atlantis.found-第70部分

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les　on　the　ground　half　an　inch　in　diameter。　He　turned　to　Pitt。
　　　　　〃Time　to　go？〃
　　　　　Pitt　nodded。　〃Since　you　can　see　our　way　on　land；　you　lead　off　and　I'll　take　over　when　we　reach　the　water。〃
　　　　　Giordino　simply　gave　a　brief　nod　and　said　nothing。　Until　they　could　safely　penetrate　the　security　defenses　around　the　shipyard；　there　was　nothing　to　say。　Pitt　did　not　require　telepathic　powers　to　know　what　was　in　Giordino's　mind。　He　was　mentally　reliving　the　same　thing　as　Pitt。
　　　　　They　were　back　six　thousand　miles　in　distance　and　twenty　hours　in　time　in　Admiral　Sandecker's　office　in　the　NUMA　headquarters；　talking　their　way　into　what　had　to　be　a　scheme　born　under　a　cloud　of　madness。
　
　
　　　　　〃MISTAKES　were　made；〃　said　the　admiral　solemnly。　〃Dr。　O'Connell　is　missing。〃
　　　　　〃I　thought　she　was　under　round…the…clock　surveillance　by　security　agents；〃　Pitt　said；　annoyed　at　Ken　Helm。
　　　　　〃All　anyone　knows　at　this　point　is　that　she　drove　her　daughter　to　get　some　ice　cream。　While　the　wards　sat　outside　the　store　in　their　car；　Dr。　O'Connell　and　her　daughter　went　inside　and　never　came　out。　It　seems　impossible　that　such　a　spur…of…the…moment　event　by　O'Connell　could　be　known　in　advance　by　the　abductors。〃
　　　　　〃Meaning　the　Wolfs。〃　Pitt　slammed　his　fist　on　the　table。　〃Why　do　we　continually　underestimate　these　people？〃
　　　　　〃I　suppose　you'll　be　even　less　happy　to　hear　the　rest；〃　Sandecker　said　somberly。
　　　　　Pitt　looked　at　him；　his　face　clouded　with　exasperation。　〃Let　me　guess。　Elsie　Wolf　has　disappeared　from　the　clinic；　along　with　the　body　of　her　cousin；　Heidi。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　wiped　an　imaginary　speck　from　the　polished　surface　of　the　conference　table。　〃Believe　me；　it　must　have　taken　a　magician；〃　said　FBI　agent　Ken　Helm。　〃The　clinic　has　the　latest　technology　in　security…detection　equipment。〃
　　　　　〃Didn't　your　surveillance　cameras　reveal　her　escape？〃　asked　Pitt　irritably。　〃Elsie　obviously　didn't　walk　through　the　front　door　with　her　dead　cousin　thrown　over　her　shoulder。〃
　　　　　Helm　gave　a　brief　tilt　of　his　head。　〃The　cameras　were　fully　operational；　and　the　monitors　observed　every　second。　I'm　sorry　no；　shocked　to　say　that　no　trace　of　the　breakout　was　recorded。〃
　　　　　〃These　people　must　have　the　ability　to　slip　through　cracks；〃　said　Giordino；　who　had　seated　himself　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　table　from　Sandecker。　〃Or　else　they　developed　a　pill　for　invisibility。〃
　　　　　〃Neither；〃　said　Pitt。　〃They're　shrewder　than　we　are。〃
　　　　　〃All　that　we　have；　and　it's　fifty　percent　speculation；〃　Helm　admitted；　〃is　that　an　executive　jet　belonging　to　Destiny　Enterprises　took　off　from　an　airport　near　Baltimore　and　set　a　course　due　south〃
　
　　　　　〃To　Argentina；〃　Pitt　finished。
　　　　　〃Where　else　would　they　take　her？〃　added　Giordino。　〃Doesn't　figure　they'd　keep　her　in　the　States；　where　they　have　little　or　no　control　over　government　investigative　agencies。〃
　　　　　Ron　Little　of　the　CIA　cleared　his　throat。　〃The　question　is　why？　At　one　time　we　were　led　to　believe　they　wanted　to　eliminate　Mr。　Pitt；　Mr。　Giordino；　and　Dr。　O'Connell　because　of　their　discoveries　of　the　chamber　in　Colorado　and　its　inscriptions。　But　now；　too　many　people　are　knowledgeable　about　the　messages　left　by　the　ancient　people。　So　the　effort　to　keep　it　secret　bees　immaterial。〃
　　　　　〃The　only　practical　answer　is　that　they　need　her　expertise；〃　suggested　Helm。
　　　　　〃When　I　asked　Elsie　Wolf　how　many　Chambers　the　Amenes　had　built；　she　claimed　there　was　a　total　of　six；〃　Pitt　said。　〃We　had　found　two　and　they　had　found　one。　Of　the　others；　two　were　destroyed　by　natural　causes。　Only　one　remains　unfound；　and　she　said　it　was　somewhere　in　the　Andes　of　Peru；　but　the　directions　were　vague。　I'll　bet　that　despite　all　the　experts　in　their　puter　software　division；　they　couldn't　crack　the　code　giving　instructions　on　how　to　find　the　remaining　lost　chamber。〃
　　　　　〃So　they　snatched　her；　thinking　she　could　crack　the　code；〃　said　Sandecker。
　　　　　〃Makes　sense；〃　Helm　said　slowly。
　　　　　Giordino　leaned　across　the　table。　〃Knowing　Pat　only　a　short　time　as　I　do；　I　have　my　doubts　she'd　cooperate。〃
