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pparition from the canal as if he was an alien creature from the swamp。 He convulsively reached for the gun in his side holster； but it had been torn away by the explosions。 He turned and tried to run； staggered a few steps and fell。 The apparition； with blood streaming from his nose； stared down。
〃You speak English； my friend？〃
〃Yes；〃 the guard nodded； replying in a voice hoarse with shock。 〃I learned American vocabulary。〃
〃Good。 You tell your boss； Qin Shang； that Dirk Pitt wants to know if he still stoops over and picks up bananas。 You got that？〃
The guard stumbled several times； repeating the sentence； but with Pitt's coaching he finally got it right。 〃Dirk Pitt wants to know if the esteemed Qin Shang still stoops over and picks up bananas。〃
〃Nice going；〃 Pitt said jovially。 〃You move to the head of the class。〃
Then Pitt casually strolled back to the canal and waded out to Giordino； who was waiting in the skiff。
JULIA WAS THANKFUL WHEN DARKNESS ARRIVED。 MOVING through the shadows along the outside deck of the towboat toward the bow； she slipped over the side onto the barge and hid amid the black plastic bags of trash。 She was not happy about the faint light thrown by a waning moon； but it enabled her to keep track of crew movements on board the towboat and to observe the countryside for geographical references as to location。 She also followed the direction of her progress by glancing up every few minutes at Polaris； the North Star。
Unlike the featureless landscape of the central Atchafalaya Valley； the grassy banks of Bayou Teche supported a thick canopy of live oak trees； interspersed with stately cypresses and lime willows。 But like the edge of a checkerboard； the tree belt opened up every mile to reveal lights of farmhouses and dim； moonlit fields of newly planted crops。 Behind fenced pastures； Julia could make out the shapes of cattle grazing。 She recognized the sound of a meadowlark and fleetingly wished that she had a family and a home。 She knew the day was not far off when her superiors at INS would curtail her hazardous attempts to stop Chinese immigrant…smuggling operations and put her behind a desk。
The towboat and barge passed what seemed a picturesque fishing town that Julia would later learn was Patterson。 Docks lined the waterfront with fishing trawlers taking up almost every slip。 She made a mental note of how the town was laid out along the bayou as it receded in the distance。 The towboat captain blew his air horn as a drawbridge drew into sight。 The bridge tender dutifully tooted his horn in reply and raised the span to allow passage。
A few miles above Patterson the towboat slackened its speed and began easing toward the west bank。 Peering over the side of the barge； Julia could see a large； warehouselike brick structure with several outer buildings that were spaced around a long dock。 A high chain…link fence with barbwire strung along the top encircled the pound。 A few scattered floodlights with dim and dusty bulbs in their sockets ineffectually illuminated the open area between the dock and warehouse。 The only sign of life Julia could see was a guard who exited a little shack and stood at a closed gate on the end of the dock。 She noted that he was wearing the mon uniform sold by private security services。 Through a window of the shack； she could see the reflected images of a television screen。
Her heart gave a leap when she spied a pair of railroad tracks that ran down a concrete culvert under the big warehouse。 She believed with growing certainty that this was the main staging center from where the illegals were transported to their predetermined destinations。 Once there； they were either enslaved or released into heavily populated metropolitan cities。
She burrowed under the trash bags as the Chinese crew came aboard the barge and tied it to the dock。 When the barge was secure； they leaped back on board the towboat。 There was no word spoken between the captain； crew and the guard behind the gate。 The captain gave a brief blast on his air horn to signal his intentions to a small shrimp boat about to pass by。 The towboat slowly reversed away from the barge； swinging its stern wide until a 180…degree turn was pleted and the flat…nosed bow was pointing down the bayou。 Then the captain engaged FORWARD； increased speed and set the towboat on a course back toward Sungari。
The next twenty minutes were spent in a strange silence that began to frighten Julia。 Not from personal fear of her safety； but a dread that perhaps she had made a mistake。 The guard had long since returned to his shack and his television。 The barge full of trash lay moored to the dock； dismissed and neglected。
Julia had contacted Captain Lewis aboard the Weehawken soon after her leap onto the towboat and informed him of her reckless enterprise。 Lewis was not a happy camper when he realized that die woman whose safety was in his hands had taken a terrible risk。 Professional that he was； he brushed aside his frustration and ordered a launch full of armed men under Lieutenant Stowe to follow the towboat and barge as a backup to the helicopter。 His only order to Stowe was to keep a respectful distance behind the towboat and not arouse suspicion。 Julia could hear the whine of the helicopter's engines and see its navigation lights in the night sky。
She well knew the fate that awaited her if Qin Shang's smuggling enforcers apprehended her； and it gave her a warm feeling to know she was being watched over by men who were willing to lay their lives on the line to save her if worst came to worst。
She had long before removed Lin Wan Chu's cook clothes and crammed them into a plastic trash bag； not so much because they were now incongruous but because the white cloth would have made her visible to anyone on the towboat when she stood up to stare over the side of the barge during the journey from Sungari。 Underneath； she wore simple shorts and a blouse。
For the first time in nearly an hour； she spoke into her miniature radio and hailed Lieutenant Stowe。 〃The towboat has dropped off the barge and moored it alongside a dock near what looks like a large warehouse。〃
Lieutenant Jefferson Stowe； in mand of the launch； answered quickly over the transmitter and receiver set around his head。 〃We confirm。 The towboat is about to pass us going in the opposite direction。 What is your situation？〃
〃About as exciting as watching a tree bee petrified。 Except for a security guard on the other side of a tall fence； who's busy watching a TV program in his shack； there isn't another soul in sight。〃
〃Are you saying your objective is a washout？〃 asked Stowe。
〃I need more time for an investigation；〃 answered Julia。
〃Not too long； I hope。 Captain Lewis is hardly a patient man； and the helicopter only has another hour of fuel left。 And that's only the half of it。〃
〃What's the other half？〃
〃Your decision to jump on the towboat came so fast none of my crew or I got dinner。〃
〃You're joking。〃
〃Not about growing coast guardsmen missing a meal；〃 Stowe said humorously。
〃You will stand by； and not desert me。〃
〃Of course；〃 replied Stowe； the humor