cc.vixen03-第23部分

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razily　as　the　bullets　thudded　into　the　thick　hide　like　hail。　Then　the　firing　ceased　and　the　great　reptile　made　one　more　convulsive　revolution　and　sank　beneath　the　surface。
　Lusana　stood　in　his　wading　boots；　his　eyes　wide；　his　body　stunned　into　immobility。　He　stared　dazedly　into　the　clear　water　at　the　hulk　of　the　crocodile；　now　gracefully　tumbling　along　the　riverbed　in　the　current。
　On　the　bank；　Machita　trembled；　not　so　much　at　Lusana's　narrow　escape　as　at　the　satanic　expression　on　Jumana's　Neanderthal…shaped　face。
　The　bastard　had　known；　Machita　thought。　He　had　known　the　instant　the　crocodile　slithered　off　the　far　bank　and　homed　in　on　the　general；　and　yet　he　had　said　nothing。
　
　25
　
　Chesapeake　Bay；　USA…October　1988
　
　It　was　two　hours　before　dawn　when　Patrick　Fawkes　paid　the　cabdriver　and　walked　up　to　the　floodlit　gate　of　the　Forbes　Marine　Scrap　&　Salvage　pany。　A　uniformed　guard　turned　from　a　portable　TV　set　and　yawned　as　Fawkes　passed　a　small　folder　through　the　arched　window　of　the　gatehouse。　The　guard　scrutinized　the　signatures　and　pared　the　pho…tograph　with　the　man　before　him。　Then　he　passed　it　back。
　〃Wele　to　America；　Captain。　My　employers　have　been　expecting　you。〃
　〃Is　she　here？〃　Fawkes　asked　impatiently。
　〃Tied　up　to　the　east　dock；〃　replied　the　guard；　shoving　a　Xerox　copy　of　a　map　of　the　salvage　area　through　the　window。　〃Mind　your　step。　Since　the　energy　rationing；　the　yard's　night　lights　have　been　shut　off。　It's　darker　than　Hades　out　there。〃　As　Fawkes　passed　under　the　giant　der…ricks　toward　the　dock；　a　wind　swept　in　off　the　bay　and　carried　a　heavy　odor　to　his　nostrils：　the　pungent　perfume　of　the　waterfront。　He　inhaled　the　mingled　aromas　of　diesel　oil；　tar；and　salt　water。　It　never　failed　to　revive　his　spirits。
　He　came　to　the　dock　and　glanced　about　for　signs　of　human　activity。　The　night　crew　had　long　since　gone　home。　Only　a　seagull；　perched　on　a　wooden　piling；　returned　Fawkes's　gaze　out　of　one　beady　eye。
　After　another　hundred　yards；　Fawkes　stopped　at　a　huge　spectral　shape　that　loomed　in　the　darkness　beside　the　pier。　Then　he　took　the　gangplank；　stepped　onto　the　seemingly　endless　deck；　and　unerringly　made　his　way　through　the　steel　labyrinth　to　the　bridge。
　Later；　as　the　sun　crept　over　the　eastern　side　of　the　bay；　the　mutilated　shabbiness　of　the　ship　became　manifest。　But　the　peeling　paint；　the　acres　of　rust；　and　the　jagged　torch　marks　of　the　salvage　crew　stood　unseen　in　Fawkes's　eyes。　Like　a　father　with　a　hideously　disfigured　daughter；　he　saw　only　her　beauty。
　〃Aye；　you're　a　bonny　ship；〃　he　shouted　across　the　silent　decks。　〃You're　gonna　do　just　fine。〃
　
　3
　Salvage
　
　26
　
　Washington；　D。C。　…November　1988
　
　Steiger's　superiors　at　the　Pentagon　sat　on　his　report　of　the　discovery　of　Vixen　03　for　nearly　two　months　before　summoning　him　to　Washington。　To　Steiger　it　was　like　sitting　in　the　audience　of　a　staged　nightmare。　He　felt　more　like　a　hostile　witness　than　a　key　investigator。
