alistairmaclean.seawitch-第9节
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Mitchell said： 〃Well； it was a thought。〃
〃 'Was' is right。 Look at 'em go： honest Godfearing citizens with all their navigational lights on。〃
〃That's in case someone bumps into them；〃 Mitchell said。 〃We could call up the nearest air force base and have them forced down。〃
〃On what grounds？〃
〃Stolen government property。〃
〃No evidence。 Just our say…so。 They'll find out Lord Worth is aboard。 Who's going to take the word of a couple of busted cops against his？〃
〃No one。 A sobering thought。 Ever felt like a pariah？〃
〃Like now。 I feel goddamned helpless。 Well； let's go and find some evidence。 Where's the nearest arsenal from here？〃
〃About a mile from the mand post。 I know where。〃
〃Why don't they keep their damned arsenals inside the mand posts？〃
〃Because ammunition can and does blow up。 How would you like to be sitting in a crowded barracks when an ammo dump blew up next door？〃
Roomer straightened from the keyhole of the main door of the arms depot and reluctantly pocketed the very large set of keys which any ill…disposed law officer could have jailed him for carrying。
〃I thought I could open any door with this bunch。 But not this one。 Give you one guess where the keys are now。〃
〃Probably sailing down from a chopper into the Gulf。〃
〃Right。 Those loading doors have the same lock。 Besides that； nothing but barred windows。 You don't have a hacksaw on you； do you； Mike？〃
〃I will next time。〃 He shone his flashlight through one of the barred windows。 All he could see was his own reflection。 He took out his pistol and； holding it by the barrel； struck the heavy butt several times against the glass； without any noticeable effect…hardly surprising； considering that the window lay several inches beyond the bars and the force of the blows was minimal。
Roomer said： 〃What are you trying to do？〃
Mitchell was patient。 〃Break the glass。〃
〃Breaking the glass won't help you get inside。〃
〃It'll help me see and maybe hear。 I wonder if that's just plate glass or armored stuff。〃 〃How should I know？〃
〃Well； we'll find out。 If it's armored； the bullet will ricochet。 Get down。〃 Both men crouched and Mitchell fired one shot at an upward angle。 The bullet did not ricochet。 It passed through； leaving a jagged hole with radiating cracks。 Mitchell began chipping away round the hole but desisted when Roomer appeared with a heavy car j ack…handle： a few powerful blows and Roomer had a hole almost a foot in diameter。 Mitchell shone his flash through this： an office lined with filing cabinets and an open door beyond。 He put his ear as close to the hole as possible and he heard it at once； the faint but unmistakable sound of metal clanging against metal and the shouting of unmistakably hoarse voices。 Mitchell withdrew his head and nodded to Roomer； who leaned forward and listened in turn。
Roomer straightened and said： 〃There are a lot of frustrated people in there。〃
About a mile beyond the entrance to the army mand post they stopped by a roadside telephone booth。 Mitchell telephoned the army post； told them the state of defenses at their arsenal building would bear investigation and that it would be advisable for them to bring along a duplicate set of keys for the main door。 When asked who was speaking he hung up and returned to Roomer's car。
'Too late to call in the Air Force now； I suppose？〃
〃Too late。 They'll be well out over extraterritorial waters by now。 There's no state of war。 Not yet。〃 He sighed。 〃Why； oh why； didn't I have an infrared movie camera tonight？〃
Over in Mississippi Conde's task of breaking into the naval depot there turned out to be ridiculously easy。 He had with him only six men； although he had sixteen more waiting in reserve aboard the 120…foot vessel Roomer； which was tied up dockside less than thirty feet from the arsenal。 Those men had already effectively neutralized the three armed guards who patrolled the dock area at night。
The arsenal was guarded by only two retired naval petty officers； who regarded their job not only as a sinecure but downright nonsense； for who in his right mind would want to steal depth charges and naval guns？ It was their invariable custom to prepare themselves for sleep immediately upon arrival； and asleep they soundly were when Conde and his men entered through the door they hadn't even bothered to lock。
