tc.redrabbit-第50章

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everyone　out；　which　was　why　intelligence　services　always　tried　to　corrupt　cipher　clerks；　the　underpaid　and　spat…upon　people　who　had　enormous　information　power　in　any　embassy。
　　　Foley　took　the　envelope　and　opened　it。　The　dispatch　inside　was　lower　than　routine；　proof　positive　that　CIA　was　just　one　more　government　bureaucracy；　however　important　its　work　might　be。　He　snorted　and　entered　the　paper　into　his　shredder；　where　rotating　steel　wheels　reduced　it　to　fragments　about　two　centimeters　square。
　　　〃Must　be　nice　to　get　your　day's　work　done　in　ten　seconds；〃　Russell　observed；　with　a　laugh。
　　　〃Wasn't　like　that　in　Vietnam；　I　bet。〃
　　　〃Not　hardly。　I　remember　once　one　of　my　troops　DF'd　a　VC　transmitter　at　MAC…V　headquarters；　and　that　was　one　busy　night。〃
　　　〃Get　him？〃
　　　〃Oh　yeah；〃　Russell　replied　with　a　nod。　〃The　locals　were　seriously　pissed　about　that　little　dink。　He　came　to　a　bad　end；　they　told　me。〃　Russell　had　been　a　first　lieutenant　then。　A　Detroit　native；　his　father　had　built　B…24　bombers　during　World　War　II；　and　had　never　stopped　telling　his　son　how　much　more　satisfying　that　had　been　than　making　Fords。　Russell　detested　everything　about　this　country　（they　didn't　even　appreciate　good　soul　music！）；　but　the　extra　pay　that　came　with　duty　here…Moscow　was　officially　a　hardship　posting…would　buy　him　a　nice　place　on　the　Upper　Peninsula　someday；　where　he'd　be　able　to　hunt　birds　and　deer　to　his　heart's　content。　〃Anything　to　go　out；　Ed？〃
　　　〃Nope；　not　today…not　yet；　anyway。〃
　　　〃Roger　that。　Have　a　good　one。〃　And　Russell　disappeared　out　the　door。
　　　It　wasn't　like　the　spy　novels…the　job　of　a　CIA　officer　was　posed　of　a　good　deal　more　boredom　than　excitement。　At　least　two…thirds　of　Foley's　time　as　a　field　officer　was　taken　up　with　writing　reports　that　somebody　at　Langley　might　or　might　not　read；　and/or　waiting　for　meets　that　might　or　might　not　e　off。　He　had　case　officers　to　do　most　of　the　street　work；　because　his　identity　was　too　sensitive　to　risk　exposure…something　about　which　he　had　to　lecture　his　wife　on　occasion。　Mary　Pat　just　liked　the　action　a　little　too　much。　It　was　somewhat　worrying；　though　neither　of　them　faced　much　real　physical　danger。　They　both　had　diplomatic　immunity；　and　the　Russians　were　assiduous　about　respecting　that；　for　the　most　part。　Even　if　things　should　get　a　little　rough；　it　would　never　be　really　rough。　Or　so　he　told　himself。
　　　〃Good　morning；　colonel　Bubovoy；〃　Andropov　said　pleasantly；　without　rising。
　　　〃Good　day　to　you；　rade　Chairman；〃　the　Sofia　rezident　replied；　swallowing　his　relief　that　Rozhdestvenskiy　hadn't　lied　to　him。　You　could　never　be　too　careful；　after　all；　or　too　paranoid。
　　　〃How　go　things　in　Sofia？〃　Andropov　waved　him　to　the　leather　seat　opposite　the　big　oak　desk。
　　　〃Well；　rade　Chairman；　our　fraternal　socialist　colleagues　remain　cooperative；　especially　with　Turkish　matters。〃
　　　〃Good。　We　have　a　proposed　mission　to　undertake　and　I　require　your　opinion　of　its　feasibility。〃　The　voice　stayed　entirely　pleasant。
　　　〃And　what　might　that　be？〃　Bubovoy　asked。
　　　Andropov　outlined　the　plans；　watching　his　visitor's　face　closely　for　his　reaction。　There　was　none。　The　colonel　was　too　experienced　for　that；　and　besides；　he　knew　the　look　he　was　getting。
　　　〃How　soon？〃　he　asked。
　　　〃How　quickly　could　you　set　things　up？〃
　　　〃I　will　need　to　get　cooperation　from　our　Bulgarian　friends。　I　know　who　to　go　to…Colonel　Boris　Strokov；　a　very　skillful　player　in　the　DS。　He　runs　their　operations　in　Turkey…smuggling　and　such…which　gives　him　entree　into　Turkish　gangster　organizations。　The　contacts　are　very　useful；　especially　when　a　killing　is　necessary。〃
　　　〃Go　on；〃　the　Chairman　urged　quietly。
