cyclops-第86部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
he dark bowels of the ships to get them under way； knowing they could be blown into atoms at any moment。 He told how Jack and his crew stayed with the tugboat； towing the death ships out to sea until it was too late to escape。 He wished they could all be there to tell their own stories； and he wondered what they might have said。 He smiled to himself； knowing how Manny would have turned the air blue with pungent language。
At last Pitt told of being swept into the city by the tidal wave and blacking out； and how he regained consciousness hanging upside down from an overhead jewelry…shop sign。 He related how staggering through the debris he heard a little girl crying； and pulled her and a brother from under the wreckage of a collapsed apartment building。 After that he seemed to attract lost children like a magnet。 Rescue workers added to his collection during the night。 When no more could be found alive； a policeman directed Pitt to the children's hospital and relief center； where he was discovered by his friends。
Suddenly Pitt's voice trailed off and he dropped his hands limply to his sides。 〃That's all there is to tell。〃
Castro looked at Pitt steadily； his face filled with emotion。 He stepped forward and embraced him。 〃Thank you；〃 he murmured in a broken voice。 Then he kissed Jessie on both cheeks and shook Hagen's hand。 〃Cuba thanks you all。 We will not forget。〃
Pitt looked at Castro slyly。 〃I wonder if I might ask a favor？〃
〃You have but to name it；〃 Castro quickly answered。
Pitt hesitated； then he said； 〃There is this taxi driver named Herberto Figueroa。 If I were to find him a restored 'fifty…seven Chevrolet in the States and have it shipped； do you suppose you could arrange for him to take delivery。 Herberto and I would both be very grateful。〃
〃But of course。 I'll personally see to it he receives your gift。〃
〃There is one more favor；〃 said Pitt。
〃Don't push your luck；〃 whispered Sandecker。
〃What is it？〃 Castro asked courteously。
〃I wonder if I could borrow a boat with a crane？〃
The bodies of Manny and three of his crew were identified。 Clark was fished out of the channel by a fishing boat。 Their remains were flown back to Washington for burial。 Nothing of Jack； Moe； and the rest ever turned up。
The fire was finally under control four days after the death ships were blown out of existence。 The final； stubborn blaze would not be extinguished until a week later。 Another six weeks would pass before the last of the dead were found。 Many were never found at all。
The Cubans were meticulous in their accounting。 They eventually piled a plete list of causalities。 The known dead came to 732。 The injured totaled 3；769。 The missing were calculated at 197。
At the President's urging； Congress passed an emergency aid bill of 45 million to help the Cubans rebuild Havana。 The President also； as a gesture of goodwill； lifted the thirty…five…year…old trade embargo。 At last Americans could legally smoke good Havana cigars again。
After the Russians were expelled； their only representation in Cuba was a Special Interests Section in the Polish Embassy。 The Cuban people shed no tears at their departure。
Castro still remained a Marxist revolutionary at heart； but he was mellowing。 After agreeing in principle to the U。S。…Cuban friendship pact； he unhesitantly accepted an invitation to visit with the President at the White House and make an address before Congress； although he did grumble when asked to keep his speech to twenty minutes。
At dawn on the third day after the explosions an old peeling； weather…worn vessel dropped anchor almost in the exact center of the harbor。 Fireboats and salvage craft swept past her as though she were a disabled car in the center of a highway。 She was a squat workboat； broad and beamy； about sixty feet in length with a small derrick on the stern whose boom extended over the water。 Her crew seemed oblivious to the frenzy of activity going on around them。
Most of the flames in the dock area had been extinguished； but firemen were still pouring thousands of gallons of water on the smoldering debris inside the heat…twisted framework of the warehouses。 Several blackened oil storage tanks across the harbor sputtered with stubborn flame； and the acrid pall of smoke reeked of burned oil and rubber。
Pitt stood on the bleached deck of the workboat and squinted through the smoky yellow haze at the wreck of the oil tanker。 All that remained of the Ozero Baykai was the scorched superstructure on the stern that rose grotesque and distorted above the oily water。 He turned his attention to a small pass he held in one hand。
〃Is this the spot？〃 asked Admiral。 Sandecker。
〃Cross bearings on the landmarks check out；〃 Pitt answered。
Giordino stuck his head out the wheelhouse window。 〃The magnetometer is going crazy。 We're right over a heavy mass of iron。〃
Jessie was sitting on a hatch。 She wore gray shorts and a pale blue blouse and looked like her old luscious self。
