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！
〃Really？〃
〃Surprised me； too； but this is the time for them to mit to the next season； and there's a ton of money in that business going on over there； man。 Toss in all the toys for next Christmas。 There's seventeen billion…plus just in that； Mark Gant tells me。〃
〃Damn。〃
〃Yeah； I didn't know Santa's reindeer had slanted eyes either； Jack。 At least not to that extent。〃
〃What about Taiwan？〃 Ryan wondered。
〃You're not kidding。 They're jumping into the growing gap with both feet。 Figure they pick up a quarter； maybe a third； of what the PRC is going to lose。 Singapore's going to be next。 And the Thais。 This little bump in the road will go a long way to restore the damage done to their economy a few years back。 In fact； the PRC's troubles might rebuild the whole South Asian economy。 It could be a swing of fifty billion dollars out of China； and it has to go somewhere。 We're starting to take bids； Jack。 It won't be a bad deal for our consumers； and I'll bet those countries learn from Beijing's example； and kick their doors open a notch or so。 So； our workers will profit from it； too…somewhat； anyway。〃
〃Downside？〃
〃Boeing's squealing some。 They wanted that triple…seven order； but you wait an' see。 Somebody's going to take up that slack； too。 One other thing。〃
〃Yeah？〃 Ryan asked。
〃It's not just American panies hailing out on them。 Two big Italian places； and Siemens in Germany； they've announced termination of some business with their Chinese partners；〃 TRADER said。
〃Will it turn into a general movement 。 。 。 ？〃
〃Too soon to say； but if I were these guys〃…Winston shook the fax from CIA…〃I'd be thinking about fence…mending real soon。〃
〃They won't do it； George。〃
〃Then they're going to learn a nasty lesson。〃
CHAPTER 39
The Other Question
〃No action with our friend？〃 Reilly asked。
〃Well； he continues his sexual adventures；〃 Provalov answered。
〃Talk to any of the girls yet？〃
〃Earlier today； two of them。 He pays them well； in euros or d…marks； and doesn't request any； uh； 'exotic' services from them。〃
〃Nice to know he's normal in his tastes；〃 the FBI agent observed； with a grunt。
〃We have numerous photos of him now。 We've put an electronic tracker on his cars； and we've also planted a bug on his puter keyboard。 That'll allow us to determine his encryption password； next time he makes use of it。〃
〃But he hasn't done anything incriminating yet；〃 Reilly said。 He didn't even make it a question。
〃Not under our observation；〃 Oleg confirmed。
〃Damn； so； he was really trying to whack Sergey Golovko。 Hard to believe； man。〃
〃That is so； but we cannot deny it。 And on Chinese orders。〃
〃That's like an act of war； buddy。 It's a big fucking deal。〃 Reilly took a sip of his vodka。
〃So it is； Mishka。 Rather more plex than any case I've handled this year。〃 It was； Provalov thought； an artful understatement。 He'd gladly go back to a normal homicide； a husband killing his wife for fucking a neighbor； or the other way around。 Such things； nasty as they were； were far less nasty than this one was。
〃How's he pick the girls up； Oleg？〃 Reilly asked。
〃He doesn't call for them on the phone。 He seems to go to a good restaurant with a good bar and wait until a likely prospect appears at his elbow。〃
〃Hmm； plant a girl on him？〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃I mean get yourself a pretty girl who does this sort of thing for a living； brief her on what she ought to say； and set her in front of him like a nice fly on your fishhook。 If he picks her up； maybe she can get him to talk。〃
〃Have you ever done such a thing？〃
〃We got a wiseguy that way in Jersey City three years ago。 Liked to brag in front of women how tough he was； and the guys he whacked； that sort of thing。 He's in Rahway State Prison now on a murder rap。 Oleg； a lot more people have talked their way into prison than you'll ever catch on your own。 Trust me。 That's how it is for us； even。〃
〃I wonder if the Sparrow School has any graduates working。。。？〃 Provalov mused。
It wasn't fair to do it at night； but nobody had ever said war was marked by fairness in its execution。 Colonel Boyle was in his mand post monitoring the operation of 1st Armored's Aviation Brigade。 It was mainly his Apaches； though some Kiowa Warriors were up； too； as scouts for the heavy shooters。 The target was a German heavy battalion； simulating a night's laagering after a day on the offense。 In fact； they were pretending to be Russians…it was a NATO scenario that went back thirty years to the introduction of the first Huey Cobras； back in the 1970s； when the value of a helicopter gunship had first been noticed in Vietnam。 And a revelation it had been。 Armed for the first time in 1972 with TOW missiles； they'd proven to the tanks of the North Vietnamese just how fearsome a foe a missile…armed chopper could be； and that had been before night…vision systems had e fully on line。 Now the Apache turned bat operations into sport shooting； and the Germans were still trying to figure a counter for it。 Even their own night…vision gear didn't pensate for the huge advantage held by the airborne hunters。 One idea that had almost worked was to lay a thermal…insulating blanket over the tanks so as to deny the helicopters the heat signature by which they hunted their motionless prey； but the problem there was the tank's main gun tube； which had proved impractical to conceal； and the blankets had never really worked properly； any more than a twin…bed coverlet could be stretched over a king…size bed。 And so； now； the Apaches' laser…illumination systems were 〃painting〃 the Leos for enough seconds to guarantee hits from the Hellfire missiles； and while the German tanks tried to shoot back； they couldn't seem to make it work。 And now the yellow 〃I'm dead〃 lights were blinking； and yet another tank battalion had fallen victim to yet another administrative attack。
〃They should have tried putting SAM teams outside their perimeter；〃 Colonel Boyle observed； watching the puter screen。 Instead； the German colonel had tried IR lures； which the Apache gunners had learned to distinguish from the real thing。 Under the rules of the scenario； proper tank decoys had not been allowed。 They were a little harder to discriminate…the American…made ones almost exactly replicated the visual signature of an M1 tank； and had an internal heat source for fooling infrared gear at night…and fired off a Hoffman pyrotechnic charge to simulate a return shot when they took a hit。 But they were made so well for their mission that they could not be mistaken for anything other than what they were； either a real Ml main battle tank； and hence friendly； or a decoy； and thus not really useful in a training exercise； all in all a case of battlefield technology being too good for a training exercise。
〃Pegasus Lead to Archangel； over；〃 the digital radio called。 With the new radios； it was no longer a static…marred crackle。
〃Archangel to Pegasus；〃 Colonel Boyle answered。
〃Sir； we are Winchester and just about out of targets。 No friendly casualties。 Pegasus is RTB； over。〃
〃Roger； Pegasus。 Looks good from here。 Out。〃
And with that； the Apache battalion of attack choppers an