rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第12节

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hardson's　request　that　Fort　Howard　be　mothballed　and　sold　off　to　private　enterprise。
　Richardson　had　already　had　a　buyer　waiting　in　the　wings：　the　biochemical　firm　Bauer…Zermatt　A。G。；　headquartered　in　Zurich。　After　two　hundred　thousand　shares　of　pany　stock　had　been　deposited　into　the　senator's　safe…deposit　box；　the　politician　saw　to　it　that　no　other　bids　for　the　base　were　acceptable　to　his　mittee。
　Richardson　spoke　to　the　pilot　over　the　headset：　〃Swing　over　the　pound。〃
　The　helicopter　banked；　giving　the　general　a　panoramic　view　of　the　area　below。　Even　from　this　height；　he　could　tell　that　the　perimeter　fence　was　new　and　strong…　a　ten…foot…tall　Cyclone　fence　topped　with　razor　wire。　What　looked　like　military　personnel　manned　the　four　guard　posts。　The　Humvees　parked　at　each　post　heightened　the　effect。
　The　pound　itself　was　startlingly　empty。　The　Quonset　supply　huts；　barracks；　and　warehouses　stood　baking　under　the　tropical　sun；　with　no　activity　around　them。　Only　the　old　mand　building；　repainted；　with　a　few　Jeeps　parked　nearby；　looked　as　though　it　was　being　used。　The　overall　effect　was　perfect：　a　mothballed　military　installation；　still　off…limits　to　everyone　except　a　few　locals　who　serviced　the　skeleton　staff　working　there。
　The　effect　was　extremely　deceptive。　In　truth；　what　had　once　been　Fort　Howard　now　lay　three　stories　beneath　the　earth。
　〃We're　cleared　to　land；　General；〃　the　pilot　informed　him。
　Richardson　took　a　last　glance　out　the　window　and　saw　a　toylike　figure　tracking　the　helicopter's　flight。
　〃Take　us　down；〃　he　replied。
　
　He　was　a　short；　muscular　man　in　his　early　sixties；　with　swept…back　silver　hair　and　a　carefully　trimmed　goatee。　He　stood　with　his　feet　apart；　his　back　ramrod　straight；　hands　clasped　at　the　small　of　his　back…　an　officer　of　wars　past。
　Dr。　Karl　Bauer　watched　the　helicopter　drift　down；　flutter　above　the　grassy　landing　area；　then　settle。　He　knew　that　his　visitors　would　have　hard　questions　for　him。　As　the　rotors　wound　down；　he　carefully　reviewed　just　how　much　he　would　tell　them。　Herr　Doktor　did　not　take　kindly　to　having　to　provide　explanations　or　apologies。
　For　over　a　hundred　years；　the　pany　founded　by　Bauer's　great…grandfather　had　been　at　the　forefront　of　chemical　and　biological　technology。　Bauer…Zermatt　A。G。　held　a　myriad　of　patents　that；　to　this　day；　were　a　revenue…producing　stream。　Its　scientists　and　researchers　had　developed　pills　and　potions　that　remained　household　staples；　at　the　same　time　they　had　brought　to　market　esoteric　drugs　that　had　won　the　pany　international　humanitarian　awards。
