cc.fireice-第58节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Nice　of　us　to　provide　an　excuse　for　the　inpetence　of　other　agencies；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃But　I'm　afraid　it　means　NUMA　is　on　its　own　when　it　es　to　the　Sea　Hunter　business。　Any　lead　on　this　man；　Boris？〃
　〃He's　a　will…o'…the…wisp；〃　Austin　said。　〃Our　best　chance　is　to　concentrate　on　Razov。　At　last　report；　his　yacht　had　left　the　Black　Sea；　and　we're　trying　to　track　it　down。〃
　〃We're　going　to　have　to　do　better；〃　Sandecker　said。　Sandecker's　inter　beeped　softly；　and　the　voice　of　his　secretary　came　on。
　
　〃I　know　you're　in　conference；　Admiral；　but　Mr。　Yaeger　is　here　with　two　other　gentlemen　and　he　says　it's　urgent　that　they　see　you。〃
　〃Send　them　in；　please；〃　Sandecker　said。　A　moment　later；　the　office　door　opened　and　Yaeger　came　in；　followed　by　the　diminutive　Dr。　Reed　and　a　stranger。　Sandecker　had　spent　too　much　time　on　the　water　not　to　recognize　Jenkins　as　a　fisherman；　especially　after　they　shook　hands　and　he　felt　the　barnacle…hard　calluses。
　
　He　greeted　them　warmly　and　told　the　men　to　pull　up　chairs。　〃Well；　Hiram；　what　brings　you　out　of　your　sanctum　sanctorum？〃
　〃I　think　Dr。　Jenkins　can　explain　it　better　than　I　can。〃　Jenkins　was　nervous　at　being　in　the　presence　of　the　legendary　director　of　NUMA。　But　once　he　started　to　talk；　he　hit　his　stride。　When　Jenkins　finished　his　saga；　Reed　gave　his　opinion　as　a　geochemist。　Finally；　Yaeger　pitched　in；　passing　around　printouts　of　the　diagrams　Max　had　projected　onto　the　screen。　Sandecker　sat　back　in　his　chair；　tenting　his　fingers；　his　eyes　alert　to　every　nuance。
　
　When　they　were　through　with　their　presentation；　he　tapped　his　inter。　〃Please　see　if　Dr。　Wilkins　can　e　up　from　the　Geology　Department。〃
　
　Dr。　Elwood　Wilkins　arrived　a　few　minutes　later。　He　was　I　slim；　reserved　midwesterner　who　looked　like　one　of　those　movie　character　actors　who　always　played　the　kindly　pharmacist　or　family　doctor。　Sandecker　pulled　over　another　chair　close　to　his　desk。　He　passed　Wilkins　the　printouts　and　gave　the　geologist　a　few　minutes　to　study　them。　Wilkins　finished　reading　the　material　and　looked　up。
　
　Sandecker　answered　the　question　in　the　scientist's　eyes。　〃These　gentlemen　have　suggested　that　it　is　possible　for　the　edge　of　the　continental　shelf　along　the　East　Coast　to　cave　in；　creating　destructive　tsunamis。　While　I　value　their　opinion；　it　a　never　hurts　to　hear　from　a　disinterested　observer。　What　do　d　you　think？〃
　
　Wilkins　smiled。　〃Oh；　I　don't　think　there's　any　danger　of　the　Atlantic　City　Boardwalk　being　washed　into　the　sea。〃
　
　Sandecker　raised　an　eyebrow。
　
　〃But；〃　Wilkins　added；　〃there　is　new　research　which　indicates　that　what　they　suggest　is　not　at　all　far…fetched。　The　d　rock　under　the　overlying　layer　of　the　continental　shelf　is　quite　waterlogged。　If　the　pressure　exerted　by　the　sea　bottom　reached　a　critical　state；　the　water　would　squeeze　out。　It's　as　if　you　stepped　on　a　balloon。　The　blowout　could　cause　landslides　that　deform　the　water　and　send　giant　waves　toward　the　shore。　Some　of　my　colleagues　at　Penn　State　University　have　run　puter　models　demonstrating　that　the　possibility　is　very　real。〃
