johngardner.winloseordie-第27章

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　locked　tighlly　in　his　head。
　In　a　couple　of　words；。the　answers　were　Bassam　Baradj　and　Bassam　Baradj；　He　was　BAST　and　he　над　its　true　aim。　If　you　asked　the　further　question；　how　did　Baradj　gain　his　truly　immense　wealth'。'　it　was　plain　（o　see。　but　only　if　you　had　the　eyes　to　see　it。
　It　was　not　strictly　true　that　there　were　no　available　photographs　of　Bassam　Baradj。　There　were　many。　The　New　York　Police　Departmeni　had　several；　as　did　the　Los　Angeles　Police　Department；　and　Seattle。　Washington。　New　Orleans。　Paris　and　Scotland　Yard；　London。　Most　were　filed　under　F　…　for　Fraud；　and　they　carried　varied　names：　Bennie　Benjamin　aka　Ben　Brostov；　Vince　Phillips　and　Conrad　Decca：　and　those　were　only　for　starters　in　the　files　of　the　NYPD。
　Over　the　past　twenty　years　Baradj　had　gained　quite　a　reputation；　but　under　many　different　guises　and　modus　ope　г　and　i。
　Bassam　Baradj　had　been　born　plain　Robert　Besavitsky；　in　the　old　Hell's　Kitchen　area　of　New　York。　His　father。　Roman　Besavitsky。　was　of　mongrel　immigrant　siock。　part…Russian。　part…Rumanian；　with　a　strange　dash　of　Scottish　via　his　great…great　grandfather　on　his　mother's　side。　Eva　Besavitsky；　Robert's　mother；　was　of　a　similar　mixture：　part　Irish；　part　French；　with　a　tincture　of　Arab　…　not　that　you　would　have　guessed　it　from　her　maiden　name；　which　was　Evangeline　Shottwood。
　Robert　Besavitsky　was。　therefore；　the　product　of　half　a　dozen　other　mongrels；　and；　as　such；　was　born　with　two　great　talents：　ambition　and　the　ability　to　sense　when　ii　was　time　to　move　on。
　As　a　growing　boy。　Robert　was　well　and　truly　streetwise　by　the　age　often。　By　the　time　he　reached　fourteen　he　knew　exactly　what　one　needed　to　survive　in　this　world　…　money；　for　money　was　the　direct　route　to　power。　If　he　could　make　money；　the　power　would　e　later。　Me　made　his　first　million　by　the　age　of　twenly…one。
　It　started　with　the　seemingly　accidental　find　of　an　automatic　pistol；　shoved　into　a　garbage　can　in　a　back　alley　off　Mulberry　Street　in　the　Italian　area。　It　was　a　Luger　and　had　a　full　magazine；　but　for　one　bullet。　Twenty…four　hours　after　finding　this　weapon。　Robert　had　carried　out　four　quick　stick…up　jobs　on　Liquor　Stores；　which　netted　him　six　hundred　dollars。　The　following　day　he　sold　the　weapon　for　a　further　one　hundred　dollars。　Then　he　set　about　spending　wisely。　He　bought　clothes：　two　good　suits；　four　shirts；　three　ties；　underwear　and　two　pairs　of　shoes。
　While　on　the　buying　spree；　he　also　lifted　a　silver　cigarette　case　and　lighter；　a　pigskin　briefcase　and　matching　wallet。　This　left　him　with　one　hundred　and　fifty　dollars。　Fifty　went　into　his　pocket；　the　remaining　hundred　opened　his　first　bank　account。　What　followed　would　have　been　legend　if　the　cops　and　the　Feds　had　ever　managed　to　interconnect　him　with　all　the　fiddles；　some　of　which　were　not　just　fiddles；　but　fully　orchestrated　capital　crimes。
During　the　past　two　decades；　Robert　had　been　married　twice；　under　different　names。　Both　women　were　obscenely　wealthy；　and　both　apparently　died　accidentally　within　a　year　of　the　marriage。　The　first　was　a　widow。　Robert；　under　the　name　of　William　Deeds；　had　managed　to　ingratiate　himself　with　a　stockbroker　called　Fineslone。　Jerry　Finestone　knew　all　the　tricks　of　the　stock　market；　and　took　a　liking　to　young　Bill　Deeds；　who　proved　to　be　an　apt　pupil。　After　six　months　poor　old　Jerry　walked　into　an　elevator　that　was　not　there；　but　thirty　floors　down。　Later　the　coroner　heard　there　had　been　a　wiring　fault　which　had　allowed　the　doors　to　open。　It　just　so　happened　that　Robert；　or　Bill　or　whatever　you　chose　to　call　him；　was　by　way　of　being　an　electrical　expert；　hut　who　knew？　Good　old　Jerry　left　three　and　a　half　million　to　his　widow；　Ruth；　who；　after　an　appropriate　period　of　mourning　married　Bill　Deeds。　Sadly；　she　followed　her　first　husband　within　the　year：　a　nasty　business　which　involved　a　Cadillac　and　an　unmarked　road　which　led　lo　a　sheer　drop。　The　contractors；　who　swore　Ihis　cul…de…cliff　had　been　well　marked；　lost　the　case　when　Bill　Deeds　sued　them　for　one　and　a　quarter　million。
