rl.thebourneultimatum-第6章

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t。
　〃e　on；　Alex；〃　said　Valentino　softly。　〃You　can't　leave　us　with　that。〃
　〃No；　of　course　not。〃　Conklin　blinked　several　times；　adjusting　to　the　present。　〃I　was　thinking　how　horrible　it　must　be　for　him　now…the　memories；　what　he　can　remember。　There's　a　lousy　parallel　I　hadn't　considered。　The　wife；　the　kids。〃
　〃What's　the　parallel？〃　asked　Casset；　hunched　forward；　staring　at　Alex。
　〃Years　ago；　during　Vietnam；　our　man　was　a　young　foreign　service　officer　stationed　in　Phnom　Penh；　a　scholar　married　to　a　Thai　woman　he'd　met　here　in　graduate　school。　They　had　two　children　and　lived　on　the　banks　of　a　river。　。。。　One　morning　while　the　wife　and　kids　were　swimming；　a　stray　jet　from　Hanoi　strafed　the　area　killing　the　three　of　them。　Our　man　went　crazy；　he　chucked　everything　and　made　his　way　to　Saigon　and　into　Medusa。　All　he　wanted　to　do　was　kill。　He　became　Delta　One…no　names　were　ever　used　in　Medusa…and　he　was　considered　the　most　effective　guerrilla　leader　in　the　war；　as　often　as　not　fighting　mand　Saigon　over　orders　as　he　did　the　enemy　with　death　squads。〃
　〃Still；　he　obviously　supported　the　war；〃　observed　Valentino。
　〃Outside　of　having　no　use　for　Saigon　and　the　ARVN；　I　don't　think　he　gave　a　damn　one　way　or　another。　He　had　his　own　private　war　and　it　was　way　behind　enemy　lines；　the　nearer　Hanoi　the　better。　I　think　in　his　mind　he　kept　looking　for　the　pilot　who　had　killed　his　family。　。。。　That's　the　parallel。　Years　ago　there　was　a　wife　and　two　kids　and　they　were　butchered　in　front　of　his　eyes。　Now　there's　another　wife　and　two　children　and　the　Jackal　is　closing　in；　hunting　him　down。　That's　got　to　be　driving　him　close　to　the　edge。　Goddamn　it！〃
　The　four　men　at　the　opposite　end　of　the　table　looked　briefly　at　one　another　and　let　Conklin's　sudden　emotion　pass。　Again；　the　director　spoke；　again　gently。　〃Considering　the　time　span；〃　he　began；　〃the　operation　mounted　to　trap　Carlos　had　to　have　taken　place　well　over　a　decade　ago；　yet　the　events　in　Hong　Kong　were　much　more　recent。　Were　they　related？　Without　giving　us　a　name　or　names　at　this　juncture；　what　do　you　feel　you　can　tell　us　about　Hong　Kong？〃
　Alex　gripped　his　cane　and　held　it　firmly；　his　knuckles　white　as　he　replied。　〃Hong　Kong　was　both　the　filthiest　black　operation　ever　conceived　in　this　town　and　without　question　the　most　extraordinary　I've　ever　heard　of。　And　to　my　profound　relief　we　here　at　Langley　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　initial　strategy；　the　plaudits　can　go　to　hell。　I　came　in　late　and　what　I　found　turned　my　stomach。　It　sickened　McAllister；　too；　for　he　was　in　at　the　beginning。　It　was　why　he　was　willing　to　risk　his　life；　why　he　damn　near　ended　up　a　corpse　across　the　Chinese　border　in　Macao。　His　intellectualized　morality　couldn't　let　a　decent　man　be　killed　for　the　strategy。〃
　〃That's　a　hell　of　an　indictment；〃　offered　Casset。　〃What　happened？〃
　〃Our　own　people　arranged　to　have　Bourne's　wife　kidnapped；　the　woman　who　had　led　that　man　without　a　memory　back　to　us。　They　left　a　trail　that　forced　him　to　go　after　her…to　Hong　Kong。〃
　〃Jesus；　why？〃　cried　Valentino。
　〃The　strategy；　it　was　perfect；　and　it　was　also　abominable。　。。。　I　told　you　the　'assassin'　called　Jason　Bourne　had　bee　a　legend　in　Asia。　He　disappeared　in　Europe；　but　he　was　no　less　a　legend　for　that　in　the　Far　East。　Then　suddenly；　out　of　nowhere；　a　new　enterprising　killer　operating　out　of　Macao　revived　that　legend。　He　took　the　name　of　'Jason　Bourne'　and　the　killings　for　hire　started　all　over　again。　A　week　rarely　went　by；　often　only　days；　when　another　hit　was　made；　the　same　evidence　planted；　the　same　taunting　of　the　police。　A　false　Bourne　was　back　in　business；　and　he　had　studied　every　trick　of　the　original。〃
　〃So　who　better　to　track　him　down　than　the　one　who　invented　those　tricks…the　original；　your　original；〃　interjected　the　director。　〃And　what　better　way　to　force　the　original　Bourne　into　the　hunt　than　by　taking　his　wife　from　him。　But　why？　Why　was　Washington　so　consumed？　There　were　no　longer　any　ties　to　us。〃
