tc.redrabbit-第136章

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tween　would　sign　the　order；　because　government　employees　never　stuck　their　necks　out…that　wasn't　the　way　they　were　trained。
　　　Except　me；　Ryan　thought。　But　he　wouldn't　kill　someone　in　cold　blood。　He　hadn't　even　killed　Sean　Miller　in　very　hot　blood；　and　while　that　was　a　strange　thing　to　be　proud　of；　it　beat　the　hell　out　of　the　alternative。
　　　But　Jack　wasn't　afraid　of　sticking　it　out。　The　loss　of　his　government　paycheck　would　be　a　net　profit　for　John　Patrick　Ryan。　He　could　go　back　to　teaching；　perhaps　at　a　nice　private　university　that　paid　halfway　decently；　and　he'd　be　able　to　dabble　with　the　stock　market　on　the　side；　something　with　which　his　current　job　interfered　rather　badly。。。
　　　What　the　hell　am　I　going　to　do？　The　worst　part　of　all　was　that　Ryan　considered　himself　to　be　a　Catholic。　Maybe　he　didn't　make　it　to　mass　every　week。　Maybe　they'd　never　name　a　church　after　him；　but；　God　damn　it；　the　Pope　was　someone　he　was　pelled　by　his　lengthy　education…Catholic　schools　all　the　way；　including　almost　twelve　years　of　Jesuits…to　respect。　And　added　to　that　was　something　equally　important…the　education　he'd　received　at　the　gentle　hands　of　the　United　States　Marine　Corps　at　Quantico's　Basic　School。　They'd　taught　him　that　when　you　saw　something　that　needed　doing；　you　damned　well　did　it；　and　you　hoped　that　your　senior　officers　would　bless　it　afterward；　because　decisive　action　had　saved　the　day　more　than　once　in　the　history　of　the　Corps。　〃It's　a　lot　easier　to　get　forgiveness　than　permission〃　was　what　the　major　who'd　taught　that　particular　class　had　said；　then　added　with　a　smile；　〃But　don't　you　people　ever　quote　me　on　that。〃　You　just　had　to　apply　judgment　to　your　action；　and　such　judgment　came　with　experience…but　experience　often　came　from　bad　decisions。
　　　You're　over　thirty　now；　Jack；　and　you've　had　experience　that　you　never　wanted　to　get；　but　be　damned　if　you　haven't　learned　a　hell　of　a　lot　from　it。　He　would　have　been　at　least　a　captain　by　now；　Jack　thought。　Maybe　even　a　junior　major；　like　Billy　Tucker；　who'd　taught　that　class。　Just　then；　Kingshot　walked　back　into　the　room。
　　　〃Al；　we　have　a　problem；〃　Ryan　told　him。
　　　〃I　know；　Jack。　I　just　told　Sir　Basil。　He's　thinking　about　it。〃
　　　〃You're　a　field　spook。　What　do　you　think？〃
　　　〃Jack；　this　is　well　over　my　level　of　expertise　and　mand。〃
　　　〃You　turn　your　brain　off；　Al？〃　Ryan　asked　sharply。
　　　〃Jack；　we　cannot　promise　our　source；　can　we？〃　Kingshot　shot　back。　〃That　is　the　paramount　consideration　here　and　now。〃
　　　〃Al；　we　know　that　somebody　is　going　to　try　to　whack　the　head　of　my　church。　We　know　his　name；　and　Nick　has　a　photo　album　on　the　fucker；　remember？〃　Ryan　took　a　deep　breath　before　going　on。　〃I　am　not　going　to　sit　here　and　do　nothing　about　it；〃　Ryan　concluded；　entirely　forgetting　the　presence　of　the　Rabbit　for　the　moment。
　　　〃You　do　nothing？　I　risk　my　life　for　this　and　you　do　nothing？〃　Zaitzev　demanded；　catching　on　to　the　rapid…fire　English　exchanged　in　front　of　him。　His　face　showed　both　outrage　and　puzzlement。
　　　Al　Kingshot　handled　the　answer。　〃That　is　not　for　us　to　say。　We　cannot　promise　our　source…you；　Oleg。　We　must　protect　you　as　well。〃
　　　〃Fuck！〃　Ryan　stood　and　walked　out　of　the　room。　But　what　the　hell　could　he　actually　do？　Jack　asked　himself。　Then　he　went　looking　for　the　secure　phone　and　dialed　a　number　from　memory。
　　　〃Murray；〃　a　voice　said　after　the　STUs　married　up。
　　　〃Dan；　it's　Jack。〃
　　　〃Where　you　been？　I　called　two　nights　ago　and　Cathy　said　you　were　in　Germany　on　NATO　business。　I　wanted　to…〃　Ryan　just　cut　him　off。
　　　〃Stick　it；　Dan。　I　was　somewhere　else　doing　something　else。　Listen　up。　I　need　some　information　and　I　need　it　in　a　hurry；〃　Jack　announced；　lapsing　briefly　back　into　the　voice　of　an　officer　of　Marines。
　　　〃Shoot；〃　Murray　replied。
　　　〃I　need　to　know　the　Pope's　schedule　for　the　next　week　or　so。〃　It　was　Friday。　Ryan　hoped　the　Bishop　of　Rome　didn't　have　anything　hopping　for　the　weekend。
　　　〃What？〃　The　FBI　official's　voice　municated　predictable　puzzlement。
　　　〃You　heard　me。〃
　　　〃What　the　hell　for？〃
