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It was as if a cloud had passed over the sun。 The shadow of the barge cut off nearly fifty percent of the light from the surface。 The water was an opaque green and filled with plant particles。 He swam fast and had hardly passed under the barge when a vague shape appeared in the gloom and stopped his progress。
Hanging from the keel of the barge was an immense cylindrical tube with tapered ends。 Pitt instantly recognized what it was； and his heart began to pump faster with excitement。 The size and regular shape was similar to the hull of an early submarine。 He swam along the hull slightly above it。 There were no visible ports； and he could see that it was attached to the barge by a system of rails。 These； Pitt immediately determined； were used to move the submerged container from the seagoing ship to the barge and back again。
He estimated the size of the underwater container at ninety feet in length by nearly fifteen feet in diameter by ten feet high。 Without being able to peer inside； Pitt quickly realized that it was capable of housing anywhere from two hundred to four hundred people； depending on how tightly they were packed inside。
Quickly； he swam around the vessel to the other side； looking for a hatch connecting with an underwater passage from the vessel to inside the breakwater that anchored the wharf。 He found it thirty feet aft of the bow； a small watertight tunnel just large enough for two people to pass through at the same time。
Pitt could find no way to enter； certainly not from the water。 He was about to give up and swim back to the shantyboat when he spotted a small round portal embedded in the stone breakwater。 The portal was above the surface of the water but just below the planking on the wharf。 It was covered by an iron door that was secured by three dog levers。 Its purpose eluded him。 A sewer outlet？ A drainage pipe？ A maintenance tunnel？ A closer inspection of the lettering stamped by the manufacturer on the iron door cleared up the mystery。
MANUFACTURED BY THE ACADIA CHUTE PANY NEW ORLEANS。 LOUISIANA
It was a chute that was used when the mill was in operation to load the raw sugar onto barges。 The old wharf had been demolished and a new one constructed that was five feet higher to acmodate the passage of illegal immigrants under the water without being visible on the surface。 The newer； raised wharf now sat a good foot over the early loading chute。
The dog levers were badly rusted and probably hadn't been opened in eighty years。 But the bayou water did not have the salt content of the sea。 The corrosion was not deep。 Pitt gripped a dog lever with both hands； positioned his feet against the upper planks of the wharf and pulled downward。
To his delight； the lever gave and moved an inch on the first try。 The next heave took it three inches； then it turned more easily。 Finally； he twisted it out against its stop。 The second dog lever came slightly easier； but the third fought him every inch of the way。 Gasping and panting； Pitt rested for a minute before pulling the door open。 It fought too。 He had to put both feet against the breakwater and pull with every ounce of strength he had left。
At last the iron door grudgingly squeaked open on its rusting hinges。 Pitt peered inside； but all he could see was darkness。 He turned and swam under the wharf； stopping just before he reached the shantyboat's hull。 He called up softly。 〃Al； are you there？〃
His only response came from Romberg。 Curious； the hound strolled onto the wharf and sniffed through the cracks in the planking just above Pitt's head。 〃Not you。 I want Giordino。〃
Romberg began wagging his tail。 He stretched out his front paws； and lay down on the wharf and playfully tried to dig through the wooden planking。
Inside the guard shack； Giordino turned every minute or two and stared at the shantyboat for an indication of Pitt's return。 Seeing Romberg pawing and scratching on the wharf for something underneath made him curious。 He slowly walked through the gate and stopped by the dog。 〃What are you sniffing at？〃 he asked。
〃Me！〃 Pitt whispered through the planking。
〃Jeez！〃 muttered Giordino。 〃For a second I thought Romberg could talk。〃
Pitt stared up between the cracks in the planks。 〃Where did you get the uniform？〃
〃The guard decided to take a nap； and charitable； benevolent fellow that I am； I offered to stand his watch。〃
〃Even with my limited view I can tell it's a lousy fit。〃
〃You might be interested to learn；〃 said Giordino； facing away from the sugar mill and rubbing a two…day…whiskered chin to cover his lip movements； 〃this place is owned by the Butterfield Freight Corporation； not Qin Shang Maritime。 Also； the guard may have Asian ancestry； but I figure he went to school in either L。A。 or San Francisco。〃
〃Butterfield has to be a corporate front used by Shang to move people in and out of here。 There's a submerged vehicle connected to the bottom of the barge that has the capacity to transport close to four hundred bodies。〃
〃Then we've found the mother lode。〃
〃We'll know shortly； just as soon as I get inside。〃
〃How？〃 asked Giordino simply。
〃I found a chute that was used to load sugar onto barges。 It appears to lead toward the main building。〃
〃Watch your step and make it fast。 I don't know how much longer I can fool whoever is monitoring me。〃
〃They have a camera on you？〃 asked Pitt。
〃I've counted three and suspect there may be a few more around the perimeter I haven't spotted yet；〃 Giordino answered。
〃Can you drop my forty…five over the side？ I don't want to go in naked。〃
〃I'll lower it over the side。〃
〃You're okay； Al。 I don't care what they say about you；〃 said Pitt。
〃If I hear a gunshot；〃 said Giordino as he walked toward the shantyboat； 〃Romberg and I will e running。〃
〃That should be a sight to behold。〃
Giordino entered the shantyboat； took Pitt's Colt automatic and shiftily lowered it on a string through a window until it hung just above the water surface opposite the wharf。 He felt a sharp tug on the line and the gun was gone。 Then he slowly made his way back to the guard shack； where he unholstered the impressive Wesson Firearms 。357 Magnum revolver that he'd taken off the unconscious guard； and waited for something to happen。
