cc.fireice-第52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！


ndecker　in　a　sea…green　patina　that　made　；　his　face　look　like　a　bronze　bust　of　Father　Neptune。　From　his　office　on　the　top　floor　of　NUMA　headquarters；　he　had　an　unparalleled　view　of　official　Washington。　He　stood　at　the　window；　in　thought；　his　authoritative　blue　eyes　sweeping　the　city；　taking　in　the　White　House；　the　tall　spire　of　the　Washington　Monument　and　the　dome　of　the　Capitol；　as　if　he　were　a　hawk　searching　for　its　prey。
　
　Austin　had　spent　most　of　the　morning　filling　Sandecker　in　on　the　events　in　the　Black　Sea。　The　admiral　had　been　fascinated　by　the　description　of　the　sub　pen；　and　intrigued　at　the　meeting　with　Petrov　and　the　Odessa　Star　link　to　Lord　Dodson；　whom　he　had　met。　Occasionally；　he　asked　a　question　to　clarify　or　offer　a　theory　of　his　own。　But　he　listened　in　stony　silence；　tugging　at　his　precisely　trimmed　red　Vandyke　beard；　when　Austin　told　him　about　the　massacre　aboard　the　Sea　Hunter。　At　the　end　of　the　grisly　narrative；　he　rose　from　his　desk　without　a　word　and　walked　over　to　gaze　out　the　window。　After　a　few　moments；　he　turned　to　Austin　and　Gunn；　who　sat　in　leather　chairs　in　front　of　the　desk；　and　said；　〃In　all　my　days　as　a　navy　mander；　I　never　lost　a　ship　or　its　crew。
　
　Damned　if　I'm　about　to　start　now；　This　son　of　a　bitch　and　his　friend　Razov　are　not　going　to　get　away　with　the　massacre　of　an　entire　NUMA　crew。〃
　
　The　temperature　in　the　room　seemed　to　drop　twenty　degrees。
　
　Sandecker　came　over　and　settled　behind　his　desk。　〃How　is　Ms。　Montague；　the　young　lady　who　survived　the　attack？〃
　〃She's　tough；〃　Austin　said；　〃She　insisted　on　staying　aboard　the　ship　while　the　replacement　crew　brings　the　Sea　Hunter　back　to　port。〃
　〃Make　sure　I　see　the　young　lady　on　her　return。〃
　〃I'll　do　that；〃　Austin　said；　〃What's　the　latest　from　the　CIA？〃
　
　Sandecker　reached　into　the　humidor　on　his　desk；　pulled　out　a　cigar　and　lit　it；　〃The　CIA　is　barking　up　the　wrong　tree；　the　FBI　is　skeptical　and　the　armed　forces　aren't　much　good　unless　you　point　them　in　the　right　direction　and　give　them　marching　orders。　The　secretary　of　state　doesn't　return　my　phone　calls。〃
　〃What　about　the　White　House？〃
　〃The　president　is　sympathetic　and　concerned；　of　course。　But　I　can't　help　thinking　there　is　a　bit　of　glee　among　some　of　his　Cabinet；　a　hint　that　the　massacre　was　justified　retribution　for　sticking　our　nose　in　where　it　doesn't　belong；　They　are　angry　that　NUMA　rescued　the　NR…1　crew。〃
　〃What　difference　does　it　make　who　rescued　the　crew；　long　as　it　was　rescued？〃　Austin　said　in　frustration。
　
　Sandecker　puffed　out　a　plume　of　smoke　that　temporarily　enveloped　his　head　in　a　purple　cloud。　〃I　assume　that　was　I　rhetorical　question；　because　you're　much　too　savvy　in　the　ways　of　this　city。　You　know　that　gratitude　simply　does　not　exist　inside　the　Beltway。　We've　stolen　their　thunder；　and　they　resent　that。〃
　
　Gunn　sighed。　〃That's　pretty　much　the　scuttlebutt　I've　heard。　There's　even　criticism　behind　our　back　that　our　'bungling'　is　the　reason　that　the　captain　and　pilot　are　still　missing　with　the　sub。〃
　〃Nice　of　us　to　provide　an　excuse　for　the　inpetence　of　other　agencies；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃But　I'm　afraid　it　means　NUMA　is　on　its　own　when　it　es　to　the　Sea　Hunter　business。　Any　lead　on　this　man；　Boris？〃
　〃He's　a　will…o'…the…wisp；〃　Austin　said。　〃Our　best　chance　is　to　concentrate　on　Razov。　At　last　report；　his　yacht　had　left　the　Black　Sea；　and　we're　trying　to　track　it　down。〃
