cc.floodtide-第78节
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Giordino listened to Pitt's plan of action and remained silent for a few moments after he finished。 He sat with his Etruscan features twisted in a scowling expression； looking like a mask from a voodoo ceremony。 Then he slowly moved his head from side to side； visualizing long； aching hours of paddling the skiff。
〃Well；〃 he said finally； 〃Mrs。 Giordino's boy is going to have a pair of sore arms before this night is over。〃
Doug Wheeler's forecast of a waning quarter moon was correct。 Leaving a sated and dormant Romberg to guard the shantyboat； they pushed off and began paddling up the bayou； easily finding their way along the twists and turns by the lunar light。 A narrow boat with graceful lines； the skiff moved smoothly with little exertion on their part。 Whenever a cloud passed over the slim crescent of the moon； Pitt relied on the night…vision goggles to guide their course as the bayou narrowed to little more than five feet in width。
The marshlands came alive at night。 The squadrons of mosquitoes winged into the night air； searching for juicy targets。 But Pitt and Giordino； shielded by their wet suits and an ample layer of bug repellent on their faces； necks and hands； ignored them。 The frogs croaked in a chorus of thousands； rising in a crescendo； then breaking off suddenly into total silence before beginning again。 It seemed as if their night song was orchestrated and led by an unseen maestro。 The marsh grass became decorated with millions of lightning bugs； blinking their lights on and off like falling sparkles from dying fireworks。 An hour and a half later； Pitt and Giordino paddled out of Hooker's Bayou into the canal。
The security force mand post was lit up like a football stadium。 Floodlights spaced around two acres of dry land illuminated an old plantation house sheltered by live oak trees on a weed…infested lawn that rolled down a slight incline to the bank of the canal。 Three stories high with siding that was warped and barely hanging on to support beams by rusty nails； the structure looked similar in architecture to the house in the movie Psycho； but not in nearly as good a condition。 Several of the shutters hung off…kilter on rusting hinges； and the attic windows were broken。 Wooden pillars stood in rigid formation across a sagging front porch； their cornices supporting a long； sloping roof。
The smell of Chinese cooking permeated the air。 Men in uniform could be seen through the uncurtained windows moving around inside。 Chinese music； a scourge to the ears of Westerners； and sung by a female who screeched as if she was giving birth； grated over the marshlands。 The living room of the old manor was cluttered with a maze of munication and security…detection antennas。 Like Orion Lake； there were no guards patrolling the mand…center grounds。 They had no fear of attack and placed their faith in the electronic systems。 The hovercraft was tied to a little dock that floated on empty oil drums。 No one was on board。
〃Head toward the opposite bank and paddle very slowly；〃 Pitt whispered。 〃Keep movement to a minimum。〃
Giordino nodded silently and dipped his paddle carefully into the water； stroking as if in slow motion。 Like wraiths gliding through the night； they passed through the shadows of the canal bank； past the mand post and up the canal for a hundred yards before Pitt called for a brief rest stop。 Stealth was not an option but rather a necessity； since they had not packed their weapons in the overloaded skiff to save weight and space。
〃From what I've experienced of their security；〃 said Pitt； 〃this setup is more slipshod than Orion Lake。 The detection network is in place； but they don't seem conscientious about monitoring it。〃
〃They caught on to us damned quick this afternoon；〃 Giordino reminded him。
〃No trick to spot a ten…foot…high houseboat on a flat field of grass from five miles。 If this was Orion Lake； they would have been observing our every movement five seconds after we stepped into the skiff。 Yet here； we move right under then…noses as if it was a piece of cake。〃
〃It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas；〃 Giordino observed。 〃No presents under the tree that contain deep dark secrets。 But you've got to like them for giving us free passage。〃
〃Let's move on；〃 said Pitt。 〃Nothing promising here。 We've got a lot of territory to cover。 The security force may be lax at night； but they'd have to be blind not to discover us if we don't reach the shantyboat before the sun es up。〃
