rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第28章

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　While　Kirov　issued　orders　for　the　station　to　be　cleared；　Smith　placed　the　container　into　a　bucket　of　ice　that　the　medic　had　managed　to　find。　The　nitrogen　in　the　thermal　layer　kept　the　container　at　just　above　freezing；　rendering　the　virus　inactive。　But　Smith　had　no　idea　how　long　the　charge　would　last。　Keeping　the　canister　on　ice　would　provide　some　measure　of　safety　until　the　biohazard　team　arrived。
　Suddenly　Smith　realized　how　quiet　the　station　had　bee。　Looking　around；　he　discovered　that　all　the　militia　had　pulled　back；　taking　the　last　of　the　travelers　and　station　workers　with　them。　Only　he　and　Kirov　were　left；　surrounded　by　bodies。
　〃Have　you　been　in　bat；　Dr。　Smith？〃　Kirov　asked。
　〃Call　me　Jon。　And　yes；　I　have。〃
　〃Then　you're　familiar　with　this　silence。。。　after　the　gunfire　and　screaming　are　over。　It's　only　the　survivors　who　get　to　see　what　they've　wrought。〃　He　paused。　〃It's　the　survivor　who　can　thank　the　man　who　saved　his　life。〃
　Smith　nodded。　〃I　know　you　would　have　done　the　same。　Tell　me　more　about　Beria。　How　does　he　fit　in？〃
　〃Beria　is　not　only　an　executioner；　he　is　a　facilitator。　If　you　want　something　delivered　or　spirited　out　of　the　country；　he's　the　man　who'll　guarantee　it　gets　done。〃
　〃You　don't　think　that　he　and　Yardeni…　with　Telegin's　help…　planned　and　executed　the　theft　themselves；　do　you？〃
　〃Executed；　yes。　Planned；　no。　Beria's　forte　is　not　in　strategy。　He　is…　how　would　you　put　it？…　a　hands…on　operator。　His　job　would　have　been　to　shepherd　Yardeni　after　he　got　out　of　Bioaparat。〃
　〃Shepherd　him　where？〃
　Kirov　held　up　the　Canadian　passport。　〃The　American…Canadian　border　is　porous。　Yardeni　wouldn't　have　had　any　problem　smuggling　the　smallpox　into　your　country。〃
　The　idea　made　Smith's　flesh　crawl。　〃You're　saying　that　Yardeni　was　a　thief　and　a　courier？〃
　〃A　man　like　Yardeni　does　not　have　the　wherewithal　to　provide　himself　with　a　new　passport；　much　less　pay　for　the　services　of　Beria。　But　someone　did。　Someone　wanted　to　get　his　hands　on　a　smallpox　sample　and　was　willing　to　pay　mightily　for　the　privilege。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　I　have　to　ask：　where　does　Telegin　fit　in？〃
　Kirov　looked　away；　feeling　torn　by　her　betrayal。
　〃You　don't　strike　me　as　a　man　who　believes　in　coincidence；　Jon。　Consider　this：　Yardeni　has　been　in　place　for　some　time。　But　his　masters　choose　this　particular　moment　to　activate　him。　Why　should　it　have　coincided　with　your　arrival　in　Moscow？　Did　they　know　you　were　ing？　If　so；　they　would　have　deduced　that　they　had　one　last　chance　to　steal　from　Bioaparat。　And　why　was　Yardeni　told　to　proceed　with　the　theft？　Because　someone　tipped　him　off　that　the　Special　Forces　were　on　their　way。〃
　〃Telegin　warned　Yardeni？〃
　〃Who　else　could　it　have　been？〃
　〃But　she　wasn't　acting　on　her　own。。。。〃
　〃I　think　Lara　was　the　eyes　and　ears　of　whoever　planned　this。　As　soon　as　she　knew　you　were　in　Moscow　she　contacted　her　principals；　who　told　her　to　go　ahead　and　have　Yardeni　execute　the　theft。　They　could　not　afford　to　risk　the　access　that　Yardeni　provided　them。〃
　He　paused　and　glanced　at　the　body　of　his　lover。　〃Think　about　it；　Jon。　Why　would　Lara　have　risked　everything…　her　career；　future。。。　love…　if　the　rewards　were　not　overwhelming？　She　would　never　have　found　such　bounty　in　Russia。〃
　Kirov　looked　up　as　the　station　doors　opened　and　the　biohazard　team；　dressed　in　full　antiplague　suits；　came　through。　Within　minutes；　the　container　that　Telegin　and　Yardeni　had　died　for　was　being　sealed　in　a　stainless…steel　box　and　wheeled　to　a　vaultlike　truck；　ready　to　be　removed　to　Moscow's　premier　research　facility；　the　Serbsky　Institute。
　〃I'm　going　to　initiate　the　search　for　Beria；〃　Kirov　said　as　he　and　Smith　walked　out　of　the　station。
　Smith　watched　the　virus　hunters'　truck　pull　away　from　the　station；　escorted　by　motorcycle　outriders。
　〃Something　you　said；　General。　About　Beria　being　a　facilitator。　What　if　Yardeni　wasn't　his　primary　responsibility？〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃Yardeni　was　important…　pivotal…　in　that　he　was　the　inside　man。　He　was　the　one　who　actually　had　to　go　in　and　get　the　sample。　But　how　valuable　was　he　to　anyone　after　that？　A　liability　is　more　like　it。　Yardeni　didn't　die　from　a　gunshot　wound。　Beria　poisoned　him。〃