　　　〃Can't　tell　you…oh；　shit；〃　Ryan　swore；　and　then　went　on。　〃Dan；　we　have　reason　to　believe　there's　a　contract　out　on　the　Pope。〃
　　　〃Who？〃　Murray　asked。
　　　〃It　ain't　the　Knights　of　Columbus；〃　was　all　Ryan　felt　fortable　saying。
　　　〃Shit；　Jack。　Are　you　serious？〃
　　　〃What　the　hell　do　you　think？〃　Ryan　demanded。
　　　〃Okay；　okay。　Let　me　make　some　phone　calls。　What　exactly　am　I　free　to　say？〃
　　　That　question　stopped　Ryan　cold　in　his　tracks。　Think；　boy；　think。　〃Okay；　you're　a　private　citizen　and　a　friend　of　yours　is　going　to　Rome　and　he　wants　to　eyeball　His　Holiness。　You　want　to　know　what's　the　best　way　to　acplish　that　mission。　Fair　enough？〃
　　　〃What's　Langley　say　about　this？〃
　　　〃Dan；　frankly；　I　don't　care　a　rat's　ass　right　now；　okay？　Please；　get　me　that　information。　I'll　call　back　in　an　hour。　Okay？〃
　　　〃Roger　that；　Jack。　One　hour。〃　Murray　hung　up。　Ryan　knew　he　could　trust　Murray。　He　was　himself　a　Jesuit　product；　like　so　many　FBI　agents；　in　his　case　a　Boston　College　alum；　just　like　Ryan；　and　so　whatever　additional　loyalties　he　had　would　work　in　Ryan's　favor。　Breathing　a　little　easier；　Ryan　returned　to　the　ducal　library。
　　　〃Whom　did　you　call；　Jack？〃　Kingshot　asked。
　　　〃Dan　Murray　at　the　embassy；　the　FBI　rep。　You　ought　to　know　him。〃
　　　〃The　Legal　Attache…yes；　I　do。　Okay；　what　did　you　ask？〃
　　　〃The　Pope's　schedule　for　the　ing　week。〃
　　　〃But　we　don't　know　anything　yet；〃　Kingshot　objected。
　　　〃Does　that　make　you　feel　any　better；　Al？〃　Jack　inquired　delicately。
　　　〃You　did　not　pro…〃
　　　〃promise　our　source？　You　think　I'm　that　stupid？〃
　　　The　Brit　spook　nodded　to　the　logic　of　the　moment。　〃Very　well。　No　harm　done；　I　expect。〃
　　　The　next　hour　of　the　first　interview　returned　to　routine　things。　Zaitzev　fleshed　out　for　the　Brits　what　he　knew　about　MINISTER。　It　was　sufficiently　juicy　to　give　them　a　good　start　on　IDing　the　guy。　It　was　immediately　clear　that　Kingshot　wanted　his　hide　on　the　barn　door。　There　was　no　telling　how　much　good　information　KGB　was　getting　from　him…it　was　definitely　a　him；　Zaitzev　made　clear；　and　〃him〃　was　probably　a　senior　civil　servant　in　Whitehall；　and　soon　his　residence　would　be　provided　by　Her　Majesty's　Government　for　the　indefinite　future…〃at　the　Queen's　pleasure〃　was　the　official　phrase。　But　Jack　had　more　pressing　concerns。　At　2：20　in　the　afternoon；　he　went　back　to　the　STU　in　the　next　room。
　　　〃Dan；　it's　Jack。〃
　　　The　Legal　Attache　spoke　without　preamble。　〃He　has　a　busy　week　ahead；　the　embassy　in　Rome　tells　me；　but　the　Pope　is　always　in　the　open　on　Wednesday　afternoons。　He　parades　around　in　his　white　jeep　in　St。　Peter's　Square；　right　in　front　of　the　cathedral；　for　the　people　to　see　him　and　take　his　blessing。　It's　an　open　car；　and；　if　you　want　to　pop　a　cap；　that　sounds　to　me　like　a　good　time　to　try…unless　they　have　a　shooter　infiltrated　all　the　way　inside。　Maybe　a　cleaning　man；　plumber；　electrician；　hard　to　say；　but　you　have　to　assume　that　the　inside　staff　is　pretty　loyal；　and　that　people　keep　an　eye　on　them。〃
　　　Sure；　Jack　thought；　but　those　are　the　guys　best　suited　to　do　something　like　this。　Only　the　people　you　trust　can　really　fuck　you。　Damn。　The　best　people　to　look　into　this　were　with　the　Secret　Service；　but　he　didn't　know　anybody　in　there；　and　even　if　he　did；　getting　them　into　the　Vatican　bureaucracy…the　world's　oldest…would　require　divine　intervention。
　　　〃Thanks；　pal。　I　owe　you　one。〃
　　　〃Semper　fi；　bud。　Will　you　be　able　to　tell　me　more？　This　sounds　like　a　major　case　you're　working　on。〃
　　　〃Probably　not；　but　it's　not　for　me　to　say；　Dan。　Gotta　run。　Later；　man。〃　Ryan　hung　up　and　reentered　the　library。
　　　The　sun　was　over　the　yardarm；　and　a　wine　bottle　had　just　appeared；　a　French　white　from　the　Loire　Valley；　probably　a　nice　old　one。　There　was　dust　on　the　bottle。　It　had　been　there　for　a　while；　and　the　cellar　downstairs　would　not　be　stocked　with　Thunderbird　and　Wild　Irish　Rose。
　　　〃Zaitzev　here　has　all　manner　of　good　information　on　this　MINISTER　chap。〃　Just　a　matter　of　dredging　it　up；　Kingshot　didn't　add。　But　tomorrow　they'd　have　skilled　psychologists　sitting　in；　using　their　pshrink　skills　to　massage　his　memories…maybe　even　hypnosis。　Ryan　didn't　know　if　that　actually　worked　or　not；　though　some　police　forces　believed　in　the　tech