cussler.blueandgold-第52节

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ivilized　meal；　with　the　tale　he　had　heard　of　her　reign　as　a　white　goddess　among　savage　Indians。　She　seemed　relaxed　and　entirely　at　ease；　but　even　as　they　laughed　over　her　inept　use　of　chopsticks；　Austin　couldn't　shake　the　feeling　he　experienced　when　they　first　met。　Despite　the　civilized　veneer；　the　jungle　had　seeped　into　her　blood。　He　saw　it　in　the　feline　gracefulness　of　her　movement；　and　the　watchfulness　in　her　dark　eyes。　It　was　a　quality　that　fascinated　and　attracted　Austin；　and　he　vowed　to　see　more　of　Francesca　when　he　returned　from　his　mission。
　
　Which　was　why　it　was　all　the　more　painful　when　Austin　apologized　for　calling　it　an　early　night。　He　had　much　to　do　be　fore　leaving　for　Alaska；　he　explained。　As　he　dropped　her　off　on　the　Trouts'　doorstep；　he　asked　if　she　would　like　to　go　out　again　when　he　returned。
　
　〃Thank　you。　I'd　like　that；　very　much；〃　she　said。　〃I　plan　to　be　in　Washington　for　some　time　and　hope　we　can　get　to　know　each　other　better。〃
　
　〃Until　then；〃　Austin　said。　'At　a　time　and　place　to　be　announced。〃
　
　She　smiled　and　pecked　him　lightly　on　the　lips。　〃It's　a　date。〃
　
　Chapter　29
　With　Sandecker's　backing　Austin　had　no　trouble　mandeering　a　NUMA　jet。　Streaking　across　the　country　at　five　hundred　miles　per　hour；　the　turquoise　Cessna　Citation　Ultra　had　refueled　at　Salt　Lake　City　before　pushing　on　to　Anchorage。　After　the　all…night　trip　they　arrived　as　the　morning　light　cast　a　rosy　glow　over　the　Chugach　Mountains　on　the　outskirts　of　Alaska's　big　city；　which　some　of　the　locals　call　Los　Anchorage。　They　were　airborne　within　minutes。　Dashing　on　to　their　destination　in　Nome。
　
　Shortly　after　the　NUMA　jet　took　off　from　Anchorage；　Zavala　came　back　from　the　galley　with　a　couple　of　steaming　mugs　of　coffee。　Austin　was　studying　an　old　map　spread　out　on　the　table　that　folded　down　between　the　seats。　He　was　directing　his　attention　to　a　fist　of　land　whose　knuckles　jabbed　at　the　former　U。S。S。R。　a　few　miles　across　the　Bering　Strait。
　
　Settling　into　the　chair　opposite　Austin's；　Zavala　sipped　his　coffee　and　looked　out　the　window　at　the　vast　land　mass　below。　Black　mountains　edged　by　rivers　and　heavy　forests　were　visible　through　a　scattering　of　whiskered　cirrus　clouds。
　
　〃That's　big　country；〃　Zavala　said　lazily。　〃Any　idea　of　our　next　port　of　call　after　Nome？〃
　
　Austin　leaned　back；　laced　his　fingers　behind　his　head；　and　stared　into　space。　His　broad　mouth　curled　in　a　wry　smile。　〃More　or　less；〃　he　said。　
　
　　Zavala　knew　his　partner　wasn't　trying　to　be　mysterious。　Austin　simply　didn't　like　surprises。　When　time　allowed　he　cautiously　collected　the　facts　before　making　a　move。　Zavala　pointed　downward。　〃I'm　sure　it　doesn't　e　as　any　surprise　to　you　that　there　is　more　down　there　than　less。〃
　
　〃Something　like　six　hundred　thousand　square　miles；　last　I　heard。　I　have　no　illusions　about　the　formidable　task　we're　up　against。　We　could　search　until　we　became　eligible　for　NUMA　pensions　and　not　find　a　thing。〃　Austin's　brow　furrowed　in　thought。　〃That's　why　I　decided　to　work　my　way　backward　from　what　we　know；　not　what　we　don't　know。〃
