atlantis.found-第20部分

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ered　enough　during　her　agonizing　wait　until　the　word　had　e　that　he　had　exited　the　mine　and　was　safe　and　sound。　They　had　treated　the　ordeal　lightly；　omitting　any　reference　to　the　killers　and　telling　her　that　Ambrose　was　meeting　friends　and　couldn't　make　it　for　dinner。
　　　　　Despite　the　fact　that　they　acted　as　if　they　had　returned　from　a　walk　in　the　park；　Lisa　knew　better；　but　she　said　nothing。　After　dinner；　Pat　helped　her　clear　the　table　and　returned；　while　Lisa　busily　fed　her　young　daughters　and　made　coffee　before　bringing　out　a　carrot　cake。
　　　　　〃Excuse　me　for　a　moment；〃　said　Pitt。　He　walked　into　the　house　and　said　a　few　words　to　Lisa　before　rejoining　Pat　and　Marquez　at　the　table。
　　　　　Satisfied　that　his　wife　was　out　of　earshot；　Marquez　stared　directly　at　Pitt　and　said；　〃I　can't　accept　your　theory　about　Dr。　Ambrose。　I　feel　certain　that　he　was　murdered　soon　after　we　left　him。〃
　　　　　〃I　agree　with　Luis；〃　said　Pat。　〃To　suggest　that　Tom　was　anything　but　a　respected　scientist　is　ridiculous。〃
　　　　　〃Had　you　ever　met　Ambrose　before　today？〃　asked　Pitt。
　　　　　She　shook　her　head。　〃No；　but　I　know　him　by　reputation。〃
　　　　　〃But　you've　never　seen　him。〃
　　　　　〃No。〃
　　　　　〃Then　how　do　you　know　whether　the　man　we　knew　as　Tom　Ambrose　wasn't　an　impostor？〃
　　　　　〃All　right；〃　said　Marquez。　〃Suppose　he　was　a　fake　and　working　with　those　crazy　bikers。　How　do　you　explain　that　fact　that　he　would　have　surely　drowned　if　you　hadn't　showed　up？〃
　　　　　〃That's　right；〃　Pat　interjected　quietly。　〃There's　no　way　he'd　be　tied　to　a　criminal　conspiracy　if　the　killers　tried　to　murder　him；　too。〃
　　　　　〃His　fellow　assassins　screwed　up。〃　There　was　a　cold　certainty　in　Pitt's　voice。　〃They　may　have　been　demolitions　experts；　but　not　being　professional　hardrock　miners　like　Luis；　they　set　off　an　explosive　charge　too　powerful　for　the　job。　Instead　of　merely　causing　a　cave…in　and　blocking　off　the　tunnel；　they　collapsed　the　rock　holding　back　an　underground　river；　diverting　it　into　the　lower　levels　of　the　mine。　A　miscalculation　that　fouled　up　their　plans。　The　shaft　and　the　chamber　with　the　skull　flooded　before　they　could　detour　around　the　cave…in　on　their　bikes　to　rescue　their　chief。〃
　　　　　Marquez　stared　up　at　the　mountain　peaks　surrounding　Telluride　that　were　outlined　by　the　light　of　the　evening　stars。　〃Why　cause　the　tunnel　roof　to　collapse？　What　did　they　gain　from　that？〃
　　　　　〃The　perfect　murder；〃　answered　Pitt。　〃They　meant　to　kill　the　two　of　you　by　beating　your　brains　in　with　rocks。　Then　they　would　have　buried　your　bodies　in　the　debris　from　the　cave…in。　When　and　if　your　remains　were　ever　found；　your　deaths　would　be　written　off　as　a　mining　accident。〃
　　　　　〃Why　kill　us？〃　Pat　asked　incredulously。　〃For　what　purpose？〃
　　　　　〃Because　you　posed　a　threat。〃
　　　　　〃Luis　and　I　a　threat？〃　She　looked　confused。　〃To　whom？〃
　　　　　〃To　a　well…financed；　well…organized　secret　interest　who　didn't　want　the　discovery　of　the　chamber　with　the　black　skull　to　bee　public　knowledge。〃
　　　　　〃Why　would　anyone　want　to　cover　up　a　major　archaeological　discovery？〃　said　Pat；　pletely　off　balance。
　　　　　Pitt　turned　up　the　Palms　of　his　hands　in　a　helpless　gesture。　〃That's　where　conjecture　stops。　But　I'm　willing　to　bet　the　farm　that　this　is　not　an　isolated　incident。　That　a　trail　of　bodies　leads　to　other　fords　of　this　magnitude。〃
　　　　　〃The　only　other　archaeological　project　I　can　think　of　that　is　surrounded　in　this　kind　of　mystery　was　an　expedition　led　by　Dr。　Jeffrey　Taffet　from　Arizona　State　University。　He　and　several　students　died　while　exploring　a　cave　on　the　northern　slope　of　Mount　Lascar　in　Chile。〃
　　　　　〃What　was　the　cause　of　their　deaths？〃　asked　Marquez。
　　　　　〃They　were　found　frozen　to　death；〃　answered　Pat。　〃Which　was　very　peculiar；　according　to　the　rescue　team　who　found　the　bodies。　The　weather　had　been　perfect；　without　storms；　and　temperatures　were　barely　below　freezing。　An　investigation　turned　up　no　reason　for　Taffet　and　his　students　to　have　succumbed　to　hypothermia。〃
　　　　　〃What　was　of　archaeological　interest　in　the　cave？〃　Pitt　prompted。
