cc.goldenbuddha-第39部分

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　〃Propulsion　engineers　always　seem　more　fortable　on　board　ship；〃　Hanley　said。　
　〃How's　the　rest　of　the　operation　going？〃　Ross　asked。　
　〃The　actual　Golden　Buddha　is　currently　in　an　underground　storm　sewer；〃　Hanley　said；　pointing　to　a　monitor。　〃That　team　is　making　its　way　to　the　waterfront。〃　
　〃I　thought　the　Buddha　was　lifted　out　by　helicopter；〃　Ross　said。　
　〃That　was　the　fake；〃　Hanley　said。　
　〃But。　。　。；〃　Ross　started　to　say。　
　〃It　was　on　a　need…to…know　basis；〃　Hanley　said。　〃Remember　when　the　chairman　arrived　by　seaplane？〃　
　〃Sure；〃　Ross　said。　〃When　we　were　under　way　at　sea。〃　
　〃He　had　just　returned　from　the　art　auction　where　the　icon　was　sold。　The　Corporation　jumped　in　thenwe　arranged　the　shipment　to　Macau。　Gunderson　was　the　pilot。　Then　a　couple　of　our　men　met　the　plane　with　an　armored　carwe　thought　we'd　just　grab　it　then。　The　art　dealer　had　other　plans；　however。　He　was　planning　to　screw　the　owner　with　a　fake；　so　we　just　went　along　with　his　plan；　knowing　all　the　while　where　the　true　artifact　was　hiding。〃　
　〃So　all　the　efforts　at　the　party　were　a　facade？〃　
　〃It　was　designed　to　throw　off　the　authorities　and　confuse　the　picture；〃　Hanley　said。　〃Meanwhile；　if　all　goes　well；　Cabrillo　will　plete　the　art　dealer's　sale　and　the　Corporation　will　pocket　the　proceeds。〃　
　〃So　Reinholt　was　shot　for　no　reason；〃　Ross　said。　
　〃There　were　a　hundred　million　reasons　Reinholt　was　wounded；〃　Hanley　said。　〃A　hundred　million　and　one；　if　you　count　the　fact　that　we　confused　the　Macau　police　and　made　the　art　dealer　the　prime　suspect。〃　
　〃So　the　art　dealer　is　the　patsy；〃　Ross　said。　
　〃He's　our　Oswald；〃　Hanley　agreed。　
　〃Diabolical；〃　said　Ross。　
　〃It's　not　over　yet；〃　Hanley　said　quietly。　〃We　still　need　the　payoff。　And　to　get　out　of　here。〃　
　
　IN　BEIJING；　THE　foreign　secretary；　the　head　of　the　Chinese　army　and　President　Hu　Jintao　were　staring　at　satellite　photographs。　
　〃As　of　yesterday；〃　the　foreign　secretary　said；　〃Novosibirsk　in　Siberia　is　the　busiest　airport　in　the　world。　The　Russians　are　ferrying　in　military　1　supplies　at　an　alarming　rate。　Cargo　planes　are　landing　at　the　rate　of　one　every　few　minutes。〃　
　Hu　Jintao　was　examining　a　photograph　with　a　magnifying　glass。　〃Tanks；　personnel　carriers；　attack　helicopters　are　already　on　the　ground。〃　
　The　head　of　the　Chinese　army　handed　Jintao　a　photograph。　〃The　amount　of　supplies　already　on　the　ground　can　support　nearly　forty　thousand　ground　troops；　and　more　is　arriving　every　minute。〃　
　〃I've　already　contacted　Legchog　Zhuren　in　Tibet；〃　Jintao　said。　〃He's　mobilized　his　forces　and　they　are　starting　toward　the　northern　border。〃　
　〃How　many　men　are　under　his　control？〃　the　foreign　secretary　asked。　
　〃He　has　twenty　thousand　bat　and　support　troops　in　Tibet；〃　the　head　of　the　Chinese　army　answered。　
　〃Then　it's　already　two　to　one；〃　the　foreign　secretary　noted。　
　Jintao　pushed　the　photographs　aside。　〃To　maintain　control　inside　Tibet；　we　have　sponsored　mass　immigration　from　the　other　regions　of　China　over　the　years。　Zhuren　has　mobilized　the　Chinese　citizens　in　Tibet　and　drafted　them　into　the　army。　That　gives　us　nearly　twenty　thousand　more　that　are　of　the　right　age　to　serve。　Some　have　already　left　Lhasa　for　the　march　northwe　are　trying　to　train　them　as　they　travel。〃
　〃The　Russians　have　crack　troops；〃　the　head　of　the　Chinese　army　said。　〃Our　recently　recruited　farmers　and　shopkeepers　will　be　wiped　out。〃　
　〃That's　if　the　Russians　cross　the　border；〃　the　foreign　secretary　noted。　〃They　are　still　claiming　through　diplomatic　channels　that　this　is　just　an　exercise。〃　
　〃That's　a　damn　big　exercise；〃　Jintao　said　quietly。　
　He　sat　back　in　his　chair　to　think。　The　last　thing　he　wanted　was　to　face　off　with　the　Russiansbut　he　could　not　back　down　from　the　threat；　either。　
　
　THE　BOEING　737　was　still　undergoing　customs　inspection　when　Cabrillo　and　the　others　arrived　at　their　rented　hangar。　Spenser　had　started　to　e　out　of　his　stupor　a　few　minutes　before。　Adams　opened　the　rear　door　of　the　white　SUV；　then　waved　smelling　salts　under　his　nose。　Spenser　shook　his　head　several　times；　then　cracked　open　his　eyes。　Adams　helped　him　to　his　feet　just　outside　the　door　of　the　Chevrolet。　Spenser　stood　on　the　floor　of　the　hangar　on　wobbly　legs　and　tried　to　remember　what　had　happened。　
