tc.patriotgames-第35节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


nnell　told　himself　　or　maybe　Dzerzhinsky　would　be　a　more　apt　role　model。　Yes；　〃Iron　Feliks〃　Dzerzhinsky：　that　malignant；　effective　little　man。　It　was　only　the　round；　puffy　face　that　reminded　him　of　the　Nazi　Himmler　　and　a　man　couldn't　choose　his　looks；　could　he？　Cooley　had　a　future　in　the　Organization。　When　the　time　came；　they'd　need　a　real　Dzerzhinsky。
　　　　They　finished　their　talking　over　after…dinner　coffee。　Cooley　picked　up　the　check。　He　insisted：　business　was　excellent。　O'Donnell　pocketed　the　envelope　and　left　the　restaurant。　He　resisted　the　urge　to　read　the　report。　Kevin　was　a　man　to　whom　patience　came　hard；　and　as　a　consequence　he　forced　himself　to　it。　Impatience　had　ruined　more　operations　than　the　British　Army　ever　had；　he　knew。　Another　lesson　from　his　early　days　with　the　Proves。　He　drove　his　BMW　through　the　old　streets　at　the　legal　limit；　leaving　the　town　behind　as　he　entered　the　narrow　country　roads　to　his　home　on　the　headlands。　He　did　not　take　a　direct　route；　and　kept　an　eye　on　his　mirror。　O'Donnell　knew　that　his　security　was　excellent。　He　also　knew　that　continued　vigilance　was　the　reason　it　remained　so。　His　expensive　car　was　registered　to　his　corporation's　head　office　in　Dundalk。　It　was　a　real　business；　with　nine　blue…water　trawlers　that　dragged　purse…seine　nets　through　the　cold　northern　waters　that　surrounded　the　British　Isles。　The　business　had　an　excellent　general　manager；　a　man　who　had　never　been　involved　in　the　Troubles　and　whose　skills　allowed　O'Donnell　to　live　the　life　of　a　country　gentleman　far　to　the　south。　The　tradition　of　absentee　ownership　was　an　old　one　in　Ireland　　like　O'Donnell's　home；　a　legacy　from　the　English。
　　　　It　took　just　under　an　hour　to　reach　the　private　driveway　marked　by　a　pair　of　stone　pillars；　and　another　five　minutes　to　reach　the　house　over　the　sea。　Like　any　mon　man；　O'Donnell　parked　his　car　in　the　open；　the　carriage　house　that　was　attached　to　the　manor　had　been　converted　to　offices　by　a　local　contractor。　He　went　at　once　to　his　study。　McKenney　was　waiting　for　him　there；　reading　a　recent　edition　of　Yeats'　poetry。　Another　bookish　lad；　though　he　did　not　share　Cooley's　aversion　to　the　sight　of　blood。　His　quiet；　disciplined　demeanor　concealed　an　explosive　capacity　for　action。　A　man　very　like　O'Donnell　himself；　Michael　was。　Like　the　O'Donnell　often　or　twelve　years　before；　his　youth　needed　tempering；　hence　his　assignment　as　chief　of　intelligence　so　that　he　could　learn　the　value　of　deliberation；　of　gathering　all　the　information　he　could　get　before　he　mitted　himself　to　action。　The　Proves　never　really　did　that。　They　used　tactical　intelligence；　but　not　the　strategic　kind　　a　fine　explanation；　O'Donnell　thought；　for　the　mindlessness　of　their　overall　strategy。　Another　of　the　reasons　he　had　left　the　Provisionals　　but　he　would　return　to　the　fold。　Or　more　properly；　the　fold　would　return　to　him。　Then　he　would　have　his　army。　Kevin　already　had　his　plan；　though　not　even　his　closest　associates　knew　it　　at　least　not　all　of　it。
