tc.thebearandthedragon-第160部分

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h　normal　relations　with　the　nations　of　the　world。　If　they　regard　us　as　outlaw；　that　will　be　difficult。〃
　〃That　makes　sense；〃　Xu　observed；　speaking　his　own　opinion　for　once。　〃No；　I　will　not　accept　the　call　from　Washington；　and　no；　Fang；　I　will　not　allow　America　to　call　us　liars。〃
　〃One　other　development；〃　Luo　said。　〃The　Russians　have　begun　high…altitude　reconnaissance　flights　on　their　side　of　the　border。　I　propose　to　shoot　down　the　next　one　and　say　that　their　aircraft　intruded　on　our　airspace。　Along　with　other　plans；　we　will　use　that　as　a　provocation　on　their　part。〃
　〃Excellent；〃　Zhang　observed。
　
　〃So？〃　John　asked。　〃So；　he　is　in　this　building；〃　General　Kirillin　clarified。　〃The　takedown　team　is　ready　to　go　up　and　make　the　arrest。　Care　to　observe？〃
　〃Sure；〃　Clark　agreed　with　a　nod。　He　and　Chavez　were　both　dressed　in　their　RAINBOW　ninja　suits；　black　everything；　plus　body　armor；　which　struck　them　both　as　theatrical；　but　the　Russians　were　being　overly　solicitous　to　their　hosts；　and　that　included　official　concern　for　their　safety。　〃How　is　it　set　up？〃
　〃We　have　four　men　in　the　apartment　next　door。　We　anticipate　no　difficulties；〃　Kirillin　sold　his　guests。　〃So；　if　you　will　follow　me。〃
　〃Waste　of　time；　John；〃　Chavez　observed　in　Spanish。
　〃Yeah；　but　they　want　to　do　a　show…and…tell。〃　The　two　of　them　followed　Kirillin　and　a　junior　officer　to　the　elevator；　which　whisked　them　up　to　the　proper　floor。　A　quick；　furtive　look　showed　that　the　corridor　was　clear；　and　they　moved　like　cats　to　the　occupied　apartment。
　〃We　are　ready；　rade　General；〃　the　senior　Spetsnaz　officer；　a　major；　told　his　mander。　〃Our　friend　is　sitting　in　his　kitchen　discussing　matters　with　his　guest。　They're　looking　at　how　to　kill　President　Grushavoy　tomorrow　on　his　way　to　parliament。　Sniper　rifle；〃　he　concluded；　〃from　eight　hundred　meters。〃
　〃You　guys　make　good　ones　here；〃　Clark　observed。　Eight　hundred　was　close　enough　for　a　good　rifleman；　especially　on　a　slow…moving　target　like　a　walking　man。
　〃Proceed；　Major；〃　Kirillin　ordered。
　With　that；　the　four…man　team　walked　back　out　into　the　corridor。　They　were　dressed　in　their　own　RAINBOW　suits；　black　Nomex；　and　carrying　the　equipment　Clark　and　his　people　had　brought　over；　German　MP…10　submachine　guns；　and　。45　Beretta　sidearms；　plus　the　portable　radios　from　E…Systems。　Clark　and　Chavez　were　wearing　identical　gear；　but　not　carrying　weapons。　Probably　the　real　reason　Kirillin　had　brought　them　over；　John　thought；　was　to　show　them　how　much　his　people　had　learned；　and　that　was　fair　enough。　The　Russian　troopers　looked　ready。　Alert　and　pumped　up；　but　not　nervous；　just　the　right　amount　of　tenseness。
　The　officer　in　mand　moved　down　the　corridor　to　the　door。　His　explosives　man　ran　a　thin　line　of　det…cord　explosive　along　the　door's　edges　and　stepped　aside；　looking　at　his　team　leader　for　the　word。
　〃Shoot；〃　the　major　told　him…
　…and　before　Clark's　brain　could　register　the　single…word　mand；　the　corridor　was　sundered　with　the　crash　of　the　explosion　that　sent　the　solid…core　door　into　the　apartment　at　about　three　hundred　feet　per　second。　Then　the　Russian　major　and　a　lieutenant　tossed　in　flash…bangs　sure　to　disorient　anyone　who　might　have　been　there　with　a　gun　of　his　own。　It　was　hard　enough　for　Clark　and　Chavez；　and　they'd　known　what　was　ing　and　had　their　hands　over　their　ears。　The　Russians　darted　into　the　apartment　in　pairs；　just　as　they'd　been　trained　to　do；　and　there　was　no　other　sound；　except　for　a　scream　down　the　hall　from　a　resident　who　hadn't　been　warned　about　the　day's　activities。　That　left　John　Clark　and　Domingo　Chavez　just　standing　there；　until　an　arm　appeared　and　waved　them　inside。
