rl.thebourneultimatum-第148章

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　〃Know　it？〃　cried　Carlos；　a　tremor　developing　in　his　left　hand。　〃I　have　its　soul！　No　secrets　are　kept　from　me；　for　I　am　the　repository　of　all　secrets！　I　have　volumes　on　governments　everywhere；　on　their　leaders；　their　generals；　their　highest　officials…I　have　sources　all　over　the　world！〃
　〃You　don't　have　Rodchenko　anymore；〃　continued　the　black…suited　man　from　Military　Supply；　he；　too；　getting　out　of　his　chair。　〃And　e　to　think　of　it；　you　weren't　even　surprised。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃For　most　of　us；　perhaps　all　of　us；　the　first　thing　we　do　upon　rising　in　the　morning　is　to　turn　on　our　radios。　It's　always　the　same　foolishness　and　I　suppose　there's　fort　in　that；　but　I'd　guess　most　of　us　knew　about　Rodchenko's　death。　。。。　But　you　didn't；　priest；　and　when　our　television　lady　told　you；　you　weren't　astonished；　you　weren't　shocked…as　I　say；　you　weren't　even　surprised。〃
　〃Certainly　I　was！〃　shouted　the　Jackal。　〃What　you　don't　understand　is　that　I　have　extraordinary　control。　It's　why　I'm　trusted；　needed　by　the　leaders　of　world　Marxism！〃
　〃That's　not　even　fashionable；〃　mumbled　the　middle…aged；　grayish…blond　woman　whose　expertise　was　in　personnel　files；　she　also　stood　up。
　〃What　are　you　saying？〃　Carlos's　voice　was　now　a　harsh；　condemning　whisper；　rising　rapidly　in　intensity　and　volume。　〃I　am　the　monseigneur　from　Paris。　I　have　made　your　lives　fortable　far　beyond　your　miserable　expectations　and　now　you　question　me？　How　would　I　know　the　things　I　know…how　could　I　have　poured　my　concentration　and　my　resources　into　you　here　in　this　room　if　I　were　not　among　the　most　privileged　in　Moscow？　Remember　who　I　am！〃
　〃But　we　don't　know　who　you　are；〃　said　another　man；　rising。　Like　the　other　males；　his　clothes　were　neat；　somber　and　well　pressed；　but　there　was　a　difference　in　that　they　were　better　tailored；　as　though　he　took　considerable　pains　with　his　appearance。　His　face；　too；　was　different；　it　was　paler　than　the　others　and　his　eyes　were　more　intense；　more　focused　somehow；　giving　the　impression　that　when　he　spoke　he　weighed　his　words　with　great　care。　〃Beyond　the　clerical　title　you've　appropriated；　we　have　no　knowledge　as　to　your　identity　and　you　obviously　do　not　care　to　reveal　it。　As　to　what　you　know；　you've　recounted　blatant　weaknesses　and　subsequent　injustices　in　our　departmental　systems；　but　they　are　rampant　throughout　the　ministries。　You　might　as　well　have　picked　a　dozen　others　like　us　from　a　dozen　other　divisions；　and　I　dare　say　the　plaints　would　have　been　the　same。　Nothing　new　there…〃
　〃How　dare　you？〃　screamed　Carlos　the　Jackal；　the　veins　in　his　neck　pronounced。　〃Who　are　you　to　say　such　things　to　me？　I　am　the　monseigneur　from　Paris；　a　true　son　of　the　Revolution！〃
　〃And　I　am　a　judge　advocate　in　the　Ministry　of　Legal　Procedures；　rade　Monseigneur；　and　a　much　younger　product　of　that　revolution。　I　may　not　know　the　heads　of　the　KGB；　who　you　claim　are　your　minions；　but　I　know　the　penalties　for　taking　the　legal　processes　in　our　own　hands　and　personally…secretly…confronting　our　superiors　rather　than　reporting　directly　to　the　Bureau　of　Irregularities。　They　are　penalties　I'd　rather　not　face　without　far　more　thorough　evidentiary　materials　than　unsolicited　dossiers　from　unknown　sources；　conceivably　invented　by　discontented　officials　below　even　our　levels。　。。。　Frankly；　I　don't　care　to　see　them；　for　I　will　not　be　promised　by　gratuitous　pretrial　testimony　that　can　be　injurious　to　my　position。〃
　〃You　are　an　insignificant　lawyer！〃　roared　the　assassin　in　priest's　clothing；　now　repeatedly　clenching　his　hands　into　fists；　his　eyes　being　bloodshot。　〃You　are　all　twisters　of　the　truth！　You　are　sworn　panions　of　the　prevailing　winds　of　convenience！〃
　〃Nicely　said；〃　said　the　attorney　from　Legal　Procedures；　smiling。　〃Except；　rade；　you　stole　the　phrase　from　the　English　Blackstone。〃
　〃I　will　not　tolerate　your　insufferable　insolence！〃
　〃You　don't　have　to；　rade　Priest；　for　I　intend　to　leave；　and　my　legal　advice　to　all　here　in　this　room　is　to　do　the　same。〃
　〃You　dare？〃