　〃These　slides　would　have　to　be　triggered　by　a　quake？〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　〃A　quake　could　do　it；　most　certainly。〃
　〃Could　it　happen　on　the　East　Coast？〃　Gunn　asked。
　
　Wilkins　tapped　the　sheaf　of　printouts　in　his　hand。　〃This　material　pretty　much　spells　it　out。　The　continental　shelf　runs　the　full　length　of　the　coast。　In　several　places　along　its　slope　are　big　cracks　and　craters　where　the　potential　for　landslides　is　greater。〃
　〃Could　a　slide　be　caused　by　something　other　than　a　quake？〃　Gunn　said。
　
　〃It　could　happen　spontaneously。　I'm　sorry　I　can't　be　more　specific。　This　is　a　whole　new　area　of　science。〃
　〃I　was　thinking　of　a　release　of　methane　hydrate。〃
　〃Why　not？　If　the　hydrate　layer　is　destabilized；　sure；　the　whole　shooting　match　could　e　tumbling　down　and　set　off　your　giant　waves。〃
　
　Sandecker　could　see　Wilkins's　lips　about　to　form　a　question。　He　cut　the　discussion　short。　〃Thank　you；　Doctor。　You've　been　a　great　help；　as　always。〃　He　ushered　Wilkins　to　the　door；　patted　him　on　the　back　and　thanked　him　again。　Returning　to　the　others；　he　said；　〃I　hope　you　weren't　insulted　at　my　bringing　Dr。　Wilkins　in。　I　wanted　to　hear　from　an　independent　source。〃
　〃From　what　we　heard；〃　Gunn　said；　〃I'd　say　there's　a　pretty　good　case　here　that　Razov　has　discovered　how　to　cause　a　tsunami。　The　wave　that　struck　the　Maine　coast　was　a　dry　run；　if　you'll　excuse　the　expression。　If　we're　correct　in　our　assumption；　he's　somehow　capable　of　causing　enormous　destruction。〃
　
　〃The　Ataman　Explorer　is　the　key；〃　Austin　said。　〃We've　got　to　find　her。〃
　〃We'll　have　to　do　more；〃　Sandecker　said　with　quiet　urgency。　〃We've　got　to　get　aboard　that　ship！〃
　
　…28…
　ROCKY　POINT；　MAINE
　
　BEFORE　THE　BIG　wave　had　hit；　Rocky　Point　had　been　the　quintessential　rock…ribbed　Maine　town；　its　picturesque　harbor　and　neat　clapboard…and…shingle　houses　appearing　in　countless　calendars。　The　tidy　Main　Street　could　have　e　from　a　Frank　Capra　movie。　But　as　Jenkins's　boat　moved　out　of　the　harbor；　Austin　gazed　back　toward　land　and　thought　that　the　town　now　looked　like　one　of　those　pictures　where　the　viewer　was　challenged　to　detect　the　mistakes。　Plenty　was　wrong　with　this　picture。
　
　The　waterfront　lobster　restaurants；　the　fish　pier　and　the　controversial　motel　were　gone；　and　all　that　was　left　were　pilings　that　jutted　from　the　water　like　bad　teeth。　Spherical　Day…Glo　warning　buoys　bobbed　on　the　water　to　mark　sunken　wrecks。　Cranes　clawed　away　at　the　wreckage　of　boats　on　shore。　Debris　of　every　kind　swirled　in　the　Kestrel's　wake。
　
　Had　Austin　been　of　a　more　poetical　bent；　he　would　have　said　that　the　big　wave　had　stolen　the　town's　soul。　〃What　I　mess；〃　was　the　best　he　could　e　up　with。
　
　〃Coulda　been　worse；〃　said　Police　Chief　Charlie　Howes；　who　stood　next　to　Austin　in　the　boat's　stern。
　
　〃Yeah；　if　hit　by　a　nuclear　missile；〃　Austin　said；　with　a　shake　of　his　head。
　
　〃Yep；〃　Howes　replied；　not　letting　an　outlander　outdo　his　Maine　talent　for　brevity　of　speech。
　
