ericlustbader.the ninja-第119章

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　Instead　of　turning　right；　he　went　straight　on；　due　east；　towards　Lexington　Avenue。　Once　there；　he　turned　south　to　the　end　of　the　block。　He　had　now　made　a　half…circuit　along　the　perimeter　of　the　tower。
　There　was　an　old…style　phone　booth　on　the　corner。　One　of　those　with　green　metal　and　glass　walls　all　the　way　down　to　the　pavement。　Beside　it　were　black　and　tan　polythene　bags　of　garbage　awaiting　pickup。　He　put　this　makeshift　screen　between　him　and　the　tower　as　if　he　were　about　to　head　further　east。
　Now　he　was　in　dense　shadow　and　he　stood　perfectly　still；　having　first　altered　his　image：　the　duffel　bag　was　at　his　feet　and　he　stood　straight；　his　shoulders　squared。　The　bamboo　cane　lay　in　the　gutter；　out　of　sight　of　even　the　sparse　traffic　along　Lexington。　He　was　invisible　to　anyone　within　the　building's　periphery。
　He　waited　twenty　minutes。
　Without　bending；　he　unzipped　the　duffel　bag　and　worked　with　deft；　economical　movements。　When　he　emerged　from　his　cover；　he　appeared　to　be　a　spare；　dapper　businessman　in　a　conservative　suit　and　a　pork…pie　hat。　As。　American　as　apple　pie。　He　remembered　to　make　his　strides　long　and　purposeful；　knowing　that　even　the　most　formidable　of　disguises　could　be　betrayed　by　the　peculiar　manner　in　which　an　individual　walked；　the　gait　as　singular　as　fingerprints。
　There　had　been　no　movement　along　the　east　face　but　he　had　seen　two　blue…and…whites　parked　along　the　verge　of　the　north　face。　They　were　dark；　obviously　meant　to　look　empty。　He　did　not　think　that　they　were。
　Now　as　he　pleted　his　circuit　of　the　tower；　his　estimation　of　the　New　York　Police　Force　rose　a　couple　of　notches。　In　all；　he　counted　half　a　dozen　men　either　within　or　around　the　building。　And　once　he　had　caught　a　tiny　flash　from　somewhere　above　that　could　only　e　from　the　barrel　of　a　rifle。
　Not　that　he　particularly　cared　one　way　or　another　how　many　men　they　had　assigned　to　protect　Tomkin。　But　one　had；　of　course；　to　be　prepared。　However；　he　detested　estimates：　on　anything。　Estimates；　he　had　been　taught　…　and　it　was　most　assuredly　so　…　were　dangerous。　How　many　men　had　gone　to　their　　　　　deaths　by　taking　an　estimated　count　for　real？
　He　went　south　on　Park；　taking　it　slow　and　circuitous；　arriving　back　at　the　phone　booth　on　Lexington　a　half　hour　later。　Now　was　not　the　time　to　get　careless。
　The　duffel　bag　was　where　he　had　stowed　it；　between　piles　of　plastic…wrapped　garbage。　He　checked　his　watch。　Thirty　seconds。　He　unzipped　the　duffel　bag　for　the　last　time。　He　took　off　his　light…coloured　suit；　flipped　the　hat　into　the　gutter。　Then　he　stooped　and　threw　the　contents　of　the　bag　over　his　shoulder　in　a　version　of　a　fireman's　lift。
　The　small　but　powerful　incendiary　device　he　had　dropped　under　a　car　at　the　end　of　the　north　face　of　the　building　in　his　guise　as　the　old　man　erupted　with　a　white　and　green　flash　into　the　night。　Even　a　full　block　away；　he　could　feel　the　slight　concussion　as　the　force　of　the　explosion　forced　the　hot　air　away　from　the　epicentre。　There　was　a　pattering　of　metal　and　powdered　glass　as　bright　as　diamonds　in　the　streetlights。　Flame　licked　skywards。
　Crouching；　he　ran　directly　towards　the　building's　facade　and；　within　its　dense　shadows；　he　went　along　its　south　face；　through　the　first…class　cover　of　the　dormant　machinery　…　the　double　shifts　had　ceased　two　days　ago；　after　they　had　discovered　he　had　infiltrated　the　place　as　a　construction　worker。　Within　four　seconds　he　had　disappeared　entirely。
　Now　he　went　from　thick　stanchion　to　thick　stanchion；　feeling　under　his　fingers　the　rough　texture　of　the　rust…retardant　undercoat。　Concrete　dust　still　hung　in　the　air　and；　as　he　dropped　down　from　the　height；　free　of　his　heavy　burden；　he　saw　that　the　sharp　shadows　cast　by　the　huge　machines　gave　the　place　the　rather　disconsolate　air　of　a　deserted　carnival。　There　had　been　a　carnival　once；　at　Shimonoseki。　The　thought　of　it；　and　the　sea　slowly　closing　over；　caused　him　to　reach　into　a　side　pocket。　He　put　a　rough…textured　square　into　his　mouth　and　swallowed。