　〃e　here；〃　Adams　said；　leading　him　over　to　a　chair　alongside　a　Workbench　and　seating　him。　
　With　the　help　of　Kevin　Nixon；　Cabrillo　was　erecting　the　folding　ramp　to　unload　the　fake　speaker　case　holding　the　faux　Buddha。　Nixon　had　arrived　at　the　hangar　several　hours　earlier　and　had　been　busy　ever　since。　

　〃Is　everything　ready？〃　Cabrillo　asked。　
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Nixon　said　as　he　grabbed　one　side　of　the　speaker　case。　
　The　two　men　rolled　the　case　onto　the　wheeled　metal　conveyor。　When　it　reached　the　end；　they　tilted　the　case　upright；　folded　the　legs　of　the　ramp　under；　then　bent　it　in　half　on　the　hinges　and　slid　it　back　into　the　SUV。　
　〃We　have　the　clothes？〃　Cabrillo　inquired。　
　〃I　stopped　at　his　hotel　room　on　the　way　over。　His　bags　were　already　packed；〃　Nixon　said。　
　〃The　best…laid　plans；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃of　mice　and　men。〃　Cabrillo；　followed　by　Nixon；　walked　over　to　where　Spenser　was　　sitting。　
　The　art　dealer　stared　up　at　Cabrillo。　〃You　look　familiar；〃　he　said　slowly。　
　〃We've　never　met；〃　Cabrillo　said　coldly；　〃but　I　know　a　lot　about　　you。〃　
　〃Who　are　you　people？〃　Spenser　said；　shaking　his　head　to　clear　the　fog；　〃and　what　do　you　want　from　me？〃　
　Adams　was　standing　a　few　feet　from　Spenser。　While　his　rugged　good　looks　did　not　make　him　appear　menacing；　Spenser　was　sure　that　if　he　tried　to　stand；　he　wouldn't　get　far。　Cabrillo　walked　right　in　front　of　the　art　dealer　and　invaded　his　space。　He　stared　into　Spenser's　eyes　and　spoke　quietly。　
　〃Right　about　now；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃you're　not　in　a　good　position；　so　shut　up　and　listen。　A　few　miles　from　here；　you　have　one　infuriated　Asian　billionaire　who　is　convinced　you　bilked　him　out　of　a　couple　of　hundred　million　dollars。　And　contrary　to　what　you　might　think；　he　is　not　a　nice　manhe　launched　his　fortune　by　running　drugs　for　an　Asian　triad；　and　though　he's　legitimized　his　actions；　he's　still　connected。　I　would　guess　he's　already　made　a　call；　and　the　entire　criminal　element　of　this　country　is　searching　for　you　as　we　speak。〃　
　〃What　are　you〃　Spenser　began　to　say。　
　〃You're　not　listening；〃　Cabrillo　said　acidly。　〃We　know　yu　switched　Buddhas　and　were　just　about　to　resell　the　icon。　If　you　cooperate；　we　will　give　you　a　chance　to　run。　Otherwise；　we'll　do　the　switch　anyway；　then　phone　Ho　and　tell　him　where　you　can　be　found。　As　they　say；　you　are　out　of　options。〃　
　Spenser　thought　wildly　for　a　moment。　Without　the　sale　of　the　Buddha；　he　was　financially　ruined。　But　as　soon　as　word　got　around　about　what　he　had　tried　here　in　Macau；　his　life　as　an　art　dealer　was　finished。　His　only　hope　was　to　change　his　identity　and　disappear。　Escape　to　some　faraway　place　and　start　his　life　anew。　He　truly　was　out　of　options。　
　〃I　can't　run　without　papers；〃　he　said。　〃Can　you　help　me　there？〃　
　Cabrillo　had　him　and　he　knew　itnow　he　just　needed　to　reel　him　into　the　boat。　
　〃Kevin；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃are　you　linked　to　the　ship？〃　
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Nixon　answered。　
　〃Good；〃　Cabrillo　said。　〃Then　shoot　Mr。　Spenser　for　me。〃　
　〃My　pleasure；〃　Nixon　said。　
　
　THE　LAST　FERRY　from　Hong　Kong　slowed　near　the　dock　and　the　captain　began　manipulating　the　thrusters　to　line　the　ship　up　with　the　dock。　On　the　bow；　a　man　wearing　highly　polished　Cole　Haan　loafers；　a　pair　of　lightweight　wool　pleated　slacks　and　a　silk…andcotton…blend　shirt　waited　to　depart。　His　hair　was　longer　than　usual　and　wavy；　and　tucked　into　his　shirt　was　a　cravat　of　fine　silk。　If　you　knew　what　to　look　for；　the　signs　of　a　face…lift　were　barely　visible。　But　one　would　need　to　look　close；　as　it　had　been　an　expensive　and　painstaking　operation。　Save　for　the　fact　that　the　man　was　exhausted　from　the　flight　from　Indonesia　to　Hong　Kong；　and　the　long　day　he　had　already　faced；　you　might　not　have　noticed　anything　odd　about　him　at　all。　
　The　man　was　forty…five　but　appeared　a　decade　younger。　
　He　watched　the　deckhands　secure　the　lines。　The　men　were　young　and　fit　and　he　liked　that。　He　liked　the　ethnic　look　and　enjoyed　young　men's　passions。　In　the　country