　　　　　Little　smiled。　〃They　also　have　Dr。　O'Connell's　fourteen…year…old　daughter。　All　the　Wolfs　have　to　do　is　threaten　to　harm　her。〃
　　　　　〃She'll　talk；〃　Helm　said　gravely。　〃She　has　no　choice。〃
　　　　　〃So　we　go　in　and　get　her　out；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　　Little　looked　at　him　doubtfully。　〃We　have　no　way　of　knowing　exactly　where　they're　holding　her。〃
　　　　　〃Their　shipyard　in　Chile。　The　Wolfs　are　so　maniacal　about　a　ing　doomsday　that　I'm　betting　the　family　has　congregated　on　the　ships　in　preparation　for　the　deluge。〃
　　　　　〃I　can　provide　you　with　satellite　photos　of　the　shipyard；〃　said　Little。　〃But　I　have　to　tell　you；　our　analysts　believe　their　security　systems　make　the　ships　inaccessible　and　unapproachable　by　land；　sea；　or　air。〃
　　　　　〃Then　we'll　go　in　underwater。〃
　　　　　〃You　can　expect　underwater　sensors。〃
　　　　　〃We'll　find　a　way　around　that　problem。〃
　　　　　〃I　can't　agree　to　this；〃　Sandecker　said　quietly。　〃Too　much　is　on　the　line　for　NUMA。　This　is　a　job　for　Special　Operations　Forces　or　a　Navy　SEAL　team。〃
　　　　　〃Finding　and　rescuing　Pat　O'Connell　and　her　daughter　is　only　part　of　our　plan；〃　explained　Pitt。　〃No　one　is　better　qualified　than　Al　and　I　to　investigate　Destiny　Enterprise's　immense　shipbuilding　project。　Less　than　a　year　ago；　we　performed　a　clandestine　search　under　the　hull　of　the　former　liner　United　States　in　a　submersible　at　a　shipyard　in　Hong　Kong。　In　this　circumstance；　there　has　to　be　a　method　to　the　madness　behind　the　Wolf　family　spending　billions　of　dollars　to　build　ships　that　can't　reach　the　sea。〃
　　　　　〃The　FBI　can't　help　you　on　this　one；〃　said　Helm。　〃It's　half　a　world　out　of　our　territory。〃
　　　　　Little　nervously　folded　and　unfolded　his　hands。　〃Other　than　providing　information；　I'm　afraid　my　agency's　hands　are　tied。　The　State　Department　would　squelch　any　involvement　by　the　CIA　to　intervene。〃
　　　　　Pitt　looked　at　Sandecker　and　smiled　tightly。　〃It　seems　we're　elected。〃
　　　　　Sandecker　did　not　smile　in　return。　〃Are　you　sure　there　is　a　desperate　urgency　to　penetrate　the　Wolfs'　operation？〃
　　　　　〃I　do；〃　Pitt　said　heavily。　〃I　also　believe；　and　I　can't　tell　you　why；　that　there　is　a　far　more　sinister　purpose　behind　their　undertaking。　A　purpose　with　horrible　consequences。〃
　
　
　　　　　THE　narrow　ravine　meandered　for　a　hundred　yards　before　opening　onto　the　waters　of　the　fjord。　The　western　shoreline　sloped　upward　onto　a　peninsula　with　the　strange　name　of　Exmouth。　The　eastern　coast　was　split　by　channels　gouged　by　receding　glaciers。　The　bright　lights　of　the　Wolf　shipyard　and　those　of　the　four　floating　cities　reflected　across　the　water　on　the　north　end　of　the　fjord。
　　　　　Giordino　stopped　and　gestured　for　Pitt　to　stay　in　the　shadows　of　a　large　rock。　Two　patrol　boats　running　side　by　side　on　opposite　sides　of　the　channel　moved　across　the　black　water；　sweeping　the　surface　and　shore　with　searchlights。　Giordino　studied　the　patrol　craft　through　his　spectral　imaging　sensors；　which　turned　darkness　into　a　dusky　daylight。
　　　　　〃You're　the　powerboat　expert；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Can　you　identify　them？〃
　　　　　〃Thirty…eight…foot　Dvichak　Industries　boat；〃　Giordino　replied　easily。　〃Usually　built　as　an　oil　spill　response　boat；　but　in　this　case　they've　loaded　them　with　weapons。　A　good；　tough；　reliable　boat。　Not　fast；　about　eighteen　knots　max；　but　the　three…hundred…horsepower　engine　gives　them　enough　torque　to　push　and　tow　large　barges。　Serving　as　armed　patrol　boats　is　a　new　practice。〃
　　　　　〃Can　you　make　out　the　type　of　guns？〃
　　　　　〃Twin　automatics；　big　millimeter；　fore　and　aft；〃　answered　Giordino。　〃That's　all　I　can　recognize。〃
　　　　　〃Speed？〃
　　　　　〃They　seem　to　be　loafing　along　at　four　knots；　taking　their　time　to　look　for　intruders。〃
　　　　　〃Slow　enough　for　our　Torpedo　2000s　to　keep　pace；〃　said　Pitt。
　　　　　〃What　evil　is　swirling　in　your　mind？〃
　　　　　〃We　wait　underwater　until　they　turn　and　begin　sweeping　back　toward　the　shipyard；〃　answered　Pitt。　〃Then；　when　the　boat　passes　over；　we　follow　astern　of　its　wake。　The　prop　wash　will　screen　our　presence　from　their　underwater　security　sensors。〃
　　　　　〃Sounds　like　a　winner。〃
　　　　　While　the　patrol　boats　continued　their　sweep　to　the　south；　Pitt　and　Giordino　checked　their　e