bl.necroscope2-第90节

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I　can　explain　how　to　use　them。
　Harry　nodded；　seated　himself　on　the　stump　of　a　crumbling　wall　at　the　edge　of　the　gorge；　allowed　himself　a　grim；　humourless　smile。　〃Keep　talking；　Mikhail；〃　he　said。
　〃I'm　all　ears　。　。
　
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　Something　brought　Ivan　Gerenko　awake。　He　couldn't　have　said　what　it　was；　just　the　feeling　that　something　wasn't　right。　He　dressed　as　quickly　as　possible；　got　the　night　Duty　Officer　on　the　inter　and　asked　if　anything　was　wrong。　Apparently　nothing　was。　And　Theo　Dolgikh　was　due　back　any　time　now。
　As　Gerenko　switched　off　the　inter；　he　glanced　out　of　his　great；　curving；　bulletproof　window。　And　then　he　held　his　breath。　Down　there　in　the　night；　silvered　by　moonlight；　a　figure　moved　furtively　away　from　the　Chateau's　main　building。　A　female　figure。　She　was　wearing　a　coat　over　her　uniform；　but　Gerenko　knew　who　it　was。　Zek　F？ener。
　She　was　using　the　narrow　vehicular　access　road；　she　had　to；　for　the　fields　all　around　were　mined　and　set　with　trip…wires。　She　tried　to　walk　light　and　easy；　casual；　but　there　was　that　in　her　movements　which　spoke　of　stealth。　She　must　have　booked　out；　presumably　on　the　pretext　of　being　unable　to　sleep。　Or　maybe　she　really　couldn't　sleep；　was　simply　out　for　a　walk　and　a　little　night　air。　Gerenko　snorted。　Oh；　indeed？　A　long　walk；　presumably…probably　right　to　Leonid　Brezhnev　himself；　in　Moscow！
　He　hurried　down　the　winding　stone　stairs；　took　the　key　to　his　duty　vehicle　from　the　watchkeeper　at　the　door；　and　set　off　in　pursuit。　Overhead；　to　the　west；　the　lights　of　a　helicopter　signalled　its　approach：　Theo　Dolgikh；　hopefully　with　a　good　excuse　for　the　mess　he'd　earlier　hinted　at　on　the　phone！
　Two…thirds　of　the　way　to　the　massive　perimeter　wall　that　surrounded　the　entire　grounds；　Gerenko　caught　up　with　the　girl；　pulled　up　alongside　and　slowed　to　a　halt。　She　smiled；　shielded　her　eyes　from　the　dazzle　of　the　headlights…then　saw　who　was　hunched　behind　the　wheel。　Her　smile　died　on　her　face。
　Gerenko　slid　open　his　window。　〃Going　somewhere；　Fraulein　F？ener；　my　dear？〃　he　said。　。
　
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　Ten　minutes　earlier　Harry　had　stepped　out　of　the　M？bius　continuum　into　one　of　the　Chateau's　pillbox　gun　emplacements。　He'd　been　there　before　and　knew　the　exact　locations　of　all　six；　and　guessed　that　they'd　only　be　manned　in　the　event　of　an　alert。　Since　that　might　well　be　the　current　state　of　readiness　if　Kyle's　absence　had　been　discovered；　he　carried　a　loaded　automatic　pistol　in　the　pocket　of　an　overcoat　he'd　stolen　from　a　peg　in　the　ordnance　dump　in　Kolomyya。
　Across　his　shoulders　he　bore　the　weight　of　a　bulky　sausage…shaped　bag　that　weighed　all　of　one　hundred　pounds。　Putting　it　down；　he　unzipped　it　and　took　out　the　first　of　a　dozen　gauze…wrapped　cheeses：　that　was　how　he　thought　of　the　stuff；　like　soft　grey　cheese；　except　it　smelled　a　lot　worse。　He　moulded　the　ultra…high…explosive　plastic　over　a　sealed　ammunition　box；　stuck　in　a　timer…detonator　and　set　the　explosion　for　ten　minutes'time。　This　had　taken　him　maybe　thirty　seconds；　he　couldn't　be　sure　for　he　had　no　watch。　Then　he　moved　on　to　the　next　pillbox；　where　this　time　he　set　the　detonation　for　nine　minutes；　and　so　on。
