cc.goldenbuddha-第53部分

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e　wake　and　the　cargo　ship's　track　were　like　nothing　he　had　ever　witnessed　before。　Most　cargo　ships；　and　Ching　had　tracked　and　intercepted　more　than　a　few；　moved　through　the　water　like　lumbering　manateesthis　Iranian…flagged　vessel　he　was　chasing　moved　like　a　thoroughbred　in　heat。　
　The　water　out　the　stern　was　not　churning；　as　with　most　ships；　instead；　it　seemed　to　be　forming　into　concentric　whirlpools　that　flattened　the　sea　to　the　rear；　as　if　a　large　container　of　glycerin　had　been　poured　overboard。　Ching　stared　at　the　decks；　but　no　crew　was　visible。　There　was　only　rusty　metal　and　junk　piled　high。　
　Though　the　decks　were　deserted；　the　Oregon　did　not　give　the　appearance　of　a　ghost　ship。　No；　Ching　thought；　beneath　her　metal　skin；　much　was　happening。　At　just　that　instant；　a　medium…sized　helicopter　flew　over　the　Gale　Force　about　a　hundred　yards　to　the　port　side；　just　above　wave…top　level。　
　〃Where　did　that　e　from？〃　Ching　asked　his　electronics　officer。　
　〃What；　sir？〃　the　officer　said；　staring　up　from　a　screen。　
　〃A　helicopter；〃　Ching　said；　〃heading　from　sea　toward　land。〃　
　〃It　didn't　show　up　on　the　sensors；〃　the　officer　said。　〃Are　you　sure　you　saw　it　through　the　fog？〃　
　〃Yes；〃　Ching　said　loudly；　〃I　saw　it。〃　
　He　walked　over　to　the　screen　and　stared　at　the　radar　returns。　
　〃What's　happening？〃　he　asked　a　few　seconds　later。　
　The　electronics　officer　was　short　and　slim。　He　looked　like　a　jockey　in　a　fancy　uniform。　His　hair　was　jet　black　and　straight　and　his　eyes　brown…edged　with　bloodshot　red　from　staring　at　the　radar。　
　〃Sir；〃　he　said　finally；　〃I'm　not　sure。　What　you　see　has　been　happening　intermittently　since　we　began　the　chase。　One　second　we　seem　to　get　a　clear　return；　then　it　jumps　to　the　other　side　of　the　screen　like　it's　a　video　game　playing　hide…and…seek。〃　
　〃The　image　is　not　even　the　correct　size；〃　Captain　Ching　noted。　
　〃It　grows；　then　diminishes　to　a　pinprick；〃　the　officer　said。　〃Then　jumps　across　the　screen。〃　
　
　Ching　stared　out　the　window　again；　they　were　drawing　closer　to　the　Oregon。　〃They're　jamming　us。〃　
　〃I　can　detect　that；〃　the　officer　said。　
　〃Then　what　is　it？〃　Ching　asked。　
　The　officer　thought　for　a　minute。　〃I　read　in　a　translated　science　journal　about　an　experimental　system　an　American　engineer　was　building。　Instead　of　making　objects　disappear；　as　with　stealth；　or　using　extra　signals；　as　on　most　jamming　equipment；　this　system　has　a　puter　that　takes　in　all　the　signals　from　our　hull　and　reforms　them　into　different　shapes　and　strengths。〃　
　〃So　this　system　can　make　them　appear　or　disappear　as　they　decide？〃　Ching　said　incredulously。　
　〃That's　about　it；　sir；〃　the　officer　said。　
　〃Well；〃　Ching　said　finally；　〃there's　no　way　an　old　rust　bucket　has　anything　like　that　on　board。〃　
　〃Well；　let's　hope　not；　sir；〃　the　electronics　officer　said。
　〃Why's　that？〃　Ching　asked。　
　〃Because　the　article　also　stated　that　by　changing　the　object　dimensions；　they　can　increase　the　targeting　potential。〃
　〃Which　means？〃　
　〃That　if　the　frigate　to　the　rear　or　the　fast…attack　corvette　ing　up　quick　on　our　stern　fires　anything　other　than　bullets；　and　they　have　a　system　like　this；　they　could　redirect　the　fire　to　us。〃
　〃Chinese　missiles　used　to　sink　Chinese　ships？〃
　〃Exactly。〃　

　〃JAMMING　AND　JAMMING；〃　Eric　Stone　shouted。　
　V。　Lincoln　was　on　the　far　side　of　the　control　room　at　the　primary　fire　control　station。　He　was　running　a　quick　diagnostic　check　on　the　missile　battery。　He　stared　intently　at　the　bar　graphs　as　they　filled　the　puter　screen。　
　〃Mr。　Chairman；　I'm　good　to　go；〃　he　shouted　toward　Cabrillo　a　few　seconds　later。　
　Cabrillo　turned　to　Hanley。　〃Here's　the　deal　as　I　see　it。　The　entire　thrust　of　this　operation　was　the　retrieval　of　the　Golden　Buddha。　We　have　it；　but　it's　still　inside　the　circle　of　Chinese　influence。　Our　first　priority　must　be　to　get　our　teams　and　the　Golden　Buddha　safely　back　on　the　Oregon；　while　at　the　same　time　making　our　escape。〃　
　〃I　hate　to　say　it；　Juan；〃　Hanley　said；　〃but　I　wish　the　weather　wasn't　clearing。〃　