　　　〃rade　Chairman；　such　an　operation　will　not　be　simple。　Without　a　means　of　getting　a　gunman　into　the　private　residence　of　the　target；　it　will　mean　making　the　attempt　at　a　public　appearance；　at　which　there　will　necessarily　be　many　people。　We　can　tell　our　gunman　that　we　have　the　means　of　getting　him　away；　but　that　will　be　a　lie；　of　course。　From　a　tactical　point　of　view；　it　would　be　better　to　have　a　second　man　present；　to　kill　him　immediately　after　he　takes　his　shot…with　a　suppressed　weapon。　For　the　second　killer；　escape　is　far　easier；　since　the　attention　of　the　crowd　will　be　on　the　first　gunman。　It　also　alleviates　the　possible　problem　of　our　gunman　talking　to　the　police。　The　Italian　police　do　not　have　a　good　public　reputation；　but　this　is　not；　strictly　speaking；　true。　As　our　rezident　in　Rome　can　tell　you；　their　investigative　arms　are　quite　well　organized　and　highly　professional。　Thus；　it　is　in　our　interest　to　have　our　gunman　eliminated　at　once。〃
　　　〃But　won't　that　suggest　the　involvement　of　an　intelligence　service？〃　Andropov　asked。　〃Is　it　too　elegant？〃
　　　Bubovoy　leaned　back　and　spoke　judiciously。　This　was　what　Andropov　wanted　to　hear；　and　he　was　ready　to　deliver　it。　〃rade　Chairman；　one　must　weigh　one　hazard　against　another。　The　greatest　danger　is　if　our　assassin　talked　about　how　he　came　to　be　in　Rome。　A　dead　man　tells　no　tales；　as　they　say。　And　a　silenced　voice　cannot　give　out　information。　The　other　side　can　speculate；　but　it　is　merely　speculation。　For　our　part；　we　can　easily　release　information　through　the　press　sources　we　control　about　Muslim　animosity　toward　the　head　of　the　Roman　church。　The　Western　news　services　will　pick　it　up　and；　with　proper　guidance；　we　can　help　shape　the　public　understanding　of　what　has　taken　place。　The　United　States　and　Canada　Institute　has　some　excellent　academicians　for　this　purpose；　as　you　know。　We　can　use　them　to　formulate　the　black　propaganda；　and　then　use　people　from　the　First　Chief　Directorate　to　propagate　it。　This　proposed　operation　is　not　without　risk；　of　course；　but；　though　plex；　it　is　not　all　that　difficult　from　a　conceptual　point　of　view。　The　real　problems　will　be　in　its　execution　and　in　operational　security。　That's　why　it's　critical　to　eliminate　the　assassin　immediately。　The　most　important　thing　is　the　denial　of　information　to　the　other　side。　Let　them　speculate　all　they　wish；　but　without　hard　information；　they　will　know　nothing。　This　operation　will　be　very　closely　held；　I　presume。〃
　　　〃Less　than　five　people　at　present。　How　many　more？〃　Andropov　asked；　impressed　at　Bubovoy's　expertise　and　sangfroid。
　　　〃At　least　three　Bulgarians。　Then　they　will　select　the　Turk…it　must　be　a　Turk；　you　see。〃
　　　〃Why？〃　Though　Andropov　figured　he　knew　the　answer。
　　　〃Turkey　is　a　Muslim　country；　and　there　is　a　long…standing　antipathy　between　the　Christian　churches　and　Islam。　This　way；　the　operation　will　generate　additional　discord　between　the　two　religious　groups…consider　that　a　bonus；〃　the　Sofia　rezident　suggested。
　　　〃And　how　will　you　select　the　assassin？〃
　　　〃I　will　leave　that　to　Colonel　Strokov…his　ancestry　is　Russian；　by　the　way。　His　family　settled　in　Sofia　at　the　turn　of　the　century；　but　he　thinks　like　one　of　us。　He　is　nashi；〃　Bubovoy　assured　his　boss；　〃a　graduate　of　our　own　academy；　and　an　experienced　field　operator。〃
　　　〃How　long　to　set　this　up？〃
　　　〃That　depends　more　on　Moscow　than　Sofia。　Strokov　will　need　approval　from　his　own　mand；　but　that　is　a　political　question；　not　an　operational　one。　After　he　gets　his　orders。。。　two　weeks；　perhaps　as　many　as　four。〃
　　　〃And　the　chances　of　success？〃　the　Chairman　asked。
　　　〃Medium　to　high；　I　should　think。　The　DS　field　officer　will　drive　the　killer　to　the　proper　place；　and　then　kill　him　a　moment　after　the　mission　is　acplished；　before　making　his　escape。　That　is　more　dangerous　than　it　sounds。　The　assassin　will　probably　have　a　pistol；　and　it　will　not　be　a　suppressed　weapon。　So　the　crowd　will　be　drawn　to　the　sound。　Most　people　will　draw　back；　but　some　will　leap　forward　into　danger；　hoping　to　detain　the　gunman。　If　he　falls　from　a　silent　bullet　in　the　back；　they　will　still　rush　in；　while　our　man；　like　others　in　the　crowd；　draws　back。　Like　waves　on　the　beach；〃　Bubovoy　explained。　He　could　see　it　all　happening　in　his　mind。　〃Shooting　a　pistol　is　not　as　easy　as　the　cinema　would　have　us　believe；　though。　Remember；　on　a　battlefield；　for　every　man　killed；　two　or　three　are　wounded　and　survive。　Our　gunman　will　get　no　closer　than　four　or　five　meters。　That's　close　enough　for　an　expert；　but　our　man　will　not　be　an　expert。　And　then　there's　the　plicating　factor　of　medical　care。　Unless　yo