cc.floodtide-第59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！


elation　to　the　size　of　the　front　tires。　He　back…shifted　the　transmission　into　first；　actually　crammed　it　into　gear。　The　gears　inside　the　three…speed　nonsynchromesh　crash　box　shrieked　in　protest　before　they　finally　meshed　in　place。　Then；　ten　feet　before　meeting　the　wall；　Pitt　stamped　the　gas　pedal　into　the　floorboard　as　hard　as　he　could；　taking　advantage　of　the　upward　slope　of　the　pool　to　lift　the　front　end　of　the　car。　〃Do　it！〃　he　implored　the　Duesenberg。　〃Go　over　the　wall！〃
　
　As　though　she　had　a　mechanical　brain　and　heart；　the　old　Duesenberg　responded　with　a　burst　of　acceleration　that　lifted　the　front　end；　barely　clearing　the　bumper　over　the　edge　of　the　pool；　the　tires　rolling　up　the　wall　until　they　shot　over　the　edge　onto　flat　ground。
　
　The　Duesenberg's　ground　clearance　was　almost　a　foot；　but　not　high　enough　for　the　bottom　of　her　chassis　to　run　clear。　She　canted　steeply；　followed　by　a　rendering　crash。　Then　an　ungodly　scraping；　tearing　sound　ripped　the　air。　For　a　moment　she　seemed　to　hang；　then　her　momentum　propelled　her　forward　and　she　leaped　ahead；　as　if　grinding　her　guts　out　over　the　concrete　wall　until　all　four　wheels　were　on　the　grass　of　the　Mall　again。
　
　Only　at　that　instant　did　the　engine　begin　to　miss。　Almost　like　a　golden　retriever　exiting　a　river　with　a　bird　in　its　mouth；　the　Duesenberg　shuddered；　shook　herself　free　of　the　water　that　filled　her　body；　and　limped　ahead。　After　only　a　hundred　yards　the　fan　behind　the　radiator　and　the　heat　from　the　engine　worked　in　unison　to　blow…dry　the　water　that　had　splashed　and　shorted　four　of　her　spark　plugs。　Soon；　she　began　hitting　on　all　eight　cylinders　again。
　
　Julia　came　up　off　the　floor　sputtering　and　peered　over　the　back　of　the　car　at　the　van　speeding　away　under　pursuit　by　four　police　cars。　She　wrung　the　water　from　the　hem　of　her　dress　and　ran　her　fingers　through　her　hair　in　a　vain　attempt　to　look　presentable。　〃I'm　a　mess。　My　dress　and　coat　are　ruined。〃　She　looked　at　Pitt　with　a　look　of　pure　anger。　Then　her　expression　softened。　〃If　you　hadn't　saved　my　life　for　the　second　time　hi　as　many　weeks；　I'd　make　you　buy　me　a　new　outfit。〃
　
　He　turned　to　her　and　smiled　as　he　set　the　Duesenberg　on　a　course　down　Independence　Avenue　and　across　the　Memorial　Bridge　toward　the　Washington　National　Airport　and　his　hangar。　〃Tell　you　what。　If　you're　a　good　girl；　I'll　take　you　to　my　place；　dry　your　clothes　and　warm　you　up　with　a　cup　of　coffee。〃
　
　Her　gray　eyes　were　soft　and　unblinking。　She　laid　a　hand　on　his　arm　and　murmured。　〃And　if　I'm　a　naughty　girl？〃
　
　Pitt　laughed；　partly　from　the　relief　of　escaping　another　death　trap；　partly　from　seeing　Julia's　bedraggled　appearance　and　partly　because　she　was　trying　without　success　to　cover　the　parts　of　her　body　that　were　revealed　through　the　wet　dress。　〃Keep　talking　like　that　and　I'll　skip　the　coffee。〃
　
　SUNLIGHT　WAS　SLIDING　OVER　THE　SILLS　OF　THE　SKYLIGHTS　when　Julia　slowly　pushed　aside　the　mist　of　sleep。　She　felt　as　if　she　was　floating；　her　body　totally　weightless。　It　was　a　pleasurable　sensation　left　over　from　the　ardor　of　the　night。　She　opened　her　eyes；　shifted　her　mind　into　gear　and　began　studying　her　surroundings。　She　found　herself　lying　alone。　The　bed　was　king…size　and　sat　in　the　middle　of　a　room　that　looked　like　the　captain's　cabin　from　an　old　sailing　ship；　plete　with　mahogany…paneled　walls　and　a　small　fireplace。　The　furnishings；　including　the　dressers　and　cabinets；　were　nautical　antiques。
