rl.thebourneultimatum-第135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！


　〃No；　sir！〃　replied　the　mititsiya。　〃Only　a　hysterical　woman　in　a　soiled　bathrobe。　In　her　panic；　she　fell　in　the　bathroom　and　cut　herself。　We　thought　she　might　have　a　heart　attack；　she　was　screaming　so。　We　escorted　her　immediately　to　the　nurse's　office。〃
　Krupkin　turned　to　Jason；　switching　back　to　English。　〃Only　a　woman　came　through；　a　woman　in　panic　who　had　inured　herself。〃
　〃A　woman？　Is　he　certain？　。。。　What　color　was　her　hair？〃　Dimitri　asked　the　guard；　with　the　man's　reply　he　again　looked　at　Bourne。　〃He　says　it　was　reddish　and　quite　curly。〃
　〃Reddish？〃　An　image　came　to　Jason；　a　very　unpleasant　one。　〃A　house　phone…no；　the　front　desk！　e　on；　I　may　need　your　help。〃　With　Krupkin　following；　the　barefooted　Bourne　ran　across　the　lobby　to　a　clerk　at　the　reception　counter。　〃Can　you　speak　English？〃
　〃Certainly　most　good；　even　many　veniculars；　mister　sir。〃
　〃A　room　plan　for　the　tenth　floor。　Quickly。〃
　〃Mister　sir？〃
　Krupkin　translated；　a　large　loose…leaf　notebook　was　placed　on　the　counter；　the　plastic…enclosed　page　turned　to…〃This　room！〃　said　Jason；　pointing　at　a　square　and　doing　his　best　not　to　alarm　the　frightened　clerk。　〃Get　it　on　the　telephone！　If　the　line's　busy；　knock　off　anybody　on　it。〃
　Again　Krupkin　translated　as　a　phone　was　placed　in　front　of　Bourne。　He　picked　it　up　and　spoke。　〃This　is　the　man　who　came　into　your　room　a　few　minutes　ago…〃
　〃Oh；　yes；　of　course；　dear　fellow。　Thank　you　so　much！　The　doctor's　here　and　Binky's…〃
　〃I　have　to　know　something；　and　I　have　to　know　it　right　now。　。。。　Do　you　carry　hairpieces；　or　wigs；　with　you　when　you　travel？〃
　〃I'd　say　that's　rather　impertinent…〃
　〃Lady；　I　don't　have　time　for　amenities；　I　have　to　know！　Do　you？〃
　〃Well；　yes　I　do。　It's　no　secret；　actually；　all　my　friends　know　it　and　they　forgive　the　artifice。　You　see；　dear　boy；　I　have　diabetes　。。。　my　gray　hair　is　painfully　thin。〃
　〃Is　one　of　those　wigs　red？〃
　〃As　a　matter　of　fact；　yes。　I　rather　fancy　changing…〃
　Bourne　slammed　down　the　phone　and　looked　over　at　Krupkin。　〃The　son　of　a　bitch　lucked　out。　It　was　Carlos！〃
　〃e　with　me！〃　said　Krupkin　as　they　both　raced　across　the　empty　lobby　to　the　plex　of　back…room　offices　of　the　Metropole。　They　reached　the　nurse's　infirmary　door　and　went　inside。　They　both　stopped；　both　gasped　and　then　winced　at　what　they　saw。
　There　were　rolls　of　torn；　unwound　gauze　and　reels　of　tape　in　various　widths；　and　broken　syringes　and　tubes　of　antibiotics　scattered　about　the　examining　table　and　the　floor；　as　if　all　were　somehow　administered　in　panic。　These；　however；　the　two　men　barely　noticed；　for　their　eyes　were　riveted　on　the　woman　who　had　tended　to　her　crazed　patient。　The　Metropole's　nurse　was　arched　back　in　her　chair；　her　throat　surgically　punctured；　and　over　her　immaculate　white　uniform　ran　a　thin　stream　of　blood。　Madness！
