rl.thebourneultimatum-第53章

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anything；　do　anything；　lie　and　snivel　to　hell　and　back；　and　if　you　turn　the　other　way；　they'll　shove　a　knife　in　your　spine。　He　owns　them…body；　mind　and　what's　left　of　their　souls。　。。。　Now　get　to　the　plane；　it's　waiting。〃
　〃Don't　you　want　to　see　the　children；　tell　Jamie　that…〃
　〃No；　there　isn't　time！　Take　her　out　there；　Johnny。　I　want　to　check　the　beach。〃
　〃There's　nothing　I　haven't　checked；　David；〃　said　St。　Jacques；　his　voice　on　the　edge　of　defiance。
　〃I'll　tell　you　whether　you　have　or　not；〃　shot　back　Bourne；　his　eyes　angry　as　he　started　across　the　sand；　adding　in　a　loud　voice　without　looking　around；　〃I'm　going　to　have　a　dozen　questions　for　you；　and　I　hope　to　Christ　you　can　answer　them！〃
　St。　Jacques　tensed；　taking　a　step　forward　but　stopped　by　his　sister。　〃Leave　it　alone；　Bro；〃　said　Marie；　her　hand　on　his　arm。　〃He's　frightened。〃
　〃He's　what？　He's　one　nasty　son　of　a　bitch　is　what　he　is！〃
　〃Yes；　I　know。〃
　The　brother　looked　at　his　sister。　〃That　stranger　you　were　talking　about　yesterday　at　the　house？〃
　〃Yes；　only　now　it's　worse。　That's　why　he's　frightened。〃
　〃I　don't　understand。〃
　〃He's　older；　Johnny。　He's　fifty　now　and　he　wonders　if　he　can　still　do　the　things　he　did　before；　years　ago…in　the　war；　in　Paris；　in　Hong　Kong。　It's　all　gnawing　at　him；　eating　into　him；　because　he　knows　he's　got　to　be　better　than　he　ever　was。〃
　〃I　think　he　can　be。〃
　〃I　know　he　will　be；　for　he　has　an　extraordinary　reason　going　for　him。　A　wife　and　two　children　were　taken　from　him　once　before。　He　barely　remembers　them；　but　they're　at　the　core　of　his　torment；　Mo　Panov　believes　that　and　I　do；　too。　。。。　Now；　years　later；　another　wife　and　two　children　are　threatened。　Every　nerve　in　him　has　to　be　on　fire。〃
　Suddenly；　from　three　hundred　feet　away　on　the　beach；　Bourne's　voice　erupted；　splitting　through　the　breezes　from　the　sea。　〃Goddamn　it；　I　told　you　to　hurry！　。。。　And　you；　Mr。　Expert；　there's　a　reef　out　here　with　the　color　of　a　sandbar　beyond　it！　Have　you　considered　that？〃
　〃Don't　answer；　Johnny。　We'll　go　out　to　the　plane。〃
　〃A　sandbar？　What　the　hell's　he　talking　about？　。。。　Oh；　my　God；　I　do　see！〃
　〃I　don't；〃　said　Marie　as　they　walked　rapidly　up　the　pier。
　〃There　are　reefs　around　eighty　percent　of　the　island；　ninety…five　percent　where　this　beach　is　concerned。　They　brake　the　waves；　it's　why　it's　called　Tranquility；　there's　no　surf　at　all。〃
　〃So　what？〃
　〃So　someone　using　a　tank　under　water　wouldn't　risk　crashing　into　a　reef；　but　he　would　into　a　sandbar　in　front　of　a　reef。　He　could　watch　the　beach　and　the　guards　and　crawl　up　when　his　landing　was　clear；　lying　in　the　water　only　feet　from　shore　until　he　could　take　the　guard。　I　never　thought　about　that。〃
　〃He　did；　Bro。〃
　Bourne　sat　on　the　corner　of　the　desk；　the　two　old　men　on　a　couch　in　front　of　him；　his　brother…in…law　standing　by　a　window　fronting　the　beach　in　the　unoccupied　villa。
　〃Why　would　I…why　would　we…lie　to　you；　monsieur？〃　asked　the　hero　of　France。
　〃Because　it　all　sounds　like　a　classic　French　farce。　Similar　but　different　names；　one　door　opening　as　another　closes；　look…alikes　disappearing　and　entering　on　cue。　It　smells；　gentlemen。〃
　〃Perhaps　you　are　a　student　of　Molière　or　Racine　。。。　？〃
　〃I'm　a　student　of　uncanny　coincidence；　especially　where　the　Jackal　is　concerned。〃
　〃I　don't　think　there's　the　slightest　similarity　in　our　appearances；〃　offered　the　judge　from　Boston。　〃Except；　perhaps；　our　ages。〃
　The　telephone　rang。　Jason　quickly　reached　down　and　picked　it　up。　〃Yes？〃
　〃Everything　checks　out　in　Boston；〃　said　Conklin。　〃His　name's　Prefontaine；　Brendan　Prefontaine。　He　was　a　federal　judge　of　the　first　circuit　caught　in　a　government　scam　and　convicted　of　felonious　misconduct　on　the　bench…read　that　as　being　very　large　in　the　bribery　business。　He　was　sentenced　to　twenty…one　years　and　did　ten；　which　was　enough　to　blow　him　away　in　every　department。　He's　what　they　call　a　functioning　alcoholic；　something　of　a　character　in　Bean　Town's　shadier　districts；　but　harmless…actually　kind　of　liked　in　a　warped　sort　of　way。　He's　also　considered　very　bright　when　he's　clearheaded；　and　I'm　told　a　lot　of　crumbs　wouldn't　have　gone　court…free　and　others　would　be　doing　longer　jail　terms　if　he　hadn't　given　shrewd　advice　to　their　attorneys　of　record。　You　might　say　he's　a　behind…the…scenes　storefront　lawyer；　the　'stores'　in　his　case　being　saloons；　pool　halls　and　probably　warehouses。。。。　Since　I've　been　where　he's　at　in　the　booze　terrain；　he　sounds　straight　arrow　to　me。　He's　handling　it　better　than　I　ever　did。〃
