alistairmaclean.seawitch-第24部分

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ting　down　dispiritedly。　Mitchell　crouched　and　examined　the　surface　of　the　lane。　The　others　caught　up　with　him。
　McGarritty　said：　〃What　gives；　then？〃
　〃This。〃　Mitchell　pointed　to　the　ground。　'There　was　another　vehicle　here。　You　can　see　where　its　back　wheels　spun　when　it　started　to　reverse。　The　kidnapers　guessed　we'd　be　Using　dogs…it　wasn't　all　that　hard　a　guess。　So　they　carried　the　girls　twenty　yards　or　so；　to　break　the　scent；　before　setting　them　down　again。〃
　〃Right　smart　of　you；　Mr。　Mitchell；　right　smart。〃　McGarrity　didn't　look　as　pleased　as　his　words　suggested。　〃So　the　birds　have　flown；　eh？　And　now　we　haven't　the　faintest　idea　what　the　getaway　vehicle　looks　like。〃
　Roomer　said：　〃Somebody's　flown；　that's　for　sure。　But　maybe　only　one　or　two。　Maybe　they've　gone　to　borrow　a　helicopter。〃
　〃A　helicopter？〃　The　waters　didn't　have　to　be　very　deep　for　Chief　McGarrity　to　start　floundering。
　With　a　trace　of　weary　impatience　Mitchell　said：　〃It　could　be　a　double　bluff。　Maybe　they　reversed　the　procedure　and　took　the　girls　back　to　the　station　wagon　again。　Maybe　they're　still　in　the　swamp；　waiting　for　a　helicopter　to　e　arid　pick　them　up。　You　heard　the　old　boy　back　there…he　said　there　were　plenty　of　places　in　the　swamp　where　a　helicopter　could　set　down。〃
　McGarrity　nodded　sagely　and　appeared　to　ponder　the　matter　deeply。　The　time　had　e；　he　felt；　for　him　to　make　a　positive　contribution。　〃The　swamp's　out。　Hopeless。　So　I'll　have　to　concentrate　on　the　helicopter　angle。〃
　Mitchell　said：　〃How　do　you　propose　to　do　that？〃
　〃Just　you　leave　that　to　me。〃　Roomer　said：　〃That's　hardly　fair；　Chief。　We've　given　you　our　plete　confidence。　Don't　you　think　we're　entitled　to　some　in　return？〃
　〃Well；　now。〃　McGarrity　appeared　to　ruminate；　although　he　was　secretly　pleased　to　be　asked　the　question；　as　Roomer　had　known　he　would　be。　〃If　the　chopper　doesn't　get　in　there；　it　can't　very　well　lift　them　out；　can　it？〃
　〃That's　a　fact；〃　Roomer　said　solemnly。　〃So　I　station　marksmen　round　this　side　of　the　swamp。　It's　no　big　deal　to　bring　down　a　low…flyine　chopper。〃
　Mitchell　said：　〃I　wouldn't　do　that　if　I　were　you。〃
　〃No；　indeed。〃　Roomer　shook　his　head。　〃The　law　frowns　on　murder。〃
　〃Murder？〃　McGarrity　stared　at　them。　〃Who's　talking　about　murder？〃
　'We　are；〃　Mitchell　said。　〃Rifle　or　machine…gun　fire　could　kill　someone　inside　the　helicopter。　If　it　brings　down　the　helicopter　they'd　all　probably　die。　Maybe　there　are　criminals　aboard；　but　they're　entitled　to　a　fair　trial。　And　has　it　occurred　to　you　that　the　pilot　will　almost　certainly　be　an　innocent　party　with　a　pistol　pointed　at　his　head？〃　McGarrity；　clearly；　had　not　thought　of　that。　〃Not　going　to　make　us　very　popular；　is　it？〃
　
　McGarrity　winced。　Even　the　thought　of　unpopularity　and　the　forthing　election　made　him　feel　weak　inside。
　〃So　what　the　devil　do　we　do？〃
　Roomer　was　frank。　〃I'll　be　damned　if　I　know。　You　can　post　observers。　You　can　even　have　a　grounded　helicopter　standing　by　to　chase　the　other　one　when　it　takes　off。　//　it　ever　es　in　the　first　place。　We're　only　guessing。〃
　〃No　more　we　can　do　here；〃　Mitchell　said。　〃We've　already　missed　too　many　appointments　today。　We'll　be　in　touch。〃
　Back　on　the　highway　Roomer　said：　〃How　do　you　think　he'd　do　as　a　dogcatcher？〃
　〃Place　would　be　overrun　by　stray　dogs　in　a　few　months。　How　much　faith　have　you　got　in　this　idea　that　they　might　use　a　helicopter？〃
　〃A　lot。　If　they　just　wanted　to　change　cars　they　wouldn't　have　gone　through　this　elaborate　rigmarole。　They　could　have　parked　their　station　wagon　out　of　sight　almost　anyplace。　By　apparently　going　into　hiding　in　the　swamp　they　wanted　to　make　it　look　as　though　they　were　preparing　to　hole　up　in　there　for　some　time。　They　hadn't　figured　on　our　backing…your　backtracking…up　the　lane。〃
　〃We're　pretty　sure　their　destination　is　the　Seawitch。　We're　pretty　sure　they'll　use　a　helicopter。　Which　helicopter　and　pilot　would　you　use？〃
　