　Even　with　the　evidence　before　their　eyes；　in　the　form　of　videotape；　General　Ernest　Burgdorf；　chief　of　Air　Force　Safety；　and　General　John　O'Keefe；　aide　to　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff；　expressed　doubts　over　the　sunken　aircraft's　importance；　and　argued　that　nothing　was　to　be　gained　by　bringing　it　to　light　except　sensationalistic　play　from　the　news　media。　Steiger　sat　stunned。
　〃But　their　families；〃　he　protested。　〃It　would　be　criminal　not　to　notify　the　crew's　families　that　the　bodies　have　been　found。〃
　〃e　to　your　senses；　Colonel。　What　good　would　dredging　up　old　memories　do　them？　The　crew's　parents　are　probably　long　since　dead。　Wives　have　remarried。　Children　raised　by　new　fathers。　Let　all　con…cerned　go　about　their　present　lives　in　peace。〃
　〃There's　still　the　cargo；〃　Steiger　said。　〃The　possibility　exists　that　Vixen　O3's　cargo　included　nuclear　warheads。〃
　〃We've　been　all　through　that；〃　snapped　O'Keefe。　〃A　thorough　…puter　search　through　military…storehouse　records　confirmed　that　there　are　no　missing　warheads。　Every　piece　of　atomic　hardware　beginning　with　the　bomb　dropped　on　Hiroshima　can　be　accounted　for。〃
　〃Are　you　also　aware；　sir；　that　nuclear　material　was；　and　is　still；　shipped　in　stainless…steel　canisters？〃
　〃And　did　it　also　occur　to　you；　Colonel；〃　said　Burgdorf；　〃that　the　canisters　you　say　you　found　might　be　empty？〃
　Steiger　sagged　in　his　chair；　beaten。　He　might　as　well　have　been　debating　with　the　wind。　They　were　treating　him　like　an　overimaginative　child　who　claimed　he'd　seen　an　elephant　in　a　Minnesota　cornfield。
　〃And　if　that　actually　is　the　same　aircraft　that　was　supposed　to　have　vanished　over　the　Pacific；〃　added　Burgdorf；　〃I　think　it　best　to　let　sleep…ing　dogs　lie。〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃The　grim　reasons　behind　the　aircraft's　tremendous　course　differen…tial　may　not　be　something　the　Air　Force　wishes　to　publicize。　Consider　the　probabilities。　To　fly　a　thousand　miles　in　the　opposite　direction　takes　either　the　total　malfunction　of　at　least　five　different　instrument　systems　aided　by　the　blind　stupidity　of　the　crew；　a　navigator　who　lost　his　marbles；　or　a　plot　by　the　entire　crew　to　steal　the　airplane；　for　what　purpose　God　only　knows。〃
　〃But　somebody　must　have　authorized　the　flight　orders；〃　said　Steiger；　puzzled。
　〃Somebody　did；〃　said　O'Keefe。　〃The　original　orders　were　issued　at　Travis　Air　Force　Base；　in　California；　by　a　Colonel　Michael　Irwin。〃
　Steiger　looked　at　the　general　skeptically。　〃Flight　orders　are　seldom　kept　on　file　more　than　a　few　months。　How　is　it　possible　the　ones　in　question　were　retained　for　over　thirty　years？〃
　O'Keefe　shrugged。　〃Don't　ask　me　how；　Colonel。　Take　my　word　for　it：　Vixen　03's　last　flight　plan　turned　up　in　old　files　at　the　Travis　administra…tion　office。〃
　〃And　the　orders　I　found　in　the　wreckage？〃
　〃Accept　the　inevitable；〃　said　Burgdorf。　〃The　papers　you　pulled　out　of　that　Colorado　lake　were　too　far　gone　to　decipher　with　any　degree　of　accuracy。　You　simply　read　something　into　them　that　wasn't　there。〃
　〃As　far　as　I'm　concerned；〃　O'Keefe　said　resolutely；　〃the　explanation　for　Vixen　O3's　course　deviation　is　a　dead　issue。〃　He　turned　to　Burgdorf。　〃You　agree；　General？〃
　〃I　do。〃
