cussler.blueandgold-第68部分

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t　the　elusive　notion　in　an　imaginary　net。　Seconds　later　he　was　talking　to　Yaeger　on　his　cell　phone。　The　puter　whiz　was　driving　in　from　the　fashionable　section　of　Maryland　where　he　lived　with　his　artist　wife　and　two　teenage　daughters。　Austin　quickly　outlined　his　idea；　asked　Yaeger　to　follow　through；　and　said　he　would　cover　for　him　at　the　meeting。
　
　Sandecker　got　right　down　to　business。　〃We　have　a　mystery　on　our　hands；　gentlemen。　Two　people　have　been　kidnapped　and　one　attacked　by　unknown　assailants。　Kurt；　would　you　bring　us　up　to　date？〃
　
　Austin　nodded。　〃The　D。C。　police　are　investigating　every　possible　lead。　The　city　van　was　found　abandoned　near　the　Washing　ton　Monument。　The　vehicle　had　been　stolen　a　few　hours　earlier。　No　trace　of　fingerprints　was　found。　All　the　airports　and　train　stations　are　being　watched。　With　help　from　Paul；　the　FBI　put　together　a　posite　of　the　leader　of　the　gang；　and　it's　being　circulated　with　Interpol。〃
　
　〃I　suspect　they　will　get　nowhere；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃The　people　we're　dealing　with　are　professionals。　The　job　of　finding　Gamay　and　Dr。　Cabral　will　be　up　to　us。　As　you　know；　Rudi　has　been　out　of　the　country　on　assignment。　I've　kept　him　current　as　best　as　I　could；　but　it　might　help　if　you　quickly　gave　us　a　chronological　summary　of　the　situation。〃
　
　Austin　was　prepared　for　the　question。　〃This　thing　began　ten　years　ago　with　the　failed　attempt　to　kidnap　Francesca　Cabral。　Her　plane　crashed　in　the　Venezuela　rain　forest；　and　it　was　assumed　she　was　dead。　Fast…forward　ten　years。　Joe　and　I；　quite　literally；　run　into　a　dead　pod　of　gray　whales　off　San　Diego。　The　whales　died　after　being　exposed　to　extreme　heat　emanating　from　an　underwater　facility　off　Baja　California　in　Mexico。　The　facility　blew　up　while　we　were　investigating　it。　I　talked　to　a　Mexican　mobster　who　was　a　front　for　the　real　owner；　a　California　consulting　firm　called　the　Mulholland
　Group。　The　mobster's　lawyer　confirmed　that　Mulholland　in　turn　is　part　of　a　transnational　conglomerate　named　the　Gogstad　Corporation。　The　mobster　and　his　lawyer　were　assassinated　shortly　after　they　talked　to　us。〃　〃Rather　spectacularly；　as　I　recall；〃　Sandecker　noted。
　
　〃That's　correct。　These　weren't　exactly　drive…by　shootings。　The　murders　were　well　planned；　and　the　hit　men　used　sophisticated　weaponry。〃
　
　〃That　would　suggest　well…organized　assassins　with　extensive　resources；〃　said　Gunn；　who　had　once　served　as　director　of　logistics　at　NUMA　and　was　well　acquainted　with　the　difficulties　in　pulling　together　any　operation。
　
　〃We　came　to　the　same　conclusion；〃　Austin　agreed。　〃It　was　the　kind　of　organization　and　resources　that　could　be　provided　by　a　big　corporation　so　motivated。〃
　
　〃Gogstad？〃
　
　Austin　nodded。
　
　〃I'm　not　sure　I　understand　the　significance　of　the　name　Gogstad；〃　Gunn　said。
　
　〃The　only　connection　I　could　find　was　the　pany　logo。　It　shows　the　Gogstad　Viking　ship　that　was　discovered　back　in　the　1800s。　I　asked　Hiram　to　see　what　he　could　dig　up　on　the　pany。　There　isn't　a　lot。　Even　Max　had　problems　finding　information；　but　basically　it's　a　huge　conglomerate　with　holdings　worldwide。　It's　run　by　a　woman　named　Brynhild　Sigurd。〃
　
　〃A　woman；〃　Gunn　noted　with　surprise。　〃Interesting　name。　Brynhild　was　a　Valkyrie；　one　of　the　Norse　maidens　who　carry　the　fallen　heroes　from　the　battlefield　to　Valhalla。　Sigurd　was　her　lover。　You　don't　suppose　that　was　her　real　name；　do　you？〃
　
　〃We　don't　know　much　about　the　woman。〃
　
　〃I　know　megacorporations　can　be　ruthless　in　their　business　dealings；〃　Gunn　said　with　a　shake　of　his　head；　〃but　we're　talking　about　gangland　methods　here。〃
　
　〃That's　the　way　it　seems；〃　Austin　said。　He　turned　to　Zavala。　〃Joe；　could　you　fill　Rudi　in　on　your　findings？〃
　
　〃Kurt　called　me　in　California　with　the　Gogstad　lead；〃　Zavala　said。　〃I　talked　to　a　newspaper　reporter　from　the　Los　Angeles　Times。　He　knew　Gogstad　quite　well。　In　fact；　he　was　heading　an　investigative　team　looking　into　the　corporation。　He　told　me　they　were　doing　a　story　on　what　he　called　the　water　pirates。　It　would　reveal　how　Gogstad　is　cornering　the　world's　supply　of　water。〃
　
