cc.floodtide-第97节

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we　came　for。〃
　There　were　only　two　more　miles　left　to　go　and　five　minutes　to　get　there。　And　then　Pitt　was　charging　like　a　demon；　struggling　through　the　shattered　wreckage　toward　the　remains　of　the　wheelhouse。　He　fought　his　way　through　the　maze　of　fallen　wires　left　by　the　broken　foremast　and　came　to　a　shocked　halt。　The　bridge　structure　hardly　existed　anymore。　Nothing　could　be　recognized　of　it。　The　walls　of　the　wheelhouse　looked　to　have　collapsed　outward。　Miraculously；　the　interior　console　had　survived　with　minor　damage。　The　body　of　Captain　Li　Hung…chang　lay　on　the　floor　covered　with　glass　and　debris。　His　fixed　expression；　his　open；　staring　eyes　and　few　spots　of　blood　on　his　uniform　almost　made　him　seem　as　though　he　was　looking　up　through　the　vanished　roof；　staring　at　the　stars。　Pitt　instantly　recognized　that　he　had　been　killed　by　concussion。
　
　The　master　helmsman　still　stood；　his　lifeless　hands　gripping　the　wheel。　It　seemed　that　a　curse　from　the　devil　had　refused　to　let　him　fall　beside　his　captain。　Pitt　saw　with　blood…chilling　horror　that　his　head　was　gone；　taken　off　cleanly　at　the　shoulders。
　
　Pitt　glanced　through　the　shattered　remains　of　the　bridge　window。　Mystic　Canal　was　less　than　a　mile　away。　Far　below；　the　crew　had　abandoned　the　engine　room　and　were　rushing　onto　the　outer　decks　in　expectation　of　being　evacuated　by　helicopter。
　
　All　gunfire　had　stopped　now　and　the　thunderous　tumult　became　a　hushed　and　unimaginable　silence。　Pitt's　hands　played　over　the　levers　and　switches　of　the　console；　trying　frantically　to　cut　all　power　throughout　the　ship。　But　without　a　chief　engineer　to　carry　out　the　mands；　the　enormous　turbines　ignored　any　attempt　to　stop　them。　No　power　on　earth　could　stop　the　United　States　now。　Her　massive　bulk　and　incredible　impetus　drove　her　on。　In　his　final　moment　of　life　Ming　Lin　had　begun　to　rum　the　wheel　and　send　the　ship　on　an　oblique　angle；　lining　her　up　to　be　scuttled；　as　dictated　by　Qin　Shang's　master　plan。　Her　bow　was　already　ing　around　toward　the　east　bank　of　the　river。
　
　Pitt　knew　the　explosive　charges　far　below　in　the　ship's　bilge　were　set　and　timed　to　go　off　and　sink　the　ship　at　any　second。　He　wasted　no　time　in　staring　helplessly　at　the　obscene　apparition　at　the　helm。　He　pushed　the　mutilated　body　off　to　one　side　and　took　the　wheel　at　the　exact　instant　the　trucks　on　the　highway；　now　only　a　few　hundred　yards　away；　exploded　with　a　thunderous　roar　that　shook　the　ground　and　churned　the　river。　He　felt　the　icy　needles　of　disaster　in　his　spine。　Hopelessness　swamped　him　in　a　fleeting　rage。　But　his　resolve；　his　infinite　endurance；　would　never　allow　him　to　fail。　He　had　developed　a　sixth　sense　after　having　survived　death　over　the　years。　The　fear　of　hopelessness　came　and　went。　He　was　oblivious　to　anything　and　everything；　except　for　what　he　must　do。
　
　With　unwavering　concentration；　he　gripped　the　wheel　and　desperately　spun　it；　turning　the　rudder　to　head　the　ship　on　a　new　course　before　her　bottom　was　blown　out。
　
