tc.thebearandthedragon-第64部分

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　The　problem　was　politics。　The　state　enforced　its　will　with　ruthlessness。　She　knew　what　could　happen；　the　syringe　filled　with　formaldehyde　stabbed　into　the　baby's　head　at　the　very　moment　of　birth。　In　China；　it　was　state　policy。　For　the　Yangs；　it　was　premeditated；　cold…blooded　murder；　and　they　were　determined　not　to　lose　a　second　child；　who；　the　Reverend　Yu　had　told　them；　was　a　gift　from　God　Himself。
　And　there　was　a　way。　If　you　delivered　the　baby　at　home　without　medical　assistance；　and　if　the　baby　took　its　first　breath；　then　the　state　would　not　kill　it。　There　were　some　things　even　the　government　of　the　People's　Republic　quailed　at；　and　the　killing　of　a　living；　breathing　human　infant　was　one　of　them。　But　until　it　took　that　breath；　it　was　of　no　more　consequence　than　a　piece　of　meat　in　a　market。　There　were　even　rumors　that　the　Chinese　government　was　selling　organs　from　the　aborted　newborns　on　the　world's　tissue　market；　to　be　used　for　medical　purposes；　and　that　was　something　the　Yangs　were　able　to　believe。
　
　
　So；　their　plan　was　for　Lien…Hua　to　deliver　the　child　at　home；　after　which　they　would　present　their　state　with　afait　acpli…and　eventually　have　it　baptized　by　Reverend　Yu。　To　this　end；　Mrs。　Yang　had　kept　herself　in　good　physical　shape；　walking　two　kilometers　every　day；　eating　sensibly；　and　generally　doing　all　the　things　the　government…published　booklets　told　expectant　mothers　to　do。　And　if　anything　went　badly　wrong；　they'd　go　to　Reverend　Yu　for　counsel　and　advice。　The　plan　enabled　Lien…Hua　to　deal　with　the　stress…in　fact　it　was　a　heart…rending　terror…of　her　unauthorized　condition。
　〃Well　？〃　Ryan　asked。
　〃Rutledge　has　all　the　right　talents；　and　we've　given　him　the　instructions　he　needs。　He　ought　to　carry　them　out　properly。　Question　is；　will　the　Chinese　play　ball。〃
　〃If　they　don't；　things　bee　harder　for　them；〃　the　President　said；　if　not　coldly；　then　with　some　degree　of　determination。　〃If　they　think　they　can　bully　us；　Scott；　it's　time　they　found　out　who　the　big　kid　in　the　playground　is。〃
　〃They'll　fight　back。　They've　taken　out　options　on　fourteen　Boeing　777s…just　did　that　four　days　ago；　remember？
　That's　the　first　thing　they'll　chop　if　they　don't　like　us。
　That's　a　lot　of　money　and　a　lot　of　jobs　for　Boeing　in
　Seattle；〃　SecState　warned。
　〃I　never　have　been　real　big　on　blackmail；　Scott。　Besides；　that's　a　classic　case　of　penny…wise；　pound…foolish。　If　we　cave　because　of　that；　then　we　lose　ten　times　the　money　and　ten　times　the　jobs　elsewhere…okay；　they　won't　be　all　in　one　place；　and　so　the　TV　news　guys　won't　be　able　to　point　their　cameras；　and　so　they　won't　do　the　real　story；　just　the　one　that　can　fit　on　half…inch　tape。　But　I'm　not　in　here　to　keep　the　goddamned　media　happy。　I'm　here　to　serve　the　people　to　the　best　of　my　ability；　Scott。　And　that's　by…God　going　to　happen；〃　POTUS　promised　his　guest。
　〃I　don't　doubt　it；　Jack；〃　Adler　responded。　〃Just　remember　that　it　won't　play　out　quite　the　way　you　want　it　to。〃
　〃It　never　does；　but　if　they　play　rough；　it's　going　to　cost　them　seventy　billion　dollars　a　year。　We　can　afford　to　do　without　their　products。　Can　they　afford　to　do　without　our　money？〃　Ryan　asked。
　Secretary　Adler　was　not　totally　fortable　with　the　way　the　question　was　posed。　〃I　suppose　we'll　have　to　wait　and　see。〃
　
　
　
　
　CHAPTER　21
