tc.thebearandthedragon-第156部分

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　Zimyanin。　It　would　appear　that　their　radeship　was　lacking；〃　Yefremov　observed　dryly。　〃So；　Provalov；　do　you　have　anything　to　add？〃
　〃No；　it　would　seem　that　you　have　covered　all　likely　investigative　avenues。〃
　〃Thank　you。　Since　it　remains　a　murder　case；　you　will　acpany　us　when　we　make　the　arrest。〃
　〃The　American　who　assisted　us　。。。？〃
　〃He　may　e　along；〃　Yefremov　said　generously。　〃We'll　show　him　how　we　do　things　here　in　Russia。〃
　
　Reilly　was　back　in　the　U。S。　Embassy　on　the　STU；　talking　to　Washington。
　〃Holy　shit；〃　the　agent　observed。
　〃That　about　covers　it；〃　Director　Murray　agreed。　〃How　good's　their　presidential…protective　detail？〃
　〃Pretty　good。　As　good　as　the　Secret　Service？　I　don't　know　what　their　investigative　support　is　like；　but　on　the　physical　side；　I'd　have　to　say　they're　okay。〃
　〃Well；　they've　certainly　been　warned　by　now。　Whatever　they　have　is　going　to　be　perked　up　a　notch　or　two。　When　will　they　do　the　takedown　on　this　Suvorov　guy？〃
　〃Smart　move　is　to　sit　on　it　until　he　makes　a　move。　Figure　the　Chinese　will　get　the　word　to　him　soon…like　now；　I　suppose…and　then　he'll　make　some　phone　calls。　That's　when　I'd　put　the　arm　on　him；　and　not　before。〃
　〃Agreed；〃　Murray　observed。　〃We　want　to　be　kept　informed　on　all　this。　So；　stroke　your　cop　friend；　will　ya？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　Reilly　paused。　〃This　war　scare　is　for　real？〃
　〃It　looks　that　way；〃　Murray　confirmed。　〃We're　ramping　up　to　help　them　out；　but　I'm　not　sure　how　it's　going　to　play　out。　The　President's　hoping　that　the　NATO　gig　will　scare　them　off；　but　we're　not　sure　of　that　either。　The　Agency's　running　in　circles　trying　to　figure　the　PRC　out。　Aside　from　that；　I　don't　know　much。〃
　That　surprised　Reilly。　He'd　thought　Murray　was　tight　with　the　President；　but　supposed　now　that　this　information　was　too　partmentalized。
　
　〃I'll　take　that；〃　Colonel　Aliyev　said　to　the　munications　officer。　〃It's　for　the　immediate　attention　of…〃
　〃He　needs　sleep。　To　get　to　him；　you　must　go　through　me；〃　the　operations　officer　announced；　reading　through　the　dispatches。　〃This　one　can　wait　。　。　。　this　one　I　can　take　care　of。　Anything　else？〃　〃This　one's　from　the　president！〃
　〃President　Grushavoy　needs　a　lucid　general　more　than　he　needs　an　answer　to　this；　Pasha。〃　Aliyev　could　use　some　sleep；　too；　but　there　was　a　sofa　in　the　room；　and　its　cushions　were　calling　out　to　him。
　〃What's　Tolkunov　doing？〃
　〃Updating　his　estimate。〃
　〃Is　it　getting　better　in　any　way？〃　ms　asked。
　〃What　do　you　think？〃　Ops　replied。
　〃Shit。〃
　〃That's　about　right；　rade。　Know　where　we　can　purchase　chopsticks　for　us　to　eat　with？〃
　〃Not　while　I　have　my　service　pistol；〃　the　colonel　replied。　At　nearly　two　meters　in　height；　he　was　much　too　tall　to　be　a　tanker　or　an　infantryman。　〃Make　sure　he　sees　these　when　he　wakes。　I'll　fix　it　with　Stavka。〃
　〃Good。　I'm　going　to　get　a　few　hours；　but　wake　me；　not　him；〃　Aliyev　told　his　brother　officer。　〃Da。〃
　
