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Before she could transmit over her hidden radio, her arms were pinned and her mouth taped shut
"You are aT'ai, or should I call you Julia Lee?" said Ki Wong, Qin Shang's chief enforcer, as he gave a curt bow and grinned satanically "You don't kno happy I aain"
Stowe stared across the bayou as he pressed the receiver against his ear with one hand and held the microphone of the transmitter until it nearly touched his lips "Ms Lee If you read me, please answer"
He heard what seemed to be stifled voices for a moment before all communications with Julia went dead His first instinct was to rush across the bayou and charge the gate on the wharf But he could not be certain Julia had encountered a life-threatening situation Surely not certain enough to risk the lives of his ement Another factor that preyed on his mind was the possibility of ambush on territory that was unknown Stowe took the route used by astute officers since the first military force was formed: He laid the responsibility on his superior officer
"Weehawken, this is Lieutenant Stowe"
"We read you," came the voice of Captain Lewis
"Sir, I believe we have a situation"
"Please explain"
"Contact has been lost with Ms Lee"
There was a few moments' pause Then Lewis replied slowly "Rear et back to you"
Stowe stood in the launch and gazed across the bayou at the silent and dark buildings "God help you if you've run into trouble," Stowe muttered softly, "because I can't"
36
THERE WAS NO FEVERISH HURRY after Pitt and Giordino left the burning hovercraft and command post It seemed reasonable to assume that all co's headquarters were cut off when the plantation burned to the ground They continued their project of photographing the bed of the canal with the AUV as if no interruption ever occurred Neither man was of a mind to do a rushed, botched job
They reached the Atchafalaya River and returned up Hooker's Bayou to the shantyboat just as the eastern sky was beginning to lighten fro his eyes only long enough to recognize theain
Without delay, they unloaded the dive equipment and the AUV Once the skiff was stowed on the roof, Giordino started the big Ford 427 engine as Pitt pulled thestakes from the mud under the boat The sun had still to put in an appearance when the shantyboat swung onto the Atchafalaya and headed downriver