She flashed a curious look at Pitt。 〃You still haven't told me why you think Raymond hid the La Dorada on the bottom of the harbor and how you know exactly where to look。〃
〃I was stupid not catch on immediately；〃 explained Pitt。 〃The words sound the same； and I misinterpreted them。 I thought his last words were ‘Look on the m…a…i…n s…i…g…h…t。' What he was really trying to say was ‘Look on the M…a…i…n…a s…i…t…e。〃
Jessie looked confused。 〃Maine site？〃
〃Remember Pearl Harbor； the Alamo； and the Maine。 On or about this spot in 1898 the battleship Maine blew up and launched the Spanish…American War。〃
An edge of excitement began to form inside her。 〃Raymond threw the statue on top of an old shipwreck？〃
〃Shipwreck site；〃 Pitt corrected her。 〃The hulk of the Maine was raised and towed out to sea； where she was sunk with flag flying in 1912。〃
〃But why would Raymond deliberately throw the treasure away？〃
〃It all goes back to when he and his marine salvage partner； Hans Kronberg； discovered the Cyclops and salvaged the La Dorada。 It should have been a triumph for two friends who fought the odds together and stole the most sought…after treasure in history from a possessive sea。 And it should have had a happy ending。 But the tale turned sour。 Raymond LeBaron was in love with Kronberg's wife。〃
Jessie's face tensed in understanding。 〃Hilda。〃
〃Yes。 Hilda。 He had two motives for wanting to get rid of Hans。 The treasure and a woman。 Somehow he must have talked Hans into making another dive after the La Dorada was raised。 Then he cut the lifeline； leaving his friend to die a horrible death。 Can you imagine what it must have been like； strangling in agony deep inside a steel crypt like the Cyclops？〃
Jessie averted her eyes。 〃I can't bring myself to believe you。〃
〃You saw Kronberg's body with your own eyes。 Hilda was the real key。 She outlined most of the sordid story。 I only had to fill in a few details。〃
〃Raymond could never mit murder。〃
〃He could and he did。 With Hans out of the picture he went one step further。 He dodged the Internal Revenue Service who can blame him when you remember the federal government collected over eighty percent of ine above 150；000 in the late fifties and sidestepped a time…consuming lawsuit from Brazil； which would have rightly claimed the statue as a stolen national treasure。 He kept quiet and set a course for Cuba。 A shifty man； your lover。
〃The problem he now faced was how to dispose of it。 Who could afford to pay even a fraction of twenty to fifty million dollars for an art object？ He was also afraid that once the word was out the current Cuban dictator； Fulgencio Batista； a racketeer of the first magnitude； would have it seized。 And if Batista didn't grab it for himself； the army of Mafia hoods he invited into Cuba after the Second World War would。 So Raymond decided to carve up the La Dorada and sell it bit by bit。
〃Unfortunately for him； his timing was bad。 He sailed his salvage boat into Havana on the same day that Castro and his rebels swarmed into town after toppling Batista's corrupt government。 The revolutionary forces immediately closed down the harbors and airports to stop Batista's cronies from fleeing the country with uncountable wealth。〃
〃LeBaron got nothing？〃 asked Sandecker。 〃He lost it all？〃
〃Not entirely。 He realized he was trapped and it was only a question of time before the revolutionaries searched his salvage boat and found the La Dorada。 His only option was to hack out whatever he could carry and catch the next plane back to the States。 Under cover of night he must have slipped his salvage boat into the harbor； hoisted the statue overboard； and dumped it on top of the site where the battleship Maine had blown up seventy years before。 Naturally he planned to e back and retrieve it after the chaos died down； but Castro didn't play according to LeBaron's rules。 Cuba's honeymoon with the United States soon fell apart and he could never return and raise three tons of priceless treasure under the eyes of Castro's security。〃
〃What piece of the statue did he remove？〃 Jessie asked。
〃According to Hilda； he pried out the ruby heart。 Then； after he smuggled it home； he discreetly had it cut； faceted； and sold through brokers。 Now he had enough leverage to reach the pinnacle of high finance with Hilda at his side。 Raymond LeBaron had arrived in fat city。〃
For a long moment they were quiet； each with his own thoughts； envisioning a desperate LeBaron throwing the golden woman over the side of his boat thirty years ago。
〃The La Dorada；〃 said Sandecker； breaking the silence。 〃Her weight would have pushed her deep beneath the soft silt of the harbor bottom。〃
〃The admiral has a point；〃 said Giordino。 〃LeBaron failed to consider that finding her again would be a major operation。〃
〃I admit that bothered me too；〃 said Pitt。 〃He must have known that after the Army Corps of Engineers stripped and removed the main hull section of the Maine hundreds of tons of wreckage were left embedded in the mud； making her almost impossible to find。 The most sophisticated metal detector that money can b
