cc.floodtide-第35章
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r paths would cross。
〃So； Mr。 Dirk Pitt； you are the man responsible for the disaster at Orion Lake；〃 said Qin Shang； speaking to the photograph as though Pitt were standing in the room before him。
〃Your motive for destroying my immigrant staging area and yacht is as yet a mystery to me。 But I have this to say to you： You have qualities that I respect； but you have e to the end of your career。 The next addendum and final postscript to your file will be your obituary。〃
ORDERS CAME DOWN FROM WASHINGTON FOR SPECIAL AGENT Julia Lee to be flown immediately from Seattle to San Francisco； where she was placed in a hospital for medical treatment and observation。 The nurse assigned to her audibly gasped when she removed the hospital gown so the doctor could make his examination。 There was hardly a square inch of Julia's body that wasn't black…and…blue or marked by reddish bruises。 The expression in the nurse's eyes also made it evident that Julia's face was still grotesque from the swelling and discoloration； reinforcing Julia's determination not to look at herself in a mirror for at least a week。
〃Did you know you had three cracked ribs？〃 asked the doctor； a jolly； rotund man with a bald head and closely cropped gray beard。
〃I guessed from the stabbing pain every time I sat down and then stood after going to the bathroom；〃 she said lightheartedly。 〃Will you have to put a cast around my chest？〃
The doctor laughed。 〃Binding fractured ribs went out with leeches and bleeding。 Now we just let them mend on their own。 You'll suffer some disfort when you make sudden movements for the next few weeks； but that will soon diminish。〃
〃How about the rest of the damage？ Is it reparable？〃
〃I've already set your nose back in place； medication will soon reduce the swelling and all signs of bruising should disappear fairly quickly。 I predict that by this time next month you'll be voted queen of the prom。〃
〃All women should have a doctor like you；〃 Julia plimented him。
〃Funny；〃 he said； smiling； 〃my wife never says that。〃 He squeezed her hand reassuringly。 〃If you're feeling up to it； you can go home the day after tomorrow。 By the way； there's a couple of important characters from Washington on their way up from the reception desk to see you。 They should be stepping off the elevator about now。 In old movies visitors in a hospital are always told not to stay too long。 But to my way of thinking； going back to work speeds the healing process。 Just don't overdo it。〃
〃I won't； and thank you for your courtesy。〃
〃Not at all。 I'll look in on you this evening。〃
〃Shall I stay？〃 asked the nurse。
The doctor shook his head as two somber…looking men carrying briefcases entered the room。 〃Official government business。 You'll want to talk with Ms。 Lee in private。 Right； gentlemen？〃
〃Quite right； doctor；〃 said Julia's boss； Arthur Russell； director of the INS San Francisco district office。 Russell was gray…haired； his body reasonably trim from daily workouts in a home exercise room。 He smiled and looked at Julia through eyes warm with sympathy。
The other man； with thinning blond hair； his gray eyes peering through rimless spectacles； was a stranger to Julia。 There was no hint of sympathy in his eyes。 If anything； he looked as if he was about to sell her an insurance policy。
〃Julia；〃 said Russell； 〃I'd like to introduce Peter Harper。 He flew in from Washington to debrief you。〃
〃Yes； of course；〃 said Julia； struggling to sit up in bed； wincing from the pain that shot through her chest。 〃You're the executive associate missioner for field operations。 I'm happy to meet you。 Your reputation is a bit of a legend throughout the Service。〃
〃I'm flattered。〃 Harper shook Julia's outstretched hand and was surprised at the firmness of her grip。 〃You've had a tough time of it；〃 he said。 〃missioner Monroe sends his congratulations and thanks； and wishes me to say that the Service is proud of your performance。〃
He makes it sound as if I was taking a curtain call after a play； Julia thought。 〃But for one man； I wouldn't be here to receive the pliment。〃
〃Yes； we'll e to him later。 Right now； I'd like a verbal accounting of your mission to infiltrate the smugglers' operation。〃
〃We didn't mean to put you back in harness so soon；〃 interrupted Russell in a quiet voice。 〃A full written report of your activities can wait until you're up and about。 But for now； we'd like you to tell us everything you've learned about the smugglers and their procedures。〃
〃From the time I became Ling T'ai and paid the smugglers for passage in Beijing？〃 Julia asked。
〃From the beginning；〃 said Harper； taking a tape recorder from his briefcase and setting it on the bed。 〃Starting with your entry into China。 We'd like to hear it all。〃
Julia looked at Harper as she began。 〃As Arthur can tell you； I traveled to Beijing； China； with a group of Canadian tourists。 After we arrived in the city I deserted the group during a walking tour of the city。 Being of Chinese descent and speaking the language； I had no problem with melting into the people crowding the streets。 After changing into more suitable clothes； I began making discreet inquiries about emigrating to a foreign country。 As it turned out the newspapers ran stories and advertisements promoting emigration outside China's borders。 I answered an ad by an outfit calling themselves Jingzi International Passages。 Their offices； coincidentally； were on the third floor of a modern building owned by Qin Shang Maritime Limited。 The price to be smuggled into the United States was the equivalent of thirty thousand American dollars。 When I attempted to haggle； I was told in no uncertain terms to pay up or leave。 I paid。〃
Then Julia related the story of her terrible ordeal after boarding the outwardly luxurious cruise ship that became a hell ship。 She told of the inhuman cruelty； the lack of food and sanitation facilities； the brutality of the enforcers； her interrogation and beating； the transfer of the able…bodied to boats that took them unknowingly to a life of slavery ashore while those of some wealth were diverted to the prison at Orion Lake and placed in cages until they could be squeezed for more money。 The very young； the elderly and those who could not physically endure a life of servitude were quietly murdered by drowning in the lake。
She narrated in exacting detail the entire smuggling operation calmly and unemotionally； covering every foot of the mother ship and drawing illustrations of the smaller craft used to ferry the aliens into the U。S。 Using her trained skills in identification； she described the facial features and approximate body measurements of every smuggler she came in contact with； supplying whatever names she was able to obtain。
She told how she； the elderly aliens and the family with two children were forced into the confining cabin of the black catamaran； how they were eventually bound and their feet tied with iron weights before being dropped through an open hatch into the lake。 She told how a man in diving gear had miraculously appeared and cut them all loose before they drowned。 Then she described how he herded everyone to the temporary safety of the shore； how he forted and fed them at his cabin and provided a means of escape minutes before the arrival of the smugglers' security force。 She told how that enduring man of iron killed five of the enforcers who were set on murdering the escaped immigrants； how he took a bullet in the hip and acted as if it never happened。 She gave an account of his blowing up the dock and yacht at the retreat； the harrowing battle down the river to Grapevine Bay； her shooting the two ultralights out of the sky； and the indomitable courage of the man at the wheel of the runabout who threw his body over the children when it was thought they were about to be blasted out of the water。
Julia told them everything she had witnessed since leaving China。 But she couldn't explain how or why the man from NUMA came to be under the catamaran at the exact moment she and the others were dropped into the cold waters of the lake； nor could she explain why he made a reconnaissance of the prison building on his own initia
