cc.floodtide-第23部分

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looming　above　him　and　blocking　off　the　stars。　He　noted　that　it　was　passing　less　than　three　feet　from　him；　and　he　could　see　two　shadowy　figures　move　down　a　ladder　from　the　cabin　to　the　bow　platform　deck。　One　of　them　leaned　over；　spotted　Pitt　in　the　water　and　gestured　at　him。
　
　Before　the　other　enforcer　could　fix　Pitt　in　his　flashlight's　beam；　a　barb　from　Pitt's　air　gun　hissed　through　the　darkness　and　buried　itself　in　the　man's　temple　above　the　ear。　Before　his　partner　knew　what　happened；　he　fell　dead　with　a　barb　protruding　from　his　throat。　There　was　no　hesitation　or　grain　of　misgiving　in　Pitt's　mind。　These　men　had　murdered　countless　innocent　people。　They　did　not　deserve　a　warning　or　a　chance　to　defend　themselves。　They　deserved　no　more　chance　than　those　they　killed。
　
　Both　had　fallen　silently　backward；　crumpled　on　the　catamaran's　forward　deck。　Pitt　reloaded　another　barb　and　slowly　swam　on　his　back；　waving　his　dive　fins　behind。　The　young　boy　buried　his　head　in　Pitt's　shoulder　and　held　on　to　his　savior's　neck　with　every　ounce　of　strength　in　his　little　arms。
　
　Pitt　watched　in　amazement　as　the　boat　passed　on；　circled　and　continued　on　toward　the　dock　as　if　nothing　had　occurred；　seemingly　unaware　of　the　dead　bodies　on　the　forward　deck。　He　barely　discerned　the　shadow　of　a　man　at　the　helm　through　the　wheelhouse　windows。　Strangely；　the　helmsman　didn't　act　as　if　he　knew　his　men　were　terminated。　Pitt　could　only　speculate　that　the　helmsman's　attention　was　focused　elsewhere　when　he'd　killed　his　partners　in　crime。
　
　Pitt　didn't　have　the　slightest　doubt　that　the　boat　would　return；　and　return　quickly　once　the　two　bodies　were　found。　He　had　bought　four；　maybe　five；　minutes；　certainly　no　more。　He　kept　his　eyes　on　the　catamaran　as　its　phantom　outline　glided　away　in　the　darkness。　The　craft　was　halfway　back　to　the　dock　when　her　shape　gradually　began　to　alter；　and　he　reckoned　that　she　was　turning　broadside　and　circling　back。
　
　He　thought　it　odd　that　no　light　blinked　on　and　swept　the　lake。　He　thought　it　odd　for　all　of　about　ten　seconds；　when　the　lights　at　the　prison　retreat　burst　on　again　and　danced　on　the　waves　created　by　the　wake　of　the　catamaran。
　
　Caught　like　floating　decoy　ducks　in　the　water　was　as　bad　as　it　could　get。　Caught　after　reaching　the　shore　but　before　finding　cover　was　only　slightly　less　bad。　Then　suddenly　the　Stingray　pulled　him　into　the　shallows；　and　he　found　he　could　stand　up　in　water　to　his　lower　hips。　He　waded　ashore　and　set　the　boy　on　the　lake's　bank；　which　rose　about　eighteen　inches　out　of　the　water。　Then　he　returned　for　the　others；　towing　them　in　until　they　could　wade　onto　dry　land。　These　people　were　either　too　old　or　too　young　and　too　played　out　to　do　more　than　crawl　into　the　trees。
　
　He　motioned　to　the　girl；　who　was　rising　out　of　the　water　a　few　feet　away　with　the　little　girl　on　her　shoulders　and　one　arm　around　an　old　woman　who　looked　near　death。　〃Take　the　boy！〃　he　snapped。　〃Hurry　these　people　into　the　trees　and　make　them　lie　down！〃
　
　〃Where　will　you　。。。　you　be？〃　she　asked　haltingly。
　
　He　shot　another　look　at　the　boat。　〃Horatius　at　the　bridge；　Custer　standing　alone　at　Little　Big　Horn；　that's　me；〃　Pitt　said。　Before　Julia　could　reply；　the　stranger　who　had　saved　their　lives　had　vanished　back　into　the　water。
　
　Chu　Deng　was　scared　down　to　his　boots。　In　the　darkness　he　had　failed　to　see　the　deaths　of　his　enforcers。　He　had　been　concentrating　on　keeping　the　boat　from　running　aground　when　they　were　murdered。　After　discovering　the　dead　bodies；　Chu　Deng　had　panicked。　There　was　no　going　to　the　dock　and　reporting　two　of　his　enforcers　murdered　by　unknown　assassins　without　his　witnessing　the　act。　His　employer　would　never　accept　vague　and　inexplicable　excuses。　He　would　be　punished　for　inefficient　actions…he　knew　that　with　total　certainty。
　
