cc.goldenbuddha-第9部分

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ld　both　transport　him　to　Asia　as　well　as　facilitate　the　delivery　of　the　artifact　to　its　new　home　by　armored　car。　He　was　almost　home　free。　
　〃So　does　this；〃　Lincoln　said；　〃and　it　barely　uses　any　puter　power。〃　
　A　buzzer　sounded；　then　the　ship　slowed　and　went　dead　in　the　water。　
　From　the　north；　a　black　amphibious　plane　approached；　made　a　pass　over　the　Oregon　to　check　the　direction　of　the　wind　by　the　flag　on　the　flagstaff；　then　gracefully　dropped　into　the　water　and　taxied　alongside。　
　〃The　chairman　has　arrived；〃　Kasim　noted。　
　
　SIX　DAYS　AFTER　depositing　the　Cubans　in　San　Juan；　the　Oregon　had　rounded　the　Cape　of　Good　Hope。　Inside　the　control　room；　the　seas　beyond　the　bow　were　projected　on　a　high…definition　four…byeight…foot　screen。　There　was　little　to　see。　The　sun　was　dipping　in　the　west；　and　the　Oregon　was　in　an　empty　part　of　the　Indian　Ocean　where　few　cargo　ships　steamed。　Twenty　minutes　ago；　Hali　Kasim　had　caught　the　glimpse　of　a　blue　whale。　Triggering　the　underwater　sensors；　Kasim　made　a　record　of　the　mass　of　the　beast；　then　began　to　scan　his　data　banks　for　a　match。　
　〃She's　a　new　one；〃　Kasim　said。　
　Franklin　Lincoln；　the　huge　pitch…black　man　who　was　sharing　duties　in　the　control　room；　stared　up　from　his　game　of　puter　solitaire。　〃You　need　to　find　a　different　hobby。〃　
　〃It　passes　the　time；〃　Kasim　noted。　
　ONCE　SAFELY　ABOARD　the　Oregon；　Juan　Rodriguez　Cabrillo　made　his　way　to　his　stateroom。　Walking　inside；　he　shut　the　door；　tossed　the　bag　containing　his　gray　wig　and　fake　beard　on　the　bed；　then　kicked　off　his　shoes　and　started　unbuttoning　his　shirt　as　he　made　his　way　to　the　head。　
　Unlike　most　ships；　where　the　bathroom　facilities　are　almost　an　afterthought；　his　was　large　and　opulent。　A　sunken　copper　tub　with　jets　sat　against　the　side　of　the　hull；　with　a　brass…lined　rectangular　porthole　giving　a　view　of　the　water　outside。　Angled　next　to　the　tub　was　a　separate　shower　decorated　with　Mexican　tile。　Along　the　bulkhead　toward　the　bow　was　a　cabinet　containing　a　copper　sink；　with　drawers　beneath。　
　The　floor　was　dark　hardwood　with　thick　cotton　throw　rugs。　A　recessed　toilet　was　set　back　in　the　bulkhead　across　from　the　sink　and　a　Philippine　carved　mahogany　sitting　bench　graced　one　wall。　
　Cabrillo　stared　at　his　image　in　the　mirror　above　the　sink。　
　His　blond　crew…cut　hair　was　in　need　of　a　trim　and　he　made　a　mental　note　to　schedule　an　appointment　with　the　ship's　barber；　who　also　doubled　as　a　masseuse。　His　skin　had　a　light　pallor；　the　result　of　stress；　he　knew；　and　his　eyes　showed　red　from　the　strain。　He　was　tired　and　his　joints　felt　stiff。　
　Sitting　on　the　mahogany　bench；　he　slid　off　his　trousers　and　stared　down　at　his　prosthetic　leg。　The　leg　was　the　third　he　had　owned　since　he　had　lost　it　in　a　naval　battle　with　the　Chinese　destroyer　Chengdo；　when　the　Corporation　had　been　covering　a　NUMA　operation　in　Hong　Kong。　But　it　was　a　good　oneit　worked　almost　as　well　as　the　one　he　had　lost。　
　Rising；　he　walked　over　and　began　to　draw　a　bath　in　the　copper　tub。　
　While　the　bath　filled；　he　shaved　at　the　sink　and　brushed　his　teeth；　then　removed　the　prosthetic　limb　and　climbed　into　the　water。　As　he　soaked；　his　thoughts　drifted　back。　。　。　。　
　
