cc.goldenbuddha-第57部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


underson　took　one　lady　under　each　arm。　Then　he　ran　off　the　end　of　the　ramp　and；　once　he　was　clear；　pushed　them　away。
　
　PLODDING　THROUGH　THE　South　China　Sea；　the　helmsman　on　the　Kalia　Challenger　noticed　the　sky　was　finally　clearing。　He　noticed　it　because　the　sky　overhead　was　suddenly　filled　with　a　pair　of　Chinese　antisubmarine　aircraft　as　well　as　a　single　long…range　heavy…lift　helicopter。　The　Kalia　Challenger　had　originally　been　built　in　1962　for　the　United　States　Line　as　one　of　an　eleven…ship　class　of　express　cargo　cruisers。　Later　sold　to　a　Greek　shipping　concern；　she　plied　the　seas　on　a　regular　schedule　from　Asia　to　the　west　coast　of　the　United　States。　
　At　just　over　five　hundred　feet　with　a　seventy…foot　beam；　the　vessel　featured　derricks　on　the　upper　deck　for　loading　and　unloading　of　cargo。　Her　lower　hull　was　a　rusty　red　with　a　black　band　along　the　gunwales。　She　was　a　work　ship　who　had　served　a　long　and　useful　life；　and　the　wear　and　tear　showed。　Still　functional；　though　dated；　she　was　possessed　of　one　major　flaw。　
　From　a　distance；　to　an　untrained　eye；　she　resembled　the　Oregon。　
　She　was　far　out　in　international　waters　when　the　antisubmarine　aircraft　dropped　the　first　depth　charge。　It　landed　a　hundred　yards　ahead　of　the　bow　and　exploded　with　a　cascade　of　water　that　reached　eighty　feet　into　the　air。　
　〃Heave　to！〃　the　captain　shouted。　
　The　alert　reached　the　engine　room；　and　the　Kalia　Challenger　slowed；　then　stopped　in　the　water。　
　It　would　be　nearly　an　hour　before　a　Chinese　boarding　party　climbed　across　her　decks。　
　The　illegal　stop　was　never　explained。　
　
　
　DELBERT　CHIGLACK　STARED　up　at　the　sky　in　amazement。　He　had　seen　some　incredible　things　in　the　fourteen　years　he　had　worked　on　offshore　oil　rigs：　strange　sea　creatures　that　defied　explanation；　unidentified　flying　objects；　weird　weather　phenomena。　But　in　all　the　years　I　he　had　drilled　offshore；　he　had　yet　to　see　a　trio　of　parachutists　e　from　nowhere　and　attempt　to　land　on　his　rig。　Gunderson；　Michaels　and　Pilston　had　leapt　from　the　737　at　an　altitude　of　fifteen　thousand　feet；　just　above　a　cloud　layer　that　hid　the　airplane　from　view。　Sucking　on　oxygen　bottles　as　they　made　their　descent；　they　had　floated　around　near　the　target　before　directing　their　parachutes　in　arcing　corkscrews　until　they　lined　up　above　the　helicopter　pad　on　the　offshore　rig。　
　The　rig　was　twenty　miles　off　the　coast　of　Vietnam；　eight　hundred　miles　from　Macau；　and　owned　by　Zapata　Petroleum　of　Houston；　Texas。　George　Herbert　Walker　Bush　owned　the　panyand　someone　from　Virginia　had　asked　him　for　a　favor。　
　Tracy　Pilston　landed　nearly　dead　center　on　the　X　in　the　center　of　the　pad；　Judy　Michaels　only　six　feet　away。　It　was　Chuck　Gunderson　I　who　had　the　worst　landing。　He　alit　on　the　side　of　the　elevated　pad。　The　breeze　tugged　at　his　parachute　before　he　could　cut　it　away；　and　had　Del　Chiglack　not　grabbed　him；　he　might　have　gone　over　the　side。　
　Once　his　chute　was　free　and　Chiglack　had　yanked　him　back　from　the　edge；　Gunderson　smiled　and　spoke。　
　〃My　friends　called；〃　he　said。　〃I　believe　we　have　a　reservation　for　three。〃　
　Chiglack　spit　some　snuff　juice　into　the　wind。
　〃Wele　aboard；〃he　said。　〃Your　ride　will　be　here　soon。〃
　〃Thanks；〃　Gunderson　said。　〃Now；〃　Chiglack　said；　〃if　you　and　the　ladies　will　e　inside；　I'll　buy　you　a　cup　of　coffee。〃　
　
　BACK　IN　THE　control　room；　Hanley　turned　to　Cabrillo。　〃We　just　received　word　from　Tiny；〃　he　said。　〃They　arrived　safe　and　sound　with　the　bonds。　They're　awaiting　a　ride　home。〃　
　Cabrillo　nodded。　
　〃You　look　beat；〃　Hanley　said。　〃Why　don't　you　catch　a　few　hours'　sleep　and　let　me　hold　down　the　fort。〃　
　Cabrillo　was　too　tired　to　argue。　He　rose　and　started　for　the　door。　〃Wake　me　if　you　need　me。〃　
　〃Don't　I　always？〃　Hanley　said。　
　Once　Cabrillo　was　walking　down　the　hall　to　his　stateroom；　Hanley　turned　to　Stone。　〃Truitt　will　be　here　in　a　few　minutes　to　relieve　you。　Take　four　hours　and　get　some　sleep。〃　
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Stone　said。　
　Then　Hanley　accessed　the　puter　next　to　his　seat　and　began　to　read　the　plan　again。　
　
