cc.fireice-第8部分

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　sub　base　might　make　a　good　backup　if　the　search　for　Noah's　ark　fell　apart；　as　it　probably　would。　The　fishing　boat　had　been　hired　to　take　them　to　a　rendezvous　with　a　research　vessel　from　the　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency。
　
　Captain　Kemal；　the　boat's　owner；　was　paid　by　the　day；　and　said　he　knew　of　the　sub　base　and　would　be　happy　to　go　there　before　they　hooked　up　with　the　NUMA　vessel。　However；　the　fishing　boat　had　engine　trouble　as　they　neared　the　base　and　the　captain　wanted　to　turn　back　to　port　…　he'd　had　a　similar　problem　before　and　it　would　take　only　a　few　hours　to　fix　it　once　he　had　the　part　…　but　Kaela　had　persuaded　him　to　drop　her　and　her　crew　off　and　e　back　for　them　the　next　day。　Mehmet；　who　was　the　captain's　cousin；　had　volunteered　to　run　them　ashore　in　his　Zodiac。
　
　Now；　the　Zodiac　was　approaching　a　wide　beach　that　rose　gradually　to　a　ridge　of　sand　dunes。　The　waves　grew　higher　and　closer　together；　and　Mehmet　reduced　their　speed　to　half。　The　old　Russian　sailor　had　said　that　the　base　was　underground；　near　an　abandoned　scientific　station；　and　they　would　have　to　search　for　telltale　air　vents。　Kaela　wiped　the　water　from　her　sunglasses　and　squinted　toward　the　grassy　hills；　but　saw　no　sign　of　human　presence。　The　countryside　was　bleak　and　desolate；　and　she　began　to　wonder　if　they　had　bitten　off　more　than　they　could　chew。　The　bean　counters　at　U。M。　frowned　at　unproductive　expenditures。
　
　〃See　anything？〃　Lombardo　shouted　over　the　buzz　of　the　outboard。
　
　〃No　billboards；　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃
　〃Maybe　this　isn't　the　right　place。〃
　〃Captain　Kemal　says　this　is　it；　and　I　have　the　map　from　the　Russian。〃
　〃How　much　did　you　pay　that　scam　artist　for　the　map？〃
　〃One　hundred　dollars。〃
　
　Lombardo　looked　as　if　he　had　sucked　on　a　lemon。　〃Wonder　how　many　times　he's　sold　the　same　map。〃
　
　Kaela　pointed　toward　land。　〃That　high　spot　over　there　looks　promising。〃
　
　Thut！
　
　Kaela　jerked　her　head　back　at　the　weird　sound。　Then　she　saw　the　ragged　hole　that　had　opened　in　the　rubberized　fabric　a　foot　to　the　right　of　her　head。　She　thought　one　of　the　many　patches　on　the　inflatable's　skin　had　popped　off　from　the　beating　the　Zodiac　was　taking；　and　she　turned　to　tell　Mehmet　…　but　the　Turk　had　risen　from　his　kneeling　position；　an　odd　expression　on　his　face；　his　hand　clutched　to　his　chest。　Then　he　crumpled　as　if　the　air　had　gone　out　of　him　and　pitched　overboard。　With　no　hand　to　steady　the　tiller；　the　boat　went　broadside　and　was　caught　by　an　ining　wave。　The　breaker　lifted　the　boat　at　a　sharp　angle；　then　it　was　caught　by　another　wave　and　flipped　over；　spilling　the　passengers　into　the　sea。
　
　The　sky　whirled　over　Kaela's　head；　then　cold　water　shocked　her　body。　She　went　under　a　few　feet；　and　when　she　came　up；　sputtering；　to　the　surface；　the　lights　had　gone　out。　She　was　under　the　overturned　raft。　She　ducked　her　head　and　came　up　in　the　open。　Lombardo's　bald　head　bobbed　up；　then　Dundee　surfaced。
　
　〃Are　you　okay？〃　she　yelled；　swimming　closer。
　
　Lombardo　spit　out　the　remnants　of　his　cigar。　〃What　the　hell　happened？〃
　〃I　think　Mehmet　was　shot。〃
　〃Shot？　Are　you　sure？〃
　〃He　grabbed　his　chest　and　went　over　the　side。〃　With　Lombardo　following；　she　swam　over　to　the　front　of　the　boat。　〃This　is　where　the　first　bullet　hit　a　second　before　the　second　one　got　Mehmet。〃
　〃Jeez！〃　Lombardo　said；　sticking　his　finger　in　the　hole。
