rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第20节

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　〃I　will　execute　your　directive　as　ordered；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃And　I　will　expect　to　hear　from　you　when　the　cordon　is　in　place；　Colonel。〃
　
　While　Kravchenko　and　Potrenko　were　finishing　their　call；　Lieutenant　Grigori　Yardeni　of　the　Bioaparat　Security　Detail　（BSD）　was　in　his　office　in　Building　103。　He　was　watching　the　bank　of　closed…circuit　television　monitors　when　the　cell　phone　in　his　pocket　went　off。
　The　voice　was　garbled　by　a　synthesizer　and　sounded　like　a　strangled　whisper。　〃Do　it　now。　And　prepare　to　use　the　Option　Two。　Do　you　understand？〃
　Yardeni　managed　to　get　the　words　out；　barely：　〃Option　Two。〃
　He　sat　there　for　a　moment；　frozen　by　the　implications　of　what　he'd　just　heard。　So　many　nights　he　had　imagined　receiving　the　call　that　now；　having　e；　it　seemed　unreal。
　You've　been　waiting　your　whole　life　for　this　chance。　Get　on　with　it！
　There　were　sixty　cameras　situated　throughout　Zones　One　and　Two；　all　of　them　hooked　up　to　video　players。　The　machines　themselves　were　in　a　fireproof　cabinet　equipped　with　a　time　lock　that　could　be　opened　only　at　the　end　of　a　shift；　and　only　by　Yardeni's　superiors。　In　addition；　the　video　players　were　absolutely　tamperproof。　Yardeni　had　long　ago　realized　that　he　had　no　options　as　to　how　to　carry　out　the　theft。
　The　lieutenant　was　a　strapping　young　man；　well　over　six　feet；　with　curly　blond　hair　and　chiseled　features。　He　was　a　favorite　at　the　Little　Boy　Blue　cabaret；　a　male　strip　club　in　Vladimir。　Every　Tuesday　and　Thursday；　Yardeni　and　a　few　other　BSD　officers　rubbed　baby　oil　over　their　bulked…up　frames　and　gyrated　in　front　of　screaming　women。　They　made　more　money　in　those　few　hours　than　in　a　month　working　for　the　state。
　But　Yardem　had　always　had　bigger　ambitions。　A　fanatical　devotee　of　action　films；　his　favorite　star　was　Arnold　Schwarzenegger；　except　that　he　was　getting　a　little　too　old。　Yardeni　thought　there　was　no　reason　why　someone　with　his　looks　and　physique　couldn't　replace　Arnold。　He'd　heard　that　Hollywood　was　a　mecca　for　tough；　goodlooking　hustlers　with　attitude。
　For　the　past　three　years；　Yardeni　had　been　scheming　to　get　to　the　West。　A　problem　he　had　in　mon　with　thousands　of　other　Russians　was　money：　not　only　for　the　prohibitive　exit　taxes　and　air　tickets；　but　enough　to　live　on　afterward。　Yardeni　had　seen　pictures　of　Bel　Air；　he　had　no　intention　of　arriving　in　Los　Angeles　penniless；　forced　to　live　in　the　Russian…immigrant　ghetto。
　The　lieutenant　checked　the　clock　above　his　desk　and　rose；　his　military…style　tunic　straining　across　his　chest。　It　was　after　one　o'clock；　that　time　of　night　when　the　body　is　in　its　deepest　slumber；　when　it　is　most　vulnerable　to　death。　Except　for　the　human　and　animal　patrols　outside　and　the　security　inside；　Bioaparat；　too；　slept。
