rl.thebourneidentity-第114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！


　'Carlos。。。'　Bourne　knew　he　could　not　be　heard；　what　emerged　from　his　bleeding　throat　was　a　whisper。　He　tried　again；　forcing　the　sound　from　his　stomach。　'It's　him。　It's。。。　Carlos！'
　There　was　confusion；　mands　shouted　futilely；　orders　swallowed　in　consternation。　And　then　a　figure　came　into　focus。　A　man　was　limping　towards　him；　a　cripple　who　had　tried　to　kill　him　in　a　cemetery　outside　Paris。　There　was　nothing　left！　Jason　lurched；　crawling　towards　the　sizzling；　blinding　flare。　He　grabbed　it　and　held　it　as　though　it　were　a　weapon；　aiming　it　at　the　killer　with　a　cane。
　'e　on！　e　on！　Closer；　you　bastard＇　I'll　burn　your　eyes　out！　You　think　you'll　kill　me；　you　won't！　I'll　kill　you！　I'll　burn　your　eyes！'
　'You　don't　understand；'　said　the　trembling　voice　of　the　limping　killer。　'It's　me；　Delta。　It's　Conklin。　I　was　wrong。'
　The　flare　singed　his　hands；　his　eyes！。。。　Madness。　The　explosions　were　all　around　him　now；　blinding；　deafening；　punctuated　by　ear…splitting　screeches　from　the　jungle　that　erupted　with　each　detonation。
　The　jungle！　Tarn　Quan！　The　wet；　hot　stench　was　everywhere；　but　they　had　reached　it！　The　base　camp　was　theirs！
　An　explosion　to　his　left；　he　could　see　it！　High　above　the　ground；　suspended　between　two　trees；　the　spikes　of　a　bamboo　cage。　The　figure　inside　was　moving。　He　was　alive！　Get　to　him；　reach　him！
　A　cry　came　from　his　right。　Breathing；　coughing　in　the　smoke；　a　man　was　limping　towards　the　dense　underbrush；　a　rifle　in　his　hand。　It　was　him；　the　blond　hair　caught　in　the　light；　a　foot　broken　from　a　parachute　jump。　The　bastard！　A　piece　of　filth　who　had　trained　with　them；　studied　the　maps　with　them；　flown　north　with　them。。。　all　the　time　springing　a　trap　on　them！　A　traitor　with　a　radio　who　told　the　enemy　exactly　where　to　look　in　that　impenetrable　jungle　that　was　Tarn　Quan。
　It　was　Bourne！　Jason　Bourne。　Traitor；　garbage！
　Get　him！　Don't　let　him　reach　the　others！　Kill　him！　Kill　Jason　Bourne！　He　is　your　enemy！　Fire！
　He　did　not　fall！　The　head　that　had　been　blown　apart　was　still　there。　ing　towards　him！　What　was　happening？　Madness。　Tarn　Quan。。。
　'e　with　us；'　said　the　limping　figure；　walking　out　of　the　jungle　into　what　remained　of　an　elegant　room。　That　room。　'We're　not　your　enemies。　e　with　us。〃
　'Get　away　from　me！'　Bourne　lunged　again；　now　back　to　the　fallen　screen。　It　was　his　sanctuary；　his　shroud　of　death；　the　blanket　thrown　over　a　man　at　birth；　a　lining　for　his　coffin。　'You　are　my　enemy！　I'll　take　you　all！　I　don't　care；　it　doesn't　matter　I　Can't　you　understand！？　I'm　Delta！　Cain　is　for　Charlie　and　Delta　is　for　Cain！　What　more　do　you　want　from　me！　I　was　and　I　was　not！　I　am　and　I　am　not！　Bastards；　bastards！　e　on！　Closed！
　Another　voice　was　heard；　a　deeper　voice；　calmer；　less　insistent。　'Get　her。　Bring　her　in。'
　Somewhere　in　the　distance　the　sirens　reached　a　crescendo；　and　then　they　stopped。　Darkness　came　and　the　waves　carried　Jason　up　to　the　night　sky；　only　to　hurl　him　down　again；　crashing　him　into　an　abyss　of　watery　violence。　He　was　entering　an　eternity　of　weightless。。。　memory。　An　explosion　filled　the　night　sky　now；　a　fiery　diadem　rose　above　black　waters。　And　then　he　heard　the　words；　spoken　from　the　clouds；　filling　the　earth。
