rl.thebourneultimatum-第148节

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rld　had　gone　nuts！
　No！　There！　In　the　fenced…off　parking　lot　was　the　fuel　truck！　He　broke　through　the　cordon　of　guards；　holding　up　his　puterized　release　card；　and　ran　up　to　the　soldier　with　the　highest…ranking　insignia　on　his　uniform；　a　colonel　with　an　AK…47　strapped　to　his　waist　who　was　as　panicked　as　any　officer　of　high　rank　he　had　ever　seen　since　Saigon。
　〃My　identification　is　with　the　name　'Archie'　and　you　can　clear　it　immediately。　Even　now　I　refuse　to　speak　our　language；　only　English！　Is　that　understood？　Discipline　is　discipline！〃
　〃Togda？〃　yelled　the　officer；　questioning　the　moment；　then　instantly　returning　to　English　in　a　maddeningly　Boston　accent。　〃Of　course；　we　know　of　you；〃　he　cried；　〃but　what　can　I　do？　This　is　an　uncontrollable　riot！〃
　〃Has　anyone　passed　through　the　tunnel　in　the　last；　say；　half　hour？〃
　〃No　one；　absolutely；　no　one！　Our　orders　are　to　keep　the　tunnel　closed　at　all　costs！〃
　〃Good。　。。。　Get　on　the　loudspeakers　and　disperse　the　crowds。　Tell　them　the　crisis　has　passed　and　the　danger　with　it。〃
　〃How　can　I？　The　fires　are　everywhere；　the　explosions　everywhere！〃
　〃They'll　stop　soon。〃
　〃How　do　you　know　that？〃
　〃I　know！　Do　as　I　say！〃
　〃Do　as　he　says！〃　roared　a　voice　behind　Bourne；　it　was　Benjamin；　his　face　and　shirt　drenched　with　sweat。　〃And　I　hope　to　hell　you　know　what　you're　talking　about！〃
　〃Where　did　you　e　from？〃
　〃Where　you　know；　how　is　another　question。　Try　scaring　the　shit　out　of　Capital　HQ　for　a　chopper　ordered　by　an　apoplectic　Krupkin　from　a　hospital　bed　in　Moscow。〃
　〃　'Apoplectic'…not　bad　for　a　Russian…〃
　〃Who　gives　me　such　orders？〃　yelled　the　officer　of　the　guard。　〃You　are　only　a　young　man！〃
　〃Check　me　out；　buddy；　but　do　it　quick；〃　answered　Benjamin；　holding　out　his　card。　〃Otherwise　I　think　I'll　have　you　transferred　to　Tashkent。　Nice　scenery；　but　no　private　toilets。　。。。　Move；　you　asshole！〃
　〃Cal…if…fornia；　here　I…〃
　〃Shut　up！〃
　〃He's　here！　There's　the　fuel　truck。　Over　there。〃　Jason　pointed　to　the　huge　vehicle　that　dwarfed　the　scattered　cars　and　vans　in　the　fenced　parking　area。
　〃A　fuel　truck？　How　did　you　figure　it　out？〃　asked　the　astonished　Benjamin。
　〃That　tank's　got　to　hold　close　to　a　hundred　thousand　pounds。　bined　with　the　plastics；　strategically　placed；　it's　enough　for　the　streets　and　those　fake　structures　of　old；　dried　wood。〃
　〃Slushaytye！〃　blared　the　myriad　loudspeakers　around　the　tunnel；　demanding　attention；　as　indeed　the　explosions　began　to　diminish。　The　colonel　climbed　on　top　of　the　low；　concrete　gate　house；　a　microphone　in　his　hand；　his　figure　outlined　in　the　harsh　beams　of　powerful　searchlights。　〃The　earthquake　has　passed；〃　he　cried　in　Russian；　〃and　although　the　damage　is　extensive　and　the　fires　will　continue　throughout　the　night；　the　crisis　has　passed！　。。。　Stay　by　the　banks　of　the　river；　and　our　rades　in　the　maintenance　crews　will　do　their　best　to　provide　for　your　needs。　。。。　These　are　orders　from　our　superiors；　rades。　Do　not　give　us　reason　to　use　force；　I　plead　with　you！〃
