ripe bar‑ 17 ley. The Mediterranean soon beckoned, and the three boats 18 glided into the turquoise sea. They kept their distance from an 19 approaching line of trading ships from the Levant as the sun 20 brightened the morning sky 21 Meritaten sat with Gaythelos as the Egyptian shore drifted 22 away behind them. She clutched the goatskin bag tight to her 23 chest, contemplating her future. While she had saved untold 24 lives, she had also sacrificed everything she held dear. 25 Rising to her feet, she stepped to the ship’s bow with a new‑ 26 found sense of destiny. Facing the horizon across the open sea, 27 she gazed toward the unknown world that beckoned her. 28S 29N

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9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd 9 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 03 04 05 06 1 07 08 May 2020 09 10 Copapayo, El Salvador 11 12 13 lise Aguilar watched with somber eyes as the funeral pro‑ 14 cession marched through the dusty village square. The 15 Efour male pallbearers strode with downcast faces as they 16 balanced a child’s white casket on their shoulders. A small bou‑ 17 quet of yellow orchids had been slid across the lid, covering a 18 ­hand - painted image of a soccer ball. 19 The dead child’s family followed, weeping openly despite 20 words of comfort offered by the townspeople. 21 Elise tracked the entourage until they disappeared around a 22 bend thick with foliage. The town’s tiny cemetery lay on a small 23 hill just beyond. 24 She ignored a black Jeep that skirted the funeral procession 25 as she turned and followed a worn footpath in the opposite di‑ 26 rection. She walked past a handful of ­low-​­roofed, white stucco 27 buildings that were home to the village’s thirty residents. The S28 N29

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01 path ambled downhill and opened onto an expansive view of a 02 shimmering . 03 Cerrón Grande was a reservoir, the largest in El Salvador, 04 built to supply hydroelectric power for the region. Hundreds of 05 families had been resettled when the Lempa River was flooded in 06 1976, some to the hastily constructed village of Copapayo. Elise 07 glanced at the lake. A fisherman in a canoe and a small workboat 08 cruised across the waterway. To the right, a p­ owder-​­gray concrete 09 barrier marked the upper lip of the Cerrón Grande Dam that had 10 created the lake. 11 Elise descended the path nearly to the water’s edge. She 12 stopped and wiped her brow in front of a large awning made 13 from gnarled tree roots and covered with palm thatching. A ­half-​ 14 ­dozen red tents were pitched in a semicircle around the awning’s 15 opposite side, facing the shaded interior. To either side lay a large 16 tract of farmland, bursting with rows of green cornstalks. 17 Under the awning, fellow scientists from the United States 18 Agency for International Development sat around makeshift 19 worktables, performing experiments or computer analysis. The 20 group wore shorts and T‑­shirts in the steamy climate. 21 A lanky man with thick glasses and a straggly beard looked 22 up from a microscope. “Why the long face?” he asked in a heavy 23 Boston accent. 24 “There’s a funeral in the village today. The procession just 25 passed.” 26 “For the little boy?” 27 Elise nodded. 28S “Very sad. Rondi told me there was a sick boy from the vil‑ 29N lage at the Suchitoto clinic. I didn’t realize it was serious.”

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He shouted to a local teenage boy sorting stalks of corn from 01 a bin. “Rondi, what happened to the little boy?” 02 The teen hurried over to the scientists. “He was enfermo for 03 a short time. A doctor came and took him to the hospital last 04 week, but they could not help him.” 05 “What was the diagnosis?” Elise asked. 06 Rondi shrugged. “Un misterio. The doctors, they don’t say. 07 Just like the others.” 08 “What others?’ 09 “Three other children from the village have died in the past 10 few months. Same thing. They get enfermo, and it is too late for 11 the doctors to help them.” 12 Elise looked at her colleague. “Phil, do you think it could be 13 related to the food crops?” She pointed to the bin of corn Rondi 14 had been sorting. 15 “Due to the genetically modified seeds we provided the farm‑ 16 ers here last year?” He shook his head. “Not a chance. This va‑ 17 riety is only engineered to withstand drought, and has been 18 safely used all over the world.” 19 She nodded. “It’s just heartbreaking to see children get 20 sick.” 21 He shrugged. “We’re agricultural scientists, Elise, not doc‑ 22 tors.” He glanced at the thriving cornfield. “And tomorrow, we 23 need to pack up and move ten miles north.” 24 He saw the disappointment in Elise’s eyes. “Okay, maybe we 25 can do more. I’ll email our country manager and have her make 26 a request to the World Health Organization. They have an es‑ 27 tablished presence in El Salvador. I’m sure they can send some‑ S28 one to investigate.” N29

