cc.floodtide-第37章

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　make　him　as　good　as　new。〃
　〃Did　two　shots　of　tequila　do　it？〃　Sandecker　asked　cynically。
　〃More　like　four。〃　Giordino　turned　as　Pitt　emerged　from　the　helicopter。　〃See　for　yourself。〃
　Sandecker　looked　up　and　found　himself　looking　at　a　man　dressed　like　a　backwoods　hiker；　thin　and　played　out；　as　if　he'd　been　existing　on　little　else　but　berries　in　a　forest。　His　hair　was　tangled　in　every　direction；　face　drawn　and　haggard　but　split　by　a　smile　as　broad　as　a　highway　billboard　with　eyes　clear　and　intense。
　〃By　God；　it's　the　admiral；〃　Pitt　boomed。　〃You're　the　last　man　I　expected　to　see　standing　out　in　the　rain。〃
　Sandecker　wanted　to　laugh；　but　he　fixed　a　frown　on　his　face　and　spoke　as　if　angered。　〃I　thought　it　might　be　nice　to　demonstrate　my　charitable　disposition　and　save　you　a　five…thousand…mile　round　trip。〃
　〃You　don't　want　me　back　at　my　desk？〃
　〃No。　You　and　Al　are　leaving　for　Manila。〃
　〃Manila；〃　said　Pitt；　puzzled。　〃That's　in　the　Philippines。〃
　〃It　hasn't　been　moved　that　I　was　aware　of；〃　Sandecker　said。
　〃When？〃
　〃Within　the　hour。〃
　〃Within　the　hour？〃　Pitt　stared　at　him。
　〃I've　booked　you　on　a　mercial　flight　across　the　Pacific。　You　and　Al　will　be　on　it。〃
　〃What　are　we　supposed　to　do　once　we　get　to　Manila？〃
　〃If　you'll　e　in　out　of　the　rain　before　we　drown；　I'll　tell　you。〃
　
　After　Pitt　was　ordered　to　drink　two　cups　of　coffee；　Sandecker　gathered　his　finest　team　of　ocean　engineers　in　the　privacy　of　an　aquarium。　Sitting　among　tanks　filled　with　North　Pacific　sea　life　under　study　by　NUMA　marine　biologists；　the　admiral　briefed　Pitt　and　Giordino　on　the　meeting　he　and　Gunn　had　with　the　President　and　officials　of　the　Immigration　and　Naturalization　Service。
　〃The　man　whose　criminal　operation　you　screwed　up　at　Orion　Lake　directs　a　vast　smuggling　empire　that　traffics　in　illegal　immigrants；　transporting　them　into　nearly　every　country　of　the　world。　He　literally　smuggles　millions　of　Chinese　into　North；　Central；　South　America　and　Europe。　Under　a　shroud　of　secrecy；　he　is　supported　and　often　funded　by　the　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　h