tc.patriotgames-第48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！


　　　　〃How　did　you　get　it　past　the　bastards？〃　Miller　asked。
　　　　〃I　heard　about　the　new　rule。　I　told　them　I　was　bringing　in　a　gun；　of　course。〃　Everyone　laughed　as　Miller　fetched　three　glasses　and　ice。　You　always　used　ice　in　this　place。
　　　　〃When　are　you　supposed　to　arrive　at　the　camp？〃　O'Donnell　referred　to　the　one　forty　miles　away　used　by　the　PIRA。
　　　　〃I'm　having　some　car　trouble；　and　staying　the　night　with　our　uniformed　friends。　The　bad　news　is　that　they've　confiscated　my　whiskey。〃
　　　　〃Bloody　heathens！〃　Miller　laughed。　The　three　men　toasted　one　another。
　　　　〃How　was　it　inside；　Sean？〃　Connolly　asked。　The　first　round　of　drinks　was　already　gone。
　　　　〃Could　have　been　worse。　A　week　before　Kevin　came　for　me；　I　had　a　bad　time　with　some　thugs　　the　peelers　put　them　up　to　it；　of　course；　and　they　had　a　merry　time。　Bloody　faggots。　Aside　from　that；　ah；　it　is　so　entertaining　to　sit　there　and　watch　them　talk　and　talk　and　talk　like　a　bunch　of　old　women。〃
　　　　〃You　didn't　think　that　Sean　would　talk；　did　you？〃　O'Donnell　asked　reprovingly。　The　smile　covered　his　feelings　　of　course　they　had　all　worried　about　that；　they　had　worried　most　of　all　what　might　happen　when　the　PIRA　and　INLA　lads　in　Parkhurst　Prison　got　hold　of　him。
　　　　〃Good　lad！〃　Connolly　refilled　the　glasses。　
　　　　〃So；　what's　the　news　from　Belfast？〃　the　chief　asked。
　　　　〃Johnny　Doyle　is　not　very　pleased　with　having　lost　Maureen。　The　men　are　being　restless　　not　much；　mind；　but　there　is　talk。　Your　op　in　London；　Sean；　in　case　you've　not　been　told；　had　glasses　filled　and　raised　throughout　the　Six　Counties。〃　That　most　citizens　in　Northern　Ireland；　Protestant　and　Catholic；　had　been　disgusted　by　the　operation　mattered　not　to　Connolly。　His　small　munity　of　revolutionaries　was　the　entire　world。
　　　　〃One　does　not　get　drunk　for　a　failure；〃　Miller　observed　sourly。　That　bastard　Ryan！
　　　　〃But　it　was　a　splendid　attempt。　It　is　clear　enough　that　you　were　unlucky；　no　more　than　that；　and　we　are　all　slaves　to　fortune。〃　
　　　　O'Donnell　frowned。　His　guest　was　too　poetic　for　Kevin's　way　of　thinking；　despite　the　fact；　as　Connolly　was　fond　of　pointing　out；　that　Mao　himself　had　written　poetry。
　　　　〃Will　they　try　to　spring　Maureen？〃
　　　　Connolly　laughed　at　that　one。　〃After　what　you　did　with　Sean　here？　Not　bloody　likely。　How　ever　did　you　pull　that　off；　Kevin？〃　
　　　　〃There　are　ways。〃　O'Donnell　let　it　go　at　that。　His　intelligence　source　was　under　strict　orders　not　to　do　a　thing　for　two　months。　Dennis's　bookstore　was　closed　so　far　as　he　was　concerned。　The　decision　to　use　him　to　get　information　for　the　rescue　operation　hadn't　e　easy。　That　was　the　problem　with　good　intelligence；　his　teachers　had　hammered　into　his　head　years　before。　The　really　valuable　stuff　was　always　a　risk　to　the　source　itself。　It　was　a　paradox。　The　most　useful　material　was　often　too　dangerous　to　use；　but　at　the　same　time　intelligence　information　that　could　not　be　used　had　no　value　at　all。
　　　　〃Well；　you've　gotten　everyone's　attention。　The　reason　I'm　here　is　to　brief　our　lads　on　your　operation。〃
