cc.vixen03-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！


　〃That's　the　bullshit　we　give　the　public；〃　Jarvis　snapped　back。　〃But　everyone　in　this　room　knows　better。　The　truth　is　the　Army　has　never　stopped　developing　and　stockpiling　chemical…biological　weapons。〃
　〃Settle　down；　Dale。〃　The　President's　lips　were　stretched　in　a　grin　beneath　the　mustache。　He　took　a　perverse　sort　of　pleasure　whenever　his　subordinates　took　to　fighting　among　themselves。　Casually；　in　a　move　to　relieve　the　tense　atmosphere；　he　leaned　back　in　his　chair　and　draped　one　leg　over　the　armrest。　〃For　the　moment；　I　suggest　we　take　Dale's　warning　as　gospel。〃　He　turned　to　Admiral　Joseph　Kemper；　the　chief　of　Naval　Operations。　〃Joe；　since　this　appears　to　be　a　naval　raid；　it　falls　in　your　bailiwick。〃
　Kemper　hardly　fit　the　image　of　a　military　leader。　Portly　and　white　haired；　he　could　have　easily　been　hired　as　a　department…store　floor…walker。　He　looked　thoughtfully　at　the　notes　he　had　scribbled　during　Jarvis's　briefing。
　〃There　are　two　facts　that　bear　out　Mr。　Jarvis's　warning。　First；　the　battles　hip　Iowa　was　sold　to　Walvis　Bay　Investment。　And　as　of　yesterday；　our　satellite　pictures　showed　it　docked　at　the　Forbes　shipyard。〃
　〃And　its　current　status？〃　asked　the　President。
　Kemper　did　not　answer　but　pressed　a　button　on　the　table　in　front　of　him　and　rose　from　his　chair。　The　wood　paneling　against　the　far　wall　slid　apart；　revealing　an　eight…by…ten…foot　projection　screen。　Kemper　picked　up　a　telephone　and　said　tersely；　〃Begin。〃
　A　high…resolution　TV　picture　taken　high　above　the　earth　flashed　on　the　screen。　The　clarity　and　color　were　far　superior　to　anything　transmitted　to　an　ordinary　home　set。　The　satellite　camera　penetrated　the　early…morning　darkness　and　cloud　cover　as　though　they　did　not　exist；　projecting　a　view　of　the　eastern　Chesapeake　Bay　shoreline　so　clear　it　looked　as　if　it　came　off　a　picture　postcard。　Kemper　moved　to　the　screen　and　made　a　circular　motion　with　the　pencil　he　used　for　a　pointer。
　〃Here　we　see　the　entrance　to　the　Patuxent　River　and　the　basin　just　inside　Drum　Point　to　the　north　and　Hog　Point　to　the　south。〃　The　pencil　held　steady　for　a　moment。　〃These　small　lines　are　the　docks　at　the　Forbes　yard。　。。。　A　point　for　Mr。　Jarvis。　As　you　can　see；　Mr。　President；　there　is　no　sign　of　the　Iowa。〃
　On　Kemper's　mand　the　cameras　began　sweeping　toward　the　upper　end　of　the　bay。　Freighters；　fishing　boats；　and　a　missile　frigate　passed　by　in　parade；　but　nothing　resembling　the　massive　outlines　of　a　battleship。　Cambridge　on　the　right　of　the　screen；　soon；　the　Naval　Academy　at　Annapolis　on　the　left；　the　toll　bridge　below　Sandy　Point；　and　then　up　the　Patapsco　River　to　Baltimore。
　〃What　lies　south？〃　the　President　asked。
　〃Except　for　Norfolk；　no　city　of　any　size　for　three　hundred　miles。〃
　〃e　now；　gentlemen。　Not　even　Merlin　and　Houdini　together　could　make　a　battleship　disappear。〃
　Before　anyone　could　ment；　a　White　House　aide^ntered　the　con…ference　room　and　laid　a　paper　at　the　President's　elbow。
　〃Just　in　from　the　State　Department；〃　the　President　said；　scanning　the　print。　〃A　munique　from　Prime　Minister　Koertsmann；　of　South　Af…rica。　He　urgently　warns　us　of　an　imminent　attack　on　the　United　States　mainland　by　the　AAR　and　apologizes　for　any　indirect　involvement　by　his　cabinet。〃
　〃It　doesn't　figure　that　Koertsmann　would　suggest　an　involvement　with　his　enemy；〃　March　said。　〃I　should　think　he'd　categorically　deny　any　connection。〃
　〃Probably　hedging　his　bets；〃　ventured　Jarvis。　〃Koertsmann　must　suspect　Operation　Wild　Rose　has　fallen　into　our　hands。〃
　The　President　kept　gazing　at　the　wording　on　the　paper　as　if　unwilling　to　accept　the　frightening　truth。
　〃It　looks；〃　he　said　solemnly；　〃as　if　all　hell　is　about　to　break　loose。〃
　The　bridge　had　been　his　only　miscalculation。　The　Iowa's　superstruc…ture　was　too　high　to　pass　under　the　one　man…made　obstacle　that　stood　between　Fawkes　and　his　target。　The　vertical　clearance　was　three　feet　lower　than　he'd　reckoned。
　He　heard；　rather　than　saw；　the　plywood　gun…director　housing　being　torn　off　the　forward　gun…control　platform　as　it　smashed　into　the　overhead　span　of　the　bridge。
