alistairmaclean.seawitch-第8部分

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　Mitchell　paused　in　slicing　bread。　〃As　far　as　your　last　question　is　concerned；　why　don't　you　call　up　Melinda　and　ask　her？〃
　Roomer　gave　him　a　long；　quizzical　look；　sighed　and　reached　for　the　telephone。
　
　
　Chapter　3
　
　COFFIELD　had　been　wrong　in　his　guess。　Lord　Worth　was　possessed　of　no　private　arsenal。　But　the　United　States　armed　services　were；　and　in　their　dozens；　at　that。
　The　two　break…ins　were　acplished　with　the　professional　expertise　born　of　a　long　and　arduous　practice　that　precluded　any　possibility　of　mistakes。　The　targets　in　both　cases　were　government　arsenals；　one　army　and　one　naval。　Both；　naturally；　were　manned　by　round…the…clock　guards；　none　of　whom　was　killed　or　even　injured　if　one　were　to　disregard　the　cranial　contusions…and　those　were　few…caused　by　sandbagging　and　sapping：　Lord　Worth　had　been　very　explicit　on　the　use　of　minimal　violence。
　Giuseppe　Palermo；　who　looked　and　dressed　like　a　successful　Wall　Street　broker；　had　the　more　difficult　task　of　the　two；　although；　as　a　man　who　held　the　Mafia　in　tolerant　contempt；　he　regarded　the　exercise　as　almost　childishly　easy。　Acpanied　by　nine　almost　equally　respectable　men…sartorially　respectable；　that　is…three　of　whom　were　dressed　as　army　majors；　he　arrived　at　the　Florida　arms　depot　at　fifteen　minutes　to　midnight。　The　six　young　guards；　none　of　whom　had　even　seen　or　heard　a　shot　fired　in　anger；　were　at　their　drowsiest　and　expecting　nothing　but　their　midnight　reliefs。　Only　two　were　really　fully　awake…the　other　four　had　dozed　away…and　those　two；　responding　to　a　heavy　and　peremptory　hammering　on　the　main　entrance　door；　were　disturbed；　not　to　say　highly　alarmed；　by　the　appearance　of　three　army　officers　who　announced　that　they　were　making　a　snap　inspection　to　test　security　and　alertness。　Five　minutes　later　all　six　were　bound　and　gagged…two　of　them　uncon…cious　and　due　to　wake　up　with　very　sore　heads　because　of　their　misguided　attempts　to　put　up　a　show　of　resistance…and　safely　locked　up　in　one　of　the　many　so…called　secure　rooms　in　the　depot。
　During　this　period　and　the　next　twenty　minutes；　one　of　Palermo's　men；　an　electronics　expert　called　Jamieson；　made　a　thorough　search　for　all　the　external　alarm　signals　to　both　the　police　and　nearest　military　HQ。　He　either　bypassed　or　disconnected　them　all。
　It　was　when　he　was　engaged　in　this　that　the　relief　guards；　almost　as　drowsy　as　those　whom　they　had　been　expecting　to　find；　made　their　appearance　and　were　highly　disconcerted　to　find　themselves　looking　at　the　muzzles　of　three　machine　carbines。　Within　minutes；　securely　bound　but　not　gagged；　they　had　joined　the　previous　guards；　whose　gags　were　now　removed。　They　could　now　shout　until　doomsday；　as　the　nearest　habitation　was　more　than　a　mile　away：　the　temporary　gagging　of　the　first　six　guards　had　been　merely　for　the　purpose　of　preventing　their　warning　off　their　reliefs。
　Palermo　now　had　almost　eight　hours　before　the　break…in　could　be　discovered。
　He　sent　one　of　his　men；　Watkins；　to　bring　round　to　the　front　the　concealed　minibus　in　which　they　had　arrived。　All　of　them；　Watkins　excepted；　changed　from　their　conservative　clothing　and　military　uniforms　into　rough　workclothes；　which　resulted　in　rather　remarkable　changes　in　their　appearance　and　character。　While　they　were　doing　this；　Watkins　went　to　the　depot　garage；　picked　a　surprisingly　ineffectual　lock；　selected　a　two…ton　truck；　hot…wired　the　ignition…the　keys　were；　understandably；　missing…and　drove　out　to　the　already　open　main　loading　doors　of　the　depot。
　Palermo　had　brought　along　with　him　one　by　the　name　of　Jacobson　who；　between　sojourns　in　various　penitentiaries；　had　developed　to　a　remarkable　degree　the　fine　art　of　opening　any　type　of　lock；　bination　or　otherwise。　Fortunately　his　services　were　not　needed；　for　nobody；　curiously　enough；　had　taken　the　trouble　to　conceal　some　score　of　keys　hanging　on　the　wall　in　the　main　office。
　In　less　than　half　an　hour　Palermo　and　his　men　had　loaded　aboard　the　truck…chosen　because　it　was　a　covered…van　type…a　staggering　variety　of　weaponry；　ranging　from　bazookas　to　machine　pistols；　together　with　sufficient　ammunition　for　a　battalion　and　a　considerable　amount　of　high　explosives。　Then　they　relocked　the　doors　and　took　the　keys　with　them…when　the　next　relief　arrived　at　eight　in　the　morning　it　would　take　them　that　much　longer　to　discover　what　had　actually　happened。　After　that；　they　locked　the　loading　and　main　entrance　doors。