　Back　on　the　deck　beneath　the　colossal　funnels　where　Pitt　had　left　him；　Al　Giordino　pulled　himself　up　against　the　base　of　a　ventilator。　The　pain　in　his　leg　had　receded　to　little　more　than　a　dull　ache。　Running　figures　suddenly　appeared；　dressed　head　to　toe　in　black　night…fighting　attire。　Believing　him　to　be　among　the　dead　scattered　about　the　deck；　they　rushed　past　and　ignored　him。　As　he　lay　there　a　black　helicopter　abruptly　shot　out　of　the　dark　and　darted　over　the　east　levee。　The　pilot　did　not　waste　moments　hovering　but　dove　right　in；　barely　clearing　the　aft　railing　by　less　than　two　feet　and　dropping　onto　the　same　deck　behind　the　rear　funnel　where　Giordino　and　Pitt　had　landed　their　paraplanes。　Almost　before　the　helicopter's　wheels　slammed　onto　the　deck；　Qin　Shang's　men　were　diving　inside　through　the　open　door　in　the　fuselage。
　
　Giordino　checked　the　drum　on　his　Aserma　shotgun　and　counted　seven　12…gauge　rounds　left。　He　leaned　to　one　side；　stretched　out　his　hand　and　retrieved　a　Kalashnikov　AKM　rifle　dropped　by　one　of　the　dead　ship　defenders。　He　punched　out　the　clip　and　noted　that　it　was　only　a　quarter　empty　before　shoving　it　back　in　the　magazine。　Wincing　from　pain；　he　struggled　to　one　knee　and　aimed　the　Aserma　at　the　helicopter；　keeping　the　AKM　automatic　rifle　as　a　backup。
　
　His　eyes　did　not　blink；　his　face　was　still。　There　was　no　sensation　of　coldness；　no　pitiless　thoughts　running　through　his　mind；　but　more　a　perception　of　detachment。　These　men　did　not　belong　here。　They　came　to　kill　and　cause　destruction。　To　Giordino's　way　of　thinking；　allowing　them　to　escape　unpunished　was　a　crime　in　itself。　He　stared　at　the　men　inside　the　helicopter；　who　began　to　laugh　with　satisfaction　in　the　belief　they　had　won　out　over　the　stupid　Americans。　Giordino　became　mad；　madder　than　he　had　ever　been。
　〃How　do　I　hate　you；〃　he　muttered　angrily。　〃Let　me　count　the　ways。〃
　
　With　the　last　man　aboard；　the　pilot　lifted　the　craft　vertically　into　the　air。　Buffeted　by　its　own　downdraft；　it　hung　for　a　few　moments　before　slipping　sideways　and　aiming　its　bow　toward　the　east。　At　that　instant；　Giordino　opened　up；　pumping　round　after　round　into　the　turbine　engines　mounted　below　the　rotor。　He　could　see　the　twelve…gauge　magnum…charged　pellets　tearing　holes　in　the　cowlings　but　without　seeming　effect。
　
　He　pumped　out　his　last　casing；　dropped　the　Aserma　and　snatched　up　the　AKM。　There　was　a　thin　wisp　of　smoke　ing　from　the　port　turbine　now；　but　the　helicopter　showed　no　other　signs　of　vital　damage。　There　was　no　infrared　laser　pointer　on　the　rifle；　and　Giordino　disregarded　the　night　scope　mounted　on　the　barrel。　A　large　target　at　this　distance　was　hard　to　miss。　He　peered　over　the　iron　sights　at　the　great　bird　about　to　disappear　and　pulled　the　trigger　evenly　on　semiautomatic。　After　pounding　the　final　shot　home；　Giordino　could　do　no　more　that　hope　that　he　had　at　least　wounded　the　bird　to　a　condition　where　it　could　not　reach　its　destination。　The　helicopter　seemed　to　hang　before　falling　backward　in　a　tail…low　attitude。　It　was　clearly　out　of　control　now　as　flames　shot　out　of　both　turbines。　Then　it　was　falling　like　a　rock；　crashing　onto　the　stern　deck　before　exploding　in　a　solid　wall　of　flame　that　shot　straight　up　in　the　air。　Within　seconds；　the　stem　became　a　raging　inferno；　radiating　heat　and　fire　with　the　energy　of　a　blast　furnace。
