cussler.blueandgold-第61节

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　cornering　the　world's　supply　of　water。〃
　
　〃I　can't　believe　it's　possible　for　one　pany　to　control　the　world's　water；〃　Gunn　said。
　
　〃I　was　pretty　skeptical；　too；〃　Zavala　replied。　〃But　from　what　the　reporter　told　me　it's　not　that　far…fetched。　Gogstad's　panies　have　legally　taken　over　the　privatization　of　the　Colorado　River。　Water　is　going　from　public　to　private　ownership　on　every　continent。　Gogstad　has　muscled　out　the　petition。　The　re　porter　said　that　there　have　been　deaths　and　disappearances　worldwide　over　the　past　several　years。　The　missing　or　dead　were　all　people　who　peted　with　Gogstad　or　opposed　Gogstad　takeovers。〃
　
　Gunn　whistled　softly。　〃That　story　should　cause　quite　a　stir　when　it　hits　the　headlines。〃
　
　〃That　won't　happen　any　time　soon。　The　paper　killed　the　Gogstad　story　for　no　reason。　The　other　three　members　of　the　investigative　team　have　disappeared；　and　my　friend　has　gone　into　hiding。〃
　
　〃You're　sure　there's　no　mistake；〃　Gunn　said　with　alarm。
　
　Zavala　slowly　shook　his　head。　There　was　silence　in　the　room；　then　Gunn　spoke。
　
　〃There's　obviously　a　pattern；　then；〃　he　said。　〃Let　me　think　about　this。〃　Gunn's　unprepossessing　appearance　was　misleading。　His　graduation　at　the　top　of　his　class　in　the　Naval　Academy　was　no　accident。　He　was　a　sheer　genius；　and　his　analytical　skills　were　uncanny。　He　cradled　his　chin　between　his　thumb　and　forefinger　and　lost　himself　in　deep　thought　for　a　moment。　〃Something　has　changed；〃　he　said　abruptly。
　
　〃What　do　you　mean；　Rudi？〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　〃Their　methodology　has　shifted　gears。　Let's　assume　that　our　basic　premise　is　right　and　Gogstad　is　behind　all　this　murder　and　mayhem。　According　to　Joe；　they　have　acted　quietly。　People　quite　simply　vanished　or　were　killed　in　so…called　accidents。　This　changed　with　the　murders　of　the　Mexican　and　the　crooked　lawyer。　I　believe　the　word　the　admiral　used　to　describe　them　was　spectacular。　〃
　
　Austin　chuckled。　〃Those　were　love　pats　pared　with　the　attack　in　Alaska。　Joe　and　I　had　to　contend　with　an　all…out　military　assault。〃
　
　〃The　attack　on　my　house　was　on　the　heavy…handed　side；　too；〃　Trout　added。
　
　〃I　think　I　see　where　you're　headed　with　this；　Rudi；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃Paul；　how　soon　did　word　get　out　that　Dr。　Cabral　was　alive？〃
　
　〃Almost　immediately；〃　Trout　said。　〃Dr。　Ramirez　called　Caracas　from　the　helicopter　that　rescued　us。　The　Venezuelan　government　lost　no　time　making　the　news　public。　I　would　guess　that　CNN　was　broadcasting　the　story　around　the　globe　while　we　were　still　in　the　rain　forest。〃
　
　〃Events　accelerated　shortly　thereafter；〃　Sandecker　said。　〃The　situation　is　clear　to　me。　The　catalyst　was　the　news　that　Francesca　Cabral　was　alive。　Her　emergence　from　the　grave　meant　that　her　water…desalting　process　was　again　within　the　realm　of　possibility。　With　her　expertise　once　more　available；　all　that　was　needed　was　the　rare　substance　that　makes　her　process　work。　Dr。　Cabral　again　planned　to　give　her　discovery　to　the　world。　The　people　who　opposed　this　simply　picked　up　where　they　left　off　ten　years　ago。〃