　〃A　wasted　wish；　but　I　agree；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃We　don't　know　what　the　navy　is　sending；〃　Hanley　noted；　〃but　we　can　safely　assume　there　won't　be　surface　ships　involvedour　sensors　don't　detect　any　other　vessels　for　a　hundred　miles。〃　
　〃They　launched　cruise　missiles　from　the　Persian　Gulf　into　downtown　Baghdad；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃so　we　can　assume　either　missile　or　aircraft　support。〃　
　〃The　enemy　has　rockets　on　the　fast…attack　corvette；　and　some　long　guns　that　can　fire　high…explosive　rounds；　plus　the　frigate　should　have　some　Chinese…made　cruise…type　missiles。〃　
　〃They　any　good？〃　Cabrillo　asked。　
　〃Not　as　accurate　as　ours；〃　Hanley　admitted；　〃but　they　can　sink　a　ship。〃　
　〃The　hydrofoil？〃　
　〃Deck…mounted　machine　guns　only；〃　Hanley　said。　
　〃And　the　Zodiacs　are　being　pursued　by　harbor　patrol　boats？〃　
　〃Correct；〃　Hanley　said。　〃A　pair　of　forty…six…foot　aluminum　cruisers　with　diesel　power。　They　each　have　a　single　bow…mounted　machine　gun。〃　
　〃Radios？〃　
　〃Nothing　special；〃　Hanley　said。　
　〃So　even　if　we　took　out　the　harbor　boats；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃the　Zodiacs　would　still　need　to　pass　the　trio　of　vessels　on　our　tail。〃
　〃I'm　afraid　so；〃　Hanley　agreed。　Cabrillo　started　sketching　on　a　yellow　pad　with　a　black　Magic　Marker。　When　he　finished；　he　handed　the　pad　to　Hanley。　〃Make　sense　to　you？〃　
　〃Yep；〃　Hanley　said。　
　〃Okay　then；〃　Cabrillo　said　forcefully；　〃hard　a'　starboard。　We're　going　back　toward　land。〃　
　　
　ADAMS　EASED　THE　cyclic　to　the　left　and　banked　the　R…44。　A　few　seconds　earlier　he　had　passed　to　port　of　the　Chinese　corvette　and　had　just　picked　up　a　glimpse　of　the　vessel　through　the　fog。　It　was　a　wonder　the　Chinese　vessel　had　not　fired　on　himsurely　they　had　detected　the　helicopter　as　it　flew　toward　land。　The　frigate　was　fast　approaching　and　Adams　planned　to　give　it　a　wide　berth。　
　He　was　keeping　the　Robinson　five　to　ten　feet　above　the　tops　of　the　wavesmaybe　that　was　shielding　him　from　detection；　but　Adams　doubted　it。　To　avoid　radar　detection；　he　needed　to　be　closer　to　the　wave　topstwo；　three　feet　maximum。　With　the　weapons　pods　hanging　from　each　side　of　his　skids　and　seawater　detrimental　to　their　correct　opera　tion；　Adams　was　taking　no　chances。　If　he　had　to　trade　avoiding　fire　from　the　Chinese　ships　to　arriving　too　high　to　help　his　team　members　he'd　do　it。　
　
　Adams　eased　forward　on　the　cyclic　and　watched　as　the　governor　adjusted　his　rotor　speed。　He　was　doing　130　miles　an　hour；　and　according　to　his　calculations　he　should　be　seeing　the　first　Zodiac　one　minute　forty…five　seconds　after　he　passed　the　frigate。　He　strained　his　eyes　to　catch　sight　of　the　Chinese　vessel；　while　at　the　same　time　watching　the　dash…mounted　storm　scope；　which　was　sending　a　radar　signal　into　the　weather。　
　
　HUXLEY　POINTED　TO　the　dash　of　the　Zodiac　but　said　nothing。　Seng　nodded；　then　bent　down　and　shouted　into　her　ear。　〃If　I　was　to　guess；〃　he　screamed；　〃I'd　say　we　have　something　partially　blocking　the　raw　water　intake　holes　on　the　drive。　Might　be　something　as　simple　as　a　piece　of　soaked　paper　or　part　of　a　plastic　bagthe　problem　is；　we　need　to　stop　and　raise　the　outboard　out　of　the　water　to　check。〃　
　〃It　doesn't　seem　to　be　getting　any　worse；〃　Julia　Huxley　said。　
　〃No；　it　doesn't；〃　Seng　said。　〃We　are　in　the　low　red　and　staying　there。　If　the　engine　can　run　at　those　temperatures　for　a　little　longer；　we　might　just　make　it　out　of　here　alive。〃　
　Huxley　scanned　the　water　through　the　fog　as　they　raced　along。　She　turned　and　caught　a　quick　glimpse　of　the　Zodiac　being　piloted　by　Kasim　off　the　starboard　stern。　The　pair　of　diesel　cruisers　had　yet　to　get　close　enough　to　catch　sight　of　either　vessel；　and　if　they　maintained　their　speed　they　never　would。　
　〃Too　bad　we　can't　ask　for　a　time　out；〃　Huxley　said；　〃so　I　can　clean　the　water　intake。〃　
　Eddie　Seng　strained　to　hear　Huxley's　voice　over　the　noise　of　his　racing　outboard　motor。　Something　else　was　causing　his　ears　to　perk　upa　slight　thumping　ing　from　the　bow。　Then；　through　the　fog；　he　caught　a　glimpse　of　the　R…44。　And　a　voice　came　over　the　radio。　
　
　THE　MAND　BRIDGE　on　the　Gale　Force　was　a　buzz　of　shouted　instructions。　Messages　were　repeated　more　than　once　as　the　news　that　the　Oregon　was　starting　a　turn　back　to　land　was　relay