rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第37章

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　Klein　stared　through　the　windshield　at　the　lodges　ing　into　view。
　〃General；　I'll　have　to　call　you　back。〃
　〃I　understand。　Godspeed　to　you；　sir。〃
　Klein　drove　past　the　rustic　dwellings　until　he　saw　the　largest　one；　fronting　a　small　pond。　He　pulled　in；　got　out；　and　hurried　to　the　front　door。　Nathaniel　Klein　had　arrived　at　Aspen；　the　presidential　lodge　at　Camp　David。
　Developed　in　1938　as　a　retreat　for　Franklin　Delano　Roosevelt；　the　area　known　as　Camp　David　had　been　called　the　Catoctin　Recreational　Demonstration　Area　（RDA）；　used　by　federal　employees　and　their　families。　Its　security　fence　surrounded　one　hundred　and　twenty…five　acres　sheltered　by　a　thick　growth　of　oak；　hickory；　aspen；　poplar；　and　ash。　The　guest　lodges…　used　by　foreign　dignitaries；　the　friends　and　family　of　the　president；　and　other　visitors…　were　set　in　private　surroundings　and　connected　to　Aspen　by　a　series　of　footpaths。
　Through　the　trees　Klein　caught　a　glimpse　of　Marine　One；　the　presidential　helicopter。　Under　the　circumstances；　he　was　glad　that　the　flying　time　to　Washington　was　only　thirty　minutes。
　The　Secret　Service　agent　opened　the　door　for　him　and　Klein　stepped　into　a　small；　pine…paneled　foyer。　A　second　agent　escorted　him　through　the　homey　living　room　to　the　large；　fortable　room　that　served　as　the　presidential　office。
　Samuel　Adams　Castilla；　the　chief　executive；　sat　behind　a　stressed…pine　desk；　going　through　paperwork。　Wearing　a　cardigan　over　a　denim　shirt；　the　former　New　Mexico　governor　rose　and　offered　Klein　his　large；　weathered　hand。　Behind　titanium…rimmed　glasses；　cool；　slate…gray　eyes　appraised　the　visitor。
　〃Usually　I'd　say　it's　good　to　see　you；　Nate；〃　the　president　said。　〃But　since　you　mentioned　it　was　urgent。。。〃
　〃I'm　sorry　to　intrude　on　your　privacy；　Mr。　President；　but　this　can't　wait。〃
　Castilla　ran　a　palm　across　his　five　o'clock　shadow。　〃Does　it　relate　to　what　we　talked　about　in　Houston？〃
　〃I'm　afraid　it　does。〃
　The　president　gestured　at　one　of　the　couches。　〃Bring　me　up　to　speed；〃　he　said　crisply。
　Five　minutes　later；　Castilla　knew　more　than　he　had　ever　wished　to　know。
　〃What's　your　remendation；　Nate？〃　he　asked　quietly。
　〃mence　FIREWALL；〃　Mein　said　tightly。　〃We　don't　want　a　single　one　of　those　passengers　walking　out　of　the　terminal。〃
　Developed　in　collaboration　with　the　FAA；　the　FBI；　and　the　Pentagon；　FIREWALL　was　a　dedicated　response　to　any　terrorist　incursion　into　the　United　States。　If　the　warning　came　early　enough；　every　port　of　entry　would　be　flooded　by　security　officials　waiting　for　a　target　whose　description　and　particulars　were　already　in　hand。　Klein　knew　that　it　was　too　late　to　do　this　at　Dulles。　The　best　he　could　do　was　to　alert　every　available　uniformed　and　undercover　officer　in　the　plex　and　initiate　a　hunt。　Even　as　agents　were　scrambling；　the　FAA　would　be　faxing　a　passenger　manifest　to　the　central　mand　post。
　The　president　stared　at　him；　nodded；　and　reached　for　the　phone。　In　seconds　he　had　Jerry　Matthews；　the　head　of　the　FBI；　on　the　line；　and　was　explaining　what　had　to　be　done。
　〃I　don't　have　time　to　give　you　all　the　details　right　now；　Jerry。　Just　get　FIREWALL　going。　I'm　faxing　you　a　description　of　the　suspect　as　we　speak。〃
　The　president　took　the　sketch　Klein　held　out　and　fed　it　into　the　machine。
　〃His　real　name　is　Ivan　Beria；　Jerry。　He's　a　Serb　national。　But　he's　calling　himself　John　Strelnikov　and　is　traveling　on　a　fake　U。S。　passport。　He　is　not；　I　repeat　not；　an　American　citizen。　And　Jerry？　This　is　a　level…five　situation。〃
　Five　was　the　highest　designation；　meaning　that　the　individual　in　question　was　to　be　considered　not　only　armed　and　dangerous　but　a　clear　and　immediate　danger　to　national　security。
　The　president　hung　up　and　turned　to　Klein。　〃He'll　get　back　to　me　as　soon　as　the　ball's　rolling。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃He　asked…　respectfully；　mind　you…　what　my　sources　were。〃
　〃I　appreciate　your　position；　sir；〃　Klein　replied。
　〃It's　one　of　my　making。〃
