tc.patriotgames-第105节

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r　orders　were　to　take　the　terrorists　alive。　He　couldn't　decide　on　that　question。　From　a　legal　perspective；　he　didn't　think　it　really　mattered。　If　terrorism　were　the　modern　manifestation　of　piracy　　the　analogy　seemed　apt　enough　　then　the　ULA　was　fair　game　for　any　nation's　armed　forces。　On　the　other　hand；　taken　alive；　they　could　be　put　on　trial　and　displayed。　The　psychological　impact　on　other　such　groups　might　be　real。　If　it　didn't　put　the　fear　of　God　in　them；　it　would　at　least　get　their　attention。　It　would　frighten　them　to　know　that　they　were　not　safe　even　in　their　most　remote；　most　secure　sanctuary。　Some　members　might　drift　away；　and　maybe　one　or　two　of　them　would　talk。　It　didn't　take　much　intelligence　information　to　hammer　them。　Ryan　had　seen　that　clearly　enough。　You　needed　to　know　where　they　were；　that　was　all。　With　that　knowledge　you　could　bring　all　the　forces　of　a　modern　nation　to　bear；　and　for　all　their　arrogance　and　brutality；　they　couldn't　hope　to　stand　up　to　that。
　　　　Marty　came　into　the　office。　〃Ready　to　go　over？〃
　　　　〃Hell；　yes！〃　
　　　　〃Did　you　have　dinner？〃　
　　　　〃No。　Maybe　later。〃
　　　　〃Yeah。〃　Together　they　walked　to　the　annex。　The　corridors　were　nearly　empty　now。　For　the　most　part；　CIA　worked　like　any　other　place。　At　five　the　majority　of　the　workers　departed　for　home　and　dinner　and　evening　television。
　　　　〃Okay；　Jack；　this　is　real…time。　Remember　that　you　can't　discuss　any　aspect　of　this。〃　Cantor　looked　rather　tired。　Jack　thought。
　　　　〃Marty；　if　this　op　is　successful；　I　will　tell　my　wife　that　the　ULA　is　out　of　business。　She　has　a　right　to　know　that　much。〃　
　　　　〃I　can　understand　that。　Just　so　she　doesn't　know　how　it　happens。〃
　　　　〃She　wouldn't　even　be　interested；〃　Jack　assured　him　as　they　entered　the　room　with　the　TV　monitor。　Jean…Claude　was　there　again。
　　　　〃Good　evening；　Mr。　Cantor；　Professor　Ryan；〃　the　DGSE　officer　greeted　them　both。　
　　　　〃How's　the　op　going？〃　
　　　　〃They　are　under　radio　silence；〃　the　Colonel　replied。
　　　　〃What　I　don't　understand　is　how　they　can　do　it　the　same　way　twice；〃　Ryan　went　on。
　　　　〃There　is　a　risk。　A　little　disinformation　has　been　used；〃　Jean…Claude　said　cryptically。　〃In　addition；　your　carrier　now　has　their　full　attention。〃
　　　　〃Saratoga　has　an　alpha…strike　up；〃　Marty　explained。　〃Two　fighter　squadrons　and　three　attack　ones；　plus　jamming　and　radar　coverage。　They're　patrolling　that　'Line　of　Death'　right　now。　According　to　our　electronics　listening　people；　the　Libyans　are　going　slightly　ape。　Oh；　well。〃
　　　　〃The　satellite　es　over　the　horizon　in　twenty…four　minutes；〃　the　senior　technician　reported。　〃Local　weather　looks　good。　We　ought　to　get　some　clear　shots。〃
　　　　Ryan　wished　he　had　a　cigarette。　They　made　the　waiting　easier；　but　every　time　Cathy　smelled　them　on　his　breath；　there　was　hell　to　pay。　At　this　point　the　raiding　force　would　be　crawling　across　the　last　thousand　yards。　Ryan　had　done　the　drill　himself。　They'd　e　away　with　bloody　hands　and　knees；　sand　rubbed　into　the　wounds。　It　was　an　incredibly　tiring　thing　to　do；　made　more　difficult　still　by　the　presence　of　armed　soldiers　at　the　objective。　You　had　to　time　your　moves　for　when　they　were　looking　the　other　way；　and　you　had　to　be　quiet。　They'd　be　carrying　the　bare　minimum　of　gear；　their　personal　weapons；　maybe　some　grenades；　a　few　radios；　slinking　across　the　ground　the　way　a　tiger　did；　watching　and　listening。
