cc.vixen03-第49部分
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Pitt was asleep on a couch in his NUMA office when his secretary； Zerri Pochinsky； leaned over and gently shook him awake。 Her long fawn…colored hair hung down； framing a face that was warm and pretty and full of merry admiration。
〃You've got a visitor and two calls；〃 she said in a soft Southern drawl。
Pitt pushed aside the cobwebs and sat up。 〃The calls？〃 he said。
〃Congresswoman Smith；〃 Zerri answered with a trace of acidity； 〃and Colonel Steiger on long distance。〃
〃And the visitor？〃
〃Says his name is Sam Jackson。 He doesn't have an appointment but he insists that it's important。〃
Pitt began to pull his sleep…fogged mind to even keel。 〃I'll take Steiger's call first。 Tell Loren I'll call her back； and send in Jackson as soon as I'm off the phone。〃
Zerri nodded。 〃The colonel is on line three。〃
He walked unsteadily to the desk and punched one of the blinking buttons。 〃Abe？〃
〃Greetings from sunny Oklahoma。〃
〃How'd it go？〃
〃Paydirt；〃 said Steiger。 〃Scratch two warheads。〃
〃Nice work；〃 Pitt said； smiling for the first time in days。 〃Any prob…lems？〃
〃None。 I'll stand by until a crew arrives to pick them up。〃
〃I've got a NUMA Catlin loaded with a forklift sitting at Dulles。 Where can they set down？〃
〃One second。〃
Pitt could hear muffled voices as Steiger conversed with someone at the other end of the line。
〃Okay；〃 Steiger said。 〃The post mander says there is a small private airfield about eight hundred yards long a mile south of town。〃
〃Twice what a Catlin requires；〃 Pitt said。
〃Any luck at your end？〃
〃The curator at the British Imperial War Museum said the shell they purchased from Phalanx for a World War Two naval exhibit is definitely armor piercing。〃
〃Leaving the African Army of Revolution holding the other two QD warheads。〃
〃Thereby hangs a tale；〃 Pitt said。
〃What earthly purpose are heavy naval shells in the African jungle？〃
〃Our riddle for the day；〃 said Pitt； rubbing his reddened eyes。 〃At least we're temporarily blessed with the fact that they're no longer in our backyard。〃
〃Where do we go from here？〃 asked Steiger。 〃We can't very well tell a pack of terrorists they've got to give back the most horrendous weapon of all time。〃
〃The first item on the agenda；〃 said Pitt； 〃is to pinpoint the warheads。
On that score Admiral Sandecker has persuaded an old Navy buddy at the National Security Agency to do some digging。〃
〃Sounds touchy。 Those guys are no dummies。 They might ask some embarrassing questions。〃
〃Not likely；〃 said Pitt confidently。 〃The admiral came up with a classic cover story。 I almost bought it myself。〃
47
It was a difficult choice。 Dale Jarvis wavered between the Dutch apple pie and the calorie…laden lemon meringue。 Throwing diet to the winds； he took both and set them on his tray along with a cup of tea。 Then he paid the girl at the puter register and sat at a table along one wall of the spacious cafeteria in the NSA headquarters plex at Fort Meade； Maryland。
〃One of these days you're going to bust your gut。〃 Jarvis paused and looked up into the solemn face of Jack Ravenfoot； head of the agency's domestic division。 Ravenfoot was all muscle and bone； the only full…blooded Cheyenne in Washington who had a Phi Beta Kappa key from Yale and held the retired rank of modore。
〃I'd rather consume fattening； savory goodies than that salted buffalo jerky and boiled prairie gopher you call food。〃
Ravenfoot stared up at the ceiling。 〃e to think of it； I haven't had prairie gopher…good prairie gopher； that is…since the victory celebra…tion after Little Big Horn。〃
〃You guys really know how to stick it to a paleface where it hurts；〃 Jarvis said； grinning。 〃Pull up a chair。〃
Ravenfoot remained standing。 〃No thanks。 I've got a meeting in five minutes。 While I've got you； John Gossard； in the Africa Section； mentioned that you had a handle on some far…out project dealing with battleships。〃
Jarvis slowly chewed a piece of the apple pie。 〃Battleship； singular。 What's on your mind？〃
〃An old friend from my Navy days； James Sandecker…〃
