tc.redstormrising-第32章

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y　a　moment　later　to　see　a　lieutenant　…a　senior　watch　supervisor…pushing　his　way　in。
〃Ambulance？〃
〃On　the　way；　Herr　Leutnant。　I　am　Dieter；　Gunther…traffic　detail。　My　post　is　down　the　street。〃
〃Who　was　driving　the　car　here？〃　the　lieutenant　asked。
The　driver　stood　as　erect　as　she　could　and　started　gasping　out　her　story　in　French。　A　passerby　who　had　seen　the　whole　thing　cut　her　off。
〃This　one　just　stepped　off　the　curb　without　looking。　The　lady　had　no　chance　to　stop。　I　am　a　banker；　and　I　came　out　of　the　post　office　right　behind　this　one。　He　tried　to　cross　at　the　wrong　place　and　stepped　into　the　street　without　looking　at　the　traffic。　My　card。〃　The　banker　handed　the　lieutenant　his　business　card。
〃Thank　you；　Dr。　Muller。　You　have　no　objection　to　making　a　statement？〃
〃Of　course。　I　can　e　directly　to　your　station　if　you　wish。〃
〃Good。〃　The　lieutenant　rarely　had　one　this　clean…cut。
The　taxi　driver　just　stood　at　the　edge　of　the　crowd。　An　experienced　KGB　case　officer；　he'd　seen　operations　go　bad　before；　but　this　was　。　。　。　absurd。　There　was　always　something　new　that　could　ruin　an　operation；　so　often　the　most　simple；　most　foolish　thing。　This　proud　Spetznaz　mando；　cut　down　by　a　middle…aged　Frenchwoman　driving　a　sedan！　Why　hadn't　he　looked　at　the　damned　traffic？　I　should　have　gotten　someone　else　to　fetch　the　envelope；　and　screw　the　damned　orders。　Security；　he　swore　behind　an　impassive　face。　Orders　from　Moscow　Center：　minimum　personnel　involvement。　He　walked　back　across　the　street　to　his　cab；　wondering　how　he'd　explain　this　to　his　control。　Mistakes　were　never　the　Center's　fault。
The　ambulance　arrived　next。　The　sergeant　removed　the　victim's　wallet　from　his　pants。　The　victim　was　one　Siegfried　Baum…wonderful；　the　lieutenant　thought；　a　Jew…from　the　Altona　district　of　Hamburg。　The　driver　of　the　car　was　French。　He　decided　he　had　to　ride　in　to　the　hospital　with　the　victim。　An　〃international〃　accident：　there'd　be　extra　paperwork　on　this。　The　lieutenant　wished　he'd　stayed　in　the　Gasthaus　across　the　street　and　finished　his　after　lunch　pilsener。　So　much　for　devotion　to　duty。　Then　there　was　his　possible　mobilization　to　worry　about　。　。　。
The　ambulance　crew　worked　quickly。　A　cervical　collar　was　fitted　around　the　victim's　neck；　and　a　backboard　brought　in　before　they　rolled　him　over　onto　the　stretcher。　The　broken　lower　legs　were　immobilized　with　cardboard　splints。　The　paramedic　clucked　over　them。　Both　ankles　looked　to　be　badly　crushed。　The　whole　procedure　took　six　minutes　by　the　lieutenant's　watch；　and　he　boarded　the　ambulance；　leaving　three　police　officers　to　manage　the　rest　of　the　incident　and　clear　the　accident　scene。
〃How　bad　is　he？〃
〃Probably　fractured　his　skull。　He　has　lost　a　lot　of　blood。　What　happened？〃
〃Walked　out　into　traffic　without　watching。〃
〃Idiot；〃　the　paramedic　mented。　〃As　if　we　don't　have　work　enough。〃
〃Will　he　live？〃
〃Depends　on　the　head　injury。〃　The　ambulanceman　shrugged。　〃The　surgeons　will　be　working　on　him　within　the　hour。　You　know　his　name？　I　have　a　form　to　fill　out。〃
〃Baum；　Siegfried。　Kaiserstrasse　17；　Altona　District；　Hamburg。〃
〃Well；　he'll　be　in　the　hospital　in　four　minutes。〃　The　paramedic　took　his　pulse　and　made　a　notation。　〃Doesn't　look　Jewish。〃
〃Be　careful　saying　things　like　that；〃　the　lieutenant　cautioned。
〃My　wife　is　Jewish。　His　blood　pressure　is　dropping　rapidly。〃　The　ambulanceman　debated　starting　an　IV；　but　decided　against　it。　Better　to　let　the　surgeons　make　that　decision。
〃Hans；　have　you　radioed　in？〃
〃Ja；　they　know　what　to　expect；〃　the　driver　replied。　〃Isn't　Ziegler　on　duty　today？〃
〃I　hope　so。〃
The　driver　horsed　the　ambulance　into　a　hard　left　turn；　and　all　the　while　the　two…tone　siren　cleared　traffic　ahead　of　them。　One　minute　later　he　halted　the　Mercedes　and　backed　it　into　the　emergency　receiving　area。　A　doctor　and　two　orderlies　were　already　waiting。
German　hospitals　are　nothing　if　not　efficient。　Within　ten　minutes　the　victim；　now　a　patient；　had　been　intubated　to　protect　his　airway；　punctured　for　a　unit　of　O…positive　blood　and　a　bottle　of　IV　fluids；　and　wheeled　up　to　neurosurgery　for　immediate　surgery　at　the　hands　of　Professor　Anton　Ziegler。　The　lieutenant　had　to　stay　in　the　emergency　room　with　the　registrar。
