"The Navy has been developing the 'robo ship' concept for ten years," explained Sandecker. "Ship designers and engineers have already built an arsenal ship that is basically a floating missile pad able to launch as many as five hundred missiles by remote control from another ship, an aircraft or a facility thousands of miles away, a radical departure from present aircraft carriers that require a five-thousand-man crew. It's the newest concept from the Navy since the nuclear ballistic missile submarine. Totally contained warships and bomber aircraft are not far behind."
"Whatever Qin Shang has in mind for the United States," said Giordino, "it's not as a missile platform. Dirk and I searched it from engine room to wheelhouse. There are no missile launchers."
"I read your report," said Sandecker. "You also found no indication that it would be used to smuggle illegal immigrants."
"That's true," acknowledged Pitt. "When Shang's operations are examined at first glance they appear to be conceived by a genius with a flair for sorcery, but tear away the veneer and you find a logical exercise. He has a valid function for the ship, you can bet on it."
Sandecker pulled the throttle lever another notch and increased the speed of the whaleboat. "So we're no closer to a solution than we were two weeks ago."
"Except for my personal theory that Shang intends to scuttle her," said Pitt.
Sandecker looked dubious. "Why scuttle a perfectly good ocean liner after he spent millions refitting her?"
"I don't have an answer," Pitt admitted.
"That's what I want you to find out. Take care of your immediate affairs and sign out a NUMA jet to fly yourselves to Morgan City. I'll call Rudi and tell him you're coming."
"Now that we're working without an endorsement from the INS and other investigative agencies, how far can we go with this thing?" Pitt asked.
"Do whatever it takes without getting yourselves killed," responded Sandecker firmly. "I'll be responsible and answer for your actions once Monroe and Harper get wise that we haven't stumbled off into the fog and gone home like good little boys."
Pitt studied Sandecker. "Why are you doing this, Admiral? Why are you jeopardizing your job as head of NUMA to stop Qin Shang?"
The admiral stared back at Pitt astutely. "You and Al were going to go behind my back and keep dogging Qin Shang anyway. Am I right?"
Giordino shrugged. "Yes, I guess you are."
"The instant Dirk played the cowardly lion and timidly submitted to Monroe's demand that you go to a safe house, I knew damned well you were going to jump ship. I'm only bowing to the inevitable."
Pitt had long ago become a shrewd judge of Sandecker's character. "Not you, Admiral. You never bow to anything or anybody."
The fire in Sandecker's eyes blazed for a moment, then smoldered. "If you must know, those spooks around the table pissed me off so bad that I'm counting on both of you and Rudi Gunn and every resource at NUMA to take out Qin Shang before they do."
"We're up against some pretty heavy competition," said Pitt.
"Maybe," said Sandecker, his eyes becoming urgent, commanding. "But Qin Shang Maritime operates on water, and that's where we have the advantage."
After the meeting broke up, Harper escorted Julia to his office and closed the door. When she was seated he came around and sat down behind his desk. "Julia, I have a tough assignment for you. Strictly on a volunteer basis. I'm not sure you're quite up to it just yet."
Julia's interest was piqued. "It won't hurt to give me a rundown."
Harper handed her a file folder. She opened it and examined a photograph of a woman her own age who was facing the camera with a blank expression on her face. Except for a scar on her chin, she and Julia could have passed for sisters. "Her name is Lin Wan Chu. She grew up on a farm in Jiangsu Province and ran away when her father wanted her to marry a man old enough to be her grandfather. After finding work in the kitchen of a restaurant in the port Qingdao, she eventually became a chef. Two years ago she signed on as a cook with Qin Shang Maritime and has since crewed on a container ship called the Sung Lien Star."
Julia turned to a dossier on the woman and noted that it came from the CIA. She began reading as Harper sat back silently until she finished. "There is a definite resemblance," said Julia. "We're the same height and weight. I'm only four months older than Lin Wan Chu." She kept the file open in her lap and stared across the desk at Harper. "You want me to take her place? Is that the assignment?"
He nodded. "It is."
"My ID was made on the Indigo Star. Thanks to a double agent on Qin Shang's payroll, his security people have a file on me a mile long."
"The FBI thinks they have a prime suspect and are maintaining surveillance on him."
"I don't see how I could take Lin Wan Chu's identity and not be caught," Julia said solemnly. "Especially during a long voyage."
"You only have to be Lin Wan Chu for four, maybe five, hours at the most. Just enough time to slip into the ship's routine and hopefully discover how Qin Shang is smuggling his illegal cargo of immigrants onto land."
"You know for a fact the Sung Lien Star has aliens hidden on board?"
"A CIA undercover agent in Qingdao reported that he observed over a hundred men, women and children with luggage being unloaded from buses in the dead of night who were herded into a warehouse on the dock beside the ship. Two hours later, the Sung Lien Star sailed. At daylight, the agent found the warehouse empty. A hundred-some-odd people had mysteriously disappeared."