　　　　Everyone　was　staring　at　the　blank　TV　monitor　now；　each　of　them　bewitched　by　his　imagination's　picture　of　what　was　happening。
　　　　〃Okay；〃　the　technician　said；　〃cameras　ing　on　line；　attitude　and　tracking　controls　in　automatic；　programming　telemetry　received。　Target　acquisition　in　ninety　seconds。〃
　　　　The　TV　picture　lit　up。　It　showed　a　test　pattern。　Ryan　hadn't　seen　one　of　those　in　years。　
　　　　〃Getting　a　signal。〃
　　　　Then　the　picture　appeared。　Disappointingly；　it　was　in　infrared　again。　Somehow　Ryan　had　expected　otherwise。　The　low　angle　showed　very　little　of　the　camp。　They　could　discern　no　movement　at　all。　The　technician　frowned　and　increased　the　viewing　field。　Nothing　more；　not　even　the　helicopters。
　　　　The　viewing　angle　changed　slowly；　and　it　was　hard　to　believe　that　the　reconnaissance　satellite　was　racing　along　at　over　eighteen　thousand　miles　per　hour。　Finally　they　could　see　all　of　the　huts。　Ryan　blinked。　Only　one　was　lit　up　on　the　infrared　picture。　Uh…oh。　Only　one　hut　　the　guards'　one　　had　had　its　heater　on。　What　did　that　mean？　They're　gone　　nobody's　home　。　。　。　and　the　assault　force　isn't　there　either。
　　　　Ryan　said　what　the　others　didn't　want　to　say：　〃Something's　gone　wrong。〃　
　　　　〃When　can　they　tell　us　what　happened？〃　Cantor　asked。　
　　　　〃They　cannot　break　silence　for　several　hours。〃　
　　　　Two　more　hours　followed。　They　were　spent　in　Marty's　office。　Food　was　sent　up。　Jean…Claude　didn't　say　anything；　but　he　was　clearly　disappointed　by　it。　Cantor　didn't　touch　his　at　all。　The　phone　rang。　The　Frenchman　took　the　call；　and　spoke　in　his　native　tongue。　The　conversation　lasted　four　or　five　minutes。　Jean…Claude　hung　up　and　turned。
　　　　〃The　assault　force　came　upon　a　regular　army　unit　a　hundred　kilometers　from　the　camp；　apparently　a　mechanized　unit　on　an　exercise。　This　was　not　expected。　ing　in　low；　they　encountered　them　quite　suddenly。　It　opened　fire　on　the　helicopters。　Surprise　was　lost；　and　they　had　to　turn　back。〃　Jean…Claude　didn't　have　to　explain　that；　at　best；　operations　like　this　were　successful　barely　more　than　half　the　time。
　　　　〃I　was　afraid　of　that。〃　Jack　stared　at　the　floor。　He　didn't　need　to　have　anyone　tell　him　that　the　mission　could　not　be　repeated。　They　had　run　a　serious　risk；　trying　a　covert　mission　the　same　way　twice。　There　would　be　no　third　attempt。　〃Are　your　people　safe？〃　
　　　　〃Yes；　one　helicopter　was　damaged；　but　managed　to　return　to　base。　No　casualties。〃
　　　　〃Please　thank　your　people　for　trying；　Colonel。〃　Cantor　excused　himself　and　walked　to　his　private　bathroom。　Once　in　there；　he　threw　up。　His　ulcers　were　bleeding　again。　Marty　tried　to　stand；　but　found　himself　faint。　He　fell　against　the　door　with　a　hard　rap　on　the　head。