　〃We're　going　to　have　to　do　better；〃　Sandecker　said。　Sandecker's　inter　beeped　softly；　and　the　voice　of　his　secretary　came　on。
　
　〃I　know　you're　in　conference；　Admiral；　but　Mr。　Yaeger　is　here　with　two　other　gentlemen　and　he　says　it's　urgent　that　they　see　you。〃
　〃Send　them　in；　please；〃　Sandecker　said。　A　moment　later；　the　office　door　opened　and　Yaeger　came　in；　followed　by　the　diminutive　Dr。　Reed　and　a　stranger。　Sandecker　had　spent　too　much　time　on　the　water　not　to　recognize　Jenkins　as　a　fisherman；　especially　after　they　shook　hands　and　he　felt　the　barnacle…hard　calluses。
　
　He　greeted　them　warmly　and　told　the　men　to　pull　up　chairs。　〃Well；　Hiram；　what　brings　you　out　of　your　sanctum　sanctorum？〃
　〃I　think　Dr。　Jenkins　can　explain　it　better　than　I　can。〃　Jenkins　was　nervous　at　being　in　the　presence　of　the　legendary　director　of　NUMA。　But　once　he　started　to　talk；　he　hit　his　stride。　When　Jenkins　finished　his　saga；　Reed　gave　his　opinion　as　a　geochemist。　Finally；　Yaeger　pitched　in；　passing　around　printouts　of　the　diagrams　Max　had　projected　onto　the　screen。　Sandecker　sat　back　in　his　chair；　tenting　his　fingers；　his　eyes　alert　to　every　nuance。
　
　When　they　were　through　with　their　presentation；　he　tapped　his　inter。　〃Please　see　if　Dr。　Wilkins　can　e　up　from　the　Geology　Department。〃
　
　Dr。　Elwood　Wilkins　arrived　a　few　minutes　later。　He　was　I　slim；　reserved　midwesterner　who　looked　like　one　of　those　movie　character　actors　who　always　played　the　kindly　pharmacist　or　family　doctor。　Sandecker　pulled　over　another　chair　close　to　his　desk。　He　passed　Wilkins　the　printouts　and　gave　the　geologist　a　few　minutes　to　study　them。　Wilkins　finished　reading　the　material　and　looked　up。
　
　Sandecker　answered　the　question　in　the　scientist's　eyes。　〃These　gentlemen　have　suggested　that　it　is　possible　for　the　edge　of　the　continental　shelf　along　the　East　Coast　to　cave　in；　creating　destructive　tsunamis。　While　I　value　their　opinion；　it　a　never　hurts　to　hear　from　a　disinterested　observer。　What　do　d　you　think？〃
　
　Wilkins　smiled。　〃Oh；　I　don't　think　there's　any　danger　of　the　Atlantic　City　Boardwalk　being　washed　into　the　sea。〃
　
　Sandecker　raised　an　eyebrow。
　
　〃But；〃　Wilkins　added；　〃there　is　new　research　which　indicates　that　what　they　suggest　is　not　at　all　far…fetched。　The　d　rock　under　the　overlying　layer　of　the　continental　shelf　is　quite　waterlogged。　If　the　pressure　exerted　by　the　sea　bottom　reached　a　critical　state；　the　water　would　squeeze　out。　It's　as　if　you　stepped　on　a　balloon。　The　blowout　could　cause　landslides　that　deform　the　water　and　send　giant　waves　toward　the　shore。　Some　of　my　colleagues　at　Penn　State　University　have　run　puter　models　demonstrating　that　the　possibility　is　very　real。〃
　〃These　slides　would　have　to　be　triggered　by　a　quake？〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　〃A　quake　could　do　it；　most　certainly。〃
　〃Could　it　happen　on　the　East　Coast？〃　Gunn　asked。
　
　Wilkins　tapped　the　sheaf　of　printouts　in　his　hand。　〃This　material　pretty　much　spells　it　out。　The　continental　shelf　runs　the　full　length　of　the　coast。　In　several　places　along　its　slope　are　big　cracks　and　craters　where　the　potential　for　landslides　is　greater。〃
　〃Could　a　slide　be　caused　by　something　other　than　a　quake？〃　Gunn　said。
　
　〃It　could　happen　spontaneously。　I'm　sorry　I　can't　be　more　specific。　This　is　a　whole　new　area　of　science。〃
　〃I　was　thinking　of　a　release　of　methane　hydrate。〃
