rl.thebourneultimatum-第149章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃We've　formed　a　tactical　assault　squad；　men　and　women　in　civilian　clothes…they're　being　given　instructions　now　and　will　be　there　shortly。〃
　〃Good　move。〃
　〃But　we　have　purposely　not　alerted　the　hotel　staff　or　the　police。〃
　〃You'd　be　idiots　if　you　did；〃　broke　in　Alex。　〃We'll　settle　for　taking　the　son　of　a　bitch　here！　We'd　never　do　it　with　uniforms　prowling　around　or　clerks　in　hysterics。　The　Jackal　has　eyes　in　his　kneecaps。〃
　〃Do　as　I　say；〃　ordered　the　Soviet。　〃Admit　no　one；　stay　away　from　the　windows　and　take　all　precautions。〃
　〃Naturally。　。。。　What　do　you　mean；　the　windows？　He'll　need　time　to　find　out　where　we　are　。。。　to　question　the　maids；　the　stewards。〃
　〃Forgive　me；　old　friend；〃　interrupted　Krupkin；　〃but　an　angelic　priest　inquiring　at　the　desk　about　two　Americans；　one　with　a　pronounced　limp；　during　the　early　morning　rush　in　the　lobby？〃
　〃Good　point；　even　if　you're　paranoid。〃
　〃You're　on　a　high　floor；　and　directly　across　the　Marx　Prospekt　is　the　roof　of　an　office　building。〃
　〃You　also　think　pretty　fast。〃
　〃Certainly　faster　than　that　fool　in　Dzerzhinsky。　I　would　have　reached　you　long　before　now；　but　my　missar　Kartoshki　over　there　didn't　call　me　until　two　minutes　ago。〃
　〃I'll　wake　up　Bourne。〃
　〃Be　careful。〃
　Conklin　did　not　hear　the　Soviet's　final　admonition。　Instead；　he　swiftly　replaced　the　telephone　and　pulled　on　his　boot；　carelessly　lashing　the　Velcro　straps　around　his　calf。　He　then　opened　the　bedside　table　drawer　and　took　out　the　Graz　Burya　automatic；　a　specially　designed　KGB　weapon　with　three　clips　of　ammunition。　The　Graz；　as　it　was　monly　known；　was　unique　insofar　as　it　was　the　only　automatic　known　that　would　accept　a　silencer。　The　cylindrical　instrument　had　rolled　to　the　front　of　the　drawer；　he　removed　it　and　spun　it　into　the　short　barrel。　Unsteadily；　he　got　into　his　trousers；　shoved　the　weapon　into　his　belt　and　crossed　to　the　door。　He　opened　it　and　limped　out　only　to　find　Jason；　fully　dressed；　standing　in　front　of　a　window　in　the　ornate　Victorian　sitting　room。
　〃That　had　to　be　Krupkin；〃　said　Bourne。
　〃It　was。　Get　away　from　the　window。〃
　〃Carlos？〃　Bourne　instantly　stepped　back　and　turned　to　Alex。　〃He　knows　we're　in　Moscow？〃　he　asked。　Then　added；　〃He　knows　where　we　are？〃
　〃The　odds　are　yes　to　both　questions。〃　In　short　concise　statements；　Conklin　related　Krupkin's　information。　〃Does　all　this　tell　you　something？〃　asked　Alex　when　he　had　finished。
　〃He's　blown　apart；〃　answered　Jason　quietly。　〃It　had　to　happen。　The　time　bomb　in　his　head　finally　went　off。〃
　〃That's　what　I　think。　His　Moscow　cadre　turned　out　to　be　a　myth。　They　probably　told　him　to　pound　sand　and　he　exploded。〃
　〃I　regret　the　loss　of　life　and　I　mean　that；〃　said　Bourne。　〃I　wish　it　could　have　happened　another　way；　but　I　can't　regret　his　state　of　mind。　What's　happened　to　him　is　what　he　wanted　for　me…to　crack　wide　open。〃
　〃Kruppie　said　it；〃　added　Conklin。　〃He's　got　a　psychopathic　death　wish　to　return　to　the　people　who　first　found　out　he　was　a　maniac。　Now；　if　he　knows　you're　here；　and　we　have　to　assume　that　he　does；　the　obsession's　pounded；　your　death　replacing　his…giving　him　some　kind　of　symbolic　triumph　maybe。〃
　〃You've　been　talking　to　Panov　too　much。　。。。　I　wonder　how　Mo　is。〃
　〃Don't。　I　called　the　hospital　at　three　o'clock　this　morning…five　o'clock；　Paris　time。　He　may　lose　the　use　of　his　left　arm　and　suffer　partial　paralysis　of　his　right　leg；　but　they　think　he'll　make　it　now。〃
　〃I　don't　give　a　goddamn　about　his　arms　or　his　legs。　What　about　his　head？〃
　〃Apparently　it's　intact。　The　chief　nurse　on　the　floor　said　that　for　a　doctor　he's　a　terrible　patient。〃
　〃Thank　Christ！〃
　〃I　thought　you　were　an　agnostic。〃
　〃It's　a　symbolic　phrase；　check　with　Mo。〃　Bourne　noticed　the　gun　in　Alex's　belt；　he　gestured　at　the　weapon。　〃That's　a　little　obvious；　isn't　it？〃
　〃For　whom？〃
　〃Room　service；〃　replied　Jason。　〃I　phoned　for　whatever　gruel　they've　got　and　a　large　pot　of　coffee。〃
　〃No　way。　Krupkin　said　we　don't　let　anyone　in　here　and　I　gave　him　my　word。〃
　〃That's　a　crock　of　paranoia…〃
　〃Almost　my　words；　but　this　is　his　turf；　not　ours。　Just　like　the　windows。〃
