cc.floodtide-第14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！


　〃I　fully　understand　that　sinister　threats　call　for　urgent　measures。〃　Sandecker　paused　and　massaged　his　temples　with　his　fingertips　for　a　few　moments。　Then　he　announced；　〃The　resources　of　NUMA　are　at　your　mand。　We'll　give　it　our　best　effort。〃
　The　President　nodded　as　though　he　had　expected　that。　〃Thank　you；　Admiral。　I'm　sure　Mr。　Monroe　and　Admiral　Ferguson　join　me　in　expressing　our　gratitude。〃
　Gunn's　thoughts　were　already　on　the　job　ahead。　〃It　would　be　most　helpful；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　on　Monroe　and　Harper；　〃if　you　had　agents　on　the　inside　of　Shang's　organization　to　feed　us　information。〃
　Monroe　made　a　helpless　gesture　with　his　hands。　〃Shang's　security　is　incredibly　tight。　He's　hired　a　top　group　of　former　Russian　KGB　agents　to　form　an　impenetrable　ring　that　even　the　CIA　has　yet　to　infiltrate。　They　have　a　puterized　personnel　identification　and　investigation　system　that　is　second　to　none。　There　is　no　one　within　Shang's　own　management　circles　who　is　not　under　constant　surveillance。〃
　〃To　date；〃　added　Harper；　〃we've　lost　two　special　agents　who　attempted　to　penetrate　Shang's　organization。　Except　for　one　of　our　agents　who　posed　as　an　immigrant　and　bought　her　passage　on　board　one　of　Shang's　smuggling　ships；　our　undercover　missions　are　in　shambles。　I　hate　to　admit　such　failure；　but　those　are　the　hard　facts。〃
　〃Your　agent　is　a　woman？〃　asked　Sandecker。　〃es　from　a　wealthy　Chinese　family。　She's　one　of　our　best。〃
　〃Any　idea　where　the　smugglers　will　put　your　agent　ashore？〃　asked　Gunn。
　Harper　shook　his　head。　〃We're　not　in　contact　with　her。　They　could　drop　her　and　the　rest　of　the　illegal　immigrants　anywhere　between　San　Francisco　and　Anchorage。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　Shang's　security　people　haven't　already　caught　on　to　her　as　they　did　your　other　two　agents？〃
　Harper's　eyes　remained　fixed　in　space　for　a　long　time。　Finally；　he　admitted　solemnly；　〃We　don't。　All　we　can　do　is　wait　and　hope　until　she　makes　contact　with　one　of　our　West　Coast　district　offices。〃
　〃And　if　you　never　hear　from　her？〃
　Harper　gazed　down　at　the　polished　surface　of　the　table　as　if　seeing　the　unthinkable。　〃Then　I　send　a　letter　of　condolence　to　her　parents　and　assign　someone　else　to　follow　in　her　footsteps。〃
　
　The　meeting　finally　concluded　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning。　Sandecker　and　Gunn　were　ushered　from　the　President's　secret　quarters　and　returned　through　the　tunnel　to　the　White　House。　As　they　were　driven　to　their　respective　homes　in　the　limousine；　each　man　was　lost　hi　gloomy　thoughts。　Finally　Sandecker　broke　the　somber　mood。
　
　〃They　must　be　desperate　if　they　need　NUMA　to　help　bail　them　out。〃
　〃I'd　probably　call　in　the　Marines；　the　New　York　Stock　Exchange　and　the　Boy　Scouts　too　if　I　was　in　the　President's　shoes；〃　said　Gunn。
　〃A　farce；〃　snorted　Sandecker。　〃My　sources　in　the　White　House　tell　me　the　President　has　been　in　bed　with　Qin　Shang　since　he　was　governor　of　Oklahoma。〃
　Gunn　looked　at　him。　〃But　the　President　said…〃
　〃I　know　what　he　said；　but　what　he　meant　is　a　different　thing。　Naturally；　he　wants　the　flow　of　illegal　immigrants　stopped；　but　he　won't　order　any　measures　that　might　upset　Beijing。　Qin　Shang　is　President　Wallace's　chief　campaign　fund…raiser　in　Asia。　Many　millions　of　dollars　from　the　Chinese　government　were　funneled　through　Hong　Kong　and　Qin　Shang　Maritime　into　Wallace's　campaign　fund。　It's　corrupt　influence　peddling　of　the　highest　order。　That's　why　Wallace　stops　short　of　any　head…to…head　confrontation。　His　administration　is　riddled　with　people　working　on　China's　behalf。　The　man　has　sold　his　soul　to　the　detriment　of　American　citizens。〃
