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jefflong.yearzero-第3章

小说: jefflong.yearzero 字数: 每页4000字

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was done。 They were heading home。 Nathan Lee asked for any advice。
 〃Don't go down there;〃 one said。 〃Why mess with the gods?〃 He had a bat soldier's contempt for the civilian。 If you don't belong; don't be there。
 His partner said; 〃How about the lions; you been briefed on the lions?〃
 〃Seriously?〃 said Nathan Lee。 It had to be an urban legend。Here be dragons。
 The man spit。 〃From the zoo。〃
 The first man said; 〃They found a body in the Armenian quarter。 Mauled to rags。 One leg missing。 That means they they've tasted us。 They're maneaters now。〃
  
 AT SUNSETthe smoke turned bronze。
 Nathan Lee found Ochs on a cot in a tent; stripped to the waist。 He'd seen pictures of the linebacker in his 400…pound bench…press days; an Adonis on steroids。 Nathan Lee looked down at the wreckage of beer fat。 Sweat glistened on his salt…and…pepper chest hair。 〃Wake up;〃 Nathan Lee said。
 Ochs came to with a groan。 The canvas and wood creaked as he pried himself from the cot。
 〃We made a mistake;〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃It's too dangerous。 There's a curfew; dusk to dawn。 Shoot to kill。〃
 〃Give me a minute;〃 Ochs growled。
 〃It's a war zone。 No one's in charge over there。 They're at each other's throats。 Hamas and the Hezbollah and the SLA and Israeli army and kibbutz militias。〃
 Ochs glared at him。 〃Suck it up; Swift。 What did you expect? Nine…point…one on the Richter scale。 From here to Istanbul; it's scrambled eggs。〃
 〃I don't like it。〃
 〃What's to like?〃 Ochs tossed his head side to side like a boxer warming up。 The vertebrae crackled。 〃This time tomorrow; we'll be on our way home。 Think of it as starting the college fund。 Grace's;〃 he added; 〃not yours。 It's time you moved beyond your academic ambitions。〃
 The unborn child had bee Ochs's hostage。 Nathan Lee didn't know how to stop it。 The conspiracy between sister and brother was beginning to scare him。 〃You don't need me;〃 he said pointblank。
 〃But I do;〃 said Ochs。 〃Don't let it go to your head。 You're younger。 You have abilities。 e on。 We're on the same team; slick。〃
 〃This isn't a bowl game;〃 said Nathan Lee。 〃We're trespassing on history。 Legends。 Everything we do could alter the record。 It could bend religions。〃
 〃Since when did you find God? Anyway; you've got responsibilities。〃
 〃It was you who taught me about the integrity of the site。〃
 〃Those were the days。〃
 〃You just want revenge;〃 said Nathan Lee。
 〃I just want money;〃 said Ochs。 〃What about you; Nathan Lee? Don't you get lonely in there?〃
 They went to the mess tent。 It was crowded with relief workers in various states of fatigue。 They spoke a babel of languages。 They were fed much better than the survivors。 In place of protein bars and bottles of water; they got lamb stew and couscous and candies。 Ochs made a beeline for the caffeine。
 Nathan Lee went outside with his paper plate and sat on the ground。 Ochs found him。 〃No more seesaw。 It's yes or no。〃
 Nathan Lee didn't say yes。 But he didn't say no。 That was all Ochs needed。
  