〃The director of NUMA？〃 Jarvis said； interrupting。
〃The same。 He asked me to track down a particular load of old sixteen…inch naval shells。〃
〃And you thought of me。〃
〃Battleships mounted sixteen…inch guns；〃 said Ravenfoot。 〃I should know。 I was executive officer aboard the New Jersey during the Vietnam orgy〃
〃Any idea what Sandecker wants them for？〃 asked Jarvis。
〃He claims a team of his scientists want to drop them on Pacific coral formations。〃
Jarvis halted between bites。 〃He what？〃
〃They're conducting seismological tests。 It seems armor…piercing shells dropped from a plane at two thousand feet on coral make a rumble nearly identical to an earthquake！〃
〃I should think ground explosives would achieve the same purpose。〃
Ravenfoot shrugged。 〃I can't argue the point。 I'm no seismologist。〃
Jarvis dug into the lemon meringue。 〃I see nothing of interest to the evaluation section or； for that matter； a sinister design to the admiral's request。 Where does Sandecker figure these special shells are stored？〃
〃The AAR has them。〃
Jarvis took a sip of his coffee and patted his mouth with a napkin。 〃Why deal with the AAR when old naval ordnance can be picked up at most any surplus…arms dealer？〃
〃An experimental type developed near the end of the Korean war and never fired in anger。 Sandecker says they work far better than the standard projectile。〃 Ravenfoot leaned on the backrest of a chair。 〃I checked with Gossard on the AAR involvement。 He thinks Sandecker is mistaken。 The guerrillas need those shells like a high jumper needs gallstones…his exact words。 It's his guess that the shells NUMA wants are rusting in a naval depot somewhere。
〃And if the AAR actually possessed the shells； how would Sandecker deal with them？〃
〃Make them a trade； I suppose； or buy the shells at an inflated price。 After all； it's only taxpayer money。〃
Jarvis sat back and poked his fork at the meringue。 He wasn't hungry anymore。 〃I'd like to talk to Sandecker。 Do you mind？〃
〃Be my guest。 You'd probably do better working through his special…projects director； though。 He's the guy who's heading up the search。〃
〃What's his name？〃
〃Dirk Pitt。〃
〃The fellow who raised the Titanic a few months back？〃
〃The same。〃 Ravenfoot held up his wristwatch and noted the time。 〃I have to run along。 If you get a lead on those shells； I'd appreciate a call。 Jim Sandecker is an old friend。 I still owe him a favor or two。〃
〃Count on it。〃
Jarvis sat for several minutes after Ravenfoot left； poking his fork idly at the pie。 Then he rose and walked back to his office； lost in thought。
Barbara Gore knew the instant her boss stepped through the door that his intuition was working overtime。 She had seen that haunted look of deep concentration too many times not to recognize it。 Without waiting to be asked； she picked up her pad and pencil and followed Jarvis into his private office。 Then she sat down； crossed her magnificent legs； and waited patiently。
He stayed on his feet and stared at the wall。 Then he turned slowly and his eyes came back in focus。 〃Call Gossard and set up a meeting with his Africa Section staff； and tell him I'd like another look at the Operation Wild Rose folder。〃
〃You've changed your mind？ There may be something to it after all？〃 He didn't answer immediately。 〃Maybe； just maybe。〃 〃Anything else？〃
〃Yes； ask the ID department to send up whatever they have on Admiral James Sandecker and a Dirk Pitt。〃 〃Aren't they with NUMA？〃 Jarvis nodded。
Barbara gave him a questioning look。 〃Surely you don't think there is a connection。〃
〃Too early to tell；〃 said Jarvis thoughtfully。 〃You might say that I'm picking up loose threads to see if they run to the same spool。〃
48
Frederick Daggat and Felicia Collins were waiting in the limousine when Loren came through the portico of the Capitol。 They watched as she gracefully skipped down the steps； her cinnamon curls trailing in a light breeze。 She wore a persimmon pantsuit with double…buttoned blazer and vest。 A long gray silk scarf curled around her neck。 Her briefcase was covered with the same material as the