　〃I　can't　believe　it's　possible　for　one　pany　to　control　the　world's　water；〃　Gunn　said。
　
　〃I　was　pretty　skeptical；　too；〃　Zavala　replied。　〃But　from　what　the　reporter　told　me　it's　not　that　far…fetched。　Gogstad's　panies　have　legally　taken　over　the　privatization　of　the　Colorado　River。　Water　is　going　from　public　to　private　ownership　on　every　continent。　Gogstad　has　muscled　out　the　petition。　The　re　porter　said　that　there　have　been　deaths　and　disappearances　worldwide　over　the　past　several　years。　The　missing　or　dead　were　all　people　who　peted　with　Gogstad　or　opposed　Gogstad　takeovers。〃
　
　Gunn　whistled　softly。　〃That　story　should　cause　quite　a　stir　when　it　hits　the　headlines。〃
　
　〃That　won't　happen　any　time　soon。　The　paper　killed　the　Gogstad　story　for　no　reason。　The　other　three　members　of　the　investigative　team　have　disappeared；　and　my　friend　has　gone　into　hiding。〃
　
　〃You're　sure　there's　no　mistake；〃　Gunn　said　with　alarm。
　
　Zavala　slowly　shook　his　head。　There　was　silence　in　the　room；　then　Gunn　spoke。
　
　〃There's　obviously　a　pattern；　then；〃　he　said。　〃Let　me　think　about　this。〃　Gunn's　unprepossessing　appearance　was　misleading。　His　graduation　at　the　top　of　his　class　in　the　Naval　Academy　was　no　accident。　He　was　a　sheer　genius；　and　his　analytical　skills　were　uncanny。　He　cradled　his　chin　between　his　thumb　and　forefinger　and　lost　himself　in　deep　thought　for　a　moment。　〃Something　has　changed；〃　he　said　abruptly。
　
　〃What　do　you　mean；　Rudi？〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　〃Their　methodology　has　shifted　gears。　Let's　assume　that　our　basic　premise　is　right　and　Gogstad　is　behind　all　this　murder　and　mayhem。　According　to　Joe；　they　have　acted　quietly。　People　quite　simply　vanished　or　were　killed　in　so…called　accidents。　This　changed　with　the　murders　of　the　Mexican　and　the　crooked　lawyer。　I　believe　the　word　the　admiral　used　to　describe　them　was　spectacular。　〃
　
　Austin　chuckled。　〃Those　were　love　pats　pared　with　the　attack　in　Alaska。　Joe　and　I　had　to　contend　with　an　all…out　military　assault。〃
　
　〃The　attack　on　my　house　was　on　the　heavy…handed　side；　too；〃　Trout　added。
　
　〃I　think　I　see　where　you're　headed　with　this；　Rudi；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃Paul；　how　soon　did　word　get　out　that　Dr。　Cabral　was　alive？〃
　
　〃Almost　immediately；〃　Trout　said。　〃Dr。　Ramirez　called　Caracas　from　the　helicopter　that　rescued　us。　The　Venezuelan　government　lost　no　time　making　the　news　public。　I　would　guess　that　CNN　was　broadcasting　the　story　around　the　globe　while　we　were　still　in　the　rain　forest。〃
　
　〃Events　accelerated　shortly　thereafter；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃The　situation　is　clear　to　me。　The　catalyst　was　the　news　that　Francesca　Cabral　was　alive。　Her　emergence　from　the　grave　meant　that　her　water…desalting　process　was　again　within　the　realm　of　possibility。　With　her　expertise　once　more　available；　all　that　was　needed　was　the　rare　substance　that　makes　her　process　work。　Dr。　Cabral　again　planned　to　give　her　discovery　to　the　world。　The　people　who　opposed　this　simply　picked　up　where　they　left　off　ten　years　ago。〃
　
　〃Only　this　time　they　succeeded；〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃Okay；　that　explains　Francesca's　kidnapping；〃　Trout　said。　〃But　why　did　they　take　Gamay？〃
　
　〃This　outfit　does　nothing　at　random；〃　Austin　replied。　〃Gamay　may　have　been　lucky。　She　might　have　been　killed　if　they　didn't　have　need　of　her。　Is　there　anything　else　you　can　remember　about　the　kidnapping；　Paul？〃
　
　〃I　didn't　see　much　after　the　first　few　minutes　they　were　in　the　house。　The　leader；　the　guy　in　black　leather；　spoke　with　an　ac　cent　I　can't　place。　His　pals　had　heavier　accents。〃　
　
　　Sandecker　had　been　sitting　back　in　his　chair；　fingers　tented　in　front　of　him；　listening　to　the　conversational　byplay。　He　snapped　upright。
　
　〃These　hoodlums　are　the　small　fry。　We　must　go　right　to　the　top。　We　must　find　this　woman　with　the　Wagnerian　name　who　runs　Gogstad。〃
　
　〃She's　a　ghost；〃　Austin　said。　〃Nobody　even　knows　where　she　lives。〃
　
　〃She　and　Gogstad　are　the　key；〃　Sandecker　said　firmly。　〃Do　we　know　where　their　headquarters　are？〃
　
　〃They　have　offices　in　New　York；　Washington；　and　the　West　Coast。　There　must　be　a　dozen　scattered