cc.fireice-第8节

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l　do　what　he　says。　Stay　out　of　the　control　area。　This　is　not　a　joke。　Repeat：　This　is　not　a　joke。　Remain　at　your　posts。　Anyone　ing　forward　will　be　shot。〃
　
　Startled　voices　could　be　heard　ing　from　the　aft　section；　and　the　captain　issued　the　warning　a　second　time　to　make　sure　his　men　knew　he　was　serious。
　
　〃Very　good；〃　Pulaski　said。　〃Now　you　will　bring　the　sub　up　to　the　five…hundred…foot　level。〃
　〃You　heard　him；〃　Logan　said　to　the　pilot；　as　if　reluctant　to　give　the　direct　order。
　
　The　pilot　had　been　frozen　in　his　chair。　At　Logan's　mand；　he　reached　for　the　controls　and　pumped　water　from　the　variable　ballast　tanks。　Working　the　planes；　he　elevated　the　sub's　nose　and　moved　the　NR…1　upward　with　short　bursts　of　the　main　propulsion。　At　five　hundred　feet；　he　leveled　the　sub　off。
　
　〃Okay；〃　Logan　said。　〃Now　what？〃　His　eyes　blazed　with　anger。
　
　Pulaski　glanced　at　his　watch　like　a　man　worrying　over　a　late　train。　〃Now　we　wait。〃　He　shifted　the　gun　away　from　the　pilot；　but　kept　it　leveled　and　at　ready。
　
　Ten　minutes　passed。　Then　fifteen。　Logan's　patience　was　wearing　thin。　〃If　you　don't　mind；　could　you　tell　me　what　we're　waiting　for？〃
　
　Pulaski　put　his　finger　to　his　lips。　〃You'll　see；〃　he　said　with　a　mysterious　smile。
　
　Several　more　minutes　passed。　The　tension　was　suffocating。　Logan　stared　at　the　sail　cam　monitor；　wondering　who　this　man　was　and　what　he　wanted…and　the　answer　was　soon　in　ing。　A　huge　shadow　moved　beyond　the　sharply　pointed　bow。
　
　Logan　leaned　forward　and　peered　at　the　screen。　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃
　
　The　shadow　glided　under　the　sub　like　a　monstrous　shark　ing　up　for　a　belly　bite。　A　horrendous　metal　clang　reverberated　from　one　end　of　the　sub　to　the　other　as　if　the　NR…1　had　been　slammed　by　a　giant　sledgehammer。　The　vessel　shivered　from　the　shock　and　rose　several　feet。
　
　〃We've　been　hit！〃　the　pilot　yelled；　instinctively　reaching　f　for　the　controls。
　
　〃Stay　where　you　are！〃　Pulaski　barked；　bringing　his　gun　to　bear。
　
　The　pilot's　hand　froze　in　midair　and　his　eyes　stared　at　the　overhead。　Those　in　the　sub　could　hear　scraping　and　dragging　as　if　big　metal　bugs　were　crawling　on　the　hull。
　
　Pulaski　beamed　with　pleasure。　〃Our　weling　party　has　arrived　to　greet　us。〃
　
　The　noise　continued　for　several　minutes　before　it　stopped；　to　be　replaced　by　the　vibration　of　powerful　engines。　The　speed　dial　on　the　control　panel　began　to　move　even　though　no　power　had　been　given　to　the　thrusters。
　
　〃We're　moving；〃　the　pilot　said；　his　eyes　glued　to　the　speed　indicator。　〃What　should　I　do？〃
　
　He　turned　to　the　captain。　They　were　up　to　ten；　then　twenty　knots　and　still　accelerating。
　
　〃Nothing；〃　Pulaski　answered。　Turning　to　Logan；　he　said；　〃Captain；　if　you　would　give　a　message　to　your　crew。〃
　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　say？〃
　
　Pulaski　smiled。　〃I　think　that　is　fairly　obvious；〃　he　said。　〃Tell　them　to　sit　back　and　enjoy　the　ride。〃
　
　…3…
　THE　BLACK　SEA
　
