tc.redrabbit-第137章

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sis。　Ryan　didn't　know　if　that　actually　worked　or　not；　though　some　police　forces　believed　in　the　technique；　a　lot　of　defense　lawyers　foamed　at　the　mouth　over　it；　and　Jack　didn't　know　who　was　right　on　that　issue。　On　the　whole；　it　was　a　shame　that　the　Rabbit　wasn't　able　to　e　out　with　photos　taken　of　KGB　files；　but　it　would　have　been　asking　a　lot　to　request　that　the　guy　place　his　neck　not　so　much　on　the　block　as　inside　the　guillotine　head…holder　and　shout　for　the　operator　to　e　over。　And　so　far；　Zaitzev　had　impressed　Ryan　with　his　memory。
　　　Might　he　be　a　plant；　a　false　defector　sent　West　to　give　the　Agency　and　others　false　information？　It　was　possible；　but　the　proof　of　that　pudding　would　lie　in　the　quality　of　the　agents　he　identified　to　the　Western　counter…intelligence　services。　If　MINISTER　was　really　giving　out　good　information；　the　quality　of　it　would　tell　the　Security　Service　if　he　were　that　valuable　an　agent。　The　Russians　were　never　the　least　bit　loyal　to　their　agents…they'd　never；　not　once；　tried　to　bargain　for　an　American　or　British　traitor　rotting　away　in　prison；　as　America　had　often　done；　sometimes　successfully。　No；　the　Russians　considered　them　expendable　assets；　and　such　assets　were。。。　expended；　with　little　more　than　a　covert　decoration　that　would　never　be　worn　by　its　〃honored〃　recipient。　It　struck　Ryan　as　very　strange。　The　KGB　was　the　most　professional　of　services　in　so　many　ways…didn't　they　know　that　showing　loyalty　to　an　agent　would　help　make　other　agents　willing　to　take　greater　chances？　Perhaps　it　was　a　case　of　national　philosophy　overruling　mon　sense。　A　lot　of　that　went　on　in　the　USSR。
　　　By　4：00　local　time；　Jack　could　be　sure　that　somebody　would　be　at　work　at　Langley。　He　asked　one　more　question　of　the　Rabbit。
　　　〃Oleg　Ivan'ch；　do　you　know　if　KGB　can　crack　our　secure　phone　systems？〃
　　　〃I　think　not。　I　am　not　sure；　but　I　know　that　we　have　an　agent　in　Washington…code　name　CRICKET…whom　we　have　asked　to　get　information　on　your　STU　telephones　for　us。　As　yet　he　has　not　been　able　to　provide　what　our　munications　people　wish。　We　are　afraid　that　you　can　read　our　telephone　traffic；　however；　and　so　we　mainly　avoid　using　telephones　for　important　traffic。〃
　　　〃Thanks。〃　And　Ryan　went　back　to　the　STU　in　the　next　room。　The　next　number　was　another　he　had　memorized。
　　　〃This　is　James　Greer。〃
　　　〃Admiral；　this　is　Jack。〃
　　　〃I　am　told　the　Rabbit　is　in　his　new　hutch；〃　the　DDI　said　by　way　of　a　greeting。
　　　〃That　is　correct；　sir；　and　the　good　news　is　that　he　believes　our　ms　are　secure；　including　this　one。　The　earlier　fears　appear　to　have　been　exaggerated　or　misinterpreted。〃
　　　〃Is　there　bad　news？〃　the　DDI　asked　warily。
　　　〃Yes；　sir。　Yuriy　Andropov　wants　to　kill　the　Pope。〃
　　　〃How　reliable　is　that　assertion？〃　James　Greer　asked　at　once。
　　　〃Sir；　that's　the　reason　he　skipped。　I'll　have　chapter　and　verse　to　you　in　a　day　or　two　at　most；　but　it's　official；　there　is　a　no…shit　KGB　operation　to　assassinate　the　Bishop　of　Rome。We　even　have　the　operation　designator。　You　will　want　to　let　the　Judge　in　on　that；　and　probably　NCA　will　want　to　know　as　well。〃
　　　〃I　see；〃　Vice　Admiral　Greer　said　from　thirty…four　hundred　miles　away。　〃That's　going　to　be　a　problem。〃
　　　〃Damned　straight　it　is。〃　Ryan　took　a　breath。　〃What　can　we　do　about　it？〃
　　　〃That's　the　problem；　my　boy；〃　the　DDI　said　next。　〃First；　can　we　do　anything　about　it？　Second；　do　we　want　to　do　anything　about　it？〃
　　　〃Admiral；　why　would　we　not　want　to　do　something　about　it？〃　Ryan　asked；　trying　to　keep　his　voice　short　of　insubordinate。　He　respected　Greer　as　a　boss　and　as　a　man。
　　　〃Back　up；　son。　Think　it　all　the　way　through。　First；　our　mission　in　life　is　to　protect　the　United　States　of　America；　and　no　one　else…well；　allies；　too；　of　course；〃　Greer　added　for　the　tape　recorders　that　had　to　be　on　this　line。　〃But　our　primary　duty　is　to　our　flag；　not　to　any　religious　figure。　We　will　try　to　help　him　if　we　can；　but　if　we　cannot；　then　we　cannot。〃
　　　〃Very　well；〃　Ryan　responded　through　gritted　teeth。　What　about　right　and　wrong？　He　wanted　to　ask；　but　that　would　have　to　wait　a　few　moments。