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01 “Thank you. The people here deserve to know what’s creat‑ 02 ing the illness.” 03 He nodded. “In the meantime, I need you and Rondi to as‑ 04 sess the yields in Plot 17.” He pointed to a diagram of the fields 05 around the village. Plot 17 was a narrow field close to the lake. 06 “Sí, I know which one that is,” Rondi said. He grabbed a 07 canvas bag and looped it over his shoulder. 08 Elise followed him down a footpath through a neighboring 09 cornfield. As they hiked, she kept thinking of the funeral proces‑ 10 sion and the small white coffin. 11 “Rondi, have there been sick children in the other villages, too?” 12 He nodded. “A cousin named Francisco. He died a short time 13 ago. He lived in San Luis del Carmen, across the lake.” 14 “How old was he?” 15 “Four, I think.” 16 “I don’t recall that village. Did we provide seeds to the farm‑ 17 ers there?” 18 “No, they always have strong crops. But I did see the cienti‑ 19 ficos there last week.” 20 “What scientists?” Elise said. “Our team just arrived at Cer‑ 21 rón Grande four days ago.” 22 “I don’t think they were U.S. workers. Nobody seemed to 23 know where they were from.” 24 “What did they want?” 25 Another shrug. “They asked about the niños and took some 26 food and water samples.” He stopped at a plastic marker pinned 27 to the ground with the number 17. “This is our plot.” 28S Elise retrieved a yellow spool of string from Rondi’s bag and 29N strode a few yards into the cornfield. She uncoiled the string

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onto the ground, forming a square around a patch of stalks. 01 With Rondi’s assistance, she examined every stalk in the enclo‑ 02 sure, recording the number of buds and ears forming on each. 03 She jotted the figures on a clipboard, then moved the string to a 04 patch several yards away and repeated the count. Back at the 05 camp, she would calculate the predicted yield for the entire field. 06 “Let’s return to the camp by the lake,” Rondi suggested, once 07 they completed their measurements. He guided Elise through the 08 cornfield. 09 They emerged on a low bluff overlooking the reservoir. Less 10 than a mile to their right was the ­eight-​­hundred-​­meter-l​­ong con‑ 11 crete wall of the Cerrón Grande Dam. They turned the opposite 12 way and followed the shoreline toward camp. 13 Near the path to the village, Elise stopped to admire a small 14 aluminum windmill on a concrete pad at the water’s edge. An e­ ight-​ 15 ­bladed fan spun in the light breeze, and water sloshed beneath the 16 structure’s base. “I don’t remember this being here last year.” 17 “The village well was running low, so the government pro‑ 18 vided it. Now we can get water from the lake. Mr. Phillip helped 19 us install it last year, after you left.” 20 “The water is used to irrigate the fields?” 21 “Sí, and for the village. It draws water from a pipe that ex‑ 22 tends into the lake. We can direct it to the fields or to a filtered 23 cistern that can be pumped into the village.” 24 Elise gazed at the windmill, then turned to Rondi. “You have 25 a boat, don’t you?” 26 “Tied up just around the bend.” 27 “Can you take me out into the lake? I’d like to get some water S28 samples near the inlet pipe.” N29

