rl.thebourneultimatum-第6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!
Rome; Madrid … especially Paris。 Someone's got to know something。 Where is Carlos now? Who are his points over here? He's got eyes here in Washington; and whoever they are; they found Panov and me!〃 The former field officer again absently gripped his cane; staring at the window。 〃Don't you see?〃 he added quietly; as if talking to himself。 〃We can't let it happen。 Oh; my God; we can't let it happen!〃
Once more the emotional moment passed in silence as the men of the Central Intelligence Agency exchanged glances。 It was as though a consensus had been reached among them without a word being said; three pairs of eyes fell on Casset。 He nodded; accepting his selection as the one closest to Conklin; and spoke。
〃Alex; I agree that everything points to Carlos; but before we start spinning our wheels in Europe; we have to be sure。 We can't afford a false alarm because we'd be handing the Jackal a grail he'd have to go after; showing him how vulnerable we were where Jason Bourne is concerned。 From what you've told us; Carlos would pick up on a long…dormant operation known as Treadstone Seventy…one if only because none of our agents or subagents has been in his personal neighborhood for over a decade。〃
The retired Conklin studied Charles Casset's pensive sharp…featured face。 〃What you're saying is that if I'm wrong and it isn't the Jackal; we're ripping open a thirteen…year…old wound and presenting him with an irresistible kill。〃
〃I guess that's what I'm saying。〃
〃And I guess that's pretty good thinking; Charlie。 。。。 I'm operating on externals; aren't I? They're triggering instincts; but they're still externals。〃
〃I'd trust those instincts of yours far more than I would any polygraph…〃
〃So would I;〃 interrupted Valentino。 〃You saved our personnel in five or six sector crises when all the indicators said you were wrong。 However; Charlie's got a legitimate query。 Suppose it isn't Carlos? We not only send the wrong message to Europe; but; more important; we've wasted time。〃
〃So stay out of Europe;〃 mused Alex softly; again as if to himself。 〃At least for now。 。。。 Go after the bastards here。 Draw them out。 Pull them in and break them。 I'm the target; so let them e after me。〃
〃That would entail far looser protection than I envisage for you and Dr。 Panov; Mr。 Conklin;〃 said the director firmly。
〃Then disenvisage; sir。〃 Alex looked back and forth at Casset and Valentino; suddenly raising his voice。 〃We can do it if you two will listen to me and let me mount it!〃
〃We're in a gray area;〃 stated Casset。 〃This thing may be foreign…oriented; but it's domestic turf。 The Bureau should be brought in…〃
〃No way;〃 exclaimed Conklin。 〃Nobody's brought in outside of this room!〃
〃e on; Alex;〃 said Valentino kindly; slowly shaking his head。 〃You're retired。 You can't give orders here。〃
〃Good; fine!〃 shouted Conklin; awkwardly getting out of the chair and supporting himself on his cane。 〃Next stop the White House; to a certain chairman of the NSA named McAllister!〃
〃Sit down;〃 said the DCI firmly。
〃I'm retired! You can't give orders to me。〃
〃I wouldn't dream of it; I'm simply concerned for your life。 As I read the scenario; what you're suggesting is based on the questionable supposition that whoever fired at you last night in tended to miss; not caring whom he hit; only determined to take you alive during the subsequent chaos。〃
〃That's a couple of leaps…〃
〃Based on a couple of dozen operations I've been involved with both here and at the Department of the Navy and in places you couldn't pronounce or know anything about。〃 The director's elbows were planted on the arms of his chair; his voice suddenly harsh; manding。 〃For your information; Conklin; I didn't suddenly bloom as a gold…braided admiral running naval intelligence。 I was in the SEALs for a few years and made runs off submarines into Kaesong and later into Haiphong harbor。 I knew a number of those Medusa pricks; and I can't think of one that I didn't want to put a bullet in his head! Now you tell me there was one; and he became your Jason Bourne' and you'll break your balls or bust open your heart to see that he stays alive and well and out of the Jackal's gun sights。 。。。 So let's cut the crap; Alex。 Do you want to work with me or not?〃
Conklin slowly sank back in his chair; a smile gradually emerging on his lips。 〃I told you I had no sweat with your appointment; sir。 It was just intuition; but now I know why。 You were a field man。 。。。 I'll work with you。〃
