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  They laughed, and Kurt leafed through the brochures, noticing a theme.

  Joe handed him an ice-cold Bohemia, just like the one he’d liberated from the captain’s stash on the Argo.

  The Trouts sipped the wine.

  “What’s going on?” Kurt asked, feeling as if he’d stumbled upon a secret gathering.

  “We’re planning a trip,” Joe announced.

  “Haven’t we spent enough time together?” Kurt said, kidding, and well aware that he was standing amid family.

  “This will be a vacation,” Gamay said. “No running, no shooting, no explosions.”

  “Really?” Kurt said, taking a sip of the beer. “Where are we going?”

  “Glad you asked,” Joe said. He walked over to the Dry Erase Board on which three names had been written. Each had a single check mark on it.

  “We’ve all voted once,” Paul said, “but we have only white smoke to send up the chimney.”

  “So I’m the tiebreaker,” Kurt guessed.

  “Correcto,” Joe said. “And don’t let all the times I’ve saved your life influence you.”

  Kurt stepped closer to the board, cutting a sideways glance at Joe. “Or all the times you’ve caused me trouble.”

  He studied the choices.

  “Eight-Day Moroccan Camel Safari,” he said, reading choice number one. It had Paul’s name next to it. “Have you ever been on a camel, Paul?”

  “No, but . . .”

  “Eight minutes might be fun, but eight days . . .” Kurt shook his head.

  Paul looked hurt. Gamay and Joe smiled.

  “Death Valley Hiking Trip,” he said, looking at the next line. Gamay’s choice. He looked at her. “Death Valley?” he said. “Nope, that’s a little grim, don’t you think?”

  “Oh come on,” Gamay protested. “It’s beautiful there.”

  “Yes,” Joe said. He raised his arms as if he’d won.

  “Hold on there, partner,” Kurt said. “I’m not sure the Gobi Desert even counts as a vacation spot.”

  “Sure it does,” Joe said. “I saw a commercial. They even have a slogan. ‘Go be in the Gobi.’”

  Kurt laughed. “They might want to keep working on that.”

  “It’s dry there,” Joe said. “No chance of drowning or freezing or ruining your best Armani shirt.”

  Kurt laughed again. He could just about imagine Joe wearing Armani in the middle of the desert. He sighed, guessing they weren’t really serious, but there was one dry, sunny place he’d always wanted to go.

  “I vote for the Australian Outback,” Kurt said. “Ayers Rock, rustlin’ roos, and Foster’s.”

  They looked at him for a second, stunned.

  “Rustlin’ roos?” Gamay said. And they broke into a cacophony of noes and long-winded reasons why Australia would never work. By the time they were done Paul was flipping the steaks and Kurt had finished his beer.

  “Okay,” Paul said. “Let’s try again.”

  Joe erased the board and scribbled “Round 2” at the top. Meanwhile, Kurt sat down in the other chaise, grabbed another beer, and gazed out over the peaceful river as the nominations came in.

  As the names of various hot and dry places were called out, Kurt couldn’t help but smile. He had a feeling this might go on for a while. And sitting there, surrounded by his friends and soaking up the sun, he kind of hoped it would. In fact, for the moment, he could think of nowhere else he’d rather be.

  DIRK PITT® ADVENTURES

  BY CLIVE CUSSLER

  Crescent Dawn

  (with Dirk Cussler)

  Arctic Drift

  (with Dirk Cussler)

  Treasure of Khan

  (with Dirk Cussler)

  Black Wind

  (with Dirk Cussler)

  Trojan Odyssey

  Valhalla Rising

  Atlantis Found

  Flood Tide

  Shock Wave

  Inca Gold

  Sahara

  Dragon

  Treasure

  Cyclops

  Deep Six

  Pacific Vortex!

  Night Probe!

  Vixen 03

  Raise the Titanic!

  Iceberg

  The Mediterranean Caper

  FARGO ADVENTURES

  BY CLIVE CUSSLER

  WITH GRANT BLACKWOOD

  The Kingdom

  Lost Empire

  Spartan Gold

  ISAAC BELL NOVELS BY CLIVE CUSSLER

  The Race (with Justin Scott)

  The Spy (with Justin Scott)

  The Wrecker (with Justin Scott)

  The Chase

  KURT AUSTIN ADVENTURES

  BY CLIVE CUSSLER

  WITH PAUL KEMPRECOS

  Medusa

  White Death

  The Navigator

  Fire Ice

  Polar Shift

  Blue Gold

  Lost City

  Serpent

  OREGON FILES ADVENTURES

  BY CLIVE CUSSLER

  WITH JACK DU BRUL

  The Jungle

  The Silent Sea

  Corsair

  Plague Ship

  Skeleton Coast

  Dark Watch

  WITH CRAIG DIRGO

  Golden Buddha

  Sacred Stone

  NONFICTION BY CLIVE CUSSLER

  AND CRAIG DIRGO

  Built for Adventure

  The Sea Hunters II

  Clive Cussler and Dirk Pitt Revealed

  The Sea Hunters