cc.floodtide-第15部分

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nce　possible　to　Mr。　Monroe　and　Admiral　Ferguson　to　reduce　the　flow　of　illegal　aliens　from　China　into　the　United　States。〃
　〃There　are　two　particular　areas　we'd　like　your　people　to　investigate；〃　said　Harper。
　〃I'm　listening；〃　muttered　Sandecker；　beginning　to　show　a　famt　trace　of　curiosity。
　〃Are　you　familiar　with　a　man　by　the　name　of　Qin　Shang？〃　asked　Harper。
　〃I　am；〃　answered　Sandecker。　〃He　owns　a　shipping　empire　called　Qin　Shang　Maritime　Limited　out　of　Hong　Kong　that　operates　a　fleet　of　over　a　hundred　cargo　ships；　oil　tankers　and　cruise　ships。　He　once　made　a　personal　request　through　a　Chinese　historian　to　search　our　data　files　for　a　shipwreck　he　was　interested　in　finding。
　〃If　it　floats；　Shang　probably　owns　it；　including　dockside　facilities　and　warehouses　in　nearly　every　major　port　city　in　the　world。　He　is　as　shrewd　and　canny　as　they　e。〃
　〃Isn't　Shang　the　Chinese　mogul　who　built　that　huge　port　facility　in　Louisiana？〃　asked　Gunn。
　〃One　and　the　same；〃　answered　Ferguson。　〃On　Atchafalaya　Bay　near　Morgan　City。　Nothing　but　marshlands　and　bayous。　According　to　every　developer　we　questioned；　there　is　absolutely　no　logic　in　pouring　hundreds　of　millions　of　dollars　into　a　shipping　port　eighty　miles　from　the　nearest　major　city　and　with　no　transportation　network　leading　from　it。〃
　〃Has　it　got　a　name？〃　inquired　Gunn。
　〃The　port　is　called　Sungari。〃
　〃Shang　must　have　a　damned　good　reason　for　throwing　big　money　into　a　swamp；〃　said　Sandecker。
　〃Whatever　his　logic；　we've　yet　to　learn　what　it　is；〃　Monroe　admitted。　〃That's　one　of　two　areas　where　NUMA　can　help　us。〃
　〃You'd　like　to　use　a　NUMA　research　ship　and　its　technology　to　nose　around　Shang's　newly　constructed　shipping　port；〃　assumed　Gunn。
　Ferguson　nodded。　〃You　get　the　picture；　mander。　There's　more　to　Sungari　than　what　meets　the　eye；　and　it's　probably　out　of　sight　underwater。〃
　The　President　stared　pointedly　at　Sandecker　with　a　faint　smile。　〃No　other　government　agency　has　the　brains　and　technology　of　NUMA　for　underwater　investigation。〃
　Sandecker　stared　back。　〃You　haven't　made　it　clear　what　Shang　has　to　do　with　alien　smuggling。〃
　〃According　to　our　intelligence　sources；　Shang　is　the　mastermind　responsible　for　fifty　percent　of　the　Chinese　smuggled　into　the　Western　Hemisphere；　and　the　number　is　growing　rapidly。〃
　〃So　if　you　stop　Shang；　you　cut　off　the　head　of　the　snake。〃
　The　President　nodded　briefly。　〃That's　pretty　much　our　theory。〃
　〃You　mentioned　two　areas　for　us　to　investigate；〃　Sandecker　probed。
　Ferguson　held　up　a　hand　to　field　the　question。　〃The　second　is　a　ship。　Another　of　Shang's　projects　we　can't　fathom　was　his　purchase　of　the　former　transatlantic　ocean　liner；　the　S。S。　United　States。〃
　〃The　United　States　went　out　of　service　and　was　laid　up　at　Norfolk；　Virginia；　for　thirty　years；〃　said　Gunn。
　Monroe　shook　his　head。　〃Ten　years　ago　she　was　sold　to　a　Turkish　millionaire　who　advertised　that　he　was　going　to　refit　and　put　her　into　service　as　a　floating　university。〃
