tc.thebearandthedragon-第50部分

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　〃General；　please　remember　that　I　am　your　friend　in　the　government；〃　Golovko　reminded　him。　Which　was　just　as　well。　The　Defense　Minister　was…well；　he　spoke　the　right　words；　but　he　wasn't　really　able　to　think　the　right　thoughts。　He　could　repeat　what　others　told　him；　and　that　was　about　it。　In　that　sense；　he　was　the　perfect　politician。
　〃Thank　you；　Sergey　Nikolay'ch。〃　The　general　inclined　his　head　with　the　proper　respect。　〃Does　that　mean　that　I　can　count　upon　some　of　these　riches　that　Fate　has　dropped　into　our　lap？〃
　〃At　the　proper　time　I　will　make　the　proper　remendation　to　the　president。〃
　
　
　By　that　time；　I　will　be　retired；　writing　my　memoirs；　or　whatever　the　hell　a　Russian　general　is　supposed　to　do；　Bondarenko　told　himself。　But　at　least　I　can　try　to　get　the　necessary　programs　drafted　for　my　successors；　and　perhaps　help　choose　the　right　man　to　follow　me　into　the　operations　directorate。　He　didn't　expect　to　go　any　further　than　he　already　had。　He　was　chief　of　operations　（which　included　training）　for　his　army；　and　that　was　as　fine　a　goal　as　any　man　could　ask　for　his　career。
　〃Thank　you；　rade　Minister。　I　know　your　job　is　also　difficult。　So；　is　there　anything　I　need　to　know　about　the　Chinese？〃
　Minister　Golovko　wished　he　could　tell　this　general　that　SVR　didn't　have　a　decent　pipeline　into　the　PRC　anymore。　Their　man；　a　second…deputy　minister；　long　in　the　employ　of　the　KGB；　had　retired　on　grounds　of　ill　health。
　But　he　could　not　make　the　admission　that　the　last　Russian　source　inside　the　Forbidden　City　was　no　longer　operational；　and　with　him　had　gone　all　the　insights　they　needed　to　evaluate　the　PRC's　long…term　plans　and　intentions。　Well；　there　was　still　the　Russian　ambassador　in　Beijing；　and　he　was　no　one's　fool；　but　a　diplomat　saw　mainly　what　the　host　government　wanted　him　to　see。　The　same　was　true　of　the　military；　naval；　and　air　attachés；　trained　intelligence　officers　all；　but　also　limited　to　what　the　Chinese　military　wished　them　to　see；　and　even　that　had　to　be　reciprocated　every　step　of　the　way　in　Moscow；　as　though　in　some　elegant　international　waltz。　No；　there　was　no　substitute　for　a　trained　intelligence　officer　running　agents　who　looked　inside　the　other　government；　so　that　he；　Golovko；　could　know　exactly　what　was　going　on　and　report　on　it　to　his　president。　It　wasn't　often　that　Golovko　had　to　report　that　he　did　not　know　enough；　but　it　had　happened　in　this　ease；　and　he　would　not　confess　his　shortings　to　this　soldier；　senior　one　or　not。
　〃No；　Gennady　Iosifovich；　I　have　nothing　to　indicate　that　the　Chinese　seek　to　threaten　us。〃
　〃rade　Minister；　the　discoveries　in　Siberia　are　too　vast　for　them　not　to　consider　the　advantage　to　be　had　from　seizing　them。　In　their　place；　I　would　draw　up　the　necessary　plans。　They　import　oil；　and　these　new　fields　would　obviate　that　necessity；　and　make　them　rich　in　the　foreign　exchange　they　seek。　And　the　gold；　rade；　speaks　for　itself；　does　it　not？〃
　〃Perhaps。〃　Golovko　nodded。　〃But　their　economy　seems　healthy　at　the　moment；　and　wars　are　not　begun　by　those　already　rich。〃
　〃Hitler　was　prosperous　enough　in　1941。　That　did　not　prevent　him　from　driving　his　army　to　within　sight　of　this　building；〃　the　chief　of　operations　for　the　Russian　army　pointed　out。　〃If　your　neighbor　has　an　apple　tree；　sometimes　you　will　pick　an　apple　even　if　your　belly　is　full。　Just　for　the　taste；　perhaps；〃　Bondarenko　suggested。