　〃Wait　a　minute！〃　exclaimed　Bourne。　〃Suppose　he　is　right？〃
　〃Unlikely；　but　possible；　except　that…〃　Conklin　could　not　finish　his　statement。　Jason　reached　under　the　right　rear　flap　of　his　jacket；　yanked　out　his　own　Graz　Burya　and　started　for　the　hallway　door　of　the　suite。　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　cried　Alex。
　〃Probably　giving　your　friend　'Kruppie'　more　credit　than　he　deserves；　but　it's　worth　a　try。　。。。　Get　over　there；〃　ordered　Bourne；　pointing　to　the　far　left　corner　of　the　room。　〃I'll　leave　the　door　unlocked；　and　when　the　steward　gets　here；　tell　him　to　e　in…in　Russian。〃
　〃What　about　you？〃
　〃There's　an　ice　machine　down　the　hall；　it　doesn't　work；　but　it's　in　a　cubicle　along　with　a　Pepsi　machine。　That　doesn't　work　either；　but　I'll　slip　inside。〃
　〃Thank　God　for　capitalists；　no　matter　how　misguided。　Go　on！〃
　The　Medusan　once　known　as　Delta　unlatched　the　door；　opened　it；　glanced　up　and　down　the　Metropole's　corridor　and　rushed　outside。　He　raced　down　the　hallway　to　the　cut…out　alcove　that　housed　the　two　convenience　machines　and　crouched　by　the　right　interior　wall。　He　waited；　his　knees　and　legs　aching…pains　he　never　felt　only　years　ago…and　then　he　heard　the　sounds　of　rolling　wheels。　They　grew　louder　and　louder　as　the　cart　draped　with　a　tablecloth　passed　and　proceeded　to　the　door　of　the　suite。　He　studied　the　floor　steward；　he　was　a　young　man　in　his　twenties；　blond；　short　of　stature；　and　with　the　posture　of　an　obsequious　servant；　cautiously　he　knocked　on　the　door。　No　Carlos　he；　thought　Bourne；　getting　painfully　to　his　feet。　He　could　hear　Conklin's　muffled　voice　telling　the　steward　to　enter；　and　as　the　young　man　opened　the　door；　shoving　the　table　inside；　Jason　calmly　inserted　his　weapon　into　its　concealed　place。　He　bent　over　and　massaged　his　right　calf；　he　could　feel　the　swelling　cluster　of　a　muscle　cramp。
　It　happened　with　the　impact　of　a　single　furious　wave　against　a　shoal　of　rock。　A　figure　in　black　lurched　out　of　an　unseen　recess　in　the　corridor；　racing　past　the　machines。　Bourne　spun　back　into　the　wall。　It　was　the　Jackal！
　
　38
　Madness！　At　full　force　Carlos　slammed　his　right　shoulder　into　the　blond…haired　waiter；　propelling　the　young　man　across　the　hallway　and　crashing　the　room…service　table　over　on　its　side；　dishes　and　food　splattered　the　walls　and　the　carpeted　floor。　Suddenly　the　waiter　lunged　to　his　left；　spinning　in　midair　as；　astonishingly；　he　yanked　a　weapon　from　his　belt。　The　Jackal　either　sensed　or　caught　the　movement　in　the　corner　of　his　eye。　He　whipped　around；　his　automatic　weapon　on　rapid　fire；　savagely　pinning　the　blond　Russian　into　the　wall；　bullets　puncturing　the　waiter's　head　and　torso。　At　that　prolonged；　horrible　moment；　the　enlarged　sight　line　on　the　barrel　of　Bourne's　Graz　Burya　caught　in　the　waistline　of　his　trousers。　He　tore　the　fabric　as　the　eyes　of　Carlos　swept　up　centering　on　his　own；　fury　and　triumph　in　the　assassin's　stare。
　Jason　ripped　the　gun　loose；　spinning；　crouching　back　into　the　wall　of　the　small　alcove　as　the　Jackal's　fusillade　blew　apart　the　gaudy　paneling　of　the　soft…drink　machine　and　tore　into　the　sheets　of　heavy　plastic　that　fronted　the　broken…down　ice　maker。　On　his　stomach；　Bourne　surged　across　the　opening；　the　Graz　Burya　raised　and　firing　as　fast　as　he　could　squeeze　the　trigger。　Simultaneously；　there　were　other　gunshots；　not　those　of　a　machine　pistol。　Alex　was　firing　from　inside　the　suite！　They　had　Carlos　in　their　cross　fire！　It　was　possible…it　could　all　end　in　a　hotel　corridor　in　Moscow！　Let　it　happen；　let　it　happen！
　The　Jackal　roared；　it　was　a　defiant　shriek　at　having　been　hit。　Bourne　lunged　back　across　the　opening；　pivoting　once　again　into　the　wall；　momentarily　distracted　by　the　sounds　of　a　now　functioning　ice　machine。　Again　he　crouched；　inching　his　face　toward　the　corner　of　the　archway　when　the　murderous　insanity　in　the　hallway　erupted　into　the　fever　pitch　of　close　bat。　Like　an　enraged　caged　animal；　the　wounded　Carlos　kept　spinning　around　in　place；　continuous　bursts　from　his　weapon　exploding　as　if　he　were　firing　through　unseen　walls　that　were　closing　in　on　him。　Two　piercing；　hysterical　screams　came　from　the　far　end　of　the　h