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make him as good as new。〃
〃Did two shots of tequila do it？〃 Sandecker asked cynically。
〃More like four。〃 Giordino turned as Pitt emerged from the helicopter。 〃See for yourself。〃
Sandecker looked up and found himself looking at a man dressed like a backwoods hiker； thin and played out； as if he'd been existing on little else but berries in a forest。 His hair was tangled in every direction； face drawn and haggard but split by a smile as broad as a highway billboard with eyes clear and intense。
〃By God； it's the admiral；〃 Pitt boomed。 〃You're the last man I expected to see standing out in the rain。〃
Sandecker wanted to laugh； but he fixed a frown on his face and spoke as if angered。 〃I thought it might be nice to demonstrate my charitable disposition and save you a five…thousand…mile round trip。〃
〃You don't want me back at my desk？〃
〃No。 You and Al are leaving for Manila。〃
〃Manila；〃 said Pitt； puzzled。 〃That's in the Philippines。〃
〃It hasn't been moved that I was aware of；〃 Sandecker said。
〃When？〃
〃Within the hour。〃
〃Within the hour？〃 Pitt stared at him。
〃I've booked you on a mercial flight across the Pacific。 You and Al will be on it。〃
〃What are we supposed to do once we get to Manila？〃
〃If you'll e in out of the rain before we drown； I'll tell you。〃
After Pitt was ordered to drink two cups of coffee； Sandecker gathered his finest team of ocean engineers in the privacy of an aquarium。 Sitting among tanks filled with North Pacific sea life under study by NUMA marine biologists； the admiral briefed Pitt and Giordino on the meeting he and Gunn had with the President and officials of the Immigration and Naturalization Service。
〃The man whose criminal operation you screwed up at Orion Lake directs a vast smuggling empire that traffics in illegal immigrants； transporting them into nearly every country of the world。 He literally smuggles millions of Chinese into North； Central； South America and Europe。 Under a shroud of secrecy； he is supported and often funded by the Chinese government。 The more people he can remove from the over…populated country and place in positions of influence overseas； the better the potential to achieve international power bases working under directives from the mother country。 It is a worldwide conspiracy with incredible consequences if Qin Shang continues unchecked。〃
〃The man is responsible for hundreds of dead bodies lying on the bottom of Orion Lake；〃 said Pitt angrily。 〃You're telling me he can't be charged with mass murder and hanged？〃
〃Charging him and convicting him are different sides of the street；〃 answered Sandecker。 〃Qin Shang has more corporate barriers around him than waves pounding a shore。 I'm told by the missioner of INS； Duncan Monroe； that Qin Shang is so far removed； politically and financially； there is no direct evidence linking him to the mass murders on Orion Lake。〃
〃The man seems impregnable；〃 said Gunn。
Pitt said in a measured tone； 〃No man is impregnable。 We all have an Achilles' heel。〃
〃How do we nail the bastard？〃 Giordino asked bluntly。
Sandecker answered partially by explaining the two objectives the President had ordered NUMA to investigate； the old ocean liner United States and Qin Shang's shipping port of Sungari in Louisiana。 He concluded by saying； 〃Rudi here will be in charge of a special team for an underwater probe of Sungari。 Dirk and Al will examine the former ocean liner。〃
〃Where do we find the United States？〃 asked Pitt。
〃Until three days ago； she was at Sevastopol in the Black Sea undergoing a refit。 But according to satellite surveillance photos； she's left dry dock and passed through the Dardanelles on her way to the Suez Canal。〃
〃That's covering a lot of territory for a fifty…year…old ship；〃 said Giordino。
〃Not unusual；〃 said Pitt； staring at the ceiling as if retrieving something once cataloged in his mind。 〃The United States could leave the best of them in her wake。 She beat the Queen Mary's best time across the Atlantic by an amazing ten hours。 On her maiden voyage she set a speed record between New York and England； averaging thirty…five knots； that still stands。〃
〃She must have been fast；〃 said Gunn admiringly。 〃That works out to about forty…one miles an hour。〃
Sandecker nodded。 〃She's still faster than any mercial ship built before or since。〃
〃How did Qin Shang get his hands on her？〃 asked Pitt。 〃It was my understanding that the U。S。 Maritime Administration would not sell her unless she remained under the American flag。〃
〃Qin Shang easily got around that by purchasing the ship through an American pany who in turn could then sell it to a buyer who represented a friendly nation。 In this case a Turkish businessman。 Too late； American authorities discovered that a Chinese national bought the ship； posing as the Turkish buyer。〃
〃Why would Qin Shang want the United States？〃 Pitt asked； still in the dark。
〃He's in league with the Chinese People's Liberation Army；〃 replied Gunn。 〃The deal he struck with them gives him the right to operate the ship； possibly to smuggle illegal aliens under the guise of a cruise ship。 The Chinese military； for their purposes； has the option of mandeering the ship and quickly converting it to a troop transport。〃
〃You'd have thought our defense department would have seen the light and converted her years ago；〃 said Giordino。 〃She could have moved an entire division of troops from the States to Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in less than five days。〃
Sandecker stroked his beard in thought。 〃Airlifts are the thing to transport men these days。 Ships are used primarily to haul in supplies and equipment。 Any way you look at it； the former pride of the transatlantic greyhounds was way past her prime。〃
〃So what's our job？〃 Pitt asked with diminishing forbearance。 〃If the President wants to prevent the United States from smuggling aliens into the country； why doesn't he order a nuclear submarine to quietly put a couple of Mark XII torpedoes into her side。〃