　Golovko　couldn't　deny　the　logic　of　that。　〃Gennady　Josifovich；　we　are　of　a　kind。　We　both　look　out　for　dangers　even　when　they　are　not　obvious。　You　would　have　made　a　fine　intelligence　officer。〃
　〃Thank　you；　rade　Minister。〃　The　three…star　toasted　his　host　with　his　almost　empty　vodka　glass。　〃Before　I　leave　my　office；　it　is　my　hope　to　lay　before　my　successor　a　plan；　the　acplishment　of　which　will　make　our　country　invulnerable　to　attack　from　any　country。　I　know　I　will　not　be　able　myself　to　make　that　happen；　but　I　will　be　grateful　for　the　ability　to　set　a　firm　plan　in　place；　if　our　political　leadership　can　see　the　merit　of　our　ideas。〃　And　that　was　the　real　problem；　wasn't　it？　The　Russian　army　might　be　able　to　deal　with　external　enemies。　It　was　the　internal　ones　which　formed　the　really　intractable　problem。　You　usually　knew　where　your　enemy　stood；　because　you　faced　them。　Where　your　friends　stood　was　more　difficult；　because　they　were　usually　behind　you。
　〃I　will　make　sure　you　present　the　case　yourself　to　the　cabinet。　But〃…Golovko　held　up　his　hand…〃you　must　wait　for　the　right　moment。〃
　〃I　understand；　and　let　us　hope　the　Chinese　allow　us　the　time　for　that　moment。〃　Golovko　tossed　off　the　last　of　his　drink　and　rose。　〃Thanks　for　letting　me　e　in　to　bare　my　heart　to　you；　rade　Chairman。〃
　
　
　〃So；　where　is　he？〃　Provalov　demanded。
　〃I　do　not　know；〃　Abramov　replied　tiredly。　〃We've　identified　one　person　who　claims　to　know　him；　but　our　informant　has　no　idea　where　he　lives。〃
　〃Very　well。　What　do　you　know？〃　Moscow　asked　St。　Petersburg。
　〃Our　informant　says　that　Suvorov　is　former　KGB；　RIF'd　in　1996　or　so；　that　he　lives；　probably；　in　St。　Petersburg…but　if　that　is　true；　he　does　so　under　an　assumed　name　and　false　documents；　or　'Suvorov'　is　itself　a　false　name。　I　have　a　description。　Male；　fifty　or　so；　average　height　and　build。　Thinning　blond　hair。　Regular　features。　Blue　eyes。　Physically　fit。　Unmarried。　Thought　to　frequent　prostitutes。　I　have　some　people　asking　around　those　women　for　more　information。　Nothing　yet；〃　the　St。　Petersburg　investigator　replied。
　This　is　amazing；　Lieutenant　Provalov　thought。　All　the　resources　we　have；　and　we　can't　develop　a　single　reliable　piece　of　information。　Was　he　chasing　ghosts？　Well；　he　had　five　of　those　already。　Avseyenko；　Maria　Ivanovna　Sablin；　a　driver　whose　name　he　couldn't　remember　at　the　moment；　and　the　two　putative　Spetsnaz　killers；　Pyotr　Alekseyevich　Amalrik　and　Pavel　Borissovich　Zimyanin。　Three　blown　up　spectacularly　during　a　morning　rush　hour；　and　two　murdered　in　St。　Petersburg　after　having　done　the　job…but　killed　for　succeeding　or　failing？
　〃Well；　let　me　know　when　you　develop　anything。〃
　〃I　will　do　that；　Oleg　Gregoriyevich；〃　Abramov　promised。
　The　militia　lieutenant　hung　up　his　phone　and　cleared　his　desk；　putting　all　his　〃hot〃　files　into　the　locked　drawer；　then　he　walked　downstairs　to　his　official　car　and　drove　to　his　favorite　bar。　Reilly　was　inside；　and　waved　when　he　came　through　the　door。　Provalov　hung　up　his　coat　on　a　hook　and　walked　over　to　shake　hands。　He　saw　that　a　drink　was　waiting　for　him。
　〃You　are　a　true　rade；　Mishka；〃　the　Russian　said　to　his　American　friend　as　he　took　his　first　slug。
　〃Hey；　I　know　the　problem；　pal；〃　the　FBI　agent　said　sympathetically。
　
　〃It　is　this　way　for　you　as　well。〃
