bl.necroscope2-第90章

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ed　in　their　tracks　。　。
　
　Guy　Roberts　had　eaten　two　British　Rail　breakfasts；　washed　down　with　pints　of　coffee；　and　by　the　time　his　train　pulled　out　of　Grantham　he　was　half…way　through　the　day's　first　packet　of　Marlborough　Kings。　He　was　huge；　red　eyed　and　whiskery；　and　no　one　bothered　him　much。　He　had　his　corner　of　the　carriage　all　to　himself。　No　one　looking　at　him　would　ever　have　guessed　he　possessed　the　talent　of　some　primal　wizard；　or　that　his　mission　was　to　slay　a　twentieth…century　vampire。　Indeed　the　thought　might　be　amusing…if　it　wasn't　so　very　desperate。　There　were　too　many　desperate　things；　too　much　to　do；　and　no　time　to　do　it　all。　It　was　so　very　tiring。
　Thinking　back　on　the　events　of　last　night；　he　lay　back　in　his　seat　and　closed　his　eyes。　He　and　Layard　had　stayed　with　it　right　through　the　night；　and　it　had　been　one　strange；　strange　night　for　both　of　them。　Kyle；　for　instance；　at　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy。　As　the　sky　had　brightened　into　dawn；　so　Layard　had　found　it　increasingly　difficult　to　locate　Alec　Kyle。　In　his　own　words　it　had　been　like　〃the　difference　between　finding　a　live　man　and　a　dead　one；　with　Kyle　somewhere　in　between〃。　That　didn't　bode　at　all　well　for　INTESP's　Number　One。
　Roberts；　too；　had　been　unable　to　penetrate　the　Chateau's　mind　blocks。　He　should　have　been　able　to　〃scry〃　Kyle；　but　all　he'd　got　on　those　few　occasions　when　he　had　actually　penetrated　the　mental　defences　of　Bronnitsy's　espers　had　been。。。　well；　an　echo　of　Kyle。　A　fast…fading　image。　Roberts　didn't　know　for　sure　what　E…Branch　was　doing　to　Kyle；　and　he　didn't　much　care　to　guess。
　Then　there'd　been　Yulian　Bodescu；　or　rather；　there　hadn't　been　him。　For　try　as　they　might；　Layard　and　Roberts　hadn't　been　able　to　relocate　the　vampire。　It　was　as　if　he'd　simply　vanished　off　the　face　of　the　map。　There　was　no　〃mind…smog〃　in　or　around　Birmingham；　none　anywhere　in　the　whole　country；　so　far　as　the　British　espers　were　able　to　discover。　But　after　they'd　thought　about　it　for　a　little　while；　then　the　answer　had　seemed　obvious。　Bodescu　knew　they　were　tracking　him；　and　he　had　talents；　too。　Somehow　he　was　screening　himself；　making　himself　〃disappear〃　out　of　mindscan。
　
　But　at　6。30　in　the　morning；　Layard　had　picked　him　up　again。　Very　briefly　he'd　made　contact　with　a　reeking；　writhing　mind…smog；　an　evil　something　that　had　sensed　him　at　once；　snarling　its　mental　defiance　before　disappearing　once　more。　And　Layard　had　located　it　somewhere　in　the　vicinity　of　York。
　That　had　been　enough　for　Roberts。　It　had　seemed　to　him　that　if　there'd　ever　been　any　doubt　as　to　where　Bodescu　was　heading；　his　destination　was　now　confirmed。　Leaving　INTESP　HQ　once　more　in　the　capable　hands　of　John　Grieve；　the　permanent　Duty　Officer；　he'd　prepared　to　head　north。
　It　was　only　as　he　was　actually　making　his　exit　from　the　HQ　that　word　of　Harvey　Newton　came　in：　how　his　car　had　been　discovered　in　an　overgrown　ditch　just　off　the　motorway　at　Doncaster；　and　how　his　mutilated　body　had　been　found　in　the　boot　with　a　crossbow　bolt　transfixing　the　head。　That　had　clinched　it；　not　only　for　Roberts　but　for　everyone　else　involved。　They　didn't　even　consider　that　there　might　be　some　other　explanation　apart　from　Bodescu。　From　now　on　it　would　be　outright　warfare…no　quarter　asked　and　none　given…until　the　fiend　was　staked；　decapitated；　burned　and　definitely　dead！
　At　this　juncture　of　Roberts's　reflections；　someone　〃ahemmed〃　and　stepped　over　his　outstretched　feet。　He　opened　his　eyes　briefly；　saw　a　slim　man　in　a　hat　and　overcoat　claiming　the　seat　beside　him。　The　stranger　took　off　his　hat；　shrugged　out　of　his　coat　and　sat　down。　He　produced　a　paperback　book　and　Roberts　saw　that　it　was　Dracula；　by　Bram　Stoker。　He　couldn't　help　but　grimace。
　The　stranger　saw　his　expression；　shrugged　almost　apologetically。　〃A　little　fantasy　doesn't　hurt；〃　he　said；　in　a　thin；　reedy　voice。
　〃No；〃　Roberts　growled　his　agreement　before　closing　his　eyes　again。　〃Fantasy　doesn't　hurt　anyone。〃　And　to　himself：
　But　the　real　thing　is　something　else　entirely！
　
　*　*　*
　
