sk.dreamcatcher-第119章

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ure　of　himself　now。　Pearly；　however；　said　they　were　talking　to　the　mother　…　Owen　and　the　other　one　were　talking　to　the　mother。　The　mother　didn't　want　to　let　him　go。
　　　　'Let　who　go？'　Kurtz　asked。　He　hardly　cared。　The　mother　was　holding　them　in　Derry；　allowing　them　to　close　the　distance；　so　God　bless　the　mother　no　matter　who　she　was　or　what　her　motivations　might　be。
　　　　'I　don't　know；'　Pearly　said。　His　guts　had　been　relatively　still　ever　since　Kurtz's　conversation　with　the　plowman；　but　he　sounded　exhausted。　'I　can't　see。　There's　someone；　but　it's　like　there's　no　mind　there　to　look　into。'
　　　　'Freddy？'
　　　　Freddy　shook　his　head。　'Owen's　gone　for　me。　I　can　barely　hear　the　plow　guy。　It's　like　。　。　。　I　dunno　。　。　。　like　losing　a　radio　signal。'
　　　　Kurtz　leaned　forward　over　the　seat　and　took　a　close　look　at　the　Ripley　on　Freddy's　cheek。　The　stuff　in　the　middle　was　still　bright　red…orange；　but　around　the　edges　it　appeared　to　be　turning　an　ashy　white。
　　　　It's　dying；　Kurtz　thought。　Either　Freddy's　system　is　killing　it　or　the　environment　is。　Owen　was　right。　I'll　be　damned。
　　　　Not　that　it　changed　anything。　The　line　was　still　the　line；　and　Owen　had　stepped　over　it。
　　　　'The　plow　guy；'　Perlmutter　said　in　his　tired　voice。
　　　　'What　about　the　plow　guy；　buck？'
　　　　Only　there　was　no　need　for　Perlmutter　to　answer。　Up　ahead；　twinkling　in　the　blowing　snow；　was　a　sign　reading　EXIT　32　…　GRANDVIEW/GRANDVIEW　STATION。　The　plow　suddenly　sped　up；　raising　its　blade　as　it　did　so。　All　at　once　the　Humvee　was　running　in　slippery　powder　again；　better　than　a　foot　of　it。　The　plowman　didn't　bother　with　his　blinker；　simply　took　the　exit　at　fifty；　yanking　up　a　tall　rooster…tail　of　snow　in　his　wake。
　　　　'Follow　him？'　Freddy　asked。　'I　can　run　him　down；　boss！'　Kurtz　mastered　a　strong　urge　to　tell　Freddy　to　go　ahead　…　they'd　run　the　long…eyed　Yankee　son　of　a　bitch　to　earth　and　teach　him　what　happened　to　folks　who　crossed　the　line。　Give　him　a　little　dose　of　Owen　Underhill's　medicine。　Except　the　plow　was　bigger　than　the　Hummer；　a　lot　bigger；　and　who　knew　what　might　happen　if　they　got　into　a　game　of　bumper　cars？
　　　　'Stay　on　the　pike；　laddie；'　Kurtz　said；　settling　back。　'Eyes　on　the　prize。'　Still；　he　watched　the　plow　angling　off　into　the　frigid；　windy　morning　with　real　regret。　He　couldn't　even　hope　the　damn　Yankee　had　caught　a　hot　dose　from　Freddy　and　Archie　Perlmutter；　because　the　stuff　didn't　last。
　　　　They　went　on；　speed　dropping　back　to　twenty　in　the　drifts；　but　Kurtz　guessed　conditions　would　improve　as　they　got　farther　south。　The　storm　was　almost　over。
　　　　'And　congratulations；'　he　told　Freddy。
　　　　'Huh？'
　　　　Kurtz　patted　him　on　the　shoulder。　'You　appear　to　be　getting　better。'　He　turned　to　Perlmutter。　'I　don't　know　about　you；　laddie…buck。'


