cc.floodtide-第20节

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。　Its　beam　picked　out　what　seemed　to　be　the　last　body　dumped　from　the　boat。　It　was　already　falling　past　twenty　feet　when　he　caught　up　with　it。　This　one　was　a　young　woman。
　
　Before　her　turn　came；　Julia　had　breathed　deeply　in　and　out；　hyperventilating　her　lungs；　then　holding　her　breath　as　the　enforcers　kicked　her　through　the　hatch　into　the　water。　She　fought　desperately　to　free　herself　from　the　ropes。　Deeper　and　deeper　she　fell　in　the　black　void；　furiously　snorting　through　her　nose　to　relieve　the　pressure　building　in　the　eustachian　tubes　of　her　ears。　One　minute；　maybe　two；　and　her　oxygen　would　be　gone　and　she'd　die　an　agonizing　death。
　
　Suddenly；　a　pair　of　arms　wrapped　around　her　waist；　and　she　could　feel　the　iron　weight　dropping　away　from　her　feet。　Then　her　hands　came　free　and　a　hand　snatched　her　arm　in　a　grip　and　began　towing　her　upward。　As　her　head　broke　the　surface　she　inced　as　the　tape　was　ripped　from　her　mouth。　The　first　thing　she　saw　was　an　apparition　hi　a　hood　with　a　face　mask　and　light　protruding　from　its　head。
　
　〃Can　you　understand　me？〃　a　voice　asked　in　English。
　〃I　can　understand　you；〃　she　gasped。
　〃Are　you　a　good　swimmer？〃
　She　only　nodded　her　reply。
　〃Good。　Help　save　as　many　people　as　you　can；　try　and　gather　them　into　a　group。　Tell　them　to　follow　my　light。　I'll　lead　you　all　into　shallow　water　along　the　shore。〃
　
　Pitt　left　her　and　swam　off　toward　the　boy　clutching　the　Stingray　in　a　death　grip。　He　swung　the　boy　behind　him；　clasping　the　small　hands　around　his　neck。　Then　he　engaged　the　speed　switch　and　searched　for　the　little　girl；　rinding　her　and　circling　his　arm　around　her　only　seconds　before　she　was　about　to　slip　out　of　sight。
　
　On　board　the　boat　two　of　the　enforcers　climbed　to　the　wheel…house　and　stepped　inside。　〃All　are　drowned；〃　one　said　to　the　helmsman。　〃Our　job　is　done。〃
　
　The　captain　at　the　helm　nodded　and　gently　pushed　the　twin　throttles　forward。　The　propellers　bit　the　water；　and　the　black　catamaran　began　to　move　back　toward　the　dock。　Before　it　had　traveled　a　hundred　feet；　a　call　came　over　the　boat's　phone。　〃Chu　Deng？〃
　〃This　is　Chu　Deng；〃　the　captain　responded。　〃Lo　Han；　chief　of　pound　security。　Why　are　you　ignoring　your　instructions？〃
　〃I　have　followed　the　plan。　All　immigrants　are　disposed　of。　What　is　your　problem？〃　〃You　are　showing　a　light。〃
　Chu　Deng　stepped　from　the　wheel　and　glanced　over　the　boat。　〃You　ate　too　much　spicy　Szechuan　chicken　for　dinner；　Lo　Han。　Your　stomach　is　telling　lies　to　your　eyes。　There　are　no　lights　showing　on　this　boat。〃
　
　〃Then　what　am　I　seeing　toward　the　eastern　shoreline？〃　As　supervisor　for　transporting　the　illegal　immigrants　from　the　mother　ships；　Chu　Deng　was　also　responsible　for　the　execution　of　those　unfit　for　slave　labor。　He　did　not　work　under　the　chief　of　security　for　the　imprisoned　immigrants。　Both　merciless　men；　both　on　equal　footing；　neither　got　along　with　the　other。　Lo　Han　was　a　big　bull　of　a　man　built　like　a　beer　keg　with　a　massive；　square…jawed　head　and　eyes　that　were　always　bloodshot。　Deng　considered　him　little　better　than　an　untrained　dog。　He　turned　and　stared　to　the　east。　Only　then　did　he　spot　a　dim　light　low　in　the　water。　〃I　see　it；　about　two　hundred　yards　off　the　starboard　beam。　Must　be　a　local　fisherman；〃　he　said　to　LoHan。
