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！
n't need papers to get in there any more than I do； but if he senses something wrong； and he will； he'll kill a number of good men and still get inside。〃
〃What are you driving at？〃 asked Krupkin warily； eyeing Bourne； the American with alternate identities and apparently conflicting life…styles。
〃Get me inside ahead of him with a detailed map of the whole plex and some kind of document that gives me free access to go wherever I want to go。〃
〃You've lost your senses！〃 cried Dimitri。 〃A nondefecting American； an assassin hunted by every NATO country in Europe； inside Novgorod？〃
〃Nyet； nyet； nyet！〃 roared the Komitet missar。 〃I understand good； okay？ You are lunatic； okay？〃
〃Do you want the Jackal？〃
〃Naturally； but there are limits to the cost。〃
〃I haven't the slightest interest in Novgorod or in any of the pounds…you should know that by now。 Your little infiltrating operations and our little infiltrating operations can go on and on and it doesn't matter because none of it means a goddamned thing in the long run。 It's all adolescent game playing。 We either live together on this planet or there is no planet。 。。。 My only concern is Carlos。 I want him dead so I can go on living。〃
〃Of course； I personally agree with much of what you say； although the adolescent games do keep some of us rather gracefully employed。 However； there's no way I could convince my more rigid superiors； starting with the one standing above me。〃
〃All right；〃 said Conklin from his table； his eyes still on the ceiling。 〃Down and dirty…we deal。 You get him into Novgorod and you keep Ogilvie。〃
〃We've already got him； Aleksei。〃
〃Not clean； you haven't。 Washington knows he's here。〃
〃So？〃
〃So I can say you lost him and they'll believe me。 They'll take my word for it that he flew out of your nest and you're mad as hell； but you can't get him back。 He's operating from points unknown or unreachable； but obviously under the sovereign protection of a United Nations country。 As a matter of conjecture； I suspect that's how you got him over here in the first place。〃
〃You're cryptic； my fine old enemy。 To what purpose should I entertain your suggestion？〃
〃No World Court embarrassments； no charges of harboring an American accused of international crimes。 。。。 You win the stakes in Europe。 You take over the Medusa operation with no plications…in the person of one Dimitri Krupkin； a proven sophisticate from the cosmopolitan world of Paris。 Who better to guide the enterprise？ 。。。 The newest hero of the Soviet； a member of the inner economic council of the Presidium。 Forget the lousy house in Geneva； Kruppie； how about a mansion on the Black Sea？〃
〃It is a most intelligent and attractive offer； I grant you；〃 said Krupkin。 〃I know two or three men on the Central mittee whom I can reach in a matter of minutes…everything confidential； of course。〃
〃Nyet； nyet！〃 shouted the KGB missar； slamming his fist down on Dimitri's table。 〃I understand some…you talk too fast…but all is lunatic！〃
〃Oh； for God's sake； shut up！〃 roared Krupkin。 〃We're discussing things far beyond your grasp！〃
〃Shto？〃 Like a young child reprimanded by an adult； the Komitet officer； his puffed eyes widened； was both astonished and frightened by his subordinate's inprehensible rebuke。
〃Give my friend his chance； Kruppie；〃 said Alex。 〃He's the best there is and he may bring you the Jackal。〃
〃He may also bring about his own death； Aleksei。〃
〃He's been there before。 I believe in him。〃
〃Belief；〃 whispered Krupkin； his own eyes now on the ceiling。 〃Such a luxury it is。 。。。 Very well； the order will be issued secretly； its origins untraceable； of course。 You'll enter your own American pound。 It's the one least understood。〃
〃How fast can I get there？〃 asked Bourne。 〃There's a lot I have to put together。〃
〃We have an airport in Vnokova under our control； no more than an hour away。 First； I must make arrangements。 Hand me a telephone。 。。。 You； my imbecilic missar！ I will hear no more from you！ A telefone！〃 The once all…powerful； now subdued superior； who had really understood only such words as 〃Presidium〃 and 〃Central mittee；〃 moved with alacrity； bringing an extension phone to Krupkin's table。
〃One more thing；〃 said Bourne。 〃Have Tass put out an immediate bulletin with heavy coverage in the newspapers； radio and television that the assassin known as Jason Bourne died of wounds here in Moscow。 Make the details sketchy but have them parallel what happened here this morning。〃
〃That's not difficult。 Tass is an obedient instrument of the state。〃
〃I haven't finished；〃 continued Jason。 〃I want you to include in those sketchy details that among the personal effects found on Bourne's body was a road map of Brussels and its environs。 The town of Anderlecht was circled in red…that has to appear。〃
〃The assassination of the supreme mander of NATO…very good； very convincing。 However； Mr。 Bourne or Webb or whatever your name may be； you should know that this story will splash across the world like a giant tidal wave。〃
〃I understand that。〃
〃Are you prepared for it？〃
〃Yes； I am。〃
〃What about your wife？ Don't you think you should reach her first； before the civilized world learns that Jason Bourne is dead？〃
〃No。 I don't even want the slightest risk of a leak。〃
〃Jesus！〃 exploded Alex； coughing。 〃That's Marie you're talking about。 She'll fall apart！〃
〃It's a risk I'll accept；〃 said Delta coldly。
〃You son of a bitch！〃
〃So be it；〃 agreed the Chameleon。
John St。 Jacques； tears welling in his eyes； walked into the bright； sunlit room at the sterile house in the Maryland countryside； in his hand was a page of puter printout。 His sister was on the floor in front of the couch playing with an exuberant Jamie； she having put the infant Alison back into the crib upstairs。 She looked worn and haggard； her face pale with dark circles under her eyes； she was exhausted from the tension and the jet lag of the long； idiotically routed flights from Paris to Washington。 In spite of arriving late last night； she had gotten up early to be with the children…no amount of friendly persuasion on the part of the motherly Mrs。 Cooper could dissuade her from doing so。 The brother would have given years of his life not to do what had to be done during the next few minutes； but he could not risk the alternatives。 He had to be with her when she found out。
〃Jamie；〃 said St。 Jacques gently。 〃Go find Mrs。 Cooper； will you please？ I think she's in the kitchen。〃
〃Why； Uncle John？〃
〃I want to talk to your mother for a few minutes。〃
〃Johnny； please；〃 objected Marie。
〃I have to； Sis。〃
〃What 。。。 ？〃
The child left； and as children often do； he obviously sensed something serious that was beyond his understanding； he stared at his uncle before heading to the door。 Marie got to her feet and looked hard at her brother； at the tears that began to roll down his cheeks。 The terrible message was conveyed。 〃No 。。。 ！〃 she whispered； her pallid face growing paler。 〃Dear God； no； she cried； her hands and then her shoulders starting to tremble。 〃No 。。。 no！〃 she roared。
〃He's gone； Sis。 I wanted you to hear it from me； not over a radio or a TV set。 I want to be wit