　
　〃Poor　bastard。〃　Dundee　breaststroked　over　to　join　the　other　two　and　they　all　drifted　together；　holding　on　to　the　raft。　They　agreed　to　stay　with　the　raft　where　Kemal　would　find　them；　rather　than　risk　going　ashore。　The　Zodiac　was　low　in　the　water；　but　some　partments　still　held　air。　Several　times　they　tried　to　flip　the　boat　over；　but　the　weight　of　the　outboard　and　the　slipperiness　of　the　rounded　sides　made　it　impossible。　They　were　tiring　fast　and　the　waves　were　pushing　them　ever　closer　to　the　beach。
　
　〃That's　it；〃　Lombardo　said；　after　an　unsuccessful　effort　that　left　them　all　breathless。　〃Looks　like　we're　going　in　after　all。〃
　〃What　if　the　guys　who　shot　at　us　are　still　there？〃　Dundee　said。

　
　〃You　got　a　better　suggestion？〃
　〃The　gunshots　look　as　if　they　came　from　directly　ahead；〃　Kaela　said。　〃Let's　hide　under　the　raft　and　move　it　off　at　an　angle。〃
　〃We　don't　have　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　choice；〃　Lombardo　said。　He　ducked　underneath。
　
　When　the　other　two　joined　him；　he　was　smiling。　〃Look　at　this；〃　he　said；　grabbing　onto　the　waterproof　bags　that　were　suspended　from　the　seats；　where　they　had　been　tied。　〃The　cameras　are　okay。〃
　
　Kaela　let　out　a　whooping　laugh　that　had　a　damp　echo　in　the　enclosed　space。　〃What　are　we　supposed　to　do　if　somebody　points　a　gun　at　us；　Mickey；　take　their　picture？〃
　〃You'll　have　to　admit　it　would　make　a　good　story。　What'ya　think；　Dundee？〃
　〃I　think　you　two　Yanks　are　bloody　crazy！　But　so　am　I；　or　I　wouldn't　be　here　with　you。　Tell　me；　luv；〃　he　said　to　Kaela；　〃didn't　your　Russkie　friend　say　this　place　was　abandoned？〃
　〃He　said　the　Russians　had　left　a　long　time　ago。〃
　〃Maybe　it's　like　one　of　those　islands　in　the　Pacific　where　the　Japanese　soldiers　hid　in　the　jungle；　not　knowing　the　war　was　over；〃　Lombardo　suggested。　〃Maybe　the　guys　here　haven't　heard　the　Cold　War　ended。〃　He　was　clearly　excited　at　the　prospect。
　
　〃Sounds　pretty　far…fetched；〃　Kaela　said。
　
　〃Yeah；　I　agree；　but　do　you　have　a　better　idea　of　who　took　the　potshots　at　us？〃
　〃No；　I　don't；〃　Kaela　said。　〃But　if　we　don't　start　kicking；　we're　going　to　find　out　real　soon。　I'll　check　things　out。〃　She　disappeared　for　a　few　moments。　When　she　returned；　she　said；　〃The　beach　looks　deserted。　I　suggest　we　start　moving　this　thing　off　to　the　right。　Otherwise　we'll　drift　straight　in。〃
　
　They　grabbed　onto　the　boat；　and　began　to　kick。　The　Zodiac　moved；　but　the　rollers　pushed　them　toward　shore。　The　muffled　roar　of　waves　breaking　on　the　beach　grew　louder。　No　more　gunshots　came　their　way　and　they　began　to　hope　that　the　shooters　were　gone。　That　optimism　would　have　eroded　quickly　if　they　had　been　able　to　see　beyond　the　grass　crowning　the　dunes。　A　line　of　razor…sharp　sabers　was　raised　high　in　the　sun　like　the　blades　of　a　giant　threshing　machine；　ready　to　cut　them　to　ribbons　as　soon　as　they　crawled　ashore。
　
　…4…
　HIGH　ABOVE　THE　overturned　Zodiac；　a　turquoise　aircraft　that　resembled　a　winged　canoe　wheeled　in　a　lazy　circle。　The　broad…shouldered　man　at　the　controls　rolled　the　ultralight　airplane　into　a　tight　banking　turn　and　peered　down　through　tinted　goggles；　squinting　against　the　reflected　glare　with　eyes　the　color　of　coral　underwater。　His　wind…burnished　face　was　creased　in　a　look　of　puzzlement。
　
　Moments　before；　he　had　seen　swimmers　in　the　water　next　to　the　overturned　inflatable。　He　glanced　away　to　get　his　bearings；　and　when　he　looked　again　the　swimmers　were　gone。
　