　THE　SIXTEEN…FOOT　ZODIAC　inflatable　boat　sped　toward　the　distant　shore；　its　flat　bottom　thumping　against　the　wave　like　a　hand　beating　a　tom…tom。　Hunkered　down　in　the　bow；　hands　clutching　the　lifeline　to　keep　from　being　bounced　out；　Kaela　Dorn　looked　like　a　finely　carved　figurehead。　The　spray　that　splashed　over　the　blunt　prow　stung　her　face　and　her　dusky　features　dripped　with　water；　but　she　turned　away　only　once；　and　that　was　to　yell　at　the　man　who　knelt　in　the　boat　with　his　hand　on　the　tiller。
　
　〃Mehmet；　crank　this　thing　up；　crank　it　up！〃　She　made　circular　motions　with　her　hand　as　if　she　were　twirling　a　lariat。
　
　The　wizened　Turk　answered　with　a　toothless　grin　that　was　wider　than　his　face。　He　goosed　the　throttle　and　the　Zodiac　porpoised　over　the　next　wave　and　slammed　down　with　even　greater　gut…wrenching　force。　Kaela　reinforced　her　grip　on　the　lifeline　and　laughed　with　delight。
　
　The　two　men　jouncing　around　in　the　boat　like　dice　in　a　shaker　were　less　enthusiastic。　They　held　tight　to　keep　from　being　thrown　into　the　sea；　their　teeth　clacking　with　every　jolt。　Neither　passenger　was　surprised　to　hear　Kaela　tell　Mehmet　to　kick　up　the　speed。　After　three　months　of　working　with　the　young　reporter　on　the　Unbelievable　Mysteries　television　series；　they　were　accustomed　to　her　recklessness。　Mickey　Lombardo；　the　crew's　senior　member；　was　a　short；　thickset　native　New　Yorker　with　arms　made　powerful　from　hefting　sound　and　light　equipment　in　and　out　of　every　conceivable　means　of　transport　around　the　globe。　A　wave　had　extinguished　the　cigar　clenched　between　his　teeth　seconds　after　their　wild　ride　began。　His　assistant；　Hank　Simpson；　was　a　blond　and　muscled　Australian　beach　boy　Lombardo　had　nicknamed　〃Dundee。〃
　
　When　they'd　first　learned　that　they　would　be　working　closely　with　the　beautiful　reporter；　neither　man　could　believe　his　good　luck。　That　was　before　Kaela　had　led　them　through　a　dung…filled　bat　cave　in　Arizona；　down　the　rapids　in　the　Green　Hell　of　the　Amazon　and　crashed　a　voodoo　ceremony　in　Haiti。　Lombardo　said　Kaela　was　living　proof　of　the　old　axiom：　Be　careful　what　you　wish　for；　because　you　might　get　it。　She'd　turned　out　to　be　a　cross　between　Amelia　Earhart　and　Wonder　Woman；　and　their　libidos　had　diminished　in　direct　proportion　to　their　growing　respect　for　her　audacity。　Instead　of　regarding　Kaela　as　a　potential　conquest；　they　now　guarded　her　like　a　precocious　kid　sister　who　had　to　be　protected　from　her　own　impetuousness。
　
　Lombardo　and　Dundee　could　hardly　be　classified　as　shrinking　violets　themselves。　The　crews　that　worked　for　Unbelievable　Mysteries　had　to　be　physically　fit；　aggressive　in　pursuing　a　story　and　preferably　brain…dead。　The　cable　TV　series　had　a　high　turnover　and　injury　rate。　With　its　emphasis　on　high…risk　adventures；　the　series　was　tough　on　production　crews　…　in　fact；　the　misadventures　of　the　crews；　rather　than　their　main　assignments；　often　became　the　topic　of　each　episode。　It　was　the　logical　continuation　of　the　〃true…life〃　adventure　inspired　by　the　success　of　the　Survivor　series　and　its　clones。　If　a　reporter　or　technician　were　swept　into　the　sea　or　pursued　by　cannibals；　it　made　for　a　better　story。　As　long　as　a　crew　didn't　lose　expensive　equipment；　management　didn't　care　how　hazardous　working　conditions　were。