　〃Take　no　chances。　You　must　investigate。〃
　〃I　shall　make　a　search。〃
　〃If　you　see　anything　suspicious；〃　said　Lo　Han；　〃contact　me　immediately　and　I　will　switch　the　lights　on　again。〃
　Chu　Deng　acknowledged　and　hung　up　the　phone。　Then　he　twisted　the　wheel；　swinging　the　catamaran　to　starboard。　As　he　set　the　twin　bows　on　a　course　toward　the　dim　light　bobbing　on　the　surface　of　the　lake；　he　called　to　the　pair　of　enforcers　still　below　on　the　main　deck。　〃Go　forward　and　closely　observe　that　light　on　the　water　dead　ahead。〃
　〃What　do　you　think　it　is？〃　asked　a　small　man　with　expressionless　eyes　as　he　unslung　his　machine　pistol。
　Chu　Deng　shrugged。　〃Probably　fishermen。　It's　not　the　first　time　we've　seen　them　troll　for　salmon　at　night。〃
　〃And　if　they　aren't　fishermen？〃
　Chu　Deng　turned　from　the　wheel　and　grinned　with　every　tooth。　
　〃In　that　case；　see　that　they　join　the　others。〃
　
　Pitt　saw　the　boat　ing　toward　the　small　group　of　people　struggling　through　the　water　and　was　certain　they'd　been　seen。　He　could　hear　voices　on　the　bow；　actually　more　of　a　platform　extending　across　the　forward　section　between　the　hulls；　shouting　in　Chinese；　no　doubt　telling　their　skipper　there　were　people　swimming　in　the　lake。　He　didn't　mentally　have　to　do　an　equation　to　know　they　had　been　attracted　by　his　dive　light。　He　was　guilty　of　being　damned　if　it　was　on　and　damned　if　it　was　off。　With　no　light　the　people　he'd　rescued　from　a　watery　death　would　have　floundered　off　in　all　directions；　bee　lost　and　eventually　drowned。
　
　Keeping　the　frightened　boy　on　his　shoulders；　he　stopped　the　Stingray　and　passed　off　the　little　girl　to　the　young　woman；　who'd　been　helping　an　elderly　man　and　woman　paddle　through　the　water。　Now　both　his　hands　were　free　and　he　flicked　off　his　dive　light；　twisted　around　to　face　the　boat　that　was　looming　above　him　and　blocking　off　the　stars。　He　noted　that　it　was　passing　less　than　three　feet　from　him；　and　he　could　see　two　shadowy　figures　move　down　a　ladder　from　the　cabin　to　the　bow　platform　deck。　One　of　them　leaned　over；　spotted　Pitt　in　the　water　and　gestured　at　him。
　
　Before　the　other　enforcer　could　fix　Pitt　in　his　flashlight's　beam；　a　barb　from　Pitt's　air　gun　hissed　through　the　darkness　and　buried　itself　in　the　man's　temple　above　the　ear。　Before　his　partner　knew　what　happened；　he　fell　dead　with　a　barb　protruding　from　his　throat。　There　was　no　hesitation　or　grain　of　misgiving　in　Pitt's　mind。　These　men　had　murdered　countless　innocent　people。　They　did　not　deserve　a　warning　or　a　chance　to　defend　themselves。　They　deserved　no　more　chance　than　those　they　killed。
　
　Both　had　fallen　silently　backward；　crumpled　on　the　catamaran's　forward　deck。　Pitt　reloaded　another　barb　and　slowly　swam　on　his　back；　waving　his　dive　fins　behind。　The　young　boy　buried　his　head　in　Pitt's　shoulder　and　held　on　to　his　savior's　neck　with　every　ounce　of　strength　in　his　little　arms。
