rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第19章

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t　you　have　a　problem…　which　will　bee　our　problem；　and　probably　the　world's…　if　those　samples　get　out。〃
　Kirov　lit　a　cigarette。
　〃You　came　all　this　way　to　tell　me　this；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃But　you　also　have　a　plan；　don't　you？〃
　〃Shut　down　Bioaparat；〃　Smith　said。　〃Right　now。　Throw　a　military　cordon　around　it。　Nothing　goes　in…　for　sure；　nothing　and　no　one　es　out。　In　the　morning；　you　inspect　the　virus　stocks　yourself。　If　they're　all　there；　fine；　we're　safe；　and　you　can　go　after　the　mole。〃
　〃And　you；　Dr。　Smith？　Where　would　you　be　during　all　this？〃
　〃I　would　ask　you　to　grant　me　observer　status。〃
　〃Don't　you　trust　us　to　tell　you　that　all　the　stocks　are　intact；　Doctor？〃　Telegin　taunted。
　〃It's　not　a　matter　of　trust；　Lieutenant。　If　the　situation　were　reversed；　wouldn't　you　want　to　be　on…site　at　our　facility？〃
　〃There's　still　the　issue　of　your　source；〃　Kirov　reminded　him。　〃Understand；　Doctor。　To　do　what　you　ask　requires　me　to　go　to　the　president　himself。　Certainly　I　can　vouch　for　your　credentials。　But　I　need　a　very　good　reason　to　disturb　his　sleep。　If　I　have　the　name　of　your　source；　if　I　can　check　his　pedigree…　that　would　validate　a　great　deal　of　what　you　have　told　us。〃
　Smith　turned　away。　He　had　known　that　it　might　e　down　to　this；　trading　Yuri　Danko's　identity　in　order　to　secure　Kirov's　cooperation。
　〃The　man　has　a　family；〃　he　said　at　last。　〃I　need　your　word　that　they　will　not　be　punished　and　that　if　they　want　to；　they　can　leave。〃　He　held　up　his　hand　before　Kirov　could　reply。　〃That　man　was　not　a　traitor；　General。　He　was　a　patriot。　He　came　to　me　only　because　he　didn't　know　how　high　up　the　conspiracy　went。　He　gave　up　everything　he　had　here　so　that　Russia　wouldn't　be　blamed　if　anything　happened。〃
　〃I　can　understand　that；〃　Kirov　replied。　〃You　have　my　assurance　that　the　family　will　not　be　harmed。　Furthermore；　the　only　person　I　will　speak　to　is　President　Potrenko…　unless　you　tell　me　that　he　is　somehow　tainted？〃
　〃I　can't　believe　that　to　be　the　case；〃　Smith　replied。
　〃Then　we　are　in　agreement。　Lara；　call　the　duty　officer　at　the　Kremlin。　Tell　him　that　it's　urgent　and　I'm　on　my　way。〃
　He　turned　to　Smith。　〃Now；　that　name；　please。〃
　
　〃I　think　you　are　extending　the　American　a　great　deal　of　trust；〃　Lara　Telegin　said　as　she　and　Kirov　walked　through　the　underground　garage　to　his　car。　〃Maybe　too　much　trust。　If　he　is　a　liar；　or　worse；　a　provocateur；　you　could　end　up　having　to　answer　some　embarrassing　questions。〃
　Kirov　returned　his　driver's　salute　and　stepped　aside　to　allow　Lara　to　get　into　the　car。
　〃Embarrassing　questions；〃　he　said　once　they　were　settled。　〃Is　that　all？〃
　She　glanced　at　the　partition　that　separated　the　driver's　partment　from　the　rest　of　the　car；　making　sure　that　it　was　all　the　way　up。　Such　actions　were　ingrained　in　her；　a　result　of　her　military　intelligence　training。
　〃You　know　what　I　mean；〃　she　said。　〃For　a　soldier；　you　hold　extremely　progressive　views。　They　have　made　you　your　share　of　enemies。〃
　〃If　by　'progressive'　you　mean　that　I　wish　Russia　to　join　the　twenty…first　century；　then　I　plead　guilty；〃　Kirov　replied。　〃And　if　I　have　to　take　the　odd　risk　to　ensure　that　such　views　prevail　against　the　Neanderthals　who　would　send　us　back　to　a　bankrupt　political　system；　so　be　it。〃
　He　gripped　the　door　handle　as　the　car　shot　out　into　the　wide　boulevard　that　runs　by　Dzerzhinsky　Square。
　〃Listen　to　me；　Lara；〃　he　continued。　〃Men　like　Jon　Smith　do　not　recklessly　give　their　word。　You　can　be　sure　that　he　is　not　on　some　fool's　mission。　Individuals　high　in　American　government　believe　the　information　important　enough　to　send　Smith　over。　Do　you　see　what　I　mean？　What　Smith　has　been　allowed　to　do；　told　to　do…　not　his　wordslegitimizes　what　the　Americans　believe　they　have。〃
　〃A　traitor's　word；〃　she　said　bitterly。
　It　had　taken　her　all　of　twenty　minutes　to　confirm　that　Yuri　Danko　was　missing　and　that　his　whereabouts　were　unknown。　Except　the　Americans；　damn　them；　know　that　he's　dead！
