cc.vixen03-第12节

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　Steiger　hovered　over　the　indefinite　wording。　〃First　line　reads　'Orders　dated　January；　sometime　between　the　twentieth　and　twenty…ninth；　1954。'　〃
　Pitt　said；　〃The　second　line　looks　like　'Authorized　by；'　but　the　officer's　name　is　lost。　The　rank　of　general　fits；　though。〃
　〃Then　es　'Top…secret　code　one…A；'　〃　said　Giordino。　〃You　can't　get　a　classified　rating　any　higher　than　that。〃
　〃I　think　it　safe　to　assume；〃　said　Pitt；　〃that　someone　in　the　upper　echelons　of　either　the　Pentagon　or　the　White　House；　or　both；　released　a　misleading　accident　report　on　Vixen　03　as　a　cover…up。〃
　〃In　my　years　with　the　Air　Force　I've　never　heard　of　such　an　act。　Why　instigate　a　flagrant　lie　over　an　ordinary　aircraft　on　a　routine　flight？〃
　〃Face　facts；　Colonel。　Vixen　03　was　no　ordinary　aircraft。　The　report　states　the　flight　originated　at　Travis　Air　Force　Base；　near　San　Francisco　and　was　scheduled　to　land　at　Hickam　Field；　in　Hawaii。　We　now　know　the　crew　was　heading　for　a　destination　named　Rongelo。〃
　Giordino　scratched　his　head。　〃I　can't　recall　ever　hearing　of　a　place　；　called　Rongelo。〃
　〃Nor　I；〃　said　Pitt。　〃But　we　can　settle　that　mystery　as　soon　as　we　lay　？our　hands　on　a　world　atlas。〃
　〃So　what　have　we　got？〃　asked　Steiger。
　〃Not　much；〃　admitted　Pitt。　〃Only　that　during　the　latter　part　of　January；　1954；　a　C…ninety…seven　took　off　from　a　point　either　in　the　eastern　or　midwestern　section　of　the　United　States　on　a　top…secret　flight。　But　something　went　wrong　over　Colorado。　A　mechanical　malfunction　that　forced　the　crew　to　ditch　the　plane　in　the　worst　terrain　imaginable。　They　got　lucky；　or　so　they　thought。　Miraculously　avoiding　smashing　into　a　mountainside；　Vylander　found　an　open　clearing　and　lined　up　the　Stratocruiser　for　an　emergency　landing。　But　what　they　couldn't　see…　remember；　it　was　January；　and　the　ground　was　undoubtedly　covered　with　snow…was　in　grim　reality　a　lake　frozen　over　with　ice。〃
　〃So　when　the　aircraft's　momentum　slowed　and　its　weight　settled；〃　said　Steiger　vacantly；　〃the　ice　parted　and　she　fell　through。〃
　〃Exactly。　The　tidal　surge　of　water　into　the　broken　ship　and　the　staggering　shock　of　the　cold　overwhelmed　the　crew　before　they　had　a　chance　to　react；　and　they　drowned　in　their　seats。　No　one　witnessed　the　crash；　the　water　refroze　over　the　grave；　and　all　traces　of　the　tragedy　were　neatly　erased。　The　ensuing　search　discovered　nothing　and　Vixen　03　was　later　concealed　behind　a　phony　accident　report　and　conveniently　forgot…ten。〃
　〃You've　written　an　interesting　plot；〃　said　Giordino；　〃and　it　plays　well。　But　where　does　Charlie　Smith　e　into　the　story？〃
　〃He　must　have　hooked　the　oxygen　tank　while　fishing。　Possessing　an　inquisitive　mind；　he　probably　dragged　the　area　and　wrenched　the　already　broken　nose　gear　loose　from　the　wreckage。〃
　〃The　expression　on　his　face　must　have　been　priceless　when　the　gear　popped　to　the　surface；〃　Giordino　said；　smiling。
　〃Even　if　I　accept　Smith's　murder；〃　said　Steiger；　〃I　fail　to　see　a　motive。〃
　Pitt　raised　his　eyes　and　looked　at　Steiger。　〃There　is　always　a　motive　for　taking　a　man's　life。〃
