cc.vixen03-第54章

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　〃You　can　take　it　from　me；　sir；　she's　down　at　the　dock。　Been　there　refitting　close　to　six　months。〃
　Pitt　and　Jarvis　exchanged　worried　looks　at　the　word　〃refitting。〃
　〃My　orders　are　to　admit　no　one　without　a　pass　or　proper　authority　from　pany　officials；〃　the　guard　continued。　〃I'm　afraid　you'll　have　to　wait　until　morning　to　take　a　tour　of　the　ship。〃
　Jarvis's　face　flushed　with　anger。　But　before　he　could　launch　an　official　tirade；　another　car　pulled　up　and　a　man　wearing　a　dinner　jacket　emerged。
　〃Problems；　O'Shea？〃　he　said。
　〃These　gentlemen　want　to　enter　the　yard；〃　answered　the　guard；　〃but　they　don't　have　passes。〃
　Jarvis　swung　out　of　the　car　and　met　the　stranger　halfway。　〃My　name　is　Jarvis；　director　of　the　National　Security　Agency。　My　friend　is　Dirk　Pitt；　he's　with　NUMA。　It's　a　matter　of　highest　priority　that　we　inspect　the　Iowa。〃
　〃At　three　o'clock　in　the　morning？〃　muttered　the　confused　man；　studying　Jarvis's　identification　under　the　floodlights。　Then　he　turned　to　the　guard。
　〃They're　okay；　let　them　through。〃　He　faced　Jarvis　again。　〃The　way　to　the　dock　is　a　bit　tricky。　I'd　better　e　along。　By　the　way；　I'm　Metz；　Lou　Metz；　superintendent　of　the　shipyard。〃
　Metz　went　back　to　his　car　and　said　something　to　a　woman　sitting　on　the　passenger　side。　〃My　wife；〃　he　explained；　hunching　into　Pitt's　backseat。　〃Tonight　is　our　anniversary。　We　were　on　our　way　home　from　celebrating　and　I　happened　to　drop　by　the　yard　to　pick　up　some　blueprints。〃
　O'Shea　unhooked　the　barrier　cable　and　dropped　it　to　the　wet　ground。　He　motioned　to　Pitt　to　hold　while　he　leaned　in　the　window。　〃If　you　see　that　bus　driver；　Mr。　Metz；　ask　him　what's　delaying　his　departure。〃
　Metz　looked　puzzled。　〃Bus　driver？〃
　〃Came　through　about　seven　o'clock　this　evening　carrying　a　load　of　about　seventy　black　guys。　They　were　headed　for　the　Iowa。〃
　〃You　let　them　through？〃　Metz　asked　incredulously。
　〃They　all　had　proper　passes；　including　the　driver　of　the　truck；　who　followed　them　in。〃
　〃Fawkes！〃　Metz　snapped　angrily。　〃What's　that　crazy　Scot　up　to　now？〃
　Pitt　shifted　into　drive　and　steered　the　car　into　the　yard。　〃Who's　Fawkes？〃　he　asked。
　〃Captain　Patrick　McKenzie　Fawkes；〃　Metz　said。　〃Royal　Navy　re…tired。　He　made　no　secret　of　the　fact　that　some　black　terrorist　bunch　hired　him　to　refit　the　ship。　The　man　is　nuttier　than　a　cashew　factory。〃
　Jarvis　turned　and　faced　Metz。　〃How　so？〃
　〃Fawkes　has　driven　me　and　my　crew　up　the　bulkheads　giving　the　entire　vessel　a　major　face…lift。　He's　made　us　strip　her　down　next　to　nothing　and　replace　half　the　superstructure　with　wood。〃
　〃The/owa　was　never　designed　to　float　like　a　cork；〃　said　Pitt。　〃If　her　buoyancy　and　gravity　centers　are　drastically　altered；　she　could　capsize　in　a　heavy　storm。〃
　〃Tell　me　about　it；〃　Metz　grunted。　〃I've　argued　with　that　stubborn　bastard　for　months。　I　might　as　well　have　farted　at　a　hurricane　for　all　the　good　it　did　me。　He　even　demanded　we　remove　two　perfectly　good　General　Electric　geared　turbine　engines　and　seal　their　shafts。〃　He　paused　and　tapped　Pitt　on　the　shoulder。　〃Turn　right　at　the　next　pile　of　steel　plating　and　then　swing　a　left　at　the　derrick's　rail　tracks。〃
　The　temperature　had　dropped　and　the　rain　was　being　an　icy　sheet。　Two　large　boxlike　shadows　materialized　under　the　headlights。　〃The　bus　and　truck；〃　announced　Pitt。　He　parked　the　car　but　left　the　motor　running　and　the　lights　on。
　〃No　sign　of　the　drivers；〃　said　Jarvis。
　Pitt　took　a　flashlight　from　the　car's　door　pocket　and　got　out。　Jarvis　followed；　but　Metz　hurried　off　into　the　night　without　saying　a　word。　Pitt　aimed　the　beam　through　the　bus　windows　and　into　the　back　of　the　truck。　They　were　both　empty。
　Pitt　and　Jarvis　skirted　the　deserted　vehicles　and　found　Metz　standing　stock　still；　hands　clenched　at　his　sides。　His　evening　jacket　was　soaked　and　his　hair　plastered　to　his　scalp。　He　looked　like　a　resurrected　drowning　victim。
　〃The　Iowa？〃　Jarvis　asked。
　Metz　spastically　waved　his　arms　at　the　dark。　〃Shagged　ass。〃
　〃Shagged　。　。　。　what？〃
　〃That　damned　Scot　has　sailed　her　away！〃
　〃Jesus；　are　you　sure？〃
