scoonts.theminotaur-第94章

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truck；　which　skidded　to　avoid　him　with　its　horn　roaring。
　Right　again；　then　left。　He　ran　a　red　light　and　swung　right　onto　the　bus…only　ramp；　which　led　up　onto　the　freeway。　Merged　with　traffic　and　scanning　the　rearview　mirror；　only　then　did　Smoke　Judy　begin　to　try　to　sort　out　what　had　happened。
　
　〃He's　dead。〃　The　ambulance　attendant　covered　the　body　of　Vice　Admiral　Tyler　Henry　with　a　sheet。　〃You　people　give　us　some　room。〃
　Jake　Grafton　walked　out　into　the　elevator　lobby；　dazed。　A　half　dozen　FBI　agents　were　talking　on　their　hand…held　radios　and　listening　to　the　words　ing　back。　There　was　still　a　bloody　spot　on　the　floor　where　one　agent　had　gone　down　with　a　bullet　in　his　shoulder。　Who　would　have　believed。。。　Smoke　Judy？
　Toad　Tarkington　blocked　his　path。
　〃Judy。　He's　the　guy　who　sold　the　E…PROM　data；　wasn't　he？〃
　Jake　nodded。
　Toad　turned　and　walked　away。
　〃Tarkington！　Tarkington！〃
　Jake　caught　up　with　the　lieutenant　in　the　plaza。　〃Where　do　you　think　you're　going？〃
　Tarkington　didn't　look　at　him。　〃For　a　few　lousy　bucks　that　bastard　damn　near　killed　my　wife。　She'll　never　fully　recover。　She'll　carry　the　scars　all　her　life。〃
　〃The　FBI'll　get　him。　They're　the　pros　at　this。〃
　〃They'd　better；〃　Toad　muttered。　〃If　I　get　to　the　cocksucker　before　they　do；　they　can　quit　looking。〃
　Tarkington　walked　away　and　Jake　stood　and　watched　him　go。　What　the　hell；　he　needs　some　time　off　anyway。　He'll　never　find　Judy。　The　FBI　will　scoop　him　up　in　a　day　or　two。　And　maybe　the　time　off　will　do　Toad　some　good。
　Back　inside　he　ran　into　an　agent　he　recognized；　Lloyd　Dreyfus。　〃What　the　hell　happened；　Dreyfus？〃
　〃Well；　Captain；　it　seems　that　the　National　Security　Agency　was　monitoring　the　terminals；　and　when　Judy　got　into　the　Athena　file；　they　called　Vice　Admiral　Henry　right　after　they　called　us。　Henry　beat　us　here　by　about　a　minute。〃
　Jake　started　to　speak　and　Dreyfus　held　up　a　hand。　〃I　know；　I　know。　They　shouldn't　have　done　that。　And　now　some　poor　schnook　will　probably　lose　his　job。　But　Tyler　Henry　was　Tyler　Henry。　Very　few　people　ever　managed　to　say　no　to　him　and　make　it　stick。〃
　〃That's　true；〃　Jake　acknowledged。　〃Who　was　the　civilian　upstairs　with　Henry？〃
　〃Guy　from　the　Naval　Investigative　Service。　We　got　all　this　from　him。〃
　〃Where's　Luis　Camacho？〃
　〃Working。〃
　〃I　want　to　talk　to　him。〃
　〃I'll　pass　that　along。〃
　〃No。　You　tell　him　he'll　talk　with　me　or　I'm　going　to　raise　holy　hell。　When　somebody　kills　a　vice　admiral　in　a　navy　building；　the　lid　is　gonna　get　ripped　off　pretty　damned　quick。　Right　now　I　know　a　lot　more　than　my　boss；　and　I　don't　know　much。　When　I　start　answering　his　questions　he　is　not　going　to　be　a　happy　camper。　He's　a　vice　admiral　too；　by　the　way。　I　will　answer　his　questions。　He's　another　one　of　those　guys　who　doesn't　take　no　for　an　answer。　George　Ludlow；　the　Secretary　of　the　Navy；　he　hasn't　even　heard　the　word　since　he　got　out　of　diapers。　And　CNO。。。〃　Jake　snorted。
　〃Camacho…〃
　〃He　won't　be　able　to　wave　his　badge　over　on　the　E…Ring　and　stuff　this　shit　back　into　the　goose。。。　You　tell　him！〃
　
　As　mander　Smoke　Judy　drove　across　the　George　Mason　Memorial　Bridge　into　Washington；　he　stripped　off　his　white　uniform　shirt　with　the　black　shoulder　boards　and　threw　it　onto　the　floor　of　the　backseat。　He　was　still　wearing　a　white　T…shirt；　but　that　would　attract　less　attention　than　the　uniform。　His　cover　was　gone；　lost　somewhere　back　in　the　stairwell。
　He　needed　a　change　of　clothes；　he　needed　to　get　rid　of　this　car　and　he　needed　a　place　to　hide。
　He　took　the　Fourteenth　Street　exit　on　the　east　side　of　the　bridge　and　went　north；　rolling　slowly　with　the　traffic　between　tour　buses　and　out…of…state　cars　laden　with　tourists。　A　motel？　No…they　would　be　checking　motels　and　hotels　and　bus　stations　and。。。
　He　crossed　Constitution　Avenue　and　continued　north　into　the　business　district。
　Three　blocks　north　of　New　York　Avenue　he　was　stopped　in　traffic　inching　through　a　single…lane　construction　choke　point　when　he　saw　a　drunk　stagger　into　an　alley；　a　derelict；　or　in　the　language　of　the　social　reformers；　a　〃homeless　person。〃
