cc.floodtide-第84节

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oo。　He　had　to　put　both　feet　against　the　breakwater　and　pull　with　every　ounce　of　strength　he　had　left。
　
　At　last　the　iron　door　grudgingly　squeaked　open　on　its　rusting　hinges。　Pitt　peered　inside；　but　all　he　could　see　was　darkness。　He　turned　and　swam　under　the　wharf；　stopping　just　before　he　reached　the　shantyboat's　hull。　He　called　up　softly。　〃Al；　are　you　there？〃
　His　only　response　came　from　Romberg。　Curious；　the　hound　strolled　onto　the　wharf　and　sniffed　through　the　cracks　in　the　planking　just　above　Pitt's　head。　〃Not　you。　I　want　Giordino。〃
　Romberg　began　wagging　his　tail。　He　stretched　out　his　front　paws；　and　lay　down　on　the　wharf　and　playfully　tried　to　dig　through　the　wooden　planking。
　Inside　the　guard　shack；　Giordino　turned　every　minute　or　two　and　stared　at　the　shantyboat　for　an　indication　of　Pitt's　return。　Seeing　Romberg　pawing　and　scratching　on　the　wharf　for　something　underneath　made　him　curious。　He　slowly　walked　through　the　gate　and　stopped　by　the　dog。　〃What　are　you　sniffing　at？〃　he　asked。
　〃Me！〃　Pitt　whispered　through　the　planking。
　〃Jeez！〃　muttered　Giordino。　〃For　a　second　I　thought　Romberg　could　talk。〃
　Pitt　stared　up　between　the　cracks　in　the　planks。　〃Where　did　you　get　the　uniform？〃
　〃The　guard　decided　to　take　a　nap；　and　charitable；　benevolent　fellow　that　I　am；　I　offered　to　stand　his　watch。〃
　〃Even　with　my　limited　view　I　can　tell　it's　a　lousy　fit。〃
　〃You　might　be　interested　to　learn；〃　said　Giordino；　facing　away　from　the　sugar　mill　and　rubbing　a　two…day…whiskered　chin　to　cover　his　lip　movements；　〃this　place　is　owned　by　the　Butterfield　Freight　Corporation；　not　Qin　Shang　Maritime。　Also；　the　guard　may　have　Asian　ancestry；　but　I　figure　he　went　to　school　in　either　L。A。　or　San　Francisco。〃
　〃Butterfield　has　to　be　a　corporate　front　used　by　Shang　to　move　people　in　and　out　of　here。　There's　a　submerged　vehicle　connected　to　the　bottom　of　the　barge　that　has　the　capacity　to　transport　close　to　four　hundred　bodies。〃
　〃Then　we've　found　the　mother　lode。〃
　〃We'll　know　shortly；　just　as　soon　as　I　get　inside。〃
　〃How？〃　asked　Giordino　simply。
　〃I　found　a　chute　that　was　used　to　load　sugar　onto　barges。　It　appears　to　lead　toward　the　main　building。〃
　〃Watch　your　step　and　make　it　fast。　I　don't　know　how　much　longer　I　can　fool　whoever　is　monitoring　me。〃
　〃They　have　a　camera　on　you？〃　asked　Pitt。
　〃I've　counted　three　and　suspect　there　may　be　a　few　more　around　the　perimeter　I　haven't　spotted　yet；〃　Giordino　answered。
　〃Can　you　drop　my　forty…five　over　the　side？　I　don't　want　to　go　in　naked。〃
　〃I'll　lower　it　over　the　side。〃
　〃You're　okay；　Al。　I　don't　care　what　they　say　about　you；〃　said　Pitt。
　〃If　I　hear　a　gunshot；〃　said　Giordino　as　he　walked　toward　the　shantyboat；　〃Romberg　and　I　will　e　running。〃
　〃That　should　be　a　sight　to　behold。〃
　Giordino　entered　the　shantyboat；　took　Pitt's　Colt　automatic　and　shiftily　lowered　it　on　a　string　through　a　window　until　it　hung　just　above　the　water　surface　opposite　the　wharf。　He　felt　a　sharp　tug　on　the　line　and　the　gun　was　gone。　Then　he　slowly　made　his　way　back　to　the　guard　shack；　where　he　unholstered　the　impressive　Wesson　Firearms　。357　Magnum　revolver　that　he'd　taken　off　the　unconscious　guard；　and　waited　for　something　to　happen。