　〃Not　a　practical　scheme；〃　Sandecker　said　bluntly。　〃No　matter　how　she's　refitted；　by　today's　standards　she's　too　large　and　too　expensive　to　operate　and　maintain。〃
　〃A　deception。〃　For　the　first　time　Monroe　grinned。　〃The　rich
　Turk　turned　out　to　be　our　friend　Qin　Shang。　The　United　States　was　towed　from　Norfolk　across　the　sea　into　the　Mediterranean；　past　Istanbul　and　into　the　Black　Sea　to　Sevastopol。　The　Chinese　do　not　have　a　dry　dock　that　can　take　a　ship　that　size。　Shang　hired　the　Russians　to　convert　her　into　a　modern　cruise　ship。〃
　〃It　makes　no　sense。　He'll　lose　his　shirt；　he　must　know　that。〃
　〃It　makes　a　lot　of　sense　if　Shang　intends　to　use　the　United　States　as　a　cover　to　move　illegal　aliens；〃　said　Ferguson。　〃The　CIA　also　thinks　the　People's　Republic　bankrolled　Shang。　The　Chinese　have　a　small　navy。　If　they　should　ever　get　serious　about　invading　Taiwan；　they'll　need　troop　transports。　The　United　States　could　transport　an　entire　division；　including　then…heavy　arms　and　equipment。〃
　〃I　fully　understand　that　sinister　threats　call　for　urgent　measures。〃　Sandecker　paused　and　massaged　his　temples　with　his　fingertips　for　a　few　moments。　Then　he　announced；　〃The　resources　of　NUMA　are　at　your　mand。　We'll　give　it　our　best　effort。〃
　The　President　nodded　as　though　he　had　expected　that。　〃Thank　you；　Admiral。　I'm　sure　Mr。　Monroe　and　Admiral　Ferguson　join　me　in　expressing　our　gratitude。〃
　Gunn's　thoughts　were　already　on　the　job　ahead。　〃It　would　be　most　helpful；〃　he　said；　his　eyes　on　Monroe　and　Harper；　〃if　you　had　agents　on　the　inside　of　Shang's　organization　to　feed　us　information。〃
　Monroe　made　a　helpless　gesture　with　his　hands。　〃Shang's　security　is　incredibly　tight。　He's　hired　a　top　group　of　former　Russian　KGB　agents　to　form　an　impenetrable　ring　that　even　the　CIA　has　yet　to　infiltrate。　They　have　a　puterized　personnel　identification　and　investigation　system　that　is　second　to　none。　There　is　no　one　within　Shang's　own　management　circles　who　is　not　under　constant　surveillance。〃
　〃To　date；〃　added　Harper；　〃we've　lost　two　special　agents　who　attempted　to　penetrate　Shang's　organization。　Except　for　one　of　our　agents　who　posed　as　an　immigrant　and　bought　her　passage　on　board　one　of　Shang's　smuggling　ships；　our　undercover　missions　are　in　shambles。　I　hate　to　admit　such　failure；　but　those　are　the　hard　facts。〃
　〃Your　agent　is　a　woman？〃　asked　Sandecker。　〃es　from　a　wealthy　Chinese　family。　She's　one　of　our　best。〃
　〃Any　idea　where　the　smugglers　will　put　your　agent　ashore？〃　asked　Gunn。
　Harper　shook　his　head。　〃We're　not　in　contact　with　her。　They　could　drop　her　and　the　rest　of　the　illegal　immigrants　anywhere　between　San　Francisco　and　Anchorage。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　Shang's　security　people　haven't　already　caught　on　to　her　as　they　did　your　other　two　agents？〃
　Harper's　eyes　remained　fixed　in　space　for　a　long　time。　Finally；　he　admitted　solemnly；　〃We　don't。　All　we　can　do　is　wait　and　hope　until　she　makes　contact　with　one　of　our　West　Coast　district　offices。〃
　〃And　if　you　never　hear　from　her？〃
　Harper　gazed　down　at　the　polished　surface　of　the　table　as　if　seeing　the　unthinkable。　〃Then　I　send　a　letter　of　condolence　to　her　parents　and　assign　someone　else　to　follow　in　her　footsteps。〃