　〃What　are　you　getting　at？〃
　〃That　Beria's　directive　was　to　protect　the　smallpox；　not　Yardeni。〃
　〃But　Yardeni　was　carrying　the　samples。　You　saw　the　container。〃
　〃Did　I；　General？　All　I　saw　was　a　container。　Don't　you　want　to　know　what's　inside？〃
　
　
　The　shuttle　bus　from　the　train　station　rolled　through　the　thickening　Moscow　traffic。　Because　of　the　hour；　Ivan　Beria　was　one　of　only　six　passengers　on　board。　Sitting　by　the　rear　exit　doors；　he　watched　a　stream　of　militia　cars　wail　down　the　boulevard　to　the　station　and　listened　as　the　other　passengers　speculated　about　what　was　happening。
　If　they　only　knew。。。
　Beria　was　not　concerned　that　the　bus　might　be　stopped。　Not　even　Major…General　Kirov；　the　man　who　had　placed　a　hundred…thousand…ruble　reward　on　his　head；　could　organize　so　thorough　a　search　in　so　short　a　time。　Kirov's　first　act　would　be　to　check　with　the　taxi　dispatchers。　Police　at　the　train　station　would　be　shown　a　photograph　and　asked　if　anyone　answering　that　description　had　gotten　into　a　private　car。　Kirov　might　eventually　think　about　the　bus；　but　not　soon　enough　to　do　him　any　good。
　The　bus　clattered　across　streetcar　tracks；　then　struggled　up　a　ramp　onto　the　circular　highway　that　rings　the　city。　He　checked　to　make　sure　that　the　container　he'd　taken　from　Yardem　was　secure　in　his　pocket。　Confusion　and　misdirection　were　his　allies：　they　would　buy　him　the　time　he　needed。　As　soon　as　Kirov　checked　Yardeni's　corpse；　he　would　discover　the　container　Beria　had　given　the　Bioaparat　guard。　Kirov　would　believe　that　it　held　the　smallpox　samples　stolen　from　Building　103。　His　first　thought　would　be　to　get　them　to　a　secure　location；　but　he　would　have　no　reason　to　check　them。　By　the　time　that　was　done；　the　smallpox　would　be　safely　in　the　West。
　Beria　smiled　and　turned　to　the　windows　as　the　sprawling　plex　of　Sheremetevo　Airport　came　into　view。
　
　The　outriders　peeled　away　as　the　truck　carrying　Yardeni's　container　turned　into　the　underground　garage　of　the　Serbsky　Institute。　The　sedan　with　Kirov　and　Smith　pulled　up　close　enough　to　the　truck　for　the　two　men　to　observe　the　unloading　of　the　stainless…steel　biohazard　safe。
　〃It'll　be　taken　to　the　Level　Four　labs　two　stories　below；〃　Kirov　told　Smith。
　〃How　long　before　we　know　what　we　have？〃
　〃Thirty　minutes。〃　Kirov　paused。　〃I　wish　it　could　be　faster；　but　procedures　must　be　followed。〃
　Smith　had　no　quarrel　with　that。
　Acpanied　by　a　squad　of　newly　arrived　Federal　Security　Service　agents；　they　took　an　elevator　to　the　second　floor。　The　institute's　director；　a　thin；　birdlike　man；　blinked　rapidly　when　Kirov　informed　him　that　his　office　was　now　a　central　mand　post。
　〃Let　me　know　the　instant　the　test　results　are　available；〃　Kirov　told　him。
　The　director　snatched　his　lab　smock　off　the　coat　rack　and　beat　a　hasty　retreat。
　Kirov　turned　to　Smith。　〃Jon。　Under　the　circumstances　it's　time　you　told　me　exactly　why　you　came　here　and　who　you're　working　for。〃
　Smith　considered　the　general's　words。　Given　the　possibility　that　the　Russians　had　not　been　able　to　contain　the　smallpox　theft　within　their　borders；　he　had　no　choice　but　to　contact　Klein　immediately。
　〃Can　you　set　me　up　with　munications？〃
　Kirov　gestured　at　the　telephone　console　on　the　desk。　〃All　the　lines　are　secured　satellite　links。　I'll　wait　out…〃
　〃No；〃　Smith　interrupted。　〃You　need　to　hear　this。〃
　He　dialed　the　number　that　magically　always　connected　him　to　Klein。　The　voice　on　the　other　end　was　crisp　and　clear。
　〃Klein　here。〃
　〃Sir；　it's　me。　I'm　in　the　director's　office　at　the　Serbsky　Institute。　Major…General　Kirov　is　with　me。　I　need　to　bring　you　up　to　speed；　sir。〃
　〃Go　ahead；　Jon。〃
　It　took　Smith　ten　minutes　to　give　a　plete　account　of　events。　〃Sir；　we　expect　to　have　test　results　in〃　…he　checked　his　watch…　〃fifteen　minutes。〃
　〃Put　me　on　the　speaker；　please；　Jon。〃
　A　moment　later；　Klein's　voice　flooded　the　room。　〃General　Kirov？〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃My　name　is　Nathaniel　Klein。　I　do　the　same　work　that　Valeri　Antonov　does　for　your　government。　In　fact；　I　know　Valeri　quite　well。〃
　Sm