　O'Keefe　stared　at　Steiger。　〃Do　you　have　anything　else　you'd　like　to　put　before　us；　Colonel？〃
　Steiger's　superiors　sat　and　waited　for　him　to　reply。　He　knew　no　words　worth　uttering。　He　had　reached　a　dead　end。　The　implication　dangled　over　his　head　like　a　suspended　sword。　Either　Abe　Steiger　forgot　all　about　Vixen　03　or　his　Air　Force　career　would　e　to　a　premature　halt。
　The　President　stood　on　the　putting　green　behind　the　White　House　and　stiffly　swatted　a　dozen　balls　toward　the　cup　only　five　feet　away。　None　dropped　in；　further　proving　to　him　that　golf　was　not　his　game。　He　could　understand　the　petitive　challenge　of　tennis　or　handball　or　even　a　fast　run　of　pool；　but　why　one　would　choose　to　pete　against　one's　own　handicap　escaped　him。
　〃Now　I　can　die　content；　for　I　have　seen　everything。〃
　The　President　straightened　and　looked　into　the　grinning　face　of　Timothy　March；　his　Secretary　of　Defense。
　〃It　all　goes　to　prove　how　much　time　I　have　on　my　hands　now　that　I'm　a　lame…duck　president。〃
　March；　a　short；　dumpy　man　who　detested　any　sort　of　physical　exer…tion；　walked　onto　the　green。　〃You　should　be　happy　with　the　election。　Your　party　and　your　man　won。〃
　〃Nobody　ever　really　wins　an　election；〃　the　President　grunted。　〃What's　on　your　mind；　Tim？〃
　〃Thought　you　might　like　to　know　I've　clamped　the　lid　on　that　old　aircraft　found　in　the　Rockies。〃
　〃Probably　a　wise　move。〃
　〃A　baffling　affair；〃　said　March。　〃Except　for　those　doctored　flight　plans　in　Air　Force　files；　there　is　no　trace…of　the　crew's　true　mission。〃
　〃So　be　it；〃　said　the　President；　finally　knocking　a　ball　into　the　cup。　〃Let's　leave　it　lie。　If　Eisenhower　buried　the　answers　during　his　adminis…tration；　far　be　it　from　me　to　open　a　can　of　worms　during　mine。〃
　〃I　suggest　we　remove　the　remains　of　the　crew　for　a　military　burial。　We　owe　them　that。〃
　〃Okay；　but　absolutely　no　publicity。〃
　〃I'll　make　that　clear　to　the　Air　Force　officer　in　charge。〃
　The　President　tossed　the　putter　to　a　Secret　Service　man　who　lurked　nearby　and　motioned　for　March　to　acpany　him　to　the　Executive　Offices。
　〃What's　your　best　educated　guess；　Tim？　What　do　you　really　think　Ike　was　trying　to　cover　up　back　in　1954？〃
　〃That　question　has　kept　me　staring　at　the　ceiling　the　past　few　nights；〃　said　March。　〃I　don't　have　the　foggiest　idea。〃
　Steiger　shouldered　his　way　past　the　lunchtime　crowd　waiting　for　tables　at　the　Cottonwood　Inn　and　entered　the　bar。　Pitt　waved　from　a　rear　booth　and　motioned　for　the　cocktail　waitress　in　almost　the　same　gesture。　Steiger　slipped　into　a　seat　across　from　Pitt　as　the　waitress；　seductively　attired　in　an　abbreviated　colonial　costume；　arched　her　blossoming　breasts　over　the　table。
　〃A　martini　on　the　rocks；〃　said　Steiger；　eyeing　the　mounds。　〃On　second　thought；　make　that　a　double。　It's　been　one　of　those　mornings。〃
　Pitt　held　up　a　nearly　empty　glass。　〃Another　salty　dog。〃
　〃Christ；〃　moaned　Steiger。　〃How　can　you　stand　those　things？〃
　〃I　hear　they're　good　for　cutting　down　weight；〃　Pitt　answered。　〃The　enzymes　from　the　grapefruit　juice　cancel　out　the　calories　in　the　vodka。〃
　〃Sounds　like　an　old…wives'　tale。　Besides；　why　bother？　You　don't　have　an　ounce　of