rl.thebourneultimatum-第37节

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　〃It's　perfect；〃　contradicted　Bourne　as　Dr。　Ivan　Jax　suddenly　appeared　in　the　doorway。　〃Our　little　game　of　destabilization　will　start　right　here　on　the　'farm。'　Do　you　have　Cactus's　number？〃
　〃Not　with　me。　I　think　it's　probably　in　a　shoebox　at　home。〃
　〃Call　Mo　Panov；　he's　got　it。　Then　reach　Cactus　and　tell　him　to　get　to　a　pay　phone　and　call　me　here。〃
　〃What　the　hell　have　you　got　in　mind？　I　hear　that　old　man's　name；　I　get　nervous。〃
　〃You　told　me　I　had　to　find　someone　else　to　trust　besides　you。　I　just　did。　Reach　him；　Alex。〃　Jason　hung　up　the　telephone。　〃I'm　sorry；　Doctor　。。。　or　maybe　under　the　circumstances　I　can　use　your　name。　Hello；　Ivan。〃
　〃Hello；　no…name；　which　is　the　way　I'd　like　to　keep　it　on　my　end。　Especially　when　I　just　heard　you　say　another　name。〃
　〃Alex？　。。。　No；　of　course　it　wasn't　Alex；　not　our　mutual　friend。〃　Bourne　laughed　quietly；　knowingly；　as　he　walked　away　from　the　desk。　〃It　was　Cactus；　wasn't　it？〃
　〃I　just　came　in　to　ask　you　if　you　wanted　me　to　close　the　gates；〃　said　Jax；　bypassing　the　question。
　〃Would　you　be　offended　if　I　told　you　that　I　didn't　think　of　him　until　I　saw　you　just　now？〃
　〃Certain　associations　are　fairly　obvious。　The　gates；　please？〃
　〃Do　you　owe　Cactus　as　much　as　I　do；　Doctor？〃　Jason　held　his　place；　looking　at　the　Jamaican。
　〃I　owe　him　so　much　that　I　could　never　think　of　promising　him　in　a　situation　like　tonight。　For　God's　sake；　he's　an　old　man；　and　no　matter　what　deviant　conclusions　Langley　wants　to　e　up　with；　tonight　was　murder；　a　particularly　brutal　killing。　No；　I　wouldn't　involve　him。〃
　〃You're　not　me。　You　see；　I　have　to。　He'd　never　forgive　me　if　I　didn't。〃
　〃You　don't　think　much　of　yourself；　do　you？〃
　〃Please　close　the　gates；　Doctor。　There's　an　alarm　panel　in　the　hallway　I　can　activate　when　they're　shut。〃
　Jax　hesitated；　as　if　unsure　of　what　he　wanted　to　say。　〃Listen；〃　he　began　haltingly；　〃most　sane　people　have　reasons　for　saying　things…doing　things。　My　guess　is　you're　sane。　Call　Alex　if　you　need　me…if　old　Cactus　needs　me。〃　The　doctor　left；　rushing　out　the　door。
　Bourne　turned　and　glanced　around　the　room。　Since　Flannagan　and　Rachel　Swayne　had　left　nearly　three　hours　ago；　he　had　searched　every　foot　of　the　general's　study；　as　well　as　the　dead　soldier's　separate　bedroom　on　the　second　floor。　He　had　placed　the　items　he　intended　to　take　on　the　brass　coffee　table；　he　studied　them　now。　There　were　three　brown　leather…bound　covers；　each　equal　in　size；　each　holding　inserted　spiral…bound　pages；　they　were　a　desk　set。　The　first　was　an　appointments　calendar；　the　second；　a　personal　telephone　book　in　which　the　names　and　numbers　were　entered　in　ink；　the　last　was　an　expense　diary；　barely　touched。　Along　with　these　were　eleven　office　messages　of　the　telephone　notepad　variety；　which　Jason　found　in　Swayne's　pockets；　a　golf…club　scorecard　and　several　memoranda　written　at　the　Pentagon。　Finally；　there　was　the　general's　wallet　containing　a　profusion　of　impressive　credentials　and　very　little　money。　Bourne　would　turn　everything　over　to　Alex　and　hope　further　leads　would　be　found；　but　as　far　as　he　could　determine；　he　had　turned　up　nothing　startling；　nothing　dramatically　relevant　to　the　modern　Medusa。　And　that　bothered　him；　there　had　to　be　something。　This　was　the　old　soldier's　home；　his　sanctum　sanctorum　inside　that　home…something！　He　knew　it；　he　felt　it；　but　he　could　not　find　it。　So　he　started　again；　not　foot　by　foot　now；　instead；　inch　by　inch。