　　　〃We　do　not　ordinarily　give　away　classified　information；　and　you　can　imagine　how　tightly　held　this　defection　is　going　to　be；〃　Greer　went　on。
　　　〃Yes；　sir。〃　But　at　least　it　wasn't　going　to　be　NoForn…not　for　distribution　to　foreigners。　The　Brits　were　foreigners；　and　they　already　knew　all　about　BEATRIX　and　the　Rabbit；　but　the　Brits　weren't　big　on　sharing；　except；　sometimes；　with　America；　and　usually　with　a　big　quid　pro　quo　tacked　onto　it。　It　was　just　how　things　worked。　Similarly；　Ryan　wasn't　allowed　to　discuss　a　single　thing　about　some　operations　he　was　cleared　into。　TALENT　KEYHOLE　was　the　code　name：　the　reconnaissance　satellites；　though　CIA　and　the　Pentagon　had　fallen　all　over　themselves　giving　the　raw　data　to　the　British　during　the　Falklands　War；　plus　every　intercept　the　National　Security　Agency　had　from　South　America。　Blood　was　still　thicker　than　water。　〃Admiral；　how　will　it　look　in　the　papers　if　it　bees　known　that　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　had　data　on　the　threat　to　the　Pope　and　we　just　sat　on　our　hands？〃
　　　〃Is　that　a…〃
　　　〃Threat？　No；　sir；　not　from　me。　I　play　by　the　rules；　sir；　and　you　know　it。　But　somebody　there　will　leak　the　information　just　because　he's　pissed　about　it；　and　you　know　that；　and　when　that　happens；　there'll　be　hell　to　pay。〃
　　　〃Point　taken；〃　Greer　agreed。　〃Are　you　proposing　anything？〃
　　　〃That's　above　my　pay　grade；　sir；　but　we　have　to　think　hard　about　possible　action　of　some　sort。〃
　　　〃What　else　are　we　getting　from　our　new　friend？〃
　　　〃We　have　the　code　names　of　three　major　leaks。　One　is　MINISTER；　sounds　like　a　political　and　foreign　policy　leak　in　Whitehall。　Two　for　our　side　of　the　ocean：　NEPTUNE　sounds　naval；　and　that's　the　source　of　our　munications　insecurity。　Somebody　in　Redland　is　reading　the　Navy's　mail；　sir。　And　there's　one　in　D。C。　called　CASSIUS。　Sounds　like　a　leaker　on　The　Hill；　top…drawer　political　intelligence；　plus　stuff　about　our　operations。〃
　　　〃Our…you　mean　CIA？〃　the　DDI　asked；　with　sudden　concern　in　his　voice。　No　matter　how　old　a　player　you　were；　no　matter　how　much　experience　you　had；　the　idea　that　your　parent　agency　might　be　promised　scared　the　living　hell　out　of　you。
　　　〃Correct；〃　Ryan　answered。　He　didn't　need　to　press　that　button　very　hard。　Nobody　at　Langley　was　entirely　fortable　with　all　the　information　that　went　to　the　〃select〃　intelligence　mittees　in　the　House　and　Senate。　Politicians　talked　for　a　living；　after　all。　Hell；　there　were　few　things　harder　than　making　a　political　figure　keep　his　mouth　shut。　〃Sir；　this　guy　is　a　fantastically　valuable　source。　We'll　get　him　cut　loose　from　over　here　in　three　days　or　so。　I　think　the　debriefing　process　will　take　months。　I've　met　his　wife　and　daughter。　They　seem　nice　enough…the　little　girl　is　Sally's　age。　I　think　this　guy's　the　real　deal；　sir；　and　there's　gold　in　them　thar　hills。〃
　　　〃How　fortable　is　he？〃
　　　〃Well；　they're　all　probably　in　sensory　overload　at　the　moment。　I'd　think　hard　about　getting　a　pshrink　assigned　to　them　to　help　with　the　transition。　Maybe　more　than　one。　We　want　to　keep　him　settled　down…we　want　him　confident　in　his　new　life。　That　might　not　be　easy；　but　it'll　damned　sure　pay　off　for　us。〃
　　　〃We　have　a　couple　of　guys　for　that。　They　know　how　to　talk　them　through　the　transition　part。　Is　the　Rabbit　a　flight　risk？〃
　　　〃Sir；　I　see　nothing　to　suggest　that；　but　we　have　to　remember　that　he's　made　one　hell　of　a　broad　jump；　and　the　stuff　he　landed　in　isn't　exactly　what　he's　used　to。〃
　　　〃Noted。　Good　call；　Jack。　What　else？〃
　　　〃That's　all　for　the　moment。　We've　only　been　talking　to　the　guy　about　five　and　a　half　hours；　just　preliminary　stuff　so　far；　but　the　waters　look　pretty　deep。〃
　　　〃Okay。　Arthur　is　on　the　phone　with　Basil　right　now。　I'm　going　to　head　over　that　way　and　give　him　your　read。　Oh；　Bob　Ritter　just　got　back　from　Korea…jet…lagged　all　to　hell　and　gone。　We're　going　to　tell　him　about　your　adventure　in　the　field。　If　he　tries　to　bite　your　head　off；　it's　our　fault；　mine　and　the　Judge's。〃
　　　Ryan　took　a　long　look　down　at　the　carpet。　He　didn't　quite　understand　why　Ritter　disliked　him；　but　they　didn't　swap　Christmas　cards；　and　that　was　a　fact。　〃Gee；　thanks；　sir。〃
　　　〃Don't　sweat　it。　From　what　I　understand；　it　sound