　LANGSTON　OVERHOLT　SLEPT　all　the　way　to　Paris。　The　Challenger　jet　he　was　riding　inside　was　registered　to　a　pany　named　Strontium　Holding　PLC；　which　was　allegedly　based　in　Basel；　Switzerland。　In　reality；　the　jet's　tires　had　never　touched　Swiss　soil。　
　The　Challenger　CL…604　had　been　purchased　from　a　broker　in　London　using　CIA　funds　and　outfitted　with　advanced　electronics　at　a　shop　in　Alexandria；　Virginia；　near　Boiling　Air　Force　Base。　The　large　Canadian…made　business　jet　seated　ten　people；　had　a　cruise　speed　of　487　miles　per　hour　and　a　range　of　4；628　miles。　
　The　distance　from　Virginia　to　Paris　was　just　over　3；800　miles；　where　the　jet　was　refueled　and　provisions　were　loaded　aboard。　The　second　leg　of　the　trip；　Paris　to　New　Delhi；　would　cover　4；089　miles。　The　first　leg　of　the　journey　required　eight　hours　to　plete；　the　second　leg　was　made　with　a　favorable　tailwind　and　took　just　over　seven　hours。　Within　an　hour　of　receiving　word　from　Cabrillo　at　6　a。m。　Macau　time　that　the　Corporation　was　in　possession　of　the　Golden　Buddha；　Overholt　had　left　
　
　
　U。S。　soil。　Virginia　time　had　been　6　p。m。　Good　Friday。　By　the　time　the　Challenger　touched　down；　the　time　changes　and　flight　time　made　it　9　a。m。　Saturday。　
　The　trip　by　turboprop　to　Little　Lhasa　in　northern　India　took　just　over　two　more　hours；　so　it　was　almost　exactly　noon　on　Saturday　when　Overholt　finally　met　with　the　Dalai　Lama　again。　The　revered　leader　of　Tibet　had　made　it　clear　that　if　there　was　to　be　a　coup　d'etat；　it　needed　to　take　place　on　Easter　Sunday；　March　31；　exactly　forty…six　years　after　his　being　forced　into　exile。　
　That　gave　Overholt　and　the　Corporation　twenty…four　hours　to　make　a　miracle　happen。　
　
　CARL　GANNON　HAD　been　earning　his　keep　the　last　several　days。　After　procuring　the　truck　in　Thimbu；　Bhutan；　and　plotting　a　route　into　Tibet；　he　had　received　a　shopping　list　of　tasks　from　the　control　room　on　the　Oregon。　As　the　Corporation's　head　scrounger；　Gannon　was　used　to　acplishing　the　impossible。　To　obtain　what　was　required；　Gannon　would　have　to　use　the　vast　network　of　contacts　he　had　carefully　　nurtured　over　the　years。　
　The　funding　would　e　from　the　Corporation's　bank　on　the　island　of　Vanuatu　in　the　South　Pacific　Ocean；　and　the　Oregon　had　made　it　clear　that　time；　not　cost；　was　the　object。　Gannon　loved　it　when　he　received　directives　like　this。　Using　a　laptop　puter　linked　to　a　cell　phone；　he　began　typing　in　a　stack　of　telephone　numbers；　codes　and　passwords　from　memory　at　seventy　words　a　minute。　
　Eighty　Stinger　missiles　were　bought　from　a　friendly　Middle　Eastern　nation；　with　delivery　arranged　to　Bhutan　using　a　South　African　…I　pany　that　had　never　failed　to　ply。　Eight　Bell　212　helicopters　with　｜　extra　fuel　pods　from　an　Indonesian　pany　that　specialized　in　offshore　oil　work　arrived　to　deliver　the　load　of　missiles　and　small　arms。　Eighteen　mercenary　pilots　from　throughout　the　Far　East　were　recruited；　sixteen　to　fly；　two　extras　in　case　someone　got　sick。　Fuel　pods；　food　for　all　the　　participants；　and　a　series　of　hangars　manned　by　Philippine　Special　Forces　guards　were　secretly　arranged。　
　Gannon's　last　item　was　the　strangest。　The　Oregon　wanted　to　know　if　he　could　procure　a　large　but　slow…moving　plane　in　Vietnam。　That；　and　a　winch　with　a　hundred　feet　of　thin　but　strong　steel　cable　that　could　be　mounted　on　the　floor　of　the　plane。　It　took　Gannon　a　couple　of　telephone　calls；　but　he　found　a　1985　Russian…built　Antonov　AN…2　Colt　owned　by　a　Laotian　pany　that　had　a　logging　contract　with　the　Vietnamese　government。　The　big　biplane；　with　a　wingspan　of　fifty…eight　feet；　a　cruise　speed　of　only　120　miles　an　hour　and　a　stall　speed　of　58；　could　best　be　described　as　a　flying　pickup　truck。　The　large　interior　was　mainly　cargo　space　and　she　could　carry　nearly　five　thousand　pounds　of　payload。　
　The　winch　he　bought　new　from　a　dealer　in　Ho　Chi　Minh　City　on　a　pany　credit　card。　
　After　finishing　the　arrangements　for　the　plane　and　winch；　Gannon　slurped　the　last　drop　from　a　bottle　of　Coca…Cola　and　dialed　the　Oregon　on　the　satellite　telephone。　He　waited　as　the　number　beeped　and　popped　while　the　signal　was　scrambled。　
　〃Go　ahead；　Carl；〃　Hanley　said　a　minute　later。　
　〃I've　got　the　plane；　Max；〃