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第93部分

cc.floodtide-第93部分

小说: cc.floodtide 字数: 每页4000字

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 〃We have a towboat pushing ten grain barges ing up ahead;〃 announced Ming Lin。
 Hung…chang picked up the ship's radiophone。 〃Captain of the towboat approaching St。 James Landing。 We are overtaking you。 We are one…half mile behind and will overtake you on the Cantrelle Reach; passing on your starboard。 We have a hundred…foot beam and suggest you give us a wide berth。〃
 There was no response from the unknown towboat captain; but when the United States turned into Cantrelle Reach; Hung…chang could see through his night…vision glasses that the tow…boat was slowly turning to port; too slowly。 The towboat captain had not followed the news from New Orleans and could never imagine that a giant behemoth the size of the United States was bearing down on him at unbelievable speed。
 
 〃He's not going to make it in time;〃 Ming Lin certified calmly。
 〃Can we slow?〃 asked Hung…chang。
 〃If we don't pass him on a straight reach; it will be impossible after we enter the next series of bends。〃
 〃Then it's now or never。〃
 Ming Lin nodded。 〃For us to deviate from our puter…programmed passage might very well imperil the operation。〃
 Hung…chang picked up the radiophone。 〃Captain; please veer away quickly or we may run you down。〃
 The towboat captain's voice came back angrily。 〃You don't own the river; Charlie Brown。 Who the hell do you think you're threatening?〃
 Hung…chang shook his head wearily。 〃I think you had better look over your stern。〃
 The reply came like a choked gasp。 〃Jeezez! Where did you e from?〃
 Then the towboat and her barges quickly veered to port。 Although the move came in time; the great wash from the superliner; her hull displacing over forty thousand tons of water with her passing; cascaded over the towboat and barges; sweeping them sideways and depositing them high and dry on the bank of the levee。
 
 In another ten minutes the ship rounded Point Houmas; named for a tribe of Indians who once lived there; before rushing past the town of Donaldsonville and successfully clearing the Sunshine Bridge。 As the lights of the bridge faded around the last bend in the river; Hung…chang allowed himself the luxury of a cup of tea。
 〃Only twelve more miles until we're there;〃 said Ming Lin。 His words were not a report but came as casually as a statement that the weather was mild。 〃Twenty minutes; twenty…five at most。〃
 Hung…chang was just finishing his tea when a crewman who was standing watch on the starboard bridge wing leaned through the door of the wheelhouse。 〃Aircraft; Captain。 Approaching from the north。 Sounds like helicopters。〃
 He had hoped for a radar installation; but Qin Shang; knowing the United States was on her final voyage saw no reason for the added expense。 〃Can you tell how many?〃
 〃I count two ing straight down the river;〃 replied the crewman; staring through night…vision glasses。
 
 No need for panic; thought Hung…chang。 They were either state law…enforcement craft that could do little but issue warnings for the ship to stop; or those chartered by the news media。
 
 He raised his night…vision glasses and peered upriver。 Then the veins in his neck became taut as he recognized the helicopters as belonging to the military。
 
 In the same moment a long row of floodlights blinked on; illuminating the river as brightly as daylight; and he saw a convoy of armored tanks rise from the opposite side of the east levee and tram their guns on the river channel where the ship was about to pass。 Hung…chang was surprised to see no rocket launchers。 Not trained in military weapons systems; he did not recognize the National Guard's older M1A1 tanks with their 105…millimeter guns。 But he knew well the damage they were capable of against the unarmored superliner。
 
 The two helicopters; Sikorsky H…76 Eagles; split apart and flew past the side of the ship on a height even with the upper deck。 One slowed and hovered above the stern while the other circled; drew even with the wheelhouse and trained a bright spotlight on it。
 
