rl.thebourneultimatum-第153章

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of　descending　to　great　depths。　Certain　species　can　be　quite　deadly。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Peter　Lorre；〃　said　Bourne。
　〃Very　good；〃　laughed　the　KGB　man。　〃But　you'll　admit　it's　aptly　descriptive。　Very　few　radios　can　either　send　it　or　receive　it。〃
　〃When　did　you　steal　it　from　us？〃
　〃Oh；　not　you；　not　you　at　all。　From　the　British；　truthfully。　As　usual；　London　is　very　quiet　about　these　things；　but　they're　far　ahead　of　you　and　the　Japanese　in　certain　areas。　It's　that　damned　MI…Six。　They　dine　in　their　clubs　in　Knightsbridge；　smoke　their　odious　pipes；　play　the　innocents；　and　send　us　defectors　trained　at　the　Old　Vic。〃
　〃They've　had　their　gaps；〃　said　Conklin　defensively。
　〃More　so　in　their　high…dudgeon　revelations　than　in　reality；　Aleksei。　You've　been　away　too　long。　We've　both　lost　more　than　they　have　in　that　department；　but　they　can　cope　with　public　embarrassment…we　haven't　learned　that　time…honored　trait。　We　bury　our　'gaps；'　as　you　put　it；　we　try　too　hard　for　that　respectability　which　too　often　eludes　us。　Then；　I　suppose；　we're　historically　young　by　parison。〃　Krupkin　again　switched　back　into　Russian。　〃Moray；　e　in；　please！　I'm　reaching　the　end　of　the　spectrum。　Where　are　you；　Moray？〃
　〃Stop　there；　rade！〃　came　the　metallic　voice　over　the　loudspeaker。　〃We're　in　contact。　Can　you　hear　me？〃
　〃You　sound　like　a　castrato　but　I　can　hear　you。〃
　〃This　must　be　rade　Krupkin…〃
　〃Were　you　expecting　the　pope？　Who's　this？〃
　〃Orlov。〃
　〃Good！　You　know　what　you're　doing。〃
　〃I　hope　you　do；　Dimitri。〃
　〃Why　do　you　say　that？〃
　〃Your　insufferable　orders　to　do　nothing；　that's　why。　We're　two　kilometers　away　from　the　building…I　drove　up　through　the　grass　on　a　small　hill…and　we　have　the　vehicle　in　sight。　It's　parked　in　the　lot　and　the　suspect's　inside。〃
　〃What　building？　What　hill？　You　tell　me　nothing。〃
　〃The　Kubinka　Armory。〃
　Hearing　this；　Conklin　bolted　forward　in　the　seat。　〃Oh；　my　God！〃　he　cried。
　〃What　is　it？〃　asked　Bourne。
　〃He　reached　an　armory。〃　Alex　saw　the　frown　of　confusion　on　Jason's　face。　〃Over　here　armories　are　a　hell　of　a　lot　more　than　enclosed　parade　grounds　for　legionnaires　and　reservists。　They're　serious　training　quarters　and　warehouses　for　weapons。〃
　〃He　wasn't　heading　for　Odintsovo；〃　broke　in　Krupkin。　〃The　armory's　farther　south；　on　the　outskirts　of　the　town；　another　four　or　five　kilometers。　He's　been　there　before。〃
　〃Those　places　must　have　tight　security；〃　said　Bourne。　〃He　can't　just　walk　inside。〃
　〃He　already　has；〃　corrected　the　KGB　officer　from　Paris。
　〃I　mean　into　restricted　areas…like　storerooms　filled　with　weapons。〃
　〃That's　what　concerns　me；〃　went　on　Krupkin；　fingering　the　microphone　in　his　hand。　〃Since　he's　been　there　before…and　he　obviously　has…what　does　he　know　about　the　installation　。。。　who　does　he　know？〃
　〃Get　on　a　radio　patch；　call　the　place　and　have　him　stopped；　held！〃　insisted　Jason。
　〃Suppose　I　reach　the　wrong　person；　or　suppose　he　already　has　weapons　and　we　set　him　off？　With　one　phone　call；　one　hostile　confrontation　or　even　the　appearance　of　a　strange　automobile；　there　could　be　wholesale　slaughter　of　several　dozen　men　and　women。　We　saw　what　he　did　at　the　Metropole；　in　the　Vavilova。　He's　lost　all　control；　he's　utterly　mad。〃
　〃Dimitri；〃　came　the　metallic　Soviet　voice　over　the　radio　speaking　Russian。　〃Something's　happening。　The　man　just　came　out　of　a　side　door　with　a　burlap　sack　and　is　heading　for　the　car。　。。。　rade；　I'm　not　sure　it's　the　same　man。　It　probably　is；　but　there's　something　different　about　him。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？　The　clothes？〃
　〃No；　he's　wearing　a　dark　suit　and　his　right　arm　is　in　a　black　sling　as　before　。。。　yet　he's　moving　more　rapidly；　his　pace　firmer；　his　posture　erect。〃
　〃You're　saying　he　does　not　appear　to　be　wounded；　yes？〃
　〃I　guess　that's　what　I'm　saying；　yes。〃
　〃He　could　be　faking　it；〃　said　Conklin。　〃That　son　of　a　bitch　could　be　taking　his　last　breath　and　convince　you　he's　ready　for　a　marathon。〃
　〃For　what　purpose；　Aleksei？　Why　any　pretense　at　all？〃
　〃I　don't　know；　but　if　your　man　in　that　car　can　see　him；　he　can　see　the　car。　Maybe　he's　just　in　a　hell　of　a　hurry。〃
