dk.nightchills-第55章

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　At　the　square　the　helicopter　hovered　for　a　moment；　then　swept　across　the　municipal　building　and　settled　into　the　parking　lot　ten　yards　from　the　spare　police　car。
　As　the　evening　quietude　returned　in　the　aircraft's　wake；　jenny　said；　〃Do　you　think　those　men　are　connected　with　Salsbury？〃
　〃No　doubt　about　it；〃　Sam　said。
　〃Government？〃
　Paul　said；　〃No。〃
　〃I　agree；〃　Sam　said　almost　happily。　〃Even　the　President's　chopper　is　military…style　on　the　outside…although　probably　not　on　the　inside。　The　government　doesn't　use　sleek　little　executive　machines　like　that　yellow　and　black　job。〃
　〃Which　doesn't　rule　out　the　government's　having　a　part　in　this；〃　Paul　said。
　〃Oh；　certainly　not。　It　doesn't　rule　out　anything；〃　Sam　said。　〃But　it's　a　good　sign。〃
　〃What　now？〃　Rya　asked。
　〃Now　we　watch　and　wait；〃　Paul　said；　his　eyes　fixed　on　the　white…brick　municipal　building。　〃Just　watch　and　wait。〃
　The　damp　air　still　held　an　unpleasant　tang　of　the　helicopter's　exhaust　fumes。
　Up　in　the　mountains；　thunder　rumbled　menacingly。　Lightning　arced　between　two　of　the　higher　peaks　as　if　they　were　terminals　in　Frankenstein's　laboratory。
　To　Paul　time　seemed　almost　at　a　standstill。　Each　minute　ticked　on　and　on　and　on。　Each　second　was　like　a　tiny　bubble　of　air　rising　slowly　through　the　bottle　of　glucose　on　the　intravenous…feeding　rack　that　he　had　watched　for　hour　after　leaden　hour　at　Annie's　hospital　bedside。
　Finally；　at　9：20　two　cars　came　down　Main　Street　from　the　municipal　building：　the　second　police　cruiser　and　a　one…year…old　Ford　LTD。　The　four　headlamps　sliced　open　the　crescent　darkness。　Half　a　block　beyond　the　church；　they　parked　at　the　curb　in　front　of　the　general　store。
　Bob　Thorp　and　two　men　with　handguns　climbed　out　of　the　squad　car。　For　a　moment　they　stood　in　the　splash　of　amber　white　light　from　the　LTD；　then　they　went　up　the　porch　steps　and　disappeared　beneath　the　veranda　roof。
　Three　men　got　out　of　the　second　car。　They　left　the　engine
　running　and　the　doors　open。　They　didn't　follow　Thorp；　they　remained　at　the　LTD。　Because　they　were　standing　behind　the　headlights；　they　were　for　the　most　part　in　darkness。　Paul　couldn't　tell　if　they　were　armed　or　not。　But　he　knew　for　certain　who　they　were：　Salsbury　and　the　two　passengers　from　the　helicopter。
　〃Do　you　want　to　go　down　there　and　take　them　now？〃　Paul　asked　Sam。　〃While　they　have　their　backs　to　us？〃
　〃Too　risky。　We　don't　know　if　they've　got　guns。　They　might　hear　us　ing。　And　even　if　we　did　catch　them　by　surprise；　one　of　them　would　get　away；　sure　as　hell。　Let's　wait　a　bit。〃
　At　9：35　one　of　Bob　Thorp's　〃deputies〃　came　down　the　porch　steps　and　joined　the　three　men　at　the　second　car。　They　talked；　possibly　argued；　for　a　few　seconds。　The　deputy　remained　at　the　LTD　while　Salsbury　and　his　associates　mounted　the　steps　to　the　general　store。
　
　9：50　P。M。
　Turning　away　from　the　bookshelves　in　Sam　Edison's　study；　Dawson　said；　〃All　right　then。　Now　we　understand　how　they　might　have　pieced　it　together。　Ogden；　do　they　know　the　code　phrases？〃
　Shocked　by　the　question；　Salsbury　said；　〃Of　course　not！　How　in　the　hell　could　they　know？〃
　〃The　little　girl　might　have　heard　you　use　them　with　Thorp　or　with　her　brother。〃
　〃No；〃　he　said。　〃Impossible。　She　didn't　Step　into　that　doorway　until　long　after　I　gave　up　trying　to　get　control　of　her　brother…and　long；　long　after　I'd　already　assumed　control　of　Thorp。〃
　〃Did　you　try　to　use　the　phrase　on　her？〃
　Did　I？　Salsbury　wondered。　I　remember　seeing　her　there；　taking　a　step　toward　her；　being　unable　to　catch　her。　But　did　I　use　the　code　phrase？
　He　rejected　that　notion　because　if　he　accepted　it　he　would
　have　to　accept　defeat；　plete　destruction。　〃No；〃　he　told　Dawson。　〃I　didn't　have　time　to　use　the　phrase。　I　saw　her。　She　turned　and　ran。　I　ran　after　her；　but　she　was　too　fast。〃
　〃You're　absolutely　certain？〃
　〃Absolutely。〃
　Regarding　Salsbury　with　unvarnished　disgust；　the　general　said；　〃You　should　have　foreseen　this　development　with　Edison。　You　should　have　known　about　this　library；　this　hobby　of　his。〃