　But　for　all　the　medicines　and　vaccines　it　distributed　to　health…care　workers　in　the　Third　World；　Bauer…Zermatt　had　a　dark　side　that　its　well…paid　spinmeisters　and　glossy　brochures　never　alluded　to。　During　World　War　I；　the　pany　had　developed　a　particularly　noxious　form　of　mustard　gas　that　was　responsible　for　the　slow　deaths　of　thousands　of　Allied　soldiers。　A　quarter　century　later；　it　supplied　German　panies　with　certain　chemicals　that　were　then　bined　to　subsequently　create　the　gas　used　in　the　death　chambers　throughout　Eastern　Europe。　The　firm　had　also　closely　monitored　the　ungodly　experiments　of　Dr。　Josef　Mengele　and　other　Nazi　physicians。　At　the　end　of　the　war；　while　other　perpetrators　and　acplices　were　rounded　and　hanged；　Bauer…Zermatt　retreated　behind　the　Swiss　cloak　of　anonymity　while　quietly　extrapolating　on　Nazi　medical　research。　As　for　Bauer…Zermatt's　owners　and　principal　officers；　they　disclaimed　any　knowledge　of　what　might　have　been　done　with　the　corporation's　products　once　they'd　left　the　alpine　borders。
　In　the　second　half　of　the　twentieth　century；　Dr。　Karl　Bauer　had　not　only　kept　the　family　firm　in　the　forefront　of　legitimate　pharmaceutical　research；　but　had　also　broadened　its　secret　program　of　developing　biochemical　weapons。　Like　a　locust；　Bauer　went　where　the　fields　were　most　fertile：　Gadhafi's　Libya；　Hussein's　Iraq；　the　tribal　dictatorships　of　Africa；　and　the　nepotism…infested　regimes　of　Southeast　Asia。　He　brought　with　him　the　best　scientists　and　the　most　modern　equipment；　in　return；　he　was　showered　with　largesse　that　was　transferred　by　puter　keystroke　into　the　vaults　beneath　Zurich。
　At　the　same　time；　Bauer　maintained　and　upgraded　his　contacts　with　the　military　in　both　the　United　States　and　Russia。　A　prescient　student　of　the　global　political　condition；　he　had　foreseen　the　breakup　of　the　Soviet　Union　and　the　inevitable　decline　of　the　new　Russia　struggling　to　adopt　democracy。　Where　the　twin　streams　of　Russian　desperation　and　American　ascendancy　met；　Bauer　fished。
　Bauer　stepped　forward　to　greet　his　visitors。　〃Gentlemen。〃
　The　three　men　shook　hands；　then　fell　in　step　to　the　two…story；　Colonial…style　mand　building。　On　both　sides　of　the　gracious；　wood…paneled　lobby　were　the　offices　of　Bauer's　hand…picked　staff；　who　looked　after　the　administrative　duties　of　the　facility。　Farther　along　were　the　cubbyholes　where　the　scientists'　assistants　toiled；　inputting　data　from　the　laboratory　experiments。　At　the　very　back　were　two　elevators。　One　was　hidden　behind　a　door　that　could　be　opened　only　with　a　key　card。　Built　by　Hitachi；　it　was　a　high…speed　unit　that　linked　the　subterranean　labs　with　the　mand　building。　The　second　elevator　was　a　beautiful　brass　birdcage。　The　three　men　got　in；　and　in　a　few　seconds　were　in　Bauer's　private　office；　which　occupied　the　entire　second　floor。
　The　office　might　have　belonged　to　a　colonial　governor　from　the　nineteenth　century。　Antique　Oriental　rugs　graced　polished　hardwood　floors；　mahogany　bookcases　and　South　Pacific　art　filled　the　walls。　Bauer's　massive　partner's　desk　stood　in　front　of　floor…to…ceiling　windows　that　overlooked　the　entire　pound　and　the　ocean　below　the　cliffs；　straight　across　to　the　black　lava　fields　in　the　distance。'
　〃You've　made　a　few　improvements　since　the　last　time　I　was　here；〃　Richardson　mented　dryly。
　〃Later；　I　will　take　you　to　the　staff　and　quarters　and　recreation　area；〃　Bauer　replied。　〃Life　here　is　not　unlike　on　an　oil　rig：　my　people　have　leave　only　once　a　month；　and　then　only　for　three　days。　The　amenities　I　provide　are　well　worth　the　expenditure。〃