　Less　than　five　minutes　later　he　began　to　repeat　the　process　inside　the　Chateau　itself。　First　he　went　to　the　mind…lab；　where　he　materialised　beside　the　operating　table。　It　seemed　strange　that　he　（yes；　he；　now）　had　been　lying　on　that　table　something　less　than　three…quarters　of　an　hour　ago！　Sweating；　he　stuffed　UHEP　into　the　gap　between　two　of　the　filthy　machines　they'd　used　to　drain　Kyle's　mind；　set　the　detonator；　picked　up　his　much　lighter　bag　and　stepped　through　a　M？bius　door。
　Emerging　into　a　corridor　in　the　acmodation　area；　he　met　face　to　face　with　a　security　guard　doing　his　rounds！　The　man　looked　tired；　shoulders　drooping　where　he　ambled　down　the　corridor　for　the　fifth　time　that　night。　Then　he　looked　up　and　saw　Harry；　and　his　hand　went　straight　for　the　gun　at　his　hip。
　
　Harry　didn't　know　how　his　new　body　would　react　to　physical　violence；　this　was　when　he'd　find　out。　He'd　learned　his　stuff　long　ago　from　〃one　of　the　first　friends　he'd　ever　made　among　the　dead：　〃Sergeant〃　Graham　Lane；　an　ex…Army　PT　instructor　at　his　old　school；　who'd　died　in　a　climbing　accident　on　the　beach　cliffs。　〃Sergeant〃　had　taught　him　a　lot　and　Harry　hadn't　forgotten　it。
　His　hand　shot　out　and　trapped　the　guard's　hand　where　it　snatched　at　the　pistol；　jamming　it　back　down　into　its　holster。　At　the　same　time　he　drove　his　knee　into　the　man's　groin　and　butted　him　in　the　face。　The　guard　made　some　noise　but　not　much。　And　then　he　was　out　like　a　light。
　Harry　set　another　charge　right　there　in　the　corridor；　but　now　he　noticed　just　how　badly　his　hands　were　shaking；　how　profusely　he　was　sweating。　He　wondered　how　much　time　he　had　left；　considered　the　possibility　of　getting　caught　in　his　own　fireworks。
　He　made　one　more　jump…straight　into　the　Chateau's　central　Duty　Room…and　in　the　instant　of　emerging　caught　the　Duty　Officer　a　blow　that　knocked　him　clean　out　of　his　swivel　chair。　The　man　hadn't　even　had　time　to　look　up。　Moulding　the　rest　of　his　UHEP　onto　the　top　of　the　desk　between　the　radio　and　a　switchboard；　Harry　fixed　a　final　detonator　and　straightened　up…and　looked　straight　down　the　barrel　of　a　Kalashnikov　rifle！
　On　the　other　side　of　the　raised　counter；　unnoticed；　a　young　security　guard　had　been　dozing　in　a　chair。　This　was　obvious　from　his　gaping　mouth　and　dazed　expression。　The　sound　of　the　Duty　Officer　hitting　the　floor　must　have　roused　him。　Harry　didn't　know　how　awake　he　was；　how　much　he'd　seen　or　understood；　but　he　did　know　he　was　in　big　trouble。　He'd　only　set　one　minute　on　the　last〃　detonator！
　As　the　guard　gabbled　a　startled　question　in　gasping　Russian；　Harry　shrugged　and　made　a　sour　face；　pointed　at　a　spot　just　behind　the　other。　It　was　an　old　ploy；　he　knew；　but　the　old　ones　are　often　the　best。　And　sure　enough　it　worked。　The　guard　jerked　his　head　that　way；　turned　the　ugly　snout　of　his　weapon；　too　…And　when　he　turned　back　Harry　was　no　longer　there。
　Which　was　just　as　well；　for　his　ten　minutes　were　up。
　
