danbrown.thedavincicode-第83章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


lucky　night。〃
　Collet　sighed。　〃All　right；　you　better　forward　this　info　to　Captain　Fache。〃
　The　examiner　headed　off　just　as　another　PTS　agent　burst　into　the　living　room。　〃Lieutenant！　We　found　something　in　the　barn。〃
　From　the　anxious　look　on　the　agent's　face；　Collet　could　only　guess。　〃A　body。〃
　〃No；　sir。　Something　more。。。〃　He　hesitated。　〃Unexpected。〃
　Rubbing　his　eyes；　Collet　followed　the　agent　out　to　the　barn。　As　they　entered　the　musty；　cavernous　space；　the　agent　motioned　toward　the　center　of　the　room；　where　a　wooden　ladder　now　ascended　high　into　the　rafters；　propped　against　the　ledge　of　a　hayloft　suspended　high　above　them。
　〃That　ladder　wasn't　there　earlier；〃　Collet　said。
　〃No；　sir。　I　set　that　up。　We　were　dusting　for　prints　near　the　Rolls　when　I　saw　the　ladder　lying　on　the　floor。　I　wouldn't　have　given　it　a　second　thought　except　the　rungs　were　worn　and　muddy。　This　ladder　gets　regular　use。　The　height　of　the　hayloft　matched　the　ladder；　so　I　raised　it　and　climbed　up　to　have　a　look。〃
　Collet's　eyes　climbed　the　ladder's　steep　incline　to　the　soaring　hayloft。　Someone　goes　up　there　regularly？　From　down　here；　the　loft　appeared　to　be　a　deserted　platform；　and　yet　admittedly　most　of　it　was　invisible　from　this　line　of　sight。
　A　senior　PTS　agent　appeared　at　the　top　of　the　ladder；　looking　down。　〃You'll　definitely　want　to　see　this；　Lieutenant；〃　he　said；　waving　Collet　up　with　a　latex…gloved　hand。
　Nodding　tiredly；　Collet　walked　over　to　the　base　of　the　old　ladder　and　grasped　the　bottom　rungs。　The　ladder　was　an　antique　tapered　design　and　narrowed　as　Collet　ascended。　As　he　neared　the　top；　Collet　almost　lost　his　footing　on　a　thin　rung。　The　barn　below　him　spun。　Alert　now；　he　moved　on；　finally　reaching　the　top。　The　agent　above　him　reached　out；　offering　his　wrist。　Collet　grabbed　it　and　made　the　awkward　transition　onto　the　platform。
　〃It's　over　there；〃　the　PTS　agent　said；　pointing　deep　into　the　immaculately　clean　loft。　〃Only　one　set　of　prints　up　here。　We'll　have　an　ID　shortly。〃
　Collet　squinted　through　the　dim　light　toward　the　far　wall。　What　the　hell？　Nestled　against　the　far　wall　sat　an　elaborate　puter　workstation…two　tower　CPUs；　a　flat…screen　video　monitor　with　speakers；　an　array　of　hard　drives；　and　a　multichannel　audio　console　that　appeared　to　have　its　own　filtered　power　supply。
　Why　in　the　world　would　anyone　work　all　the　way　up　here？　Collet　moved　toward　the　gear。　〃Have　you　examined　the　system？〃
　〃It's　a　listening　post。〃
　Collet　spun。　〃Surveillance？〃
　The　agent　nodded。　〃Very　advanced　surveillance。〃　He　motioned　to　a　long　project　table　strewn　with　electronic　parts；　manuals；　tools；　wires；　soldering　irons；　and　other　electronic　ponents。　〃Someone　clearly　knows　what　he's　doing。　A　lot　of　this　gear　is　as　sophisticated　as　our　own　equipment。　Miniature　microphones；　photoelectric　recharging　cells；　high…capacity　RAM　chips。　He's　even　got　some　of　those　new　nano　drives。〃
　Collet　was　impressed。
　〃Here's　a　plete　system；〃　the　agent　said；　handing　Collet　an　assembly　not　much　larger　than　a　pocket　calculator。　Dangling　off　the　contraption　was　a　foot…long　wire　with　a　stamp…sized　piece　of　wafer…thin　foil　stuck　on　the　end。　〃The　base　is　a　high…capacity　hard　disk　audio　recording　system　with　rechargeable　battery。　That　strip　of　foil　at　the　end　of　the　wire　is　a　bination　microphone　and　photoelectric　recharging　cell。〃
　Collet　knew　them　well。　These　foil…like；　photocell　microphones　had　been　an　enormous　breakthrough　a　few　years　back。　Now；　a　hard　disk　recorder　could　be　affixed　behind　a　lamp；　for　example；　with　its　foil　microphone　molded　into　the　contour　of　the　base　and　dyed　to　match。　As　long　as　the　microphone　was　positioned　such　that　it　received　a　few　hours　of　sunlight　per　day；　the　photo　cells　would　keep　recharging　the　system。　Bugs　like　this　one　could　listen　indefinitely。
　〃Reception　method？〃　Collet　asked。
　The　agent　signaled　to　an　insulated　wire　that　ran　out　of　the　back　of　the　puter；　up　the　wall；　through　a　hole　in　the　barn　roof。　〃Simple　radio　wave。　Small　antenna　on　the　roof。〃