　〃Then　what　does　he　hope　to　gain　if　we　nail　Qin　Shang's　ass　to　the　wall？〃
　〃It　won't　happen；〃　said　Sandecker　acidly。　〃Qin　Shang　will　never　be　indicted　nor　convicted　of　criminal　activities；　certainly　not　in　the　United　States。〃
　〃Then　I　gather　it's　your　plan　to　push　ahead　in　the　investigation；〃　said　Gunn；　〃regardless　of　the　consequences。〃
　Sandecker　nodded。　〃Do　we　have　a　research　ship　operating　in　the　Gulf？〃
　〃The　Marine　Denizen。　Her　scientific　team　is　conducting　a　study　on　the　diminishing　coral　reefs　off　Yucatan。〃
　〃She's　served　NUMA　for　a　long　time；〃　Sandecker　said；　visualizing　the　ship。
　〃The　oldest　in　our　fleet；〃　Gunn　acknowledged。　〃This　is　her　final　voyage。　After　she　returns　to　port　in　Norfolk；　we're　donating　her　to　the　Lampack　University　of　Oceanography。〃
　〃The　university　will　have　to　wait　a　while　longer。　An　old　marine…research　ship　with　a　crew　of　biologists　should　prove　an　ideal　cover　to　investigate　Shang's　port　facility。〃
　〃Who　have　you　in　mind　to　lead　the　investigation？〃
　Sandecker　turned　to　Gunn。　〃Our　special　projects　director；　who　do　you　think？〃
　Gunn　hesitated。　〃Asking　a　bit　much　from　Dirk；　aren't　we？〃
　〃Can　you　think　of　a　better　man？〃
　〃No；　but　he　took　quite　a　beating　on　the　last　project。　When　I　saw　him　a　few　days　ago；　he　looked　like　death　warmed　over。　He　needs　more　time　to　mend。〃
　〃Pitt　is　a　fast　healer；〃　Sandecker　said　confidently。　〃A　challenge　is　just　what　he　needs　to　get　back　into　the　swim　of　things。　Track　him　down　and　tell　him　it's　essential　he　contact　me　immediately。〃
　〃I　don't　know　where　to　reach　him；〃　Gunn　said　vaguely。　〃After　you　gave　him　a　month's　leave；　he　just　took　off　without　saying　where　he　was　going。〃
　〃He's　in　Washington　State；　up　to　his　old　tricks　at　a　place　called　Orion　Lake。〃
　Gunn　looked　at　the　admiral　suspiciously。　〃How　do　you　know　that？〃
　〃Hiram　Yaeger　sent　him　a　truckload　of　underwater　gear；〃　said　Sandecker；　his　eyes　glinting　like　a　fox's。　〃Hiram　thought　he　did　it　on　the　sly；　but　word　has　a　funny　way　of　filtering　up　to　my　office。〃
　〃Not　much　goes　on　around　NUMA　that　you　don't　know　about。〃
　〃The　only　mystery　I　haven't　solved　is　how　Al　Giordino　smokes　my　expensive　Nicaraguan　cigars　when　I　never　find　any　missing。〃
　〃Did　it　ever　occur　to　you　that　you　both　might　have　the　same　source？〃
　〃Impossible；〃　snorted　Sandecker。　〃My　cigars　are　rolled　by　a　family　who　are　close　friends　of　mine　in　Managua。　Giordino　couldn't　possibly　know　them。　And　while　we're　on　the　subject；　where　is　Giordino？〃
　〃Lying　on　a　beach　in　Hawaii；〃　answered　Gunn。　〃He　decided　it　was　as　good　a　time　as　any　to　take　a　vacation　until　Dirk　got　back　in　the　saddle　again。〃
　〃Those　two　are　usually　as　thick　as　thieves。　It's　a　rare　moment　when　they're　not　causing　mischief　together。〃
　〃You　want　me　to　brief　Al　on　the　situation　and　then　send　him　out　to　Orion　Lake　to　bring　Dirk　back　to　Washington？〃
　Sandecker　nodded。　〃A　good　idea。　Pitt　will　listen　to　Giordino。　You　go　along　as　backup。　Knowing　Dirk；　if　I　called　and　ordered　him　to　report　back　to　work；　he'd　hang　up　the　phone。〃
　〃You're　absolutely　right；　Admiral；〃　Gunn　said；　smiling。　〃That's　exactly　what　he　would　do。〃
　