　It　took　five　minutes　to　go　halfway　around　the　block　and　enter　the　alley　from　the　other　end。　There　was　just　room　to　get　the　car　by　a　delivery　truck。　The　drunk　was　collapsed　beside　a　metal　Dumpster；　his　wine　bottle　beside　him。　His　head　lay　on　a　blanket　roll。　Beside　him　sat　a　green　trash　bag。　After　checking　to　make　sure　there　was　no　one　in　sight。　Smoke　stopped　the　car　and　stepped　out。
　The　drunk　was　semiconscious。　Smoke　examined　the　trash　bag。　It　contained　an　old　coat；　some　filthy　shirts。
　〃Sorry；　buddy。　This　is　the　end　of　the　line。〃　Judy　throttled　him　with　both　hands。　The　bum；　who　looked　to　be　in　his　sixties；　with　a　two…week　growth　of　beard；　kicked　some　and　struggled　ineffectually。　In　less　than　a　minute　he　was　gone。
　Judy　stripped　the　shirt　from　the　dead　man　and　put　it　on　over　his　T…shirt。　The　trousers　were　next。　Sheltered　between　the　Duropster　and　the　delivery　truck；　Smoke　took　off　his　white　trousers　and　white　shoes　and　socks　and　pulled　the　derelict's　grime…encrusted　trousers　on。　Perhaps　this　garment　had　once　been　gray；　but　now　it　was　just　dark；　blotchy。　And　a　little　big。　All　the　better。　He　even　took　the　dead　man's　shoes。　They　were　too　small；　but　he　put　them　on　anyway。
　Judy　loaded　the　trash　bag　and　blanket　roll　in　the　car。　He　helped　himself　to　the　wine　bottle　too；　wedging　it　between　the　stuff　on　the　backseat　so　it　wouldn't　fall　over　and　spill。
　He　rolled　out　of　the　alley　and；　with　the　help　of　a　courteous　tourist；　managed　to　get　back　into　traffic。　He　discarded　all　his　white　uniform　items　in　a　Dumpster　near　RFK　Memorial　Stadium；　then　parked　the　car　in　the　lot　at　D。C。　General　Hospital
　With　his　blanket　roll　over　one　shoulder　and　the　trash　bag…　which　now　contained　his　gym　bag…dangling　across　the　other；　he　shuffled　across　the　parking　lot　toward　the　Burke　Street　Metro　stop。　He　didn't　get　far。　His　feet　were　killing　him。　The　shoes　were　impossibly　small。　He　sat　on　a　curb　with　a　little　hedge　behind　it　and　put　on　his　running　shoes　from　his　gym　bag。　The　car　keys　he　buried　in　the　soft　dirt。　He　stuffed　the　drunk's　shoes　under　the　hedge；　sprinkled　some　wine　on　himself　and　smeared　it　on　his　face　and　left　the　bottle　beside　the　shoes　after　wiping　it　of　prints。　There　was　an　old　cap　in　the　trash　bag；　which　he　donned。
　He　sat　there　on　the　curb；　considering。　A　car　drove　into　the　lot。　A　woman　and　her　two　teenage　youngsters。　She　glanced　at　him；　then　ignored　him。　The　teenagers　scowled。
　This　just　might　work；　Judy　told　himself。　He　shouldered　his　load　and　set　off　again　for　the　Metro　stop。
　
　Harlan　Albright　was　in　the　car　dealer's　snack　area；　feeding　quarters　into　the　coffee　machine；　when　FBI　agents　arrived　at　4：30　to　arrest　him。　He　extracted　the　paper　cup　from　the　little　door　in　the　front　of　the　machine　and　sipped　it　experimentally　as　he　glanced　idly　through　the　picture　windows　at　the　service　desk。　Three　men　in　business　suits；　one　of　them　black；　short　haircuts；　their　coats　hanging　open。　One　of　them　had　a　word　with　Joe　Talley；　the　other　service　rep；　while　the　other　two　scanned　the　area。
　As　he　looked　at　them；　Albright　knew。　They　weren't　here　about　a　car。　When　Talley　pointed　in　this　direction；　Albright　moved。
　On　the　back　wall　of　the　snack　area　was　a　door　marked　〃Employees　Only。〃　It　was　locked。　Albright　used　his　key　and　went　through　into　the　parts　storeroom。　The　door　automatically　locked　behind　him。
　He　walked　between　the　shelves　and　passed　the　man　at　the　counter　with　a　greeting。　Out　in　the　corridor　he　walked　ten　feet；　then　turned　left　and　went　through　an　unmarked　door　into　the　service　bay。
　Halfway　down　the　bay；　one　of　the　mechanics　was　lowering　a　car　on　the　hoist；　〃You　about　finished　with　that　LTD；　Jimmy？〃
　〃All　done；　Mr。　Albright。　Was　gonna　take　it　out　of　here。〃
　〃I'll　do　that。　The　owner　is　out　at　the　service　desk　now。　She's　impatient；　as　usual。〃
　〃Starter　wire　was　loose；〃　the　mechanic　said。　〃That　was　the　whole　problem。　Keys　are　in　it　But　what　about　the　paperwork？〃
　〃Go　ahead　and　walk　it　over　to　the　office。〃
　〃Sure。〃　As　Albright　started　the　car；　the　mechanic　raised　the　garage　door　and　kicked　the　lifting　blocks　out　of　the　way　of　the　tires。
　Albright　backed　out　carefully　and　drove　down