　He　had　no　choice　but　to　confront　his　assailants。　It　never　entered　his　mind　that　there　was　only　one。　He　assumed　it　had　to　be　a　planned　operation　by　professionals。　He　stationed　his　remaining　two　men…one　aft　on　the　stern　deck　between　the　hulls；　the　other　on　the　forward　deck。　After　requesting　Lo　Han　to　turn　on　the　lights；　he　spotted　several　people　stumbling　out　of　the　water　onto　the　lake　bank。　Then　to　add　disaster　to　catastrophe；　he　recognized　them　as　the　immigrants　who　were　supposed　to　be　drowned。　He　went　rigid　in　astonishment。　How　could　they　have　escaped？　Impossible　unless　they　had　help。　It　had　to　be　a　special　force　of　trained　agents；　he　thought　wildly。
　
　Qin　Shang　would　surely　order　him　sent　to　the　bottom　of　the　lake　if　he　didn't　capture　the　escaped　immigrants　before　they　reached　American　authorities。　In　the　light　from　across　the　lake；　Chu　Deng　counted　nearly　a　dozen　men　and　women　and　two　children　staggering　and　crawling　from　the　water's　edge　toward　a　forest　of　trees。　Caught　up　in　fear　of　a　short　future　and　without　regard　to　the　circumstances；　Chu　Deng　turned　the　catamaran　directly　toward　a　low　bank　running　along　the　shoreline。
　
　〃There　they　are！〃　he　screamed　wildly　to　the　enforcer　on　the　forward　deck。　〃Shoot　them；　shoot　them　before　they　reach　the　trees！〃
　
　He　stared　mesmerized　as　his　man　on　the　forward　platform　of　the　catamaran　raised　his　weapon　and　stood　watching　as　if　a　film　was　running　in　slow　motion　when　a　dark　form　rose　out　of　the　water　in　front　of　the　boat　like　some　abominable　creature　out　of　a　nightmare。　The　enforcer　suddenly　stiffened；　dropping　the　machine　pistol　and　clutching　his　shoulder。　Seconds　later　an　ugly　barb　suddenly　protruded　from　the　enforcer's　left　eye。　Chu　Deng　froze　in　bewildered　shock　as　his　enforcer　tumbled　into　the　cold　waters　of　the　lake。
　
　There　are　many　advantages　to　a　craft　with　catamaran　twin　hulls。　Repelling　boarders　is　not　one　of　them。　A　boat　with　a　single　high　bow　is　next　to　impossible　to　climb　aboard；　much　less　to　find　a　means　of　hanging　on　to　the　hull。　But　the　straight…across　platform　deck　forward　of　the　main　cabin　and　wheel…house　sat　only　fourteen　inches　above　the　water；　making　it　relatively　simple　for　a　person　in　the　water　to　grab　hold　of　the　leading　edge。
　
　Propelled　by　the　Stingray；　Pitt　burst　free　of　the　water　just　as　the　black　boat　was　about　to　run　him　down。　With　timing　based　more　on　luck　than　expertise；　he　cast　off　the　propulsion　vehicle；　threw　up　one　arm　and　clamped　it　over　the　edge　of　the　forward　deck。　The　shock　of　the　rapidly　moving　boat　as　it　abruptly　jerked　his　body　through　the　water　felt　as　if　his　arm　was　torn　from　its　socket。　Fortunately；　it　remained　in　place；　and　Pitt　shot　the　man　who　was　aiming　a　machine　pistol　at　the　people　on　shore　before　he　could　pull　the　trigger。　In　three　seconds；　Pitt　had　reloaded　and　fired　a　barb　that　punched　upward　through　the　man's　eye；　penetrating　his　brain。
　
　The　catamaran　was　now　on　a　collision　course　with　the　shore；　which　was　less　than　thirty　feet　away　when　Pitt　slipped　off　the　forward　part　of　the　boat　and　floated　on　his　back。　While　the　raised　cabin　advanced　over　him；　he　calmly　reloaded　the　air　gun。　After　the　propellers　thrashed　by　harmlessly　on　both　sides；　he　twisted　around　and　stroked　powerfully　in　the　wake　of　the　boat。　He　swam　only　a　short　distance　before　the　catamaran　smashed　into　the　lake　bank；　crunching　the　bows　and　ing　to　a　stop　as　abruptly　as　if　it　had　struck　a　steel　wall。　The　engines　raced　for　several　seconds　and　then　sputtered　and　died。　The　momentum　and　the　impact　had　thrown　the　enforcer　on　the　aft　platform　against　the　cabin　with　such　extraordinary　force　that　he　broke　his　neck。
　
　Unbuckling　the　straps　to　the　backpack　that　held　his　air　cylinders　and　dropping　his　weight　belt；　Pitt　heaved　himself　up　onto　the　aft　platform。　No　figure　showed　inside　the　wheelhouse。　He　climbed　the　ladder　and　kicked　in　the　door。
　
　A　man　lay　on　the　deck；　his　head　and　shoulders　propped　against　the　forward　counter；　hands　clutching　his　chest。　Broke　his　ribs　from　the　impact；　Pitt　quickly　suspected。　Injured　or　not；　the　man　was　a　killer。　Pitt　took　no　chances。　Not　with　men　like　this。　He　raised　his　air　gun　in　the　same　instant　as　Chu　Deng　thrust　out　a　small；　。32…caliber　automatic　pistol　he'd　been　shielding　with　the　hands　across　his　chest。　The　deadly　crack　of　the　automatic　overpowered　the　hiss　of　the　barb　from　the　air　gun；　both　missiles　passing　in　the　same　microsecond。　T