　'Jason；　my　love。　My　only　love。　Take　my　hand。　Hold　it。　Tightly；　Jason。　Tightly；　my　darling。'
　Peace　came　with　the　darkness。
　Epilogue
　Brigadier…General　Crawford　put　the　folder　down　on　the　couch　beside　him。　'I　don't　need　this；'　he　said　to　Marie　St　Jacques；　who　sat　opposite　him　in　a　straight…backed　chair。　'I've　gone　over　it　and　over　it；　trying　to　find　out　where　we　went　wrong。〃
　'You　presumed　where　no　one　should；'　said　the　only　other　person　in　the　hotel　suite。　He　was　Dr　Morris　Panov；　psychiatrist；　he　stood　by　the　window；　the　morning　sun　streaming　in；　putting　his　expressionless　face　in　shadow。　'I　allowed　you　to　presume；　and　I'll　live　with　it　for　the　rest　of　my　life。'
　'It's　nearly　two　weeks　now；'　said　Marie　impatiently。　'I'd　like　some　details。　I　think　I'm　entitled　to　them。'
　'You　are。　It　was　an　insanity　called　clearance。'
　'Insanity；'　agreed　Panov。
　'Protection；　also；'　added　Crawford。　'I　subscribe　to　that　part。　It　has　to　continue　for　a　very　long　time。〃
　'Protection？'　Marie　frowned。
　'We'll　get　to　it；'　said　the　general；　glancing　at　Panov。　'From　everyone's　point　of　view；　it's　vital。　I　trust　we　all　accept　that'
　〃Please！　Jason。　Who　is　he？'
　'His　name　is　David　Webb。　He　was　a　career　foreign　service　officer；　a　specialist　in　Far　Eastern　affairs；　until　his　separation　from　the　government　five　years　ago。'
　'Separation？'
　'Resignation　by　mutual　agreement　His　work　in　Medusa　precluded　any　sustained　career　in　the　State　Department　〃Delta〃　was　infamous　and　too　many　knew　he　was　Webb。　Such　men　are　rarely　wele　at　the　diplomatic　conference　tables。　I'm　not　sure　they　should　be；　visceral　wounds　are　reopened　too　easily　with　their　presence。'
　'He　was　everything　they　say？　In　Medusa？〃　'Yes。　I　was　there。　He　was　everything　they　say。'　'It's　hard　to　believe；'　said　Marie。
　'He'd　lost　something　very　special　to　him　and　couldn't　e　to　grips　with　it。　He　could　only　strike　out。'　'What　was　that？'
　'His　family。　His　wife　was　a　Thai；　they　had　two　children；　a　boy　and　a　girl。　He　was　stationed　in　Phnom…Penh；　his　house　near　the　Mekong　River。　One　Sunday　afternoon　while　his　wife　and　children　were　down　at　their　dock；　a　stray　aircraft　circled　and　dived；　dropping　two　bombs　and　strafing　the　area。　By　the　time　he　reached　the　river　the　dock　was　blown　away；　his　wife　and　children　floating　in　the　water；　their　bodies　riddled。'
　'Oh；　God；'　whispered　Marie。　'Who　did　the　plane　belong　to？'　'It　was　never　identified。　Hanoi　disclaimed　it；　Saigon　said　it　wasn't　ours。　Remember；　Cambodia　was　neutral；　no　one　wanted　to　be　responsible。　Webb　had　to　strike　out；　he　headed　for　Saigon　and　trained　for　Medusa。　He　brought　a　specialist's　intellect　to　a　very　brutal　operation。　He　became　Delta。'　'Was　that　when　he　met　d'Anjou？'
