alistairmaclean.seawitch-第40部分

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h　never　entered　his　head。
　He　found　Mitchell　shaving。　Mitchell　looked　tired…less　than　surprising；　as　he　had　spent　most　of　the　night　awake。　Mitchell　said：　〃No　more　trouble；　I　hope？〃
　〃I　don't　know。〃　He　handed　Mitchell　a　strip　of　teletype。　It　read：　〃Two　tactical　nuclear　weapons　stolen　from　the　Netley　Rowan　Arsenal　yesterday　afternoon。　Intelligence　suspects　they　are　being　flown　or　helicoptered　south　over　Gulf　of　Mexico　to　an　unknown　destination。　A　worldwide　alert　has　been　issued。　Anyone　able　to　provide　information　should…〃
　〃Jesus！　Get　hold　of　this　arsenal　any　way　you　can。　Use　Lord　Worth's　name。　Be　with　you　in　a　minute。〃
　Mitchell　was　with　him　in　half　a　minute。　The　operator　said：　〃I'm　through　already。　Not　much　co…operation；　though。〃
　〃Give　me　that　phone。　My　name's　Mitchell　Who's　speaking；　please？〃
　〃Colonel　Pryce。〃　The　tone　wasn't　exactly　distant；　just　a　senior　officer　talking　to　a　civilian。
　〃I　work　for　Lord　Worth。　You　can　check　that　with　the　Fort　Lauderdale　Police；　the　Pentagon　or　the　Secretary　of　State。〃　He　said　to　the　operator　but　loudly　enough　that　Pryce　could　hear：　〃Get　Lord　Worth　here。　I　don't　care　if　he's　in　Ms　damned　bath；　just　get　him　here　now。〃　Back　on　the　phone；　he　said：　〃Colonel　Pryce；　an　officer　of　your　grade　should　know　that　Lord　Worth's　daughters　have　been　kidnaped。　I　was　hired　to　recover　them　and　I　did　so。　More　important；　this　oil　rig；　the　Seawitch；　is　now　under　threat　of　destruction。　Two　attempts　have　already　been　made。　They　were　unsuccessful。　The　Pentagon　will　confirm　that　they've　stopped　three　foreign　warships　headed　here　for　the　purpose　of　destroying　the　Seawitch。　I　believe　those　nukes　weapons　are　heading　this　way。　I　want　full　information　about　them　and　Til　warn　you　that　Worth　will　interpret　any　failure　to　provide　this　information　as　a　gross　dereliction　of　duty。　And　you　know　the　clout　that　Lord　Worth　has。〃
　There　was　a　far　from　subtle　change　in　Colonel　Pryce's　tone。　〃It's　quite　unnecessary　to　threaten　me。〃
　〃Just　a　minute。　Lord　Worth's　just　arrived。〃　Mitchell　gave　a　brief　resume　of　his　phone　conversation；　making　sure　that　Pryce　could　hear　every　word。
　〃Nuclear　bloody　bombs！　That's　why　Cronkite　said　he　could　blast　us　out　of　the　water！〃　Lord　Worth　snatched　the　phone　from　Mitchell。　〃Worth　here。　I　have　a　hotline　to　the　Secretary　of　State；　Dr。　Benton。　I　could　patch　him　in　in　fifteen　seconds。　Do　you　want　me　to　do　that？〃
　〃That　will　not　be　necessary；　Lord　Worth。〃
　〃Then　give　us　a　detailed　description　of　those　damned　things　and　tell　us　how　they　work。〃
　Pryce；　almost　eagerly；　gave　the　description。　It　was　almost　precisely　similar　to　the　one　that　Captain　Martin　had　given　to　the　bogus　Colonel　Farquharson。　〃But　Martin　was　a　new　officer　and　shaky　on　his　details。　The　nuclear　devices…you　can　hardly　call　them　bombs…are　probably　twice　as　effective　as　he　said。　They　took　the　wrong　type　…those　devices　have　no　black　button　to　shut　off　in　emergency。　And　they　have　a　ninety…minute　setting；　not　sixty。　And　they　can　be　radio…activated。〃
　〃Something　plicated？　I　mean；　a　VHP　number　or　something　of　the　kind？〃
　〃Something　very　unplicated。　You　can't　expect　a　soldier　in　the　heat　of　battle　to　remember　abstruse　numbers。　It's　simply　a　pear…shaped　device　with　a　plastic　seal。　Strip　that　off　and　turn　a　black　switch　through　three　hundred　and　sixty　degrees。　It's　important　to　remember　that　turning　this　switch　off　will　deactivate　the　detonating　mechanism　in　the　device。　It　can　be　turned　on　again　at　any　time。〃
　〃If　it　should　be　used　against　us　。。。　we　have　a　huge　oil…storage　tank　nearby。　Wouldn't　this　cause　a　massive　oil　slick？〃
　〃Sir…oil　is　by　nature　bustible　and　much　more　easily　vaporized　than　steel。〃
　〃Thank　you。〃
　〃Seems　to　me　you　need　a　squadron　of　super…sonic　fighter…bombers　out　there。　I'll　relay　the　request；　but　they'll　have　to　get　Pentagon　permission　first。〃