　〃What　earthquake？〃　shouted　a　man　in　the　front　ranks　of　the　panicked　multitude。　〃You　say　it's　an　earthquake　and　we　are　all　told　it　is　an　earthquake　but　your　brains　are　in　your　bowels！　I've　lived　through　an　earthquake　and　this　is　no　earthquake。　It　is　an　armed　attack！〃
　〃Yes；　yes！　An　attack！〃
　〃We　are　being　attacked！〃
　〃Invaded！　It's　an　invasion！〃
　〃Open　the　tunnel　and　let　us　out　or　you'll　have　to　shoot　us　down！　Open　the　tunnel！〃
　The　protesting　chorus　grew　from　all　sections　of　the　desperate　crowd　as　the　soldiers　held　firm；　their　bayonets　unsheathed　and　affixed　to　their　rifles。　The　colonel　continued；　his　features　contorted；　his　voice　nearly　matching　the　hysteria　of　his　frenzied　audience。
　〃Listen　to　me　and　ask　yourselves　a　question！〃　he　screamed。　〃I'm　telling　you；　as　I　have　been　told；　that　this　is　an　earthquake　and　I　know　it's　true。　Further；　I　will　tell　you　how　I　know　it's　true！　。。。　Have　you　heard　a　single　gunshot？　Yes；　that　is　the　question！　A　single　gunshot！　No；　you　have　not！　。。。　Here；　as　in　all　the　pounds　and　in　every　sector　of　those　pounds；　there　are　police　and　soldiers　and　trainers　who　carry　weapons。　Their　orders　are　to　repel　by　force　any　unwarranted　displays　of　violence；　to　say　nothing　of　armed　invaders！　Yet　nowhere　has　there　been　any　gunfire…〃
　〃What's　he　shouting　about？〃　asked　Jason；　turning　to　Benjamin。
　〃He's　trying　to　convince　them　it　is…or　was…an　earthquake。　They　don't　believe　him；　they　think　it's　an　invasion。　He's　telling　them　it　couldn't　be　because　there's　been　no　gunfire。〃
　〃Gunfire？〃
　〃That's　his　proof。　Nobody's　shooting　at　anybody　and　they　sure　as　hell　would　be　if　there　was　an　armed　attack。　No　gunshots；　no　attack。〃
　〃Gunshots　。。。　？〃　Bourne　suddenly　grabbed　the　young　Soviet　and　spun　him　around。　〃Tell　him　to　stop！　For　God's　sake；　stop　him！〃
　〃What？〃
　〃He's　giving　the　Jackal　the　opening　he　wants…he　needs！〃
　〃Now　what　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Gunfire　。。。　gunshots；　confusion！〃
　〃Nyet！〃　screamed　a　woman；　breaking　through　the　crowd　and　shouting　at　the　officer　in　the　center　of　the　searchlight　beams。　〃The　explosions　are　bombs！　They　e　from　bombers　above！〃
　〃You　are　foolish；〃　cried　the　colonel；　replying　in　Russian。　〃If　it　was　an　air　raid；　our　fighter　planes　from　Belopol　would　fill　the　sky！　。。。　The　explosions　e　out　of　the　earth；　the　fires　out　of　the　earth；　from　the　gases　below…〃　These　false　words　were　the　last　words　the　Soviet　officer　would　ever　speak。
　A　staccato　volley　of　automatic　gunfire　burst　from　the　shadows　of　the　tunnel's　parking　area　cutting　the　Russian　down；　his　instantly　limp；　punctured　body　collapsing　and　falling　off　the　roof　of　the　gatehouse；　plummeting　to　the　ground　out　of　sight　at　the　rear。　The　already　frantic　crowd　went　rabid；　the　ranks　of　uniformed　〃American〃　soldiers　broke；　and　if　chaos　had　ruled　previously；　nihilistic　mobocracy　now　reigned　supreme。　The　narrow；　fenced　entrance　to　the　tunnel　was　virtually　stormed；　racing　figures　colliding；　pummeling；　climbing　over　one　another；　rushing　en　masse　toward　the　mouth　of　the　underwater　access。　Jason　pulled　his　young　trainer　to　the　side　of　the　stampeding　hordes；　never　for　an　instant　taking　his　eyes　off　the　darkened　parking　area。