　Simmering
　
　〃So；　what　did　you　develop　last　night？〃　Reilly　asked。　He'd　be　late　to　his　embassy　office；　but　his　gut　told　him　that　things　were　breaking　loose　in　the　RPG　Case…that　was　how　he　thought　of　it…and　Director　Murray　had　a　personal　interest　in　the　case；　because　the　President　did；　and　that　made　it　more　important　than　the　routine　bullshit　on　Reilly's　desk。
　〃Our　Chinese　friend…the　one　in　the　men's　room；　that　is…is　the　Third　Secretary　at　their　mission。　Our　friends　across　town　at　SVR　have　suspected　that　he　is　a　member　of　their　Ministry　for　State　Security。　He's　not　regarded　as　a　particularly　bright　diplomat　by　the　Foreign　Ministry…ours；　that　is。〃
　〃That's　how　you　cover　a　spook；〃　Reilly　agreed。　〃A　dumb　cookie…pusher。　Okay；　so　he's　a　player〃
　〃I　agree；　Mishka；〃　Provalov　said。　〃Now；　it　would　be　nice　to　know　who　passed　what　to　whom。〃
　〃Oleg　Gregoriyevich〃…Reilly　liked　the　semiformal　Russian　form　of　address…〃if　I'd　been　standing　right　there　and　staring；　I　might　not　have　been　able　to　tell。〃　That　was　the　problem　dealing　with　real　professionals。　They　were　as　good　at　that　maneuver　as　a　Vegas　dealer　was　with　a　deck　of　Bicycles。　You　needed　a　good　lens　and　a　slow…motion　camera　to　be　sure；　and　that　was　a　little　bulky　for　work　in　the　field。　But　they'd　just　proved；　to　their　satisfaction　at　least；　that　both　men　were　active　in　the　spook　business；　and　that　was　a　break　in　the　case　any　way　you　sliced　it。　〃ID　the　girl？〃
　〃Yelena　Ivanova　Dimitrova。〃　Provalov　handed　the　folder　across。　〃Just　a　whore；　but；　of　course；　a　very　expensive　one。
　Reilly　flipped　it　open　and　scanned　the　notes。　Known　prostitute　specializing　in　foreigners。　The　photo　of　her　was　unusually　flattering。
　〃You　came　in　early　this　morning？〃　Reilly　asked。　He　must　have；　to　have　all　this　work　done　already。
　〃Before　six；〃　Oleg　confirmed。　The　case　was　being　more　exciting　for　him　as　well。　〃In　any　case；　Klementi　Ivan'ch　kept　her　all　night。　She　left　his　apartment　and　caught　a　taxi　home　at　seven…forty　this　morning。　She　looked　happy　and　satisfied；　according　to　my　people。〃
　That　was　good　for　a　chuckle。　She　didn't　leave　her　trick　until　after　Oleg　hit　the　office？　That　must　have　affected　his　attitude　somewhat；　Reilly　thought；　with　an　inward　grin。　It　sure　as　hell　would　have　affected　his。　〃Well；　good　for　our　subject。　I　expect　he　won't　be　getting　too　much　of　that　in　a　few　months；〃　the　FBI　agent　thought　aloud；　hoping　it　would　make　his　Russian　colleague　a　little　happier　about　life。
　〃One　can　hope；〃　Provalov　agreed　coldly。　〃I　have　four　men　watching　his　apartment。　If　he　leaves　and　appears　to　be　heading　away　for　a　while；　I　will　try　to　get　a　team　into　his　apartment　to　plant　some　electronic　surveillance。〃
　〃They　know　how　to　be　careful？〃　Reilly　asked。　If　this　Suvorov　mutt　was　as　trained　as　they　thought；　he'd　leave　telltales　in　his　apartment　that　could　make　breaking　in　dicey。
　〃They　are　KGB…trained　also。　One　of　them　helped　catch　a　French　intelligence　officer　back　in　the　old　times。　Now；　I　have　a　question　for　you；〃　the　Russian　cop　said。
　〃Shoot。〃
　〃What　do　you　know　of　a　special　counterterrorist　group　based　in　England？〃
　〃The　'Men　of　Black；'　you　mean？〃
　Provalov　nodded。　〃Yes。　Do　you　know　anything　about　them？〃
　Reilly　knew　he　had　to　watch　his　words；　even　though　he　knew　damned　little。　〃Really；　I　don't　know　anything　more　than　what　I've　seen　in　the　papers。　It's　some　sort　of　multinational　NATO　group；　part　military　and　part　police；　I　think。　They　had　a　good　run　of　luck　last　year。　Why　do　you　ask？〃