　
　Pitt　dropped　his　air　tank；　weight　belt　and　the　rest　of　the　dive　gear　below　the　shantyboat。　Clad　only　in　his　wet　suit　and　carrying　the　Colt　above　his　head　to　keep　it　dry；　he　stroked　under　the　wharf　to　the　chute　portal　and　climbed　inside。　It　was　a　tight　squeeze；　and　he　had　to　pull　his　body　along　a　few　inches　at　a　time。　The　Colt　he　slipped　under　the　collar　of　his　wet　suit　against　his　upper　chest；　making　it　easy　merely　to　bend　his　arm　and　retrieve　it　should　an　unpleasant　occasion　arise。　The　light　decreased　the　farther　he　penetrated　the　chute；　his　body　blocking　off　a　fair　share　of　it。　But　he　could　still　see　well　enough　to　pick　out　any　obstacles　that　lay　ahead。　He　fervently　hoped　he　wouldn't　run　up　against　a　poisonous　snake。　With　almost　no　room　to　maneuver；　he　would　either　have　to　club　it　to　death　with　the　old　Colt　or　shoot　it。　One　event　risked　a　bite　from　fangs；　the　other　detection　by　security　guards。
　
　Then　a　belated　fear　flooded　his　mind。　What　if　the　other　end　was　blocked　by　another　iron　door　that　could　only　be　opened　from　the　opposite　side？　There　was　no　denying　the　possibility。　But　the　gamble　was　worth　the　effort；　he　rationalized。　Nothing　ventured　and　all　that。　He　forged　on　until　the　chute　began　to　slope　upward。　The　going　became　more　difficult　as　gravity　began　to　work　against　him。
　
　Fingertips　scraped　raw　from　clawing　the　corroded　lining　of　the　chute；　Pitt　continued　forward。　A　vivid　imagination　could　have　easily　conjured　up　visions　of　nightmare　monsters　from　an　alien　world　lurking　in　the　darkness　ahead；　but　reality　revealed　an　empty；　hollow　chute；　nothing　more。　Slowly；　almost　imperceptibly；　the　chute　began　to　widen；　as　if　blossoming　into　the　upper　half　of　a　giant　funnel。　Then　suddenly　and　pletely　unanticipatedly；　he　found　himself　crawling　into　a　large　bin　that　flared　upward　and　out　to　the　sides。　The　upper　lip　was　only　four　feet　away。　He　struggled　upward；　gaining　a　grip　and　pulling　himself　higher；　then　climbing　toward　the　upper　rim　of　the　chute。
　
　Automatic　grasped　in　one　hand　and　only　dimly　aware　of　the　curious　prickling　sensation　moving　up　the　nape　of　his　neck；　he　heard　voices　drifting　into　the　chute；　voices　that　were　not　speaking　English。　He　also　became　strongly　aware　of　the　heavy；　sickening　odor　of　human　bodies　packed　too　long　in　a　stifling　atmosphere。　Pitt　raised　his　head　until　his　eyes　could　see　over　the　edge　of　the　chute。　He　found　himself　gazing　down　from　a　height　of　twelve　feet　into　a　large　chamber　scarcely　lit　by　a　small　dirty　skylight　in　the　ceiling。　The　walls　of　the　chamber　were　dingy　brick；　the　floor　concrete。
　
　Standing；　lying　or　crouched　in　the　stale　atmosphere　of　the　chamber；　packed　together　shoulder　to　shoulder　with　little　or　no　room　to　move　about；　were　over　three　hundred　men；　women　and　children　in　varying　states　of　sickness；　malnutrition　and　fatigue。　All　appeared　to　be　Chinese。　Pitt　scanned　the　chamber　but　saw　no　guards。　The　mass　of　humanity　below　was　sealed　in　what　was　once　the　sugar…processing　room；　the　only　entrance　was　barred　by　a　thick　wooden　door。