　〃There　was　something　much　worse。　Among　the　new　Jason　Bourne's　clients　was　a　madman　in　Beijing；　a　Kuomintang　traitor　in　the　government　who　was　about　to　turn　the　Far　East　into　a　firestorm。　He　was　determined　to　destroy　the　Sino…British　Hong　Kong　Accords；　shutting　down　the　colony；　leaving　the　whole　territory　in　chaos。〃
　〃War；〃　said　Casset　quietly。　〃Beijing　would　march　into　Hong　Kong　and　take　over。　We'd　all　have　to　choose　sides。　。。。　War。〃
　〃In　the　nuclear　age；〃　added　the　director。　〃How　far　had　it　all　progressed；　Mr。　Conklin？〃
　〃A　vice　premier　of　the　People's　Republic　was　killed　in　a　private　massacre　in　Kowloon。　The　impostor　left　his　calling　card。　'Jason　Bourne。'　〃
　〃Good　God；　he　had　to　be　stopped！〃　exploded　the　DCI；　gripping　his　pipe。
　〃He　was；〃　said　Alex；　releasing　his　cane。　〃By　the　only　man　who　could　hunt　him　down。　Our　Jason　Bourne。　。。。　That's　all　I'll　tell　you　for　now；　except　to　repeat　that　that　man　is　back　here　with　his　wife　and　children；　and　Carlos　is　closing　in。　The　Jackal　won't　rest　until　he　knows　the　only　person　alive　who　can　identify　him　is　dead。　So　call　in　every　debt　that's　owed　to　us　in　Paris；　London；　Rome；　Madrid　…　especially　Paris。　Someone's　got　to　know　something。　Where　is　Carlos　now？　Who　are　his　points　over　here？　He's　got　eyes　here　in　Washington；　and　whoever　they　are；　they　found　Panov　and　me！〃　The　former　field　officer　again　absently　gripped　his　cane；　staring　at　the　window。　〃Don't　you　see？〃　he　added　quietly；　as　if　talking　to　himself。　〃We　can't　let　it　happen。　Oh；　my　God；　we　can't　let　it　happen！〃
　Once　more　the　emotional　moment　passed　in　silence　as　the　men　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency　exchanged　glances。　It　was　as　though　a　consensus　had　been　reached　among　them　without　a　word　being　said；　three　pairs　of　eyes　fell　on　Casset。　He　nodded；　accepting　his　selection　as　the　one　closest　to　Conklin；　and　spoke。
　〃Alex；　I　agree　that　everything　points　to　Carlos；　but　before　we　start　spinning　our　wheels　in　Europe；　we　have　to　be　sure。　We　can't　afford　a　false　alarm　because　we'd　be　handing　the　Jackal　a　grail　he'd　have　to　go　after；　showing　him　how　vulnerable　we　were　where　Jason　Bourne　is　concerned。　From　what　you've　told　us；　Carlos　would　pick　up　on　a　long…dormant　operation　known　as　Treadstone　Seventy…one　if　only　because　none　of　our　agents　or　subagents　has　been　in　his　personal　neighborhood　for　over　a　decade。〃
　The　retired　Conklin　studied　Charles　Casset's　pensive　sharp…featured　face。　〃What　you're　saying　is　that　if　I'm　wrong　and　it　isn't　the　Jackal；　we're　ripping　open　a　thirteen…year…old　wound　and　presenting　him　with　an　irresistible　kill。〃
　〃I　guess　that's　what　I'm　saying。〃
　〃And　I　guess　that's　pretty　good　thinking；　Charlie。　。。。　I'm　operating　on　externals；　aren't　I？　They're　triggering　instincts；　but　they're　still　externals。〃
　〃I'd　trust　those　instincts　of　yours　far　more　than　I　would　any　polygraph…〃
　〃So　would　I；〃　interrupted　Valentino。　〃You　saved　our　personnel　in　five　or　six　sector　crises　when　all　the　indicators　said　you　were　wrong。　However；　Charlie's　got　a　legitimate　query。　Suppose　it　isn't　Carlos？　We　not　only　send　the　wrong　message　to　Europe；　but；　more　important；　we've　wasted　time。〃
　〃So　stay　out　of　Europe；〃　mused　Alex　softly；　again　as　if　to　himself。　〃At　least　for　now。　。。。　Go　after　the　bastards　here。　Draw　them　out。　Pull　them　in　and　break　them。　I'm　the　target；　so　let　them　e　after　me。〃
　〃That　would　entail　far　looser　protection　than　I　envisage　for　you　and　Dr。　Panov；　Mr。　Conklin；〃　said　the　director　firmly。
　〃Then　disenvisage；　sir。〃　Alex　looked　back　and　forth　at　Casset　and　Valentino；　suddenly　raising　his　voice。　〃We　can　do　it　if　you　two　will　listen　to　me　and　let　me　mount　it！〃
　〃We're　in　a　gray　area；〃　stated　Casset。　〃This　thing　may　be　foreign…oriented；　but　it's　domestic　turf。　The　Bureau　should　be　brought　in…〃
　〃No　way；〃　exclaimed　Conklin。　〃Nobody's　brought　in　outside　of　this　room！〃
　〃e　on；　Alex；〃　said　Valentino　kindly；　slowly　shaking　his　head。　〃You're　retired。　You　can't　give　orders　here。〃
　〃Good；　fine！〃　shouted　Conklin；　awkwardly　getting　out　of　the　chair　and　supporting　himself　on　his　cane。　〃Next　stop　the　White　House；　to　a　certain　chairman　of　the　NSA　named　McAllister！〃
　〃Sit　down；〃　said　the　DCI　firmly。
　〃I'm　retired！　You　can't　give　orders　to　me。〃
　〃I　wouldn't　dream　of　it；　I'm　simply　concerned　for　your　lif