rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第19节

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　Grabbing　the　soldier　by　the　neck；　he　forced　him　halfway　over　the　concrete　ledge。
　〃Is　that　where　you　were　going　to　throw　me？〃
　The　soldier　screamed　as　Howell；　holding　him　by　his　jacket　collar；　forced　him　over　the　yawning　black　hole。　From　fifty　feet　below　rose　the　stench　of　brackish　water。
　Howell　looked　down　at　the　red　dots　that　darted　at　the　very　bottom。
　〃Rats。　There's　probably　enough　water　down　there　so　that　the　fall　won't　kill　you。　But　they　will。　Slowly。〃　He　jerked　the　man　back。
　The　soldier　licked　his　lips。　〃You　wouldn't。。。〃
　Howell　stared　at　him。　〃You're　wounded。　Your　partner　is　long　gone。　Give　me　what　I　need　and　I　promise　you　won't　suffer。　Listen。〃
　Howell　pushed　him　to　the　ground；　then　went　over　and　picked　up　the　inert　form　of　Franco　Grimaldi。　He　carried　him　to　the　well　and　without　the　slightest　hesitation　heaved　him　over　the　side。　A　second　later　there　was　a　terrific　splash　followed　by　the　high…pitched　chatter　of　rats　embracing　their　victim。
　The　soldier's　eyes　rolled　in　terror。
　〃Name？〃
　〃Nichols。　Travis　Nichols。　Master　Sergeant。　My　partner　is　Patrick　Drake。〃
　〃Special　Forces？〃
　Nichols　groaned　as　he　nodded。
　〃Who　sent　you　after　me？〃
　Nichols　stared　at　him。　〃I　can't。。。〃
　Howell　grabbed　him　and　jerked　him　close。　〃Listen　to　me。　Even　if　you　live　you'd　be　nothing　more　than　a　loose　thread　that　needs　cutting。　Especially　when　they　discover　that　I'm　not　dead。　The　only　chance　you　have　is　to　tell　me　the　truth。　Do　that　and　I'll　do　what　you　need。〃
　Nichols　slumped　against　the　concrete　ring。　His　words　stumbled　out　on　bright　red　bubbles。
　〃Drake　and　I　were　part　of　a　special　squad。　Wet　work。　munications　by　cutouts　only。　One　of　us　would　get　a　phone　call…　a　wrong　number；　only　it　wasn't。　Then　we'd　go　to　the　post　office　where　we　had　a　rented　box。　The　orders　would　be　waiting。〃
　〃Written　orders？〃　Howell　asked　dubiously。
　〃On　flash　paper。　Nothing　more　than　a　name　or　a　place。　After　that；　we'd　meet　a　contact　and　he'd　fill　us　in。〃
　〃In　this　case；　the　contact　was　Grimaldi。　What　were　your　orders？〃
　〃To　kill　you　and　get　rid　of　the　body。〃
　〃Why？〃
　Nichols　looked　up　at　Howell。　〃You　and　I　are　the　same。　You　know　nobody　gives　reasons　for　things　like　that。〃
　〃Who　is　'nobody'？〃
　〃The　orders　could　have　e　from　any　one　of　a　dozen　sources：　the　Pentagon；　army　Intel　in　Frankfurt；　the　NSA。　Take　your　pick。　But　with　wet　work；　you　know　that　the　source　had　to　be　right　up　there；　real　high。　Listen；　you　can　throw　me　to　the　rats　but　that's　not　going　to　get　you　a　name。　You　know　how　these　things　work。〃
　Howell　did。
　〃Does　the　name　Dionetti　mean　anything　to　you？〃
　Nichols　shook　his　head。　His　eyes　were　glassy。
　Howell　knew　that　no　one　except　Marco　Dionetti…　the　man　who　had　opened　his　home　and　extended　him　his　friendship…　knew　that　he　was　traveling　to　Palermo。　Dionetti。。。　with　whom　he　would　have　to　have　a　little　chat。
　〃How　were　you　to　report　that　this　mission　was　successful？〃　Howell　asked　Nichols。
　〃Drop　off　a　message　at　another　post　office　box…　no　later　than　noon　tomorrow。　Number　sixty…seven。　Someone　will　e　by。。。。　Oh；　Christ；　it　hurts！〃
