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cell block straight out of Alcatraz。 The revelation struck Pitt like a blow to the head by a meteor。 The retreat built to entertain Shang's clients and business associates was a facade； he realized； a damned facade。 The maid who played at making up rooms with no furniture； the two golfers who played for all eternity…they were all frosted figures on a cake。 The security that was carried to extremes was designed to keep captives in rather than intruders out。 It now became obvious that the copper…tinted solar glass panes were backed by reinforced concrete walls。
Three tiers of jail cells faced an open square with a cage mounted on columns in the center。 Inside the cage； two guards in gray； unmarked uniforms monitored a bank of video screens。 The upper walkways that passed by the cells were shielded from the open square by mesh screens。 The cell doors were solid except for peepholes barely large enough to insert a small plate of food and a cup of water。 The most hardened incarcerated criminal would have had a tough time figuring an escape route out of this place。
There was no way for Pitt to tell how many poor souls were locked behind the doors。 Nor could he guess who they were or what offense they had mitted against Shang。 Recalling the AUV's video of the sickening spectacle on the lake bed； he began to grasp that instead of staring at a penal colony he was staring at one huge death row。
Pitt felt a cold chill； but sweat was trickling down his face hi streams。 He had overstayed his wele。 It was time to head home and blow the whistle。 Very carefully； he pushed the steel door closed and locked it in place。 Lucky； lucky； he thought。 Only the inside door with the bars was wired to sound an alarm when opened without permission by the guards at the security monitors。 He was on the fourth step going down when he heard footsteps ing up。
There were two of them； no doubt a change of a shift for the men monitoring the video surveillance around the outer grounds and inside the prison cells。 Neither had call to be apprehensive or suspicious of intruders。 They casually moved up the stairs chatting to each other； and due to the human habit of watching one's feet when climbing a staircase； neither looked up and spied Pitt。 Their only weapons were automatic pistols firmly clipped in their holsters。
Pitt had to move fast if he wanted the advantage of surprise； and he used it to the hilt。 Foolhardy or not； he rushed down the stairs and leaped； crashing into the lead guard before he literally knew what hit him and throwing him backward into his friend。
Accustomed to cowering and frightened captives； the two Chinese guards were petrified with shock at being attacked by a reckless crazy man in a rubber suit whose body was considerably larger than either of theirs。 Both men； caught off balance； stumbled and fell backward； arms and legs flailing； locked together back to chest。 Pitt piled on the man on the top and rode them down the steps to the second landing before they all crumpled against a railing。 The bottom man struck his head on a step and was immediately knocked unconscious。 His friend； less injured but stunned with surprise； snatched feverishly at his bolstered automatic。
Pitt could have killed him； could have killed them both； by shooting a pair of barbs through their heads。 But he settled for gripping the air gun by the barrel and clubbing the guard on the side of the head with the butt。 He didn't doubt for an instant that if their positions were reversed； they'd have had no misgivings whatsoever about blowing his brains out。
He dragged them into the vacant second level and propped them against the far wall in the shadows。 He tore off their uniforms and ripped them into strips。 Then he bound their hands and legs； and gagged them。 If； as he suspected； they were on their way to work； they'd be missed in less than five or ten minutes at the most。 Once they were found knocked unconscious and bound with shreds of their uniforms； all hell would erupt when an intrusion was reported to Shang or his murder advisory board。 Once they became aware their security had been penetrated by an unknown force； there was no second…guessing the consequences。 He didn't want to think about what might happen to the unfortunates still locked in the cells if it was decided all evidence to whatever was going on had to be destroyed and all eyewitnesses killed。 If the bodies on the bottom of the lake were any indication； whatever this bunch of slime lacked； it certainly wasn't a willingness to murder by the numbers。
Pitt crept back through the corridor of the guards' living quarters with the finesse of Don Juan flitting out of a lady's bedroom。 The luck he had of not being seen going in carried with him going out。 He reached the passageway to the boat…house and hurried through as best he could without scraping the shoulders of his dry suit to shreds。 Not in the mood for an exciting pursuit by incensed Chinese with lethal weapons； he briefly considered working over the motors of the watercraft； but thought better of wasting the time。 If they couldn't find the AUV in broad daylight； they would never find him thirty feet underwater in the dark。
After hurriedly putting on his dive gear； he dropped into the water； swam around the dock and retrieved the Stingray。 Pitt hadn't traveled a hundred yards along the lake bed when he heard the throb of an engine exhaust and the beat of propellers from a boat ing out of the darkness in the distance。 The sound carried through the water faster than the air； making it seem as if the boat was almost on top of him when in fact it was just ing off the river outlet onto the lake。 Inclining the Stingray； he let its thrust pull him to the surface。 He spotted the boat as it moved out of the shadows and became illuminated under the lights from shore。 He identified the approaching vessel as the black catamaran he'd observed the day before。
He figured that unless one of the boat's crew ate a bushel of carrots every day and took large doses of vitamin A for acute night vision； their chances of picking out a nearly invisible head on dark waters were unlikely。 Then suddenly； the boat's motor died to an idle and it drifted to a stop not fifty feet away。