　Yardeni　reviewed　the　procedures　he　already　knew　by　heart；　then　steadied　himself　and　opened　the　door。　As　he　made　his　way　through　Zone　One；　he　thought　about　the　man　who'd　approached　him　almost　a　year　ago。　Contact　had　been　made　at　the　Little　Boy　Blue；　and　at　first　he　had　thought　that　the　man；　one　of　the　very　few　in　the　audience；　was　a　homosexual。　That　impression　lasted　only　until　the　man　revealed　just　how　much　he　knew　about　Yardeni's　life。　He　described　his　parents　and　sister；　detailed　his　high　school　and　army　careers；　how　Yardeni　had　been　his　division's　boxing　champion　only　to　be　cashiered　when　in　a　fit　of　rage；　he　had　almost　killed　a　fellow　soldier　with　his　bare　fists。　The　man　had　mented　that　for　all　intents　and　purposes；　Yardeni's　career　would　flatline　here　in　Bioaparat；　where　he　would　sit　daydreaming　about　what　might　have　been　while　baby…sitting　those　who　actually　got　to　go　to　the　shining　cities。
　Of　course；　one　could　always　change　one's　destiny。。。。
　Trying　not　to　think　about　the　cameras；　Yardem　proceeded　to　Zone　Two　through　a　corridor　that　was　referred　to　as　a　〃sanitary　passageway。〃　It　was　really　a　progression　of　small；　sterile　rooms　linked　by　connecting　doors　equipped　with　coded　locks。　The　locks　did　not　hinder　Yardeni；　he　had　a　key　card　and　the　master　codes。
　Entering　the　first　cubicle；　a　changing　room；　he　stripped　and　hit　the　red　button　on　the　wall。　A　fine　decontamination　mist　enveloped　him。
　The　next　three　cubicles　held　separate　items　of　the　antiplague　suit：　blue　socks　and　long　underwear；　a　hood　and　cotton　smock；　the　respirator；　goggles；　booties；　and　safety　glasses。　Before　leaving　the　last　changing　room；　Yardeni　reached　for　something　that　he　had　put　in　a　locker　at　the　beginning　of　his　shift：　a　brushed　aluminum　Thermos…type　container；　the　size　of　a　flask。
　He　lifted　the　container　in　his　gloved　hand。　It　was　a　marvel　of　engineering。　From　the　outside；　it　appeared　to　be　nothing　more　than　an　expensive　Western　toy；　functional　but　overly　extravagant。　Even　if　one　unscrewed　the　top　and　looked　inside；　nothing　would　seem　amiss。　Only　when　the　base　was　twisted　counterclockwise　would　the　container　reveal　its　secret。
　Carefully；　Yardeni　inched　the　base　around　until　he　heard　the　click。　Inside　the　double　walls；　tiny　canisters　released　their　contents　of　nitrogen。　Immediately；　the　container　became　cold　to　the　touch；　like　a　glass　filled　with　shaved　ice。
　Slipping　it　into　the　pocket　of　his　antiplague　suit；　Yardeni　opened　the　door　to　the　Zone　Two　lab。　Inside；　he　made　his　way　past　stainless…steel　worktables　to　what　the　researchers　jokingly　referred　to　as　the　Coke　machine。　It　was　actually　a　walk…in　refrigerator　with　a　door　of　specially　constructed；　hermetically　sealed　Plexiglas。　It　always　reminded　Yardeni　of　the　bulletproof　barriers　at　the　cashiers'　booths　in　the　American　Express　office。
　He　slipped　the　coded　key　card　into　the　slot；　punched　in　the　bination；　and　listened　to　the　long；　slow　hiss　as　the　door　swung　back。　Three　seconds　later；　it　closed　behind　him。
　Pulling　open　one　of　the　drawers；　Yardeni　gazed　down　at　row　after　row　of　vials　made　of　tempered　glass。　Working　quickly；　he　unscrewed　the　container　at　its　midsection　and　placed　the　top　half　to　one　side。　Set　in　the　base　were　six　slots；　much　like　the　chambers　of　a　revolver。　He　placed　one　ampoule　into　each　of　the　slots；　then　replaced　the　top　section；　making　sure　that　it　was　tightly　in　place。