　Kurt　Austin　had　been　chasing　the　Zodiac　like　an　aerial　motorcycle　cop　hot　on　the　tail　of　a　speeder；　and　had　seen　the　boat　flip　over。　He　couldn't　figure　out　why　it　had　gone　out　of　control。　The　seas　were　moderate；　and　no　rocks　or　other　submerged　objects　were　visible。　Austin　wondered　if　the　inflatable；　or　the　fishing　boat　he　had　seen　steaming　away　from　the　coast；　had　anything　to　do　with　the　television　crew　he　was　looking　for。　Probably　not。　The　crew　should　be　on　its　way　to　meet　the　NUMA　survey　ship　Argo；　not　heading　for　this　desolate　stretch。
　
　Austin　was　aboard　the　Argo　as　a　deep…ocean　consultant　on　loan　from　his　duties　as　leader　of　NUMA's　Special　Assignments　Team。　The　other　members　of　the　team；　Joe　Zavala　and　Paul　and　Gamay　Trout；　had　been　given　different　and　undemanding　assignments　in　scattered　projects　around　the　globe。　NUMA　director　James　Sandecker　had　insisted　that　they　take　working　vacations　after　the　team　had　crossed　swords　with　the　hired　killers　of　a　megacorporation　that　wanted　to　take　over　the　freshwater　resources　of　the　world。　He　had　been　particularly　worried　about　Austin's　attachment　to　the　beautiful；　brilliant　Brazilian　scientist　who　had　sacrificed　herself　to　bring　down　the　conspiracy。
　
　The　Argo　was　in　the　Black　Sea；　collecting　information　on　wave　and　wind　action　for　an　international　data　bank。　With　his　master's　degree　in　systems　management　from　the　University　of　Washington　and　his　vast　practical　knowledge　as　a　diver　and　undersea　investigator；　Austin　had　been　invaluable　in　helping　to　set　up　the　sophisticated　remote…sensing　survey　instruments。

　
　As　the　cruise　had　gone　on　and　systems　were　set　in　place；　however；　his　expertise　became　less　necessary。　He　read　some　philosophy　books　he'd　brought　from　his　extensive　library；　but　he　started　to　grow　bored　and　restless。　The　ship　seemed　like　a　prison　surrounded　by　a　very　wide　moat。　Austin　was　aware　that　his　psyche　had　been　bruised　and　that　Sandecker　had　his　best　interests　at　heart；　but　he　needed　strenuous　physical　and　mental　activity；　not　a　cruise　ship　atmosphere。
　
　The　serious　scientists　aboard　the　ship　had　been　grumbling　about　the　impending　visit　from　the　TV　crew。　They　saw　them　as　intruders　who　would　interrupt　their　work　with　dumb　questions。　The　fact　that　they　were　from　a　tabloid　show　on　a　mission　to　find　Noah's　ark　didn't　add　to　their　appeal。　Austin's　outlook　was　the　exact　opposite。　He　looked　forward　to　their　arrival　as　a　diversion　from　his　shipboard　boredom。
　
　The　television　people　had　been　due　that　morning；　but　they'd　never　arrived　and　attempts　to　reach　them　by　radio　were　unsuccessful。　After　lunch；　Austin　had　climbed　to　the　wheelhouse　to　run　an　idea　past　the　skipper。　The　Argo's　mander；　Captain　Joe　Atwood；　was　clearly　annoyed　at　the　TV　crew's　failure　to　show　up　or　contact　his　ship。　He'd　paced　from　one　side　of　the　bridge　to　the　other；　scanning　the　sea　with　binoculars。　The　Argo　was　supposed　to　be　moving　to　another　station；　and　the　captain　was　unhappy　about　the　delay。
　
　〃Any　word　on　our　guests？〃　Austin　said；　although　he　knew　from　Atwood's　dour　expression　what　the　answer　would　be。
　
　Atwood　scowled　at　his　watch。　〃I　think　they're　lost；〃　he　declared　sharply。　〃The　next　time　those　idiots　in　public　affairs　want　me　to　entertain　some　crazy　TV　people；　I'm　going　to　tell　them　to　stick　their　request　where　the　sun　don't　shine。〃
　
　The　captain　was　in　no　mood　to　be　told　that　the　job　done　by　NUMA's　public　affairs　department　in　proclaiming　the　agency's　acp