Pitt should have ignored the boat and moved on。 There was still plenty of juice left in the Stingray's batteries to take him back to the cabin。 He should have moved on； having seen more than he was ever meant to see。 Law…enforcement authorities had to be notified quickly before any further harm came to the unknown human beings imprisoned inside the retreat。 He was cold and exhausted and looked forward to a shot of tequila and a chair in front of a warm fire。 He should have listened to an inner voice telling him to get the hell away from Orion Lake while the getting was still good。 His inner voice might as well have pleaded with his sinus passages for all the good it did。
Some unfathomable fascination attracted him to the eerielooking catamaran。 There was something sinister about its appearance in the night。 No one walked the decks； no lights showed anywhere。
Downright diabolic； he thought。 A strange； indescribable malignance seem to vent from its decks。 Then it began to dawn on Pitt that this just might be the ferry that transported dead souls across the River Styx。 He rolled beneath the surface and aimed the Stingray in a downward and then upward arc that would bring him beneath the twin hulls of the mysterious vessel。
THE FORTY…EIGHT MEN； WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE crammed so tightly inside the square cabin of the black boat that there was no room for anyone to sit。 They all stood pressed together； breathing the stale air。 The night outside the cabin was cool； but inside the body heat made it hot and stifling。 The only ventilation came from a small grate in the cabin roof。 A few were already unconscious； having collapsed from the terror induced by claustrophobia； but their bodies were unable to fall。 Instead their heads sagged and rolled with the rocking of the boat。 Everyone was strangely silent。 Perhaps defeated and powerless to dictate their fate； the prisoners lapsed into a strange lethargy like those sent by the Nazis to the concentration camps in World War II。
Julia stood listening to the sound of the waves lapping against the hull of the boat and the soft beat of the twin diesel engines； wondering where she was being taken。 The water was smooth now。 The swells of the ocean had been left behind twenty minutes ago。 She assumed they were inside a quiet bay or traveling on a river。 She knew with reasonable clarity that she was back somewhere in the United States。 This was her home ground。 She refused to let herself bee pliant； and though she was still weak and dizzy； she was determined to fight her way out of this insane predicament and survive。 Too much depended on her survival。 By escaping and reporting the information she had gathered on the smuggling syndicate to her superiors at INS； she could stop the ghastly suffering and killing of thousands of illegal immigrants。
In the wheelhouse above the cabinlike prison； two of the smuggling crew's four enforcers began cutting rope into short lengths while the captain； who stood at the helm； threaded his way up the Orion River in the dark。 The only light came from the stars； and his eyes never strayed from the radar screen。 After another ten minutes； he alerted the others to the fact that they were passing from the river into the lake。 Just as the black boat was about to e under the bright lights positioned at Qin Shang's retreat； the helmsman picked up the boat's phone and spoke a few words in Chinese。 Almost before he set the phone back in its cradle； the lights inside the main building and those placed around the shore blinked out； throwing the entire lake into a cloak of blackness。 Guided by a small red light on a buoy； the helmsman expertly slipped the catamaran around the broad transom of Shang's magnificent yacht and came alongside the pilings on the opposite side of the dock。 Two enforcers jumped clear and slipped the mooring lines over their cleats as the helmsman set the twin diesel engines on idle。
For the next three or four minutes there was no sound outside the crowded cabin。 A flurry of questions； a swarm of anxieties； framed themselves in the thoughts of Julia and the illegal immigrants。 But they didn't know in what order to assess them； and the continuing nightmare of their voyage still overshadowed any attempt at clear thinking。 And then the door was opened on the rear wall of the cabin。 The fresh air that came from a breeze drifting down from the mountains seemed like a miracle。 At first； all they could see outside was darkness； then an enforcer moved into the doorway。
〃When you hear your name； step out onto the dock；〃 he instructed them。
At first it was difficult for those in the middle or the back to squeeze through the overcrowded cabin； but as each body exited through the door those who remained gave a collective sigh of relief。 Most of those who left the boat were poorer immigrants； the ones who could not pay the exorbitant fare to reach land； any land； so long as it didn't belong to the People's Republic of China。 Unknowingly； they had signed away their souls to a life of servitude to the smugglers； who in turn sold them to criminal syndicates already established in the U。S。
Soon； only Julia； a mother and father weak from lack of food； along with their two small children； who looked like they might be suffering from rickets； and eight elderly men and women were left standing in the cabin。 These were the castoffs； thought Julia； those who had been bled dry of their possessions； who had no more money to give and were too helpless and frail for any type of heavy work。 These were the ones； including herself； who were not going ashore。
As if to confirm her worst fears； the door was slammed shut； the lines were cast off and the diesels were shifted into reverse； increasing their throb。 It seemed as though the boat had only traveled a short distance when the engines slowed and idled again。 The door was thrown open and four enforcers entered。 Without a word they began binding everyone's hands