　After　the　nightmare　of　Hades　and　the　subsequent　election；　Samuel　Castilla　had　sworn　that　the　United　States　would　never　again　be　caught　off…guard。　While　he　respected　the　work　of　the　traditional　agencies；　he　saw　a　dire　need　for　a　new　group…　small；　elite；　run　by　a　single　individual　beholden　to　no　one；　reporting　only　to　the　chief　executive。
　After　a　great　deal　of　thought；　Castilla　had　chosen　Nathaniel　Klein　to　head　what　would　bee　known　as　Covert…One。　Using　funds　carefully　siphoned　off　from　various　government　departments；　employing　only　the　most　talented　and　trustworthy　men　and　women；　CovertOne　had　grown　from　an　idea　into　a　presidential　iron　fist。　This　time；　Castilla　thought；　we　have　the　chance　to　stop　the　monster　instead　of　wading　through　the　horror　it'll　spawn。
　The　ringing　phone　intruded　on　his　reverie。　〃Yes；　Jerry。〃
　Castilla　listened；　put　his　hand　over　the　mouthpiece；　and　turned　to　Klein。
　〃They　have　a　hit　on　Strelnikov。　Immigration　clocked　him　in　eight　minutes　before　FIREWALL　went　into　effect。〃　He　paused。　〃Do　you　want　to　maintain　the　alert；　Nate？〃
　Suddenly；　Klein　felt　very　old。　Beria　had　fooled　them　again。　Eight　minutes　was　an　eternity　to　someone　like　him。
　〃It's　a　whole　different　ballgame　now；　sir。　We　have　to　go　to　a　backup　plan。〃　Quickly　he　outlined　what　he　had　in　mind。
　The　president　got　back　on　the　line。　〃Jerry；　listen　carefully。。。。〃
　Even　as　Castilla　spoke；　the　director　of　the　FBI　scrambled　the　Bureau's　elite　antiterrorist　teams　stationed　at　Buzzard's　Point。　A　description　of　Beria　was　being　sent　to　the　puter　screens　of　their　cars。　Within　thirty　minutes；　the　first　squads　would　be　interviewing　taxi　dispatchers；　skycaps；　limousine　drivers；　anyone　who　might　have　seen　or　e　into　contact　with　the　suspect。
　〃Let　me　know　the　minute　you　have　something；〃　Castilla　said　and　ended　the　call。　He　turned　to　Mein。　〃Exactly　how　much　smallpox　was　stolen？〃
　〃Enough　to　start　a　wildfire　of　an　epidemic　across　the　eastern　seaboard。〃
　〃What　about　our　vaccine　supplies…　besides　the　amount　stockpiled　by　USAMRIID　for　military　use？〃
　〃Barely　enough　to　inoculate　half　a　million　people。　I'm　anticipating　your　next　question；　Mr。　President：　how　long　to　manufacture　enough？　Too　long。　Weeks。〃
　〃Nonetheless；　we　have　to　try。　What　about　Britain；　Canada；　Japan…　can　we　buy　from　them？〃
　〃They　have　less　than　we　do；　sir。　And　they　would　need　that　to　protect　their　own　populations。〃
　For　a　moment；　there　was　silence。
　〃Is　there　any　reason　to　believe　that　Beria　came　here　with　the　express　intent　of　unleashing　the　virus？〃　the　president　asked。
　〃No；　sir。　Ironically；　that's　our　one　ray　of　hope。　Beria　has　never 　been　anything　other　than　a　killer　for　hire；　a　facilitator。　His　politics　revolve　around　the　price　paid　for　services　rendered。〃
　〃Facilitator？　Are　you　suggesting　that　he's　delivering　the　smallpox　to　someone　over　here？〃
　〃I　appreciate　that　it's　a　difficult　concept　to　entertain；　Mr。　President。　After　all；　if　a　terrorist　wanted　to　stage　a　biochem　attack　against　us；　it　would　be　much　safer　to　assemble　the　weapon　outside　the　country；　rather　than　here。〃
　〃But　the　smallpox　is　already　a　weapon；　isn't　it；　Nate？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　Even　in　its　raw　form；　it　is　extremely　potent。　Deposit　it　in　New　York　City's　water　supply　and　you　create　a　crisis　of　massive　proportions。　But；　Mr。　President；　if　you　take　the　same　amount　and　reconfigure　it　so　that　it　can　be　used　in　an　aerosol　dispersal　system；　you　can　crop　dust；　if　you　will；　a　much　greater　area。〃
　The　president　grunted。　〃You're　saying；　why　waste　the　potential　when　you　can　maximize　it。〃
　〃Exactly。〃
　〃Assuming；　for　a　moment；　that　Beria　is　a　courier；　how　far　can　he　get？〃
　〃Hopefully　we　can　contain　him　to　the　D。C。　area。　Beria　has　a　couple　of　problems：　he　doesn't　speak　English　well；　and　he's　never　been　in　this　country；　much　less　in　this　specific　area。　One　way　or　another；　he　will　draw　attention　to　himself。〃
　〃In　theory；　Nate。　But　he　won't　be　signing　up　for　tours　of　the　White　House。　He'll　deliver　the　virus　and　get　the　hell　out　of　Dodge。　Or　try　to。〃
　〃Beria　has　to　have　help　on　this　end；〃　Klein　conceded。　〃But　again；　the　geographic　area　is　limited。　We　should　also　remember　that　the　people　using　Beria　do　not　want　the　virus　released　until　it　suits　them　to　do　so。　That　means　they　have　to　store　it…　safely。　And　that　requires　a　very　go