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〃They can still shoot an explosive up our tail。〃
〃Only if they carry muck…penetrating radar；〃 said Pitt； reversing the thrusters and tilting them down so their exhaust blasted into the bottom； raising great billows of swirling silt。 〃Now you see us； now you don't。〃
Giordino grinned approvingly。 〃An armored shield； a selfinduced smoke screen…what more could we ask？ Now let's get the hell out of here。〃
Pitt needed no coaching。 He sent the submersible careening across the bottom； stirring up silt as he went。 Traveling every bit as visually blind as the divers through the agitated sediment but not nearly as confused； he had the advantage of an acoustics system that homed him in on the antenna buoy。 He had traveled only a short distance when the submersible experienced a hard thump。
〃They hit us？〃 Pitt asked。
Giordino shook his head。 〃No； I think you can scratch one of our attackers off as road kill。 You almost tore his head off with the starboard wing。〃
〃He won't be the only casualty if they blindly miss and shoot each other…〃
Pitt was cut off as an explosive thud rocked the Sea Dog II。 Two more followed in quick succession。 The submersible's speed fell off by a third。
〃There's that lucky shot I was talking about；〃 said Giordino matter…of…factly。 〃They must have slipped one under the grate。〃
Pitt glanced at his instruments。 〃They caught the port thruster。〃
Giordino placed a hand on the transparent nose； which had a series of tiny cracks and stars on its outer surface。 〃They pitted the hell out of the windshield too。〃
〃Where did the third missile strike？〃
〃Impossible to see through this stuff； but I suspect the vertical stabilizer on the starboard wing is gone。〃
〃I figured as much；〃 said Pitt。 〃She's pulling to the port。〃
Unknown to them； the team of ten divers was down to six。 Besides the one Pitt crashed into； the others； shooting indiscriminately through the brownout； had struck and killed three of their own number。 Firing and reloading their Mosby underwater rifles as fast as they could insert a new explosive charge； the divers overlooked the danger to themselves。 One was brushed by the submersible as it surged past and he fired point…blank。
〃Another hit；〃 reported Giordino。 He twisted his body in the confined space and gazed back along the submersible's starboard hull。 〃This time they caught the battery case。〃
〃Those Mosby explosive heads must be more powerful than I was led to believe。〃
Giordino jerked his eyes back and to the side as another explosion burst on the frame between the starboard hull and the nose…viewing shield。 Water began to spurt in where metal met glass。 〃Those things do more than scratch paint and make dents；〃 said Giordino。 〃I can vouch for it。〃
〃We're losing power to the thrusters；〃 came Pitt's voice in a precision display of unruffled coolness。 〃That last strike must have caused a short in the system。 Dump the grate。 It's causing too much drag。〃
Giordino plied； working the manipulator controls and releasing the grate。 Through the silt cloud he could see several places in the grate where the rusting iron had been gouged away by the explosive charges。 He watched it fall out of sight back into the sediment on the bottom。 〃So long； old pal； you served your purpose。〃
Pitt stared briefly at a small navigation monitor。 〃Two hundred feet to the antenna。 I make us about to pass under the liner's screws。〃
〃No hits in the last minute；〃 said Giordino。 〃We must have left our angry friends behind in the fog。 I suggest you cut back on your throttles and conserve whatever battery power is left。〃
〃Nothing left to conserve；〃 replied Pitt； pointing to the instrument dial indicating battery power。 〃We're down to one knot and the needle is in the red。〃
Giordino smiled tightly。 〃It would make my day if Shang's divers got lost and gave up the chase。〃
〃We'll know soon；〃 said Pitt。 〃I'm going to angle up and out of the cloud。 The instant we break into clear water； look astern and tell me what you see。〃
〃If they're still hanging around；〃 said Giordino； 〃and they spot us limping along at half a knot； they'll be all over us like maddened wasps。〃
Pitt said nothing as the Sea Dog II emerged from the swirling mud storm。 He squinted his eyes； trying to pierce the velvet…green water； searching for the antenna line and Cabrillo's diver。 A vague silhouette wavering seventy to eighty feet ahead and slightly to port slowly evolved into the bottom of the launch rocking in the waves rolling across the harbor。
〃We're almost home！〃 Pitt exclaimed； his spirits lifted。
〃Stubborn little devils；〃 said Giordino morosely。 〃Five of them are swimming like sharks up our tail。〃
〃Smart fellas to catch on so quick。 They must have kept one man in the clear as a lookout。 Soon as he caught us rising out of the gunk； he alerted his pals by radio。〃
An explosive charge smashed against one of the Sea Dog IPs tail stabilizers and blew it away。 A second charge narrowly missed the hemispherical nose section。 Pitt fought for control； urging； willing the submersible on a straight course toward the launch。 The instant he saw one of Shang's divers out of the corner of his eyes； overtaking and ing in from the flank of the sub； he knew it was all but over。 Without battery power and help from Cabrillo； there was no escape。
〃So near； yet so far；〃 Giordino mumbled； staring upward at the keel of the launch as he waited helpless but unperturbed for the inevitable final assault。
Then suddenly a series of concussions swamped and reverberated all around the submersible。 Pitt and Giordino were thrown about the interior like rats inside a rolling pipe。 The water around them erupted in a mass of froth and bubbles that raged crazily in all directions before heading for the surface。 The divers； who were about to close in on the Sea Dog II； died instantly； their bodies crushed to gelatin by the sledgehammer blows。 The men inside the sub were both stunned and deafened by underwater detonations。 They were saved from serious injury by the pressure hull。
It took several moments for Pitt to realize that Cabrillo； forewarned of the chase in progress； waited until the submersible and its attackers were close enough to the Oregon's launch to throw concussion grenades into the water。 Through the ringing in his ears； Pitt heard someone calling over the radio。
〃You guys all right down there？〃 came Cabrifto's wele voice。
〃My kidneys will never be the same；〃 Pitt answered back； 〃but we're behaving ourselves。〃
〃How about the vigilantes？〃
〃They look like they came out of a Jell…o mold；〃 replied Giordino。
〃If we were attacked underwater；〃 Pitt warned Cabrillo； 〃it stands to reason they'll e after you on the surface。〃
〃Funny you should mention mat；〃 said Cabrillo airily。 〃There just happens to be a small cruiser ing this way as we speak。 Nothing we can't handle； of course。 Sit tight。 I'll have my diver hook you up to the towline after we greet our callers。〃
〃Sit tight；〃 Giordino repeated acidly。 〃We have no power。 We're dead in the water。 He must think we're in an underwater amusement park。〃
〃He means well；〃 Pitt sighed as the tension inside the sub ea