　Howell　brought　his　face　very　close　to　Nichols's　lips。　He　needed　one　last　thing　from　Nichols；　and　prayed　that　the　soldier　had　enough　strength　left　to　give　it　up。　He　strained　to　hear　as　the　soldier　finally　let　slip　his　most　precious　secrets。　Then　he　heard　the　soft　gurgle　of　the　death　rattle。
　Leaving　the　lamp　where　it　was；　Howell　took　a　moment　to　pose　himself。　Finally　he　hoisted　the　corpse　and　dropped　it　over　the　side　of　the　well。　Quickly；　so　that　he　wouldn't　have　to　listen　to　the　rats；　he　pushed　the　heavy　lid　in　place　and　locked　it　down。
　
　CHAPTER　TEN
　　
　At　first　glance；　the　Bioaparat　plex　might　have　been　mistaken　for　a　small　college　campus。　The　slate…roofed；　red…brick　buildings　were　accented　with　white…trimmed　doors　and　windows；　and　were　connected　to　one　another　by　flagstone　walks。　Dew　sparkled　in　the　grass　beneath　old…fashioned　carriage　lamps。　There　were　several　quadrangles　with　stone　benches　and　precut　concrete　tables　where　employees　could　enjoy　lunch　or　a　game　of　chess。
　The　effect　was　slightly　less　bucolic　during　the　day；　when　it　was　easy　to　see　the　razor　wire　topping　the　twelve…foot…high　concrete　wall　encircling　the　pound。　Then　as　now；　guard　patrols　with　machine　guns　and　Dobermans　were　visible。　Inside　some　of　the　buildings　was　more　elaborate；　sophisticated　security。
　There　was　a　reason　why　no　expense　had　been　spared　when　it　came　to　Bioaparat's　appearance：　the　facility　was　open　to　international　bioweapons　inspectors。　The　consulting　psychologists　had　remended　that　the　facility　evoke　a　warm；　familiar　environment　that　was　nonthreatening　yet　that　manded　a　level　of　respect。　Many　designs　had　been　studied；　in　the　end；　a　campus　layout　had　been　chosen。　The　psychologists　had　argued　that　most　of　the　inspectors　were　or　once　had　been　academics。　They　would　feel　fortable　in　such　surroundings；　which　spoke　of　pure；　benevolent　research。　Having　been　put　at　ease；　the　inspectors　would　be　more　likely　to　allow　themselves　to　be　guided　along；　rather　than　play　medical　detectives。
　The　psychologists　had　been　right：　the　multinational　teams　who　had　visited　Bioaparat　were　impressed　as　much　by　the　ambience　as　by　the　state…of…the…art　facilities。　The　illusion　was　fostered　by　familiarity。　Almost　all　the　equipment　at　Bioaparat　had　e　from　the　West：　American　microscopes；　French　ovens　and　test　tubes；　German　reactors；　and　Japanese　fermenters。　The　inspectors　associated　such　tools　with　specific　research；　primarily　into　Brucella　melintensis；　a　bacterium　that　preys　on　livestock；　and　a　milk　protein　called　casein；　which　stimulates　high　growth　in　various　seeds。　Scores　of　workers　dressed　in　starched　white　lab　coats　going　about　their　business　in　pristine　laboratories　pleted　the　desired　effect。　Having　been　lulled　by　the　sense　of　order　and　efficiency；　the　inspectors　were　prepared　to　take　what　they　saw　in　Building　103　at　face　value。