　〃The　cargo；〃　Giordino　blurted；　incredulous　at　his　own　realization。　〃It　was　a　highly　classified　flight。　It　stands　to　reason　that　whatever　Vixen　03　was　transporting　was　worth　a　great　deal　to　somebody。　Worth　enough　to　kill　for。〃
　Steiger　shook　his　head。　〃If　the　cargo　is　so　valuable；　why　wasn't　it　salvaged　by　Smith　or　his　supposed　killer？　According　to　Pitt　here；　it's　still　down　there。〃
　〃And　sealed　tight；〃　Pitt　added。　〃As　near　as　I　could　tell；　the　canisters　have　never　been　opened。〃
　Giordino　cleared　his　throat。　〃Next　question。〃
　〃Shoot。〃
　〃What's　inside　the　canisters？〃
　〃You　had　to　ask；〃　said　Pitt。　〃Well；　one　conjecture　bears　considera…tion。　Take　an　aircraft　carrying　cylindrical　canisters　on　a　secret　mission　somewhere　in　the　Pacific　Ocean　in　January　of　1954…〃
　〃Of　course；〃　interrupted　Giordino。　〃Nuclear…bomb　tests　were　being　held　at　Bikini　at　that　time。〃
　Steiger　rose　to　his　feet　and　stood　motionlessly。　〃Are　you　implying　that　Vixen　03　was　transporting　nuclear　warheads？〃
　〃I　am　not　implying　anything；〃　Pitt　said　casually。　〃I　am　merely　offering　a　possibility；　and　an　intriguing　one　at　that。　Why　else　would　the　Air　Force　put　the　lid　on　a　missing　plane　and　throw　up　a　smoke　screen　of　misleading　information　to　cloud　the　disappearance？　Why　else　would　a　flight　crew　risk　almost　certain　death　to　ride　down　a　crippled　aircraft　in　the　mountains　instead　of　taking　to　their　parachutes　and　allowing　it　to　crash；　perhaps　in　or　near　a　populated　area？〃
　〃There's　one　vital　point　that　sinks　your　theory：　the　government　would　have　never　given　up　searching　for　a　lost　cargo　of　nuclear　warheads。〃
　〃I　admit　you　have　me　there。　It　does　seem　odd　that　enough　destruction　to　obliterate　half　the　country　would　be　left　to　litter　the　environment。〃
　Suddenly　Steiger　wrinkled　his　nose。　〃What　is　that　godawful　stench？〃
　Giordino　hurriedly　rose　and　moved　over　to　the　stove。　〃I　think　the　metal　tag　is　done。〃
　〃What　are　you　boiling　it　in？〃
　〃A　bination　of　vinegar　and　baking　soda。　They're　all　I　could　find　that　would　do　the　trick。〃
　〃Are　you　sure　it　will　bring　out　the　etching？〃
　〃Couldn't　say。　I'm　not　a　chemist。　Won't　hurt　it；　though。〃
　Steiger　threw　up　his　hands　in　exasperation　and　turned　to　Pitt。　〃I　knew　I　should　have　saved　this　stuff　for　professional　lab　technicians。〃
　Giordino　calmly　ignored　Steiger's　remark　and　delicately　lifted　the　plate　out　of　the　boiling　water　with　two　forks　and　patted　it　dry　with　a　dish　towel。　Then　he　held　it　up　to　the　light；　turning　it　at　different　angles。
　〃What　do　you　see？〃　Pitt　asked。
　Giordino　set　the　small　aluminum　plate　down　on　the　table　in　front　of　them。　He　inhaled　deeply；　his　features　taking　on　a　grave　expression。
　〃A　symbol；〃　he　said　tensely。　〃The　symbol　for　radioactivity。〃
　
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　Operation　Wild　Rose
　
　11
　
　Natal；　South　Africa…October　1988
　