〃Good; fine;〃 said the director。 〃We'll work up a controlled surveillance and hope to Christ your theory that they want you alive is correct because there's no way we can cover every window or every rooftop。 You'd better understand the risk。〃
〃I do。 And since two chunks of bait are better than one in a tank of piranhas; I want to talk to Mo Panov。〃
〃You can't ask him to be a part of this;〃 countered Casset。 〃He's not one of us; Alex。 Why should he?〃
〃Because he is one of us and I'd better ask him。 If I didn't; he'd give me a flu shot filled with strychnine。 You see; he was in Hong Kong; too…for reasons not much different from mine。 Years ago I tried to kill my closest friend in Paris because I'd made a terrible mistake believing my friend had turned when the truth was that he had lost his memory。 Only days later; Morris Panov; one of the leading psychiatrists in the country; a doctor who can't stand the chicken…shit psychobabble so popular these days; was presented with a 'hypothetical' psychiatric profile that required his immediate reaction。 It described a rogue deep…cover agent; a walking time bomb with a thousand secrets in his head; who had gone over the edge。 。。。 On the basis of Mo's on…the…spot evaluation of that hypothetical profile…which he hours later suspected was no more hypothetical than Campbell's soup…an innocent amnesiac was nearly blown away in a government ambush on New York's Seventy…first Street。 When what was left of that man survived; Panov demanded to be assigned as his only head doctor。 He's never forgiven himself。 If any of you were he; what would you do if I didn't talk to you about what we're talking about right now?〃
〃Tell you it's a flu shot and pump you full of strychnine; old boy;〃 concluded DeSole; nodding。
〃Where is Panov now?〃 asked Casset。
〃At the Brookshire Hotel in Baltimore under the name of Morris; Phillip Morris。 He called off his appointments today…he has the flu。〃
〃Then let's go to work;〃 said the DCI; pulling a yellow legal pad in front of him。 〃Incidentally; Alex; a petent field man doesn't concern himself with rank and won't trust a man who can't convincingly call him by his first name。 As you well know; my name is Holland and my first name is Peter。 From here on we're Alex and Peter; got it?〃
〃I've got it…Peter。 You must have been one son of a bitch in the SEALs。〃
〃Insofar as I'm here…geographically; not in this chair…it can be assumed I was petent。〃
〃A field man;〃 mumbled Conklin in approval。
〃Also; since we've dropped the diplomatic drivel expected of someone in this job; you should understand that I was a hardnosed son of a bitch。 I want pro input here; Alex; not emotional output。 Is that clear?〃
〃I don't operate any other way; Peter。 A mitment may be based on emotions and there's nothing wrong with that; but the execution of a strategy is ice…cold。 。。。 I was never in the SEALs; you hard…nosed son of a bitch; but I'm also geographically here; limp and all; and that presumes I'm also petent。〃
Holland grinned; it was a smile of youth belied by streaked gray hair; the grin of a professional momentarily freed of executive concerns so as to return to the world he knew best。 〃We may even get along;〃 said the DCI。 And then; as if to drop the last vestige of his directorial image; he placed his pipe on the table; reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes; popped one up to his mouth and snapped his lighter as he began to write on the legal pad。 〃To hell with the Bureau;〃 he continued。 〃We'll use only our men and we'll check every one out under a fast microscope。〃
Charles Casset; the lean; bright heir apparent of the CIA's directorship; sat back in his chair and sighed。 〃Why do I have the idea that I'm going to have to ride herd on both you gentlemen?〃
〃Because you're an analyst at heart; Charlie;〃 answered Holland。
The object of controlled surveillance is to expose those who shadow others so as to establish their identities or take them into custody; whichever suits the strategy。 The aim in the present case was to trap the agents of the Jackal who had lured Conklin and Panov to the amusement park in Baltimore。 Working through the night and most of the following day; the men of the Central Intelligence Agency formed a detail of eight experienced field personnel; defined and redefined the specific routes that Conklin and Panov were to take both individually and together for the next twenty…four hours…these routes covered by the armed professionals in swift progressive relays…and finally to design an irresistible rendezvous; unique in terms of time and location。 The early morning hours at the Smithsonian Institution。 It was the Dionaea muscipula; the Venus flytrap。
Conklin stood in the narrow; dimly lit lobb