tc.patriotgames-第93节

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e　been　about　freezing。　South　of　the　camp；　behind　a　dune；　two　vehicles　were　parked。　Jack　couldn't　tell　if　they　were　jeeps　or　small　trucks。　On　closer　inspection；　faint　figures　were　moving　on　the　cold　background：　men。　From　the　way　they　moved：　soldiers。　He　counted　eight　of　them　split　into　two　equal　groups。　Near　one　of　the　huts　was　a　brighter　light。　There　appeared　to　be　a　man　standing　there。　Three　in　the　morning；　when　one's　body　functions　are　at　the　lowest　ebb。　One　of　the　camp　guards　was　smoking　on　duty；　doubtlessly　trying　to　stay　awake。　That　was　a　mistake；　Ryan　knew。　The　flare　of　the　match　would　have　destroyed　his　night　vision。　Oh；　well　。　。　。　
　　　　〃Now；〃　Jean…Claude　said。
　　　　There　was　a　brief　flash　from　one　of　the　eight　intruders；　it　was　strange　to　see　but　not　hear　it。　Ryan　couldn't　tell　if　the　guard　moved　as　a　result；　but　his　cigarette　did；　flying　perhaps　two　yards；　after　which　both　images　remained　stationary。　That's　a　kill；　he　told　himself。　Dear　God；　what　am　I　watching？　The　eight　pale　shapes　closed　on　the　camp。　First　they　entered　the　guard　hut　　it　was　always　the　same　one。　A　moment　later　they　were　back　outside。　Next；　they　redeployed　into　the　two　groups　of　four；　each　group　heading　toward　one　of　the　〃lighted〃　huts。　
　　　　〃Who　are　the　troops？〃　Jack　asked。　
　　　　〃Paras；〃　Jean…Claude　answered　simply。
　　　　Some　of　the　men　reappeared　thirty　seconds　later。　After　another　minute；　the　rest　emerged　　more　than　had　gone　in；　Ryan　saw。　Two　seemed　to　be　carrying　something。　Then　something　else　entered　the　picture。　It　was　a　bright　glow　that　washed　out　other　parts　of　the　picture；　but　the　new　addition　was　a　helicopter；　its　engines　blazing　in　the　infrared　picture。　The　picture　quality　deteriorated　and　the　camera　zoomed　back。　Two　more　helicopters　were　in　the　area。　One　landed　near　the　vehicles；　and　the　jeeps　were　driven　into　it。　After　that　helicopter　lifted　off；　the　other　skimmed　the　ground；　following　the　vehicle　tracks　for　several　miles　and　erasing　them　with　its　downdraft。　By　the　time　the　satellite　lost　visual　lock　with　the　scene；　everyone　was　gone。　The　entire　exercise　had　taken　less　than　ten　minutes。
　　　　〃Quick　and　clean；〃　Marty　breathed。　
　　　　〃You　got　her？〃　Jack　had　to　ask。
　　　　〃Yes；〃　Jean…Claude　replied。　〃And　five　others；　four　of　them　alive。　We　removed　all　of　them；　and　the　camp　guards　who；　I　regret　to　say；　did　not　survive　the　evening。〃　The　Frenchman's　regrets　were　tossed　in　for　good　manners　only。　His　face　showed　what　he　really　felt。
　　　　〃Any　of　your　people　hurt？〃　Cantor　asked。
　　　　An　amused　shake　of　his　head：　〃No。　They　were　all　asleep；　you　see。　One　slept　with　a　pistol　next　to　his　cot；　and　made　the　mistake　of　reaching　for　it。〃　
　　　　〃You　pulled　everybody　out；　even　the　camp　guards？〃　
　　　　〃Of　course。　All　are　now　in　Chad。　The　living　are　being　questioned。〃　
　　　　〃How　did　you　arrange　the　satellite　coverage？〃　Jack　asked。
　　　　This　answer　came　with　a　Gallic　shrug。　〃A　fortunate　coincidence。〃