 AT MOONRISE; they cast loose of Camp 23。
 They wore cotton masks; Red Cross bibs; the borrowed hardhats; and jungle boots from the Vietnam era。 The soles had metal plates to protect against punji stakes。 Ochs had spotted them in an Army surplus store outside of Georgetown。
 In theory; the camps were locked down between dusk and dawn。 But for all the razor wire and sandbags and ferocious Israeli paratroopers at the entrance; Nathan Lee had learned there was no back wall to Camp 23。 The gate was all show。 Nathan Lee and Ochs simply strode downhill and the camp dwindled into darkness。
 They left the klieg lights and diesel generators and food lines behind。 On the dark outskirts; they passed the mad and dying。 Nathan Lee imagined the final circle of hell as something like this。
 The hillside sloped gently; cut by terraces。 Nathan Lee took the lead downwards。 They carried headlamps; but did not use them。 He was reminded of climbing in the Himalayas and above Chamonix with his father。 Mountaineers called it an alpine start。 You kicked off at night while the mountain is asleep。 Other senses emerged: night vision; different kinds of hearing; a feeling for the movements underfoot。 The world lost its margins; it ran loose out there。 Deep joints in the earth snapped like bones。 The underworld beat within your skin。 That's how it felt tonight。 Ochs's heavy footsteps drummed on the earth。 Even the stars were vibrating。
 Nathan Lee looked out across the top of the vile smog。 The enormous white moon had finished sucking free of the distant desert。 He'd never seen it so large and explicit。
 〃Slow down;〃 Ochs said。
 Nathan Lee could hear him back there; laboring。。。downhill。 That was not good。 They'd barely started the night。 The man sounded like horses breathing。 Nathan Lee didn't wait; but at the same time he didn't let their spacing grow too wide。
 They plunged on; lights off; Nathan Lee ahead。 Ochs was clumsy。 He demanded a rest。 Nathan Lee made him demand it three times; then reined himself in。 Ochs caught up and sat on a rock。 He blamed his football knees and Nathan Lee's pace。 〃I know you're trying to wear me down。 It won't work;〃 he said。
 They continued down through fig and pistachio groves with clusters of ripe buds。 The branches of olive trees looked frozen and convulsed。 Through his cotton mask; Nathan Lee could smell the blossoms glittering like Christmas tree ornaments。 Their scent could not hide the smell of spoiled meat; even at this distance。
 They penetrated the layer of oil smoke。 The moon shrank and turned brown。 Deeper; they passed through a Christian cemetery with toppled gravestones and crosses。 They reached the underside of the cloud。 Suddenly the walls of the Old City stood before them。
 It was a different world under the canopy。 Green and orange flares cut the low sky。 You would see them rocket up through the black smoke; then slowly reappear from the murky heavens。 By night; the gas flames resembled Biblical pillars of fire。 Nathan Lee looked at Ochs and the snout of his white mask was caked with soot。 He looked like a hyena nosing through the ashes。
 Timeless Jerusalem lay squashed flat。 Because it was built on a rising hill; they could see over the walls; into the upper neighborhoods。 At first glance; the city looked fused; one single melted element。 Then Nathan Lee began to discern details in the ruins。 In place of streets; there were arteries; and in the arteries moved lights。 Hatreds older than America were in motion。 Here and there streamers of tracer bullets arced between the pancaked apartment buildings。 It was every man for himself in there; militias; sects; rebels; and predators。
 Nathan Lee was afraid。 This wasn't like the controlled adrenal hit you got climbing a long runout on rock or ice。 It was more insidious; more consuming。 And there was another difference tonight。 He would have a daughter soon。 For some reason; that mattered to him。 His life counted for more。
 In the distance; poised above the shredded skyline; the Dome of the Rock was still standing。 The sight had a peculiar effect。 It was an oddity of quakes in very old cities that modern structures will collapse; leaving the ancient buildings intact。 The National Cathedral in Mexico City was one example; the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul another。 The mosque atop the Temple Mount was clearly another。 The dome gleamed in the flare light like a golden moon fallen to earth。
 They descended into the Kidron valley; then trekked up and reached the base of the wall。 It soared above them。 Hardin slapped the big; squared blocks of limestone。 〃We're in the zone;〃 he said。 〃Can you feel it?〃
 They followed the wall to its southern edge; then skirted west; on the outside of the worst fighting。 The Muslim and Jewish quarters rumbled and thundered inside the wall。 No rest for the weary。 They were fighting right through Armageddon。 Bullets and shrapnel sizzled overhead from the platform of the Temple Mount。
 After twenty minutes they reached a collapsed abbey。 Not much further; they reached the end of the south wall; and took a righthand turn along the original Byzantine wall。
 The suburbs were in utter collapse。 Disemboweled high…rises teetered above mounds of deb

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