　〃Lord　Worth's。　Not　only　are　his　pilots　almost　certainly　the　only　　ones　who　know　the　exact　co…ordinates　of　the　Seawitch；　but　those　distinctly　marked　North　Hudson　helicopters　are　the　only　ones　that　could　approach　the　Seawitch　without　raising　　　suspicion。〃　　　Roomer　　　reached　　　for　　　the　phone；　fiddled　with　the　wave…band　control　and　raised　Lord　Worth's　house。　〃Jim？〃　〃Go　ahead；　Mr。　Roomer。〃　〃We're　ing　back　there。　Look　for　Lord　Worth's　address　book。　Probably　right　by　you　in　your　radio　room。　Make　us　a　list　of　the　names　and　addresses　of　his　helicopter　pilots。　Is　the　gatekeeper　at　the　heliport　on　the　radio…phone；　too？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Get　that　for　us　too；　please。〃
　〃Roger；〃
　Roomer　　said　　to　Mitchell：　　　〃Still　　think　　we　shouldn't　warn　Larsen　about　our　suspicions？〃
　〃That's　for　sure。〃　Mitchell　was　very　definite。　'The　Seawitch　is　Larsen's　baby；　and　the　kind　of　reception　he'd　prepare　for　them　might　be　a　bit　overenthusiastic。　How'd　you　like　to　explain　to　Lord　Worth　how　e　his　daughters　got　caught　in　the　crossfire？〃
　〃No　way！〃　Roomer　spoke　with　some　feeling。　〃Or　even　explain　to　yourself　how　Melinda　got　shot　through　the　lung？〃
　Roomer　ignored　him。　〃What　if　we're　wrong　about　Worth's　pilots？〃
　Seawitch
　'Then　we　turn　the　whole　thing　over　to　that　ace　detective；　McGarrity。〃　〃So　we'd　better　be　right。〃　They　were　right。　They　were　also　too　late。
　John　Campbell　was　both　an　avid　fisherman　and　an　avid　reader。　He　had　long　since　mastered　the　techniques　of　indulging　his　two　pleasures　simultaneously。　A　creek；　fairly　popular　with　fish；　ran　within　twenty　feet　of　his　back　porch。　Campbell　was　sitting　on　a　canvas　chair；　parasol　over　his　head；　alternating　every　page　with　a　fresh　cast　of　his　line；　when　Durand　and　one　of　his　men；　stocking…masked　and　holding　guns　in　their　hands；　came　into　his　line　of　vision。　Campbell　rose　to　his　feet；　book　still　in　hand。
　〃Who　are　you　and　what　do　you　want？〃
　〃You。　You're　Campbell；　aren't　you？〃
　〃What　if　I　am？〃
　〃Like　you　to　do　a　little　job　for　us。〃
　〃What　job？〃
　〃Fly　a　helicopter　for　us。〃
　〃I'll　be　damned　if　I　will！〃'
　〃So　you　are　Campbell。　e　along。〃
　Following　the　gesturing　of　their　guns；　Campbell　moved　between　the　two　men。　He　was　within　one　foot　of　Durand's　gun　hand　when　he　chopped　the　side　of　his　hand　on　the　wrist　that　held　the　gun。　Durand　grunted　hi　pain；　the　gun　fell　to　the　ground　and　a　second　later　the　two　men　were　locked　together；　wrestling；　kicking　and　punching　with　a　fine　disregard　for　the　rules　of　sport；　altering　position　so　frequently　that　Durand's　henchman　at　first　found　no　opportunity　to　intervene。　But　the　opportunity　came　very　soon。　The　unsportsmanlike　but　effective　use　of　Campbell's　right　　knee　　doubled　　Durand　　over　　in　　gasping　agony；　but　enough　instinct　was　left　him　to　seize　Campbell's　shirt　as　he　fell　over　backward。　This　was　Campbell's　downfall　in　more　ways　than　one；　for　the　back　of　his　head　was　now　nakedly　vulnerable　to　a　swung　automatic。
　The　man　who　had　felled　Campbell　now　pulled　him　clear；　allowing　Durand　to　climb　painfully　to　his　feet；　although　still　bent　over　at　an　angle　of　forty…five　degrees。　He　pulled　off　his　stocking　mask　as　if　to　try　to　get　more　air　to　breathe。　Durand　was　Latin　American；　with　a　pale　coffee…colored　face；　　thick　black　curling　hair　and　a　pencil…line　mustache；　he　might　even　qualify　as　handsome　when　the　twisted　lines　of　agony　ceased　to　contort　his　face。　He　straightened　inch　by　inch　and　finally　obtained　a　modicum　of　breath…　enough；　at　least；　to　allow　him　to　announce　what　he　would　like　to　do　with　Campbell。
　〃Some　other　time；　Mr。　Durand。　He　can't　very　well　fly　a　chopper　from　a　hospital　bed。〃
　Durand　painfully　acknowledged　the　truth　of　this。　〃I　hope　you　didn't　hit　nun　too　hard。〃　〃Just　a　tap。〃　〃Tie　　　him；　　　tape　　him　　　and　　blindfold　　　him。〃
　
　Durand　was　now　a　scarce　twenty　degrees　off　the　vertical。　His　helper　left　for　the　car　and　returned　hi　moments　with　cord；　tape　and　blindfold。　Three　minutes　later　they　were　on　then1　way；　with　a　rug…covered　and　still　unconscious　Campbell　on　the　floor　at　the　back。　Resting　fortably　on　the　rug　were　Durand's　feet…he　still　didn't　feel　quite　up　to　driving。　Both　men　had　then*　masks　off　now…even　in　the　free…wheeling　state　of　Florida　men　driving　with　stocking　masks　on　were　likely　to　draw　more　than　passing　attention。
　Mitchell　glanced　briefly　at　the　list　of　names　and　addresses　Roberts