　
　Like　most　women；　Julia　was　curious　and　intrigued　about　male　bachelor　apartments。　She　felt　that　the　opposite　gender　could　be　read　by　their　surroundings。　Some　men；　ladies　observed；　lived　like　pack　rats　and　never　cleaned　up　after　themselves；　creating　and　preserving　strange　alien　life…forms　in　their　bathrooms　and　inside　their　refrigerators。　Making　beds　was　as　foreign　as　processing　goat　cheese。　Their　laundry　was　piled　beside　and　over　washers　and　dryers　that　still　had　the　instruction　booklets　attached　to　the　knobs。
　
　And　then　there　were　the　neatness　freaks　who　lived　in　an　environment　only　a　decontamination　scientist　could　love。　Dust；　　food　scraps　and　toothpaste　droppings　were　all　furiously　attacked　and　energetically　eliminated。　Every　piece　of　furniture；　every　object　of　decor；　was　positioned　with　precision；　never　to　migrate。　The　kitchen　would　have　passed　a　white…glove　inspection　by　the　most　diligent　of　sanitation　inspectors。
　
　Pitt's　apartment　was　somewhere　in　between。　Tidy　and　uncluttered；　it　had　a　masculine　casualness　about　it　that　appealed　to　the　women　who　visited　occasionally　rather　than　frequently。　Julia　could　see　that　Pitt　was　a　man　who　preferred　to　live　in　the　past。　There　was　nothing　modern　in　the　entire　apartment。　Even　the　brass　plumbing　fixtures　in　the　bathroom　and　kitchen　seemed　to　have　e　out　of　some　old　passenger　liner　that　once　traveled　the　seas。
　
　She　rolled　over　on　her　side　and　stared　through　the　doorway　into　the　living　room；　where　shelves　on　two　walls　were　filled　with　delicately　built　ship　models　of　wrecks　that　Pitt　and　his　NUMA　crew　had　discovered　and　surveyed。　The　remaining　walls　held　dockyard　builders'　half　models　and　four　seascape　paintings　by　Richard　DeRosset；　a　contemporary　American　artist；　of　nineteenth…century　steamships。　There　was　a　feeling　of　fort　about　the　apartment；　not　the　formal　and　grandiose　atmosphere　produced　by　an　interior　decorator。
　
　Julia　soon　came　to　realize　that　Pitt's　home　made　no　allowances　for　a　woman's　touch。　It　was　the　sanctuary　of　an　intensely　private　man　who　adored　and　admired　women　but　who　could　never　be　fully　controlled　by　them。　He　was　the　kind　of　man　women　were　drawn　to；　had　wild　adventures　and　amorous　affairs　with；　but　never　married。
　
　She　smelled　coffee　ing　from　the　kitchen　but　saw　no　sign　of　Pitt。　She　sat　up　and　set　her　bare　feet　on　a　wood…plank　floor。　Her　dress　and　underwear　were　neatly　hung　in　an　open　closet；　dried　and　pressed。　She　padded　across　the　plank　floor　into　the　bathroom　and　smiled　at　herself　in　the　mirror　when　she　found　a　tray　with　an　unopened　new　toothbrush；　women's　moisturizers；　bath　gels；　body　oils；　makeup　accessories　and　an　assortment　of　feminine　hairbrushes。　Julia　could　not　help　but　wonder　how　many　women　had　stood　and　looked　into　the　same　mirror　before　her。　She　showered　inside　of　what　looked　like　an　upended　copper　tank；　toweled　and　dried　her　hair　with　a　blow…dryer。　After　she　dressed；　Julia　stepped　into　the　empty　kitchen；　helped　herself　to　a　cup　of　coffee　and　moved　out　onto　the　balcony。
　
　Pitt　was　down　on　the　main　floor　in　coveralls　replacing　the　shattered　windshield　on　the　Duesenberg。　Before　she　greeted　him；　Julia's　gaze　swept　over　the　immaculate　machinery　on　the　spacious　floor　below。
　