　Using　his　key　card；　he　exited　the　Coke　machine　and　made　his　way　out　of　the　lab。　The　procedure　in　the　changing　rooms　was　reversed　as　he　deposited　parts　of　the　suit　into　burn　bags。　After　a　second　decontamination　mist；　he　was　ready　to　get　dressed；　except　that　this　time　he　changed　into　casual　clothes…　jeans；　sweatshirt；　and　a　baggy　parka。
　A　few　minutes　later；　Yardeni　was　outside；　breathing　deeply　in　the　night　air。　A　cigarette　steadied　him。　Option　Two；　the　voice　had　said。　That　meant　something　had　gone　wrong。　Instead　of　Yardeni　choosing　his　moment　to　purloin　the　variola；　he　had　had　to　take　it　now。　And　quickly；　too；　because　for　some　reason　Moscow　had　bee　suspicious。
　Yardeni　knew　all　about　the　Special　Forces　mand　outside　Vladimir。　He'd　befriended　some　of　the　trainees　in　town　bars；　they　were　tough　and　capable；　not　the　kind　of　men　that　even　he　would　ever　want　to　tangle　with。　But　the　rounds　of　vodka　had　bought　him　valuable　information。　He　knew　exactly　what　kind　of　exercises　the　Special　Forces　went　through　and　how　long　it　took　to　execute　them。
　Yardeni　crushed　his　cigarette　under　his　boot　and　began　walking　away　from　Building　103；　headed　for　one　of　the　guard　posts　on　the　perimeter。　Tonight；　as　every　night　for　the　past　month；　rades　from　his　old　army　unit　would　staff　it。　Yardeni　would　tell　them　he　was　going　off…shift；　they　would　joke　that　he　could　still　do　the　last　show　at　the　Little　Boy　Blue。　And　if　someone　bothered　to　check　the　puterized　roster；　let　him。
　
　For　the　past　fifty　minutes；　Kravchenko　had　been　working　swiftly　and　silently。　No　lights　had　gone　on　in　the　training　ground；　no　alarms　had　sounded。　His　soldiers　were　rousted　and　assembled　under　the　cover　of　darkness。　As　soon　as　the　troops　had　been　mustered；　the　first　armored　personnel　carriers　rumbled　through　the　gates。　Kravchenko　couldn't　do　anything　about　the　engine　noise　and　didn't　pay　it　any　mind。　Both　the　citizens　of　Vladimir　and　the　Bioaparat　employees　who　worked　the　evening　shifts　were　used　to　nighttime　military　exercises。
　Riding　in　the　mand　APC；　Kravchenko　guided　his　column　down　the　two…lane　highway　that　led　out　of　his　pound。　His　orders　had　been　clear；　if　a　traitor　was　on…site；　he　would　be　surrounded。　The　one　thing　Kravchenko；　an　eminently　practical　man；　could　guarantee　was　that　no　one　could　break　the　quarantine。
　
　
　〃Grigori？〃
　〃It's　me；　Oleg。〃　Yardeni　strolled　up　to　the　brick　post。　Standing　outside　finishing　a　cigarette　was　a　fellow　BSD　guard。
　〃Is　your　shift　over？〃
　Yardeni　feigned　boredom。　〃Yeah。　Arkadi　clocked　in　early。　He　owes　me　time　from　last　month。　Now　I　can　go　home　and　get　some　sleep。〃
　Arkadi　was　Yardeni's　relief；　who　at　this　time　was；　Yardeni　assumed；　asleep　next　to　his　fat　wife；　not　due　to　e　in　for　another　four　hours。　But　Yardeni　had　coaxed　the　puter　to　tell　a　different　story。
　〃One　moment；　please。〃
　Yardeni　turned　in　the　direction　of　the　voice　ing　through　the　open　window　of　the　post。　Inside　was　a　guard　he　had　never　seen　before。　He　glanced　at　his　friend。
　〃You　didn't　tell　me　that　Alex　was　out　tonight。〃
　〃The　flu。　This　is　Marko。　He　usually　works　days。〃
　〃Fine。　But　would　you　tell　him　to　l