　〃How　in　the　hell　could　I　foresee　any　of　it？〃　Salsbury　asked。　His　face　was　flushed。　His　myopic　eyes　seemed　to　bulge　even　more　than　usual　behind　his　thick　glasses。
　〃If　you　had　done　your　duty…〃
　〃Duty；〃　Salsbury　said　scornfully。　Half　of　his　anger　was　generated　by　his　fear；　but　it　was　important　that　neither　Dawson　nor　Klinger　see　that。　〃This　isn't　the　stinking　military；　Ernst。　This　isn't　the　army。　I'm　not　one　of　your　oh…so…humble　enlisted　men。〃
　Klinger　turned　away　from　him；　went　to　the　window；　and　said；　〃Maybe　we'd　all　be　better　off　if　you　were。〃
　Willing　the　general　to　look　at　him；　aware　that　he　was　at　a　disadvantage　so　long　as　Klinger　felt　safe　enough　to　turn　his　back；　Salsbury　said；　〃Christ！　No　matter　how　careful　I'd　been…〃
　〃That's　enough；〃　Dawson　said。　He　spoke　softly　but　with　such　mand　that　Salsbury　stopped　talking　and　the　general　looked　away　from　the　window。　〃We　haven't　time　for　arguments　and　accusations。　We've　got　to　find　those　four　people。〃
　〃They　can't　have　gotten　out　of　town　through　the　east　end　of　the　valley；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃I　know　I've　got　that　sealed　tight。〃
　〃You　thought　you　had　this　house　sealed　up　tight　too；〃　Klinger　said。　〃But　they　slipped　past　you。〃
　〃Let's　not　judge　too　harshly；　Ernst；〃　Dawson　said。　He　smiled　in　a　fatherly；　Christian　fashion　and　nodded　at　Salsbury。　But　there　was　only　hatred　and　loathing　in　his　black　eyes。　〃I　agree　with　Ogden。　His　precautions　at　the　east　end　are　certainly　adequate。　Although　we　might　consider　tripling　the　number　of　men　along　the　river　and　in　the　woods　now　that　night　has　fallen。　And　I　believe　Ogden's　also　covered　the　logging　roads　well　enough。〃
　〃Then　there　are　two　possibilities；〃　Klinger　said；　deciding　to　play　the　military　strategist。　〃One…they　might　still　be　in　town；　hiding　somewhere；　waiting　for　a　chance　to　get　past　the　roadblock　or　the　men　guarding　the　river。　Or　two…maybe　they're　going　to　walk　out　through　the　mountains。　We　know　from　Thorp　that　the　Annendales　are　experienced　campers　and　hikers。〃
　Bob　Thorp　was　standing　by　the　door；　as　if　he　were　an　honor　guard。　He　said；　〃That's　true。〃
　〃I　don't　see　it；〃　Salsbury　said。　〃I　mean；　they　have　an　eleven…year…old　girl　with　them。　She'll　slow　them　down。　They'll　need　days　to　reach　help　that　way。〃
　〃That　little　girl　has　spent　a　big　part　of　the　last　seven　summers　in　these　forests；〃　the　general　said。　〃She　might　not　be　as　much　of　a　drag　on　them　as　you　think。　Besides；　if　we　don't　locate　them；　they'll　do　the　same　damage　whether　they　reach　help　tonight　or　not　until　the　middle　of　next　week。〃
　Dawson　thought　about　that。　Then：　〃If　they're　trying　to　walk　out　through　the　mountains；　sixty　miles　round…about　to　Bexford；　how　far　do　you　think　they've　gotten　by　now？〃
　〃Three；　maybe　three　and　a　half　miles；〃　Klinger　said。
　〃No　farther　than　that？〃
　〃I　doubt　it；〃　Klinger　said。　〃They'd　have　to　be　damned　careful　leaving　town　if　they　didn't　want　to　be　seen。　They'd　move　slowly；　a　few　yards　at　a　time　for　the　first　mile。　In　the　forest　they'd　need　a　while　to　really　hit　their　stride。　And　even　if　the　little　girl　is　at　home　in　the　woods；　she'd　slow　them　down　a　bit。〃
　〃Three　and　a　half　miles；〃　Dawson　said　thoughtfully。　〃Wouldn't　that　put　them　somewhere　between　the　Big　Union　mill　and　the　planned　forests？〃
　〃That's　about　right。〃
　Dawson　closed　his　eyes　and　seemed　to　mutter　a　few　words　of　silent　prayer；　his　lips　moved　slightly。　Then　his　eyes　snapped　open；　as　if　sprung　by　a　holy　revelation；　and　he　said；　〃The　first　thing　we'll　do　is　organize　a　search　in　the　mountains。〃
　〃That's　absurd；〃　Salsbury　said；　although　he　was　aware　that　Dawson　probably　thought　of　his　plan　as　a　divine　inspiration；
　the　very　handiwork　of　God。　〃It　would　be　like…well；　like　hunting　for　a　needle　in　a　haystack。〃
　His　voice　as　cold　as　the　dead　boy　in　the　next　room；　Dawson　said；　〃We　have　nearly　two　hundred　men　at　the　logging　camp；　all　of　them　familiar　with　these　mountains。　We'll　mobilize　them。　Arm　them　with　axes　and　rifles　and　shotguns。　Give　them　flashlights　and　Coleman　lanterns。　We'll　put　them　in　trucks　and　jeeps　and　send　them　a　mile　or　so　beyond　the　logging　camp。　They　can　form　a　search　line　and　walk　back。　Forty　feet　between　the　men。　That　way；　the　line　will　be　a　mile　and　a　half　from　one　en