rl.thebourneultimatum-第11章

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　〃And　in　five　more　years　it'll　be　eighteen；　five　years　after　that；　twenty…three。　What　the　hell　do　you　want　me　to　do？　Live　with　the　specter　of　that　son　of　a　bitch　over　my　family；　frightened　every　time　my　wife　or　my　children　leave　the　house；　living　in　fear　for　the　rest　of　my　life？　。。。　No；　you　shut　up；　field　man！　You　know　better　than　that。　The　analysts　can　e　up　with　a　dozen　strategies　and　we'll　use　bits　and　pieces　of　maybe　six　and　be　grateful；　but　when　it　gets　down　to　the　mud；　it's　between　the　Jackal　and　me。　。。。　And　I've　got　the　advantage。　I've　got　you　on　my　side。〃
　Conklin　swallowed　while　blinking。　〃That's　very　flattering；　David；　maybe　too　flattering。　I'm　better　in　my　own　element；　a　couple　of　thousand　miles　away　from　Washington。　It　was　always　a　little　stifling　for　me　here。〃
　〃It　wasn't　when　you　saw　me　off　on　that　plane　to　Hong　Kong　five　years　ago。　You'd　put　together　half　the　equation　by　then。〃
　〃That　was　easier。　It　was　a　down…and…dirty　D。C。　operation　that　had　the　smell　of　rotten　halibut；　so　rotten　it　offended　my　nostrils。　This　is　different；　this　is　Carlos。〃
　〃That's　my　point；　Alex。　It　is　Carlos；　not　a　voice　over　the　telephone　neither　of　us　knew。　We're　dealing　with　a　known　quantity；　someone　predictable…〃
　〃Predictable？〃　broke　in　Conklin；　frowning。　〃That's　also　crazy。　In　what　way？〃
　〃He's　the　hunter。　He'll　follow　a　scent。〃
　〃He'll　examine　it　first　with　a　very　experienced　nose；　then　check　the　spoors　under　a　microscope。〃
　〃Then　we'll　have　to　be　authentic；　won't　we？〃
　〃I　prefer　foolproof。　What　did　you　have　in　mind？〃
　〃In　the　gospel　according　to　Saint　Alex；　it's　written　that　in　order　to　bait　a　trap　one　has　to　use　a　large　part　of　the　truth；　even　a　dangerous　amount。〃
　〃That　chapter　and　verse　referred　to　a　target's　microscope。　I　think　I　just　mentioned　it。　What's　the　relevance　here？〃
　〃Medusa；〃　said　Webb　quietly。　〃I　want　to　use　Medusa。〃
　〃Now　you're　out　of　your　mind；〃　responded　Conklin；　no　louder　than　David。　〃That　name　is　as　off…limits　as　you　are…let's　be　honest；　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　so。〃
　〃There　were　rumors；　Alex；　stories　all　over　Southeast　Asia　that　floated　up　the　China　Sea　to　Kowloon　and　Hong　Kong；　where　most　of　those　bastards　ran　with　their　money。　Medusa　wasn't　exactly　the　secret　evil　you　seem　to　think　it　was。〃
　〃Rumors；　yes；　and　stories；　of　course；〃　interrupted　the　retired　intelligence　officer。　〃Which　of　those　animals　didn't　put　a　gun　or　a　knife　to　the　heads　of　a　dozen　or　two　dozen　or　two　hundred　marks　during　their　so…called　'tours'？　Ninety　percent　were　killers　and　thieves；　the　original　death　squads。　Peter　Holland　said　that　when　he　was　a　SEAL　in　the　northern　operations　he　never　met　a　member　of　that　outfit　he　didn't　want　to　waste。〃
　〃And　without　them；　instead　of　fifty…eight　thousand　casualties；　there　could　well　have　been　sixty…plus。　Give　the　animals　their　due；　Alex。　They　knew　every　inch　of　the　territories；　every　square　foot　of　jungle　in　the　triangle。　They…we…sent　back　more　functional　intelligence　than　all　the　units　sent　out　by　Saigon　put　together。〃
　〃My　point；　David；　is　that　there　can　never　be　any　connection　between　Medusa　and　the　United　States　government。　Our　involvement　was　never　logged；　much　less　acknowledged；　the　name　itself　was　concealed　as　much　as　possible。　There's　no　statute　of　limitations　on　war　crimes；　and　Medusa　was　officially　determined　to　be　a　private　organization；　a　collection　of　violent　misfits　who　wanted　the　corrupt　Southeast　Asia　back　the　way　they　knew　it　and　used　it。　If　it　was　ever　established　that　Washington　was　behind　Medusa；　the　reputation　of　some　very　important　people　in　the　White　House　and　the　State　Department　would　be　ruined。　They're　global　power　brokers　now；　but　twenty　years　ago　they　were　hotheaded　junior　staffers　in　mand　Saigon。　。。。　We　can　live　with　questionable　tactics　in　time　of　war；　but　not　with　being　acplices　in　the　slaughter　of　nonbatants　and　the　diversion　of　funds　totaling　millions；　both　unknowingly　paid　for　by　the　taxpayers。　It's　like　those　still…sealed　archives　that　detail　how　so　many　of　our　fat…cat　financiers　bankrolled　the　Nazis。　Some　things　we　never　want　out　of　their　black　holes；　and　Medusa's　one　of　them。〃
