cc.goldenbuddha-第38节

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nter　hoisting　ring　of　the　first　boat　and　swung　it　over　the　side；　then　into　the　water。　Down　at　water　level；　Murphy　took　the　bowline　of　the　boat　and　tied　it　to　the　dock。　While　Pryor　was　hooking　up　the　second　boat；　Murphy　climbed　aboard　and　checked　the　fuel　and　oil　for　the　high…output　four…stroke　outboard　motor。　The　oil　was　fresh　and　full；　the　tanks　topped　to　the　rim。　Murphy　turned　the　key　and　watched　the　lights　on　the　dash；　once　he　was　sure　everything　was　fine；　he　twisted　the　key　and　the　engine　started　and　settled　into　an　almost　silent　idle。　
　Once　the　second　boat　touched　the　water；　Kasim　duplicated　Murphy's　efforts。　The　two　boats　sat　idling　in　the　night。　Seng　climbed　aboard　Murphy's　vessel　and　checked　the　supplies　that　had　been　loaded　aboard　down　in　the　inner　workings　of　the　Oregon。　Finding　all　in　order；　he　spoke　to　Huxley　in　a　low　voice。　
　〃You　got　everything？〃　
　Huxley　stared　at　her　list；　then　found　the　last　item。　〃We're　good。〃　
　Next；　Seng　reached　across　between　the　boats　and　handed　Kasim　a　CD。　〃These　are　the　coordinates　for　the　onboard　GPSwe　are　running　an　exact　copy　on　this　boat。　Let's　try　to　stay　within　ten　feet　or　so　of　one　another；　that　way　the　radar　shielding　should　hide　us　both。〃　
　Kasim　nodded。　〃You　got　it；　Eddie。〃　
　〃Okay；　Mark；〃　Seng　said　quietly　as　he　threw　off　the　line；　〃you　can　take　us　out。〃　
　Murphy　slid　the　control　lever　down　and　the　boat　backed　in　reverse。　A　few　minutes　later；　the　two　boats　were　skimming　across　the　rain…splashed　water　at　speeds　of　nearly　thirty　knots。　For　all　intents　and　purposes；　they　were　undetectable。　Any　radar　that　might　try　to　paint　them　was　being　jammed；　anyone　listening　for　the　engines　would　not　be　able　to　hear　the　noise　over　the　storm。　Help　was　ing。
　
　TWO　IN　THE　morning　and　the　trio　in　the　tunnel　had　between　three　and　four　hours　until　first　light。　
　That　was　not　as　much　of　a　problem　as　it　might　seem。　Right　now；　the　main　threat　was　drowning。　Hornsby　stared　ahead　to　where　a　large　tile　pipe　was　spilling　its　contents　into　the　main　sewer。　What　had　begun　as　a　trickle　from　the　offshoot　pipes　had　grown　into　angry　torrents　of　water。　The　pipe　ahead　was　raging　with　such　force　that　the　stream　of　water　was　slapping　against　the　far　wall　of　the　main　sewer　like　the　torrent　from　a　broken　fire　hydrant。　
　〃From　that　point　forward；〃　Meadows　said；　〃we　lose　the　bottom　half　of　the　sewer　to　water。〃　
　Already　the　water　was　knee…deep；　and　the　farther　the　men　had　gone；　the　more　it　had　risen。　Now　they　were　at　an　impasse。　From　here　to　the　end　of　the　line；　the　water　would　be　too　deep　to　walk　through。　〃Let's　inflate　the　rafts；〃　Jones　said　wearily。　
　Hornsby　opened　one　of　the　duffle　bags　and　removed　a　pair　of　folding　rafts。　Taking　a　high…pressure　air　supply　from　inside　the　bag；　he　attached　it　to　a　raft　and　turned　the　switch。　The　raft　unfolded　and　quickly　became　rigid。　Two　minutes　later；　Hornsby　turned　off　the　inflator。　
　〃We　need　to　place　the　Buddha　in　one　raft；〃　Hornsby　said；　〃and　the　three　of　us　in　the　other。〃　
　〃Weight　problems？〃　Jones　asked。　
