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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 it plunged dizzily through the wild maelstrom and vanished。 No act of man could halt the raging wall of uncontrollable water as it rushed across the valley before advancing toward the Gulf； where its muddy flow would be absorbed by the sea。
Sandecker； Olson and the other men on the highway could do nothing but watch the nightmarish disaster like eyewitnesses at a train derailment； unable to fathom the unrelenting cataclysm that could penetrate and crush concrete； wood； steel and flesh。 They watched silently in the face of what appeared to promise inevitable calamity； their faces tightened in expressionless masks。 Gunn shivered and looked away toward the Mississippi。
〃The ship！〃 he shouted above the rush of the flood。 He pointed excitedly。 〃The ship！〃
In almost the same terror…bred moment in time； the United States came rushing past。 Mesmerized by the awesome spectacle of the unleashed flood tide； they had forgotten about her。 Their eyes followed Gunn's outstretched hand and finger； seeing an unending black silhouette emerge from the night； a tangible monster from the darkness。 Her superstructure； fore and aft； was blasted into a shell…torn； jagged mass of indescribable shambles。 Her foremast was gone； her funnels raked and holed； great gaps of twisted steel ripped into the sides of her hull。
But still she came； propelled by her great engines； bent on adding her weight to the devastation。 There was no stopping her。 She passed them by at a tremendous rate of speed； her bows throwing up a great sheet of water as she drove against the current under full power。 Despite the fact she had been used to cause death and destruction； she looked magnificent。 No man who saw her that night would ever forget that they were seeing a legend die。 No drama was ever played to a more climactic ending。
They stared enthralled； expecting to see her hull turn and slant across the river in preparation of her role of being a dam to cast the Mississippi away from her established channel forever。 Their convictions seemed verified as waterspouts burst alongside her hull。
〃Mother of God！〃 muttered Olson in shock。 〃They've blown the charges！ She's going down！〃
Any shred of misplaced hope any of them had of the Corps stemming the flow was gone now as the glorious superliner began to settle in the water。
But the United States was not headed on a course to bury her bows in the east bank with her stern slanted across the river toward the west。 She was running straight up the center of the main channel； ever so slowly curving toward the Niagara…like falls roaring through the breach。
Pitt stood and clutched the wheel； now jammed against its stop。 He had turned the rudder as far as it could go。 His calculated determination could do no more。 He felt the ship shudder as the explosive charges blew great holes in her bottom； and he cursed himself for not being able to control the speed or somehow reverse the port propellers and twist the ship in a tighter turn。 But the automated control system had been sh