el.angeleyes-第42节
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than speed now。 They could not afford to hack their way through with their machetes because the men guarding the factory would surely hear them ing。
They soon came to a huge tree。 Again there was a carving on it。 This time it was very large。 It showed a man bound upside down to what appeared to be some sort of circle。
〃The black wheel of death；〃 Estilo said。 〃Endless pain； eternal torment。〃
〃Another warning；〃 Russell said。 He took out his KA…BAR knife and； in three wide slices； gouged out the carving。 〃This time it's ours。〃
The first sign they had that they were close to their goal was a sight of an army patrol。 They were bivouacked in a small clearing in which a campesino's shack had been constructed。 There were twenty soldiers。
As the three of them crept closer to the perimeter they could see that groups of soldiers were taking turns going inside the shack。 It had been outfitted with a small generator； a TV and a VCR。 The soldiers were watching a videocassette of Apocalypse Now； absorbing several scenes at a time before emerging like blinded owls into the intense sunshine； jabbering excitedly； swaggering like Colonel Kilgore or blowing out their cheeks like Colonel Kurtz。
Russell guided the others with hand signals； and they gave the encampment a wide berth。 It appeared that Cruz was correct about the army's use here…this detachment seemed to have no orders to patrol。 They were within five thousand yards of a major cocaine factory； and they seemed happily on vacation。 Who could mand so much power？ Tori asked herself as they headed toward the factory。
They encountered animals next： chickens； pigs； goats； enough to feed several hundred people。 Then they saw the beginning of the pound。 Russell； crouched beside Tori； whispered； 〃Jesus Christ； this isn't a factory； it's a goddamned city！〃 They counted a dozen long houses…no doubt dormitories…made of corrugated tin。 Beyond； the jungle had been cleared to the south to make room for an airstrip。 A Twin Otter airplane sat on the runway； being refueled。
As they continued to move around the clearing's perimeter； they came upon shedlike warehouses storing drums of acetone； aviation fuel； red gasoline； ether： the essentials of refining coca into cocaine； and of transporting it out of the llano negro。 Farther along； three rows of massive generators hunkered in a huge shed cooled by the shade of a grove of trees。 Other buildings housed washing machines； shower facilities； mess tables to acmodate a division。 They found the lab itself； a long； low structure with a zinc roof。 They moved on until they had identified every structure in the clearing。
The entire pound was dominated by the cloyingly sweet stench of 〃cooking〃 cocaine； a bination of ether and cocahydrochloride； which created its own kind of pernicious industrial pollution over this bizarre and scarifying jungle city。
〃What the hell have we stumbled onto？〃 Estilo breathed。 〃This is more than we bargained for； Tori。 The size of this place。 。 。 You'd need a couple of army regiments to close it down。〃
〃Maybe；〃 Tori said。 〃Maybe not。〃
She led them back the way they had e。 Twice they had to stop； melt into the jungle as guards in Jeeps thundered by； semiautomatic rifles at the ready。 They were not soldiers； but they had the bearing of army…trained personnel。
Tori reentered one of the warehouses； checked the contents more carefully。 When she returned to where the others were
waiting； she said； 〃In any case； there's nothing more we can do now。 Darkness is our greatest ally out here。〃
In the belly of the black jungle； Russell took the first watch。 Tori and Estilo sat together； their backs against the bole of an enormous tree。 Birds called to each other through the maze of tree branches； and the whir of flying insects was incessant。
Tori and Estilo passed a canteen back and forth； taking only sips at a time。 They ate some concentrated food。 Estilo put his head back； closed his eyes。 〃A long long time ago； when I was a little boy；〃 he said； 〃I found a cat in the jungle。 He was sick…you could see he had no flesh over his rib cage； and one eye didn't work right。 But； my God； he was a magnificent fighter。 I sat and watched him methodically attack； kill； and eat a seven…foot adder so poisonous I wouldn't have gotten within ten paces of it。 When he was through eating； he licked his paws and； mewing； walked over to me。 I sat still。 His eyes watched mine； and I think that if I had made any move at all he would have attacked me。