　　　　O'Donnell　sat　in　the　leather　chair　behind　the　desk　and　took　the　envelope　from　his　coat　pocket。　McKenney　discreetly　went　to　the　corner　bar　and　got　his　superior　a　glass　of　whiskey。　With　ice；　a　taste　Kevin　had　acquired　in　hotter　climes　several　years　before。　He　set　the　glass　on　the　desk；　and　O'Donnell　took　it；　sipping　off　a　tiny　bit　without　a　word。
　　　　There　were　six　pages　to　the　document；　and　O'Donnell　read　through　the　single…spaced　pages　as　slowly　and　deliberately　as　McKenney　had　just　been　doing　with　the　words　of　Yeats。　The　younger　man　marveled　at　the　man's　patience。　For　all　his　reputation　as　a　fighter　capable　of　ruthless　action；　the　chief　of　the　ULA　often　seemed　a　creature　made　of　stone；　the　way　he　would　assemble　and　process　data。　Like　a　puter；　but　a　malignant　one。　He　took　fully　twenty　minutes　to　go　through　the　six　pages。
　　　　〃Well；　our　friend　Ryan　is　back　in　America；　where　he　belongs。　Flew　the　Concorde　home；　and　his　wife　arranged　for　a　friend　to　meet　them　at　the　airport。　Next　Monday　I　expect　he'll　be　back　teaching　those　fine　young　men　and　women　at　their　Naval　Academy。〃　O'Donnell　smiled　at　the　humor　of　his　words。　〃His　Highness　and　his　lovely　bride　will　be　back　home　two　days　late。　It　seems　that　their　aircraft　developed　electrical　problems；　and　a　new　instrument　had　to　be　flown　in　all　the　way　from　England　　or　so　the　public　story　will　go。　In　reality；　it　would　seem　that　they　like　New　Zealand　so　much　that　they　wanted　some　additional　time　to　enjoy　their　privacy。　Security　on　their　arrival　will　be　impressive。
　　　　〃In　fact；　looking　this　over；　it　would　seem　that　their　security　for　the　next　few　months　at　least　will　be　impenetrable。〃　
　　　　McKenney　snorted。　〃No　security's　impenetrable。　We've　proven　that　ourselves。〃
　　　　〃Michael；　we　do　not　wish　to　kill　them。　Any　fool　can　do　that；〃　he　said　patiently。　〃Our　objective　demands　that　we　take　them　alive。〃　
　　　　〃But　〃
　　　　Would　they　never　learn？　〃No　buts；　Michael。　If　I　wanted　to　kill　them；　they　would　already　be　dead；　and　this　Ryan　bastard　along　with　them。　It　is　easy　to　kill；　but　that　will　not　achieve　what　we　wish。〃　
　　　　〃Yes；　sir。〃　McKenney　nodded　his　submission。　〃And　Sean？〃　
　　　　〃They　will　be　processing　him　in　Brixton　Prison　for　another　two　weeks　or　so　　our　friends　in　C…13　don't　want　him　far　from　their　reach　for　the　moment。〃　
　　　　〃Does　that　mean　that　Sean　〃
　　　　〃Most　unlikely；〃　O'Donnell　cut　him　off。　〃Still　and　all；　I　think　the　Organization　is　stronger　with　him　than　without　him；　don't　you？〃　
　　　　〃But　how　will　we　know？〃
　　　　〃There　is　a　great　deal　of　high…level　interest　in　our　rade；〃　O'Donnell　half…explained。
　　　　McKenney　nodded　thoughtfully。　He　concealed　his　annoyance　that　the　mander　would　not　share　his　intelligence　source　with　his　own　intelligence　chief。　McKenney　knew　how　valuable　the　information　was；　but　where　it　came　from　was　the　deepest　of　all　the　ULA's　secrets。　The　younger　man　shrugged　it　off。　He　had　his　own　information　sources；　and　his　skill　at　using　their　information　was　growing　on　a　daily　basis。　Having　always　to　wait　so　long　to　act　on　it　chafed　on　him；　but　he　admitted　to　himself　　grudgingly　at　first；　but　with　increasing　conviction　　that　full　preparation　had　allowed　several　tricky　operations　to　go　perfectly。　Another　operation　that　had　not　gone　so　well　had　landed　him　in　the　H…Blocks　of　Long　Kesh　prison。　The　lesson　he'd　learned　from　this　miscued　op　was　that　the　revolution　needed　more　petent　hands。　He'd　e　to　hate　the　PIRA　leadership's　ineffectiveness　even　more　than　he　did　the　British　Army。　The　revolutionary　often　had　more　to　fear　from　friends　than　enemies。
