tc.patriotgames-第59节

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our　man。　He　has　to　be　right　here。〃　
　　　　〃Why　not　catch　him　in　his　car　at　a　different　place？〃　
　　　　Alex　shook　his　head。　〃Too　hard。　The　roads　are　too　crowded　to　be　sure；　and　it'd　be　too　easy　to　lose　him。　You've　seen　the　traffic；　Sean；　and　he　never　goes　exactly　the　same　way　twice。　If　you　want　my　opinion；　you　should　split　the　operation；　do　it　one　part　at　a　time。〃　
　　　　〃No。〃　Miller　was　adamant。　〃We'll　do　it　the　way　I　want。〃　
　　　　〃Okay；　man；　but　I'm　telling　you；　this　man　is　exposed。〃　
　　　　Miller　thought　that　one　over　for　a　moment。　Finally　he　smiled。　〃I　have　just　the　right　man　for　it。　
　　　　〃The　other　part？〃
　　　　Alex　switched　maps。　〃Easy。　The　target　can　take　any　route　at　all；　but　they　all　e　to　this　place　here　at　exactly　four　forty…five。　We've　checked　six　days　in　the　past　two　weeks；　never　been　off　by　more　than　five　minutes。　We'll　do　the　job　right　along　here；　close　to　the　bridge。　Anybody　could　handle　this　one。　We　can　even　rehearse　it　for　you。〃　
　　　　〃When？〃　
　　　　〃This　afternoon　good　enough？〃　Alex　smiled。　
　　　　〃Indeed。　Escape　route？〃　
　　　　〃We'll　show　you。　We　might　as　well　make　it　a　real　rehearsal。〃　
　　　　〃Excellent。〃　Miller　was　well　pleased。　Getting　here　had　been　plicated　enough。　Not　difficult；　just　plicated；　involving　six　separate　flights。　It　hadn't　been　without　humor；　though。　Sean　Miller　was　traveling　on　a　British　passport　at　the　moment；　and　the　immigration　clerk　at　Miami　had　taken　his　Belfast　accent　for　Scottish。　It　hadn't　occurred　to　him　that　to　an　American　ear　there　isn't　much　difference　between　a　brogue　and　a　burr。　If　that's　the　skill　level　in　American　law…enforcement　officials；　Miller　told　himself；　this　op　should　go　easily　enough。
　　　　They'd　do　the　run…through　today。　If　it　looked　good　he'd　summon　the　team；　and　they'd　go　in　。　。　。　four　days；　he　judged。　The　weapons　were　already　in　place。

　　　　〃Conclusions？〃　Cantor　asked。
　　　　Ryan　picked　up　a　sixty…page　sheaf　of　paper。　〃Here's　my　analysis；　for　what　it's　worth　　not　much；〃　Jack　admitted。　〃I　didn't　turn　up　anything　new。　The　reports　you　already　have　are　pretty　good；　given　the　lack　of　real　evidence　to　go　on。　The　ULA　is　a　really　kinky　bunch。　On　one　hand　their　operations　don't　seem　to　have　a　real　purpose　that　we　can　discern　　but　this　kind　of　skill　。　。　。　They're　too　professional　to　be　operating　without　an　objective；　dammit！〃
　　　　〃True　enough；〃　Cantor　said。　They　were　in　his　office；　across　the　hall　from　the　DDI's。　Admiral　Greer　was　out　of　town。　〃You　e　up　with　anything　at　all？〃
　　　　〃I've　mapped　their　operations　geographically　and　against　time。　No　pattern　there　that　I　can　see。　The　only　visible　pattern　is　in　the　type　of　operation；　and　the　execution；　but　that　doesn't　mean　anything。　They　like　high…profile　targets；　but　　hell；　what　terrorist　doesn't？　That's　the　whole　point　of　being　a　terrorist；　going　after　the　really　big　game；　right？　They　mostly　use　East　Bloc　weapons；　but　most　of　the　groups　do。　We　infer　that　they're　well　financed。　That's　logical；　given　the　nature　of　their　activity；　but　again　there　isn't　any　substantive　evidence　to　confirm　it。