　〃Hell；　when　I　was　a　brand…new　brick　agent；　I　started　working　the　Gotti　case。　We　busted　our　asses　bagging　that　lowlife。　Took　three　juries　to　put　him　in　Marion。　He's　never　ing　back。　Marion　is　a　particularly　nasty　prison。〃　Though　〃nasty〃　in　American　terms　was　different　from　the　Russian。　Russian　prisons　didn't　really　bear　thinking　about；　though　Reilly　didn't　worry　much　about　that。　People　who　broke　the　law　in　any　society　knew　about　the　possible　consequences　going　in；　and　what　happened　when　they　got　caught　was　their　problem；　not　his。　〃So；　what's　the　story？〃
　〃This　Suvorov。　We　can't　find　him。　Mishka；　it　is　as　if　he　doesn't　exist。〃
　〃Really？〃　It　both　was　and　was　not　a　surprise　to　Reilly。　The　former；　because　Russia；　like　many　European　societies；　kept　track　of　people　in　ways　that　would　have　started　a　Second　American　Revolution。　The　cops　here　were　supposed　to　know　where　everybody　lived；　a　carryover　from　the　Bad　Old　Days　when　KGB　had　kept　a　third　of　the　population　as　informers　on　the　other　two…thirds。　It　was　an　unmon　situation　for　the　local　cops　not　to　be　able　to　find　someone。
　The　situation　was　not　surprising；　however；　because　if　this　Suvorov　mutt　really　was　a　former　KGB　officer；　then　he'd　been　expertly　trained　to　disappear；　and　that　sort　of　adversary　didn't　just　die　of　the　dumbs；　like　most　American　and　Russian　hoods　did。　Nor　would　he　die　from　talking　too　much。　Your　average　criminals　acted…well；　like　criminals。　They　bragged　too　much；　and　to　the　wrong　people；　other　criminals　for　the　most　part；　who　had　the　loyalty　of　rattlesnakes　and　would　sell　out　a　〃friend〃　as　readily　as　taking　a　piss。　No；　this　Suvorov　guy；　if　he　was　who　and　what　the　informants　said　he　was；　was　a　pro；　and　they　made　interesting　game　for　interesting　hunts；　and　usually　long　hunts　at　that。
　But　you　always　got　them　in　the　end；　because　the　cops　never　stopped　looking；　and　sooner　or　later；　he'd　make　a　mistake；　maybe　not　a　big　one；　but　big　enough。　He　wouldn't　be　hanging　with　his　former　buds　in　KGB；　people　who　would　help　keep　him　hidden；　and　would　only　talk　among　themselves　and　then　not　much。　No；　he　was　in　a　different　milieu　now；　not　a　friendly　one；　not　a　safe　one；　and　that　was　just　too　damned　bad。　Reilly　had　occasionally　felt　a　certain　sympathy　for　a　criminal；　but　never　for　a　killer。　There　were　some　lines　you　just　couldn't　cross。
　〃He　has　dived　into　a　hole　and　then　covered　it　up　from　inside；〃　the　Russian　said；　with　some　frustration。
　〃Okay；　what　do　we　know　about　him？〃
　Provalov　related　what　he'd　just　learned。　〃They　say　they　will　be　asking　whores　if　they　might　know　him。〃
　〃Good　call。〃　Reilly　nodded。　〃I　bet　he　likes　the　high…end　ones。　Like　our　Miss　Tanya；　maybe。　You　know；　Oleg；　maybe　he　knew　Avseyenko。　Maybe　he　knows　some　of　his　girls。〃
　〃That　is　possible。　I　can　have　my　men　check　them　out　as　well。〃
　〃Can't　hurt；〃　the　FBI　agent　agreed；　waving　to　the　bartender　for　a　couple　of　refills。　〃You　know；　buddy；　you've　got　yourself　a　real　investigation　happening　here。　I　kinda'　wish　I　was　on　your　force　to　help　out。〃
　〃You　enjoy　this？〃
　〃Bet　your　ass；　Oleg。　The　harder　the　case；　the　more　thrilling　the　chase。　And　it　feels　real　good　at　the　end　when　you　bag　the　bastards。　When　we　convicted　Gotti；　damn　if　we　didn't　have　one　big　party　in　Manhattan。　The　Teflon　Don；〃　Reilly　said；　hoisting　his　glass；　and　telling　the　air；　〃Hope　you　like　it　in　Marion；　boy。〃
　〃This　Gotti；　he　killed　people；　yes？〃　Provalov　asked。
　〃Oh；　yeah；　some　himself；　and　others　he　gave　the　orders。　His　number　one　boy；　Salvatore　Gravano…Sammy　the　Bull；　they　called　him…turned　government　witness　and　helped　make　the　case　for　us。　So　then　we　put　Sammy　in　the