11

A　hundred　miles　north　of　Kurtz's　position　and　less　than　two　miles　from　the　junction　of　back　roads　where　Henry　had　been　taken；　the　new　mander　of　the　Imperial　Valleys　…　a　woman　of　severe　good　looks；　in　her　late　forties　…　stood　beside　a　pine　tree　in　a　valley　which　had　been　code…named　Clean　Sweep　One。　Clean　Sweep　One　was；　quite　literally；　a　valley　of　death。　Piled　along　its　length　were　heaps　of　tangled　bodies；　most　wearing　hunter　orange。　There　were　over　a　hundred　in　all。　If　the　corpses　had　ID；　it　had　been　taped　around　their　necks。　The　majority　of　the　dead　were　wearing　their　driver's　licenses；　but　there　were　also　Visa　and　Discover　cards；　Blue　Cross　cards；　and　hunting　licenses。　One　woman　with　a　large　black　hole　in　her　forehead　had　been　tagged　with　her　Blockbuster　Video　card。
　　　　Standing　beside　the　largest　pile　of　bodies；　Kate　Gallagher　was　finishing　a　rough　tally　before　writing　her　second　report。　In　one　hand　she　held　a　Palm　Pilot　puter；　a　tool　that　Adolf　Eichmann；　that　famous　accountant　of　the　dead；　would　certainly　have　envied。　The　Pilots　hadn't　worked　earlier；　but　now　most　of　the　cool　electronics　gear　seemed　to　be　back　on…line。
　　　　Kate　wore　earphones　and　a　mike　suspended　in　front　of　her　mouth…and…nose　mask。　Occasionally　she　would　ask　someone　for　clarification　or　give　an　order。　Kurtz　had　chosen　a　successor　who　was　both　enthusiastic　and　efficient。　Totting　up　the　bodies　here　and　elsewhere；　Gallagher　estimated　that　they　had　bagged　at　least　sixty　per　cent　of　the　escapees。　The　John　Q's　had　fought；　which　was　certainly　a　surprise；　but　in　the　long　run；　most　of　them　just　weren't　survivors。　It　was　as　simple　as　that。
　　　　'Yo；　Katie…Kate。'
　　　　Jocelyn　McAvoy　appeared　through　the　trees　at　the　south　end　of　the　valley；　her　hood　pushed　back；　her　short　hair　covered　by　a　scarf　of　green　silk；　her　burp…gun　slung　over　her　shoulder。　There　was　a　splash　of　blood　across　the　front　of　her　parka。　　　
　　　　'Scared　you；　didn't　I？'　she　asked　the　new　OIC。
　　　　'You　might　have　raised　my　blood　pressure　a　point　or　two。'
　　　　'Well；　Quadrant　Four　is　clear；　maybe　that'll　lower　it　a　little。'　McAvoy's　eyes　sparkled。　'We　got　over　forty。　Jackson　has　got　hard　numbers　for　you；　and　speaking　of　hard；　right　about　now　I　could　really　use　a　hard…'
　　　　'Excuse　me？　Ladies？'
　　　　They　turned。　Emerging　from　the　snow…covered　brush　at　the　north　end　of　the　valley　was　a　group　of　half　a　dozen　men　and　two　women。　Most　were　wearing　orange；　but　their　leader　was　a　squat　tugboat　of　a　man　wearing　a　regulation　Blue　Group　coverall　under　his　parka。　He　was　also　still　wearing　his　transparent　face…mask；　although　below　his　mouth　there　was　a　Ripley　soul…patch　which　was　definitely　non…reg。　All　of　the　newers　had　automatic　weapons。
　　　　Gallagher　and　McAvoy　had　time　to　exchange　a　single　wide…eyed；　caught…with…our…pants…down　look。　Then　Jocelyn　McAvoy　went　for　her　burp…gun　and　Kate　Gallagher　went　for　the　Browning　she　had　propped　against　the　tree。　Neither　of　them　made　it。　The　thunder　of　the　guns　was　deafening。　McAvoy　was　thrown　nearly　twenty　feet　through　the　air。　One　of　her　boots　came　off。
　　　　'That's　for　Larry！'　one　of　the　orange…clad　women　was　screaming。　'That's　for　Larry；　you　bitches；　that's　for　Larry！'


12

When　the　shooting　was　over；　the　squat　man　with　the　Ripley　goatee　assembled　his　group　near　the　facedown　corpse　of　Kate　Gallagher；　who　had　graduated　ninth　in　her　class　at　West　Point　before　running　afoul　of　the　disease　that　was　Kurtz。　The　squat　man　had　appropriated　her　gun；　which　was　better　than　his　own。
　　　　'I'm　a　firm　believer　in　democracy；'　he　said；　'and　you　folks　can　do　what　you　want；　but　I'm　heading　north　now。　I　don't　know　how　long　it'll　take　me　to　learn　the　words　to　〃O　Canada〃；　but　I'm　going　to　find　out。'
　　　　'I'm　going　with　you；'　one　of　the　men　said；　and　it　quickly　became　apparent　that　they　were　all　going　with　him。　Before　they　left　the　clearing　the　leader　bent　down　and　plucked　the　Palm　Pilot　out　of　a　snowdrift。　　　
　　　　'Always　wanted　one　of　these；'　said　Emil　'Dawg'　Brodsky。　'I'm　a　sucker　for　the　new　technology。'
　　　　They　left　the　valley　of　death　from　the　direction　they'd　entered　it；　heading　north。　From　around　them　came　isolated　pops　and　bursts　of　gunfire；　but　for　all　practical　purposes；　Operation　Clean　Sweep　was　also　over。


13

Mr　Gray　had　mitted　another　murder　and　stolen　another　vehicle；　this　time　a　DPW　plow。　Jonesy　didn't　see　it　happen。　Mr　Gray；　having　apparently　decided　he　couldn't　get　Jonesy　out　of　his　office　（not；　at　least；　until　he　could　devote　all　his　time　and　energy　to　the　problem）；　had　decided　to　do　the　next　best　thing；　which　was　to　wall　him　off　from　the　outside　world。　Jonesy　now　thought　he　knew　how　Fortunato　must　have　felt　when　Montresor　bricked　him　up　in　the　wine…cellar。
　　　　It　happened　not　long　after　Mr　Gray　put　the　State　Trooper's　car　back　in　the　turnpike's　southbound　lane　（there　was　just　the　one；　at　least　for　the　time　being；　and　that　was　treacherous）。　Jonesy　was　in　a　closet　at　the　time；　following　up　what　seemed　to　him　to　be　an　absolutely　brilliant　idea。
　　　　Mr　Gray　had　cut　off　his　telephone　service？　Okay；　he　would　simply　create　a　new　form　of　munication；　as　he　had　created　a　thermostat　to　cool　the　place　down　when　Mr　Gray　tried　to　force　him　out　by　overloading　him　with　heat。　A　fax　machine　would　be　just　the　thing；　he　decided。　And　why　not？　All　the　gadgets　were　symbolic；　only　visualizations　to　help　him　first　focus　and　then　exercise　powers　that　had　been　in　him　for　over　twenty　years。　Mr　Gray　had　sensed　those　powers；　and　after　his　initial　dismay　had　moved　ve