　　　　〃O'Donnell　has　a　real　talent　for　dropping　out　of　sight；　both　personally　and　professionally。　There　are　three　whole　years　we　can't　account　for；　one　before　he　turned　up　around　the　time　of　Bloody　Sunday　and　two　years　after　the　Proves　tried　to　punch　his　ticket。　They're　both　plete　blanks。　I　talked　to　my　wife　about　the　plastic　surgery　angle　　
　　　　〃What？〃　Cantor　didn't　react　favorably　to　that。
　　　　〃She　doesn't　know　why　I　wanted　the　information。　Give　me　a　break；　Marty。　I'm　married　to　a　surgeon；　remember？　One　of　her　classmates　is　a　reconstructive　surgeon；　and　I　had　Cathy　ask　her　where　you　can　get　a　new　face。　Not　many　places　that　can　really　do　it　　I　was　surprised。　I　have　a　list　of　where　they　are　in　here。　Two　are　behind　the　Curtain。　It　turns　out　that　some　of　the　real　pioneering　work　was　done　in　Moscow　before　World　War　Two。　Hopkins　people　have　been　to　the　institute　　it's　named　for　the　guy；　but　I　can't　recall　the　name　　and　they　found　a　few　odd　things　about　the　place。〃　
　　　　〃Like　what？〃　Cantor　asked。　　　　　〃Like　two　floors　that　you　can't　get　onto。　Annette　DiSalvi　　Cathy's　classmate　　was　there　two　years　ago。　The　top　two　floors　of　the　place　can　be　reached　only　by　special　elevators；　and　the　stairways　have　barred　gates。　Odd　sort　of　thing　for　a　hospital。　I　thought　that　was　a　funny　bit　of　information。　Maybe　it'll　be　useful　to　somebody　else。〃
　　　　Cantor　nodded。　He　knew　something　about　this　particular　clinic；　but　the　closed　floors　were　something　new。　It　was　amazing；　he　thought；　how　new　bits　of　data　could　turn　up　so　innocently。　He　also　wondered　why　a　surgical　team　from　Johns　Hopkins　had　been　allowed　into　the　place。　He　made　a　mental　note　to　check　that　out。
　　　　〃Cathy　says　this　'getting　a　new　face'　thing　isn't　what　it's　cracked　up　to　be。　Most　of　the　work　is　designed　to　correct　damage　from　trauma　　car　accidents　and　things　like　that。　The　job　isn't　so　much　to　change　as　to　repair。　There　is　a　lot　of　cosmetic　work　　I　mean　aside　from　nose　jobs　and　face…lifts　　but　that　you　can　acplish　almost　as　well　with　a　new　hair　style　and　a　beard。　They　can　change　chins　and　cheekbones　pretty　well；　but　if　the　work　is　too　extensive　it　leaves　scars。　This　place　in　Moscow　is　good；　Annette　says；　almost　as　good　as　Hopkins　or　even　UCLA。　A　lot　of　the　best　reconstructive　surgeons　are　in　California；〃　Jack　explained。　〃Anyway；　we're　not　talking　a　face…lift　or　a　nose　job　here。　Extensive　facial　surgery　involves　multiple　procedures　and　takes　several　months。　If　O'Donnell　was　gone　for　two　years；　a　lot　of　the　time　was　spent　in　the　body　shop。〃
　　　　〃Oh。〃　Cantor　got　the　point。　〃He　really　is　a　fast　worker；　then？〃
　　　　Jack　grinned。　〃That's　what　I　was　really　after。　He　was　out　of　sight　for　two　years。　At　least　six　months　of　that　time　must　have　been　spent　in　some　hospital　or　other。　So　in　the　other　eighteen　months；　he　recruited　his　people；　set　up　a　base　of　operations；　started　collecting　operational　intelligence；　and　ran　his　first　op。〃　
　　　　〃Not　bad；〃　Cantor　said　thoughtfully。
　　　　〃Yeah。　So　he　had　to　have　recruited　people　from　in　the　Proves。　They　must　have　brought　some　stuff　with　them；　too。　I'll　bet　that　his　initial　operations　were　things　the　PIRA　had　already　looked　at　and　set　aside　for　one　reason　or　another。　That's　why　the　Brits　thought　they　were　actually　part　of　the　PIRA　to　begin　with；　Marty。〃　