　To　the　casual　eye　the　great　trunk　of　the　dead　baobab　tree　looked　like　one　of　a　thousand　others　spread　about　the　northeast　coastal　plain　of　Natal　Province；　South　Africa。　There　was　no　way　of　telling　why　it　had　died　or　how　long　ago。　It　stood　in　a　kind　of　grotesque　beauty；　its　leafless　branches　clutching　at　an　azure　sky　with　gnarled；　woody　fingers　while　its　rotting　bark　crumbled　into　a　medicinal…smelling　humus　on　the　ground。　There　was；　however；　one　startling　difference　that　set　this　dead　baobab　tree　apart　from　the　others：　its　trunk　was　hollowed　out　and　a　man　crouched　inside；　intently　peering　through　a　small　aperture　with　a　pair　of　binocu…lars。
　It　was　an　ideal　hiding　place；　blueprinted　from　some　long…forgotten　manual　on　guerrilla　warfare。　Marcus　Somala；　section　leader　of　the　African　Army　of　Revolution；　was　proud　of　his　handiwork。　Two　hours　was　all　it　had　taken　him　the　previous　night　to　scoop　out　the　spongy　core　of　the　tree　and　stealthily　scatter　the　debris　deep　within　the　encircling　brush。　Once　fortably　settled　inside；　he　did　not　have　to　wait　long　for　his　concealment　to　pass　its　first　test。
　Shortly　after　dawn　a　black　field…worker　from　the　farm　that　Somala　was　observing　wandered　by；　hesitated；　and　then　relieved　himself　against　the　baobab。　Somala　watched；　smiling　inwardly。　He　felt　an　impulse　to　slip　the　blade　of　his　long　curved　Moroccan　knife　out　the　sight　hole　and　slice　off　the　worker's　penis。　The　impulse　was　to　Somala　an　amusing　one；　nothing　more。　He　did　not　indulge　himself　with　stupid　actions。　He　was　a　profes…sional　soldier　and　a　dedicated　revolutionist；　a　seasoned　veteran　of　nearly　a　hundred　raids。　He　was　proud　to　serve　in　the　front　line　of　the　crusade　to　eradicate　the　last　vestige　of　the　Anglo　cancer　from　the　African　continent。
　Ten　days　had　passed　since　he　led　his　ten…man　section　team　from　their　base　camp　in　Mozambique　over　the　border　into　Natal。　They　had　moved　only　at　night；　skirting　the　known　paths　of　the　police　security　patrols　and　hiding　in　the　bushveld　from　the　helicopters　of　the　South　African　Defence　Force。　It　had　been　a　grueling　trek。　The　October　spring　in　the　Southern　Hemisphere　was　unusually　cool；　and　the　underbrush　seemed　eternally　clammy　from　constant　rains。
　When　at　last　they　had　reached　the　small　farming　township　of　Umkono；　Somala　stationed　his　men　according　to　the　plan　given　him　by　his　Vi…etnamese　adviser。　Each　man　was　to　scout　a　farm　or　military　facility　for　five　days；　gathering　information　for　future　raids。　Somala　had　assigned　the　Fawkes　farm　to　himself。
　After　the　field…worker　had　ambled　off　to　begin　his　day's　labor；　Somala　refocused　his　binoculars　and　scanned　the　Fawkes　spread。　The　majority　of　the　cleared　acreage；　waging　a　constant　battle　against　the　encroaching　sea　of　surrounding　bush　and　grassland；　was　planted　in　sugarcane。　The　remainder　was　mostly　pasture　for　small　herds　of　beef　and　dairy　cattle　with　a　bit　of　tea　and　tobacco　thrown　in。　There　was　also　a　garden　plot　behind　the　main　house；　containing　vegetables　for　the　personal　consump…tion　of　the　Fawkes　family。
　A　stone　barn　was　used　to　store　the　cattle　feed　and　crop　fertilizers。　It　stood　apart　from　a　huge　shed　that　covered　the　trucks　and　farm　equip…ment。　A　quarter　of　a　mile　beyond；　situated　beside　a　meandering　stream；　was　a　pound　that　housed　a　munity　of　what　Somala　guessed　to　be　nearly　fifty　workers　and　their　families；　along　with　their　cattle　and　g