They used two forklift trucks to trundle depth charges； light； dual…purpose antiaircraft guns； and a sufficiency of shells down to the dockside； then used one of the scores of cranes that lined the dockside to lower the stolen equipment into the hold of the Roamer； which was then battened down。 Clearing customs was the merest formality。 The customs official had seen the Roamer e and go so many times that they had long ago lost count。 Besides； no one was going to have the temerity to inspect the oceangoing property of one of the very richest men in the world： the Roamer was Lord Worth's seismo…logical survey vessel。
At its base not far from Havana； a small； conventionally powered and Russian…built submarine slipped its moorings and quietly put out to sea。 The hastily assembled but nonetheless hand…picked crew was informed that they were on a training cruise designed to test the seagoing readiness of Castro's tiny fleet。 Not a man aboard believed a word of this。
Meanwhile Cronkite had not been idle。 Unlike the others； he had no need to break into any place to obtain explosives。 He had merely to use his own key。 As the world's top expert in capping blazing gushers he had access to an unlimited number and great variety of explosives。 He made a selection of those and had them trucked down to Galveston from Houston； where he lived； apart from the fact that Houston was the oil…rig center of the South； the nature of Cronkite's business made it essential for him to live within easy reach of an airport with international connections。
As the truck was on its way； another seismological vessel； a converted coast guard cutter； was also closing in on Galveston。 Without explaining his reasons for needing the vessel； Cronkite had obtained it through the good offices of Durant； who had represented the Galveston…area panies at the meeting of the ten at Lake Tahoe。 The cutter； which went by the name of Tiburon； was normally based at Freeport； and Cronkite could quite easily have taken the shipment there； but this would not have suited his purpose。 The tanker Crusader was unloading at Galveston； and the Crusader was one of the three tankers that plied regularly between the Seawitch and the Gulf ports。
The Tiburon and Cronkite arrived almost simultaneously sometime after midnight。 Mul…hooney； the Tiburorfs skipper； eased his ship into a berth conveniently close to the Crusader。 Mulhooney was not the regular captain of the Tiburon。 That gentleman had been so overe by the sight of two thousand dollars in cash that he had fallen ill； and would remain so for a few days。 Cronkite had remended his friend Mulhooney。 Cronkite didn't immediately go aboard the Tiburon。 Instead he chatted with a night…duty dock inspector； who watched with an idle eye as what were obviously explosives were transferred to the Tiburon。 The two men had known each other for years。 Apart from observing that someone out in the Gulf must have been careless with matches again； the port official had no further pertinent ment to make。 In response to idle questioning； Cronkite learned that the Crusader had finished off…loading its cargo and would be sailing in approximately one hour。
He boarded the Tiburon； greeted Mulhooney and went straight to the crew's mess。 Seated among the others at this early hour were three divers already fully clad in wetsuits。 He gave brief instructions and the three men went on deck。 Under cover of the superstructure and on the side of the ship remote from the dock the three men donned scuba gear； went down a rope ladder and slid quietly into the water。 Six objects … radio…detonated magnetic mines equipped with metallic clamps … were lowered to them。 They were so constructed as to have a very slight negative buoyancy； which made them easy to tow under water。
In the predawn darkness the hulls of the vessels cast so heavy a shadow from the powerful shorelights that the men could have swum unobserved on the surface。 But Cronkite was not much given to taking chances。 The mines were attached along the stern half of the Crusader's hull； thirty feet apart and at a depth of about ten feet。 Five minutes after their departure the scuba divers were back。 After a further five minutes the Tiburon put out to sea。
Despite his near…legendary reputation for ruth…lessness； Cronkite had not lost touch with humanity： to say that he was possessed of an innate kindliness would have been a distortion of the truth； for he was above all an unpromising and single…minded realist； but one with no innate killer instinct。 Nonetheless； there were two things that would at that moment have given him considerable satisfaction。
The first of those was that he would have preferred to have the Crusader at sea before pressing the sheathed button before him on the bridge。 He had no wish that innocent lives should be lost in Galveston； but it was a chance that he had to take。 Limpet mines； as
