p&c.brimstone-第68章

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　〃Psychological？〃　
　〃The　site　was　once　Il　Dinamitificio　Nobel；　one　of　Alfred　Nobel's　dynamite　factories。〃　Pendergast　checked　his　watch。　〃One　of　the　great　ironies　of　history　is　that　Nobel；　who　established　the　Nobel　Peace　Prize；　made　his　fortune　with　what　at　the　time　was　the　cruelest　invention　in　human　history。〃　
　〃Dynamite？〃　
　〃Exactly。　Seventeen　times　more　powerful　than　gunpowder。　It　revolutionized　warfare。　We're　so　used　to　mass　killing；　Vincent；　that　we've　forgotten　what　war　was　like　with　only　black　powder；　cannon；　and　bullets。　A　terrible　thing；　to　be　sure；　but　nothing　like　what　it　would　bee。　Now　a　single　bomb；　instead　of　killing　two　or　three；　could　kill　hundreds。　Shells　and　bombs　could　blow　up　entire　buildings；　bridges；　and　factories。　With　the　invention　of　the　airplane；　bombs　could　level　entire　city　blocks；　burn　cities　to　the　ground；　murder　thousands。　We　tend　to　focus　on　the　terror　of　nuclear　weapons；　but　the　fact　is；　dynamite　and　its　derivatives　have　killed　and　maimed　millions　more　than　the　atomic　bomb　ever　did；　or　probably　ever　will。〃　He　slipped　a　clip　into　his　weapon　and　quietly　racked　the　slide。　
　〃Right。〃　
　〃Alfred　Nobel　had　a　patent　on　modern　warfare。　At　the　height　of　his　success；　he　had　hundreds　of　factories　all　over　Europe　making　dynamite。　These　factories　had　to　be　built　on　large　campuses　like　this　one；　because　no　matter　how　carefully　they　handled　their　materials；　once　in　a　while　it　went　off；　killing　hundreds。　He　sited　his　factories　in　impoverished　areas　which　would　provide　an　endless　source　of　desperate；　expendable　workers。　This　factory　was　one　of　his　largest。〃　He　swept　his　hand　toward　the　darkness　beyond　the　fence。　
　〃Nobel　might　have　gone　down　in　history　as　a　thoroughly　evil　man　had　not　a　curious　thing　happened。　In　1888　his　brother　died；　and　the　newspapers　of　Europe　mistakenly　reported　his　brother's　death　as　his　own。　'The　Merchant　of　Death　Is　Dead；'　ran　the　headlines。　Reading　his　own　obituary　shocked　Nobel　deeply；　and　made　him　realize　how　history　would　see　him。　His　reaction　was　to　establish　the　Nobel　prizes…including　the　famed　Peace　Prize…as　a　way　to　redirect　what　would　certainly　have　been　the　dreadful　judgment　of　history　on　his　life。〃　
　〃Seems　to　have　worked；〃　muttered　D'Agosta。　
　〃Which　brings　me　to　the　point。　By　the　time　this　factory　closed；　hundreds　of　people　had　been　killed　in　explosions。　On　top　of　that；　many　thousands　had　been　devastated　by　some　of　the　chemicals　used　in　the　manufacture　of　dynamite；　chemicals　that　affected　the　brain。　As　a　result；　this　is　a　cursed　place。　It　is　shunned　by　the　locals。　Except　for　the　visits　of　a　caretaker；　the　area　saw　no　human　beings　until　Bullard　bought　the　property　seven　years　ago。〃　
　〃So　Bullard's　letting　the　rep　of　the　place　handle　security　for　him；〃　D'Agosta　said。　〃Clever。〃　
　〃It's　a　clever　deterrent；　at　least　for　the　locals。　Nevertheless；　there　will　be　security；　and　probably　quite　sophisticated　security　at　that。　I　can　only　speculate　as　to　its　nature…my　inquiries；　as　you　know；　have　not　been　fruitful。　But　I　have　a　few　tools　that　should　aid　us。〃　
　Pendergast　removed　a　haversack　from　his　bag　and　slung　it　over　one　shoulder。　Reaching　back　into　the　bag；　he　removed　several　pieces　of　aluminum　tubing　and　fitted　them　together；　affixing　a　small　disc　to　one　end。　He　approached　the　fence；　slowly　moving　the　device　back　and　forth。　Reaching　the　fence；　he　bent　down；　sweeping　the　ground　before　him　carefully。　A　small　red　light　glowed　faintly　on　the　small　disc。　
　Pendergast　rose；　stepped　back。　〃As　I　suspected。　There　is　a　sixty…hertz　alternating　electromagnetic　field；　indicating　electric　current。〃　
　〃You're　saying　that　fence　is　electrified？〃　D'Agosta　asked。　〃That　old　thing？〃　
　〃Not　the　fence　itself。　A　pair　of　sensor　wires　are　buried　just　inside　to　alert　security　if　anyone　passes　over　them。〃　
　〃So　how　do　we　deactivate　it？〃　
　〃We　don't。　Follow　me。〃　
　Stowing　their　bags　in　the　thicket；　they　crept　along　the　fence　until　they　reached　a　weak　spot；　where　several　large　holes　had　been　crudely　patched　with　baling　wire。　Pendergast　knelt　and；　with　a　few　deft　twists；　unwired　the　largest。　Then；　carefully　extending　the　detector　through　the　hole；　he　scanned　the　ground　inside　the　fence。　Numbers　glowed　from　a　tiny　LED　screen　on　the　disc。　