　The　inside　was　a　predictable　mess。　The　entry　door　was　now　fit　only　for　kindling　and　toothpicks；　and　the　pictures　that　decorated　the　wall　did　so　without　any　glass　in　the　frames。　The　blue　sofa　had　a　ruinous　scorch　mark　on　the　right　side；　and　the　carpet　was　cratered　by　the　other　flash…bang。
　Suvorov　and　Suslov　had　been　sitting　in　the　kitchen；　always　the　heart　of　any　Russian　home。　That　had　placed　them　far　enough　away　from　the　explosion　to　be　unhurt；　though　both　looked　stunned　by　the　experience；　and　well　they　might　be。　There　were　no　weapons　in　evidence；　which　was　surprising　to　the　Russians　but　not　to　Clark；　and　the　two　supposed　miscreants　were　now　facedown　on　the　tile　floor；　their　hands　manacled　behind　them　and　guns　not　far　behind　their　heads。
　〃Greetings；　Klementi　Ivan'ch；〃　General　Kirillin　said。　〃We　need　to　talk。〃
　The　older　of　the　two　men　on　the　floor　didn't　react　much。　First；　he　was　not　really　able　to；　and　second；　he　knew　that　talking　would　not　improve　his　situation。　Of　all　the　spectators；　Clark　felt　the　most　sympathy　for　him。　To　run　a　covert　operation　was　tense　enough。　To　have　one　blown…it　had　never　happened　to　John；　but　he'd　thought　about　the　possibility　often　enough…was　not　a　reality　that　one　wished　to　contemplate。　Especially　in　this　place；　though　since　it　was　no　longer　the　Soviet　Union；　Suvorov　could　take　fort　in　the　fact　that　things　might　have　been　a　little　worse。　But　not　that　much　worse；　John　was　sure。　It　was　time　for　him　to　say　something。
　〃Well　executed；　Major。　A　little　heavy　on　the　explosives；　but　we　all　do　that。　I　say　that　to　my　own　people　almost　every　time。〃
　〃Thank　you；　General　Clark。〃　The　senior　officer　of　the　strike　team　beamed；　but　not　too　much；　trying　to　look　cool　for　his　subordinates。　They'd　just　done　their　first　real…life　mission；　and　pleased　as　they　all　were；　the　attitude　they　had　to　adopt　was　of　course　we　did　it　right。　It　was　a　matter　of　professional　pride。
　〃So；　Yuriy　Andreyevich；　what　will　happen　with　them　now？〃　John　asked　in　his　best　Leningrad　Russian。
　〃They　will　be　interrogated　for　murder　and　conspiracy　to　mit　murder；　plus　state　treason。　We　picked　up　Kong　half　an　hour　ago；　and　he's　talking；〃　Kirillin　added；　lying。　Suvorov　might　not　believe　it；　but　the　statement　would　get　his　mind　wandering　in　an　unfortable　direction。　〃Take　them　out！〃　the　general　ordered。　No　sooner　had　that　happened　than　an　FSS　officer　came　in　to　light　up　the　desktop　puter　to　begin　a　detailed　check　of　its　contents。　The　protection　program　Suvorov　had　installed　was　bypassed　because　they　knew　the　key　to　it；　from　the　keyboard　bug　they'd　installed　earlier。　puters；　they　all　agreed；　must　have　been　designed　with　espionage　in　mind…but　they　worked　both　ways。
　〃Who　are　you？〃　a　stranger　in　civilian　clothes　asked。
　〃John　Clark〃　was　the　surprising　answer　in　Russian。　〃And　you？〃
　〃Provalov。　I　am　a　lieutenant…investigator　with　the　militia。〃
　〃Oh；　the　RPG　case？〃
　〃Correct。〃
　〃I　guess　that's　your　man。〃
　〃Yes；　a　murderer。〃
　〃Worse　than　that；〃　Chavez　said；　joining　the　conversation。
　〃There　is　nothing　worse　than　murder；〃　Provalov　responded；　always　the　cop。
　Chavez　was　more　practical　in　his　outlook。　〃Maybe；　depends　on　if　you　need　an　accountant　to　keep　track　of　all　the　bodies。〃
