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！
urne' and you'll break your balls or bust open your heart to see that he stays alive and well and out of the Jackal's gun sights。 。。。 So let's cut the crap； Alex。 Do you want to work with me or not？〃
Conklin slowly sank back in his chair； a smile gradually emerging on his lips。 〃I told you I had no sweat with your appointment； sir。 It was just intuition； but now I know why。 You were a field man。 。。。 I'll work with you。〃
〃Good； fine；〃 said the director。 〃We'll work up a controlled surveillance and hope to Christ your theory that they want you alive is correct because there's no way we can cover every window or every rooftop。 You'd better understand the risk。〃
〃I do。 And since two chunks of bait are better than one in a tank of piranhas； I want to talk to Mo Panov。〃
〃You can't ask him to be a part of this；〃 countered Casset。 〃He's not one of us； Alex。 Why should he？〃
〃Because he is one of us and I'd better ask him。 If I didn't； he'd give me a flu shot filled with strychnine。 You see； he was in Hong Kong； too…for reasons not much different from mine。 Years ago I tried to kill my closest friend in Paris because I'd made a terrible mistake believing my friend had turned when the truth was that he had lost his memory。 Only days later； Morris Panov； one of the leading psychiatrists in the country； a doctor who can't stand the chicken…shit psychobabble so popular these days； was presented with a 'hypothetical' psychiatric profile that required his immediate reaction。 It described a rogue deep…cover agent； a walking time bomb with a thousand secrets in his head； who had gone over the edge。 。。。 On the basis of Mo's on…the…spot evaluation of that hypothetical profile…which he hours later suspected was no more hypothetical than Campbell's soup…an innocent amnesiac was nearly blown away in a government ambush on New York's Seventy…first Street。 When what was left of that man survived； Panov demanded to be assigned as his only head doctor。 He's never forgiven himself。 If any of you were he； what would you do if I didn't talk to you about what we're talking about right now？〃
〃Tell you it's a flu shot and pump you full of strychnine； old boy；〃 concluded DeSole； nodding。
〃Where is Panov now？〃 asked Casset。
〃At the Brookshire Hotel in Baltimore under the name of Morris； Phillip Morris。 He called off his appointments today…he has the flu。〃
〃Then let's go to work；〃 said the DCI； pulling a yellow legal pad in front of him。 〃Incidentally； Alex； a petent field man doesn't concern himself with rank and won't trust a man who can't convincingly call him by his first name。 As you well know； my name is Holland and my first name is Peter。 From here on we're Alex and Peter； got it？〃
〃I've got it…Peter。 You must have been one son of a bitch in the SEALs。〃
〃Insofar as I'm here…geographically； not in this chair…it can be assumed I was petent。〃
〃A field man；〃 mumbled Conklin in approval。
〃Also； since we've dropped the diplomatic drivel expected of someone in this job； you should understand that I was a hardnosed son of a bitch。 I want pro input here； Alex； not emotional output。 Is that clear？〃
〃I don't operate any other way； Peter。 A mitment may be based on emotions and there's nothing wrong with that； but the execution of a strategy is ice…cold。 。。。 I was never in the SEALs； you hard…nosed son of a bitch； but I'm also geographically here； limp and all； and that presumes I'm also petent。〃
Holland grinned； it was a smile of youth belied by streaked gray hair； the grin of a professional momentarily freed of executive concerns so as to return to the world he knew best。 〃We may even get along；〃 said the DCI。 And then； as if to drop the last vestige of his directorial image； he placed his pipe on the table； reached into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes； popped one up to his mouth and snapped his lighter as he began to write on the legal pad。 〃To hell with the Bureau；〃 he continued。 〃We'll use only our men and we'll check every one out under a fast microscope。〃
Charles Casset； the lean； bright heir apparent of the CIA's directorship； sat back in his chair and sighed。 〃Why do I have the idea that I'm going to have to ride herd on both you gentlemen？〃
〃Because you're an analyst at heart； Charlie；〃 answered Holland。
The object of controlled surveillance is to expose those who shadow others so as to establish their identities or take them into custody； whichever suits the strategy。 The aim in the present case was to trap the agents of the Jackal who had lured Conklin and Panov to the amusement park in Baltimore。 Working through the night and most of the following day； the men of the Central Intelligence Agency formed a detail of eight experienced field personnel； defined and redefined the specific routes that Conklin and Panov were to take both individually and together for the next twenty…four hours…these routes covered by the armed professionals in swift progressive relays…and finally to design an irresistible rendezvous； unique in terms of time and location。 The early morning hours at the Smithsonian Institution。 It was the Dionaea muscipula； the Venus flytrap。
Conklin stood in the narrow； dimly lit lobby of his apartment house and looked at his watch； squinting to read the dial。 It was precisely 2：35 in the morning； he opened the heavy door and limped out into the dark street； which was devoid of any signs of life。 According to their plan he turned left； maintaining the pace agreed upon； he was to arrive at the er as close to 2：38 as possible。 Suddenly； he was alarmed； in a shadowed doorway on his right was the figure of a man。 Unobtrusively Alex reached under his jacket for his Beretta automatic。 There was nothing in the strategy that called for someone to be in a doorway on this section of the street！ Then； as suddenly as he had been alarmed； he relaxed； feeling equal parts of guilt and relief at what he understood。 The figure in shadows was an indigent； an old man in worn…out clothes； one of the homeless in a land of so much plenty。 Alex kept going； he reached the corner and heard the low； single click of two fingers snapped apart。 He crossed the avenue and proceeded down the pavement； passing an alleyway。 The alleyway。 Another figure 。。。 another old man in disheveled clothing moving slowly out into the street and then back into the alley。 Another derelict protecting his concrete cave。 At any other time Conklin might have approached the unfortunate and given him a few dollars； but not now。 He had a long way to go and a schedule to keep。
Morris Panov approached the intersection still bothered by the curious telephone conversation he had had ten minutes ago； still trying to recall each segment of the plan he was to follow； afraid to look at his watch to see if he had reached a specific place within a specific time span…he had been told not to look at his watch in the street 。。。 and why couldn't they say 〃at approximately such and such〃 rather than the somewhat unnerving term 〃time span；〃 as if a military invasion of Washington were imminent。 Regardless； he kept walking； crossing the streets he was told to cross； hoping some unseen clock kept him relatively in tune with the goddamned 〃time spans〃 that had be