　　　　〃Really！〃　Kevin　laughed。　〃And　what　does　Mr。　Doyle　think　of　us？〃
　　　　The　visitor　crooked　a　ically　accusing　finger。　〃You　are　a　counterrevolutionary　influence　whose　objective　is　to　wreck　the　movement。　The　op　on　The　Mall　has　had　serious　repercussions　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic。　We'll　　excuse　me；　they'll　be　sending　some　of　their　chaps　to　Boston　in　another　month　or　so　to　set　things　right；　to　tell　the　Yanks　that　they　had　nothing　to　do　with　it；〃　Connolly　said。
　　　　〃Money　　we　don't　need　their　bloody　money！〃　Miller　objected。　〃And　they　can　put　their　'moral　support'　up　〃　
　　　　〃Mustn't　offend　the　Americans；〃　Connolly　pointed　out。
　　　　O'Donnell　raised　his　glass　for　a　toast：　〃The　devil　with　the　bloody　Americans。〃
　　　　As　he　drank　off　the　last　of　his　second　whiskey。　Miller's　eyes　snapped　open　sharply　enough　to　make　a　click。
　　　　〃Kevin；　we　won't　be　doing　much　in　the　U。K。　for　a　while　。　。　。　〃
　　　　〃Nor　in　the　Six　Counties；〃　O'Donnell　said　thoughtfully。　〃This　is　a　time　to　lie　low；　I　think。　We'll　concentrate　on　our　training　for　the　moment　and　await　our　next　opportunity。〃　
　　　　〃Shamus；　how　effective　might　Doyle's　men　be　in　Boston？〃　
　　　　Connolly　shrugged　his　shoulders。　〃Get　enough　liquor　into　them　and　they'll　believe　anything　they're　told；　and　toss　their　dollars　into　the　hat　as　always。〃
　　　　Miller　smiled　for　a　moment。　He　refilled　his　own　glass　this　time　as　the　other　two　talked　on。　His　own　mind　began　assembling　a　plan。

　　　　Murray　had　had　a　number　of　assignments　in　the　Bureau　over　his　many　years　of　service；　ranging　from　junior　agent　involved　in　chasing　down　bank　robbers　to　instructor　in　investigation　procedures　at　the　FBI　Academy　at　Quantico；　Virginia。　One　thing　he'd　always　told　the　youngsters　in　the　classroom　was　the　importance　of　intuition。　Law　enforcement　was　still　as　much　art　as　science。　The　Bureau　had　immense　scientific　resources　to　process　evidence；　had　written　procedures　for　everything；　but　when　you　got　down　to　it；　there　was　never　a　substitute　for　the　mind　of　an　experienced　agent。　It　was　mostly　experience；　Murray　knew；　the　way　you　fitted　evidence　together；　the　way　you　got　a　feel　for　the　mind　of　your　target　and　tried　to　predict　his　next　move。　But　more　than　experience；　there　was　intuition。　The　two　qualities　worked　together　until　you　couldn't　separate　them　in　your　own　mind。
　　　　That's　the　hard　part；　Murray　told　himself　on　the　drive　home　from　the　embassy。　Because　intuition　can　run　a　little　wild　if　there's　not　enough　evidence　to　hold　on　to。
　　　　〃You　will　learn　to　trust　your　instincts；〃　Murray　told　the　traffic；　quoting　from　his　memorized　class　notes。　〃Instinct　is　never　a　substitute　for　evidence　and　procedure；　but　it　can　be　a　very　useful　tool　in　adapting　one　to　another　　oh；　Dan；　you　would　have　made　a　hell　of　a　Jesuit。〃　He　chuckled　to　himself；　oblivious　of　the　stare　he　was　getting　from　the　car　on　his　right。
　　　　If　it's　so　damned　funny；　why　does　it　bother　you？
　　　　Murray's　instinct　was　ringing　a　quiet　but　persistent　bell。　Why　had　Jimmy　said　that？　Obviously　it　was　bothering　him；　too　　but　what　the　hell　was　it？