　〃Why　not？　If　the　hydrate　layer　is　destabilized；　sure；　the　whole　shooting　match　could　e　tumbling　down　and　set　off　your　giant　waves。〃
　
　Sandecker　could　see　Wilkins's　lips　about　to　form　a　question。　He　cut　the　discussion　short。　〃Thank　you；　Doctor。　You've　been　a　great　help；　as　always。〃　He　ushered　Wilkins　to　the　door；　patted　him　on　the　back　and　thanked　him　again。　Returning　to　the　others；　he　said；　〃I　hope　you　weren't　insulted　at　my　bringing　Dr。　Wilkins　in。　I　wanted　to　hear　from　an　independent　source。〃
　〃From　what　we　heard；〃　Gunn　said；　〃I'd　say　there's　a　pretty　good　case　here　that　Razov　has　discovered　how　to　cause　a　tsunami。　The　wave　that　struck　the　Maine　coast　was　a　dry　run；　if　you'll　excuse　the　expression。　If　we're　correct　in　our　assumption；　he's　somehow　capable　of　causing　enormous　destruction。〃
　
　〃The　Ataman　Explorer　is　the　key；〃　Austin　said。　〃We've　got　to　find　her。〃
　〃We'll　have　to　do　more；〃　Sandecker　said　with　quiet　urgency。　〃We've　got　to　get　aboard　that　ship！〃
　
　…28…
　ROCKY　POINT；　MAINE
　
　BEFORE　THE　BIG　wave　had　hit；　Rocky　Point　had　been　the　quintessential　rock…ribbed　Maine　town；　its　picturesque　harbor　and　neat　clapboard…and…shingle　houses　appearing　in　countless　calendars。　The　tidy　Main　Street　could　have　e　from　a　Frank　Capra　movie。　But　as　Jenkins's　boat　moved　out　of　the　harbor；　Austin　gazed　back　toward　land　and　thought　that　the　town　now　looked　like　one　of　those　pictures　where　the　viewer　was　challenged　to　detect　the　mistakes。　Plenty　was　wrong　with　this　picture。
　
　The　waterfront　lobster　restaurants；　the　fish　pier　and　the　controversial　motel　were　gone；　and　all　that　was　left　were　pilings　that　jutted　from　the　water　like　bad　teeth。　Spherical　Day…Glo　warning　buoys　bobbed　on　the　water　to　mark　sunken　wrecks。　Cranes　clawed　away　at　the　wreckage　of　boats　on　shore。　Debris　of　every　kind　swirled　in　the　Kestrel's　wake。
　
　Had　Austin　been　of　a　more　poetical　bent；　he　would　have　said　that　the　big　wave　had　stolen　the　town's　soul。　〃What　I　mess；〃　was　the　best　he　could　e　up　with。
　
　〃Coulda　been　worse；〃　said　Police　Chief　Charlie　Howes；　who　stood　next　to　Austin　in　the　boat's　stern。
　
　〃Yeah；　if　hit　by　a　nuclear　missile；〃　Austin　said；　with　a　shake　of　his　head。
　
　〃Yep；〃　Howes　replied；　not　letting　an　outlander　outdo　his　Maine　talent　for　brevity　of　speech。
　
　Austin　had　been　introduced　to　the　chief　a　few　hours　earlier。　A　NUMA　executive　corporate　jet　had　whisked　Austin；　Paul　Trout　and　Jenkins　to　the　Portland　Airport。　Jenkins　had　called　ahead　to　Chief　Howes；　and　he　was　waiting　at　the　air…　port　in　a　police　cruiser　to　drive　the　men　to　Rocky　Point。
　
　After　the　meeting　with　Sandecker；　Austin　had　gone　to　his　office　with　the　satellite　photos　of　the　Ataman　Explorer　and　studied　them　under　a　high…powered　magnifying　glass。　Even　though　the　pictures　had　been　shot　from　thousands　of　feet　up；　they　were　sharp　and　detailed。　He　could　easily　read　the　ship's　name　on　the　hull　and　see　people　on　deck。
　
　Austin　was　immediately　struck　by　the　ship's　resemblance　to　the　Glomar　Explorer；　the　six…hundred…foot…long　salvage　vessel　Howard　Hughes　had　built　in　the　1970s　on　secret　contract　to　the　CIA　to　retrieve　a　sunken　Soviet　submarine。　Tall　derricks　and　cranes　similar　to　those　on　the　Glomar　extended　off　the　deck　like　waterborne　oil　rigs。
　
　Austin　examined　the　ship　from　stem　to　stern；　paying　particular　attention　to　the　deck　area　around　the　derricks。　He　made　a　few　sketches　on　a　pad　of　paper　and　sat　back　in　his　chair；　a　smug　smile　on　his　face。　He