cc.floodtide-第30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　Chinese　government。　The　more　people　he　can　remove　from　the　over…populated　country　and　place　in　positions　of　influence　overseas；　the　better　the　potential　to　achieve　international　power　bases　working　under　directives　from　the　mother　country。　It　is　a　worldwide　conspiracy　with　incredible　consequences　if　Qin　Shang　continues　unchecked。〃
　〃The　man　is　responsible　for　hundreds　of　dead　bodies　lying　on　the　bottom　of　Orion　Lake；〃　said　Pitt　angrily。　〃You're　telling　me　he　can't　be　charged　with　mass　murder　and　hanged？〃
　〃Charging　him　and　convicting　him　are　different　sides　of　the　street；〃　answered　Sandecker。　〃Qin　Shang　has　more　corporate　barriers　around　him　than　waves　pounding　a　shore。　I'm　told　by　the　missioner　of　INS；　Duncan　Monroe；　that　Qin　Shang　is　so　far　removed；　politically　and　financially；　there　is　no　direct　evidence　linking　him　to　the　mass　murders　on　Orion　Lake。〃
　〃The　man　seems　impregnable；〃　said　Gunn。
　Pitt　said　in　a　measured　tone；　〃No　man　is　impregnable。　We　all　have　an　Achilles'　heel。〃
　〃How　do　we　nail　the　bastard？〃　Giordino　asked　bluntly。
　
　Sandecker　answered　partially　by　explaining　the　two　objectives　the　President　had　ordered　NUMA　to　investigate；　the　old　ocean　liner　United　States　and　Qin　Shang's　shipping　port　of　Sungari　in　Louisiana。　He　concluded　by　saying；　〃Rudi　here　will　be　in　charge　of　a　special　team　for　an　underwater　probe　of　Sungari。　Dirk　and　Al　will　examine　the　former　ocean　liner。〃
　〃Where　do　we　find　the　United　States？〃　asked　Pitt。
　〃Until　three　days　ago；　she　was　at　Sevastopol　in　the　Black　Sea　undergoing　a　refit。　But　according　to　satellite　surveillance　photos；　she's　left　dry　dock　and　passed　through　the　Dardanelles　on　her　way　to　the　Suez　Canal。〃
　〃That's　covering　a　lot　of　territory　for　a　fifty…year…old　ship；〃　said　Giordino。
　〃Not　unusual；〃　said　Pitt；　staring　at　the　ceiling　as　if　retrieving　something　once　cataloged　in　his　mind。　〃The　United　States　could　leave　the　best　of　them　in　her　wake。　She　beat　the　Queen　Mary's　best　time　across　the　Atlantic　by　an　amazing　ten　hours。　On　her　maiden　voyage　she　set　a　speed　record　between　New　York　and　England；　averaging　thirty…five　knots；　that　still　stands。〃
　〃She　must　have　been　fast；〃　said　Gunn　admiringly。　〃That　works　out　to　about　forty…one　miles　an　hour。〃
　Sandecker　nodded。　〃She's　still　faster　than　any　mercial　ship　built　before　or　since。〃
　〃How　did　Qin　Shang　get　his　hands　on　her？〃　asked　Pitt。　〃It　was　my　understanding　that　the　U。S。　Maritime　Administration　would　not　sell　her　unless　she　remained　under　the　American　flag。〃
　〃Qin　Shang　easily　got　around　that　by　purchasing　the　ship　through　an　American　pany　who　in　turn　could　then　sell　it　to　a　buyer　who　represented　a　friendly　nation。　In　this　case　a　Turkish　businessman。　Too　late；　American　authorities　discovered　that　a　Chinese　national　bought　the　ship；　posing　as　the　Turkish　buyer。〃
　〃Why　would　Qin　Shang　want　the　United　States？〃　Pitt　asked；　still　in　the　dark。
　〃He's　in　league　with　the　Chinese　People's　Liberation　Army；〃　replied　Gunn。　〃The　deal　he　struck　with　them　gives　him　the　right　to　operate　the　ship；　possibly　to　smuggle　illegal　aliens　under　the　guise　of　a　cruise　ship。　The　Chinese　military；　for　their　purposes；　has　the　option　of　mandeering　the　ship　and　quickly　converting　it　to　a　troop　transport。〃
　
　〃You'd　have　thought　our　defense　department　would　have　seen　the　light　and　converted　her　years　ago；〃　said　Giordino。　〃She　could　have　moved　an　entire　division　of　troops　from　the　States　to　Saudi　Arabia　during　the　Gulf　War　in　less　than　five　days。〃
