The Stone of Archimedes Read Online Free PDF Page A

shoulder and then shoved the man’s chest into the metal and wood railing. Then with a quick strike, Jake punched the man in his right kidney buckling his knees and taking his breath away. As the man slumped to his knees, Jake found the guy’s gun at the small of his back, pulling it holster and all from the man’s belt and clipping it to his own. While he was back there, Jake found the man’s wallet and he flipped it open to view the guy’s driver’s license. Interesting. Athens, Greece.
    Jake glanced around and then saw something he had not noticed—a surveillance camera up high on a post. Two actually. One aimed to the bow and the other to the stern. He had been considering whether to throw the man overboard, but someone would see the body fall and call in a man overboard. And it wasn’t like he could interrogate the guy right here. No time and not likely to produce the desired results. He checked his watch. Nearly ten p.m. The ferry would soon be getting into Trapani. He could feel the engines starting to slow.
    He had just one choice, since this guy’s friend had to be somewhere close. Still twisting the Greek’s arm, but the man on his knees and starting to recover, Jake shoved his knee swiftly into the man’s back, slamming his face into the rail and knocking him out. Jake let the man settle to the deck and he casually walked off toward the down ladder.
    As he reached the bottom of the stairs, Jake nearly ran into another man. He could have been the brother of the man he just encounter on the deck, and his eyes widened with recognition when he saw Jake. Always more than one, Jake thought.
    He looked over his shoulder as he worked his way forward and saw the second Greek man rush up the ladder to the upper deck. Jake had to hurry now. Looking out the side windows, he could see the lights of Trapani closing in, darkness soon upon them. Why in the hell were the Greeks after him this time? Damn it. Somehow those who might have had something to do with the disappearance of Sara Halsey Jones were now keeping track of him. But that made no sense. Not unless the Agency or State Department had a leak. Like that never happened.
    Jake kept moving, blending in with the other passengers, who were now out of their seats and heading toward the exits.
    Okay, he thought, his eyes open for the two tails he had picked up, Sara must have been safe still. Somehow the Greeks had found out he had been put on the case, and they were here to simply follow Jake to see if he would lead them to the American woman. All right Sara Halsey Jones. What have you gotten yourself mixed up in?
    Shuffling with the crowd, Jake quickly made his way off the ferry. He’d never been to Trapani, but had spent a lot of time in Italy and Sicily. As he walked down the pier toward a row of taxis, his phone suddenly startled him. Not many people had his cell number. In fact, he could count the number of calls he’d gotten on this particular phone without the use of his toes. He considered letting the phone go to message, but then remembered that the Tunis cultural affairs officer had said he would get a call from his contact when he got to Trapani.
    Retrieving the phone from his pocket, he looked over his shoulder to find the Greeks. They were just coming down the gangplank.
    â€œYeah,” Jake said into the phone.
    â€œIs this Jake Adams?”
    â€œWho the hell is this?”
    â€œSorry, did I wake you?”
    â€œNo. Who is this?” Jake repeated.
    â€œThis is Senator James Halsey.”
    â€œRight. And I’m Santa Claus. Seriously, who is this, what do you want, and how did you get this number?”
    â€œA woman named Maria,” the senator said and hesitated. “She said to ask you about some hotel balcony in San Remo.”
    Crap. Maria was a persona used by an old more-than-friend from his Agency days and beyond. They had spent a number of vacations in San Remo, Italy. If she was