　
　The　meeting　finally　concluded　at　four　o'clock　in　the　morning。　Sandecker　and　Gunn　were　ushered　from　the　President's　secret　quarters　and　returned　through　the　tunnel　to　the　White　House。　As　they　were　driven　to　their　respective　homes　in　the　limousine；　each　man　was　lost　hi　gloomy　thoughts。　Finally　Sandecker　broke　the　somber　mood。
　
　〃They　must　be　desperate　if　they　need　NUMA　to　help　bail　them　out。〃
　〃I'd　probably　call　in　the　Marines；　the　New　York　Stock　Exchange　and　the　Boy　Scouts　too　if　I　was　in　the　President's　shoes；〃　said　Gunn。
　〃A　farce；〃　snorted　Sandecker。　〃My　sources　in　the　White　House　tell　me　the　President　has　been　in　bed　with　Qin　Shang　since　he　was　governor　of　Oklahoma。〃
　Gunn　looked　at　him。　〃But　the　President　said…〃
　〃I　know　what　he　said；　but　what　he　meant　is　a　different　thing。　Naturally；　he　wants　the　flow　of　illegal　immigrants　stopped；　but　he　won't　order　any　measures　that　might　upset　Beijing。　Qin　Shang　is　President　Wallace's　chief　campaign　fund…raiser　in　Asia。　Many　millions　of　dollars　from　the　Chinese　government　were　funneled　through　Hong　Kong　and　Qin　Shang　Maritime　into　Wallace's　campaign　fund。　It's　corrupt　influence　peddling　of　the　highest　order。　That's　why　Wallace　stops　short　of　any　head…to…head　confrontation。　His　administration　is　riddled　with　people　working　on　China's　behalf。　The　man　has　sold　his　soul　to　the　detriment　of　American　citizens。〃
　〃Then　what　does　he　hope　to　gain　if　we　nail　Qin　Shang's　ass　to　the　wall？〃
　〃It　won't　happen；〃　said　Sandecker　acidly。　〃Qin　Shang　will　never　be　indicted　nor　convicted　of　criminal　activities；　certainly　not　in　the　United　States。〃
　〃Then　I　gather　it's　your　plan　to　push　ahead　in　the　investigation；〃　said　Gunn；　〃regardless　of　the　consequences。〃
　Sandecker　nodded。　〃Do　we　have　a　research　ship　operating　in　the　Gulf？〃
　〃The　Marine　Denizen。　Her　scientific　team　is　conducting　a　study　on　the　diminishing　coral　reefs　off　Yucatan。〃
　〃She's　served　NUMA　for　a　long　time；〃　Sandecker　said；　visualizing　the　ship。
　〃The　oldest　in　our　fleet；〃　Gunn　acknowledged。　〃This　is　her　final　voyage。　After　she　returns　to　port　in　Norfolk；　we're　donating　her　to　the　Lampack　University　of　Oceanography。〃
　〃The　university　will　have　to　wait　a　while　longer。　An　old　marine…research　ship　with　a　crew　of　biologists　should　prove　an　ideal　cover　to　investigate　Shang's　port　facility。〃
　〃Who　have　you　in　mind　to　lead　the　investigation？〃
　Sandecker　turned　to　Gunn。　〃Our　special　projects　director；　who　do　you　think？〃
　Gunn　hesitated。　〃Asking　a　bit　much　from　Dirk；　aren't　we？〃
　〃Can　you　think　of　a　better　man？〃
　〃No；　but　he　took　quite　a　beating　on　the　last　project。　When　I　saw　him　a　few　days　ago；　he　looked　like　death　warmed　over。　He　needs　more　time　to　mend。〃
　〃Pitt　is　a　fast　healer；〃　Sandecker　said　confidently。　〃A　challenge　is　just　what　he　needs　to　get　back　into　the　swim　of　things。　Track　him　down　and　tell　him　it's　essential　he　contact　me　immediately。〃
　〃I　don't　know　where　to　reach　him；〃　Gunn　said　vaguely。　〃After　you　gave　him　a　month's　leave；　he　just　took　off　without　saying　where　he　was　going。〃
　〃He's　in　Washington　State