　〃I　certainly　do；〃　replied　the　Soviet　attorney；　granting　himself　a　moment　of　humor　as　he　looked　around　the　gathering　and　grinned。　〃I　might　have　to　prosecute　myself；　and　I'm　far　too　good　at　my　job。〃
　〃The　money！〃　shrieked　the　Jackal。　〃I've　sent　you　all　thousands！〃
　〃Where　is　it　recorded？〃　asked　the　lawyer　with　an　air　of　innocence。　〃You；　yourself；　made　sure　it　was　untraceable。　Paper　bags　in　our　mail　slots；　or　in　our　office　drawers…notes　attached　instructing　us　to　burn　them。　Who　among　our　citizens　would　admit　to　having　placed　them　there？　That　way　lies　the　Lubyanka。　。。。　Good…bye；　rade　Monseigneur；〃　said　the　attorney　for　the　Ministry　of　Legal　Procedures；　scraping　his　chair　in　place　and　starting　for　the　door。
　One　by　one；　as　they　had　arrived；　the　assembled　group　followed　the　lawyer；　each　looking　back　at　the　strange　man　who　had　so　exotically；　so　briefly；　interrupted　their　tedious　lives；　all　knowing　instinctively　that　in　his　path　were　disgrace　and　execution。　Death。
　Yet　none　was　prepared　for　what　followed。　The　killer　in　priest's　clothing　suddenly　snapped；　visceral　bolts　of　lightning　electrified　his　madness。　His　dark　eyes　burned　with　a　raging　fire　that　could　be　extinguished　only　by　soul…satisfying　violence…relentless；　brutal；　savage　vengeance　for　all　the　wrongs　done　to　his　pure　purpose　to　kill　the　unbelievers！　The　Jackal　swept　away　the　dossiers　from　the　table　and　lurched　down　to　the　pile　of　newspapers；　he　grabbed　the　deadly　automatic　weapon　from　beneath　the　scattered　pages　and　roared；　〃Stop！　All　of　you！〃
　None　did；　and　the　outer　regions　of　psychopathic　energy　became　the　order　of　the　moment。　The　killer　squeezed　the　trigger　repeatedly　and　men　and　women　died。　Amid　screams　from　the　shattered　bodies　nearest　the　door；　the　assassin　raced　outside；　leaping　over　the　corpses；　his　assault　rifle　on　automatic　fire；　cutting　down　the　figures　in　the　street；　screaming　curses；　condemning　the　unbelievers　to　a　hell　only　he　could　imagine。
　〃Traitors！　Filth！　Garbage！〃　screamed　the　crazed　Jackal　as　he　leaped　over　the　dead　bodies；　racing　to　the　car　he　had　mandeered　from　the　Komitet　and　its　inadequate　surveillance　unit。　The　night　had　ended；　the　morning　had　begun。
　The　Metropole's　telephone　did　not　ring；　it　erupted。　Startled；　Alex　Conklin　snapped　open　his　eyes；　instantly　shaking　the　sleep　from　his　head　as　he　clawed　for　the　strident　instrument　on　the　bedside　table。　〃Yes？〃　he　announced；　wondering　briefly　if　he　was　speaking　into　the　conically　shaped　mouthpiece　or　into　the　receiver。
　〃Aleksei；　stay　put！　Admit　no　one　into　your　rooms　and　have　your　weapons　ready！〃
　〃Krupkin？　。。。　What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about。〃
　〃A　crazed　dog　is　loose　in　Moscow。〃
　〃Carlos？〃
　〃He's　gone　pletely　mad。　He　killed　Rodchenko　and　butchered　the　two　agents　who　were　following　him。　A　farmer　found　their　bodies　around　four　o'clock　this　morning…it　seems　the　dogs　woke　him　up　with　their　barking；　downwind　of　the　blood　scents；　I　imagine。〃
　〃Christ；　he's　gone　over　the　edge。　。。。　But　why　do　you　think…〃
　〃One　of　our　agents　was　tortured　before　being　killed；〃　broke　in　the　KGB　officer；　fully　anticipating　Alex's　question。　〃He　was　our　driver　from　the　airport；　a　protégé　of　mine　and　the　son　of　a　classmate　I　roomed　with　at　the　university。　A　fine　young　man　from　a　rational　family　but　not　trained　for　what　he　was　put　through。〃
　〃You're　saying　you　think　he　may　have　told　Carlos　about　us；　aren't　you？〃
　〃Yes。　。。。　There's　more；　however。　Approximately　an　hour　ago　in　the　Vavilova；　eight　people　were　cut　down　by　automatic　fire。　They　were　slaughtered；　it　was　a　massacre。　One　of　the　dying；　a　woman　with　the　Ministry　of　Information；　a　direktor；　second　class；　and　a　television　journalist；　said　the　killer　was　a　priest　from　Paris　who　called　himself　the　'monseigneur。'　〃
　〃Jesus！〃　exploded　Conklin；　whipping　his　legs　over　the　edge　of　the　bed；　absently　staring　at　the　stump　of　flesh　where　once　there　had　been　a　foot。　〃It　was　his　cadre。〃
　〃So　called　and　past　tense；〃　said　Krupkin。　〃If　you　remember；　I　told　you　such　recruits　would　abandon　him　at　the　first　sign　of　peril。〃
　〃I'll　get　Jason…〃
　〃Aleksei；　listen　to　me！〃
　〃What？〃　Conklin　cupped　the　telephone　under　his　chin　as　he　reached　down　for　the　hollowed…out　prosthetic　boot。
　〃We've　formed　a　tactical　assault　squad；　men　and　women　in　c