　
　〃Only　this　time　they　succeeded；〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃Okay；　that　explains　Francesca's　kidnapping；〃　Trout　said。　〃But　why　did　they　take　Gamay？〃
　
　〃This　outfit　does　nothing　at　random；〃　Austin　replied。　〃Gamay　may　have　been　lucky。　She　might　have　been　killed　if　they　didn't　have　need　of　her。　Is　there　anything　else　you　can　remember　about　the　kidnapping；　Paul？〃
　
　〃I　didn't　see　much　after　the　first　few　minutes　they　were　in　the　house。　The　leader；　the　guy　in　black　leather；　spoke　with　an　ac　cent　I　can't　place。　His　pals　had　heavier　accents。〃　
　
　　Sandecker　had　been　sitting　back　in　his　chair；　fingers　tented　in　front　of　him；　listening　to　the　conversational　byplay。　He　snapped　upright。
　
　〃These　hoodlums　are　the　small　fry。　We　must　go　right　to　the　top。　We　must　find　this　woman　with　the　Wagnerian　name　who　runs　Gogstad。〃
　
　〃She's　a　ghost；〃　Austin　said。　〃Nobody　even　knows　where　she　lives。〃
　
　〃She　and　Gogstad　are　the　key；〃　Sandecker　said　firmly。　〃Do　we　know　where　their　headquarters　are？〃
　
　〃They　have　offices　in　New　York；　Washington；　and　the　West　Coast。　There　must　be　a　dozen　scattered　across　Europe　and　Asia。〃
　
　〃Quite　the　hydra；〃　Sandecker　said。
　
　〃Even　if　we　knew　where　their　central　office　was；　it　wouldn't　do　much　good。　To　outward　appearances；　Gogstad　is　a　legitimate　business。　They'll　deny　any　accusations　we　make。〃
　
　Hiram　Yaeger　slipped　quietly　into　the　room　and　settled　into　a　chair。　〃Sorry；〃　he　said。　〃I　had　to　run　some　stuff　off　for　the　meeting。〃　He　looked　expectantly　at　Austin；　who　took　the　cue。
　
　〃I　was　thinking　about　something　Hiram　showed　me　earlier。　It　was　a　hologram　of　a　Viking　ship。　The　same　ship　is　the　centerpiece　of　the　Gogstad　corporate　logo。　I　reasoned　that　this　ship　must　have　some　significance　to　be　given　such　a　prominent　place。　I　asked　Hiram　to　start　playing　around　with　Gogstad；　to　go　beyond　the　scant　corporate　stuff　Max　dug　up　for　us。〃
　
　Yaeger　nodded。　〃At　Kurt's　suggestion　I　asked　Max　to　go　back　and　brush　over　the　historical　and　maritime　links　I　had　pretty　much　ignored　before。　Tons　of　material　on　the　subject　exist；　as　you　might　imagine。　Kurt　had　said　to　look　for　a　California　connection；　perhaps　with　the　Mulholland　Group。　Max　picked　up　an　interesting　newspaper　story。　A　Norwegian　designer　of　antique　ships　had　e　to　California　to　do　a　replica　of　the　Gogstad　ship　for　a　wealthy　client。〃
　
　〃Who　was　the　client？〃　Austin　asked。　
　
　　〃The　article　didn't　say。　But　it　was　easy　to　track　down　the　Norwegian　designer。　I　called　him　a　few　minutes　ago　and　asked　about　the　job。　He　had　been　sworn　to　secrecy；　but　it　was　years　ago；　and　he　didn't　mind　saying　he　built　the　replica　for　a　big　woman　in　a　big　house。〃
　
　〃Big　woman？〃
　
　〃He　meant　tall。　A　giantess。〃
　
　〃Sounds　like　a　Scandinavian　folktale。　What's　this　about　the　house？〃
　
　〃He　said　it　was　like　a　modern…day　Viking　pound　on　the　shores　of　a　large　lake　in　California　surrounded　by　mountains。〃
　
　〃Tahoe？〃
　
　〃That　was　my　conclusion。〃
　
　〃A　big　Viking　house　on　the　shores　of　Lake　Tahoe。　Shouldn't　be　too　hard　to　find。〃
　