　　　　Right；　Jack　thought。　Some　coincidence。　I　just　watched　the　instant…replay　of　the　death　of　three　or　four　people。　Terrorists；　he　corrected　himself。　Except　for　the　camp　guards；　who　only　helped　terrorists。　The　tilling　could　not　have　been　an　accident。　The　French　wanted　us　to　know　that　they　were　in　counterterrorist　operations　for…real。
　　　　〃Why　am　I　here？〃
　　　　〃But　you　made　this　possible；〃　Jean…Claude　said。　〃It　is　my　pleasure　to　give　you　the　thanks　of　my　country。〃
　　　　〃What's　going　to　happen　to　the　people　you　captured？〃　Jack　wanted　to　know。
　　　　〃Do　you　know　how　many　people　they　have　assassinated？　For　those　crimes　they　will　answer。　Justice；　that　will　happen　to　them。〃　
　　　　〃You　wanted　to　see　a　success；　Jack；〃　Cantor　said。　〃You　just　did。〃
　　　　Ryan　thought　that　one　over。　Removing　the　bodies　of　the　camp　guards　told　him　how　the　operation　would　end。　No　one　was　supposed　to　know　what　had　happened。　Sure；　some　bullet　holes　were　left　behind；　and　a　couple　of　bloodstains；　but　no　bodies。　The　raiders　had　quite　literally　covered　their　tracks。　The　whole　operation　was　〃deniable。〃　There　was　nothing　left　behind　that　would　point　to　the　French。　In　that　sense　it　had　been　a　perfect　covert　operation。　And　if　that　much　effort　had　gone　into　making　it　so；　then　there　was　little　reason　to　suspect　that　the　Action…Directs　people　would　ever　face　a　jury。　You　wouldn't　go　to　that　much　trouble　and　then　go　through　the　publicity　of　a　trial；　Ryan　told　himself。　Goodbye；　Francoise　Theroux　。　。　。　
　　　　I　condemned　these　people　to　death；　he　realized　finally。　Just　the　one　of　them　was　enough　to　trouble　his　conscience。　He　remembered　the　police…style　photograph　he'd　seen　of　her　face　and　the　fuzzy　satellite　image　of　a　girl　in　a　bikini。
　　　　〃She's　murdered　at　least　three　people；〃　Cantor　said；　reading　Jack's　face。
　　　　〃Professor　Ryan；　she　has　no　heart；　that　one。　No　feelings。　You　must　not　be　misled　by　her　face；〃　Jean…Claude　advised。　〃They　cannot　all　look　like　Hitler。〃
　　　　But　that　was　only　part　of　it；　Ryan　knew。　Her　looks　merely　brought　into　focus　that　hers　was　a　human　life　whose　term　was　now　unnaturally　limited。　As　she　has　limited　those　of　others。　Jack　told　himself。　He　admitted　to　himself　that　he　would　have　no　qualms　at　all　if　her　name　had　been　Sean　Miller。
　　　　〃Forgive　me；〃　he　said。　〃It　must　be　my　romantic　nature。〃　
　　　　〃But　of　course；〃　the　Frenchman　said　generously。　〃It　is　something　to　be　regretted；　but　those　people　made　their　choice；　Professor；　not　you。　You　have　helped　to　avenge　the　lives　of　many　innocent　people；　and　you　have　saved　those　of　people　you　will　never　know。　There　will　be　a　formal　note　of　thanks　　a　secret　one；　of　course　　for　your　assistance。〃
　　　　〃Glad　to　help；　Colonel；〃　Cantor　said。　Hands　were　shaken　all　around；　and　Marty　led　Jack　back　to　the　headquarters　building。
　　　　〃I　don't　know　that　I　want　to　see　anything　like　that　again；〃　Ryan　said　in　the　corridor。　〃I　mean；　I　don't　want　to　know　their　faces。　I　mean　　hell；　I　don't　know　what　I　mean。　Maybe　　it's　just　。　。　。　different　when　you're　detached　from　it；　you　know？　It　was　too　much　like　watching　a　ball　game　on　TV；　but　it　wasn't　a　ball　game。　Who　was　that　guy；　anyway？〃