　〃These　furloughs；〃　Richardson　said。　〃Do　you　let　your　people　go　off　by　themselves？〃
　Bauer　laughed　softly。　〃Not　likely；　general。　We　book　them　into　an　exclusive　resort。　The　security　is　there；　but　they're　never　aware　of　it。〃
　〃From　one　gilded　cage　to　another；〃　Price　remarked。
　Bauer　shrugged。　〃I've　had　no　plaints。〃
　〃Given　what　you　pay　them；　I'm　not　surprised；〃　Price　said。
　Bauer　stepped　over　to　a　well…stocked　liquor　cart。　〃Can　I　offer　you　a　drink？〃
　Both　Richardson　and　Price　chose　the　fresh　pineapple　juice　over　ice　and　crushed　fruit。　Bauer　stayed　with　his　usual　mineral　water。
　After　the　others　were　seated；　Bauer　took　his　place　behind　his　desk。
　〃Gentlemen；　let　me　recapitulate。　The　project　that　we　have　devoted　five　years　of　our　lives　to　is　almost　ready　to　bear　fruit。　As　you　know；　during　the　Clinton　administration；　smallpox；　which　was　to　have　been　destroyed　in　1999；　had　been　granted　a　reprieve。　Currently；　there　are　two　consignments　left　in　the　world：　one　is　in　the　Center　for　municable　Diseases　in　Atlanta；　part　of　the　CDC；　the　other　is　in　central　Russia；　at　Bioaparat。　Our　entire　plan　rested　on　the　ability　to　procure　a　sample　of　the　smallpox　virus。　Efforts　to　get　such　a　sample　from　the　CDC　had　proved　futile；　the　security　was　simply　too　stringent。　However；　such　was　not　the　case　at　Bioaparat。
　〃Given　the　Russians'　dire　need　for　hard　currency；　I　was　able　to　make　certain　arrangements。　I　am　pleased　to　tell　you　that　within　days；　a　courier　carrying　a　sample　of　the　virus　will　be　leaving　Russia。〃
　〃Are　your　Russians　guaranteeing　delivery？〃　Richardson　asked。
　〃Of　course。　In　the　unlikely　event　that　the　courier　fails　to　rendezvous　with　our　people；　the　second　half　of　the　payment　will　not　be　released。〃　Bauer　paused；　polishing　his　sharp；　small　teeth　with　his　tongue。　〃There　will　also　be　other；　more　far…reaching；　consequences。　I　can　assure　you　that　the　Russians　are　very　much　aware　of　this。〃
　〃But　there's　a　problem；　isn't　there？〃　Richardson　said　bluntly。　〃Venice。〃
　Bauer　did　not　reply。　Instead；　he　slipped　a　disk　into　a　DVD　player。　The　monitor　went　from　blue　to　jagged　images；　then　to　a　startlingly　clear　picture　of　St。　Mark's　Square。
　〃This　footage　was　caught　by　an　Italian　journalist　who　was　enjoying　the　day　with　his　family；〃　Bauer　explained。
　〃Does　anyone　else　have　it？〃　Price　asked　at　once。
　〃No。　My　people　got　to　the　journalist　immediately。　Not　only　will　he　never　have　to　spend　a　cent　on　his　children's　education；　he　can　retire…　which；　in　fact；　he　has。〃
　Bauer　pointed　to　the　screen。　〃The　man　on　the　right　is　Yuri　Danko；　a　high…ranking　officer　in　the　medical　division　of　Russia's　security　service。
　〃And　that's　Jon　Smith；　on　the　left；〃　Price　added。　He　looked　at　Richardson。　〃Frank　and　I　know　Smith　from　his　involvement　in　the　Hades　Project。　Before　that；　he　was　with　USAMRIID。　Rumor　had　it　he　was　close　to　someone　in　the　Russian　Medical　Intelligence　Division。　NSA　wanted　in；　but　Smith　refused　to　share。　He　claimed　that　he　had　no　such　source。〃
　〃Now　you　see　his　source：　Danko；〃　Bauer　continued。　〃A　month　ago；　I　began　receiving　reports　that　Danko　was　sniffing　around　Bioaparat　as　part　of　his　security