Page 22 (1/2)

“Nope,” he said, with a shake of the head “Al and I will be spending our tily beast in half”

12

The underwater cutting torch burned with the brightness of the e suction device, Pitt guided the torch across the Mayweather’s half-inch-thick outer steel hull Thirty feet away, but on the ship’s interior side, Giordino was duplicating the cut, slicing through a sli off a surface-supplied air source, the ht to dissect the sunken tanker

With his knees resting on the river botto the horizontal cut froh his faceplate, he called to a control teaen supply and electric power The fire at the tip was extinguished, and Pitt raised the eye shield from his faceplate

Satisfied with his work, he coiled the exothermic torch, swam up the outer hull, and set the device on the deck Then he dove down the opposite side, dropping into the open interior As he approached Giordino froh the inner hull

As his torch was shut off, he looked at Pitt and nodded “I do believe that h their underwater communications system “If you want three, I’ll need a new set of arms”

“I’an to burn any o have a beer”

They ascended to the surface, where their support crew pulled thee

Cruz greeted them as they climbed onto the deck and reoes the cutting?”

“Like a sliced loaf of sourdough,” Giordino said

“You’re through?”

Pitt nodded “We’ve got clean cuts through both the inner and outer hulls”

Cruz shook his head “That was quick work I figured it would take you another day”

Pitt unzipped his dry suit and stepped to the rail The scene around the sunken ship was one of enerators The Mayweather was surrounded by work vessels, the barge and evacuation tanker positioned on either side, while the BioRehter was moored to the south Hoses dipped over the sides fro on the wreck

Pitt looked upriver at a new visitor to the site Aby, ready to hoist the bisected ship