　
　Giordino　threw　the　gun　aside　as　the　shooting　pain　in　his　broken　leg　returned　with　a　vengeance。　He　gazed　approvingly　at　the　blazing；　twisted　tongue　of　fire　shooting　into　the　sky。　〃Damn；〃　he　murmured　softly。　〃I　forgot　the　marshmallows。〃
　
　THE　EXPLOSION　THUNDERED　IN　THE　EARS　OF　THE　SOLDIERS　and　sheriff's　deputies　who　had　stopped　just　half　a　mile　from　the　two　semitrucks　and　trailers。　The　sky　tore　apart　in　a　violent；　demented　convulsion　of　pressed　air　as　the　horrendous　detonation　tore　the　heart　out　of　the　levee。　Seconds　later；　the　eruption　of　the　pressure　wave　stunned　them；　followed　by　a　blast　of　dirt　from　the　levee　and　concrete　from　the　highway。　Then　flaming　metal　from　the　shattered　trucks　rained　down　from　a　world　in　chaos。　As　if　given　a　universal　order；　everyone　ducked　behind　or　under　his　vehicle　to　shield　himself　from　the　storm　of　debris。
　
　Sandecker　threw　up　an　arm　to　protect　his　eyes　from　the　blinding　flash　and　flying　fragments。　The　air　felt　thick　and　charged　with　electricity　as　a　great　roar　pounded　his　ears。　A　huge　ball　of　fire　rose　and　mushroomed；　spreading　into　the　sky；　transforming　into　a　swirling　black　cloud　that　blotted　out　the　stars。
　
　And　then　all　eyes　turned　back　to　where　a　hundred　yards　of　highway；　the　levee　and　the　two　big　trucks　once　stood。　All　had　disintegrated。　None　of　those　standing　there　in　shock　were　prepared　for　the　horrific　spectacle　that　avalanched　through　the　vanished　remains　of　the　levee。　To　a　man　they　stood　numbed　by　the　rumbling　reverberation　in　their　ears　that　slowly　faded；　only　to　be　replaced　with　a　far　more　ominous　sound；　an　unbelievably　loud　hissing　and　sucking　sound　as　a　seething　wall　of　water　gushed　catastrophically　into　the　waiting　arms　of　the　Mystic　Canal；　dredged　by　Qin　Shang　for　this　very　event。
　
　For　one　long；　terrible　minute　they　stared　bleakly　through　disbelieving　eyes；　hypnotically　drawn　to　a　cataract　so　violent　that　it　could　not　be　conceived　unless　witnessed。　They　watched　impotently　as　millions　of　gallons　of　water　poured　through　the　breach　in　the　highway　and　levee；　dragged　by　the　natural　laws　of　gravity　and　impelled　by　the　force　of　the　river's　mass　and　current。　It　exploded　into　a　wall　of　boiling　water　with　nothing　to　stop　its　great　momentum　as　it　began　draining　off　the　main　flow　of　the　Mississippi。
　
　The　great　destroying　flood　tide　was　on　its　way；　oblivion　in　the　making。
　
　Unlike　ocean　tidal　waves；　there　was　no　trough。　Behind　the　crest；　the　fluid　mass　moved　without　the　slightest　suggestion　of　distortion；　its　texture　smooth　and　rolling；　surging　with　immeasurable　energy。
　
　What　was　left　of　the　abandoned　town　of　Calzas　was　inundated　and　swept　away。　Nearly　thirty　feet　high；　the　irresistible；　seething　mass　engulfed　the　marshlands　as　it　hurled　toward　the　waiting　arms　of　the　Atchafalaya　River。　A　small　cabin　cruiser；　with　its　four　occupants　in　the　wrong　part　of　the　river；　at　the　wrong　time；　was　sucked　into　the　breach；　where