　〃You　quit。〃
　〃If　I　could　have　managed　better　in　that　twilight　zone；　I　might　not　have。　There's　something　to　be　said　for　the　grape　on　many　occasions。〃
　〃What　about　his　client？〃
　〃Awesome；　and　our　once　and　former　judge　was　an　adjunct　professor　at　Harvard　Law；　where　Gates　was　a　student　in　two　of　his　classes。　No　question　about　it；　Prefontaine　knows　the　man。　。。。　Trust　him；　Jason。　There's　no　reason　for　him　to　lie。　He　was　simply　after　a　score。〃
　〃You're　following　up　on　the　client？〃
　〃With　all　the　quiet　ammunition　I　can　pull　out　of　my　personal　woodwork。　He's　our　link　to　Carlos。。　。　。　The　Medusa　connection　was　a　false　lead；　a　stupid　attempt　by　a　stupid　general　in　the　Pentagon　to　put　someone　inside　Gates's　inner　legal　circle。〃
　〃You're　sure　of　that？〃
　〃I　am　now。　Gates　is　a　highly　paid　consultant　to　a　law　firm　representing　a　megadefense　contractor　under　antitrust　scrutiny。　He　wouldn't　even　return　Swayne's　calls；　which；　if　he　did；　would　make　him　more　stupid　than　Swayne；　which　he　isn't。〃
　〃That's　your　problem；　friend；　not　mine。　If　everything　goes　the　way　I　intend　it　to　go　here；　I　don't　even　want　to　hear　about　Snake　Lady。　In　fact；　I　can't　remember　ever　having　heard　of　it。〃
　〃Thanks　for　dumping　it　in　my　lap…and　in　a　way　I　guess　I　mean　that。　Incidentally；　the　grammar…school　notebook　you　grabbed　from　the　gunslinger　in　Manassas　has　some　interesting　things　in　it。〃
　〃Oh？〃
　〃Do　you　remember　those　three　frequent　fliers　from　the　Mayflower's　registry　who　flew　into　Philadelphia　eight　months　ago　and　just　happened　to　be　at　the　hotel　at　the　same　time　eight　months　later？〃
　〃Certainly。〃
　〃Their　names　are　in　Swayne's　Mickey　Mouse　loose…leaf。　They　had　nothing　to　do　with　Carlos；　they're　part　of　Medusa。　It's　a　mother　lode　of　disconnected　information。〃
　〃I'm　not　interested。　Use　it　in　good　health。〃
　〃We　will；　and　very　quietly。　That　notebook'll　be　on　the　most　wanted　list　in　a　matter　of　days。〃
　〃I'm　happy　for　you；　but　I've　got　work　to　do。〃
　〃And　you　refuse　any　help？〃
　〃Absolutely。　This　is　what　I've　been　waiting　thirteen　years　for。　It's　what　I　said　at　the　beginning；　it's　one　on　one。〃
　〃High　Noon；　you　goddamn　fool？〃
　〃No；　the　logical　extension　of　a　very　intellectual　chess　game；　the　player　with　the　better　trap　wins；　and　I've　got　that　trap　because　I'm　using　his。　He'd　smell　out　any　deviation。〃
　〃We　trained　you　too　well；　scholar。〃
　〃Thank　you　for　that。〃
　〃Good　hunting；　Delta。〃
　〃Good…bye。〃　Bourne　hung　up　the　phone　and　looked　over　at　the　two　pathetically　curious　old　men　on　the　couch。　〃You　passed　a　sleaze…factored　muster；　Judge；〃　he　said　to　Prefontaine。　〃And　you；　'Jean　Pierre；'　what　can　I　say？　My　own　wife；　who　admits　to　me　that　you　might　very　well　have　killed　her　without　the　slightest　punction；　tells　me　that　I　have　to　trust　you。　Nothing　makes　a　hell　of　a　lot　of　sense；　does　it？〃
　〃I　am　what　I　am；　and　I　did　what　I　did；〃　said　the　disgraced　attorney　with　dignity。　〃But　my　client　has　gone　too　far。　His　magisterial　persona　must　e　to　an　end　in　ashes。〃
　〃My　words　are　not　so　well　phrased　as　those　of　my　learned；　newfound　relative；〃　added　the　aged　hero　of　France。　〃But　I　know　the　killing　must　stop；　it's　what　my　woman　tried　to　tell　me。　I　am　a　hypocrite；　of　course；　for　I　am　no　stranger　to　killing；　so　I　shall　only　say　that　this　kind　of　killing　must　stop。　There　is　no　business　arrangement　here；　no　profit　in　the　kill；　only　a　sick　madman's　vengeance　that　demands　the　unnecessary　death　of　a　mother　and　her　children。　Where　is　the　profit　there？　。。。　No；　the　Jackal　has　gone　too　far。　He；　too；　must　now　be　stopped。〃
　〃That's　the　most　cold…blooded　fucking　reasoning　I've　ever　heard！〃　cried　John　St。　Jacques　by　the　window。
　〃I　thought　your　words　were　very　well　chosen；〃　said　the　former　judge　to　the　felon　from　Paris