　
　As　he　watched；　the　door　abruptly　swung　open；　and　an　Asian　wearing　the　same　uniform　Giordino　had　taken　off　the　guard　at　the　dock　roughly　pushed　a　man　into　the　crowded　chamber。　A　woman；　who　Pitt　assumed　was　the　man's　wife；　had　her　arms　tightly　pinned　by　another　guard　in　a　passage　outside。　The　door　slammed　shut　with　an　echoing　thud；　and　the　man；　in　a　highly　emotional　state；　pounded　on　it　and　cried　out　in　Chinese；　clearly　begging　the　guards　not　to　take　the　woman　away。
　
　Without　misgivings　or　thoughts　of　personal　risk；　Pitt　dropped　out　of　the　chute　opening　onto　the　floor　below；　landing　on　his　feet　between　two　women；　knocking　both　into　people　packed　around　them；　creating　a　ripple　in　the　mass。　The　women　stared　at　him　in　startled　curiosity　but　said　nothing。　No　one　else　gave　indication　of　his　sudden　appearance。
　
　Pitt　didn't　bother　to　beg　their　pardon。　He　moved　quickly　through　the　huddled　crowd　of　bodies　toward　the　door。　Reaching　it；　he　gently　pushed　the　sobbing　man　aside　and　then　rapped　on　the　door　with　the　butt　of　his　Colt。　It　was　a　familiar　knock；　one　long；　four　short；　two　long；　often　given　by　someone　friendly　with　the　occupants　on　the　other　side。　After　the　second　try；　Pitt's　brazenness　was　rewarded。　As　he'd　hoped；　the　guard's　curiosity　was　aroused　by　the　inprehensible　rap　instead　of　the　crazed　pounding　from　a　distraught　husband。
　
　The　lock　clacked　and　the　door　was　thrown　open　again；　only　this　time　with　Pitt　standing　behind　it。　A　guard　burst　back　into　the　chamber；　grabbing　the　husband　by　the　collar　and　shaking　him　like　a　fruit　tree。　The　other　guard　still　stood　in　the　passage；　pinning　the　woman's　arms　cruelly　behind　her　back。　He　spoke　angrily　in　perfect　English。
　
　〃Tell　that　dumb　bastard　for　the　last　time；　he　isn't　getting　his　wife　back　until　he　forks　over　another　ten　thousand　U。S。　dollars。〃
　
　Pitt's　arm　whirled　in　a　blurred　arc　downward；　the　butt　of　the　Colt　in　his　hand　connecting　solidly　on　the　side　of　the　first　guard's　head；　sending　him　unconscious　to　the　concrete　floor。　Then　Pitt　stepped　into　the　open　doorway；　gun　pointed　steadily　at　the　head　of　the　man　with　the　young　woman。
　〃I　don't　mean　to　intrude；　but　I　believe　you　have　something　that　belongs　to　someone　else。〃
　The　guard's　jaw；　already　open　at　seeing　his　colleague　crumpled　in　a　heap；　dead　to　the　world；　began　working　furiously　as　he　stared　pop…eyed　at　the　apparition　in　the　black　wet　suit。　〃Who　the　hell　are　you？〃
　〃I　was　hired　by　your　captives　to　act　as　their　agent；〃　Pitt　said；　smiling。　〃Now　let　the　girl　go。〃
　The　guard　had　guts；　Pitt　had　to　admit　that。　One　arm　moved　up　and　encircled　the　young　woman's　neck。　〃Drop　the　gun　or　by　God　I'll　snap　her　neck。〃
　
　Pitt　stepped　forward　and　raised　the　Colt　until　the　muzzle　was　only　a　few　inches　from　the　guard's　left　eye。　〃I'll　blow　your　eyes　out　if　you　do。　Is　that　what　you　want；　to　spend　the　rest　of　your　days　as　a　blind　man？〃
　
　The　guard　was　smart　enough　to　know　he　was　in　a　no…win　situation。　He　looked　up　and　down　the　passageway　in　hope　of　findi