〃But I didn't； and he didn't； and so we became friends。〃 Estilo shrugged。 〃For many years he was my only friend。 My family lived with other German emigres； and I hated them； with their stiff； formal ways； their arrogance of superiority。 It was funny； they assumed that their superiority stemmed from genetics； but I knew the Argentines better than they did； and I knew what deference the Germans were given was bought with their stolen Nazi blood money。〃
Estilo turned and spat into the humid black earth。 〃One day the cat was gone； just like that。 I found him that night in a back alley near my house。 His neck had been broken。 A swastika had been painted on his forehead； and then I knew who had killed him。 There was a set of twins who lived in the house next to mine。 They were bullies in school and in the neighborhood。 They always stood by one another； so no one challenged them。
〃I knew they had killed my cat； but I did nothing to let them know I knew。 I decided to study them； and after a while it became clear to me that while they always provided a united front to the kids at school； when they were alone together…or thought they were…there was an intense rivalry between them。 I was convinced that I had found their weak spot； but how to exploit it？
〃It happened that the twins were both wild over one girl。 She was a flirt； and liked both of them； or at least enjoyed the attention they gave her。 Over the course of the next several months I secretly contrived to bee her friend。 She wasn't very good in mathematics and I undertook to tutor her。
〃While I did so I drew her out so that she spoke about the twins。 When she had given me enough intimate information about them； I used her to plant stories about how each of them was secretly trying to undercut the other in school； at home； with her。 As I was certain she would； she passed on these stories。 It did not matter that they were false； I knew the truth of the twins' rivalry； so the stories were believed。
〃I set one twin against the other； until their enmity destroyed their connection； their love for one another。 I drove them apart。 In the end they became business rivals； and have spent their lives trying to bankrupt one another。〃
For a time there was silence in me jungle； the drip of moisture off the foliage； the whir and whine of insects； an animal call in the distance。
Tori wondered why Estilo had told her that chilling story。 It occurred to her after a time that what he had been speaking about was not； strictly speaking； a cat…but rather loyalty； trust； friendship； and love。 She recalled their talk on the telephone when she had still been in Mall Central； and she realized that this was as close as he could e to telling her how much he missed his friend； Ariel Solares。
Night in the llano negro was absolute。 There was no moon； but illumination was provided by the factory's powerful arc lights。 It was eerie to be deep in the jungle； and to see everything in terms of the powder…white sodium lights。 There were no colors； no grays； only utter black and stalk white。
Russell went with Tori into the warehouse。 He said； 〃I'm not sure this is a good idea。〃
〃It doesn't matter；〃 Tori said； crouching down by the side of a barrel of acetone。
〃I'm the mander in the field；〃 Russell pointed out。
〃You're nothing；〃 Tori said。 〃You want to be a mander； go ahead。 But you've got no one to mand。〃
There was a small silence。 Then he crouched down beside her。 ''I still think this is far too dangerous。 We could all die。〃
〃We could all have died in Cruz's copter； if the pilot had crashed；〃 Tori said。 〃The idea is not to make a mistake。〃 She nodded； held out a length of cord。 〃Cut this for me； will you？''
Russell did as she asked； and Tori dipped the cord into the acetone。 She looped it around the barrel and over to the one next to it that contained ether。 She opened the barrel。 Then she backed up； trailing the cord behind her。
〃Ready？〃
〃Not by a long shot；〃 Russell said； watching her light the end of the acetone…soaked cord。 Then they got out of there。
The string of explosions began twenty seconds later。 The three of them set out on the run； through the confusion of the pound； the screaming of the Jeeps' tires； the shouts of the personnel。
They had their Uzi assault rifles at the ready； but they made it to the lab without having to fire them。 With the entire warehouse going up； no one was interested in them。 Yet。 This was a shut…ended situation； because the explosions would surely bring the army out of its Apocalypse Now torpor； and those in mand surely would begin instituting a building…by…building search of the pound as soon as the post…percussion fire was under control。
Tori estimated they had five minutes； any mor