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01 “I’ll get the boat and be right back.” 02 Elise jogged to the camp and dropped off the duffel bag and 03 yield records. In its place, she grabbed a satchel with a ­half-​­dozen 04 test tubes secured in Velcro pockets. She returned to the shore 05 and waited until Rondi motored up in a small aluminum boat. 06 “Sorry.” He gave a toothy grin. “The engine, it does not al‑ 07 ways like to start.” 08 The dented, oxidized craft was powered by a little s­ix-​ 09 ­horsepower outboard that was older than Rondi and smoked as it 10 idled. She tossed the satchel onto a bench, shoved the prow from 11 shore, and hopped aboard. Rondi reversed into deeper water, 12 then turned and motored offshore. They traveled just a short dis‑ 13 tance before he killed the engine and let the boat drift. 14 Rondi eyed their position relative to the windmill. “The pipe 15 opening is about here.” 16 Elise took two of the test tubes from the satchel, removed 17 their stoppers, and dipped them into the cool, clear water. As 18 she capped them, she noticed a dead fish floating nearby. “Do 19 you see many dead fish in the lake?” 20 Rondi delivered another shrug. “I’ve seen some by the dam.” 21 “Will you show me?” 22 Rondi tugged on the outboard’s pull starter a dozen times 23 until it rasped to life. He aimed toward the dam, passing an old 24 fisherman in a canoe who was pulling in a purse seine net. They 25 approached the dam’s safety barrier, a simple steel cable stretched 26 just above the water. Rondi cut the motor and allowed the boat to 27 rub against the cable. Bobbing in the water were dozens of dead 28S fish, their bloated white bellies turned skyward. 29N Elise snapped some pictures with her cell phone, feeling sick

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at the thought of the village people drinking untreated water 01 from the lake. She collected two more samples, then looked 02 across the reservoir. 03 “Let’s go north toward San Luis del Carmen. I’d like to col‑ 04 lect one more sample near there.” 05 As Rondi nodded, three sharp, deep rolls of thunder echoed 06 from the opposite side of the dam. Elise and the teen looked at 07 each o­ ther—​­and a deep rumble burbled up beneath them. In a 08 slow cascade, the center face of the concrete dam in front of 09 them crumbled away with a roar. 10 Elise screamed as Rondi tried to start the outboard. The 11 motor coughed to life, and Rondi turned the throttle full over. 12 The little boat surged away from the collapsing dam, gaining a 13 dozen yards, before losing headway. The tiny motor wailed, but 14 the boat went nowhere. 15 “What’s happening?” Elise cried. 16 “The ­current . . . it’s too strong.” Rondi looked at her with 17 large eyes, his hand on the tiller trembling. 18 Behind him, the dam was disintegrating into the ravine a 19 hundred meters below as the flow of water accelerated. 20 Squeezing the throttle until his knuckles turned white, Rondi 21 stared back at the watery edge and shook his head. 22 He and Elise could only watch as the boat was drawn back‑ 23 ward to the widening gap in the dam and the deadly waterfall 24 just beyond. 25 26 27 S28 N29

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9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd 16 12/11/18 12:11 PM 9780735218994_CelticEmpire_TX.indd 17 12/11/18 12:11 PM 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 2 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 he rumble echoed across the reservoir. 15 “What was that?” Dirk Pitt raised his head from be‑ 16 T hind a pair of computer monitors where he’d been watch‑ 17 ing a image of the lakebed. He peered across the cramped 18 wheelhouse of the workboat at the short burly man piloting the 19 vessel. 20 “It wasn’t thunder.” Al Giordino glanced out the side win‑ 21 dow at blue skies. “Or my stomach, despite our meager excuse 22 for lunch.” He crumpled a potato chip bag and tossed it onto the 23 dash, then shifted his gaze out the windscreen. 24 He suddenly sat upright. “Oh, brother, take a look at that. 25 It’s the dam.” 26 Pitt stood, stretching his ­six-​­foot ­three-​­inch frame, and 27 looked off the bow. Less than a quarter mile ahead, the rim of 28S the Cerrón Grande Dam stretched across the reservoir. But now 29N

