cc.vixen03-第26部分
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After another hundred yards； Fawkes stopped at a huge spectral shape that loomed in the darkness beside the pier。 Then he took the gangplank； stepped onto the seemingly endless deck； and unerringly made his way through the steel labyrinth to the bridge。
Later； as the sun crept over the eastern side of the bay； the mutilated shabbiness of the ship became manifest。 But the peeling paint； the acres of rust； and the jagged torch marks of the salvage crew stood unseen in Fawkes's eyes。 Like a father with a hideously disfigured daughter； he saw only her beauty。
〃Aye； you're a bonny ship；〃 he shouted across the silent decks。 〃You're gonna do just fine。〃
3
Salvage
26
Washington； D。C。 …November 1988
Steiger's superiors at the Pentagon sat on his report of the discovery of Vixen 03 for nearly two months before summoning him to Washington。 To Steiger it was like sitting in the audience of a staged nightmare。 He felt more like a hostile witness than a key investigator。
Even with the evidence before their eyes； in the form of videotape； General Ernest Burgdorf； chief of Air Force Safety； and General John O'Keefe； aide to the Joint Chiefs of Staff； expressed doubts over the sunken aircraft's importance； and argued that nothing was to be gained by bringing it to light except sensationalistic play from the news media。 Steiger sat stunned。
〃But their families；〃 he protested。 〃It would be criminal not to notify the crew's families that the bodies have been found。〃
〃e to your senses； Colonel。 What good would dredging up old memories do them？ The crew's parents are probably long since dead。 Wives have remarried。 Children raised by new fathers。 Let all con…cerned go about their present lives in peace。〃
〃There's still the cargo；〃 Steiger said。 〃The possibility exists that Vixen O3's cargo included nuclear warheads。〃
〃We've been all through that；〃 snapped O'Keefe。 〃A thorough …puter search through military…storehouse records confirmed that there are no missing warheads。 Every piece of atomic hardware beginning with the bomb dropped on Hiroshima can be accounted for。〃
〃Are you also aware； sir； that nuclear material was； and is still； shipped in stainless…steel canisters？〃
〃And did it also occur to you； Colonel；〃 said Burgdorf； 〃that the canisters you say you found might be empty？〃
Steiger sagged in his chair； beaten。 He might as well have been debating with the wind。 They were treating him like an overimaginative child who claimed he'd seen an elephant in a Minnesota cornfield。
〃And if that actually is the same aircraft that was supposed to have vanished over the Pacific；〃 added Burgdorf； 〃I think it best to let sleep…ing dogs lie。〃
〃Sir？〃
〃The grim reasons behind the aircraft's tremendous course differen…tial may not be something the Air Force wishes to publicize。 Consider the probabilities。 To fly a thousand miles in the opposite direction takes either the total malfunction of at least five different instrument systems aided by the blind stupidity of the crew； a navigator who lost his marbles； or a plot by the entire crew to steal the airplane； for what purpose God only knows。〃
〃But somebody must have authorized the flight orders；〃 said Steiger； puzzled。
〃Somebody did；〃 said O'Keefe。 〃The original orders were issued at Travis Air Force Base； in California； by a Colonel Michael Irwin。〃
Steiger looked at the general skeptically。 〃Flight orders are seldom kept on file more than a few months。 How is it possible the ones in question were retained for over thirty years？〃
O'Keefe shrugged。 〃Don't ask me how； Colonel。 Take my word for it： Vixen 03's last flight plan turned up in old files at the Travis administra…tion office。〃
〃And the orders I found in the wreckage？〃
〃Accept the inevitable；〃 said Burgdorf。 〃The papers you pulled out of that Colorado lake were too far gone to decipher with any degree of accuracy。 You simply read something into them that wasn't there。〃
〃As far as I'm concerned；〃 O'Keefe said resolutely； 〃the explanation for Vixen O3's course deviation is a dead issue。〃 He turned to Burgdorf。 〃You agree； General？〃