 A voice from a loudspeaker boomed above the thump of the rotor blades。 〃Bring your ship to a halt immediately!〃
 Hung…chang gave no orders to ply。 The fates had suddenly turned against him。 The Americans must have somehow been warned。 They knew! Damn them! They knew that Qin Shang intended to destroy the levee and use the superliner as a diverting dam。
 〃Halt immediately!〃 the voice came again。 〃We are ing aboard to secure your ship!〃
 Hung…chang hesitated as he weighed his chances of running the gauntlet。 He counted six tanks lined up on the levee ahead。 Lacking missiles with powerful warheads; the enemy would find the great ship next to impossible to sink by tank gunfire alone。 The big engines were well below the waterline and immune to destruction from the surface。 He glanced at his watch。 Bayou Goula and the Mystic Canal were only fifteen minutes away now。 For a moment; he considered stopping the ship and surrendering to the American military。 But he was mitted。 To quit now would mean a loss of face。 He would do nothing to dishonor his family。 He made the decision to keep going。
 As if to bind his mitment; one of the Chinese special forces team fired an SA…7 Russian…made man…portable infrared homing antiaircraft missile at the helicopter hovering over the stern。 At less than two hundred yards it was impossible to miss; even without the homing system。 The missile struck the helicopter's boom behind the fuselage and blasted it off。 Horizontal control was lost and the craft spun crazily in circles before falling into the river and sinking out of sight; but not before the two crewmen and ten troops inside managed to struggle clear。
 
 The men in the second helicopter flying opposite the liner's bridge were not as lucky。 The next missile blew it apart in an explosive burst of fire; sending flaming debris and bodies crashing into the dark current of the river; their grave swept clean by the seething wake from the ship's propellers。
 
 During the death and destruction; Hung…chang and the Chinese fighting force were unaware of the low…pitched buzzing sound approaching from upriver。 Nor did any of them see the two black parachutes that fleetingly hid the stars in the night sky。 Every eye was turned toward the menacing guns of the tanks; every mind concentrating on running the gauntlet of devastating fire they knew was about to ravage them。
 
 Captain Hung…chang spoke quietly into the ship's phone to the engine room。 〃Full ahead; all engines。〃
 
 TEN MINUTES EARLIER; FROM A SCHOOLYARD A BLOCK FROM the river; Pitt and Giordino lifted into the night sky。 After donning helmets and harnesses; they strapped small motors that were mounted on backpacks across their shoulders。 Next; they hooked into a thirty…foot…wide canopy with over fifty suspension lines spread on the turf and started their little three…horsepower engines that were about the same size as those used on power mowers and chainsaws。 For stealth; the exhaust manifolds were specially muffled; emitting only a soft popping sound。 The propellers; looking more like the wide blades on a fan and encased behind a wire cage so as not to entangle their lines; bit the air。 After Pitt and Giordino ran a few steps; the thrust of the motors took over; the 230…square…foot canopies inflated and the two men lifted into the sky。
 
 Except for wearing a steel helmet and a body…armor vest; the only weapon Giordino carried was Pitt's 12…gauge Aserma Bulldog; which was slung across his chest。 Pitt elected his battle…scarred Colt automatic。 Heavier weapons would have made it difficult to keep the paraplanes and their tiny engines in the air。 There were other considerations as well。 Their mission was not to engage in bat but to reach the wheelhouse and gain control of the ship。 The Army assault team was relied on to handle any fighting。
 Too late; only after they were in the air; did they see the Array helicopters shot out of the sky。
 Less than an hour after the United States bypassed New Orleans; Pitt and Giordino met with General Oskar Olson; General Montaigne's old army buddy and mander of the National Guard of Louisiana; at the Guard Headquarters in Baton Rouge; the state capital of Louisiana。 He had strictly forbidden Pitt and Giordino to acpany his assault team; brushing aside their argument that they were the only marine engineers on the scene familiar with the deck plan of the United States; and knowledgeable enough to take control of the wheel…house and stop the ship before it reached Bayou Gouia。
 
 〃This is an Army show;〃 Olson declared; rapping the knuckles of one hand into the palm of the other。 For a man in his late fifties; he was youthful…looking; confident and buoyant。 He was about the same size as Pitt but with a slight paunch at the waist that es to most all men as they age。 〃There may be bloodshed。 I can't allow civilians to get hurt; and certainly not you; Mr。 Pitt; not the son of a United States senator。 I don't need the hassle。 If my men can't stop the ship; I'll order them to run it ashore。〃
 
 〃Is that your only plan after the ship is secured?〃 asked Pitt。
 〃How else do you stop a vessel the size of the Empire State Building?〃
 〃The length of the United States is more than th

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