　Fourteen　minutes　later；　as　he　was　removing　and　turning　over　the　photographs　on　the　wall　behind　the　desk；　the　wall　to　the　right　of　the　cushioned　bay　window　that　overlooked　the　lawn　outside；　he　recalled　Conklin's　words　about　checking　the　windows　and　the　curtains　so　that　no　one　could　enter　or　observe　the　scene　inside。
　Christ；　it　must　be　a　mess　in　there。
　It's　not　very　pleasant。
　It　wasn't。　The　panes　of　the　central　bay　window　frame　were　splattered　with　blood　and　membrane。　And　the　。。。　the　small　brass　latch？　Not　only　was　it　free　from　its　catch；　the　window　itself　was　open…barely　open；　but　nevertheless　it　was　open。　Bourne　knelt　on　the　cushioned　seat　and　looked　closely　at　the　shiny　brass　fixture　and　the　surrounding　panes　of　glass。　There　were　smudges　among　the　rivulets　of　dried　blood　and　tissue；　coarse　pressings　on　the　stains　that　appeared　to　widen　and　thin　them　out　into　irregular　shapes。　Then　below　the　sill　he　saw　what　kept　the　window　from　closing。　The　end　of　the　left　drape　had　been　drawn　out；　a　small　piece　of　its　tasseled　fabric　wedged　beneath　the　lower　window　frame。　Jason　stepped　back　bewildered　but　not　really　surprised。　This　was　what　he　had　been　looking　for；　the　missing　piece　in　the　plex　puzzle　that　was　the　death　of　Norman　Swayne。
　Someone　had　climbed　out　that　window　after　the　shot　that　blew　the　general's　skull　apart。　Someone　who　could　not　risk　being　seen　going　through　the　front　hall　or　out；　the　front　door。　Someone　who　knew　the　house　and　the　grounds　。。。　and　the　dogs。　A　brutal　killer　from　Medusa。　Goddamn　it！
　Who？　Who　had　been　here？　Flannagan　。。。　Swayne's　wife！　They　would　know；　they　had　to　know！　Bourne　lurched　for　the　telephone　on　the　desk；　it　began　ringing　before　his　hand　touched　it。
　〃Alex？〃
　〃No；　Br'er　Rabbit；　it's　just　an　old　friend；　and　I　didn't　realize　we　were　so　free　with　names。〃
　〃We're　not；　we　shouldn't　be；〃　said　Jason　rapidly；　imposing　a　control　on　himself　he　could　barely　exercise。　〃Something　happened　a　moment　ago…I　found　something。〃
　〃Calm　down；　boy。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃
　〃I　need　you…out　here　where　I　am。　Are　you　free？〃
　〃Well；　let's　see。〃　Cactus　chuckled　as　he　spoke。　〃There　are　several　board　meetings　I　should　rightfully　attend；　and　the　White　House　wants　me　for　a　power　breakfast。　。。。　When　and　where；　Br'er　Rabbit？〃
　〃Not　alone；　old　friend。　I　want　three　or　four　others　with　you。　Is　that　possible？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　What　did　you　have　in　mind？〃
　〃That　fellow　who　drove　me　into　town　after　I　saw　you。　Are　there　any　other　like…minded　citizens　in　the　neighborhood？〃
　〃Most　are　doin'　time；　frankly；　but　I　suppose　I　could　dig　around　the　refuse　and　pull　up　a　few。　What　for？〃