〃And give the Chinese military a bona fide excuse to retaliate by blasting a cruise ship filled with American tourists out of the water？〃 Sandecker said sharply。 〃I don't think so。 There are more practical and less hazardous ways of cutting Qin Shang off at the knees。〃
〃Like what？〃 Giordino asked guardedly。
〃Answers！〃 Sandecker snapped back。 〃There are perplexing questions that must be answered before the INS can take action。〃
〃We're not undercover specialists；〃 said Pitt； unmoved by it all。 〃What does he expect us to do？ Pay our ticket； reserve a stateroom and then send questionnaires to the captain and crew？〃
〃I am aware that you find this uninspiring；〃 said Sandecker； seeing that both Pitt and Giordino were regarding their mission with a marked lack of enthusiasm； 〃but I'm dead serious when I say that the information you're to obtain is vital to the future welfare of the country。 Illegal immigration cannot continue hi an uncontrolled flood。 Sleaze like Qin Shang are conducting modern versions of the slave trade。〃 Sandecker paused and gazed at Pitt。 〃From what I've been told； you saw an example of their inhumanity with your own eyes。〃
Pitt nodded almost imperceptibly。 〃Yes； I saw the horror。〃
〃There must be something the government can do to rescue these people from bondage；〃 said Gunn。
〃You can't protect people who are illegally in your country if they've disappeared and gone underground after they were smuggled in；〃 Sandecker replied。
〃Can't a task force be formed to search them out； free them and release them into society？〃 Gunn persisted。
〃The INS has sixteen hundred investigators in the fifty states； not counting those working in foreign countries； who made over three hundred thousand arrests of illegal aliens engaged in criminal activities。 It would take twice that number of investigators just to stay even。〃
〃How many illegals are coining into the Unites States each year？〃 asked Pitt。
〃There is no way to achieve an accurate count；〃 answered Sandecker。 〃Estimates run as high as two million aliens who poured in last year from China and Central America alone。〃
Pitt stared out the window at the calm waters of Puget Sound。 The rain had passed； and the clouds were being scattered。 A rainbow slowly formed over the docks。 〃Has anybody a clue to where it will all end？〃
〃With a hell of a lot of people；〃 Sandecker said。 〃The last census put the U。S。 population at roughly two hundred and fifty million。 With the ing increase in births and immigration； legal and illegal； the population will soar to three hundred and sixty million by the year twenty fifty。〃
〃Another hundred million in the next fifty years；〃 said Giordano dolefully。
〃I hope I'm gone by then。〃 Gunn said thoughtfully； 〃Hard to imagine the changes in store for the country。〃
〃Every great nation or civilization either fell by corruption from within or was altered forever by foreign migration；〃 said Sandecker。
Giordino's face registered indifference。 The future was of little concern to him。 Unlike Pitt； who found pleasure in the past； Giordino lived only for the present。 Gunn； contemplative as ever； stared down at the floor； trying to picture the problems a population increase of fifty percent would bring with it。
Pitt said dryly； 〃And so the President in his infinite wisdom expects us to plug the dike with our fingers。〃
〃Just how are we supposed to conduct this crusade？〃 asked Giordino； carefully removing a huge cigar from a cedar wrapper and slowly； very slowly； rolling the end over the flame from a lighter。
Sandecker stared at the cigar； his face reddening as he recognized it as one from his private cache。 〃When you arrive in Manila at the international airport； you will be met by a man named John Smith…〃
〃That's original；〃 Giordino muttered。 〃I've always wanted to meet the guy whose signature I see above mine on motel registers。〃
To a stranger sitting in on the discussion； it would seem none of the NUMA men had the slightest respect for one another； and that there was a cloud of animosity hanging over them。 Nothing could be further from the truth。 Pitt and Giordino had nothing but total and unabridged admiration for Sandecker。 They were as close to him as to their own fathers。 Without the slightest hesitation； they had on more than one occasion risked their own lives to save his。 The give…and…take was a game they had played many times over the years。 The apathy was a sham。 Pitt and Giordino were too wildly independent to accept instructions without a display of rebellion。 Nor were they known to jump up and salute before dashing out the door to do their duty with an overabundance of fervor。 It was a scene of puppets pulling the strings of puppets with an underlying sense of humor。
〃We land in Manila and wait for a John Smith to make himself known；〃 said Pitt。 〃I hope there's more to the plan than that。〃
Sandecker went on。 〃Smith will escort you to the dock area； where you'll board a tired old intercoastal freighter。 A singularly unmon vessel； as you will discover。 By the time you set foot on the deck； NUMA's Sea Dog II submersible will be secured aboard。 Your job； when the opportunity arises； will be to inspect and photograph the hull of the United States below the waterline。〃
Pitt shook his head； his expression one of incredulity。 〃We cruise around； examining the bottom of a ship that's the length of three football fields。 Shouldn't take more than forty…eight hours of downtime。 Naturally； Qin Shang's security people wouldn't think of dropping sensors around the hull for just such an intrusion。〃 He looked at Giordino。 〃How do you see it？〃
〃Like giving a nipple to a baby；〃 Giordino said casually。 〃My only problem is； how does a submersible with a top speed of four knots keep up with a ship that cruises at thirty…five knots？〃
Sandecker gave Giordino a long； sour look； then answered the question。 〃You conduct your underwater survey while the ship is docked in port。 That goes without saying。〃
〃What port have you got in mind？〃 asked Pitt。
〃CIA informants in Sevastopol report that the ship's destination is Hong Kong； where the final interiors and furnishings will be fitted before she takes on passengers for voyages in and around