　　　　The　problem　was；　it　wasn't　just　one　thing。　He　saw　that　now。　It　was　several　things；　and　they　were　interrelated　like　some　kind　of　three…dimensional　crossword　puzzle。　He　didn't　know　the　number　of　blanks；　and　he　didn't　have　any　of　the　clues　to　the　words；　but　he　did　know　roughly　the　way　they　fitted　together。　That　was　something。　Given　time；　it　might　even　be　enough；　but　　
　　　　〃Damn！〃　His　hands　gripped　tight　on　the　steering　wheel　as　good　humor　again　gave　way　to　renewed　frustration。　He　could　talk　it　over　with　Owens　tomorrow　or　the　next　day；　but　the　bell　told　him　that　it　was　more　urgent　than　that。
　　　　Why　is　it　so　damned　urgent？　There　is　no　evidence　of　anything　to　get　excited　about。
　　　　Murray　reminded　himself　that　the　first　case　that　he'd　broken　more　or　less　on　his　own；　ten　months　after　hitting　the　street　as　a　special　agent；　had　begun　with　a　feeling　like　this　one。　In　retrospect　the　evidence　had　seemed　obvious　enough　once　he'd　put　the　right　twist　on　it；　but　that　twist　hadn't　occurred　to　anyone　else。　And　with　Murray　himself　it　had　begun　as　nothing　more　than　the　same　sort　of　intellectual　headache　he　was　suffering　through　in　his　car。　Now　he　was　really　mad　at　himself。
　　　　Fact：　The　ULA　broke　all　the　rules。　Fact：　No　Irish　terrorist　organization　had　ever　run　an　operation　in　the　U。S。　There　were　no　more　Facts。　If　they　ran　an　op　in　America　。　。　。　well；　they　were　undoubtedly　mad　at　Ryan；　but　they　hadn't　made　a　move　against　him　over　here；　and　that　would　have　been　a　hell　of　a　lot　easier　than　staging　one　in　the　U。S。　What　if　Miller　really　was　their　chief　of　operations　　no；　Murray　told　himself；　terrorists　don't　usually　take　things　personally。　It's　unprofessional；　and　the　bastards　are　professional。　They'd　have　to　have　a　better　reason　than　that。
　　　　Just　because　you　don't　know　what　the　reason　is　doesn't　mean　they　don't　have　one；　Danny。　Murray　found　himself　wondering　if　his　intuition　hadn't　transformed　itself　into　paranoia　with　increasing　age。　What　if　there's　more　than　one　reason　to　do　it？
　　　　〃There's　a　thought；〃　he　said　to　himself。　One　could　be　an　excuse　for　the　other　　but　what's　the　it　that　they　want　to　do？　Motive；　all　the　police　procedure　manuals　said；　was　the　main　thing　to　look　for。　Murray　didn't　have　a　clue　on　their　motive。　〃I　could　go　crazy　doing　this。〃
　　　　Murray　turned　left　off　Kensington　Road；　into　the　upscale　neighborhood　of　flats　where　he　had　his　official　residence。　Parking　was　the　usual　problem。　Even　when　he'd　been　assigned　to　the　counterespionage　section　of　the　New　York　City　Field　Office；　parking　hadn't　been　this　bad。　He　found　a　space　perhaps　two　feet　longer　than　his　car　and　spent　nearly　five　minutes　fitting　the　vehicle　into　it。
　　　　Murray　hung　his　coat　on　the　peg　beside　the　door　and　walked　right　into　the　living　room。　His　wife　found　him　dialing　the　phone；　a　ferocious　scowl　on　his　face。　She　wondered　what　was　wrong。
　　　　It　took　a　few　seconds　for　the　overseas　call　to　go　into　the　proper　office。
　　　　〃Bill；　this　is　Dan　Murray　。　。　。　we're　fine；〃　his　wife　heard　him　say。　〃I　want　you　to　do　something。　You　know　that　guy　Jack　Ryan？　Yeah；　that's　the　one。　Tell　him　　hell；　how　do　I　say　this？　Tell　him　that　maybe　he　should　watch　his　back　。　。　。　I　know　that。　Bill　。　。　。