　　　　〃Jean…Claude's　the　head　of　the　DGSE's　Washington　Station；　and　he　was　the　liaison　man。　We　got　the　first　new　picture　of　her　a　day　and　a　half　ago。　They　had　the　operation　all　ready　to　roll；　and　he　got　things　going　inside　of　six　hours。　Impressive　performance。〃　
　　　　〃I　imagine　they　wanted　us　to　be　impressed。　They're　not　bringing　'em　in；　are　they？〃
　　　　〃No。　I　seriously　doubt　those　people　are　going　back　to　France　to　stand　trial。　Remember　the　problem　they　had　the　last　time　they　tried　a　public　trial　of　Action…Directe　members？　The　jurors　started　getting　midnight　phone　calls；　and　the　case　got　blown　away。　Maybe　they　don't　want　to　put　up　with　the　hassle　again。〃　Cantor　frowned。　〃Well；　it's　not　our　call　to　make。　Their　system　isn't　the　same　as　ours。　All　we　did　was　forward　information　to　an　ally。〃　
　　　　〃An　American　court　could　call　that　accessory　to　murder。〃　
　　　　〃Possibly；〃　Cantor　admitted。　〃Personally；　I　prefer　what　Jean…Claude　called　it。〃　
　　　　〃Then　why　are　you　leaving　in　August？〃　Ryan　asked。
　　　　Cantor　delivered　his　answer　without　facing　him。　〃Maybe　you'll　find　out　someday；　Jack。〃
　　　　Back　alone　in　his　office；　Ryan　couldn't　get　his　mind　off　what　he'd　seen。　Five　thousand　miles　away；　agents　of　the　DGSE's　〃action〃　directorate　were　now　questioning　that　girl。　If　this　had　been　a　movie；　their　techniques　would　be　brutal。　What　they　used　in　real　life；　Ryan　didn't　want　to　know。　He　told　himself　that　the　members　of　Action…Directe　had　brought　it　on　themselves。　First；　they　had　made　a　conscious　choice　to　be　what　they　were。　Second；　in　subverting　the　French　legal　system　the　previous　year；　they'd　given　their　enemies　an　excuse　to　bypass　whatever　constitutional　guarantees　。　。　。　but　was　that　truly　an　excuse？
　　　　〃What　would　Dad　think？〃　he　murmured　to　himself。　Then　the　next　question　hit　him。　Ryan　lifted　his　phone　and　punched　in　the　right　number。　
　　　　〃Cantor。〃　
　　　　〃Why；　Marty？〃　
　　　　〃Why　what；　Jack？〃　
　　　　〃Why　did　you　let　me　see　that？〃
　　　　〃Jean…Claude　wanted　to　meet　you；　and　he　also　wanted　you　to　see　what　your　data　acplished。〃
　　　　〃That's　bull；　Marty！　You　let　me　into　a　real…time　satellite　display　　okay；　taped；　but　essentially　the　same　thing。　There　can't　be　many　people　cleared　for　that。　I　don't　need…to…know　how　good　the　real…time　capability　is。　You　could　have　told　him　I　wasn't　cleared　for　it　and　that　would　have　been　that。〃
　　　　〃Okay；　you've　had　some　time　to　think　it　over。　Tell　me　what　you　think。〃　
　　　　〃I　don't　like　it。〃　
　　　　〃Why？〃　Cantor　asked。　
　　　　〃It　broke　the　law。〃
　　　　〃Not　ours。　Like　I　told　you　twenty　minutes　ago；　all　we　did　was　provide　intelligence　information　to　a　friendly　foreign　nation。〃　
　　　　〃But　they　used　it　to　kill　people。〃
　　　　〃What　do　you　think　intel　is　for；　Jack？　What　should　they　have　done？　No；　answer　this　first：　what　if　they　were　foreign　nationals　who　had　murdered　French　nationals　in　　in　Liechtenstein；　say；　and　then　boogied　back　to　their　base？〃
　　　　〃That's　not　the　same　thing。　That's　more　。　。　。　more　like　an　act　of　war　　like　doing　the　guards　at　the　camp。　The　people　they　were　after　were　their　own　citizens　who　mitted　crimes　in　their　own　country；　and　　and　are　subject　to　French　law。〃
　　　　〃And　what　if　it　had　been　a　different　camp？　What　if　those　paratroopers　had　done　a　job　for　us；　or　the　Brits；　and