With growing confidence； they cast off any thoughts of caution and began stroking vigorously up the canal。 The moon's dim glow fell over the bayou and cast its reflection on the water like a road narrowing to a pinpoint as it traveled over the horizon。 The end of the canal seemed impossibly remote； as unattainable as a mirage in the desert。 Giordino worked his paddle； easily； powerfully； each stroke moving the skiff four feet to Pitt's three。 The night air was balmy but damp。 Beneath the wet suits they sweated like lobsters in a pot； but they dared not remove them。 Their light skin； although tanned； was revealed under the dying moon like faces in a black velvet painting。 Ahead； they could see clouds outlined and glowing from an unseen light source。 The headlights from cars and trucks could also be seen； sweeping back and forth on a distant highway。
Buildings from the deserted ghost town of Calzas loomed up on both banks； the canal having split the munity in two。 The houses huddled eerily in ragged clusters on a large section of land that rose above the marshlands。 It was a place haunted by former residents who could no longer return。 The town's old hotel stood silent and gaunt across from a gas station whose pumps still stood on islands outside the office and mechanic's bays。 A church rose forlorn and empty beside a cemetery； the tombs raised above the ground； little shrines weathered and bleached white。 The abandoned town was soon left in the wake of the skiff。
At long last they finally ran out of canal。 All excavation ended at an embankment leading up to a major highway。 At the base of the highway embankment； rising out of the water in the canal； they found a concrete structure that looked like the entrance to a huge underground bunker。 It was sealed tight by a massive steel door that was welded closed。
〃What do you suppose they keep in there？〃 queried Gior…dino。
〃Nothing they need to get at fast；〃 Pitt replied； studying the door through the night…vision goggles。 〃It would take an hour or more just to torch it open。〃 He also spied an electrical conduit that ran from the door and vanished into the muck of the canal。 He removed the goggles from his head and gestured toward the shore。 〃e on； let's beach the skiff and climb to the highway。〃
Giordino looked upward speculatively and nodded。 They paddled to the bank and pulled the skiff ashore。 The embankment was not steep but more of a long； sloping grade。 They reached the top and climbed over a traffic guardrail and were almost blown back down the slope by a giant truck and trailer that thundered past。 Embellished by the crescent moon； the countryside was bathed in a panoramic sea of lights。
The view was not quite what they expected。 The headlights from the traffic； strung out along the highway like fluorescent beads on a snake； twisted around a wide expanse of water。 As they stood there； a huge towboat the size of a condominium building moved past； shoving twenty barges that stretched nearly a quarter of a mile。 Above and below a large city on the opposite shore； they could see the brilliantly lit white tanks of oil refineries and petrochemical plants。
〃Well；〃 said Giordino without any particular expression in his voice； 〃is now a good time for a chorus of 'Old Man River'？〃
〃The Mississippi；〃 Pitt muttered。 〃That's Baton Rouge to the north across the river。 The end of the line。 Why dig a canal to this particular spot？〃
〃Who knows what weird machinations lurk in the mind of Qin Shang？〃 Giordino said philosophically。 〃Maybe he has plans to access the highway。〃
〃What for？ There's no turnoff。 The road shoulder is barely wide enough to hold one car。 There has to be another reason。〃 Pitt sat on the guardrail and gazed thoughtfully at the river。 Then he said slowly； 〃The highway runs straight as an arrow along here。〃
Giordino looked at Pitt； his eyebrows raised。 〃What's so novel about a linear road？〃
〃Was it a coincidence or a well…conceived plan to end the canal at the exact point where the river curls westward and nearly touches the highway？〃
〃What difference does it make？ Shang's engineers could have ended the canal anywhere。〃
〃A big difference； as I'm beginning to see it； a very big difference indeed。〃
Giordino's mind was not running on the same channel as Pitt's。 Giordino checked the dial on his dive watch under the lights of an approaching car。 〃If we want to finish the job while it's still dark； I suggest we row our boat gently down the stream； and be quick about it。〃
They still Had the entire eighteen miles of the canal to search using title autonomous underwater vehicle。 After dropping back down the slope to the skiff； they removed the AUV from its case and slipped it ov