　〃Can　you　operate　the　tunnel's　machinery？〃　he　shouted。
　〃Yes！　Everyone　on　the　senior　staff　can；　it's　part　of　the　job！〃
　〃The　iron　gates　you　told　me　about？〃
　〃Of　course。〃
　〃Where　are　the　mechanisms？〃
　〃The　guardhouse。〃
　〃Get　in　there！〃　yelled　Bourne；　taking　one　of　the　three　remaining　flares　out　of　his　field　jacket　pocket　and　handing　it　to　Benjamin。　〃I've　got　two　more　of　these　and　two　other　grenades。　。。。　When　you　see　one　of　my　flares　go　over　the　crowd；　lower　those　gates　on　this　side…only　this　side；　understood？〃
　〃What　for？〃
　〃My　rules；　Ben！　Do　it！　Then　ignite　this　flare　and　throw　it　out　the　window　so　I'll　know　it's　done。〃
　〃Then　what？〃
　〃Something　you　may　not　want　to　do；　but　you　have　to。　。。。　Take　the　'forty…seven'　from　the　colonel's　body　and　force　the　crowd；　shoot　it　back　into　the　street。　Rapid　fire　into　the　ground　in　front　of　them…or　above　them…do　whatever　you　have　to　do；　even　if　it　means　wounding　a　few。　Whatever　the　cost；　it　must　be　done。　I　have　to　find　him；　isolate　him；　above　all；　cut　him　off　from　everyone　else　trying　to　get　out。〃
　〃You're　a　goddamned　maniac；〃　broke　in　Benjamin；　the　veins　pronounced　in　his　forehead。　〃I　could　kill　'a　few'…more　than　a　few！　You're　crazy！〃
　〃At　this　moment　I'm　the　most　rational　man　you've　ever　met；〃　interrupted　Jason　harshly；　rapidly；　as　the　panicked　residents　of　Novgorod　kept　rushing　by。　〃There's　not　a　sane　general　in　the　Soviet　army…the　same　army　that　retook　Stalingrad…who　wouldn't　agree　with　me。　。。。　It's　called　the　'calculated　estimate　of　losses；'　and　there's　a　very　good　reason　for　that　lousy　verbiage。　It　simply　means　you're　paying　a　lot　less　for　what　you're　getting　now　than　you'd　pay　later。〃
　〃You're　asking　too　much！　These　people　are　my　rades；　my　friends；　they're　Russians。　Would　you　fire　into　a　crowd　of　Americans？　One　recoil　of　my　hands…an　inch；　two　inches　with　a　'forty…seven'…and　I　could　maim　or　kill　half　a　dozen　people！　The　risk's　too　great！〃
　〃You　don't　have　a　choice。　If　the　Jackal　gets　by　me…and　I'll　know　it　if　he　does…I'll　throw　in　a　grenade　and　kill　twenty。〃
　〃You　son　of　a　bitch！〃
　〃Believe　it；　Ben。　Where　Carlos　is　concerned　I'm　a　son　of　a　bitch。　I　can't　afford　him　any　longer；　the　world　can't　afford　him。　Move！〃
　The　trainer　named　Benjamin　spat　in　Bourne's　face；　then　turned　and　began　fighting　his　way　to　the　guardhouse　and　the　unseen　corpse　of　the　colonel　beyond。　Almost　unconsciously　Jason　wiped　his　face　with　the　back　of　his　hand；　his　concentration　solely　on　the　fenced　parking　area；　his　eyes　darting　from　one　pocket　of　shadows　to　another；　trying　to　center　in　on　the　origins　of　the　automatic　gunfire；　yet　knowing　it　was　pointless；　the　Jackal　had　changed　position　by　then。　He　counted　the　other　vehicles　in　addition　to　the　fuel　truck；　there　were　nine　parked　by　the　fence…two　station　wagons；　four　sedans　and　three　suburban　vans；　all　American…made　or　simulated　as　such。　Carlos　was　concealed　beyond　one　of　them　or　possibly　the　fuel　truck；　the　last　unlikely　as　it　was　the　farthest　away　from　the　open　gate　in　the　fence　that　permitted　access　to　the　guardhouse　and　thus　to　the　tunnel。
　Jason　crouched　and　crawled　f