　It　was　4。00　P。M。　on　the　Russian　side　of　the　Carpathians；　and　Theo　Dolgikh　was　weary　as　a　man　could　be；　but　he　drew　strength　from　the　sure　knowledge　that　his　job　was　almost　done。　After　this　he'd　sleep　for　a　week；　then　indulge　himself　in　as　many　pleasurable　diversions　as　he　could　manage　before　seeking　a　new　assignment。　Assuming；　that　was；　that　he　hadn't　already　been　assigned　some　new　task。　But　pleasure　can　take　many　forms；　depending　on　the　man；　and　Dolgikh's　work　had　its　moments。　His　missions　were　often　very。。。　satisfying？　Certainly　he　was　going　to　enjoy　the　end　of　this　one。
　He　looked　out　and　down　from　his　vantage　point　in　a　clump　of　pines　on　the　north　face　of　the　mountainside　where　it　wound　back　into　the　gorge；　and　trained　his　binoculars　on　the　four　men　who　climbed　carefully　along　the　last　hundred　yards　of　boulder…　and　scree…littered　ledge　weathered　into　the　sheer　cliff　which　formed　the　south　face。　They　were　less　than　three　hundred　yards　away；　but　Dolgikh　used　his　binoculars　anyway。
　He　enjoyed　close…up　the　strain　in　their　sweating　faces；　imagined　he　could　feel　their　aching　muscles；　tried　to　picture　their　thoughts　as　they　headed　one　last　time　for　the　old　creeper…grown　ruins　up　there　where　the　ravine　bottle…necked　and　the　stream　rushed　and　gurgled　unseen　in　the　depths　of　the　gorge。　They'd　be　congratulating　themselves　that　their　quest…their　mission…was　almost　concluded；　ah；　but　they　could　hardly　imagine　that　they　themselves　were　also　at　an　end！
　This　was　the　part　that　Dolgikh　was　going　to　enjoy：
　bringing　them　to　their　conclusion；　and　letting　them　know　that　he　was　their　executioner。
　Most　of　the　time　the　four　moved　in　clear　light；　free　of　shadows：　Krakovitch　and　his　man；　the　British　esper；　and　the　big　construction　boss。　But　where　the　cliff　overhung；　there　they　merged　with　brown　and　green　shade　and　black　darkness。　Dolgikh　squinted　into　the　sky。　The　sun　was　well　past　its　zenith；　sinking　slowly　beyond　the　looming　mass　of　the　Carpathians。　In　just　two　more　hours　it　would　be　twilight；　the　Carpathian　twilight；　when　the　sun　would　abruptly　slip　down　behind　the　peaks　and　ridges。　And　that　was　when　the　〃accident〃　would　happen。
　He　trained　his　binoculars　on　them　again。　The　huge　Russian　foreman　carried　a　haversack　with　its　strap　across　one　shoulder。　A　T…shaped　metal　handle　protruded：　the　firing　box　for　gelignite　charges。　Dolgikh　nodded　to　himself。　Earlier　in　the　day　he'd　watched　them　lay　charges　in　and　around　the　old　ruins；　now　they　were　going　to　blow　the　place　and　whatever　it　contained…a　fabulous　weapon；　according　to　that　twisted　dwarf　Ivan　Gerenko…to　hell！　So　they　thought；　but　that　was　what　Dolgikh　was　here　to　prevent。
　He　put　his　binoculars　away；　waited　impatiently　until　they　were　safely　off　the　ledge　and　into　the　woods　of　the　overgrown　slope　beyond；　then　quickly　moved　in　pursuit　…for　the　last　time。　The　cat　and　mouse　game　was　over　and　it　was　time　for　the　kill。　They　were　out　of　sight　in　the…trees　now；　with　perhaps　a　mile　to　go　to　the　ruins；　and　so　Dolgikh　must　make　haste。
　He　checked　his　blunt；　blued…steel；　standard　issue　Malatukov　automatic；　shoved　home　the　clip　of　snub…nosed　rounds　and　reholstered　the　heavy　weapon　under　his　arm。　Then　he　stepped　out　from　cover。　Directly　opposite　his　position；　across　the　narrow　gorge；　the　new　road　came　to　an　abrupt　end。　This　was　the　point　at　which　someone　had　decided　it　wouldn't　be　cost　effective　to　proceed　further。　Rubble　from　the　blasted　cliff　filled　the　depression；　forming　a　dam　for　the　mountain　stream。　A　small　lake　lay　smooth　as　a　mirror　behind　it。　Beneath　the　dam　the　water　had　forced　a　route；　erupting　in　a　torrent　where　the　much　reduced　stream　continued　its　course　down　towards　the　plain。
　Dolgikh　scrambled　down　to　the　jumbled　debris　which　formed　the　bridge　of　the　dam　and　nimbly　made　his　way　across　and　up　on　to　the　road。　A　minute　more　and　he'd　left　the　tarmac　behind　for　the　narrow；　treacherous　surface　of　the　scree…littered　ledge。　And　without　further　pause　he　followed　in　the　tracks　of　his　quarry。　As　he　went；　he　thought　back　on　the　events　of　the　day。
　This　morning　he'd　followed　them　when　they　first　came　up　here。　Finding　their　car　parked　on　the　road；　he'd　hidden　his　Fiat　in　a　dense　clump　of　bushes　and　tracked　them　on　f