　
　Pitt　watched　in　amazement　as　the　boat　passed　on；　circled　and　continued　on　toward　the　dock　as　if　nothing　had　occurred；　seemingly　unaware　of　the　dead　bodies　on　the　forward　deck。　He　barely　discerned　the　shadow　of　a　man　at　the　helm　through　the　wheelhouse　windows。　Strangely；　the　helmsman　didn't　act　as　if　he　knew　his　men　were　terminated。　Pitt　could　only　speculate　that　the　helmsman's　attention　was　focused　elsewhere　when　he'd　killed　his　partners　in　crime。
　
　Pitt　didn't　have　the　slightest　doubt　that　the　boat　would　return；　and　return　quickly　once　the　two　bodies　were　found。　He　had　bought　four；　maybe　five；　minutes；　certainly　no　more。　He　kept　his　eyes　on　the　catamaran　as　its　phantom　outline　glided　away　in　the　darkness。　The　craft　was　halfway　back　to　the　dock　when　her　shape　gradually　began　to　alter；　and　he　reckoned　that　she　was　turning　broadside　and　circling　back。
　
　He　thought　it　odd　that　no　light　blinked　on　and　swept　the　lake。　He　thought　it　odd　for　all　of　about　ten　seconds；　when　the　lights　at　the　prison　retreat　burst　on　again　and　danced　on　the　waves　created　by　the　wake　of　the　catamaran。
　
　Caught　like　floating　decoy　ducks　in　the　water　was　as　bad　as　it　could　get。　Caught　after　reaching　the　shore　but　before　finding　cover　was　only　slightly　less　bad。　Then　suddenly　the　Stingray　pulled　him　into　the　shallows；　and　he　found　he　could　stand　up　in　water　to　his　lower　hips。　He　waded　ashore　and　set　the　boy　on　the　lake's　bank；　which　rose　about　eighteen　inches　out　of　the　water。　Then　he　returned　for　the　others；　towing　them　in　until　they　could　wade　onto　dry　land。　These　people　were　either　too　old　or　too　young　and　too　played　out　to　do　more　than　crawl　into　the　trees。
　
　He　motioned　to　the　girl；　who　was　rising　out　of　the　water　a　few　feet　away　with　the　little　girl　on　her　shoulders　and　one　arm　around　an　old　woman　who　looked　near　death。　〃Take　the　boy！〃　he　snapped。　〃Hurry　these　people　into　the　trees　and　make　them　lie　down！〃
　
　〃Where　will　you　。。。　you　be？〃　she　asked　haltingly。
　
　He　shot　another　look　at　the　boat。　〃Horatius　at　the　bridge；　Custer　standing　alone　at　Little　Big　Horn；　that's　me；〃　Pitt　said。　Before　Julia　could　reply；　the　stranger　who　had　saved　their　lives　had　vanished　back　into　the　water。
　
　Chu　Deng　was　scared　down　to　his　boots。　In　the　darkness　he　had　failed　to　see　the　deaths　of　his　enforcers。　He　had　been　concentrating　on　keeping　the　boat　from　running　aground　when　they　were　murdered。　After　discovering　the　dead　bodies；　Chu　Deng　had　panicked。　There　was　no　going　to　the　dock　and　reporting　two　of　his　enforcers　murdered　by　unknown　assassins　without　his　witnessing　the　act。　His　employer　would　never　accept　vague　and　inexplicable　excuses。　He　would　be　punished　for　inefficient　actions…he　knew　that　with　total　certainty。
　
　He　had　no　choice　but　to　confront　his　assailants。　It　never　entered　his　mind　that　there　was　only　one。　He　assumed　it　had　to　be　a　planned　operation　by　professionals。　He　stationed　his　remaining　two　men…one　aft　on　the　stern　deck　between　the　hulls；　the　other　on　the　forward　deck。　After　requesting　Lo　Han　to　turn　on　the　lights；　he　spotted　several　people　st