rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第58章

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　〃The　sample　I　made？　A　thimbleful　is　enough　to　eradicate　any　country　we　choose。　I　realize　that's　not　a　very　scientific　measurement；　but　you　get　my　drift。　If　you　don't　believe　me；　look　at　what　happened　here；　how　quickly　the　smallpox　went　to　work；　the　consequences。。。〃
　Never　in　her　life　had　Megan　felt　so　powerless。　Reed's　voice　droned　in　her　ears　like　something　from　a　nightmare。　She　could　not　believe　such　words　ing　from　a　man　she　had　thought　she　knew；　a　colleague；　a　mentor；　someone　she'd　trusted　implicitly。
　He's　insane。　That's　all　I　need　to　know。　And　what　I　need　to　do　is　get　out　of　here！
　When　Reed　spoke　again；　it　was　as　though　he'd　read　her　mind。
　〃You've　done　most　of　my　job　for　me；　Megan；　locking　yourself　in　like　that。　The　fire　will　do　the　rest。　I　didn't　mention　that？　Well；　there's　going　to　be　an　awful　lot　of　confusion　when　this　thing　lands。　The　only　thing　on　mission　control's　mind　will　be　to　get　me　out　of　here　safely。　After　that；　if　something　explodes；　well。。。〃　He　shrugged。　〃You've　been　a　part　of　history；　Megan。　I'll　never　forget　you…　or　the　others。〃
　His　eyes　never　left　hers　as　he　touched　a　panel　on　his　mo　unit。　〃Mission　director；　this　is　Reed。　Do　you　copy？〃
　She　heard　Landon's　voice：　〃Copy；　Dylan。〃
　〃I　have　an　update。　I。。。　I　found　Megan。　She's　dead。。。　like　the　others。〃
　There　was　a　moment's　silence　on　the　other　end。　〃I　copy；　Dylan。　I'm　so　sorry。　Listen；　we're　working　to　bring　you　home。　Can　you　get　to　the　flight　deck？〃
　〃Affirmative。〃
　〃We　won't　need　any　help；　but　if　something　goes　wrong。。。〃
　〃Understood。　Harry？〃
　〃Yes？〃
　〃You've　opened　the　Black　Book；　right？〃
　〃Yes；　Dylan。〃
　〃There's　a　name　that's　not　in　there。　Dr。　Karl　Bauer。　He　knows　more　about　bugs　than　anyone　alive。　I　think　you　might　want　to　consult　with　him　about　the　quarantine。〃
　〃Roger　that。　We'll　get　Bauer　to　the　landing　site。　We're　running　emergency　descent　models　right　now。　As　soon　as　we　have　a　firm　trajectory；　we'll　let　you　know。〃
　Reed　smiled　faintly　and；　looking　directly　at　Megan；　said；　〃Roger；　mission　director。　Discovery；　signing　off。〃
　
　CHAPTER　TWENTY　FIVE
　　
　The　helicopter　ferrying　Jon　Smith　from　Camp　David　landed　in　the　cargo　transport　area　of　Andrews　Air　Force　Base。　Smith　hopped　out　and　trotted　across　the　tarmac　to　the　white　panel　truck　parked　next　to　a　sleek　executive　jet。
　〃Hello；　Jon；〃　Major…General　Kirov　said；　watching　the　corpsmen　pull　a　stretcher　out　of　the　truck。
　〃Did　everything　go　as　planned？〃　Smith　asked。
　〃It　did；〃　Kirov　replied。　〃These　men〃　…he　indicated　the　corpsmen…　〃arrived　at　your　house　exactly　on　schedule。　They　were　very　quick；　very　efficient。〃
　Smith　glanced　at　Ivan　Beria；　a　blanket　tucked　up　to　his　chin；　as　he　was　wheeled　by。
　〃Is　he　all　right？〃
　〃The　tranquilizers　worked　perfectly；〃　Kirov　replied。
　Smith　nodded。
　As　the　stretcher　disappeared　into　the　jet；　Kirov　turned　to　Smith。　〃I　am　grateful　to　you…　and　to　Mr。　Klein…　for　allowing　me　to　help。　I　only　wish　I　could　do　more。〃
　Smith　shook　the　Russian's　hand。　〃I'll　stay　in　touch；　General。　I　think　we　got　everything　we　could　out　of　Beria；　but　if　he　says　anything　interesting。。。〃
　〃You'll　be　the　first　to　know；〃　Kirov　assured　him。　〃Good…bye；　Jon　Smith。　I　hope　that　we　will　meet　again；　under　more　pleasant　circumstances。〃
　Smith　waited　until　Kirov　was　onboard　and　the　hatch　was　closed。　By　the　time　the　jet　was　racing　down　the　runway　he　was　in　his　car；　being　waved　through　perimeter　security。　As　he　headed　for　the　highway；　his　thoughts　drifted　from　what　had　been　acplished　to　what　was　still　left　to　do。
　
　In　Moscow　it　was　the　middle　of　the　night；　but　the　lights　were　still　burning　in　the　offices　of　the　Bay　Digital　Corporation。
　In　the　conference　room；　Randi　Russell　was　working　on　her　fourth　cup　of　coffee；　watching　Sasha　Rublev　as　he　worked　to　ferret　out　the　secrets　of　the　laptop　Jon　Smith　had　delivered。　Surrounded　by　hardware　wired　into　the　laptop；　Sasha　had　been　at　his　keyboard　for　over　seven　hours；　downing　the　occasional　Coke　to　maintain　his　energy　level。　Three　times　Randi　had　suggested　they　quit　for　the　night；　but　each　time　Sasha　simply　waved　her　words　away。