　CABRILLO　CAME　FROM　a　family　that　had　descended　from　the　first　explorer　to　discover　California；　but　despite　his　Spanish　surname；　he　looked　more　like　a　Malibu　surf　rat　than　a　conquistador。　He'd　been　raised　in　Orange　County　by　an　upper…middle…class　family。　California　in　the　1970s　had　seen　wild　times；　filled　with　sex　and　drugs；　but　Cabrillo　had　never　drifted　that　way。　By　his　nature；　he'd　been　both　conservative　and　patriotic；　almost　a　throwback。　When　everyone　he　knew　was　growing　long　hair；　he'd　kept　his　short　and　well　groomed。　When　clothing　tastes　had　run　toward　torn　denim　and　T…shirts；　his　wardrobe　had　remained　neat　and　presentable。　But　this　had　not　been　his　own　form　of　protest　against　the　time；　it　was　just　who　he　was。　
　And　even　today　he　was　still　a　bit　of　a　clotheshorse。　
　In　college　he'd　majored　in　political　science；　and　had　been　an　active　member　of　his　university's　ROTC　program。　So　it　was　not　a　surprise　when　the　CIA　had　offered　him　a　job　at　graduation。　Juan　Cabrillo　was　just　what　they　were　seeking　in　new　agents。　He　was　bright　without　being　bookish；　stable　without　being　boring；　and　flexible　without　being　outlandish。　
　Trained　in　Spanish；　Russian；　and　Arabic；　he'd　proved　a　master　at　disguise　and　stealth。　Inserted　into　a　country；　he　could　read　the　pulse　of　the　people　instinctively。　Fearless　but　controlled；　within　a　few　short　years　he'd　bee　a　valuable　asset。　
　Then　came　Nicaragua。　
　Teamed　with　another　agent；　he　and　his　partner　had　been　ordered　to　
　stem　the　growth　of　the　pro…munist　Sandinistas；　and　at　first　Cabrillo　had　made　inroads。　But　within　a　year　the　situation　had　spun　out　of　control。　It　was　the　oldest　story　in　the　worldtoo　many　chiefs　and　not　enough　Indians。　Chiefs　in　Washington　calling　the　shots；　native　Indians　in　Nicaragua　paying　the　price。　And　when　bombs　had　burst；　the　fallout　had　blown　back　in　their　faces。　
　Cabrillo　had　been　one　of　the　fall　guys；　and　he'd　taken　the　hit　for　his　partner。　
　Now　the　partner；　high　up　the　ladder　at　the　CIA；　was　repaying　the　favor。　The　man　had　been　funneling　jobs　to　the　Corporation　almost　since　their　inception；　but　he'd　yet　to　offer　one　with　a　potential　payday　this　large。　
　And　all　Cabrillo　and　his　team　needed　to　do　was　to　acplish　the　impossible。　
　
　WHILE　CABRILLO　FINISHED　his　bath　and　got　dressed；　Kasim　and　Lincoln　continued　their　watch。　By　the　time　they　were　relieved　at　midnight；　Kasim　would　log　one　more　whale；　Lincoln　would　have　played　thirty…two　games　of　Klondike；　and　both　men　would　have　read　three　of　the　magazines　that　had　been　loaded　aboard　in　San　Juan。　Lincoln　tended　to　aviation　periodicals；　Kasim　automobile　digests。　
　Quite　frankly；　there　was　little　work　for　the　two　menthe　Oregon　ran　herself。　
　
　THIRTY　MINUTES　LATERclean　and　dressed　in　tan　slacks；　a　starched　white　shirt　and　a　Bill　Blass　blazerJuan　Rodriguez　Cabrillo　was　sitting　at　the　large　mahogany　conference　table　in　the　corporate　meeting　room。　Linda　Ross　was　across　the　table；　sipping　a　Diet　Coke。　Eddie　Seng　sat　next　to　Ross；　flipping　through　a　stack　of　papers。　Mark　Murphy　was　farther　down　the　table；　stroking　a　throwing　knife　against　a　leather　strap。　Murphy　found　the　action　relaxing　and　he　tested　the　edge　against　a　piece　of　paper。　
　〃How　did　the　auction　go？〃　Max　Hanley　asked。　
　〃The　target　brought　two　hundred　million；〃　Cabrillo　said　easily。　
　〃Wow；〃　Ross　said；　〃that's　a　hefty　price。〃　
　At　the　end　of　the　table；　in　front　of　a　bank　of　floor…to…ceiling　monitors　that　were　currently　blank；　Michael　Halpert　turned　on　a　laser　pointer；　then　pressed　the　remote　for　the　monitors。　He　waited　for　Cabrillo；　who　nodded　for　him　to　start。　