　Austin　had　been　introduced　to　the　chief　a　few　hours　earlier。　A　NUMA　executive　corporate　jet　had　whisked　Austin；　Paul　Trout　and　Jenkins　to　the　Portland　Airport。　Jenkins　had　called　ahead　to　Chief　Howes；　and　he　was　waiting　at　the　air…　port　in　a　police　cruiser　to　drive　the　men　to　Rocky　Point。
　
　After　the　meeting　with　Sandecker；　Austin　had　gone　to　his　office　with　the　satellite　photos　of　the　Ataman　Explorer　and　studied　them　under　a　high…powered　magnifying　glass。　Even　though　the　pictures　had　been　shot　from　thousands　of　feet　up；　they　were　sharp　and　detailed。　He　could　easily　read　the　ship's　name　on　the　hull　and　see　people　on　deck。
　
　Austin　was　immediately　struck　by　the　ship's　resemblance　to　the　Glomar　Explorer；　the　six…hundred…foot…long　salvage　vessel　Howard　Hughes　had　built　in　the　1970s　on　secret　contract　to　the　CIA　to　retrieve　a　sunken　Soviet　submarine。　Tall　derricks　and　cranes　similar　to　those　on　the　Glomar　extended　off　the　deck　like　waterborne　oil　rigs。
　
　Austin　examined　the　ship　from　stem　to　stern；　paying　particular　attention　to　the　deck　area　around　the　derricks。　He　made　a　few　sketches　on　a　pad　of　paper　and　sat　back　in　his　chair；　a　smug　smile　on　his　face。　He　had　figured　out　a　way　to　set　onto　the　Ataman　Explorer。　It　was　a　long　shot　and　depended　on　how　close　he　could　get　to　it　The　vessel　would　run　for　cover　at　the　first　sight　of　a　NUMA　ship。　He　thought　about　the　problem　for　a　few　minutes；　recalling　his　Black　Sea　experience　with　Captain　Kemal；　then　picked　up　his　phone；　called　Yaeger　and　asked　where　Jenkins　was。
　
　〃Doc　Reed　is　giving　him　the　NUMA　VIP　tour。　He's　offered　to　put　Jenkins　up　for　the　night　before　he　catches　a　plane　back　to　Maine　tomorrow。〃
　〃See　if　you　can　track　them　down　and　give　me　a　call。〃　Austin's　phone　rang　a　few　minutes　later。　Austin　outlined　his　plan　to　Jenkins；　making　no　effort　to　soft　pedal　its　possible　dangers。　Jenkins　didn't　hesitate　for　a　second。　When　Austin　was　through　describing　his　wild　scheme；　Jenkins　said；　〃I'll　do　anything　you　can　think　of　to　get　back　at　the　bums　who　ruined　my　town。〃
　
　Austin　told　Jenkins　to　enjoy　his　tour　while　he　made　a　few　phone　calls。　The　first　call　was　to　the　NUMA　transportation　section　to　see　if　fast　transportation　was　available。　The　second　was　to　the　Trout's　Georgetown　town　house。　Gamay　had　left　a　message　saying　she　and　Paul　were　home　from　Istanbul　and　were　standing　by　for　orders。　Austin　got　Paul　on　the　phone　and　brought　him　up　to　date。
　
　In　the　meantime；　Jenkins　started　calling　those　local　fishermen　whose　boats　were　still　afloat　and　asked　if　they　would　like　to　do　a　job。　At　Austin's　suggestion；　Jenkins　told　the　fishermen　that　NUMA　needed　their　boats　for　a　deep…ocean　species　study。　As　a　bonus；　the　substantial　sums　they　were　being　paid　would　be　matched　by　no…strings　grants　to　get　their　port　back　into　shape　without　going　through　the　usual　government　red　tape。
　
　Jenkins　had　no　trouble　recruiting　fishermen；　and　when　the　Kestrel　left　port　shortly　after　dawn；　six　other　lobster　boats　and　trawlers　trailed　behind　him　single…file。　Charlie　Howes　had　insisted　on　going　along；　and　Jenkins　was　glad　to　have　him。　The　chief　had　trapped　lobsters　for　a　living　before　joining　the　police　department