　
　Zavala　swiftly　grasped　the　premise。　〃We　know　what　the　tar　get　was　in　the　Soviet　Union。〃　He　pointed　on　the　map　to　the　northwest　coast　of　Alaska　where　blunt　fingers　of　the　ragged　coastline；　all　that　remained　of　the　old　land　bridge；　reached　to　ward　Asia。　〃What　was　the　flying　wing's　statistical　range？〃
　
　〃Around　three　thousand　miles　cruising　at　around　five　hundred　miles　per　hour。　I'm　assuming　that　its　fuel　storage　capacity　would　have　been　beefed　up　to　extend　the　range　as　much　as　possible　for　this　mission。〃
　
　〃There's　always　the　possibility　of　midair　refueling；〃　Zavala　said。
　
　〃I've　taken　that　into　consideration。　I'm　guessing　that　they　would　have　kept　the　operation　simple　and　short　to　avoid　detection。〃
　
　Taking　a　sharp　pencil　in　hand；　Austin　drew　an　arc　from　Barrow　to　the　Yukon　Delta。
　
　Zavala　let　out　a　low　whistle。　〃You're　talking　about　a　trip　that　could　be　more　than　a　thousand　miles　from　target。　That's　still　a　lot　of　territory　to　cover。〃
　
　〃It's　bigger　than　some　states；〃　Austin　acknowledged。　〃So　I　made　an　educated　guess。　The　cloak…and…dagger　boys　wanted　to　keep　this　crazy　scheme　as　hush…hush　as　possible。　Building　a　new　base　would　be　costly　and　time…consuming；　and　most　important；　it　might　attract　unwanted　attention。〃
　
　Zavala　snapped　his　fingers。　〃They　would　use　an　existing　base。〃　
　
　　Austin　nodded。　〃During　World　War　II；　Alaska　bristled　with　gun　emplacements　and　airfields　because　of　fears　Japan　would　invade。　Each　red　dot　on　the　map　denotes　an　airstrip　from　World　War　II。〃
　
　Zavala　pondered　the　problem。　〃What　if　the　base　were　secret？〃
　
　〃It　was　secret；　at　least　up　to　now。〃　Austin　jabbed　the　map　with　his　pencil　at　Nome　and　drew　a　wide　circle　around　the　dot。　〃We'll　find　what　we're　looking　for　here；　although　I　must　admit　that　with　all　the　suppositions　I've　made；　it's　still　a　crap　shoot。〃
　
　Zavala　studied　the　map；　and　his　lips　twitched　up　at　the　corners　in　his　trademark　smile。　〃How　can　you　be　certain　this　is　the　right　area？　The　plane　could　have　taken　off　from　dozens　of　places。〃
　
　〃I　had　a　little　help　from　a　ghost。〃　Austin　reached　into　his　jacket　pocket　and　produced　a　small　spiral…bound　notebook。　The　brown　cover　was　worn；　but　it　was　still　possible　to　read　the　words　〃U。S。　Army　Air　Force〃　and　the　name　inked　just　below。　He　handed　the　notebook　to　Zavala。　〃This　is　the　diary　of　Buzz　Martin's　father；　the　pilot　who　flew　the　wing　on　its　last　mission。〃
　
　Zavala　laughed　with　delight。　〃You　should　have　been　a　magician。　You　couldn't　have　done　better　pulling　a　rabbit　out　of　a　hat。〃
　
　〃This　rabbit　jumped　into　my　lap。　After　Sandecker　met　with　LeGrand；　the　CIA　poked　around　and　came　up　with　Martin's　personal　effects。　They　must　have　been　in　a　hurry　to　get　rid　of　in　criminating　evidence　and　didn't　vet　the　stuff　thoroughly。　Buzz　found　the　notebook　tucked　into　his　father's　uniform。　He　thought　it　might　contain　something　of　importance　and　gave　it　to　me　just　before　we　left　Washington。〃
　
　Zavala　thumbed　through　the　curling　pages。　〃I　don't　see　a　de　tailed　map　to　follow。〃
　