　〃The　job　came　from　Washington　to　our　lawyer　in　Vaduz；　Liechtenstein：　a　standard　performance　contract；　half　now；　half　on　delivery。　Five　million　of　the　ten…million…dollar　fee　has　already　been　received。　It　was　washed　through　our　bank　in　Vanuatu；　then　transferred　to　South　Africa　and　used　to　purchase　gold　bullion；　as　we　all　agreed。〃　
　〃It　seems；〃　Murphy　said；　shaving　off　a　sliver　of　paper　with　the　knife；　〃that　after　all　those　machinations；　we　should　just　steal　the　Golden　Buddha　for　ourselves。　It　would　save　us　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　time　and　effort。　Either　way；　we　end　up　with　the　gold。〃　
　〃Where's　your　corporate　pride？〃　Cabrillo　said；　smiling；　knowing　Murphy　was　joking；　but　making　the　point　anyway。　〃We　have　our　reputation　to　consider。　The　first　time　we　screw　a　client；　the　word　would　get　out。　Then　what？　I　haven't　seen　any　want　ads　for　mercenary　sailors　lately。〃　
　〃You　haven't　been　looking　in　the　right　newspapers；〃　Seng　said；　grinning。　〃Try　the　Manila　Times　or　the　Bulgarian　Bugle。〃　
　〃That's　the　problem　with　stealing　objects　out　of　history　books；〃　Ross　noted。　〃They're　tough　to　resell。〃　
　〃I　know　a　guy　in　Greece；〃　Murphy　said；　〃who　would　buy　the　Mona　Lisa。〃　
　Cabrillo　waved　his　hands。　〃All　right；　back　to　business。〃　
　A　map　of　the　world　filled　the　main　monitor；　and　Halpert　pointed　；　to　their　destination。　
　〃As　a　crow　flies；　it's　over　ten　thousand　miles　from　Puerto　Rico　to　this　location；〃　he　noted。　〃By　sea；　it's　a　lot　farther。〃　
　〃We're　going　to　run　up　the　costs　just　getting　there；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃Do　we　have　any　other　jobs　lined　up　in　that　part　of　the　world　after　we　finish　with　this？〃　
　〃Nothing　yet；〃　Halpert　admitted；　〃but　I'm　working　on　it。　I　did；　however；　require　the　lawyer　to　include　a　bonus　if　we　deliver　the　object　by　a　certain　date。〃　
　〃How　much　and　when？〃　Cabrillo　asked。　
　〃The　bonus　is　another　million；〃　Halpert　said。　〃The　date　is　March　thirty…first。〃　
　〃Why　March　thirty…first？〃　Cabrillo　asked。　
　〃Because　that's　when　they　plan　to　have　the　leader　return　to　his　people。〃　
　〃Ah。　Good。　All　right；　so　we　have　a　total　of　seven　days；　three　of　which　will　be　spent　traveling。　That　gives　us　four　days　to　break　into　a　secure　building；　steal　a　gold　artifact　that　weighs　six　hundred　pounds；　then　transport　it　nearly　twenty…five　hundred　miles　to　a　mountain　country　that　most　people　have　only　heard　about　in　school。〃　
　Halpert　nodded。　
　〃Sounds　like　fun；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　
　THE　PORT　OF　Aomen　was　bustling。　Sampans　and　trading　barges　shared　the　sea…lanes　with　modern　cargo　ships　and　a　few　high…performance　pleasure　crafts。　The　wind　was　blowing　from　land　to　sea；　and　the　smell　of　wood　cooking　fires　on　mainland　China　mixed　with　the　scent　of　spices　being　off…loaded。　Twelve　miles　out　in　the　South　China　Sea；　and　only　minutes　from　landing；　Gunderson　received　clearance　for　final　approach。　
　Spenser　stared　at　the　Golden　Buddha　strapped　down　on　the　floor　across　the　aisle。　
　
　CHUCK　〃TINY〃　GUNDERSON　was　dining　on　sausage　and　slabs　of　cheddar　cheese　as　he　steered　the　Citation　X　and　watched　the　mountains　that　lay　below。　Gunderson　carried　nearly　280　pounds　on　his　six…feet…four　frame　and　had　played　tackle　at　the　University　of　Wisconsin　before　graduating　and　getting　recruited　by　the　Defense　Intelligence　Agency。　Gunderson's　experience　with　the　DIA　had　enhanced　his　love　of　flying；　which　he'd　transferred　into　his　job　later　in　the　private　sector。　Right　now；　however；　Gunderson　was　wishing　he　could　have　a　bottle　of　beer　with　his　lunch。　Instead；　he　finished　a