　They　were　small　men　in　the　main。　They　started　arriving　at　Never；　a　small　railroad　town　just　east　of　Skovorodino；　on　day　coaches　tacked　onto　the　regular　rail　service　on　the　Trans…Siberian　Railroad。　Getting　off；　they　found　officers　in　uniform　directing　them　to　buses。　These　headed　down　a　road　paralleling　the　railroad　right…of…way　southeast　toward　a　tunnel　drilled　ages　before　in　the　hills　over　the　diminutive　Urkan　River。　Beside　the　tunnel　was　an　opening　which　appeared　to　the　casual　viewer　to　be　a　siding　for　service　equipment　for　the　railroad。　And　so　it　was；　but　this　service　tunnel　went　far　into　the　hillside；　and　branching　off　it　were　many　more；　all　constructed　in　the　1930s　by　political　prisoners；　part　of　Iosef　Stalin's　gulag　labor　empire。　In　these　man…made　caverns　were　three　hundred　T…55　tanks；　built　in　the　mid…1960s　and　never　used；　but　rather　stored　here　to　defend　against　an　invasion　from　China；　along　with　a　further　two　hundred　BTR…60　wheeled　infantry　carriers；　plus　all　the　other　rolling　stock　for　a　Soviet…pattern　tank　division。　The　post　was　garrisoned　by　a　force　of　four　hundred　conscripts　who；　like　generations　before　them；　served　their　time　servicing　the　tanks　and　carriers；　mainly　moving　from　one　to　another；　turning　over　the　diesel　engines　and　cleaning　the　metal　surfaces；　which　was　necessary　because　of　water　seepage　through　the　stone　roof。　The　〃Never　Depot；〃　it　was　called　on　classified　maps；　one　of　several　such　places　close　to　the　main　rail　line　that　went　from　Moscow　to　Vladivostok。　Cunningly　hidden；　partially　in　plain　sight；　it　was　one　of　the　aces　that　General…Colonel　Bondarenko　had　hidden　up　his　sleeve。
　As　were　the　men。　They　were　mostly　in　their　thirties；　confused；　and　more　than　a　little　angry　at　having　been　called　away　from　their　homes。　However；　like　good　Russians；　or　indeed　good　citizens　in　any　land；　they　got　their　notices；　figured　that　their　country　had　a　need；　and　it　was　their　country；　and　so　about　three…fourths　of　them　went　as　summoned。　Some　saw　familiar　faces　from　their　time　in　the　conscript　army　of　the　Soviet　Union…these　men　were　mainly　from　that　time…and　greeted　old　friends；　or　ignored　those　less　happily　remembered。　Each　was　given　a　preprinted　card　telling　him　where　to　go；　and　so　the　tank　crews　and　infantry　squads　formed　up；　the　latter　finding　their　uniforms　and　light　weapons；　plus　ammunition；　waiting　in　the　assigned　motor…carrier。　The　tank　crewmen　were　all　small　men；　about　167　centimeters　in　height…　about　five　feet　six　inches　to　an　American…because　the　interiors　of　the　old　Russian　tanks　did　not　permit　tall　men　to　fit　inside。
　The　tankers　returning　to　the　steeds　of　their　youth　knew　the　good　and　bad　points　of　the　T…55s。　The　engines　were　made　of　roughly　machined　parts　and　would　grind　off　a　full　kilogram　of　metal　shavings　into　the　oil　sumps　during　the　first　few　hours　of　running；　but；　they　all　figured；　that　would　have　been　taken　care　of　by　the　routine　turning…over　of　the　engines　in　the　depot。　The　tanks　were；　in　fact；　in　surprisingly　good　shape；　better　than　the　ones　they'd　used　on　active　duty。　This　seemed　both　strange　and　unsurprising　to　the　returning　soldiers；　because　the　Red　Army　had　made　little　logical　sense　when　they'd　been　in　it；　but　that；　for　a　Soviet　citizen　of　the　1970s　and　'80s；　was　not　unexpected　either。　Most　remembered　their　service　with　some　fondness；　and　for　the　usual　reasons；　the　chance　to　travel　and　see　new；　different　things；　and　the　radeship　of　men　their　own　age…a　time　of　life　in　which　young　men　seek　out　the　new　and　the　exciting。　The　poor　food；　miserable　pay；　and　strenuous　duty　were　largely　forgotten；　though　exposure　to　the　rolling　equipment　brought　back　some　of　it　with　the　instant　memory　that　acpanied　smells　and　feels　from　the　past。　The　tanks　all　had　full　internal　fuel　tanks；　plus　the　oil　drums　affixed　to　the　rear　that　had　made　all　of　the　men　cringe　when　thinking　about　a　battlefield…one　live　round　could　turn　every　tank　into　a　pillar　of　fire；　and　so　that　was　the　fuel　you　burned　off　first；　just　so　you　could　pull　the　handle　to　dump　the　damned　things　off　when　the　first　bullet　flew。