　She　did　not　recognize　the　makes　of　the　classic　cars　parked　in　even　rows；　nor　did　she　recognize　the　Ford　Trimotor　aircraft　and　the　Messerschmitt　262　jet　plane　sitting　side　by　side　at　one　end　of　the　hangar。　There　was　a　large；　old…fashioned　Pullman　car　sitting　on　a　short　section　of　track；　while　behind　it　a　small　bathtub　with　an　outboard　motor　stood　perched　on　a　small　platform　beside　a　strange…looking　craft　that　resembled　the　upper　half　of　a　sailboat　that　had　been　tied　to　the　buoyancy　tubes　of　a　rubber　boat。　A　mast　rose　from　the　middle　with　what　seemed　like　palm　fronds　woven　into　a　sail。　〃Good　morning；〃　she　called　down。
　
　He　looked　up　and　gave　her　a　killer　smile。　〃Nice　to　see　you；　lazybones。〃
　〃I　could　have　stayed　in　bed　all　day。〃　〃No　chance　of　that；〃　he　said。　〃Admiral　Sandecker　called　while　you　were　in　dreamland。　He　and　your　boss　want　our　bodies　at　a　conference　in　one　hour。〃
　〃Your　place　or　mine？〃　Julia　asked　in　a　humorous　tone。　〃Yours；　the　INS　headquarters　office。〃　〃How　did　you　ever　clean　and　press　my　silk　dress？〃　〃I　soaked　it　in　cold　water　after　you　fell　asleep　last　night　and　hung　it　to　dry。　This　morning　I　lightly　ironed　it　through　a　cotton　towel。　As　far　as　I　can　tell；　it　looks　good　as　new。〃
　〃You're　quite　a　guy；　Dirk　Pitt；〃　she　said。　〃I've　never　known　a　man　so　thoughtful；　or　innovative。　Do　you　perform　the　same　services　for　all　the　girls　who　sleep　over？〃
　〃Only　exotic　ladies　of　Chinese　descent；〃　he　answered。　〃May　I　fix　breakfast？〃
　〃Sounds　good。　You'll　find　whatever　you　need　in　the　fridge　and　on　the　upper　cupboards　to　your　right。　I　already　made　coffee。〃
　She　hesitated　as　Pitt　began　removing　the　fragmented　mirror　on　the　side…mounted　spare　tire。　〃I'm　sorry　about　your　car；〃　she　said　sincerely。
　
　Pitt　merely　shrugged。　〃The　damage　is　nothing　I　can't　fix。〃　〃Truly；　she's　a　lovely　car。〃
　〃Fortunately；　the　bullets　failed　to　strike　any　vital　parts。〃　〃Speaking　of　Qin　Shang's　thugs　。。。〃
　〃Not　to　worry。　There　are　enough　hired　guards　patrolling　outside　to　stage　a　coup　on　a　third…world　country。〃
　〃I'm　embarrassed。〃
　Pitt　looked　up　at　Julia　leaning　on　the　balcony　railing　and　saw　that　her　face　was　genuinely　red　with　chagrin。　〃Why？〃
　〃My　superiors　at　INS　and　fellow　agents　must　know　I　spent　the　night　and　are　probably　making　snide　remarks　behind　my　back。〃
　
　Pitt　looked　up　at　Julia　on　the　balcony　and　grinned。　〃I'll　tell　anybody　who　asks　that　while　you　slept；　I　spent　the　night　working　on　a　rear　end。〃
　〃That's　not　funny；〃　she　said　reprovingly。
　〃Sorry；　I　meant　to　say　differential。〃
　〃That's　better；〃　Julia　said；　turning　flippantly　with　a　toss　of　her　ebony　hair　and　strutting　into　the　kitchen；　having　enjoyed　Pitt's　teasing　of　her。
　
　Acpanied　by　two　bodyguards　in　an　armored　sedan；　Pitt　and　Julia　were　driven　to　her　sorority　sister's　apartment　so　she　could　change　into　attire　more　fitting　for　a　government　agent。　Then　they　were　taken　to　the　stark…looking　Chester　Arthur　Building　on　Northwest　I　Street；　which　housed　the　headquarters　of　the　Immigration　and　Naturalization　Service。　They　entered　the　beige　seven…story　stone　structure　with　its　blackened　windows　from　the　underground　parking　area　and　were　escorted　up　an　elevator　to　the　Investigations　Division　where　they　were　met　by　Peter　Harper's　secretary；　who　showed　them　into　a　conference　room。
　
　Six　men　were　already　present　in　the　room：　Admiral　San…decker；　Chief　missioner　Duncan　Monroe　and　Peter　Harper　of　the　INS；　Wilbur　Hill；　a　director　with　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency；　Charles　Davis；　special　assistant　to　the　director　of　the　Federal　Bureau　of　Investigation；　and　Al　Giordino。　They　all　rose　to　thei