rl.thebourneultimatum-第9章

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tals。
　〃Oh；　my　God；　they're　dead；〃　he　cried；　kneeling　beside　the　corpses；　seeing　their　blown…apart　throats。　〃Jesus；　the　amusement　park！　It's　the　same！〃
　〃A　message；〃　agreed　Conklin；　nodding；　wincing。　〃Put　rock　salt　on　the　trail；〃　he　added　enigmatically。
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　asked　the　psychiatrist；　snapping　his　head　around　at　the　former　intelligence　officer。
　〃We　weren't　careful　enough。〃
　〃Alex！〃　roared　the　gray…haired　Holland；　running　to　the　bench。　〃I　heard　you；　but　this　neuters　the　hotel；〃　he　said　breathlessly。　〃You　can't　go　there　now。　I　won't　let　you。〃
　〃It　neuters…fucks　up…more　than　the　hotel。　This　isn't　the　Jackal！　It's　Hong　Kong！　The　externals　were　right；　but　my　instincts　were　wrong。　Wrong！〃
　〃Which　way　do　you　want　to　go？〃　asked　the　director　softly。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　answered　Conklin；　a　plaint　in　his　voice。　〃I　was　wrong。　。。。　Reach　our　man；　of　course；　as　soon　as　possible。〃
　〃I　spoke　to　David…I　spoke　to　him　about　an　hour　ago；〃　said　Panov；　instantly　correcting　himself。
　〃You　spoke　to　him？〃　cried　Alex。　〃It's　late　and　you　were　at　home。　How？〃
　〃You　know　my　answering　machine；〃　said　the　doctor。　〃If　I　picked　up　every　crazy　call　after　midnight；　I'd　never　get　to　the　office　in　the　morning。　So　I　let　it　ring；　and　because　I　was　getting　ready　to　go　out　and　meet　you；　I　listened。　All　he　said　was　'Reach　me；'　and　by　the　time　I　got　to　the　phone；　he'd　hung　up。　So　I　called　him　back。〃
　〃You　called　him　back？　On　your　phone？〃
　〃Well　。。。　yes；〃　answered　Panov　hesitantly。　〃He　was　very　quick；　very　guarded。　He　just　wanted　us　to　know　what　was　happening；　that　'M'…he　called　her　'M'…was　leaving　with　the　children　first　thing　in　the　morning。　That　was　it；　he　hung　up　right　away。〃
　〃They've　got　your　boy's　name　and　address　by　now；〃　said　Holland。　〃Probably　the　message　as　well。〃
　〃A　location；　yes；　the　message；　maybe；〃　broke　in　Conklin；　speaking　quietly；　rapidly。　〃Not　an　address；　not　a　name。〃
　〃By　morning　they　will　have…〃
　〃By　morning　he'll　be　on　his　way　to　Tierra　del　Fuego；　if　need　be。〃
　〃Christ；　what　have　I　done？〃　exclaimed　the　psychiatrist。
　〃Nothing　anybody　else　in　your　place　wouldn't　have　done；〃　replied　Alex。　〃You　get　a　message　at　two　o'clock　in　the　morning　from　someone　you　care　about；　someone　in　trouble；　you　call　back　as　fast　as　you　can。　Now　we　have　to　reach　him　as　fast　as　we　can。　So　it's　not　Carlos；　but　somebody　with　a　lot　of　firepower　is　still　closing　in；　making　breakthroughs　we　thought　were　impossible。〃
　〃Use　the　phone　in　my　car；〃　said　Holland。　〃I'll　put　it　on　override。　There'll　be　no　record；　no　log。〃
　〃Let's　go！〃　As　quickly　as　possible；　Conklin　limped　across　the　lawn　toward　the　Agency　vehicle。
　〃David；　it's　Alex。〃
　〃Your　timing's　pretty　scary；　friend；　we're　on　our　way　out　the　door。　If　Jamie　hadn't　had　to　hit　the　potty　we'd　be　in　the　car　by　now。〃
　〃At　this　hour？〃
　〃Didn't　Mo　tell　you？　There　was　no　answer　at　your　place；　so　I　called　him。〃
　〃Mo's　a　little　shook　up。　Tell　me　yourself。　What's　happening？〃
　〃Is　this　phone　secure？　I　wasn't　sure　his　was。〃
　〃None　more　so。〃
　〃I'm　packing　Marie　and　the　kids　off　south…way　south。　She's　screaming　like　hell；　but　I　chartered　a　Rockwell　jet　out　of　Logan　Airport；　everything　precleared　thanks　to　the　arrangements　you　made　four　years　ago。　The　puters　spun　and　everyone　cooperated。　They　take　off　at　six　o'clock；　before　it's　light…I　want　them　out。〃
　〃And　you；　David？　What　about　you？〃
　〃Frankly；　I　thought　I'd　head　to　Washington　and　stay　with　you。　If　the　Jackal's　ing　for　me　after　all　these　years；　I　want　to　be　in　on　what　we're　doing　about　it。　I　might　even　be　able　to　help。　。。。　I'll　arrive　by　noon。〃
　〃No；　David。　Not　today　and　not　here。　Go　with　Marie　and　the　children。　Get　out　of　the　country。　Stay　with　your　family　and　Johnny　St。　Jacques　on　the　island。〃
　〃I　can't　do　that；　Alex；　and　if　you　were　me　you　couldn't；　either。　My　family's　not　going　to　be　free…really　free…until　Carlos　is　out　of　our　lives。〃
　〃It's　not　Carlos；〃　said　Conklin；　interrupting。
　〃What？　Yesterday　you　told　me…〃
　〃Forget　what　I　told　you；　I　was　wrong。　This　is　out　of　Hong　Kong；　out　of　Macao。〃