　〃So；　Clark；　what　do　you　think　of　the　operation？〃　Kirillin　asked；　hungry　for　the　American's　approval。
　〃It　was　perfect。　It　was　a　simple　operation；　but　flawlessly　done。　They're　good　kids；　Yuriy。　They　learn　fast　and　they　work　hard。　They're　ready　to　be　trainers　for　your　special…operations　people。〃
　〃Yeah；　I'd　take　any　of　them　out　on　a　job；〃　Ding　agreed。　Kirillin　beamed　at　the　news；　unsurprising　as　it　was。
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　50
　THUNDER　and　Lightning
　
　〃They　got　him；〃　Murray　told　Ryan。　〃Our　friend　Clark　was　there　to　watch。　Damned　ecumenical　of　the　Russkies。〃
　〃Just　want　to　be　an　ally　back　to　us；　I　suppose；　and　RAINBOW　is　a　NATO　asset。　You　suppose　he'll　sing？〃
　〃Like　a　canary；　probably；〃　the　FBI　Director　predicted。　〃The　Miranda　Rule　never　made　it　to　Russia；　Jack；　and　their　interrogation　techniques　are　a　little　more…uh；　enthusiastic　than　ours　are。　Anyway；　it's　something　to　put　on　TV；　something　to　get　their　public　seriously　riled　up。　So；　boss；　this　war　going　to　stop　or　go？〃　〃We're　trying　to　stop　it；　Dan；　but…〃
　〃Yeah；　I　understand；〃　Murray　said。　〃Sometimes　big　shots　act　just　like　street　hoods。　Just　with　bigger　guns。〃
　This　bunch　has　H…bombs；　Jack　didn't　say。　It　wasn't　something　you　wanted　to　talk　about　right　after　breakfast。　Murray　hung　up　and　Ryan　checked　his　watch。　It　was　time。　He　punched　the　inter　button　on　his　phone。
　〃Ellen；　could　you　e　in；　please？〃
　It　took　the　usual　five　seconds。　〃Yes；　Mr。　President。〃
　〃I　need　one；　and　it's　time　to　call　Beijing。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　She　handed　Ryan　a　Virginia　Slim　and　went　back　to　the　anteroom。
　Ryan　saw　one　of　the　phone　lights　go　on　and　waited；　lighting　his　smoke。　He　had　his　speech　to　Premier　Xu　pretty　well　canned；　knowing　that　the　Chinese　leader　would　have　a　good　interpreter　nearby。　He　also　knew　that　Xu　would　still　be　in　the　office。　He'd　been　working　pretty　late　over　the　past　few　days…it　wasn't　hard　to　figure　out　why。　Starting　a　potential　world　war　had　to　be　a　time…consuming　business。　So；　it　would　be　less　than　thirty　seconds　to　make　the　guy's　phone　ring；　then　Ellen　Sumter　would　talk　to　the　operator　on　the　far　end…the　Chinese　had　full…time　switchboard　operators　rather　than　secretary…receptionists　as　in　the　White　House…and　the　call　would　be　put　through。　So；　figure　another　thirty　seconds；　and　then　Jack　would　get　to　make　his　case　to　Xu：　Let's　reconsider　this　one；　buddy；　or　something　bad　will　happen。　Bad　for　our　country。　Bad　for　yours。　Probably　worse　for　yours。　Mickey　Moore　had　promised　something　called　Hyperwar；　and　that　would　be　seriously　bad　news　for　someone　unprepared　for　it。　The　phone　light　stayed　on；　but　Ellen　wasn't　beeping　him　to　get　on　the　line　。　。　。　why？　Xu　was　still　in　his　office。　The　embassy　in　Beijing　was　supposed　to　be　keeping　an　eye　on　the　guy。　Ryan　didn't　know　how；　but　he　was　pretty　sure　they　knew　their　job。　It　might　have　been　as　easy　as　having　an　embassy　employee…probably　an　Agency　guy…stand　on　the　street　with　a　cell　phone　and　watch　a　lit…up　office　window；　then　report　to　the　embassy；　which　would　have　an　open　line　to　Foggy　Bottom；　which　had　many　open　lines　to　the　White　House。　But　then　the　light　on　the　phone　blinked　out；　and　the　inter　started：
　〃Mr。　President；　they　say　he's　out　of　the　office；〃　Mrs。　Sumter　said。
　〃Oh？〃　Ryan　took　a　long　puff。　〃Tell　State　to　confirm　his　location。〃
　〃Yes；　Mr。　President。〃　Then　forty　seconds　of　silence。　〃Mr。　President；　the　embassy　says　he's　in　his　office；　as　far　a