　Howard　McDonald　slammed　on　his　brakes　and　skidded　to　a　sideways　stop；　toppling　stacked　crates　of　milk　bottles　in　his　delivery　van。　To　McDonald；　who　was　crossing　the　Harry　W。　Nice　Memorial　Toll　Bridge　to　begin　his　regular　milk　route；　it　appeared　that　an　airplane　had　crashed　through　the　supporting　girders　almost　on　top　of　his　truck。　He　sat　there　for　a　few　moments　in　shock；　his　headlights　illuminating　a　huge　pile　of　debris　blocking　the　two　narrow　north…　and　southbound　lanes。　Fearfully；　he　stepped　from　the　van　and　approached；　expecting　to　find　mangled　pieces　of　human　anatomy　embedded　in　the　wreckage。
　Instead；　all　he　discovered　were　splintered　sheets　of　gray…painted　wood。　His　initial　reaction　was　to　stare　at　a　low　overcast　sky；　but　all　he　saw　was　a　red　aircraft…obstruction　light　flashing　atop　the　main　span。　Then　McDonald　walked　over　to　the　railing　and　peered　down。
　Except　for　what　seemed　to　be　the　running　lights　of　a　string　of　vessels　disappearing　around　Mathias　Point；　to　the　north；　the　channel　was　empty。
　
　57
　
　Pitt；　Steiger；　and　Admiral　Sandecker　stood　around　a　drafting　table　in　Pitt's　hangar　at　the　Washington　National　Airport　and　examined　a　large…scale　map　of　the　area's　waterways。　〃Fawkes　did　a　radical　facelift　on　the　Iowa　for　a　damned　good　reason；〃　Pitt　was　saying。　〃Sixteen　feet。　That's　how　much　he　raised　her　waterline。〃
　〃You　certain　you　have　an　accurate　figure？〃　Sandecker　asked。　〃That　leaves　a　draft　of　only　twenty…two　feet。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃It　doesn't　seem　credible。〃
　〃I　got　it　from　the　man　who　should　know；〃　answered　Pitt。　〃While　Dale　Jarvis　was　on　the　phone　to　NSA　headquarters；　I　questioned　Metz；　the　shipyard　boss。　He　swore　to　the　measurements。〃
　〃But　for　what　purpose？〃　said　Steiger。　〃By　removing　all　the　guns　and　replacing　them　with　wooden　dummies；　the　ship　is　totally　useless。〃
　〃Number…two　turret　and　all　its　fire…control　equipment　is　still　in　place；〃　Pitt　said。　〃According　to　Metz；　the　Iowa　can　lob　a　salvo　of　two…thousand…pound　shells　twenty　miles　into　a　rain　barrel。〃
　Sandecker　concentrated　his　attention　on　lighting　a　large　cigar。　Satis…fied　that　it　was　properly　stoked；　he　blew　a　cloud　of　blue　smoke　at　the　ceiling　and　rapped　the　map　with　his　knuckles。　〃Your　plan　is　crazy；　Dirk。　We're　meddling　in　a　conflict　way　over　our　heads。〃
　〃We　can't　sit　here　and　piss　and　moan；〃　said　Pitt。　〃The　President　will　be　persuaded　by　the　Pentagon　strategists　either　to　blow　the　Iowa　out　of　the　water；　more　likely　than　not　spreading　the　QD　to　the　winds；　or　to　send　out　a　boarding　party　to　capture　the　gas　shells；　with　the　idea　of　incorporating　them　into　the　Army's　arsenal。〃
　〃But　what　good　is　a　plague　organism　that　can't　be　controlled？〃　asked　Steiger。
　〃　Ypu　can　bet　every　biologist　in　the　country　will　be　funded　to　search　for　an　antidote；〃　Pitt　replied。　〃If　one　makes　a　breakthrough；　then　someday；　somewhere；　a　general　or　an　admiral　may　panic　and　give　the　order　for　its　dispersal。　Me；　I　don't　want　to　grow　old　knowing　I　had　an　opportunity　to　save　countless　lives　but　failed　to　act。〃
　〃Pretty　speech；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃I'm　in　total　agreement；　but　the　three　of　us　are　hardly　in　a　position　to　pete　with　the　Defense　Depart…ment　in　a　race　to　recover　the　two　remaining　QD　warheads。〃
　〃If　we　could　sneak　a　man　on　board　the　Iowa　first；　a　man　who　could　disarm　the　firing　mechanism　of　the　projectiles　and　dump　the　organism　pellets　over　the　side　into　the　water　。　。　。〃　Pitt　let　his　thought　linger。
　〃And　you　are　that　man？〃　ventured　Sandecker。
　〃Of　us　three；　I'm　the　best　qualified。〃
　〃Aren't　you　forgetting　me；　mister？〃　Steiger　said　acidly。
　〃If　all　else　fails；　we'll　need　a　good　man　at　the　controls　of　the　helicop…ter。　Sorry；　Abe；　but　I　can't　fly　one；　so　you're　elected。〃
　〃Since　you　put　it　that　way；〃　replied　Steiger　with　a　wry　smile；　〃how　can　I　refuse？〃
　〃The　trick　is　to　ferret　out　the　Iowa　before　the　boys　at　Defense；〃　said　Sandecker。　〃Not　a　likely　event；　since　they　have　the　advantage　of　satel…lite　reconnaissance。〃
　〃What　if　we　know　exactly　where　the　Iowa　is　headed？〃　Pitt　said；　grinning。
　〃How？〃　grunted　a　skeptical　Steiger。
　〃The　draft　was　the　giveaway；〃　answered　Pitt。　〃There's　only　one　waterway　within　Fawkes's　stea