〃I do。〃
O'Keefe stared at Steiger。 〃Do you have anything else you'd like to put before us； Colonel？〃
Steiger's superiors sat and waited for him to reply。 He knew no words worth uttering。 He had reached a dead end。 The implication dangled over his head like a suspended sword。 Either Abe Steiger forgot all about Vixen 03 or his Air Force career would e to a premature halt。
The President stood on the putting green behind the White House and stiffly swatted a dozen balls toward the cup only five feet away。 None dropped in； further proving to him that golf was not his game。 He could understand the petitive challenge of tennis or handball or even a fast run of pool； but why one would choose to pete against one's own handicap escaped him。
〃Now I can die content； for I have seen everything。〃
The President straightened and looked into the grinning face of Timothy March； his Secretary of Defense。
〃It all goes to prove how much time I have on my hands now that I'm a lame…duck president。〃
March； a short； dumpy man who detested any sort of physical exer…tion； walked onto the green。 〃You should be happy with the election。 Your party and your man won。〃
〃Nobody ever really wins an election；〃 the President grunted。 〃What's on your mind； Tim？〃
〃Thought you might like to know I've clamped the lid on that old aircraft found in the Rockies。〃
〃Probably a wise move。〃
〃A baffling affair；〃 said March。 〃Except for those doctored flight plans in Air Force files； there is no trace…of the crew's true mission。〃
〃So be it；〃 said the President； finally knocking a ball into the cup。 〃Let's leave it lie。 If Eisenhower buried the answers during his adminis…tration； far be it from me to open a can of worms during mine。〃
〃I suggest we remove the remains of the crew for a military burial。 We owe them that。〃
〃Okay； but absolutely no publicity。〃
〃I'll make that clear to the Air Force officer in charge。〃
The President tossed the putter to a Secret Service man who lurked nearby and motioned for March to acpany him to the Executive Offices。
〃What's your best educated guess； Tim？ What do you really think Ike was trying to cover up back in 1954？〃
〃That question has kept me staring at the ceiling the past few nights；〃 said March。 〃I don't have the foggiest idea。〃
Steiger shouldered his way past the lunchtime crowd waiting for tables at the Cottonwood Inn and entered the bar。 Pitt waved from a rear booth and motioned for the cocktail waitress in almost the same gesture。 Steiger slipped into a seat across from Pitt as the waitress； seductively attired in an abbreviated colonial costume； arched her blossoming breasts over the table。
〃A martini on the rocks；〃 said Steiger； eyeing the mounds。 〃On second thought； make that a double。 It's been one of those mornings。〃
Pitt held up a nearly empty glass。 〃Another salty dog。〃
〃Christ；〃 moaned Steiger。 〃How can you stand those things？〃
〃I hear they're good for cutting down weight；〃 Pitt answered。 〃The enzymes from the grapefruit juice cancel out the calories in the vodka。〃
〃Sounds like an old…wives' tale。 Besides； why bother？ You don't have an ounce of fat on you anywhere。〃
〃See；〃 Pitt laughed。 〃They really work。〃
The humor was contagious。 For the first time that day Steiger felt like laughing。 But soon after the drinks arrived his expression clouded again； and he sat there silently； toying with his glass without touching its contents。
〃Don't tell me；〃 said Pitt； reading the colonel's dour thoughts； 〃your friends at the Pentagon shot you down？〃
Steiger nodded slowly。 〃They dissected every sentence of my report and flushed the pieces into the Washington sewer system。〃
〃Are you serious？〃
〃They wanted none of it。〃
〃What about the canisters and the fifth skeleton？〃
〃They claim the canisters are empty。 As to your theory on Loren Smith's father； I didn't even bring it up。 I saw little reason to stoke the fires of their already flaming skepticism。〃
〃Then you're off the investigation。〃
〃I am if I wish to retire a general。〃
〃They leaned on you？〃
〃They did