　Building　103　was　a　Zone　Two　structure；　built　along　the　lines　of　a　matryoshka　doll。　If　the　roof　were　removed；　one　would　see　a　box…within…a…box　plex。　The　outermost　shell　was　reserved　for　administrative　and　security　personnel　who　were　directly　responsible　for　the　safekeeping　of　the　smallpox　samples。　The　first　of　the　two　inner　shells　was　a　〃hot〃　area　that　contained　animal　cages；　specially　designed　labs　for　work　with　pathogens；　and　giant；　sixteen…ton　fermenters。　The　second　shell；　the　actual　kernel；　held　not　only　the　vaultlike　refrigerator　where　the　smallpox　was　stored；　but　rows　of　stainless　steel　centrifuges　and　drying　and　milling　machines。　There；　experiments　designed　to　ferret　out　the　mystery　of　Variola　major　were　conducted。　The　nature　of　the　tests；　their　duration；　the　amount　of　smallpox　used；　and　the　results　all　were　tabulated　in　a　puter　that　only　the　international　inspection　teams　could　access。　Such　safeguards　had　been　designed　to　prevent　unauthorized　use　of　smallpox　in　experiments　such　as　gene　splicing　or　replication。
　The　inspection　teams　had　never　found　evidence　of　anything　other　than　approved　research　in　Building　103。　Their　reports　praised　the　Russian　scientists　for　their　attempts　to　discover　whether　or　not　smallpox　might　hide　the　key　to　diseases　that　still　plagued　mankind。　Finally；　after　reviewing　the　formidable　security　arrangements…　which　relied　almost　exclusively　on　electronic　and　video　surveillance；　and　so　kept　the　need　for　human　beings　to　a　minimum…　the　inspectors　signed　off　on　the　integrity　of　Building　103。　After　all；　not　so　much　as　a　gram　of　variola　had　ever　been　unaccounted　for。
　
　
　Russian　President　Potrenko's　call　to　the　Special　Forces　training　unit　outside　Vladimir　was　logged　in　at　1：03　A。M。　Six　minutes　later；　one　of　the　duty　officers　was　knocking　on　the　door　to　Colonel　Vassily　Kravchenko's　cottage。　At　half　past　the　hour；　Kravchenko　was　in　his　office；　listening　to　Potrenko's　detailed　orders　to　install　an　undetectable　quarantine　that　would　seal　Bioaparat　from　the　outside　world。
　A　short；　stocky　man；　Kravchenko　was　a　veteran　of　Afghanistan；　Chechnya；　and　other　places　where　his　Special　Forces　had　been　sent。　Wounded　in　action；　he'd　been　relieved　of　active　duty　and　sent　to　Vladimir　to　oversee　the　training　of　new　recruits。　After　hearing　what　Potrenko　had　to　say；　the　timing　of　the　call　gratified　him：　he　had　two　hundred　soldiers　who　had　just　pleted　their　field　exercises。　With　them；　he　could　seal　off　the　entire　town　of　Vladimir；　much　less　the　Bioaparat　plex。
　Kravchenko　answered　Potrenko's　questions　quickly　and　succinctly；　assuring　him　that　within　the　hour；　he　could　have　his　men　in　position。　No　one　inside　the　pound　or　in　the　town　would　be　any　the　wiser。
　〃Mr。　President；〃　he　said。　〃What　are　my　exact　orders　if　someone　attempts　to　exit　Bioaparat　after　the　quarantine　is　in　place？〃
　〃Give　one　warning；　Colonel。　Only　one。　If　he　resists　or　attempts　to　escape；　use　of　deadly　force　is　hereby　authorized。　I　need　not　remind　you　why。〃
　〃No；　Mr。　President。〃
　Kravchenko　was　all　too　familiar　with　the　hellish　concoctions　stored　in　the　ultrasecret　holds　of　Bioaparat。　He　had　also　witnessed　chemical　warfare　in　Afghanistan；　and　its　results　were　indelibly　printed　on　his　memory。
　〃I　will　execute　your　directive　as　ordered；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃And　I　will　expect　to　hear　from　you　w