　He　squatted；　perched　like　a　bird　of　prey；　waiting　for　the　drug　to　hit。　He　had　been　forced　to　leave　the　Kuji…kiri　when　he　had　bee　careless　enough　to　drop　the　stuff　during　practice。　Not　stupid；　he　reminded　himself。　He　could　not　help　it；　he　had　been　driven　to　it。　By　the　rocking　boat　and　the　howling　wind　and　the　heavy　splash　as　the　sea　closed　over　…
　Hit！　In　bright　light。　Form　and　line　became　stark；　almost　two…dimensional；　like　the　backdrop　on　a　theatre　stage。　It　seemed　to　him　that　he　could　see　in　all　directions　at　once。　He　became　at　once　more　intensely　aware　of　the　driving　dust　in　the　air。　This；　too；　this　little　thing　could　be　turned　into　an　advantage。　Because　of　the　pollutant；　his　adversaries'　eyes　would　be　forced　to　blink　more　rapidly　to　avoid　irritation。　That　minuscule　amount　of　time　would　be　the　difference　between　life　and　death　for　some　of　them。
　He　raised　his　gaze。　He　hoped　that　he　would　not　have　to　use
　the　thing　on　the　ledge；　but　if　he　did　。。。
　He　saw　the　first　one。　He　was　dressed　differently　from　the　ones　in　Doyers　Street。　Too；　he　carried　himself　more　confidently。
　Saig5　spent　several　minutes　studying　the　policeman。　He　wanted　to　know　several　things　before　he　made　a　move。　Did　he　have　a　specific　territory　assigned　to　him？　And；　if　so；　did　it　intersect　with　someone　else's？
　When　he　was　satisfied；　he　lifted　the　double　curve　from　the　side　and　screwed　the　two　pieces　together。　It　became　a　bow　of　high…tension　plastic　with　a　light　aluminum　centre　and　sight。
　Interesting；　he　thought。　The　explosion　had　not　caused　as　much　havoc　as　he　had　thought　it　might。　It　had；　however；　given　him　enough　time　to　infiltrate　the　tower's　perimeter。　But　not　much　more。　Now　he　could　hear　the　piercing　wail　of　the　fire　engine　as　it　approached。　The　policemen　here；　having　at　once　determined　that　no　person　was　inside　the　car　or　had　been　hurt　while　passing　by；　had　left　the　mop…up　to　the　fire　department。
　From　this　vantage　point　he　could　see　the　slight　clandestine　movement　of　the　sniper。　He　waited　until　the　policeman　on　his　level　was　at　the　extreme　edge　of　his　patrol。　Fitting　a　steel…tipped　arrow　to　the　bow；　he　drew　back　and　aimed。　These　were　not　normal　hunting　arrows。　Their；　points　were　made　by　the　careful　layering　of　steel　in　precisely　the　same　manner　as　katana　were　forged。　In　ancient　times；　they　were　known　as　armour…piercing　arrows。　They　could　get　through　anything　short　of　a　two…inch　steel　block。
　He　let　the　arrow　fly。　There　was　a　quiet　humming　as　of　an　inquisitive　bee　and　a　soft　thunk。　The　glint　of　the　rifle's　barrel　was　no　longer　visible；　but　the　unruffled　feathers　protruded　darkly　from　the　sniper's　neck。
　The　policeman　on　his　level　had　turned　round　and　was　ing　back。　He　stopped　directly　in　front　of　Saigo　and　lifted　his　head。　Something　dark　and　wet　dripped　down　onto　his　shoulder。　He　shifted　his　submachine…gun　to　his　left　arm；　preparatory　to　phoning　in　via　walkie…talkie。
　Saigo　leaped　at　him；　an　animated　shadow。　His　left　arm　was　lifted　high　in　an　arc；　it　made　a　hissing　sound　as　it　descended。　His　hand　was　encased　in　a　thin　steel　network；　running　from　the　wrist　out　past　the　fingertips　in　what　amounted　to　a　set　of　claws；　curved　and　razor…sharp。　Articulated　steel　tendons　across　the　back　of　the　hand；　along　each　ringer。
　The　policeman　had　time　but　to　open　his　mouth　before　the　claws　ripped　viciously　through　his　throat；　embedding　themselves　in　his　chest；　piercing　cloth；　bullet…proof　vest；　skin；　flesh　and　internal　organs。
　There　was　a　great　gout　of　black　blood　and　'the　body　convulsed　as　if　charged　with　electricity。　Strips　of　flesh　as　if　flayed　flew　through　the　air　and　the　stench　of　death　was　abruptly　as　strong　as　jasmine　in　some　far…off　and　peaceful　clime。
　He　left　the　corpse；　laughing　silently　at　the　ineffectual　addition　of　the　vest　and　retrieved　his　bow　from　the　dense　shadows。
　First　the　vast　atrium；　he　thought。　He　was　in　no　hurry。　Upstairs；　they　could　well　wait　for　him。　He　visualized　Tomkin's　broad　face　slick　with　sweat　in　the　tense　period　of　not　knowing　what　was　happening　below。
　He　moved　with　no　more　sound　than　the　passing　of　the　warm　night　wind　through　the　pillars　of　the　tower。　In　the　next　sector　he　came　upon　another　of　the　plainclothesmen。　He　moved　up　behind　him　and；　slipping　the　black　nylon