jefflong.yearzero-第49章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
We need him。
〃This isn't a missing persons bureau；〃 she declared。
〃I'm not the pizza delivery boy； either；〃 he said。
It was almost reckless； almost insolent。 Almost。 But there was no pride behind the chutzpah。 He was just here for his daughter。
〃How do I know you won't betray me？ We've got no evidence this package of artifacts even exists。〃
〃There's those letters from the Smithsonian。〃 He pointed helpfully with one finger； and both hands came up； attached at the wrist。
〃Pieces of paper。〃 Miranda nudged at his forged blood book。 〃Fictions。〃
〃You'll find a tree；〃 he said。 〃Go forty feet north of mile marker 3。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃
〃Off Highway 502。 It's all there。 In saddlebags。 They're not buried。 Look up in the branches。〃
〃You said they were buried。〃
〃I lied。 Again。〃
Miranda looked at the Captain； and his eyebrows were knit into a single black V。 He was taken off guard； too。 As an afterthought； he took a notepad from his pocket and started writing。 He spoke into a cellphone。
Nathan Lee gave her a pleasant smile。 〃Now we've got that out of the way。〃
The smile annoyed her。 She wanted to scold him。 What did he have to smile about？ He'd left himself no chips。 He'd gained nothing； except to throw the question of trust back on her。 She'd made no promises。 But now it was her in the position of betraying him。 Then Miranda realized he knew exactly what he was doing。 She'd made an issue of trust； so now he was using it against her。
〃I could wait until they confirm your。。nfession。〃 She made her voice frosty。 〃But I'll go ahead and check the registry。〃 She slid the keyboard closer。 〃It's only for Los Alamos；〃 she warned。
〃That's fine。〃
She spoke as she typed。 〃Grace Swift。〃
〃Probably not；〃 he said。
He was right。 〃Well； what then？〃
〃There was a divorce。〃 Miranda backspaced over the Swift。 He craned to see her screen； but the Captain moved him back with a gesture。 〃Try Ochs；〃 he said。
Miranda's fingers froze。 〃Not David Ochs；〃 she blurted。
His eyes lit up。 They positively burned。 Then he made himself clement and mild behind the clunky horn…rims again。 〃So he's made himself safe；〃 he said。
She glanced at the Captain； confounded。 〃He has a wife and child？〃 The executioner had a family？
〃A sister；〃 Nathan Lee corrected her。 〃She remarried。 She might have taken another name。 But start with Ochs。 Please。〃
What kind of charade was this？ Clearly the man had followed Ochs here。 He'd skillfully used documents that were over a half year old to gain access to the Mesa； and maybe that was all there was to it； one more opportunist trying to slide through the fence。 More ominously； Ochs may have summoned him； an ally； the last thing Los Alamos needed。 But why use her； why not go straight through Ochs？ Cover？ A sting？ On the other hand； he could be who he claimed to be； which verged on nothing。 There was only one sure way to find out。
〃Captain；〃 she said； 〃lock this man up。〃
* * *
OCHS DID NOT Egently。 He entered the monitor room loudly； eyes bulging with gangster aggression。 His skull was mottled red with his indignation。 〃What is this all about？〃 he demanded。
〃That's what I want to know；〃 said Miranda。
〃Take it up with Cavendish； whatever it is。〃 He made a show of trying to leave； but the Captain had sent two of his biggest men。 They loomed at the door。
〃Sit；〃 said the Captain。
Then Ochs caught sight of the television screen by Miranda's elbow。 The stranger was sitting on a metal bed in a stainless steel cell。 A small noise eked from Ochs's nostrils。 The red blotches on his polished head drained pale。 〃Swift；〃 he whispered。 〃But he's dead。〃
Miranda felt a shock of happiness； wicked and relieved at the same time。 Ochs was afraid。 And the stranger had been honest at least about his name。 〃We were discussing you；〃 she said。
〃What in God's name is he doing here？〃
〃He brought the Smithsonian specimens that you said don't exist；〃 she said。 〃I wanted to hear your side of it。〃