　　　　Jack　heard　the　noise　and　went　to　see　what　it　was。　It　was　hard　to　open　the　door；　but　he　finally　saw　Marty　lying　there。　Ryan's　first　instinct　was　to　tell　Jean…Claude　to　call　for　a　doctor；　but　Jack　himself　didn't　know　how　to　do　that　here。　He　helped　Marty　to　his　feet　and　led　him　back　into　his　office；　setting　him　in　a　chair。　
　　　　〃What's　the　matter？〃
　　　　〃He　just　tossed　up　blood　　how　do　you　call　。　。　。　〃　Ryan　said　the　hell　with　it　and　dialed　Admiral　Greer's　line。　
　　　　〃Marty's　collapsed　　we　need　a　doctor　here。〃
　　　　〃I'll　take　care　of　it。　Be　there　in　two　minutes；〃　the　Admiral　answered。
　　　　Jack　went　into　the　bathroom　and　got　a　glass　of　water　and　some　toilet　paper。　He　used　this　to　wipe　Cantor's　mouth；　then　held　up　the　glass。　〃Wash　your　mouth　out。〃　
　　　　〃I'm　okay；〃　the　man　protested。
　　　　〃Bullshit；〃　Ryan　replied。　〃You　jerk。　You've　been　working　too　damned　late；　trying　to　finish　up　all　your　stuff　before　you　leave；　right？〃　
　　　　〃Got　　got　to。〃
　　　　〃What　you　got　to　do；　Marty；　is　get　the　hell　out　of　here　before　it　eats　you　up。〃　
　　　　Cantor　gagged　again。
　　　　You　weren't　bidding；　Marty；　Jack　thought。　The　war　is　being　fought　here；　too；　and　you're　one　of　the　casualties。　You　wanted　that　mission　to　score　as　much　as　I　did。
　　　　〃What　the　hell！〃　Greer　entered　the　room。　He　even　looked　a　little　disheveled。
　　　　〃His　ulcers　let　go；〃　Jack　explained。　〃He's　been　puking　blood。〃　
　　　　〃Aw；　Jesus；　Marty！〃　the　Admiral　said。
　　　　Ryan　hadn't　known　that　there　was　a　medical　dispensary　at　Langley。　Someone　identifying　himself　as　a　paramedic　arrived　next。　He　examined　Cantor　quickly；　then　he　and　a　security　guard　loaded　the　man　on　a　wheelchair。　They　took　him　out；　and　the　three　men　left　behind　stared　at　each　other。

　　　　〃How　hard　is　it　to　die　from　ulcers？〃　Ryan　asked　his　wife　just　before　midnight。
　　　　〃How　old　is　he？〃　she　asked。　Jack　told　her。　Cathy　thought　about　it　for　a　moment。　〃It　can　happen；　but　it's　fairly　rare。　Somebody　at　work？〃
　　　　〃My　supervisor　at　Langley。　He's　been　on　Tagamet；　but　he　vomited　blood　tonight。〃
　　　　〃Maybe　he　tried　going　without　it。　That's　one　of　the　problems。　You　give　people　medications；　and　as　soon　as　they　start　feeling　better；　they　stop　taking　the　meds。　Even　smart　people；〃　Cathy　noted。　〃Is　it　that　stressful　over　there？〃　
　　　　〃I　guess　it　was　for　him。〃
　　　　〃Super。〃　It　was　the　kind　of　remark　that　should　have　been　followed　by　a　roll…over；　but　Cathy　hadn't　been　able　to　do　that　for　some　time。　〃He'll　probably　be　all　right。　You　really　have　to　work　at　it　to　be　in　serious　trouble　from　ulcers　nowadays。　Are　you　sure　you　want　to　work　there？〃
　　　　〃No。　They　want　me；　but　I　won't　decide　until　you　lose　a　little　weight。〃　
　　　　〃You'd　better　not　be　that　far　away　when　I　go　into　labor。〃　
　　　　〃I'll　be　there　when　you　need　me。〃

　　　　〃Almost　got　'em；〃　Murray　reported。
　　　　〃The　same　mob　who　raided　Action…Directe；　eh？　Yes；　I've　heard　that　was　a　nicely　run　mission。　What　happened？〃　Owens　asked。
　　　　〃The　assault　group　was　spotted　seventy　miles　out　and　had　to　turn　back。　On　reexamination　of　the　photos；　it　may　be　that　our　friends　were　already　gone　anyway。〃
　　　　〃Marvelous。　I　see　our　luck　is　holding。　Where　did　they　go；　you　reckon？〃
　　　　Murray　grunted。　〃I've　got　to　make　the　same　assumption　you　have；　Jimmy。〃
　　　　〃Qui