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the structure had a huge gap at its center. Two small boats were 01 just in front of the opening, being drawn into the void. 02 “The dam’s given way,” he said, “and those boats are going 03 with it.” 04 Giordino jammed the throttle forward. The t­hirty-​­foot 05 workboat surged ahead, driven by a twin set of 2­ 50-​­horsepower 06 outboards. Rather than turn away from the danger, he aimed 07 straight for the havoc. 08 He glanced over his shoulder across the open stern deck to a 09 taut blue cable that trailed in the frothy wake behind them. A 10 hundred meters back, a yellow sonar towfish broke the surface 11 and bounded through the water. 12 “No time to reel it in,” Pitt said, reading Giordino’s thoughts. 13 He stepped to the rear cabin door. “Get as close as you can.” 14 Pitt stepped onto the open deck, retrieved a life ring from the 15 bulkhead, and tied it to a coil of line stored in a bucket. He 16 moved to the transom and tied off the free end to a stern cleat. 17 Looking over the side toward the dam, he wondered if they 18 would get there too late. 19 20 21 Elise didn’t notice the survey boat charging toward them. 22 She focused on the old fisherman in the nearby canoe, fighting 23 for his life. Despite his fierce attempt to paddle clear, the narrow 24 wooden craft was quickly being drawn backward toward the 25 cascading torrent. The old man’s skinny arms flailed with hard, 26 even stokes, but he was powerless against the gushing . 27 “Rondi, can you help him?” S28 N29

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01 She had to yell over the roar of the falling water. The teen 02 winced, then adjusted the tiller, angling the boat toward the 03 fisherman’s path. 04 Elise slipped the satchel over her neck, then grabbed the side 05 of the canoe and pulled the two boats together. The fisherman 06 nodded ­thanks—​­and continued to slap the water on the oppo‑ 07 site side with his paddle. 08 It was a losing battle. Both boats were sliding toward the 09 abyss, now less than a hundred feet away. 10 Above the din of the waterfall, Elise noticed a new sound: 11 the whine of large engines. The survey boat was charging to‑ 12 ward the dam at top speed. 13 The boat curled around in a wide arc, trailing a blue cable, 14 then slowed as it pulled just in front of them. A tall man with 15 black hair standing at the stern tossed them a line. 16 “Tie off one of the boats,” he yelled. “We’ll pull you clear.” 17 The rope landed on the aluminum boat’s bow, and the fisher‑ 18 man grabbed it. Rather than tie it to one of the boats, he wrapped 19 it around his waist and jumped into the water. 20 Elise couldn’t believe her eyes. She glanced back and saw the 21 plunging water was less than fifty feet away. The draw of the 22 falls was getting stronger, even as Elise let go of the canoe. 23 But the survey boat was following their position, its pilot 24 feathering the twin outboards to stay near. On the stern, the tall 25 man furiously pulled on the rope until the fisherman’s head 26 bobbed alongside. He yanked the old man from the water and 27 freed him from the line. Gathering the rope together, he again 28S tossed the line toward the boat. 29N “Tie it off,” he shouted.

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As the line flew through the air, the aluminum boat pivoted 01 in the accelerating current. The line went high and to the side, 02 but Rondi grabbed for it anyway. “I’ve got it.” He stood and 03 stretched over the side. 04 A few feet ahead of him, Elise attempted a similar move. 05 With both their shifted to the starboard rail, the boat 06 dipped to the side, and the top of the gunnel kissed the water. 07 Elise tried to jump back. It was too late. The water poured 08 in, flooding the interior, capsizing the boat. 09 Elise instinctively grabbed onto the boat, but it pulled her 10 under as it sank. She let go and flailed to the surface. Gulping for 11 air, she glimpsed Rondi rushing by, clinging to the line. With a 12 flash of terror, she realized it was he who was stationary. She 13 was the one speeding through the water. 14 With renewed , her heart pounding, she tried swim‑ 15 ming away from the dam. The swift current drained her strength 16 as she heard and felt the rumble of the falls closing in behind her. 17 Stroking harder, her arm slapped into something. Someone 18 else was in the water with her. For an instant, she hoped she had 19 reached Rondi and the line. One look above the surface told her 20 it wasn’t so. Instead, she found the ­dark-​­haired man from the 21 survey boat next to her. 22 He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her tight 23 against him. Confused, she continued to kick and stroke. 24 Then she heard his calm voice. She stopped and looked up into 25 his face. 26 “Hang on tight to me and take a deep breath.” He winked at 27 her through the greenest eyes she’d ever seen. S28 Adrenaline overtook analysis, and she did as he said. There N29

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01 was nothing else she could do, as they’d reached the edge of the 02 falls. 03 He raised a finger in the air and twirled it as she wrapped her 04 arms around him and took a last breath. 05 Then gravity took command and carried them over the falls. 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28S 29N

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