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〃It wasn't。 Something came up。 。。。 Oh； Christ； he doesn't understand。 What did you say？〃
〃I didn't like his language or his attitude。 I told him I hadn't the vaguest idea where you were。 He knew I was lying； but there wasn't anything he could do。〃
〃Good。 Lying's something he knows about。〃
〃I can't imagine that twenty thousand is such a problem for you…〃
〃It's not the money； it's the method of payment。〃
〃For what？〃
〃Nothing。〃
〃I believe that's what you call a contradiction； Randy。〃
〃Shut up！〃
The telephone rang。 Gates lunged up from the chair and stared at it。 He made no move to go to the desk； instead； he spoke in a guttural voice to his wife。 〃Whoever it is； you tell him I'm not here。 。。。 I'm away； out of town…you don't know when I'll be back。〃
Edith walked over to the phone。 〃It's your very private line；〃 she said as she picked it up on the third ring。 〃The Gates residence；〃 began Edith； a ploy she had used for years； her friends knew who it was； others did not matter to her any longer。 〃Yes。 。。。 Yes？ I'm sorry； he's away and we don't know when he'll return。〃 Gates's wife looked briefly at the phone； then hung up。 She turned to her husband。 〃That was the operator in Paris。 。。。 It's strange。 Someone was calling you； but when I said you weren't here； she didn't even ask where you could be reached。 She simply got off the line…very abruptly。〃
〃Oh； my God！〃 cried Gates； visibly shaken。 〃Something happened 。。。 something's gone wrong； someone lied！〃 With those enigmatic words the attorney whipped around； and raced across the room； fumbling in his trousers pocket。 He reached a section of the floor…to…ceiling bookshelves where the center of the chest…high shelf had been converted into a safe…like cupboard； a carved wooden door superimposed on the brown steel。 In panic； as an afterthought stunned him further； he spun around and screamed at his wife。 〃Get out of here！ Get out； get out； get out！〃
Edith Gates walked slowly to the study door； where she turned to her husband and spoke quietly。 〃It all goes back to Paris； doesn't it； Randy？ Seven years ago in Paris。 That's where something happened； isn't it？ You came back a frightened man； a man with a pain you won't share。〃
〃Get out of here！〃 shrieked the vaunted professor of law； his eyes wild。
Edith went out the door； closing it behind her but not releasing the knob； her hand twisted so the latch would not close。 Moments later she opened it barely a few inches and watched her husband。
The shock was beyond anything she could imagine。 The man she had lived with for thirty…three years； the legal giant who neither smoked nor drank a drop of alcohol； was plunging a hypodermic needle into his forearm。
10
Darkness had descended on Manassas； the countryside alive with nocturnal undercurrents； as Bourne crept through the woods bordering the 〃farm〃 of General Norman Swayne。 Startled birds fluttered out of their black recesses； crows awoke in the trees and cawed their alarms； then； as if calmed by a foraging co…conspirator； kept silent。
He reached it； wondering； if indeed it would be there。 A fence…high； with thick crisscrossing links embedded in green plastic； a coiled…barbed…wire addition above slanting outward。 Entry prohibited。 Beijing。 The Jing Shan Sanctuary。 There had been things to conceal within that Oriental wildlife preserve； so it was protected by an all but impassable government barrier。 But why would a desk…bound general on military pay erect such a barricade around a 〃farm〃 in Manassas； Virginia； an obstruction costing thousands of dollars？ It was not designed to fence in livestock； it was； instead； built to keep out human life。
As with the sanctuary in China； there would be no electric alarms threaded through the links； for the animals and the birds of the forest would set them off repeatedly。 Nor would there be the unseen beams of trip lights for the same reason； instead； they would be on the flat ground nearer the house； and waist…high； if they existed。 Bourne pulled the small wire cutters out of his rear pocket and started with the links at earth level。
With each scissoring cut； he again understood the obvious； the inevitable； confirmed by his heavy breathing and the sweat that had formed on his hairline。 No matter how hard he tried…not fanatically but at least assiduously…to keep himself in reasonably good shape； he was now fifty and his body knew it。 Again； it was something to think about； not dwell upon； and with every inch of progress not think about at all。 There were Marie and the children； his family； there was nothing he could not do as long as he willed it。 David Webb was gone from his psyche； only the predator Jason Bourne remained。
He was through！ The parallel vertical links were cut； the ground wires as well。 He gripped the fence and pulled the opening toward him； making each half foot of space an ordeal。 He crawled inside this strangely fortified acreage and stood up； listening； his eyes darting in every direction； scanning the darkness…which was not plete darkness。 He saw…filtered through the thick branches of the tall overlapping pines bordering the tamed grounds…flickerings of light ing from the large house。 Slowly； he made his way toward what he knew was the circular drive。 He reached the outer border of the asphalt and lay prone beneath a spreading pine； gathering his thoughts and his breath as he studied the scene in front of him。 Suddenly there was a flash of light on his far right； deep inside the grounds at the end of a straight graveled road that branched off from the circular drive。
A door had been opened； it belonged to what appeared to be a small house or a large cabin and it remained open。 Two men and a woman came out and were talking 。。。 no； they were not just talking； they were arguing heatedly。 Bourne ripped the short powerful binoculars out of their Velcro recess and put them up to his eyes。 Quickly he focused on the trio； whose voices grew in volume； the words indistinguishable but the anger apparent。 As the blurred image sharpened； he studied the three people； knowing instantly that the medium…sized； medium…built； ramrod…straight protesting man on the left was the Pentagon's General Swayne； and the large…breasted woman with streaked dark hair his wife； but what struck him…and fascinated him…was the hulking overweight figure nearest the open door。 He knew him！ Jason could not remember from where or when； which was certainly not unusual； but his visceral reaction to the sight of the man was not usual。 It was one of instant loathing and he did not know why； since no connection with anything in the past came to him。 Only feelings of disgust and revulsion。 Where were the images； the brief flashes of time or circumstance that so often illuminated his inner screen？ They did not e； he only knew that the man he focused on in the binoculars was his enemy。
Then that huge man did an extraordinary thing。 He reached for Swayne's wife； throwing his large left arm protectively around her shoulders； his right hand accusingly jabbing the space between him and the general。 Whatever he said…or yelled…caused Swayne to react with what seemed to be stoic resolve mixed with feigned indifference。 He tu