　〃Each　raft　can　carry　a　maximum　of　seven　hundred　pounds；〃　Hornsby　said。　〃Since　none　of　us　weighs　under　a　hundred　pounds；　he'll　need　to　ride　alone。〃　
　Meadows　was　unpacking　the　second　raft。　He　laid　it　out　and　attached　the　inflator。　As　it　was　filling　with　air；　he　spoke。　〃What　do　you　think？〃　he　asked　his　partners。　〃Should　we　let　the　Buddha　lead　or　follow？〃　
　Hornsby　thought　for　a　moment。　〃If　he's　behind；　the　weight　might　push　us　into　something。〃　
　〃But　if　he　leads；〃　Jones　said；　〃we　can　let　go　of　the　lead　rope　if　we　get　into　trouble。〃　
　Meadows　stared　at　the　rapidly　filling　pipe　just　ahead。　〃There　will　not　be　much　steering　required；〃　he　said；　pointing　to　the　rising　water。　〃I　think　we'll　all　just　go　with　the　flow。〃　
　〃Then　he　leads；〃　Hornsby　said　as　he　grabbed　one　end　of　the　Buddha　to　wrestle　it　onto　the　raft；　〃and　we　just　go　along　for　the　ride。〃　
　〃Hear；　hear；〃　Meadows　said。　
　〃Makes　sense　to　me；〃　Jones　added。　
　
　〃TALBOT？〃　SPENSER　SAID。　〃You're　part　of　this？〃　Hanley　walked　over　to　Spenser　and　stood　as　the　art　dealer　examined　him。　At　least　he　seemed　to　be　passing　the　visual　testSpenser　was　waiting　for　him　to　answer。　
　〃Win　。　。　。　ston　Spen　。　。　。　ser；　you　old　。　。　。　；〃　Hanley　croaked。　He　sounded　like　a　cheap　P。A。　system　in　a　run…down　school。　Hanley　moved　the　small　device　from　his　voice　box　and　spoke　in　his　normal　voice。　〃Kevin；〃　he　said；　〃e　take　a　look　at　thisI　thought　I　had　it　dialed　in　right。〃　
　Nixon　walked　over　and　flipped　the　device　over。　He　took　a　pen　from　his　shirt　pocket　and　clicked　a　small　toggle　switch　over　two　notches。　〃You　had　the　delay　used　for　telephone　transmissions　engaged；　boss；〃　
　Nixon　said。　〃Try　it　now。〃　
　〃Hi；　Winston；〃　Hanley　said。　〃Long　time　no　see。〃　
　Spenser　stared　at　the　man　and　shook　his　head。　Had　he　not　seen　the　I　device　malfunction；　he　might　have　been　all　rightas　it　was；　everything　that　had　happened　to　him　was　rushing　back　in　a　flood。　Now　these　people　had　created　some　kind　of　robot。　Who　knew　what　they　might　do　next？　
　〃Mr。　Talbot；〃　Spenser　managed　to　say。　
　〃I　think　you　fixed　it；　Kevin；〃　Hanley　said。　
　Spenser　stood　mute。　
　〃Okay；　everyone；　listen　up；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃it's　almost　time。〃　
　
　DETECTIVE　LING　PO　stared　at　the　mass　of　melted　metal。　The　support　beams　of　the　float　had　been　twisted　into　grotesque　shapes　by　the　intense　heat　of　the　fire；　and　they　were　wrapped　around　the　remains　of　the　motorcycles　like　the　blackened　tentacles　of　an　octopus。　A　handler　with　a　dog　was　poking　at　one　side　of　the　wreckage。　
　〃Sir；〃　the　handler　said；　〃the　dog　is　not　signaling　any　human　remains。〃　
　〃Does　that　mean　there　are　none？〃　Po　asked。　
　〃Usually；　it　would　need　to　be　an　extremely　hot　fire　to　fully　turn　a　corpse　to　ash。　Anything　less　than　that　he'll　smell。〃　
　Po　glanced　at　the　wreckage。　It　had　melted　the　asphalt　of　the　road；　and　parts　of　the　metal　support　beams　were　imbedded　into　the　roadway。　There　was　no　way　to　tell　with　any　certainty　what　was　underneath。　
　〃Hook　a　chain　to　the　end；〃　Po　said；　〃and　drag　it　with　one　of　the　trucks。　I　want　to　see　what's　under　there。〃　