　JULIA　LEE'S　THOUGHTS；　CERTAIN　BELIEFS　RATHER；　CENTERED　around　an　overwhelming　sense　of　defeat。　Deep　down；　she　knew　she　had　botched　her　mission。　She　had　made　the　wrong　moves；　said　the　wrong　things。　There　was　a　feeling　of　emptiness；　shrouded　by　despair　in　her　mind。　She　had　learned　much　about　the　smugglers'　operation。　There　were　ashes　in　her　mouth　as　she　realized　that　it　was　all　for　nothing。　The　vital　information　she　had　obtained　might　never　be　passed　on　to　the　Immigration　and　Naturalization　Service　so　they　could　apprehend　the　smugglers。
　
　She　felt　a　sea　of　pain　from　her　sadistically　inflicted　injuries；　sick　and　empty　and　debased。　She　was　also　deathly　tired　and　hungry。　Her　self…assurance　had　gotten　the　better　of　her。　She　failed　by　not　acting　meek　and　subjugated。　By　using　the　skills　taught　her　during　her　training　as　a　special　INS　agent　and　given　enough　time；　she　could　have　easily　escaped　her　captors　before　being　submitted　to　a　life　of　rape。　Now　it　was　too　late。　Julia　was　too　badly　hurt　to　make　an　all…out　physical　effort。　It　was　all　she　could　do　to　stand　upright　without　getting　dizzy　and　losing　her　balance　before　falling　to　her　knees。
　
　Because　of　dedication　to　her　work；　Julia　had　few　close　friends。　The　men　in　her　life　had　passed　through　as　if　they　were　part　of　a　reception　line；　little　more　than　acquaintances。　Sadness　settled　over　her　at　the　thought　of　never　seeing　her　mother　and　father　again。　Strangely；　she　was　conscious　of　no　fear　or　revulsion。　Whatever　was　to　happen　to　her　in　the　next　few　hours；　nothing　could　change　it。
　
　Through　the　steel　deck　she　sensed　the　engines　ing　to　a　stop。　Without　headway　the　ship　began　rolling　in　the　swells。　A　minute　later　the　anchor　chain　clattered　through　the　hawsehole。　The　Indigo　Star　had　anchored　just　outside　the　territorial　limits　of　the　United　States　to　evade　law　enforcement　action。
　
　Julia's　watch　had　been　taken　from　her　during　the　interrogation；　and　all　she　could　be　certain　about　the　time　was　that　it　was　sometime　in　the　middle　of　the　night。　She　looked　around　at　the　other　forty　or　more　pathetic　individuals　huddled　hi　the　cargo　hold；　thrown　in　there　after　the　interrogations。　They　all　began　chattering　excitedly；　thinking　they　had　at　last　reached　America　and　were　going　ashore　to　begin　a　new　life。　Julia　might　have　felt　the　same；　but　she　knew　better。　The　truth　would　strike　savagely　and　with　cold　indifference。　Any　expectation　of　happiness　was　short…lived。　They　had　all　been　deceived。　These　were　the　intelligent　ones；　those　of　wealth　and　substance。　They　had　been　defrauded　and　robbed　by　the　smugglers；　and　yet　they　still　had　the　look　of　hope　about　them。
　
　Julia　was　certain　their　immediate　future　would　be　one　of　terror　and　extortion。　She　looked　with　great　sadness　at　two　families　with　young　children　and　prayed　they　would　live　to　escape　the　smugglers　and　the　domination　by　the　criminal　cartels　waiting　on　shore。
　
　Two　hours　was　all　the　time　the　crew　of　smugglers　needed　to　transfer　the　illegal　Chinese　aliens　onto　trawlers　belonging　to　a　fishing　fleet　owned　by　Qin　Shang　Maritime。　Manned　by　documented　Chinese　who　had　taken　out　their　citizenship　papers；　the　fleet　carried　out　legitimate　fishing　operations　when　not　transporting　illegal　immigrants　from　the　mother　ship　to　transit　points　in　small　harbors　and　coves　along　the　Olympic　Peninsula　coast。　There；　buses　and　cargo　trucks　waited　to　carry　them　to　destinations　throughout　the　country。
　
　Julia；　the　last　one　to　be　taken　from　the　cargo　hold；　was　led　roughly　by　an　enforcer　to　the　outer　deck。　She　could　barely　walk；　and　he　hal