　'Later　on；　yes。　Delta　was　notorious　by　then。　North　Vietnamese　intelligence　had　put　an　extraordinary　price　on　his　head；　and　it's　no　secret　that　among　our　own　people　a　number　hoped　they'd　succeed。　Then　Hanoi　found　out　that　Webb's　younger　brother　was　an　army　officer　in　Saigon　and；　having　studied　Delta　…knowing　the　brothers　were　close　…　decided　to　mount　a　trap；　they　had　nothing　to　lose。　They　kidnapped　Lieutenant　Gordon　Webb　and　took　him　north；　sending　back　a　Cong　informant　with　word　that　he　was　being　held　in　the　Tarn　Quan　sector。　Delta　bit；　along　with　the　informer　…　a　double　agent　…　he　formed　a　team　of　Medusans　who　knew　the　area　and　picked　a　night　when　no　aircraft　should　have　left　the　ground　to　fly　north。　D'Anjou　was　in　the　unit。　So　was　another　man　Webb　didn't　know　about；　a　white　man　who'd　been　bought　by　Hanoi；　an　expert　in　munications　who　could　assemble　the　electronic　ponents　of　a　high　frequency　radio　in　the　dark。　Which　is　exactly　what　he　did；　betraying　his　unit's　position。　Webb　broke　through　the　trap　and　found　his　brother。　He　also　found　the　double　agent　and　the　white　man。　The　Vietnamese　escaped　in　the　jungle；　the　white　man　didn't。　Delta　executed　him　on　the　spot。'
　'And　that　man？〃　Marie's　eyes　were　riveted　on　Crawford。
　'Jason　Bourne。　A　Medusan　from　Sydney；　Australia；　a　runner　of　guns；　narcotics　and　slaves　throughout　all　South…east　Asia；　a　violent　man　with　a　criminal　record；　who　was　nevertheless　highly　effective　…　if　the　price　were　high　enough。　It　was　in　Medusa's　interests　to　bury　the　circumstances　of　his　death；　he　became　an　M。I。A。　from　a　specialized　unit　Years　later；　when　Treadstone　was　being　formed　and　Webb　called　back；　it　was　Webb　himself　who　took　the　name　of　Bourne。　It　fitted　the　requirements　of　authenticity；　traceability。　He　took　the　name　of　the　man　who'd　betrayed　him；　the　man　he　had　killed　in　Tarn　Quan。'
　'Where　was　he　when　he　was　called　back　for　Treadstone？'　asked　Marie。　'What　was　he　doing？'
　Teaching　in　a　small　college　in　New　Hampshire。　Living　an　isolated　life；　some　said　destructive。　For　him。'　Crawford　picked　up　the　folder。　Those　are　the　essential　facts；　Miss　St　Jacques。　Other　areas　will　be　covered　by　Dr　Panov；　who's　made　it　clear　that　my　presence　is　not　required。　There　is；　however；　one　remaining　detail　which　must　be　thoroughly　understood。　It's　a　direct　order　from　the　White　House。'
　The　protection；'　said　Marie；　her　words　a　statement
　'Yes。　Wherever　he　goes；　regardless　of　the　identity　he　assumes；　or　the　success　of　his　cover；　he'll　be　guarded　around　the　clock。　For　as　long　as　it　takes　…　even　if　it　never　happens。'
　'Please　explain　that'
　'He's　the　only　man　alive　who's　ever　seen　Carlos。　As　Carlos。　He　knows　his　identity　but　it's　locked　away　in　his　mind；　part　of　an　unremembered　past　We　understand　from　what　he　says　that　Carlos　is　someone　known　to　many　people　…　a　visible　figure　in　a　government　somewhere；　or　in　the　media；　or　international　banking　or　society。　It　fits　a　prevalent　theory。　The　point　is　that　one　day　that　identity　may　e　into　focus　for　Webb。。。　We　realize　you've　had　several　discussions　with　Dr　Panov。　I　believe　he'll　confirm　what　I've　said。'
　Marie　turned　to　the　psychiatrist　'Is　it　true；　Mo？'
　'It's　possible；'　said　Panov。
　Crawford　left　and　Marie　poured　coffee　for　the　two　of　them。　Panov　went　to　the　couch　where　the　brigadier　had　been　sitting。
　'It's　still　warm；'　he　said　smiling。　'Crawford　was