　The　pillboxes　went　up　like　Chinese　firecrackers；　blowing　their　concrete　lids　off　and　bursting　their　walls。　The　first　explosion…the　intense　flash　if　not　the　blast　itself；　which　was　minimal　at　this　distance…caused　Zek　F？ener　to　stagger　and　cower　back　where　she　was　about　to　climb　up　into　Gerenko's　jeep。　Then　the　crack　and　rumbling　roar　sounded；　and　the　earth　gave　the　first　and　least　of　many　shudders。　Anti…personnel　land　mines；　fatally　disturbed　in　the　fields　around；　began　to　go　off；　spouting　fountains　of　dirt　and　turf。　It　was　like　a　bombing　raid。
　〃What？〃　Gerenko　turned　in　his　seat　and　looked　back；　couldn't　believe　what　he　was　seeing。　〃The　pillboxes？〃　He　shielded　his　eyes　against　the　blaze　of　light。
　〃Harry　Keogh！〃　Zek　breathed；　but　to　herself。
　Then　the　main　building　went；　its　lower　walls　of　massive　stone　seemed　to　inhale　and　go　on　inhaling。　They　bowed　outwards；　and　finally　blew　apart　in　white　light　and　golden　fire！　This　time　Zek　did　feel　the　blast：　it　tossed　her　down　on　the　road　and　stung　her　hands　where　she　held　them　up　before　her　face。
　The　Chateau　Bronnitsy　was　slowly　settling　down　into　itself。　A　sandcastle　caught　in　the　first　wave　of　a　swelling　tide；　it　crumbled　like　so　much　chalk。　Volcanic　fires　burned　in　its　guts；　and　spewed　out　through　its　cratered　walls；　and　as　the　upper　storeys　and　towers　fell　inwards；　so　there　came　secondary　blasts　to　throw　them　up　again。　Already　the　Chateau　was　a　total　ruin；　but　then　the　big　one　in　the　Duty　Room　added　its　voice　to　the　cacophony　of　destruction。
　
　By　this　time　Zek　had　managed　to　climb　into　the　jeep　beside　Gerenko。　They　felt　a　huge　fist　batter　at　the　rear　of　the　vehicle；　shove　it　forward；　felt　their　ears　savaged　by　the　massive　detonation；　shuttered　their　eyes　against　a　sudden　incendiary　glare。　A　brilliant　fireball　like　the　breath　of　hell　turned　everything　to　a　negative　photograph；　blotted　out　the　entire　scene　and　made　night　into　blinding　day；　then　slowly　faded　and　revealed　the　truth…that　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy　was　no　more。　Bits　of　it；　from　pebbles　to　huge　blocks　of　concrete；　still　rained　to　earth。　Black　smoke　curled　up　across　the　moon；　white　and　yellow　fire　seethed　and　roiled　in　the　gutted　ruins；　a　mere　handful　of　figures　stumbled　about　like　crippled　flies；　trying　to　make　their　way　outwards　from　the　centre　of　the　inferno。
　Gerenko；　stunned；　had　stalled　the　jeep　and　it　wouldn't　start　again。　Now　he　got　out；　ordered　Zek　out；　too。　The　helicopter　had　veered　sharply　away　as　the　first　explosion　occurred；　it　circled；　came　down　and　landed　with　a　bump　on　the　road　near　the　perimeter　wall。　Theo　Dolgikh　spoke　briefly　to　the　pilot；　climbed　out　and　advanced　at　a　run。　Zek　F？ener　and　Gerenko　made　their　way　staggeringly　towards　him。
　〃For　Alec；〃　said　Harry　Keogh　softly　to　himself。
　He　stood　in　the　shadows　at　the　foot　of　the　perimeter　wall　and　watched　the　three　people　moving　towards　the　helicopter。　He　took　note　of　the　two　men…one　the　mere　husk　of　a　man　and　the　other　a　hulking　brute…and　the　way　they　manhandled　the　girl　into　the　chopper。　Then　the　machine　lifted　off　and　Harry　was　alone　with　the　night　and　his　hideous　handiwork。　But　like　an　after…image；　a　mental　picture　of　those　two　men　kept　superimpos