　〃Already　done。　Max　linked　up　to　a　mercial　satellite。〃　Yaeger　passed　around　copies　of　the　satellite　photos。　〃There　are　some　big　places　around　the　lake；　trophy　homes；　resorts　and　hotels。　But　nothing　like　this。〃
　
　The　first　picture　showed　the　icy　blue　waters　of　Lake　Tahoe　viewed　from　a　high　altitude　as　if　it　were　a　puddle。　In　another　photo　the　camera　had　zoomed　down　on　a　dot　alongside　the　lake；　enlarging　the　details　so　that　the　sprawling　building　and　the　nearby　helicopter　pad　were　clear。
　
　〃Does　this　hovel　have　an　owner？〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃I　was　able　to　tap　into　the　local　assessor's　office　and　tax　data　base。〃　Yaeger　grinned。　If　he　had　a　tail　he'd　be　wagging　it。　〃It's　owned　by　a　realty　trust。〃
　
　〃That　doesn't　give　us　much　to　go　on。〃
　
　〃How　about　this；　then？　The　trust　is　part　of　the　Gogstad　Corporation。〃
　
　Sandecker　looked　up　from　the　photos。　He　had　kept　his　famous　temper　in　control　throughout　the　meeting；　but　he　was　furious　at　the　kidnapping　of　one　of　his　favored　staffers　and　the　wounding　of　another。　He　was　enraged；　too；　after　all　she　had　suffered；　at　the　abduction　of　the　lovely　Dr。　Cabral。　Once　again　a　discovery　with　lifesaving　implications　was　being　kept　from　the　world。
　
　　〃Thank　you；　Hiram。〃　He　glanced　around　the　table　with　cold；　manding　blue　eyes。　〃Well；　gentlemen；〃　he　said　with　a　voice　as　sharp…edged　as　a　razor。　〃We　know　what　we　have　to　do。〃
　
　Chapter　34
　The　men　watching　Francesca　were　either　twins　or　some　mad　cloning　experiment　gone　bad。　The　most　terrifying　thing　was　not　their　repulsiveness。　It　was　their　absolute　silence。　They　sat　a　few　yards　away；　one　on　either　side；　leaning　on　the　backs　of　chairs　that　had　been　turned　around。　They　were　identical　in　every　way；　from　their　troll…like　ugliness　to　their　preference　for　black　leather。
　
　She　tried　not　to　look　at　the　dark；　red…rimmed　eyes　under　beetling　brows；　the　metallic　dental　work；　and　the　bloodless　pallor　of　the　psychopathic　faces。　They　were　looking　at　her　hungrily；　but　there　was　nothing　sexual　in　their　leers。　This　was　not　the　ignorant　savagery　she　was　used　to　with　the　Chulo。　This　was　pure　animal　lust；　hunger　for　blood　and　bone。　She　glanced　around　the　strange　circular　white　room　with　the　plain　walls　and　unfortably　cool　temperature。　At　its　center　was　a　puter　console。　She　was　thinking　how　absurdly　big　the　furniture　was　and　wondered　whether　the　outsized　chairs；　like　the　low　temperature；　were　a　psychological　ploy　to　make　people　brought　there　feel　small　and　inadequate。　She　could　be　anywhere　in　the　world。
　
　Francesca　had　no　idea　how　she　had　e　to　this　sterile　chamber。　She　was　vaguely　aware　of　being　moved　from　one　place　to　the　other。　At　one　point　she　thought　she　heard　jet　engines；　but　she　was　injected　with　drugs　again　and　slipped　off　into　black　unconsciousness。　She　had　seen　no　sign　of　Gamay；　and　that　worried　her；　too。　She　had　felt　a　pinprick　in　her　arm　and　awakened　quickly　as　if　she　had　been　injected　with　a　stimulant。　As　her　eyes　fluttered　open　she　saw　the　twins。　No　one　had　spoken　for　several　minutes。　She　was　grateful　when　the　door　hissed　open　and　the　woman　entered　and　waved　the　grotesque　t