　　　　〃Anything　new　with　our　colleagues？〃　O'Donnell　asked。
　　　　〃Yes；　as　a　matter　of　fact；〃　McKenney　answered　brightly。　Our　colleagues　were　the　Provisional　Wing　of　the　Irish　Republican　Army。　〃One　of　the　cells　of　the　Belfast　Brigade　is　going　to　go　after　a　pub；　day　after　tomorrow。　Some　UVF　chaps　have　been　using　it　of　late　　not　very　smart　of　them；　is　it？〃
　　　　〃I　think　we　can　let　that　one　pass；〃　O'Donnell　judged。　It　would　be　a　bomb；　of　course；　and　it　would　kill　a　number　of　people；　some　of　whom　might　be　members　of　the　Ulster　Volunteer　Force；　whom　he　regarded　as　the　reactionary　forces　of　the　ruling　bourgeoisie　　no　more　than　thugs；　since　they　lacked　any　ideology　at　all。　So　much　the　better　that　some　UVF　would　be　killed；　but　really　any　prod　would　suffice；　since　then　other　UVF　gunmen　would　slink　into　a　Catholic　neighborhood　and　kill　one　or　two　people　on　the　street。　And　the　detectives　of　the　RUC's　Criminal　Investigation　Division　would　investigate；　as　always；　and　no　one　would　admit　to　having　seen　much　of　anything；　as　usual；　and　the　Catholic　neighborhoods　would　retain　their　state　of　revolutionary　instability。　Hate　was　such　a　useful　asset。　Even　more　than　fear；　hate　was　what　sustained　the　Cause。　〃Anything　else？〃
　　　　〃The　bombmaker；　Dwyer；　has　dropped　out　of　sight　again；〃　McKenney　went　on。
　　　　〃The　last　time　that　happened　。　。　。　yes；　England；　wasn't　it？　Another　campaign？〃
　　　　〃Our　man　doesn't　know。　He's　working　on　it；　but　I　have　told　him　to　be　careful。〃
　　　　〃Very　good。〃　O'Donnell　would　think　about　this　one。　Dwyer　was　one　of　the　best　PIRA　bombers；　a　genius　with　delayed　fuses；　someone　Scotland　Yard's　C…13　branch　wanted　as　badly　as　they　wanted　anyone。　Dwyer's　capture　would　be　a　serious　blow　to　the　PIRA　leadership　。　。　。　〃We　want　our　chap　to　be　very　careful　indeed；　but　it　would　be　useful　to　know　where　Dwyer　is。〃　
　　　　McKenney　got　the　message　loud　and　clear。　It　was　too　bad　about　Dwyer；　but　that　colleague　had　picked　the　wrong　side。　〃And　the　Belfast　brigadier？〃　
　　　　〃No。〃　The　chief　shook　his　head。
　　　　〃But　he'll　slip　away　again。　We　needed　a　month　to　〃　
　　　　〃No；　Michael。　Timing　　remember　the　importance　of　timing。　The　operation　is　an　integrated　whole；　not　a　mere　collection　of　events。〃　The　mander　of　the　PIRA's　Belfast　Brigade　　Brigade；　less　than　two　hundred　men；　O'Donnell　thought　wryly　　was　the　most　wanted　man　in　Ulster。　Wanted　by　more　than　one　side；　though　for　the　moment　the　mander　perforce　had　to　let　the　Brits　have　him。　Too　bad。　I　will　dearly　love　to　make　you　pay　personally　for　casting　me　out；　Johnny　Doyle；　for　putting　a　price　on　my　head。　But　on　this　I；　too；　must　be　patient。　After　all；　I　want　more　than　your　head。　〃You　might　also　keep　in　mind　that　our　chaps　have　their　own　skins　to　protect。　The　reason　timing　is　so　imp