　〃What's　going　on？〃　asked　Bourne　angrily。
　〃Someone's　e　outside　with　a　bagful　of　goodies　and　going　to　the　car；〃　said　Conklin　in　English。
　〃For　Christ's　sake；　stop　him！〃
　〃We're　not　sure　it's　the　Jackal；〃　interrupted　Krupkin。　〃The　clothes　are　the　same；　even　to　the　arm　sling；　but　there　are　physical　differences…〃
　〃Then　he　wants　you　to　think　it　isn't　him！〃　said　Jason　emphatically。
　〃Shto？　。。。　What？〃
　〃He's　putting　himself　in　your　place；　thinking　like　you're　thinking　now　and　by　doing　that　outthinking　you。　He　may　or　may　not　know　that　he's　been　spotted；　the　car　picked　up；　but　he　has　to　assume　the　worst　and　act　accordingly。　How　long　before　we　get　there？〃
　〃The　way　my　outrageously　reckless　young　rade　is　driving；　I'd　say　three　or　four　minutes。〃
　〃Krupkin！〃　The　voice　burst　from　the　radio　speaker。　〃Four　other　people　have　e　outside…three　men　and　a　woman。　They're　running　to　the　car！〃
　〃What　did　he　say？〃　asked　Bourne。　Alex　translated　and　Jason　frowned。　〃Hostages？〃　he　said　quietly；　as　if　to　himself。　〃He　just　blew　it！〃　Medusa's　Delta　leaned　forward　and　touched　Krupkin's　shoulder。　〃Tell　your　man　to　get　out　of　there　the　moment　that　car　takes　off　and　he　knows　where　it's　heading。　Tell　him　to　be　obvious；　to　blow　the　hell　out　of　his　horn　while　he　passes　the　armory；　which　he　must　pass　from　one　way　or　the　other。〃
　〃My　dear　fellow！〃　exploded　the　Soviet　intelligence　officer。　〃Would　you　mind　telling　me　why　I　should　issue　such　an　order？〃
　〃Because　your　colleague　was　right　and　I　was　wrong。　The　man　in　the　sling　isn't　Carlos。　The　Jackal's　inside；　waiting　for　the　cavalry　to　pass　the　fort　so　he　can　get　away　in　another　car…if　there　is　a　cavalry。〃
　〃In　the　name　of　our　revered　Karl　Marx；　do　explain　how　you　reached　this　contradictory　conclusion！〃
　〃Simple。　He　made　a　mistake。　。。。　Even　if　you　could；　you　wouldn't　shoot　up　that　car　on　the　road；　would　you？〃
　〃Agreed。　There　are　four　other　people　inside；　all　no　doubt　innocent　Soviet　citizens　forced　to　appear　otherwise。〃
　〃Hostages？〃
　〃Yes；　of　course。〃
　〃When　was　the　last　time　you　heard　of　people　running　like　hell　into　a　situation　where　they　could　bee　hostages？　Even　if　they　were　under　a　gun　from　a　doorway；　one　or　two；　if　not　all　of　them；　would　try　to　race　behind　other　cars　for　protection。〃
　〃My　word…〃
　〃But　you　were　right　about　one　thing。　Carlos　has　a　contact　inside　that　armory…the　man　in　the　sling。　He　may　only　be　an　innocent　Russian　with　a　brother　or　a　sister　living　in　Paris；　but　the　Jackal　owns　him。〃
　〃Dimitri！〃　shouted　the　metallic　voice　in　Russian。　〃The　car　is　speeding　out　of　the　parking　lot！〃
　Krupkin　pressed　the　button　on　his　microphone　and　gave　his　instructions。　Essentially；　they　were　to　follow　that　automobile　to　the　borders　of　Finland　if　necessary；　but　to　take　it　without　violence；　calling　in　the　police　if　they　had　to。　The　last　order　was　to　pass　the　armory；　blowing　his　horn　repeatedly。　In　the　Russian　vernacular；　the　agent　named　Orlov　asked；　〃What　the　fuck　for？〃
　〃Because　I've　had　a　vision　from　St。　Nickolai　the　Good！　Also；　I'm　your　charitable　superior。　Do　it！〃
　〃You're　not　well；　Dimitri。〃
　〃Do　you　wish　a　superb　service　report　or　one　that　will　send　you　to　Tashkent？〃
　〃I'm　on　my　way；　rade。〃
　Krupkin　replaced　the　microphone　in　the　dashboard　receptacle。　〃Everything　proceeds；〃　he　said　haltingly；　partially　over　his　shoulder。　〃If　I'm　to　go　down　with　either　a　crazed　assassin　or　a　convoluted　lunatic　who　displays　certain　decencies；　I　imagine　it's　best　to　choose　the　latter。　Contrary　to　the　most　enlightened　skeptics；　there　might　be　a　God；　after　all。　。。。　Would　you　care　to　buy　a　house　on　the　lake　in　Geneva；　Aleksei？〃
　〃I　might；〃　answered　Bourne。　〃If　I　live　through　the　day　and　do　what　I　have　to　do；　give　me　a　price。　I　won't　quibble。〃
　〃Hey；　David；〃　interjected　Conklin。　〃Marie　made　that　money；　you　didn't。〃
　〃She'll　listen　to　me。　To　him。〃
　〃What　now；　whoever　you　are？〃　asked　Krupkin。
　〃Give　me　all　the　firepower　I　need　from　this　trunk　of　yours　and　let　me　off　in　the　grass　just　before　the　armory。　Give　me　a　couple　of　minutes　to　get　in　place；　then　pull　into　the　parking　lot　and　obviously…very　obviously…see　that　the　car　is　missing　and　get　out　of　there　f