　　　　〃You　said　you　didn't　find　anything　important；〃　Cantor　said。　〃This　sounds　like　pretty　sharp　analysis　to　me。〃
　　　　〃Maybe。　All　I　did　was　reorder　stuff　you　already　had。　Nothing　new　is　in　here；　and　I　still　haven't　answered　my　own　question。　I　don't　have　much　of　an　idea　what　they're　really　up　to。〃　Ryan's　hand　flipped　through　the　pages　of　manuscript。　His　voice　showed　his　frustration。　Jack　was　not　accustomed　to　failure。　〃We　still　don't　know　where　these　bastards　are　ing　from。　They're　up　to　something；　but　damned　if　I　know　what　it　is。〃　
　　　　〃American　connections？〃
　　　　〃None　　none　at　all　that　we　know　of。　That　makes　me　feel　a　lot　better。　There's　no　hint　of　a　contact　with　American　organizations；　and　lots　of　reasons　for　them　not　to　have　any。　O'Donnell　is　too　slick　to　play　with　his　old　PIRA　contacts。〃　
　　　　〃But　his　recruiting　〃　Cantor　objected。　Jack　cut　him　off。
　　　　〃Over　here；　I　mean。　As　chief　of　internal　security；　he　could　know　who　was　who　in　Belfast　and　Londonderry。　But　the　American　connections　to　the　Provisionals　all　run　through　Sinn　Fein；　the　Proves'　political　wing。　He'd　have　to　be　crazy　to　trust　them。　Remember；　he　did　his　best　to　restructure　the　political　leanings　in　the　outfit　and　failed。〃
　　　　〃Okay。　I　see　what　you　mean。　Possible　connections　with　other　groups？〃
　　　　Ryan　shook　his　head。　〃No　evidence。　I　wouldn't　bet　against　contact　with　some　of　the　European　groups；　maybe　some　of　the　Islamic　ones　even；　but　not　over　here。　O'Donnell's　a　smart　cookie。　To　e　over　here　means　too　many　plications　　hey；　they　don't　like　me；　I　can　dig　that。　The　good　news　is　that　the　FBI's　right。　We're　dealing　with　professionals。　I　am　not　a　politically　significant　target。　ing　after　me　has　no　political　value；　and　these　are　political　animals；〃　Jack　observed　confidently。　〃Thank　God。〃
　　　　〃Did　you　know　that　the　PIRA　　well；　Sinn　Fein　　has　a　delegation　ing　over　day　after　tomorrow？〃　
　　　　〃What　for？〃
　　　　〃The　thing　in　London　hurt　them　in　Boston　and　New　York。　They've　denied　involvement　about　a　hundred　times；　and　they　have　a　bunch　ing　over　for　a　couple　of　weeks　to　tell　the　local　Irish　munities　in　person。〃
　　　　〃Aw；　crap！〃　Ryan　snarled。　〃Why　not　keep　the　bastards　out　of　the　friggin'　country？〃
　　　　〃Not　that　easy。　The　people　ing　over　aren't　on　the　Watch　List。　They've　been　here　before。　They're　clean；　technically。　We　live　in　a　free　democracy。　Jack。　Remember　what　Oliver　Wendell　Holmes　said：　the　Constitution　was　written　for　people　of　fundamentally　differing　views　　or　something　like　that。　The　short　name　is　Freedom　of　Speech。〃
　　　　Ryan　had　to　smile。　The　outside　view　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　people　was　often　one　of　bumbling　fascists；　threats　to　American　freedom；　corrupt　but　inpetent　schemers；　a　cross　between　the　Mafia　and　the　Marx　brothers。　In　fact；　Ryan　had　found　them　to　be　politically　moderate　　more　so　than　he　was。　If　the　truth　ever　got　out；　of　course；　the　press　would　think　it　was　a　sinister　ruse。　Even　he　found　it　very　odd。
　　　　〃I　hope　somebody　will　keep　an　eye　on