　Thus　set　up。　Bill　Deeds　moved　on　…　to　Los　Angeles；　where　he　made　the　money　work　for　him。　and　married　a　movie　star。　By　this　time　his　name　had　changed　to　Vince　Phillips。　The　movie　star　was　a　big　name　and　the　headlines　were　even　bigger　when　they　found　her　accidentally　eleclrocuted　in　her　Malibu　beach　house。　Another　one　and　a　half　million　passed　to　Vince　Phillips　formerly　Bill　Deeds；　in　reality　Robert　Besavitsky
　Two　out　of　two　was　enough　of　that　game。　Robert　altered　his　name　yearly　from　then　on。　and　was　involved　in　several　dozen　stock…market　frauds　…　hence　the　name　changes　…　before　he　turned　his　hand　to　buing　and　selling。　He　would　sell　anything　as　long　as　he　could　buy　cheap　and　sell　at　a　profit；　and　he　certainly　never　asked　questions　about　the　things　he　purchased。　That　was　how　he　became　a　good　friend　to　Yasser　Arafat；　and　even　a　member　of　the　PLO。
　It　was　at　the　time　when　the　PLO　needed　a　regular　supply　of　arms　and。　as　it　turned　out；　Bennie　Benjamin　tka（truly　known　as）　Robert　Besavitsky　had　made　a　good　friend　of　an　unscrupulous　Quartermaster　with　an　Infantry　regiment。　This　was　how　Rennie　got　hold　of　hundreds　of　assault　rifles　and　automatic　pistols；　together　with　thousands　of　rounds　of　ammunition　and　four　large　drums　of　position　C…4　disguised　as　drilling　mud。　Ninety　per　cent　of　C…4　is　RDX。　the　most　powerful　plastique　explosive　in　the　world；　the　rest　was　a　binding　material。　It　is　known　by　various　names　these　days；　including　its　Czechoslovak　clone。　Semtex。　All　the　arms　and　explosives　ended　up　with　the　FLO　during　the　time　when　thai　organisation　was　branded　as　a　terrorist　army。
It　was　ihen　that　Besavilsky　saw　there　could　be　a　possible　future　in　terrorism。　He　spent　time　with　the　PLO　and　learned　a　few　tips；　then　went　back　to　buying　and　selling　…　world…wide；　under　dozens　of　aliases；　dealing　in　anything　from　stolen　paintings　lo　rare　collectors'　motor　cars。　For　many　years　he　stayed　well　ahead　of　the　law。　But　he　was　no　fool。　He　liked　a　luxurious　lifestyle　and　knew　that　it　was　possible　the　time　might　eventually　e　when　they　could　catch　up　with　him。　Just　as　he　knew　that　one　really　major　killing　could　set　him　up　for　life　and　allow　him　to　retire　in　exceptional　luxury；　and　never　have　to　look　over　his　shoulder　again。
　This　was　in　1985：　the　year　he　decided　to　make　international　；　terrorism　work　in　his　favour。　It　was　also　the　year　when　his　name　changed　to　Bassam　Baradj；　and　it　was　as　Baradj　that　he　went　out　into　the　streets　and　hiding…holes　of　Europe　and　the　Middle　East　in　search　of　converts。　He　had　links　with　a　number　of　disenchanted　terrorists　and。　in　turn；　they　had　other　links。
　Baradj　had　always　had　an　unhealthy　interest　in　demonology。　Now　he　used　it　to　his　own　purpose　and　founded　BAST；　dragging　into　his　net　the　three　very　experienced　people　who　would　act　as　his　staff　…　Saphii　Boudai；　Ali　Al　Adwan；　and　Abou　Hamarik。　Bait　for　them　was　twofold。　First；　a　blow　of　huge　dimensions　against　the　corrupt　Superpowers；　plus　the　United　Kingdom。　Second；　a　very　large　financial　gain　which　would；　of　course；　assist　the　cause　of　true　freedom　everywhere。　The　Brotherhood　of　Anarchy　and　Secret　Terrorism　had　a　nice　ring　to　it。　but　Baradj　saw　it　as　one　of　those　meaningless　titles　that　would　draw　a　certain　type　of　person。　His　three　lieutenants　trawled　the　terrorist　backwaters　and；　by　the　end　of　1986；　they　had　over　four　hundred　men　and　women　on　iheir　books。
　The　Viper　…　Baradj　…　gave　them　the　first　orders。　No　member　of　BAST　was　to　take　part　in　any　terrorist　operation　until　he　had　cleared　it。　He　okayed　several　small　bombings；　just　to　get　В　AST's　name　on　the　map。　But　as　far　as　the　overall　plan　went；　there　would　be　one；　and　only　one；　operation　he　would　fund。　This　would　take　time　to　mature；　but　the　returns　would　be　enormous：　billions；　maybe　trillions；　of　dollars。
Bassam　Baradj；　cheapskate；　big…time　fraud　merchant；　buyer　and　seller　extraordinary；　spent　the　next　years　gaining　information　with　which　he　could　prepare　the　plan　he　was　about　to　play　out　on　the　international　stage。　When　it　was　over。　BAST　could　fall　apart　for　all　he　cared；　for　Baradj　intended　to　take　the　proceeds；　run；　change　his　name；　paper　and　possibly　his　face；　with　a　little　help　from　a　plastic　surgeon。　Now　he　was　nearly　at　the　mos