　Sandecker　stroked　his　beard　in　thought。　〃Airlifts　are　the　thing　to　transport　men　these　days。　Ships　are　used　primarily　to　haul　in　supplies　and　equipment。　Any　way　you　look　at　it；　the　former　pride　of　the　transatlantic　greyhounds　was　way　past　her　prime。〃
　〃So　what's　our　job？〃　Pitt　asked　with　diminishing　forbearance。　〃If　the　President　wants　to　prevent　the　United　States　from　smuggling　aliens　into　the　country；　why　doesn't　he　order　a　nuclear　submarine　to　quietly　put　a　couple　of　Mark　XII　torpedoes　into　her　side。〃
　〃And　give　the　Chinese　military　a　bona　fide　excuse　to　retaliate　by　blasting　a　cruise　ship　filled　with　American　tourists　out　of　the　water？〃　Sandecker　said　sharply。　〃I　don't　think　so。　There　are　more　practical　and　less　hazardous　ways　of　cutting　Qin　Shang　off　at　the　knees。〃
　〃Like　what？〃　Giordino　asked　guardedly。
　〃Answers！〃　Sandecker　snapped　back。　〃There　are　perplexing　questions　that　must　be　answered　before　the　INS　can　take　action。〃
　〃We're　not　undercover　specialists；〃　said　Pitt；　unmoved　by　it　all。　〃What　does　he　expect　us　to　do？　Pay　our　ticket；　reserve　a　stateroom　and　then　send　questionnaires　to　the　captain　and　crew？〃
　〃I　am　aware　that　you　find　this　uninspiring；〃　said　Sandecker；　seeing　that　both　Pitt　and　Giordino　were　regarding　their　mission　with　a　marked　lack　of　enthusiasm；　〃but　I'm　dead　serious　when　I　say　that　the　information　you're　to　obtain　is　vital　to　the　future　welfare　of　the　country。　Illegal　immigration　cannot　continue　hi　an　uncontrolled　flood。　Sleaze　like　Qin　Shang　are　conducting　modern　versions　of　the　slave　trade。〃　Sandecker　paused　and　gazed　at　Pitt。　〃From　what　I've　been　told；　you　saw　an　example　of　their　inhumanity　with　your　own　eyes。〃
　Pitt　nodded　almost　imperceptibly。　〃Yes；　I　saw　the　horror。〃
　〃There　must　be　something　the　government　can　do　to　rescue　these　people　from　bondage；〃　said　Gunn。
　〃You　can't　protect　people　who　are　illegally　in　your　country　if　they've　disappeared　and　gone　underground　after　they　were　smuggled　in；〃　Sandecker　replied。
　〃Can't　a　task　force　be　formed　to　search　them　out；　free　them　and　release　them　into　society？〃　Gunn　persisted。
　〃The　INS　has　sixteen　hundred　investigators　in　the　fifty　states；　not　counting　those　working　in　foreign　countries；　who　made　over　three　hundred　thousand　arrests　of　illegal　aliens　engaged　in　criminal　activities。　It　would　take　twice　that　number　of　investigators　just　to　stay　even。〃
　〃How　many　illegals　are　coining　into　the　Unites　States　each　year？〃　asked　Pitt。
　〃There　is　no　way　to　achieve　an　accurate　count；〃　answered　Sandecker。　〃Estimates　run　as　high　as　two　million　aliens　who　poured　in　last　year　from　China　and　Central　America　alone。〃
　
　Pitt　stared　out　the　window　at　the　calm　waters　of　Puget　Sound。　The　rain　had　passed；　and　the　clouds　were　being　scattered。　A　rainbow　slowly　formed　over　the　docks。　〃Has　anybody　a　clue　to　where　it　will　all　end？〃
　
　〃With　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　people；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃The　last　census　put　the　U。S。　population　at　roughly　two　hundred　and　fifty　million。　With　the　ing　increase　in　births　and　immigration；　legal　and　illegal；　the　population　will　soar　to　three　hundred　and　sixty　million　by　the　year　twenty　fifty。〃
　〃Another　hundred　million　in　the　next　fifty　years；〃　said　Giordano　dolefully。
　〃I　hope　I'm　gone　by　then。〃　Gunn　said　thoughtfully；　〃Hard　to　imagine　the　changes　in　store　for　the　country。〃