Pitt dropped his air tank； weight belt and the rest of the dive gear below the shantyboat。 Clad only in his wet suit and carrying the Colt above his head to keep it dry； he stroked under the wharf to the chute portal and climbed inside。 It was a tight squeeze； and he had to pull his body along a few inches at a time。 The Colt he slipped under the collar of his wet suit against his upper chest； making it easy merely to bend his arm and retrieve it should an unpleasant occasion arise。 The light decreased the farther he penetrated the chute； his body blocking off a fair share of it。 But he could still see well enough to pick out any obstacles that lay ahead。 He fervently hoped he wouldn't run up against a poisonous snake。 With almost no room to maneuver； he would either have to club it to death with the old Colt or shoot it。 One event risked a bite from fangs； the other detection by security guards。
Then a belated fear flooded his mind。 What if the other end was blocked by another iron door that could only be opened from the opposite side？ There was no denying the possibility。 But the gamble was worth the effort； he rationalized。 Nothing ventured and all that。 He forged on until the chute began to slope upward。 The going became more difficult as gravity began to work against him。
Fingertips scraped raw from clawing the corroded lining of the chute； Pitt continued forward。 A vivid imagination could have easily conjured up visions of nightmare monsters from an alien world lurking in the darkness ahead； but reality revealed an empty； hollow chute； nothing more。 Slowly； almost imperceptibly； the chute began to widen； as if blossoming into the upper half of a giant funnel。 Then suddenly and pletely unanticipatedly； he found himself crawling into a large bin that flared upward and out to the sides。 The upper lip was only four feet away。 He struggled upward； gaining a grip and pulling himself higher； then climbing toward the upper rim of the chute。
Automatic grasped in one hand and only dimly aware of the curious prickling sensation moving up the nape of his neck； he heard voices drifting into the chute； voices that were not speaking English。 He also became strongly aware of the heavy； sickening odor of human bodies packed too long in a stifling atmosphere。 Pitt raised his head until his eyes could see over the edge of the chute。 He found himself gazing down from a height of twelve feet into a large chamber scarcely lit by a small dirty skylight in the ceiling。 The walls of the chamber were dingy brick； the floor concrete。
Standing； lying or crouched in the stale atmosphere of the chamber； packed together shoulder to shoulder with little or no room to move about； were over three hundred men； women and children in varying states of sickness； malnutrition and fatigue。 All appeared to be Chinese。 Pitt scanned the chamber but saw no guards。 The mass of humanity below was sealed in what was once the sugar…processing room； the only entrance was barred by a thick wooden door。
As he watched； the door abruptly swung open； and an Asian wearing the same uniform Giordino had taken off the guard at the dock roughly pushed a man into the crowded chamber。 A woman； who Pitt assumed was the man's wife； had her arms tightly pinned by another guard in a passage outside。 The door slammed shut with an echoing thud； and the man； in a highly emotional state； pounded on it and cried out in Chinese； clearly begging the guards not to take the woman away。
Without misgivings or thoughts of personal risk； Pitt dropped out of the chute opening onto the floor below； landing on his feet between two women； knocking both into people packed around them； creating a ripple in the mass。 The women stared at him in startled curiosity but said nothing。 No one else gave indication of his sudden appearance。
Pitt didn't bother to beg their pardon。 He moved quickly through the huddled crowd of bodies toward the door。 Reaching it； he gently pushed the sobbing man aside and then rapped on the door with the butt of his Colt。 It was a familiar knock； one long； four short； two long； often given by someone friendly with the occupants on the other side。 After the second try； Pitt's brazenness was rewarded。 As he'd hoped； the guard's curiosity was aroused by the inprehensible rap instead of the crazed pounding from a distraught husband。
The lock clacked and the door was thrown open again； only this time with Pitt standing behind it。 A guard burst back into the chamber； grabbing the husband by the collar and shaking him like a fruit tree。 The other guard still stood in the passage； pinning the woman's arms cruelly behind her back。 He spoke angrily in perfect English。
〃Tell that dumb bastard for the last time； he isn't getting his wife back until he forks over another ten thousand U。S。 dollars。〃
Pitt's arm whirled in a blurred arc downward； the butt of the Colt in his hand connecting solidly on the side of the first guard's head； sending him unconscious to the concrete floor。 Then Pitt stepped into the open doorway； gun pointed steadily at the head of the man with the young woman。
〃I don't mean to intrude； but I believe you have something that belongs to someone else。〃
The guard's jaw； already open at seeing his colleague crumpled in a heap； dead to the world； began working furiously as he stared pop…eyed at the apparition in the black wet suit。 〃Who the hell are you？〃
〃I was hired by your captives to act as their agent；〃 Pitt said； smiling。 〃Now let the girl go。〃
The guard had guts； Pitt had to admit that。 One arm moved up and encircled the young woman's neck。 〃Drop the gun or by God I'll snap her neck。〃
Pitt stepped forward and raised the Colt until the muzzle was only a few inches from the guard's left eye。 〃I'll blow your eyes out if you do。 Is that what you want； to spend the rest of your days as a blind man？〃
The guard was smart enough to know he was in a no…win situation。 He