　　　　　〃No　one　knows　for　sure。　A　pair　of　amateur　mountain　climbers　from　New　York；　both　successful　tax　attorneys；　discovered　and　explored　the　cave　while　descending　from　the　summit　of　the　mountain。　They　described　ancient　artifacts　neatly　placed　about　inside；　shortly　before　they　were　killed。〃
　　　　　Pitt　stared　at　her。　〃They　died；　too？〃
　　　　　〃Their　private　plane　crashed　on　takeoff　from　the　airport　at　Santiago　for　the　flight　home。〃
　　　　　〃The　mystery　deepens。〃
　　　　　〃Subsequent　expeditions　to　the　cave　found　nothing　inside；〃　Pat　continued。　〃Either　the　attorneys　exaggerated　what　they　saw〃
　
　　　　　〃Or　someone　cleaned　out　the　artifacts；〃　Pitt　finished。
　　　　　〃I　wonder　if　the　attorneys　found　a　black　skull；〃　mused　Marquez。
　　　　　Pat　shrugged。　〃No　one　will　ever　know。〃
　　　　　〃Did　you　manage　to　salvage　your　notes　from　the　chamber？〃　Marquez　asked　Pat。
　　　　　〃The　pages　were　soaked　during　our　swim　through　the　mine；　but　once　I　dried　them　with　my　hair　dryer；　they　became　quite　readable。　And　if　you　have　any　questions　about　the　meaning　of　the　inscriptions；　you　can　forget　them。　The　symbols　are　from　no　known　form　of　writing　I've　ever　seen。〃
　　　　　〃I　would　think　that　written　symbols　cross　over　cultures；　ancient　and　modern　that　they　would　have　similar　markings；〃　said　Pitt　thoughtfully。
　　　　　〃Not　necessarily。　There　are　many　ancient　inscriptions　that　stand　alone　without　parallel　symbols。　Believe　me　when　I　say　the　signs　on　the　walls　in　the　chamber　of　the　black　skull　are　unique。〃
　　　　　〃Any　chance　they　might　be　a　deception？〃
　　　　　〃I　won't　know　until　I　have　a　chance　to　study　them　in　depth。〃
　　　　　〃Take　it　from　me；〃　Marquez　stated　emphatically；　〃no　one　had　entered　that　chamber　before　me　in　a　long　time。　The　surrounding　rock　showed　no　signs　of　recent　digging。〃
　　　　　Pat　brushed　her　long　red　hair　from　her　eyes。　〃The　puzzle　is　who　built　it　and　why。〃
　　　　　〃And　when；〃　Pitt　threw　in。　〃Somehow　the　chamber　and　the　killers　are　tied　together。〃
　　　　　A　sudden　breeze　whistled　up　the　canyon；　rattling　the　windows　of　the　solarium。　Pat　shivered。　〃The　evening　is　getting　cool。　I　think　I'll　get　my　coat。〃
　　　　　Marquez　turned　toward　the　kitchen。　〃I　wonder　where　Lisa　is　with　the　coffee　and　cake〃
　　　　　His　voice　broke　off　as　Pitt　suddenly　leaped　to　his　feet。　In　one　convulsive　movement；　he　shoved　the　miner　under　the　log　table；　then　seized　Pat　and　threw　her　to　the　wooden　floor；　covering　her　body　with　his　own。　Some　alien　wisp　of　movement　in　the　shadows　beside　the　house　had　tweaked　the　acute　sense　of　menace　that　had　been　honed　in　him　over　the　years。　In　the　next　instant；　two　explosions　of　gunfire　burst　from　the　shadows　outside；　ing　so　close　together；　they　sounded　as　one。
　　　　　Pitt　lay　there　on　Pat；　hearing　her　gasp　for　the　breath　he　had　knocked　from　her　chest。　He　rolled　off　her　and　came　to　his　feet　as　he　heard　a　familiar　voice　shout　from　the　evening　shadows；　a　voice　distinct　with　an　assured　confidence。
　　　　　〃Got　him！〃
　　　　　Pitt　slowly　helped　Pat　to　a　chair　and　pulled　Marquez　to　his　feet。　〃Those　were　gunshots。　。　。　that　voice？〃　murmured　a　dazed　Marquez。
　　　　　〃Not　to　worry；〃　Pitt　said　reassuringly。　〃The　posse　is　on　our　side。〃
　　　　　〃Lisa；　my　kids；〃　Marquez　blurted；　turning　and　starting　to　run　into　the　house。
　　　　　〃Safe　in　the　bathtub；〃　said　Pitt；　grabbing　an　arm。
　　　　　〃How？〃
　　　　　〃Because　that's　where　I　told　them　to　hide。〃
　　　　　A　stocky　bull　of　a　man　materialized　from　the　mountain　undergrowth　surrounding　the　house；　wearing　an　Arctic　white　jumpsuit　with　a　hood。　He　was　dragging　a　body　through　the　snow；　dressed　in　a　black　ninja　suit；　its　face　covered　by　a　ski　mask。　There　was　still　enough　light　left　in　the　sky　to　see　the　white…clad　man's　shag　of　black　curly　hair；　dark　Etruscan　eyes；　and　lips　spread　in　a　white…toothed　grin。　He　pulled　the　body　along　by　one　foot　as　effortlessly　as　if　he　were　hauling　a　ten…pound　bag　of　potatoes。
　　　　　〃Any　problems？〃　asked　Pitt　quietly；　stepping　outside　into　the　snow…covered　yard。
　　　　　〃None；〃　answered　the　stranger。　〃Like　mugging　a　blind　man。　Despite　a　masterful　attempt　at　a　sneaky　intrusion；　the　last　thing　he　expected　was　an　ambush。〃
　　　　　〃Underrating　his　intended　prey　is　the　worst　miscalculation　a　professional　killer　can　make。〃
　　　　　Pat