　Most　agreeably　of　all；　those　who　pressed　the　start　buttons　felt　and　heard　the　familiar　rumble　after　only　a　few　seconds　of　cranking。　The　benign　environment　of　this　cavern　had　been　kind　to　these　old；　but　essentially　unused；　tanks。　They　might　have　been　brand　new；　fresh　from　the　assembly　lines　of　the　massive　factory　at　Nizhnyi　Tagil；　for　decades　the　armory　of　the　Red　Army。　The　one　thing　that　had　changed；　they　all　saw；　was　that　the　red　star　was　gone　from　the　glacis　plate；　replaced　with　an　all…too…visible　representation　of　their　new　white…blue…red　flag；　which；　they　all　thought；　was　far　too　good　an　aiming　point。　Finally　they　were　all　called　away　from　their　vehicles　by　the　young　reserve　officers；　who；　they　saw；　looked　a　little　worried。　Then　the　speeches　began；　and　the　reservists　found　out　why。
　
　〃Damn；　isn't　she　a　lovely　one；〃　the　FSS　officer　said；　getting　into　the　car。　They'd　followed　their　subject　to　yet　another　expensive　restaurant；　where　he'd　dined　alone；　then　walked　into　the　bar；　and　within　five　minutes　fixed　upon　a　woman　who'd　also　arrived　alone；　pretty　in　her　black；　red…striped　dress　that　looked　to　have　been　copied　from　some　Italian　designer。　Suvorov/Koniev　was　driving　back　toward　his　flat；　with　a　total　of　six　cars　in　trail；　three　of　them　with　light…change　switches　on　their　dashboards　to　alter　their　visual　appearance　at　night。　The　cop　riding　in　the　number…two　car　thought　that　was　an　especially　clever　feature。
　He　was　taking　his　time；　not　racing　his　car　to　show　his　courage；　but　instead　dazzling　the　girl　with　his　man…of…the…world　demeanor；　the　investigators　thought。　The　car　slowed　as　it　passed　one　corner；　a　street　with　old　iron　lampposts；　then　changed　direction；　if　not　abruptly；　then　unexpectedly。
　〃Shit；　he's　going　to　the　park；〃　the　senior　FSS　guy　said；　picking　up　his　radio　microphone　to　say　this　over　the　air。　〃He　must　have　spotted　a　flag　somewhere。〃
　And　so　he　did；　but　first　he　dropped　off　what　appeared　to　be　a　very　disappointed　woman；　holding　some　cash　in　her　hand　to　ease　the　pain。　One　of　the　FSS　cars　paused　to　pick　her　up　for　questioning；　while　the　others　continued　their　distant　pursuit；　and　five　minutes　later；　it　happened。　Suvorov/Koniev　parked　his　car　on　one　side　of　the　park　and　walked　across　the　darkened　grass　to　the　other；　looking　about　as　he　did　so；　not　noticing　the　fact　that　five　cars　were　circling。
　〃That's　it。　He　picked　it　up。〃　He'd　done　it　skillfully；　but　that　didn't　matter　if　you　knew　what　to　look　for。　Then　he　walked　back　to　his　car。　Two　of　the　cars　headed　directly　over　to　his　flat；　and　the　three　in　trail　just　kept　going　when　he　pulled　in。
　He　said　he　felt　suddenly　ill。　I　gave　him　my　card；〃　she　told　the　interrogators。　〃He　gave　me　fifty　euros　for　my　trouble。〃　Which　was　fair　payment；　she　thought；　for　wasting　half　an　hour　of　her　valuable　time。
　〃Anything　else？　Did　he　look　ill？〃
　
　〃He　said　that　the　food　suddenly　disagreed　with　him。　I　wondered　if　he'd　gotten　cold　feet　as　some　men　do；　but　not　this　one。　He　is　a　man　of　some　sophistication。　You　can　always　tell。〃
　〃Very　well。　Thank　you；　Yelena。　If　he　calls　you；　please　let　us　know。〃
　〃Certainly。〃　It　had　been　a　totally　painless　interview；　which　came　as　rather　a　surprise　for　her；　and　for　that　reason　she'd　cooperated　fully；　wondering　what　the　hell　she'd　stumbled　into。　A　criminal　of　some　sort？　Drug　tra