　〃Every　great　nation　or　civilization　either　fell　by　corruption　from　within　or　was　altered　forever　by　foreign　migration；〃　said　Sandecker。
　
　Giordino's　face　registered　indifference。　The　future　was　of　little　concern　to　him。　Unlike　Pitt；　who　found　pleasure　in　the　past；　Giordino　lived　only　for　the　present。　Gunn；　contemplative　as　ever；　stared　down　at　the　floor；　trying　to　picture　the　problems　a　population　increase　of　fifty　percent　would　bring　with　it。
　Pitt　said　dryly；　〃And　so　the　President　in　his　infinite　wisdom　expects　us　to　plug　the　dike　with　our　fingers。〃
　〃Just　how　are　we　supposed　to　conduct　this　crusade？〃　asked　Giordino；　carefully　removing　a　huge　cigar　from　a　cedar　wrapper　and　slowly；　very　slowly；　rolling　the　end　over　the　flame　from　a　lighter。
　Sandecker　stared　at　the　cigar；　his　face　reddening　as　he　recognized　it　as　one　from　his　private　cache。　〃When　you　arrive　in　Manila　at　the　international　airport；　you　will　be　met　by　a　man　named　John　Smith…〃
　〃That's　original；〃　Giordino　muttered。　〃I've　always　wanted　to　meet　the　guy　whose　signature　I　see　above　mine　on　motel　registers。〃
　
　To　a　stranger　sitting　in　on　the　discussion；　it　would　seem　none　of　the　NUMA　men　had　the　slightest　respect　for　one　another；　and　that　there　was　a　cloud　of　animosity　hanging　over　them。　Nothing　could　be　further　from　the　truth。　Pitt　and　Giordino　had　nothing　but　total　and　unabridged　admiration　for　Sandecker。　They　were　as　close　to　him　as　to　their　own　fathers。　Without　the　slightest　hesitation；　they　had　on　more　than　one　occasion　risked　their　own　lives　to　save　his。　The　give…and…take　was　a　game　they　had　played　many　times　over　the　years。　The　apathy　was　a　sham。　Pitt　and　Giordino　were　too　wildly　independent　to　accept　instructions　without　a　display　of　rebellion。　Nor　were　they　known　to　jump　up　and　salute　before　dashing　out　the　door　to　do　their　duty　with　an　overabundance　of　fervor。　It　was　a　scene　of　puppets　pulling　the　strings　of　puppets　with　an　underlying　sense　of　humor。
　
　〃We　land　in　Manila　and　wait　for　a　John　Smith　to　make　himself　known；〃　said　Pitt。　〃I　hope　there's　more　to　the　plan　than　that。〃
　
　Sandecker　went　on。　〃Smith　will　escort　you　to　the　dock　area；　where　you'll　board　a　tired　old　intercoastal　freighter。　A　singularly　unmon　vessel；　as　you　will　discover。　By　the　time　you　set　foot　on　the　deck；　NUMA's　Sea　Dog　II　submersible　will　be　secured　aboard。　Your　job；　when　the　opportunity　arises；　will　be　to　inspect　and　photograph　the　hull　of　the　United　States　below　the　waterline。〃
　
　Pitt　shook　his　head；　his　expression　one　of　incredulity。　〃We　cruise　around；　examining　the　bottom　of　a　ship　that's　the　length　of　three　football　fields。　Shouldn't　take　more　than　forty…eight　hours　of　downtime。　Naturally；　Qin　Shang's　security　people　wouldn't　think　of　dropping　sensors　around　the　hull　for　just　such　an　intrusion。〃　He　looked　at　Giordino。　〃How　do　you　see　it？〃
　〃Like　giving　a　nipple　to　a　baby；〃　Giordino　said　casually。　〃My　only　problem　is；　how　does　a　submersible　with　a　top　speed　of　four　knots　keep　up　with　a　ship　that　cruises　at　thirty…five　knots？〃
　Sandecker　gave　Giordino　a　long；　sour　look；　then　answered　the　question。　〃You　conduct　your　underwater　survey　while　the　ship　is　docked　in　port。　That　goes　without　saying。〃
　〃What　port　have　you　got　in　mind？〃　asked　Pitt。
　〃CIA　informants　in　Sevastopol　report　that　the　ship's　destination　is　Hong　Kong；　where　the　final　interiors　and　furnishings　will　be　fitted　before　she　takes　on　passengers　for　voyages　in　and　around