　Metz's　face　and　his　voice　were　alive　with　a　desperate　kind　of　urgency。　〃I　don't　misplace　battleships。　This　is　where　she's　been　moored　during　the　refit。〃　Suddenly　he　spotted　something　and　ran　over　to　the　edge　of　the　dock。　〃My　God；　look　at　that！　The　mooring　lines　are　still　tied　to　the　dock　bollards。　The　crazy　idiots　cast　off　their　lines　from　the　ship。　It's　as　though　they　never　intend　to　moor　her　again。〃
　Jarvis　leaned　over　and　stared　down　at　where　the　heavy　lines　disap…peared　into　the　inky　water。　〃My　fault。　Criminal　negligence　not　to　have　believed　the　handwriting　on　the　wall。〃
　〃We　still　can't　be　certain　they're　actually　going　through　with　an　at…tack；〃　Pitt　said。
　Jarvis　shook　his　head。　〃They're　going　to　do　it；　you　can　count　on　that。〃　Tiredly；　he　rested　his　weight　against　a　piling。　〃If　only　they'd　given　us　a　date　and　a　target。〃
　〃The　date　was　there　all　the　time；〃　said　Pitt。
　Jarvis　looked　at　him　questioningly　and　waited。
　〃You　said　the　idea　behind　the　attack　was　to　motivate　sympathy　for　the　South　African　whites　and　provoke　American　anger　against　the　black　revolutionaries；〃　Pitt　continued。　〃What　more　perfect　day　than　today？〃
　〃It　is　now　five　minutes　past　twelve　on　Wednesday　morning。〃　Jarvis's　voice　was　tense。　〃I　make　nothing　eventful　out　of　that。〃
　〃The　originators　of　Operation　Wild　Rose　have　a　superb　sense　of　timing；〃　said　Pitt　in　a　dry；　ironic　tone。　〃Today　is　also　December　the　seventh；　the　anniversary　of　Pearl　Harbor。〃
　
　5
　The　IOWA
　
　52
　
　Pretoria；　South　Africa…December　7；　1988
　
　Pieter　De　Vaal　sat　alone　and　read　a　book　in　his　office　at　the　Defence　Ministry。　It　was　early　evening　and　the　summer　light　filtered　through　the　arched　windows。　A　soft　rap　came　at　the　door。
　De　Vaal　spoke　without　looking　up　from　his　reading。
　〃Yes？〃
　Zeegler　entered。　〃We've　been　alerted　that　Fawkes　has　launched　the　operation。〃
　De　Vaal's　face　showed　no　trace　of　interest　as　he　laid　aside　the　book　and　handed　Zeegler　a　piece　of　paper。　〃See　that　the　munications　officer　on　duty　personally　sends　this　message　to　the　American　State　Depart…ment。〃
　It　is　my　duty　to　warn　your　government　of　an　impending　attack　on　your　shore　by　African　Army　of　Revolution　terrorists　under　the　mand　of　Captain　Patrick　Fawkes；　Royal　Navy　retired。　I　deeply　regret　any　inadvertent　rdle　my　cabinet　has　played　in　this　grave　infamy。
　ERIC　KOERTSMANN　Prime　Minister
　〃You　have　admitted　guilt　in　the　name　of　our　Prime　Minister；　who　is　totally　ignorant　of　Operation　Wild　Rose；〃　said　an　astonished　Zeegler。　〃May　I　ask　why？〃
　De　Vaal　clasped　his　hands　in　front　of　him　and　peered　at　Zeegler。　〃I　see　no　reason　to　discuss　the　details。〃
　〃Then　may　I　ask　why　you　have　thrown　Fawkes　to　the　wolves？〃
　The　Minister　went　back　to　his　book　with　a　dismissive　gesture。　〃See　to　it　that　the　message　is　sent。　Your　questions　will　be　answered　at　the　appropriate　moment。〃
　〃We　promised　Fawkes　to　attempt　his　rescue；〃　Zeegler　persisted。
　De　Vaal　sighed　with　impatience。　〃Fawkes　knew　he　was　a　dead　man　the　instant　he　accepted　mand　of　the　raid。〃
　〃If　he　survives　and　talks　to　the　American　authorities；　his　confession　would　prove　disastrous　to　our　government。〃
　〃Rest　easy；　Colonel；〃　De　Vaal　said　with　a　crooked　smile。　〃Fawkes　will　not　live　to　talk。〃
　〃You　seem　quite　certain；　Minister。〃
　〃I　am；〃　De　Vaal　said　calmly。　〃I　am　indeed。〃
　Deep　inside　the　bowels　of　the　Iowa　a　figure　dressed　in　greasy　coveralls　and　a　heavy　wool　jacket　stepped　from　a　passageway　into　what　had　been　the　ship's　sick　bay。　He　closed　the　door　behind　him　and　was　enveloped　in　a　smothering　blackness。　He　aimed　the　flashlight　and　played　its　beam　about　the　gutted　room。　Several　of　the　bulkheads　had　been　cut　away　and　it　seemed　as　though　he　were　standing　in　an　immense　cavern。
　Satisfied　he　was　quite　alone；　he　knelt　on　the　deck　and　removed　a　small　gun　from　inside　his　jacket。　Then　he　attached　a　silencer　to　the　end　of　the　barrel　and　inserted　a　twenty…shot　clip　into　the　handgrip。
　He　pointed　the　27。5　Hocker…Rodine　automatic　into　the　darkness　and　squeezed　the　trigger。　An　almost　indistinguishable　piff　was　followed　by　two　faint　thuds　as　the　bullet　ricocheted　off　unseen　bulkheads。
　Pleased　with　the　results；　he　ta