　Watkins　drove　the　minibus；　with　its　load　of　discarded　clothes；　back　to　its　place　of　concealment；　returned　to　the　truck　and　drove　off。　The　other　nine　sat　or　lay　in　varying　degrees　of　disfort　among　the　weaponry　in　the　back。　It　was　as　well　for　them　that　it　was　only　twenty　minutes'　drive　to　Lord　Worth's　private；　isolated　and　deserted　heliport…deserted；　that　is；　except　for　two　helicopters；　their　pilots　and　copilots。
　The　truck；　　using　only　　its　　sidelights；　　came　through　the　gates　of　the　heliport　and　drew　up　alongside　one　of　the　helicopters。　Discreet　portable　loading　lights　were　switched　on；　casting　hardly　more　than　a　dull　glow；　but　sufficient　for　a　man　only　eighty　yards　away　and　equipped　with　a　pair　of　night　glasses　to　distinguish　clearly　what　was　going　on。　And　Roomer；　prone　in　the　spinney　with　the　binoculars　to　his　eyes；　was　only　eighty　yards　away。　No　attempt　had　been　made　to　wrap　or　in　any　way　to　disguise　the　nature　of　the　cargo。　It　took　only　twenty　minutes　to　unload　the　truck　and　stow　its　contents　away　in　the　helicopter　under　the　watchful　eye　of　a　pilot　with　a　keen　regard　for　weight　distribution。
　Palermo　and　his　men；　with　the　exception　of　Watkins；　boarded　the　other　helicopter　and　sat　back　to　await　promised　reinforcements。　The　pilot　of　this　helicopter　had　already；　as　was　customary；　radio…filed　his　flight　plan　to　the　nearest　airport；　accurately　giving　his　destination　as　the　Seawitch。　To　have　done　otherwise　would　have　been　foolish　indeed。　The　radar　tracking　systems　along　the　Gulf　states　are　as　efficient　as　any　in　the　world；　and　any　course　deviation　from　a　falsely　declared　destination　would　have　meant　that；　in　very　short　order；　two　highly　suspicious　pilots　in　supersonic　jets　would　be　flying　alongside　and　asking　some　very　unpleasant　questions。
　Watkins　drove　the　truck　back　to　the　garage；　Jewired　the　ignition；　locked　the　door；　retrieved　the　minibus　and　left。　Before　dawn；　all　his　friends*　clothes　would　have　been　returned　to　their　apartments；　and　the　minibus；　which　had　of　course　been　stolen；　to　its　parking　lot。
　Roomer　was　getting　bored　and　his　elbows　were　being　sore。　Since　the　minibus　had　driven　away　some　half　hour　ago　he　had　remained　in　the　same　prone　position；　his　night　glasses　seldom　far　from　his　eyes。　His　sandwiches　were　gone；　as　was　all　his　coffee；　and　he　would　have　given　much　for　a　cigarette　but　decided　it　would　be　unwise。　Clearly　those　aboard　the　helicopters　were　waiting　for　something；　and　that　something　could　only　be　the　arrival　of　Lord　Worth。
　He　heard　the　sound　of　an　approaching　engine　and　saw　another　vehicle；　with　only　sidelights　on；　turn　through　the　gateway。　It　was　another　minibus。　Whoever　was　inside　was　not　the　man　he　was　waiting　for；　he　knew：　Lord　Worth　was　not　much　given　to　traveling　in　minibuses。　The　vehicle　drew　up　alongside　the　passenger　helicopter　and　its　passengers　disembarked　and　climbed　aboard　the　helicooter。　Roomer　counted　twelve　in　all。
　The　last　was　just　disappearing　inside　the　helicopter　when　another　vehicle　arrived。　This　one　didn't　pass　through　the　gateway；　it　swept　through　it；　with　only　parking　lights　on。　A　Rolls　Royce。　Lord　Worth；　for　a　certainty。　As　if　to　redouble　his　certainty；　there　caine　to　his　ears　the　soft　swish　of　tires　on　the　grass。　He　twisted　round　to　see　a　car；　both　lights　and　engine　off；　coasting　to　a　soundless　stop　beside　his　own。
　〃Over　here；〃　Roomer　called　softly。　Mitchell　joined　him；　and　together　they　watched　the　white…clad　figure　of　Lord　Worth　leave　the　Rolls　and　mount　the　steps　to　the　helicopter。　〃I　guess　that　pletes　the　payload　for　the　night。〃
　〃The　payload　being？〃
　〃There　are　twenty…one　other　passengers　aboard　that　machine。　I　can't　swear　to　it；　but　instinct　tells　me　they　are　not　honest；　upright　citizens。　They　say　that　every　multimillionaire　has　his　own　private　army。　I　think　I've　just　seen　one　of　Lord　Worth's　platoons　filing　by。〃
　〃The　second　chopper's　not　involved？〃
　〃It　sure　is。　It's　the　star　of　the　show…loaded　to　the　gunwales　with　armament。〃
　〃That's　not　a　crime　in　itself。　Could　be　part　of　Lord　Worth's　private　collection。　He's　got　one　of　the　biggest　in　the　country。〃
　〃Private　citizens　aren't　allowed　to　have　bazookas；　machine　guns　and　high　explosives　in　their　collections。〃
　〃He　borrowed　them；　you　think？〃
　〃Yeah。　Without　payment　or　receipt。〃
　〃The　nearest　government　arsenal？〃
　〃I'd　say　so。〃
　〃They're　still　sitting　there。　Maybe　they're　waiting　a　preset　time　before　takeoff。　Might　be　some　time。　Let's　go　to　one　of　the　cars　and　radio　the　law。〃
　〃The　nearest　army　mand　post　is　seven　miles　from　here。〃
　〃Right。〃
　The　two　men　were　on　their　feet　and　had　taken　only　two　steps　toward　the　cars　when；　almost　simultaneously；　the　engines　of　both　helicopters　started　up　with　their　usual　clattering　roar。　Seconds　later　both　machines　lifted　off。
　Mitchell　said：　〃Well；　it　was　a　thought。〃
　〃　'Was'　is　right。　Look　at　'em　go：