cyclops-第60章
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tore。 No pictures； no decorations of any kind gave it life。 A room whose only function was to serve as a place to work。
Pitt was offered a chair at one end of the table； but declined。 His rear end did not feel up to sitting just yet。 Every eye in the room stared at him； and he began to feel like an inmate at the zoo on a Sunday afternoon。
Brogan gave him a relaxed smile。 〃Please tell us everything you've heard and observed from the beginning。 Your account will be recorded and transcribed。 Afterward； we'll go for questions and answers。 All right with you？〃
The beer came。 Pitt took a long pull； relaxed； and then started relating the events from the takeoff in Key West to elatedly seeing the submarine rise out of the water a few yards from his sinking tub。 He left out nothing and took his time； going into every detail； no matter how minor； he could recall。 It took him nearly an hour and a half； but they listened attentively without question or interruption。 When he finally finished； he gently eased his aching body into a chair and calmly watched everyone check over their notes。
Brogan declared a short break while aerial photographs of Cayo Santa Maria； files on Velikov and Gly； and the copies of the transcription were brought in。 After forty minutes of study； Brogan kicked off the questioning。
〃You carried weapons in the blimp。 Why？〃
〃Projections of the Cyclops' wreck site indicated it lay in Cuban waters。 It seemed appropriate to carry a bulletproof shield and a missile launcher for protective insurance。〃
〃You realize； of course； your unwarranted attack on the Cuban patrol helicopter was a breach of government policy。〃 This from a man Pitt remembered as working for the State Department。
〃I followed a higher law；〃 said Pitt with a sardonic grin。
〃And what law； may I ask； is that？〃
〃es from the Old West； something they called self…preservation。 The Cubans fired first； about a thousand rounds； I would judge； before Al Giordino blew it away。〃
Brogan smiled。 He could see Pitt was a man after his own heart。 〃Our main concern here is with your description of the Russians' installation on the island。 You say the island is unguarded。〃
〃Above ground the only guards I saw were stationed at the gate of the pound。 None were patrolling the roads or the beaches。 The only security measure was an electrified fence。〃
〃That explains why infrared photography hasn't detected any signs of human activity；〃 said an analyst eyeballing the photos。
〃Unlike the Russians to step out of character；〃 mused another CIA official。 〃They almost always give away a secret base by going overboard on security。〃
〃Not this time；〃 said Pitt。 〃They've gone to opposite extremes and it's paid off for them。 General Velikov stated that it was the most sensitive military installation outside the Soviet Union。 And I gather that no one in your agency was aware of it until now。〃
〃I admit； we may have been taken in；〃 said Brogan。 〃Providing what you've described to us is true。〃
Pitt gave Brogan a cold stare。 Then he painfully rose from his chair and started for the door。 〃All right； have it your way。 I lied。 Thanks for the beer。〃
〃May I ask where you're going？〃
〃To call a press conference；〃 Pitt said； addressing Brogan directly。 〃I'm wasting precious time for your benefit。 The sooner I announce my escape and demand the release of the LeBarons； Giordino； and Gunn； the sooner Velikov will be forced to halt their torture and execution。〃
There was a shocked quiet。 None of the people at the conference table could believe Pitt was walking out； none except Sandecker。 He sat there and smiled like the owner of a winning ball club。 〃You'd better pull your act together； Martin。 You've just been presented with a top…of…the…line intelligence coup； and if no one in this room can recognize it； I suggest you all find another line of work。〃
Brogan may have been a brusque egotist； but he was no fool。 He quickly rose and stopped Pitt at the doorway。 〃Forgive an old Irishman who's been burned more times than he can count。 Thirty years in this business and you just naturally bee a doubting Thomas。 Please help us to fit the puzzle together。 Then we'll discuss what's to be done for your friends and the LeBarons。〃
〃It'll cost you another beer；〃 Pitt said。
Brogan and the others laughed then。 The ice was broken； and the questioning was resumed from all sides of the table。
〃Is this Velikov？〃 asked an analyst； holding up a photograph。
〃Yes； General Peter Velikov。 His American…accented English was letter perfect。 I almost forgot； he had my dossier； including a personality profile。〃
Sandecker looked at Brogan。 〃Sounds like Sam Emmett has a mole in his FBI records department。〃
Brogan smiled sarcastically。 〃Sam won't be happy to learn of it。〃
〃We could write a book on Velikov's exploits；〃 said a heavy man facing Pitt。 〃At a later time I'd like you to give me a profile of his mannerisms。〃
〃Glad to；〃 said Pitt。
〃And this is the interrogator with the heavy hand； Foss Gly？〃
Pitt nodded at the second photograph。 〃He's a good ten years older than the face in the picture； but that's him。〃
〃An American mercenary； born in Arizona；〃 said the analyst。 〃You say you two met before？〃
〃Yes； during the Empress of Ireland project in search of the North American Treaty。 I think you may recall it。〃
Brogan nodded。 〃Indeed I do。〃
〃Getting back to the layout of the installation；〃 said the woman。 〃Levels of the pound？〃
〃According to the elevator indicator； five； all underground。〃
〃Idea as to extent？〃
〃All I saw was my cell； the hallway； Velikov's office； and a motor pool。 Oh； yes； and the entry to the upper living quarters； which was decorated like a Spanish castle。〃
〃Wall thickness？〃
〃About two feet。〃
〃Quality of construction？〃
〃Good。 No leakage or noticeable cracking of the concrete。〃
〃Type of vehicles in the motor pool？〃
〃Two military trucks。 The rest construction a bulldozer； a back hoe； and a cherry picker。〃
The woman looked up from her notes。 〃Excuse me。 The last one？〃 〃Cherry picker；〃 Pitt explained。 〃A special truck with a telescoping platform to work at heights。 You see them used by tree trimmers and telephone linemen。〃
〃Approximate dimensions of the antenna dish？〃
〃Difficult to measure in the dark。 Approximately three hundred yards long by two hundred yards wide。 It lifts into position by hydraulic arms camouflaged as palm trees。〃
〃Solid or grid？〃
〃Grid。〃
〃Circuitry； junction boxes； relays？〃
〃Didn't see any； which doesn't mean they weren't there。〃
Brogan had followed the questions without intruding。 Now he held up a hand and stared at a studious…looking man seated halfway down the table。 〃What do you make of it； Charlie？〃
〃Not enough technical detail to pinpoint an exact purpose。 But there are three possibilities。 One is that it's a listening station capable of intercepting telephone； radio； and radar signals across the United States。 Two； a powerful jamming facility； just sitting there waiting for a crucial moment； like a nuclear first strike when it is suddenly activated； scrambling all our vital military and mercial munications。 The third prospect is that it might have the capability to transmit and feed false information throughout our munications systems。 Most worrisome； the size and elaborate antenna design suggests the ability to perform the functions of all three。〃
The muscles in Brogan's face went taut。 The fact that such a supersecret spy operation had been constructed less than two hundred miles from the shores of the United States did not exactly thrill the chief of the Central Intelligence Agency。
〃If worse es to worse； what are we looking at？〃
〃What I'm afraid we're looking at；〃 answered Charlie； 〃is an electronically advanced and powerful facility capable of intercepting radio or phone munications and then using time…lag technology to allow a new…generation puterized synthesizer to imitate the callers' voices and alter the conversation。 You'd be amazed how your words can be manipulated over a telephone to another party without your detecting t