　〃You　didn't　think　this　was　going　to　be　easy；　did　you？〃　Austin　took　the　book　back　and　opened　to　a　page　where　he　had　placed　a　yellow　sticky　tab。　〃Martin　was　a　good　soldier。　He　knew　that　loose　lips　sink　ships。　Most　of　the　diary　is　devoted　to　how　he　missed　his　wife　and　kid。　But　he　let　a　few　things　sneak　in。　Here；　let　me　read　you　the　first　paragraph：
　
　〃To　my　dear　wife　Phyllis　and　son　Buzz。　Maybe　someday　you　will　read　this。　I　had　a　lot　of　time　on　my　hands　and　started　this　diary　on　the　way　to　No…Name。　If　the　brass　knew　I　was　taking　notes；　I'd　be　in　hot　water。　This　thing　is　even　more　secret　than　the　Manhattan　Project。　As　the　spooks　frequently　reminded　me；　I'm　just　a　dumb　sky　jockey　who's　sup　posed　to　follow　orders　and　not　ask　questions。　Sometimes　I　feel　more　like　a　prisoner：　I'm　kept　under　close　supervision　with　the　rest　of　the　crew。　So　I　guess　this　journal　is　a　way　of　saying；　hey；　I'm　a　person。　They're　feeding　us　well；　Phyllis；　I　know　how　you　worry　about　the　way　I　eat。　Lots　of　good　fresh　meat　and　fish。　The　Quonset　hut　was　not　made　for　the　frozen　north。　The　snow　slides　off　the　roof　but　metal　is　a　lousy　insulator。　We　keep　the　wood　stove　going　day　and　night。　We'd　be　better　off　in　an　igloo。　The　plane　gets　the　first…class　acmodations　in　its　hidey…hole。　Sorry　to　plain。　I'm　lucky　to　be　flying　this　baby！　I　can't　believe　an　aircraft　as　big　as　this　can　maneuver　like　a　fighter　plane。　It's　definitely　the　aviation　wave　of　the　future。　〃
　
　Austin　stopped　reading。　〃He　goes　on　to　say　how　homesick　he　is　and　how　glad　he'll　be　to　get　back。〃
　
　〃Too　bad　Martin　didn't　get　to　enjoy　that　future。　He　had　no　idea　he　was　not　only　a　prisoner　but　a　condemned　man　as　well。〃
　
　〃Martin　wasn't　the　first　or　last　patriot　thrown　to　the　dogs　in　the　interests　of　what　the　higher…ups　said　was　the　greater　good。　Unfortunately　he　can't　have　the　satisfaction　of　knowing　his　little　diary　will　show　us　the　way　to　No…Name。〃
　
　〃That's　even　more　obscure　than　the　dateline　they　used　to　use　during　the　war：　'Somewhere　in　the　Pacific。'　〃
　
　〃I　thought　so；　too；　until　I　remembered　a　story　I　heard　years　ago。　Seems　a　British　Navy　officer　sailing　off　Alaska　in　the　1850s　saw　land　that　wasn't　on　the　chart　so　he　wrote　in　'？　Name。'　The　Admiralty　draftsman　who　recopied　the　chart　thought　the　question　mark　was　a　C　and　that　the　a　in　Name　was　an　o。　No　name　became　Cape　Nome　which　became　Nome。　Here's　something　else：
　
　　〃Uneventful　trip　from　Seattle。　Plane　handles　like　a　dream。　Touched　down　thirty　minutes　past　No…Name。　〃
　
　　〃What　was　the　cruising　speed　of　the　wing？〃　Zavala　asked。
　
　　〃About　four　hundred　to　five　hundred　miles　per　hour。〃
　
　　〃That　would　put　them　two　hundred　to　two　hundred　fifty　miles　beyond　Nome。〃
　
　　〃My　calculations　exactly。　Here's　where　it　starts　to　get　interesting：
　
　　〃Got　my　first　look　at　our　destination。　Told　the　guys　it　looks　like　Doug's　nose　from　the　air。　〃
　
　　'A　dog's　nose？〃
　
　　〃No；　the　proper　name；　Doug；〃
　
　　〃That　narrows　it　down　to　a　few　million　guys；〃　Zavala　said　wearily。
　
　　〃Yeah；　I　know；　I　had　the　same　reaction　until　I　read　the　rest：　All　it　needs　is　a　corn