Flood Tide (Dirk Pitt 14)

"While you're on that subject, Admiral," said Laird with emphasis, "you should be aware that the Chinese have replaced the Japanese as the biggest purchaser of U.S. Treasury bonds. It is not in our best interest to harass them."

Gunn could see the anger reddening his chief's face, while the President's was turning pale. He stepped into the debate quietly. "I'm sure Admiral Sandecker understands your difficulties, Mr. President, but I believe we're both in the dark as to how NUMA can help."

"I'll be happy to brief you on your involvement, Jim," said Ferguson to his old friend.

"Please do," Sandecker said testily.

"It's no secret the Coast Guard is stretched too thin. Over the past year we've seized thirty-two vessels and intercepted over four thousand illegal Chinese aliens off Hawaii and the East and West coasts. NUMA has a small fleet of research vessels-"

"Stop right there," interrupted Sandecker. "There is no way I will permit my ships and scientists to stop and board vessels suspected of carrying illegal immigrants."

"Not our intention to put weapons in the hands of marine biologists," Ferguson assured the admiral, his voice calm and unperturbed. "What we need from NUMA is information on possible alien landing sites, undersea conditions and geology along our coastlines, bays and inlets that the smugglers can take advantage of. Put your best people on it, Jim. Where would they offload their human cargo if they were the smugglers?"

"Also," added Monroe, "your people and vessels can act as intelligence gatherers. NUMA's turquoise-painted ships are known and respected throughout the world as ocean-science research vessels. Any one of them could sail within a hundred yards of a suspected ship filled with aliens without arousing the suspicions of the smugglers. They can report what they observe and continue on with their research."

"You must understand," said the President wearily to Sandecker, "I'm not asking you to drop your agency's priorities. But I am ordering you and NUMA to give whatever assistance possible to Mr. Monroe and Admiral Ferguson to reduce the flow of illegal aliens from China into the United States."

"There are two particular areas we'd like your people to investigate," said Harper.

"I'm listening," muttered Sandecker, beginning to show a faint trace of curiosity.

"Are you familiar with a man by the name of Qin Shang?" asked Harper.

"I am," answered Sandecker. "He owns a shipping empire called Qin Shang Maritime Limited out of Hong Kong that operates a fleet of over a hundred cargo ships, oil tankers and cruise ships. He once made a personal request through a Chinese historian to search our data files for a shipwreck he was interested in finding.

"If it floats, Shang probably owns it, including dockside facilities and warehouses in nearly every major port city in the world. He is as shrewd and canny as they come."

"Isn't Shang the Chinese mogul who built that huge port facility in Louisiana?" asked Gunn.

"One and the same," answered Ferguson. "On Atchafalaya Bay near Morgan City. Nothing but marshlands and bayous. According to every developer we questioned, there is absolutely no logic in pouring hundreds of millions of dollars into a shipping port eighty miles from the nearest major city and with no transportation network leading from it."

"Has it got a name?" inquired Gunn.

"The port is called Sungari."

"Shang must have a damned good reason for throwing big money into a swamp," said Sandecker.

"Whatever his logic, we've yet to learn what it is," Monroe admitted. "That's one of two areas where NUMA can help us."

"You'd like to use a NUMA research ship and its technology to nose around Shang's newly constructed shipping port," assumed Gunn.

Ferguson nodded. "You get the picture, Commander. There's more to Sungari than what meets the eye, and it's probably out of sight underwater."

The President stared pointedly at Sandecker with a faint smile. "No other government agency has the brains and technology of NUMA for underwater investigation."

Sandecker stared back. "You haven't made it clear what Shang has to do with alien smuggling."

"According to our intelligence sources, Shang is the mastermind responsible for fifty percent of the Chinese smuggled into the Western Hemisphere, and the number is growing rapidly."

"So if you stop Shang, you cut off the head of the snake."

The President nodded briefly. "That's pretty much our theory."

"You mentioned two areas for us to investigate," Sandecker probed.

Ferguson held up a hand to field the question. "The second is a ship. Another of Shang's projects we can't fathom was his purchase of the former transatlantic ocean liner, the S.S. United States."

"The United States went out of service and was laid up at Norfolk, Virginia, for thirty years," said Gunn.