　〃On　the　face　of　it；　Danko　was　a　traitor；〃　Kirov　agreed。　〃But　you　can　see　his　dilemma：　what　if　he　had　gone　to　his　superior；　or　even　higher　up　the　mand　chain；　and　that　person　had　turned　out　to　be　part　of　this　‘conspiracy'？　Danko　would　still　be　dead　and　we　would　know　nothing。〃
　Kirov　stared　through　the　bulletproof　window　at　the　streetlights　flashing　by。
　〃Believe　me；　I　hope　that　the　Americans　are　wrong；〃　he　said　softly。　〃I　would　like　nothing　more　than　to　show　Smith　that　Bioaparat　is　totally　secure　and　that　he　has　been　the　victim　of　a　hoax。　But　until　I　can　do　that；　I　must　give　him　the　benefit　of　the　doubt。　You　understand；　dusha？〃
　She　squeezed　his　hand。　〃Better　than　you　think。　After　all；　I　have　been　learning　at　the　feet　of　the　master。〃
　The　big　sedan　bored　through　the　Kremlin's　Spassky　Gate；　stopping　only　at　the　security　checkpoint　where　passengers'　IDs　were　checked。　A　few　minutes　later；　Kirov　and　Telegin　were　escorted　into　the　section　of　the　Kremlin　that　houses　the　president's　apartment　and　personal　working　quarters。
　〃I　had　better　wait　here；〃　Telegin　said　as　they　stood　in　the　grand；　domed　foyer　built　by　Peter　the　Great。　〃There's　bound　to　be　more　information　ing　through　on　Danko。〃
　〃There　will　be…　and　Smith　will　give　it　to　us；〃　Kirov　replied。　〃But　right　now；　I　think　it's　time　you　got　used　to　presenting　yourself　to　your　civilian　masters。〃
　Telegin　could　scarcely　hide　her　surprise　and　trepidation　as　they　followed　the　duty　officer　up　the　double　staircase。　They　were　shown　into　an　elegantly　appointed　library　where　a　figure　wrapped　in　a　thick　robe　sat　by　a　crackling　fire。
　〃Oleg　Ivanovich；　you　had　better　have　good　reason　to　rob　an　old　man　of　his　sleep。〃
　Viktor　Potrenko　cut　a　patrician…looking　figure　as　he　rose　to　shake　Kirov's　hand。
　〃May　I　present　my　adjutant；　Lieutenant　Lara　Telegin；〃　Kirov　said。
　〃Lieutenant　Telegin；〃　Potrenko　murmured。　〃I　have　heard　good　things　about　you。　Please；　sit。〃
　Lara　thought　that　Potrenko　lingered　in　holding　her　hand。　Maybe　the　rumors　about　the　seventy…five…year…old　president　were　true…　that　he　had　a　fondness　for　young　women；　particularly　ballerinas。
　When　they　were　seated；　Potrenko　continued；　〃Now　what　is　all　this　business　about　Bioaparat？〃
　Swiftly；　Kirov　laid　out　the　gist　of　his　conversation　with　Smith。　〃I　think　that　this　is　something　we　must　take　seriously；〃　he　concluded。
　〃Do　you？〃　Potrenko　mused。　〃Lieutenant　Telegin；　what　are　your　thoughts？〃
　Lara　understood　that　her　next　words　could　very　well　put　her　career　in　the　crosshairs。　But　she　also　knew　that　the　two　men　before　her　were　masters　of　nuance　and　inflection。　They　would　spot　a　lie　or　an　equivocation　faster　than　a　hawk　sees　a　hare。
　〃I'm　afraid　that　I　must　play　devil's　advocate；　Mr。　President；〃　she　said；　then　explained　her　reservations　about　taking　Smith's　words　at　face　value。
　〃Well　spoken；〃　Potrenko　mended　her。　He　turned　to　Kirov。　〃Don't　lose　this　one。〃　He　paused。　〃So；　what　are　we　to　do？　On　the　one　hand；　the　Americans　gain　nothing　by　crying　foul。　On　the　other；　it　stings　to　believe　that　a　theft　of　this　magnitude　can　occur　under　our　very　noses…　without　us　even　being　aware。〃
　Potrenko　rose　and　stepped　close　to　the　grate；　warming　his　hands。　It　seemed　a　very　long　time　before　he　spoke。
　〃We　have　a　Special　Forces　training　facility　outside　Vladimir；　do　we　not？〃
　〃We　have；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃Call　the　mander　and　authorize　a　quarantine　around　Bioaparat　effective　immediately。　You；　Lieutenant　Telegin；　and　Dr。　Smith　will　fly　there　at　first　light。　If　a　theft　has　occurred；　you　will　notify　me　immediately。　Either　way；　I　want　a　prehensive　review　of　the　security　procedures。〃
　〃Yes；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃Oleg？〃
　〃Sir？〃
　〃If　even　a　gram　of　smallpox　is　missing；　alert　our　virus　hunters　at　once。　Then　arrest　everyone　on…site。〃
　
　
　CHAPTER　NINE
　　
　After　landing　at　the　Naples　airport；　Peter　Howell　took　a　taxi　to　the　docks；　where　he　boarded　the　hydrofoil　for　the　thirty…minute　ride　across　the　Straits　of　Messina。　Through　the　big　windows　of　the　lounge；　he　watched　as　Sicily　came　into　view；　first　the　craters　of　Mount　Etna；　then　Palermo　itself；　nestled　beneath　the　limestone　bulk　of　Monte　Pellegrino　that　tapered　off　into　a　plateau　at　sea　level。
　Settled　by　Greeks；　invaded　by　Romans；　Arabs；　Normans；　and　Spaniards；　Sicily　has　been　a　wa