〃My side of what？〃 said Ochs。 The blood returned to his face。 But his bluster was gone。 〃He's a convicted murderer。 A cannibal。 Yes； it's true； in this day and age。 It all came out in his trial。 He tried to kill me。 They jailed him in Kathmandu。 You must have read about it。〃
The seamy； tabloid details rushed to her。 This was that man？ But she recalled； even before the plague transcended it； doubting the story could be true in all its parts。 It had seemed too sordid； too fantastic to be real。
〃He's hunting me；〃 said Ochs。 〃He wants revenge。〃
〃That's not what he told us；〃 she managed to say。 Ochs's fear was so。。。delicious。
The precision…trimmed goatee twitched。 〃What did he tell you？ Jerusalem； is that it？〃
〃Tell me；〃 said Miranda。Jerusalem？ This was like feeding quarters into a video game。 Ochs was practically playing himself。
〃He was one of my students。 An idiot； really。 Every department has one； the lost soul scraping for identity。 I stuck him out in the desert where he couldn't embarrass himself。〃
〃Jerusalem；〃 she repeated。
〃He heard about the Golgotha find。 He called me。 The earthquake had just hit。 A quick buck； he said。〃
〃You robbed the Golgotha site？〃 Until this moment； she'd never known it had been robbed。
〃What could I do？ I went to stop him。 He was married to my sister。 I wasn't trying to protect him； only my family。 My department。〃
〃That's not what he said。〃 She didn't know what else to say。 Feed the quarters in。
〃I didn't push him。 He fell；〃 Ochs snarled。 〃I was trying to catch him。〃
Was he talking about Jerusalem？ The Captain knew more about it than she did。 〃You left him；〃 he said。 〃In the mountains。〃
Ochs came closer to the screen。 Nathan Lee could have been waiting for a bus to arrive。 〃How did he get out？〃 he muttered to himself。 〃He's here？〃
〃He says he wants his daughter；〃 said the Captain。
〃She's not here。〃
〃Where is she？〃
Miranda was grateful for the Captain's presence。 He was driving to the heart of the matter。 They had found the saddlebags in the tree。 Their part of the bargain was to provide the man his daughter； or clues。 But Ochs was too clever； or frightened。
〃He's dead；〃 said Ochs。 〃Tell him that。 We told her he died。〃
〃Tell him yourself；〃 said the Captain。 It was all the leverage he had； a bully threat。
〃I'm not going in there。〃
And that was the end of it。 They couldn't force Ochs to speak。 And Miranda didn't have the nerve to throw Ochs into the same cell with his enemy。 Slowly Ochs emerged from his confusion。 He began to prehend their deception。
〃Is that it？〃 he said。 〃That's all you had？〃 He bent and smeared his thumb across Nathan Lee's image on the screen。
〃I'm keeping him；〃 Miranda suddenly spoke。
The Captain looked at her。 Ochs was contemptuous。 〃It will never work；〃 he said。 〃The council will throw him to the dogs。〃 The council was Cavendish。
〃Essential personnel。〃 She made it up as she went along。 〃The Year Zero remains。 Golgotha。 Forensics。〃
It came to her。 She could draw the line。 Maybe she couldn't take back all the territory Cavendish had seized over the years。 But she could fortify the safe haven she had begun to build here。 It needed a guardian； someone who struck fear into her enemies； or at least into this one bully。 It was a start。 With Nathan Lee Swift in her keeping； Ochs would think twice before descending upon them。 No more raids； she thought。 No more terror tactics。 She would force it with her father； if it came to that。 Cavendish； be damned。
〃I'm very clear about this；〃 she told Ochs。
〃We'll see about that；〃 he said。
Miranda did something she'd never done to anyone。 She slapped him。 It wasn't much of a slap； but Ochs looked shot。 He blinked。 He prehended。
〃Yes；〃 she told him。
18
The Mission
THELASTDAYS OFJULY
I'm not a child；〃 Miranda warned him。 〃I know what you want。 Don't get any ideas。〃 They had emerged from Alpha Lab's maze of basements。 It was a New Mexican morning； blue sky； yellow sun。 She was strange to him。 Her loping stride made Nathan Lee feel tardy。 He hurried to keep up。
The hillside was crowded with buildings； trailers； even a big red…and…white circus tent with a fading Barnum and Bailey on one si