　Standing　beside　the　living　room　table；　Dimitri　Krupkin　spoke　on　the　phone　as　Alex　Conklin　sat　on　the　brocaded　couch　massaging　his　bootless　leg　and　Bourne　stood　by　the　window　staring　out　on　the　Marx　Prospekt。　Alex　looked　over　at　the　KGB　officer；　a　thin　smile　on　his　gaunt　face　as　Krupkin　nodded；　his　eyes　on　Conklin。　An　acknowledgment　was　being　transmitted　between　the　two　of　them。　They　were　worthy　adversaries　in　a　never…ending；　essentially　futile　war　in　which　only　battles　were　won；　the　philosophical　conflicts　never　resolved。
　〃I　have　your　assurance　then；　rade；〃　said　Krupkin　in　Russian；　〃and；　frankly；　I　will　hold　you　to　it。　。。。　Of　course　I'm　taping　this　conversation！　Would　you　do　otherwise？　。。。　Good！　We　understand　each　other　as　well　as　our　respective　responsibilities；　so　let　me　recapitulate。　The　man　is　seriously　wounded；　therefore　the　city　taxi　service　as　well　as　all　doctors　and　all　hospitals　in　the　Moscow　area　have　been　alerted。　The　description　of　the　stolen　automobile　has　been　circulated　and　any　sightings　of　man　or　vehicle　are　to　be　reported　only　to　you。　The　penalty　for　disregarding　these　instructions　is　the　Lubyanka；　that　must　be　clear。　。。。　Good！　We　have　a　mutual　understanding　and　I　expect　to　hear　from　you　the　minute　you　have　any　information；　yes？　。。。　Don't　have　a　cardiac　arrest；　rade。　I　am　well　aware　that　you　are　my　superior；　but　then　this　is　a　proletarian　society；　yes？　Simply　follow　the　advice　of　an　extremely　experienced　subordinate。　Have　a　pleasant　day。　。。。　No；　that　is　not　a　threat；　it　is　merely　a　phrase　I　picked　up　in　Paris…American　origin；　I　believe。〃　Krupkin　hung　up　the　phone　and　sighed。　〃There's　something　to　be　said　for　our　vanished；　educated　aristocracy；　I'm　afraid。〃
　〃Don't　say　it　out　loud；〃　observed　Conklin；　nodding　at　the　telephone。　〃I　gather　nothing's　ing　down。〃
　〃Nothing　to　act　upon　immediately　but　something　rather　interesting；　even　fascinating　in　a　macabre　sort　of　way。〃
　〃By　which　you　mean　it　concerns　Carlos；　I　assume。〃
　〃No　one　else。〃　Krupkin　shook　his　head　as　Jason　looked　over　at　him　from　the　window。　〃I　stopped　at　my　office　to　join　the　assault　squad　and　on　my　desk　were　eight　large　manila　envelopes；　only　one　of　which　had　been　opened。　The　police　found　them　in　the　Vavilova　and；　true　to　form；　having　read　the　contents　of　only　one；　wanted　nothing　to　do　with　them。〃
　〃What　were　they？〃　asked　Alex；　chuckling。　〃State　secrets　describing　the　entire　Politburo　as　gay？〃
　〃You're　probably　not　far　off　the　mark；〃　interrupted　Bourne。　〃That　was　the　Jackal's　Moscow　cadre　in　the　Vavilova。　He　was　either　showing　them　the　dirt　he　had　on　them；　or　giving　them　the　dirt　on　others。〃
　〃The　latter　in　this　case；〃　said　Krupkin。　〃A　collection　of　the　most　preposterous　allegations　directed　at　the　ranking　heads　of　our　major　ministries。〃
　〃He's　got　vaults　of　that　garbage。　It's　standard　operating　procedure　for　Carlos；　it's　how　he　buys　his　way　into　circles　he　shouldn't　be　able　to　penetrate。〃
　〃Then　I'm　not　being　clear；　Jason；〃　continued　the　KGB　officer。　〃When　I　say　preposterous；　I　mean　exactly　that…beyond　belief。　Lunacy。〃
　〃He's　almost　always　on　target。　Don't　take　that　judgment　to　the　bank。〃