　〃Thank　you　again。〃
　Lord　Worth　and　Mitchell　left　for　the　former's　quarters。　Lord　Worth　said：　〃Two　things。　We're　only　assuming；　although　it　would　be　dangerous　not　to　assume；　that　those　damned　things　are　meant　for　us。　Besides；　if　we　keep　our　radar；　sonar　and　sensory　posts　manned　I　don't　see　how　Cron…kite　could　approach　and　deliver　them。〃
　〃It's　hard　to　see　how。　But　then；　it's　harder　to　figure　out　that　bastard's　turn　of　mind。〃
　From　Lord　Worth's　helicopter　Gregson　made　contact　with　the　Georgia。　〃We're　fifteen　miles　out。〃
　Cronkite　himself　replied；　〃We'll　be　airborne　in　ten。〃
　A　wall　radio　crackled　in　Lord　Worth's　room。　〃Helicopter　approaching　from　the　northeast。〃
　〃No　sweat。　Relief　crew。〃
　Lord　Worth　had　gone　back　to　his　shower　when　the　relief　helicopter　touched　down。　Mitchell　was　in　his　laboratory；　looking　very　professional　in　his　white　coat　and　glasses。　Dr。　Greenshaw　was　still　asleep。
　Apart　from　gagging　and　manacling　the　pilots；　the　helicopter　passengers　had　offered　them　no　violence。　They　disembarked　in　quiet　and　orderly　fashion。　The　drill　duty　crew　observed　their　arrival　without　any　particular　interest。　They　had　been　well…trained　to　mind　their　own　business　and　had　highly　personal　reasons　for　not　fraternizing　with　unknowns。　And　the　new　arrivals　were　unknowns。　Off　the　coast　Lord　Worth　owned　no　fewer　than　nine　oil　rigs…all　legally　leased　and　paid　for…　and　for　reasons　best　known　to　his　devious　self　he　was　in　the　habit　of　regularly　rotating　his　drill　crews。　The　new　arrivals　carried　the　standard　shoulder…slung　clothesbags。　Those　bags　did　indeed　contain　a　minimal　amount　of　clothes；　but　not　clothing　designed　to　be　worn：　the　clothes　were　there　merely　to　conceal　and　muffle　the　shape　of　the　machine　pistols　and　other　more　deadly　weapons　in　the　bags。
　Thanks　to　the　instructions　he　had　received　from　Cronkite　via　Durand；　Gregson　knew　exactly　where　to　go。　He　noted　the　presence　of　two　idly　patrolling　guards　and　marked　them　down　for　death。
　He　led　his　men　to　the　oriental　quarters；　where　they　laid　their　bags　on　the　platform　and　unzipped　them。　Windows　were　smashed　and　what　followed　was　sheer　savage　massacre。　Within　half　a　dozen　seconds　of　machine…gun　fire；　bazooka　fire　and　incinerating　flamethrowers；　all　of　which　had　been　preceded　by　a　flurry　of　tear…gas　bombs；　all　screaming　inside　had　ceased。　The　two　advancing　guards　were　mown　down　even　as　they　drew　their　guns。　The　only　survivor　was　Larsen；　who　had　been　in　his　own　private　room　in　the　back：　Palermo　and　all　his　men　were　dead。
　Figures　appeared　almost　at　the　same　instant　from　the　quarters　at　the　end　of　the　block。　Soundproofed　though　those　quarters　were；　the　noise　outside　had　been　too　penetrating　not　to　be　heard。　There　were　four　of　them…two　men　in　white　coats；　a　man　in　a　Japanese　kimono　and　a　black…haired　guard　in　a　wrap。　One　of　Gregson's　men　fired　twice　at　the　nearest　white…coated　figure；　and　Mitchell　staggered　and　fell　backward　to　the　deck。　Gregson　brutally　smashed　the　wrist　of　the　man　who　had　fired；　who　screamed　in　agony　as　the　gun　fell　from　his　shattered　hand。
　〃You　bastard　idiot！〃　Gregson's　voice　was　as　vicious　as　his　appearance。　〃The　hard　men　only；　Mr。　Cronkite　said。〃
　Gregson　was　nothing　if　not　organized。　He　detailed　five　groups　of　two　men。　One　group　herded　the　drilling…rig　crew　into　the　occidental　quarters。　The　second；　third　and　fourth　went　respectively　to　the　sensory　room；　the　sonar　room　and　the　radar　room。　There　they　tied　up　but　did　not　otherwise　harm　the　operators；　before　they　riddled　all　the　equipment　with　a　burst　of　machine…gun　bullets。　For　all　practical　purposes；　the　Seawitch　was　now　blind；　deaf　and　benumbed。　The　fifth　group　went　to　the　radio　room；　where　the　operator　was　tied　up　but　his　equipment　left　intact　Dr。　Greenshaw　approached　Gregson。　〃You　are　the　leader？〃
　〃Yes。〃
　〃Tm　a　doctor。〃　He　nodded　to　Mitchell；　whose　white　coat　accentuated　the　stains