　He　withdrew　the　device　and；　reaching　for　a　stick；　carefully　scraped　away　the　leaves　and　dirt；　exposing　a　pair　of　wires。　Then　he　repeated　the　process　at　another　spot　a　few　feet　away；　exposing　more　wires。　Reaching　into　his　haversack；　he　retrieved　a　pair　of　alligator　clips　mated　to　tiny　electronic　devices。　He　attached　one　of　these　clips　to　each　end　of　the　wire。　
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　
　〃I'm　using　these　clip…and…capacitor　ponents　to　reduce　our　electromagnetic　signature　to　that　of　a　seventy…kilogram　wild　boar　and　its　mate。　They　are　mon　in　this　area；　and　no　doubt　Bullard's　night　security　detail　is　plagued　by　boars　roaming　the　fence　line。　Now；　quickly。〃　
　They　crawled　through　the　hole；　Pendergast　swiftly　wiring　up　the　opening　and　removing　the　clips。　Then；　with　another　stick；　he　filled　the　holes　and　covered　them　with　dead　leaves。　Finally；　he　pulled　a　small　spritzer　bottle　and　misted　the　disturbed　ground。　An　acrid　smell　reached　D'Agosta。　
　〃Diluted　boar　urine。　Follow　me。〃　
　The　two　ran　parallel　to　the　fence　for　a　few　hundred　yards；　crouching　low；　until　they　reached　a　heavy　thicket。　As　quietly　as　possible；　they　crawled　deep　inside。　
　〃Now　we　wait　for　security　to　investigate。　It　will　be　a　while。　Regulate　your　breathing　and　stay　calm。　They'll　be　ing　in　with　night　vision　and　infrared；　no　doubt；　so　stay　low　and　don't　move。　Since　they're　already　assuming　it's　a　boar；　their　search　will　not　be　long。〃　
　Silence　fell。　It　was　utterly　black　in　the　dense　thicket。　D'Agosta　waited。　To　his　left；　Pendergast　remained　so　motionless；　so　silent；　that　he　seemed　to　disappear　pletely。　The　only　noise　was　the　faint　rustle　of　wind；　the　occasional　call　of　a　night　bird。　Three　minutes　passed；　then　five。　
　D'Agosta　felt　an　ant　moving　on　his　ankle。　He　reached　down　to　flick　it　away。　
　〃No；〃　whispered　Pendergast。　
　D'Agosta　left　the　ant　alone。　
　Soon　he　could　feel　it　crawling　over　his　shin；　exploring　with　short；　herky…jerky　movements。　It　worked　its　way　down　to　his　shoe；　where　it　began　trying　to　dig　into　his　sock。　When　he　tried　to　think　about　something　else；　he　realized　his　nose　had　begun　to　tickle。　How　long　had　they　been　still？　Ten　minutes？　Jesus；　remaining　motionless　like　this　was　harder　than　running　a　marathon。　D'Agosta　could　see　absolutely　nothing。　A　cramp　had　e　up　in　his　leg。　He　should　have　taken　more　care　to　seat　himself　fortably。　He　longed　to　move。　His　nose　was　itching　fiercely　now；　all　the　worse　for　his　not　being　able　to　scratch　it。　More　ants；　emboldened　by　the　investigations　of　their　scout；　began　to　crawl　over　his　skin。　The　cramp　in　his　leg　grew　worse；　and　he　could　feel　his　calf　muscle　twitching　involuntarily。　
　Then　came　the　faint　sound　of　voices。　D'Agosta　held　his　breath。　He　could　see　the　distant　gleam　of　a　light；　almost　obscured　by　leaves。　More　voices；　a　burst　of　static　from　a　walkie…talkie；　some　desultory　conversation　in　English。　Then　silence　returned。　
　D'Agosta　expected　Pendergast　to　give　the　all…clear；　but　the　FBI　agent　said　nothing。　Now　all　of　his　muscles　were　screaming　with　pain。　One　of　his　legs　had　gone　to　sleep；　and　the　ants　were　all　over　him。　
　〃All　right。〃　Pendergast　rose　and　D'Agosta　followed；　hugely　grateful；　shaking　out　his　legs；　rubbing　his　nose；　slapping　away　the　ants。　
　Pendergast　glanced　at　him。　〃Someday；　Vincent；　I　will　teach　you　a　useful　meditation　technique；　perfect　for　situations　such　as　that。〃　
　〃I　could　use　it。　Talk　about　agony。〃　
　〃Now　that　we've　bypassed　the　first　layer　of　security；　on　to　the　second。　Keep　directly　behind　me　and　stay　in　my　tracks　as　much　as　possible。〃　
　They　moved　through　the　woods；　Pendergast　still　scanning　with　his　device。　The　trees　thinned　and　they　emerged　into　an　overgrown　field。　Beyond　stood　a　row　of　ruined　buildings；　enormous　brick　warehouses　with　peaked　roofs　and　vacant　doors。　Vines　crawled　up　the　sides；　sprouting　off　in　dark　heads　that　nodded　and　swayed　in　the　heavy　air。　
　Pendergast　consulted　a　small　map；　and　they　moved　toward　the　first　warehouse。　Inside　it　smelled　of　mold　and　dry　rot；　their　fo