　〃That　doesn't　make　sense；　Alex！　Hong　Kong's　finished；　Macao's　finished。　They're　dead　and　forgotten　and　there's　no　one　alive　with　a　reason　to　e　after　me。〃
　〃There　is　somewhere。　A　great　taipan；　'the　greatest　taipan　in　Hong　Kong；'　according　to　the　most　recent　and　most　recently　dead　source。〃
　〃They're　gone。　That　whole　house　of　Kuomintang　cards　collapsed。　There's　no　one　left！〃
　〃I　repeat；　there　is　somewhere。〃
　David　Webb　was　briefly　silent；　then　Jason　Bourne　spoke；　his　voice　cold。　〃Tell　me　everything　you've　learned；　every　detail。　Something　happened　tonight。　What　was　it？〃
　〃All　right；　every　detail；〃　said　Conklin。　The　retired　intelligence　officer　described　the　controlled　surveillance　engineered　by　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency。　He　explained　how　he　and　Morris　Panov　spotted　the　old　men　who　followed　them；　picking　each　up　in　sequence　as　they　made　their　separate　ways　to　the　Smithsonian；　none　showing　himself　in　the　light　until　the　confrontation　on　a　deserted　path　on　the　Smithsonian　grounds；　where　the　messenger　spoke　of　Macao　and　Hong　Kong　and　a　great　taipan。　Finally；　Conklin　described　the　shattering　gunfire　that　silenced　the　two　aged　Orientals。　〃It's　out　of　Hong　Kong；　David。　The　reference　to　Macao　confirms　it。　It　was　your　impostor's　base　camp。〃
　Again　there　was　silence　on　the　line；　only　Jason　Bourne's　steady　breathing　audible。　〃You're　wrong；　Alex；〃　he　said　at　last；　his　voice　pensive；　floating。　〃It's　the　Jackal…by　way　of　Hong　Kong　and　Macao；　but　it's　still　the　Jackal。〃
　〃David；　now　you're　not　making　sense。　Carlos　hasn't　anything　to　do　with　taipans　or　Hong　Kong　or　messages　from　Macao。　Those　old　men　were　Chinese；　not　French　or　Italian　or　German　or　whatever。　This　is　out　of　Asia；　not　Europe。〃
　〃The　old　men；　they're　the　only　ones　he　trusts；〃　continued　David　Webb；　his　voice　still　low　and　cold；　the　voice　of　Jason　Bourne。　〃　'The　old　men　of　Paris；'　that's　what　they　were　called。　They　were　his　network；　his　couriers　throughout　Europe。　Who　suspects　decrepit　old　men；　whether　they're　beggars　or　whether　they're　just　holding　on　to　the　last　remnants　of　mobility？　Who　would　think　of　interrogating　them；　much　less　putting　them　on　a　rack。　And　even　then　they'd　stay　silent。　Their　deals　were　made…are　made…and　they　move　with　impunity。　For　Carlos。〃
　For　a　moment；　hearing　the　strange；　hollow　voice　of　his　friend；　the　frightened　Conklin　stared　at　the　dashboard；　unsure　of　what　to　say。　〃David；　I　don't　understand　you。　I　know　you're　upset…we're　all　upset…but　please　be　clearer。〃
　〃What？　。。。　Oh；　I'm　sorry；　Alex；　I　was　going　back。　To　put　it　simply；　Carlos　scoured　Paris　looking　for　old　men　who　were　either　dying　or　knew　they　hadn't　long　to　live　because　of　their　age；　all　with　police　records　and　with　little　or　nothing　to　show　for　their　lives；　their　crimes。　Most　of　us　forget　that　these　old　men　have　loved　ones　and　children；　legitimate　or　not；　that　they　care　for。　The　Jackal　would　find　them　and　swear　to　provide　for　the　people　his　about…to…die　couriers　left　behind　if　they　swore　the　rest　of　their　lives　to　him。　In　their　places；　with　nothing　to　leave　those　who　survive　us　but　suspicion　and　poverty；　which　of　us　would　do　otherwise？〃
　〃They　believed　him？〃
　〃They　had　good　reason　to…they　still　have。　Scores　of　bank　checks　are　delivered　monthly　from　multiple　unlisted　Swiss　accounts　to　inheritors　from　the　Mediterranean　to　the　Baltic。　There's　no　way　to　trace　those　payments；　but　the　people　receiving　them　know　who　makes　them　possible　and　why。　。。。　Forget　your　buried　file；　Alex。　Carlos　dug　around　Hong　Kong；　that's　where　his　penetration　was　made；　where　he　found　you　and　Mo。〃
　〃Then　we'll　do　some　penetrating　ourselves。　We'll　infiltrate　every　Oriental　neighborhood；　every　Chinese　bookie　joint　and　restaurant；　in　every　city　within　a　fifty…mile　radius　of　D。C。〃
　〃Don't　do　anything　until　I　get　there。　You　don't　know　what　to　look　for；　I　do。　。。。　It's　kind　of　remarkable；　really。　The　Jackal　doesn't　know　that　there's　still　a　great　deal　I　can't　remember；　but　he　just　assumed　that　I'd　forgotten　about　the　old　men　of　Paris。〃
　〃Maybe　he　didn't；　David。　Maybe　he's　counting　on　the　fact　that　you'd　remember。　Maybe　this　whole　charade　is　a　prelude　to　the　real　trap　he's　setting　for　you。〃
　〃Then　he　made