　Collet　knew　these　recording　systems　were　generally　placed　in　offices；　were　voice…activated　to　save　hard　disk　space；　and　recorded　snippets　of　conversation　during　the　day；　transmitting　pressed　audio　files　at　night　to　avoid　detection。　After　transmitting；　the　hard　drive　erased　itself　and　prepared　to　do　it　all　over　again　the　next　day。
　Collet's　gaze　moved　now　to　a　shelf　on　which　were　stacked　several　hundred　audio　cassettes；　all　labeled　with　dates　and　numbers。　Someone　has　been　very　busy。　He　turned　back　to　the　agent。　〃Do　you　have　any　idea　what　target　is　being　bugged？〃
　〃Well；　Lieutenant；〃　the　agent　said；　walking　to　the　puter　and　launching　a　piece　of　software。　〃It's　the　strangest　thing。。。。〃
　　
　CHAPTER　88
　
　Langdon　felt　utterly　spent　as　he　and　Sophie　hurdled　a　turnstile　at　the　Temple　tube　station　and　dashed　deep　into　the　grimy　labyrinth　of　tunnels　and　platforms。　The　guilt　ripped　through　him。
　I　involved　Leigh；　and　now　he's　in　enormous　danger。
　Rémy's　involvement　had　been　a　shock；　and　yet　it　made　sense。　Whoever　was　pursuing　the　Grail　had　recruited　someone　on　the　inside。　They　went　to　Teabing's　for　the　same　reason　I　did。　Throughout　history；　those　who　held　knowledge　of　the　Grail　had　always　been　magnets　for　thieves　and　scholars　alike。　The　fact　that　Teabing　had　been　a　target　all　along　should　have　made　Langdon　feel　less　guilty　about　involving　him。　It　did　not。　We　need　to　find　Leigh　and　help　him。　Immediately。
　Langdon　followed　Sophie　to　the　westbound　District　and　Circle　Line　platform；　where　she　hurried　to　a　pay　phone　to　call　the　police；　despite　Rémy's　warning　to　the　contrary。　Langdon　sat　on　a　grungy　bench　nearby；　feeling　remorseful。
　〃The　best　way　to　help　Leigh；〃　Sophie　reiterated　as　she　dialed；　〃is　to　involve　the　London　authorities　immediately。　Trust　me。〃
　Langdon　had　not　initially　agreed　with　this　idea；　but　as　they　had　hatched　their　plan；　Sophie's　logic　began　to　make　sense。　Teabing　was　safe　at　the　moment。　Even　if　Rémy　and　the　others　knew　where　the　knight's　tomb　was　located；　they　still　might　need　Teabing's　help　deciphering　the　orb　reference。　What　worried　Langdon　was　what　would　happen　after　the　Grail　map　had　been　found。　Leigh　will　bee　a　huge　liability。
　If　Langdon　were　to　have　any　chance　of　helping　Leigh；　or　of　ever　seeing　the　keystone　again；　it　was　essential　that　he　find　the　tomb　first。　Unfortunately；　Rémy　has　a　big　head　start。
　Slowing　Rémy　down　had　bee　Sophie's　task。
　Finding　the　right　tomb　had　bee　Langdon's。
　Sophie　would　make　Rémy　and　Silas　fugitives　of　the　London　police；　forcing　them　into　hiding　or；　better　yet；　catching　them。　Langdon's　plan　was　less　certain…to　take　the　tube　to　nearby　King's　College；　which　was　renowned　for　its　electronic　theological　database。　The　ultimate　research　tool；　Langdon　had　heard。　Instant　answers　to　any　religious　historical　question。　He　wondered　what　the　database　would　have　to　say　about　〃a　knight　a　Pope　interred。〃
　He　stood　up　and　paced；　wishing　the　train　would　hurry。
　　
　At　the　pay　phone；　Sophie's　call　finally　connected　to　the　London　police。
　〃Snow　Hill　Division；〃　the　dispatcher　said。　〃How　may　I　direct　your　call？〃
　〃I'm　reporting　a　kidnapping。〃　Sophie　knew　to　be　concise。
　〃Name　please？〃
　Sophie　paused。　〃Agent　Sophie　Neveu　with　the　French　Judicial　Police。〃
　The　title　had　the　desired　effect。　〃Right　away；　ma'am。　Let　me　get　a　detective　on　the　line　for　you。〃
　As　the　call　went　through；　Sophie　began　wondering　if　the　police　would　even　believe　her　description　of　Teabing's　captors。　A　man　in　a　tuxedo。　How　much　easier　to　identify　could　a　suspect　be？　Even　if　Rémy　changed　clothes；　he　was　partnered　with　an　albino　monk。　Impossible　to　miss。　Moreover；　they　had　a　hostage　and　could　not　take　public　transportation。　She　wondered　how　many　Jaguar　stretch　limos　there　could　be　in　London。
　Sophie's　connection　to　the　detective　seemed　to　be　taking　forever。　e　on！　She　could　hear　the　line　clicking　and　buzzing；　as　if　she　was　being　transferred。
　Fifteen　seconds　passed。
　Finally　a　man　came　on　the　line。　〃Agent　Neveu？〃
　Stunned；　Sophie　registered　the　gruff　tone　immediately。
　〃Agent　Neveu；〃　Bezu　Fache　demanded。　〃Where　the　hell　are　you？〃
　Sophie　was　speechless。　Captain　Fache　had　apparently　requested　the　London　police　dispatcher　alert　him