　Webb　again　leaned　back　in　the　chair…now；　however；　taut；　his　eyes　steady　on　his　old　friend；　who　was　once　briefly　his　deadly　enemy。　〃If　what　memory　I　have　left　serves　me；　Bourne　was　identified　as　having　e　out　of　Medusa。〃
　〃It　was　an　entirely　believable　explanation　and　a　perfect　cover；〃　agreed　Conklin；　returning　David's　gaze。　〃We　went　back　to　Tam　Quan　and　'discovered'　that　Bourne　was　a　paranoid　Tasmanian　adventurer　who　disappeared　in　the　jungles　of　North　Vietnam。　Nowhere　in　that　very　creative　dossier　was　there　the　slightest　clue　of　a　Washington　connection。〃
　〃But　that's　all　a　lie；　isn't　it；　Alex？　There　was　and　is　a　Washington　connection；　and　the　Jackal　knows　it　now。　He　knew　it　when　he　found　you　and　Mo　Panov　in　Hong　Kong…found　your　names　in　the　ruins　of　that　sterile　house　on　Victoria　Peak　where　Jason　Bourne　was　supposedly　blown　away。　He　confirmed　it　last　night　when　his　messengers　approached　you　at　the　Smithsonian　and…your　words…'our　men　were　very　obvious。'　He　knew　finally　that　everything　he's　believed　for　thirteen　years　is　true。　The　member　of　Medusa　who　was　called　Delta　was　Jason　Bourne；　and　Jason　Bourne　was　a　creation　of　American　intelligence…and　he's　still　alive。　Alive　and　in　hiding　and　protected　by　his　government。〃
　Conklin　slammed　his　fist　on　the　arm　of　his　chair。　〃How　did　he　find　us；　find　me？　Everything；　everything；　was　under　a　black　drape。　McAllister　and　I　made　sure　of　it！〃
　〃I　can　think　of　several　ways；　but　that's　a　question　we　can　postpone；　we　haven't　time　for　it　now。　We　have　to　move　now　on　what　we　know　Carlos　knows。　。。。　Medusa；　Alex。〃
　〃What？　Move　how？〃
　〃If　Bourne　was　plucked　from　Medusa；　it　has　to　follow　that　our　covert　operations　were　working　with　it…with　them。　Otherwise；　how　could　the　Bourne　switch　be　created？　What　the　Jackal　doesn't　know　or　hasn't　put　together　yet　is　how　far　this　government…especially　certain　people　in　this　government…will　go　to　keep　Medusa　in　its　black　hole。　As　you　pointed　out；　some　very　important　men　in　the　White　House　and　the　State　Department　could　get　burned；　a　lot　of　nasty　labels　branded　on　the　foreheads　of　global　power　brokers；　I　think　you　called　them。〃
　〃And　suddenly　we've　got　a　few　Waldheims　of　our　own。〃　Conklin　nodded；　frowning　and　looking　down；　his　thoughts　obviously　racing。
　〃Nuy　Dap　Ranh；〃　said　Webb；　barely　above　a　whisper。　At　the　sound　of　the　Oriental　words；　Alex's　eyes　snapped　back　up　at　David。　〃That's　the　key；　isn't　it？〃　continued　Webb。　〃Nuy　Dap　Ranh…Snake　Lady。〃
　〃You　remembered。〃
　〃Just　this　morning；〃　replied　Jason　Bourne；　his　eyes　cold。　〃When　Marie　and　the　kids　were　airborne；　the　plane　disappeared　into　the　mists　over　Boston　harbor　and　suddenly　I　was　there。　In　another　plane；　in　another　time；　the　words　crackling　out　of　a　radio　through　the　static。　'Snake　Lady；　Snake　Lady；　abort。　。。。　Snake　Lady；　do　you　read　me？　Abort！'　I　responded　by　turning　the　damn　thing　off　and　looked　around　at　the　men　in　the　cabin；　which　seemed　ready　to　break　apart　in　the　turbulence。　I　studied　each　man；　wondering；　I　guess；　whether　this　one　or　that　one　would　e　out　alive；　whether　I'd　e　out　alive；　and　if　we　didn't；　how　we　would　die。　。。。　Then　I　saw　two　of　the　men　rolling　up　their　sleeves；　paring　those　small　ugly　tattoos　on　their　forearms；　those　lousy　little　emblems　that　obsessed　them…〃
　〃Nuy　Dap　Ranh；〃　said　Conklin　flatly。　〃A　woman's　face　with　snakes　for　strands　of　hair。　Snake　Lady。　You　refused　to　have　one　done　on　you…〃
　〃I　never　considered　it　a　mark　of　distinction；〃　interrupted　Webb…Bourne；　blinking。　〃Somewhat　the　reverse；　in　fact。〃
　〃Initially　it　was　meant　for　identification；　not　a　standard　or　a　banner　of　any　distinction　one　way　or　the　other。　An　intricate　tattoo　on　the　underside　of　the　forearm；　the　design　and　the　colors　produced　by　only　one　artist　in　Saigon。　No　one　else　could　duplicate　it。〃
　〃That　old　man　made　a　lot　of　money　during　those　years；　he　was　special。〃
　〃Every　officer　in　mand　Headquarters　who　was　connected　to　Medusa　had　one。　They　were　like　manic　kids　who'd　found　secret　code　rings　in　cereal　boxes。〃
　〃They　weren't　kids；　Alex。　Manic；　you　can　bet　your　ass　on　it；　but　not　kids。　They　were　infected　with　a　rotten　virus　called　u