　A　fireman　ran　to　remove　a　chain　from　the　storage　partment　on　his　truck。　A　few　minutes　later　he　had　one　end　secured　to　the　wreckage　and　the　other　end　to　the　truck's　bumper。　Slowly；　the　fireman　eased　the　truck　forward　and　the　wreckage　was　wrestled　from　down　in　the　asphalt。　After　dragging　it　a　few　feet　north；　the　fireman　stopped　his　truck。　
　〃It　that　far　enough？〃　he　shouted　out　the　window　to　Po。　
　〃Perfect；〃　Po　said；　staring　at　the　manhole　cover。　
　Bending　down；　Po　tried　to　lift　the　cover；　but　he　had　no　luck。　Another　fireman　removed　a　tool　from　the　truck　and　slid　it　into　the　small　opening　on　the　manhole　cover；　then　pried　it　open。　He　slid　the　cover　a　few　feet　away。　Po　removed　a　small　flashlight　from　his　pocket　and　shined　it　down　into　the　hole。　
　〃Bingo；〃　he　said。　
　Reaching　for　his　cell　phone；　he　dialed　the　number　for　headquarters。　
　〃Sir；〃　he　said；　〃I　think　I　know　where　the　A…Ma　Temple　Buddha　went。〃
　
　THERE　ARE　A　total　of　sixteen　places　in　Macau　where　the　storm　runoff　exits　into　the　bay。　Seng　and　his　team　were　pulling　up　to　the　only　one　that　mattered。　After　securing　the　Zodiacs　to　some　rocks　alongside　the　grate；　Seng　walked　over　and　examined　the　metal　shield。　The　square　screen　was　made　of　tubular　stock；　with　the　openings　measuring　some　two　feet　by　two　feet；　or　large　enough　to　allow　any　trash　to　pass　through。　It　was　connected　to　the　angled　concrete　slab　that　attached　to　the　storm　sewer　by　a　series　of　large　bolts。　Seng　walked　back　to　the　Zodiac　and　removed　a　toolbox。　Finding　the　proper　size　socket；　he　attached　it　to　a　battery…operated　wrench；　then　walked　back　over　to　the　grate　and　began　to　remove　the　bolts。　Once　the　bolts　were　all　free；　Seng；　Huxley；　Murphy　and　Kasim　positioned　themselves　on　all　four　corners　of　the　grate　and　lifted　it　free。　The　water　was　racing　out　of　the　outflow；　and　on　the　far　side　Murphy　and　Kasim　had　some　trouble　pulling　the　grate　onto　the　rocks。　Once　it　was　out　of　the　way；　everyone　stared　into　the　opening。　
　〃It's　being　a　river　in　there；〃　Huxley　said　finally。　
　Seng　threw　a　strip　of　bright　yellow　plastic　in　the　stream　and　then　timed　the　movement。　He　stared　at　the　second　hand　of　his　watch　intently…Once　the　piece　of　plastic　was　fifty　yards　out　in　the　Inner　Harbour；　he　calculated　the　speed。　
　〃The　water's　flowing　about　ten　miles　an　hour；〃　he　said；　〃but　you　know　that's　going　to　increase。〃　
　〃Piece　of　cake　for　the　Zodiacs；〃　Murphy　said。　
　Seng　nodded。　
　〃As　long　as　we　don't　run　out　of　headroom；〃　Kasim　said；　〃we　should　be　able　to　collect　our　boys　and　be　back　on　the　Oregon　in　an　hour　or　so。〃　
　Seng　started　walking　back　to　the　Zodiac。　〃Okay；　you　two；〃　Seng　said；　〃drive　on　in　and　collect　the　team。　Julia　and　I　will　be　providing　security；　just　like　we　planned。〃　
　〃Be　back　shortly；〃　Kasim　said　as　he　climbed　behind　the　wheel。　
　If　only　it'd　be　so　easy。　
　
　CABRILLO　TOOK　AN　erasable　marker　and　drew　on　a　board　placed　on　one　of　the　benches。　〃I　just　checked　again　and　the　737　is　parked　here；〃　Cabrillo　said；　making　an　X　on　the　board。　〃They　won't　be　moving　until　they　taxi　out　to　leave。　Adams　will　drive　Spenser　in　the　SUV　to　the　ramp；　then　park。〃　Adams　nodded　in　agreement。　
　〃Once　you've　stopped；