　〃Guard　duty。　It's　pretty　simple　really。　You'll　be　on　the　phone　and　they'll　be　behind　locked　gates　telling　people　that　it's　private　property；　that　visitors　aren't　wele。　Especially　a　few　honkies　probably　in　limousines。〃
　〃Now；　that　might　appeal　to　the　brothers。〃
　〃Call　me　back　and　I'll　give　you　directions。〃　Bourne　disconnected　the　line　and　immediately　released　the　bar　for　a　dial　tone。　He　touched　the　numbers　for　Conklin's　phone　in　Vienna。
　〃Yes？〃　answered　Alex。
　〃The　doctor　was　right　and　I　let　our　Snake　Lady　executioner　get　away！〃
　〃Swayne's　wife；　you　mean？〃
　〃No；　but　she　and　her　fast…talking　sergeant　know　who　it　was…they　had　to　know　who　was　here！　Pick　them　up　and　hold　them。　They　lied　to　me；　so　the　deal's　off。　Whoever　staged　this　gruesome　'suicide'　had　orders　from　high　up　in　Medusa。　I　want　him。　He's　our　shortcut。〃
　〃He's　also　beyond　our　reach。〃
　〃What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Because　the　sergeant　and　his　paramour　are　beyond　our　reach。　They've　disappeared。〃
　〃That's　crazy！　If　I　know　Saint　Alex；　and　I　do；　you've　had　them　covered　since　they　left　here。〃
　〃Electronically；　not　physically。　Remember；　you　insisted　we　keep　Langley　and　Peter　Holland　away　from　Medusa。〃
　〃What　did　you　do？〃
　〃I　sent　out　a　full…toned　alert　to　the　central　reservations　puters　of　all　international　airline　carriers。　As　of　eight…twenty　this　evening　our　subjects　had　seats　on　Pan　Am's　ten　o'clock　flight　to　London…〃
　〃London？〃　broke　in　Jason。　〃They　were　heading　the　other　way；　to　the　Pacific。　To　Hawaii！〃
　〃That's　probably　where　they're　going　because　they　never　showed　up　at　Pan　Am。　Who　knows？〃
　〃Damn　it；　you　should！〃
　〃How？　Two　United　States　citizens　flying　to　Hawaii　don't　have　to　present　passports　to　enter　our　fiftieth　state。　A　driver's　license　or　a　voter's　registration　card　will　do。　You　told　me　that　they've　been　considering　this　move　for　quite　a　while。　How　difficult　would　it　be　for　a　master　sergeant　with　over　thirty　years'　service　to　get　a　couple　of　driver's　licenses　using　different　names？〃
　〃But　why？〃
　〃To　throw　off　people　looking　for　them…like　us；　or　maybe　a　few　Medusans；　very　high　up。〃
　〃Shit！〃
　〃Would　you　care　to　talk　less　in　the　vulgate；　Professor？　It　was　the　'vulgate；'　wasn't　it？〃
　〃Shut　up；　I've　got　to　think。〃
　〃Then　think　about　the　fact　that　we're　up　to　our　asses　in　the　Arctic　without　a　heater。　It's　time　for　Peter　Holland。　We　need　him。　We　need　Langley。〃
　〃No；　not　yet！　You're　forgetting　something。　Holland　took　an　oath；　and　everything　we　know　about　him　says　he　took　it　seriously。　He　may　bend　a　rule　now　and　then；　but　if　he's　faced　with　a　Medusa；　with　hundreds　of　millions　out　of　Geneva　buying　up　whatever　they're　buying　up　in　Europe；　he　may　say；　'Halt；　that's　enough！'　〃
　〃That's　a　risk　we　have　to　take。　We　need　him；　David。〃
　〃Not　David；　goddamn　you！　I'm　Bourne；　Jason　Bourne；　your　creation；　and　I'm　owed！　My　family　is　owed！　I　won't　have　it　any　other　way！〃
　〃And　you'll　kill　me　if　I　go　against　you。〃
　Silence。　Neither　spoke　until　Delta　One　of　Saigon's　Medusa　broke　the　pause。　〃Yes；　Alex；　I'll　kill　you。　Not　because　you　tried　to　kill　me　in　Paris；　but　for　the　same　blind　assumptions　you　made　back　then　that　led　to　your　decision　to　e　after　me。　Can　you　und