　
　They　had　arrived　in　Istanbul　a　few　days　earlier　to　launch　a　search　for　Noah's　ark。　The　ark　was　an　overworked　clichй　that　even　the　supermarket　tabloids　had　consigned　to　the　back　section　with　Elvis　sightings　and　the　Loch　Ness　monster；　so　Kaela　had　kept　a　sharp　eye　out　for　other　leads　in　case　the　ark　story　didn't　pan　out。　Their　first　day；　while　Kaela　was　looking　for　a　fishing　boat　to　take　them　into　the　Black　Sea；　she'd　struck　up　a　conversation　with　a　colorful　old　Russian　seaman　she　met　on　the　docks。　He　had　served　on　a　Soviet　missile　sub　and　told　her　about　an　abandoned　submarine　base；　even　drew　her　a　map　showing　the　base's　location　in　a　remote　er　of　the　Black　Sea；　after　hinting　that　a　gift　of　money　might　refresh　his　failing　memory。
　
　When　Kaela　approached　her　colleagues　and　excitedly　poured　out　the　story　of　the　abandoned　Soviet　submarine　base；　they　lost　no　time　planning　a　side　trip。　The　sub　base　might　make　a　good　backup　if　the　search　for　Noah's　ark　fell　apart；　as　it　probably　would。　The　fishing　boat　had　been　hired　to　take　them　to　a　rendezvous　with　a　research　vessel　from　the　National　Underwater　and　Marine　Agency。
　
　Captain　Kemal；　the　boat's　owner；　was　paid　by　the　day；　and　said　he　knew　of　the　sub　base　and　would　be　happy　to　go　there　before　they　hooked　up　with　the　NUMA　vessel。　However；　the　fishing　boat　had　engine　trouble　as　they　neared　the　base　and　the　captain　wanted　to　turn　back　to　port　…　he'd　had　a　similar　problem　before　and　it　would　take　only　a　few　hours　to　fix　it　once　he　had　the　part　…　but　Kaela　had　persuaded　him　to　drop　her　and　her　crew　off　and　e　back　for　them　the　next　day。　Mehmet；　who　was　the　captain's　cousin；　had　volunteered　to　run　them　ashore　in　his　Zodiac。
　
　Now；　the　Zodiac　was　approaching　a　wide　beach　that　rose　gradually　to　a　ridge　of　sand　dunes。　The　waves　grew　higher　and　closer　together；　and　Mehmet　reduced　their　speed　to　half。　The　old　Russian　sailor　had　said　that　the　base　was　underground；　near　an　abandoned　scientific　station；　and　they　would　have　to　search　for　telltale　air　vents。　Kaela　wiped　the　water　from　her　sunglasses　and　squinted　toward　the　grassy　hills；　but　saw　no　sign　of　human　presence。　The　countryside　was　bleak　and　desolate；　and　she　began　to　wonder　if　they　had　bitten　off　more　than　they　could　chew。　The　bean　counters　at　U。M。　frowned　at　unproductive　expenditures。
　
　〃See　anything？〃　Lombardo　shouted　over　the　buzz　of　the　outboard。
　
　〃No　billboards；　if　that's　what　you　mean。〃
　〃Maybe　this　isn't　the　right　place。〃
　〃Captain　Kemal　says　this　is　it；　and　I　have　the　map　from　the　Russian。〃
　〃How　much　did　you　pay　that　scam　artist　for　the　map？〃
　〃One　hundred　dollars。〃
　
　Lombardo　looked　as　if　he　had　sucked　on　a　lemon。　〃Wonder　how　many　times　he's　sold　the　same　map。〃
　
　Kaela　pointed　toward　land。　〃That　high　spot　over　there　looks　promising。〃
　
　Thut！
　
　Kaela　jerked　her　head　back　at　the　weird　sound。　Then　she　saw　the　ragged　hole　that　had　opened　in　the　rubberized　fabric　a　foot　to　the　right　of　her　head。　She　thought　one　of　the　many　patches　on　the　inflatable's　sk