　〃If　there　were　such　a　bank　I　certainly　would；　and　I'd　negotiate　a　sizable　loan　on　its　efficacy　as　collateral。。　Most　of　the　information　is　the　stuff　of　the　lowest…grade　tabloids…nothing　unusual　there；　of　course…but　along　with　such　nonsense　are　outright　distortions　of　times；　places；　functions　and　even　identities。　For　example；　the　Ministry　of　Transport　is　not　where　a　particular　file　says；　but　a　block　away；　and　a　certain　rade　direktor　is　not　married　to　the　lady　named　but　to　someone　else…the　woman　mentioned　is　their　daughter　and　is　not　in　Moscow　but　rather　in　Cuba；　where　she's　been　for　six　years。　Also；　the　man　listed　as　head　of　Radio　Moscow　and　accused　of　just　about　everything　short　of　having　intercourse　with　dogs；　died　eleven　months　ago　and　was　a　known　closet　orthodox　Catholic；　who　would　have　been　far　happier　as　a　truly　devout　priest。　。。。　These　blatant　falsehoods　I　picked　up　in　a　matter　of　minutes；　time　being　at　a　premium；　but　I'm　sure　there　are　dozens　more。〃
　〃You're　saying　that　a　scam　was　pulled　on　Carlos？〃　said　Conklin。
　〃One　so　garish…albeit　piled　with　extreme　conviction…it　would　be　laughed　out　of　our　most　rigidly　doctrinaire　courts。　Whoever　fed　him　these　melodramatic　'exposés'　wanted　built…in　deniabilities。〃
　〃Rodchenko？〃　asked　Bourne。
　〃I　can't　think　of　anyone　else。　Grigorie…I　say　'Grigorie'　but　I　never　called　him　that　to　his　face；　it　was　always　'General'…was　a　consummate　strategist；　the　ultimate　survivor；　as　well　as　a　deeply　mitted　Marxist。　Control　was　his　byword；　his　addiction；　really；　and　if　he　could　control　the　infamous　Jackal　for　the　Motherland's　interests；　what　a　profound　exhilaration　for　the　old　man。　Yet　the　Jackal　killed　him　with　those　symbolic　bullets　in　his　throat。　Was　it　betrayal；　or　was　it　carelessness　on　Rodchenko's　part　at　having　been　discovered？　Which？　We'll　never　know。〃　The　telephone　rang　and　Krupkin's　hand　shot　down；　picking　it　up。　〃Da？〃　Shifting　to　Russian；　Dimitri　gestured　for　Conklin　to　restrap　the　prosthetic　boot　as　he　spoke。　〃Now　listen　to　me　very　carefully；　rade。　The　police　are　to　make　no　moves…above　all；　they　are　to　remain　out　of　sight。　Call　in　one　of　our　unmarked　vehicles　to　replace　the　patrol　car；　am　I　clear？　。。。　Good。　We'll　use　the　Moray　frequency。〃
　〃Breakthrough？〃　asked　Bourne；　stepping　away　from　the　window　as　Dimitri　slammed　down　the　phone。
　〃Maximum！〃　replied　Krupkin。　〃The　car　was　spotted　on　the　Nemchinovka　road　heading　toward　Odintsovo。〃
　〃That　doesn't　mean　anything　to　me。　What's　in　Odintsovo；　or　whatever　it's　called？〃
　〃I　don't　know　specifically；　but　I　must　assume　he　does。　Remember；　he　knows　Moscow　and　its　environs。　Odintsovo　is　what　you　might　call　an　industrial　suburb　about　thirty…five　minutes　from　the　city…〃
　〃Goddamn　it！〃　yelled　Alex；　struggling　with　the　Velcro　straps　of　his　boot。
　〃Let　me　do　that；〃　said　Jason；　his　tone　of　voice　brooking　no　objection　as　he　knelt　down　and　swiftly　manipulated　the　thick　strips　of　coarse　cloth。　〃Why　is　Carlos　still　using　the　Dzerzhinsky　car？〃　continued　Bourne；　addressing　Krupkin。　〃It's　not　like　him　to　take　that　kind　of　risk。〃
　〃It　is　if　he　has　no　choice。　He　has　to　know　that　all　Moscow　taxis　are　a　silent　arm　of　the　state；　and　he　is；　after　all；　severely　wounded　and　undoubtedly　now　without　a　gun　or　he　would　have　used　it　on　you。　He's　in　no　condition　to　threaten　a　driver　or　steal　an　automobile。　。。。　Beside