　〃I'm　close；〃　he　would　mumble。　〃Just　a　few　more　minutes。〃
　By　now　Randi　had　decided　that　Sasha　did　not　measure　time　like　mere　mortals。
　She　drained　her　coffee；　stared　at　the　dregs；　and　then　said：　〃Okay；　that's　it。　And　this　time　I　mean　it。〃
　Sasha　held　up　one　hand；　kept　typing　with　the　other。　〃Wait　for　it。。。〃
　He　jabbed　a　key　triumphantly　and　slumped　in　his　chair。　〃Look；〃　he　said　proudly。
　Randi　couldn't　believe　her　eyes。　The　big　monitor；　which　had　been　filled　with　nothing　but　a　series　of　unintelligible　symbols　all　evening；　suddenly　morphed　into　a　string　of　deciphered　E…mails。
　〃Sasha；　how…？〃　Randi　shook　her　head。　〃Never　mind。　I'd　never　understand。〃
　Sasha　beamed　at　her。　〃The　person　this　puter　belongs　to　used　CARNIVORE；　your　FBI's　latest　encryption　program。〃　He　looked　at　her　shrewdly。　〃I　thought　no　one　outside　America　had　this。〃
　〃Me　too；〃　Randi　murmured。
　Using　the　mouse；　she　scanned　the　E…mails；　unable　to　believe　what　she　was　reading。
　What　the　hell　is　the　Cassandra　pact？
　
　Returning　to　Bethesda；　Jon　Smith　fixed　himself　a　quick　snack　and　took　it　into　his　study。　The　faint　odor　of　drugs　and　a　broken　man's　fear　hung　in　the　house。　Smith　opened　a　window　and　sat　down　with　the　files　Nathaniel　Klein　had　given　him。
　Travis　Nichols　and　Patrick　Drake。。。　both　U。S。　Army　sergeants。　Both　from　the　same　small　town　in　central　Texas　where　young　men　went　either　into　the　oil　fields　or　the　military。　Seasoned　bat　veterans；　they　had　seen　action　in　Somalia；　the　Gulf；　and　most　recently；　Nigeria。
　Smith's　interest　was　piqued　when　he　read　their　fitness　reports　from　the　Advanced　Warfare　School　at　Fort　Benning；　Georgia。　Nichols　and　Drake　had　graduated　one　and　two　in　their　class；　cold；　hard　men　whose　keen　edge　had　been　further　honed　by　instructors　in　the　blackest　bat　arts。
　Then　they　disappear。。。
　Now　Smith　knew　what　Klein　had　meant　about　the　lapses。　In　each　of　the　last　five　years　there　were　months　where　the　soldiers'　whereabouts　could　not　be　accounted　for。　No　notations　had　been　made　by　manding　officers；　no　ship…out　or　transport　orders　were　available。
　Experienced　in　the　ways　of　the　military；　Smith　could　guess　where　Nichols　and　Drake　had　disappeared。　Scattered　throughout　the　army　were　special　units。　The　most　public　of　these　were　the　Rangers。　But　there　were　others；　whose　members　were　culled　from　the　most　experienced　and　battle…hardened　troops。　In　Vietnam；　they　had　been　known　as　LRRPs…Long　Range　Reconnaissance　Patrols；　in　other　parts　of　the　world；　they　had　no　designation　whatsoever。
　Smith　was　aware　of　three　such　outfits　but　suspected　there　were　more。　He　knew　no　one　in　any　of　them；　and　didn't　have　the　time　or　the　resources　to　start　a　hunt　from　scratch。　There　was　only　one　way　to　go：　with　the　phone　number　that　Peter　Howell　had　coaxed　from　the　dying　Travis　Nichols's　lips。
　For　the　next　hour；　Smith　considered　one　plan　of　action　after　another。　From　each　one　he　took　away　a　detail　or　two　that；　when　strung　together；　formed　a　coherent　whole。　Then　he　went　over　it　again　and　again；　probing　for　weaknesses；　eliminating　questions；　trying　to　give　himself　the　best　possible　advantage。　He　knew　that　the　minute　he　made　the　call　to　that　as　yet　unknown　person　at　the　other　end　of　a　number　that　didn't　exist；　his　life　would　hang　on　his　every　word　and　action。
　Outside；　the　insects　and　birds　began　their　nocturnal　litany。　As　Smith　rose　to　close　the　window；　his　phone　rang。
　〃Jon；　it's　Randi。〃
　〃Randi！　What　time　is　it　over　there？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　I've　lost　track。　Listen；　Sasha　broke　through　the　laptop's　firewalls。　All　the　E…mails…　and　everything　else…　are　in　the　clear。〃
　By　her　tone；　Smith　knew　that　Randi　wanted　an　explanation。
　〃I　need　what　you　have；　Randi；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃No　questions　asked。　Not　now。〃
　〃Jon；　you　asked　me　to　do　you　a　favor。　I　did。　From　the　little　I've　read；　this　stuff's　explosive。　There　are　references　to　Bioaparat　and　to　something　called　the　Cassandra　pact…〃
　〃But　I　haven't　seen　any　of　that；〃　Smith　said　urgently。　〃That's　why　I　need　it…　to　try　to　find　out　what's　going　on。〃
　〃You　have　to　tell　me　one　thing；〃　Randi　replied。　〃This　'situation；'　whatever　it　is；　is　it　localiz