〃So　who　was　he？〃　the　young　doctor　asked。　The　policeman　gave　the　information　over。
〃A　German？〃
〃Does　that　seem　strange？〃　the　lieutenant　asked。
〃Well；　when　the　radio　call　came　in；　and　said　you　were　ing　also；　I　assumed　that　this　was；　well；　sensitive；　as　though　a　foreigner　were　injured。〃
〃The　auto　was　driven　by　a　Frenchwoman。〃
〃Ach；　that　explains　it。　I　thought　he　was　the　foreigner。〃
〃Why　so？〃
〃His　dental　work。　I　noticed　when　I　intubated　him。　He　has　a　number　of　cavities；　and　they've　been　repaired　with　stainless　steel…sloppy　work。〃
〃Perhaps　he　originally　es　from　the　East　Zone；〃　the　lieutenant　observed。　The　registrar　snorted。
No　German　ever　did　that　work！　A　carpenter　could　do　better。〃　The　doctor　filled　out　the　admission　form　rapidly。
〃What　are　you　telling　me？〃
〃He　has　poor　dental　work。　Strange。　He　is　very　fit。　Dressed　well。　Jewish。　But　he　has　miserable　dental　work。〃　The　doctor　sat　down。　〃We　see　many　strange　things；　of　course。〃
〃Where　are　his　personal　effects？〃　The　lieutenant　was　a　naturally　curious　type；　one　reason　he'd　bee　a　policeman　after　his　service　in　the　Bundeswehr。　The　doctor　walked　the　officer　to　a　room　where　the　personal　effects　were　inventoried　for　secure　storage　by　a　hospital　employee。
They　found　the　clothing　neatly　arranged；　with　the　jacket　and　shirt　separate　so　that　their　bloodstains　would　not　damage　anything　else。　Pocket　change；　a　set　of　keys；　and　a　large　envelope　were　set　aside　for　cataloging。　The　orderly　was　filling　out　a　form；　looking　up　to　list　exactly　what　had　e　in　with　the　patient。
The　policeman　lifted　the　manila　envelope。　It　had　been　mailed　from　Stuttgart　yesterday　evening。　A　ten…mark　stamp。　On　an　impulse　he　pulled　out　a　pocketknife　and　slit　the　top　of　the　envelope　open。　Neither　the　doctor　nor　the　orderly　objected。　This　was　a　police　officer；　after　all。
A　large　and　two　smaller　envelopes　were　inside。　He　opened　the　large　one　first　and　extracted　the　contents。　First　he　saw　a　diagram。　It　looked　ordinary　enough　until　he　saw　that　it　was　a　photocopy　of　a　German　Army　document　stamped　Geheim。　Secret。　Then　the　name：　Lammersdorf。　He　was　holding　a　map　of　a　NATO　munications　headquarters　not　thirty　kilometers　from　where　he　stood。　The　police　lieutenant　was　a　captain　in　the　German　Army　Reserves；　and　held　an　intelligence　billet。　Who　was　Siegfried　Baum？　He　opened　the　other　envelopes。　Next　he　went　to　a　phone。

ROTA；　SPAIN
The　transport　jet　arrived　right　on　time。　A　fair　breeze　greeted　them　from　the　sea　as　Toland　emerged　from　the　cargo　door。　A　pair　of　sailors　was　there　to　direct　the　arrivals。　Toland　was　pointed　to　a　helicopter　a　hundred　yards　away；　its　rotor　already　turning。　He　walked　quickly　toward　it；　along　with　four　other　men。　Five　minutes　later　he　was　airborne；　his　first　visit　to　Spain　having　lasted　exactly　eleven　minutes。　No　one　attempted　conversation。　Toland　looked　out　one　of　the　small　windows　available。　They　were　over　a　patch　of　blue　water；　evidently　flying　southwest。　They　were　aboard　a　Sea　King　antisubmarine　helicopter。　The　crew　chief　was　also　a　sonar　operator；　and　he　was　fiddling　with　his　gear；　evidently　running　some　sort　of　test。　The　interior　walls　of　the　aircraft　were　bare。　Aft　was　the　sonobuoy　storage；　and　the　dipping　sonar　transducer　was　caged　in　its　partment　in　the　floor。　For　all　that；　the　aircraft　was　crowded；　most　of　its　space　occupied　by　weapon　and　sensor　instrumentation。　They'd　been　in　the　air　for　half　an　hour　when　the　helo　started　circling。　Two　minutes　later；　they　landed　on　USS　NIMITZ。
The　flight　deck　was　hot；　noisy；　and　stank　of　jet　fuel。　A　deck　crewman　motioned　them　toward　a　ladder　which　led　down　to　the　catwalk　surrounding　the　deck；　and　into　a　passageway　beneath　it。　Here　they　encountered　air　conditioning　and　relative　quiet；　sheltered　from　the　flight　operations　going　on　overhead。
〃Lieutenant　mander　Toland？〃　a　yeoman　called　out。
〃Here。〃
〃Please　e　with　me；　sir。〃
Toland　followed　the　sailor　through　the　rabbit　warren　of　partments　below　the　flight　deck；　and　was　finally　pointed　to　an　open　door。
〃You　must　be　Toland；〃　observed　a　somewhat　frazzled　officer。
〃Must　be…unless　the　time