　〃A　request　from　on　high；　because　I　know　you。　I've　been　told　that　they　are　ing　to　Moscow　to　assist　in　training　our　people…Spetsnaz　groups　with　similar　tasks；〃　Oleg　explained。
　〃Really？　Well；　I've　never　been　in　the　muscle　end　of　the　Bureau；　just　in　a　local　SWAT　team　once。　Gus　Werner　probably　knows　a　lot　about　them。　Gus　runs　the　new　Counter…Terrorism　Division　at　Headquarters。　Before　that；　Gus　ran　HRT　and　had　a　field　mand…a　field　division；　that　is；　a　big…city　field　office。　I've　met　him　once；　just　to　say　hello。　Gus　has　a　very　good　service　rep。〃
　〃Rep？〃
　〃Reputation；　Oleg。　He's　well　regarded　by　the　field　agents。　But　like　I　said；　that's　the　muscle　end　of　the　Bureau。　I've　always　been　with　the　chess　players。〃
　〃Investigations；　you　mean。〃
　Reilly　nodded。　〃That's　right。　It's　what　the　FBI　is　supposed　to　be　all　about；　but　the　outfit's　mutated　a　bit　over　the　years。〃　The　American　paused。　〃So；　you're　covering　this　Suvorov/Koniev　guy　real　tight？〃　Reilly　asked；　to　recenter　the　discussion。
　〃My　men　have　orders　to　be　discreet；　but　yes；　we　will　keep　a　close　eye　on　him；　as　you　say。〃
　〃You　know；　if　he　really　is　working　with　the　Chinese　spooks　。　。　。　do　you　think　they　might　want　to　kill　that　Golovko　guy？〃
　〃I　do　not　know；　but　we　must　regard　that　as　a　real　possibility。〃
　Reilly　nodded；　thinking　this　would　make　an　interesting　report　to　send　to　Washington；　and　maybe　discuss　with　the　CIA　station　chief　as　well。
　
　〃I　want　the　files　for　everyone　who　ever　worked　with　him；〃　Sergey　Nikolay'ch　ordered。　〃And　I　want　you　to　get　me　his　personal　file。〃
　〃Yes；　rade　Chairman；〃　Major　Shelepin　replied；　with　a　bob　of　the　head。
　The　morning　briefing；　delivered　by　a　colonel　of　the　militia；　had　pleased　neither　the　SVR　Chairman　nor　his　principal　bodyguard。　In　this　case；　for　a　change；　the　legendarily　slow　Russian　bureaucracy　had　been　circumvented；　and　the　information　fast…tracked　to　those　interested　in　it。　That　included　the　man　whose　life　might　have　been　spared　accidentally　after　all。
　〃And　we　will　set　up　a　special…action　group　to　work　with　this　Provalov　child。〃
　〃Of　course；　rade　Chairman。〃
　It　was　strange；　Sergey　Nikolay'ch　thought；　how　rapidly　the　world　could　change。　He　vividly　remembered　the　morning　of　the　murder…it　was　not　the　sort　of　thing　a　man　could　forget。　But　after　the　first　few　days　of　shock　and　attendant　fear；　he'd　allowed　himself　to　relax；　to　believe　that　this　Avseyenko　had　been　the　real　target　of　an　underworld　rub　out…an　archaic　American　term　he　liked…and　that　his　own　life　had　never　been　directly　threatened。　With　the　acceptance　of　that　belief；　the　entire　thing　had　bee　like　driving　past　an　ordinary　traffic　accident。　Even　if　some　unfortunate　motorist　had　been　killed　there　at　the　side　of　the　road；　you　just　dismissed　it　as　an　irrelevance；　because　that　sort　of　thing　couldn't　happen　to　you　in　your　own　expensive　official　car；　not　with　Anatoliy　driving。　But　now　he'd　begun　to　wonder　if　perhaps　his　life　had　been　spared　by　accident。　Such　things　were　not　supposed　to　occur…there　shouldn't　have　been　any　need　for　them。
　Now　he　was　more　frightened　than　he'd　been　that　bright　Moscow　morning；　looking　down　from　his　window　at　the　smoking　wreck　on　the　pavement。　It　meant　that　he　might　be　in　danger　still；　and　he　dreaded　that　prospect　as　much　as　the　next　man。
　Worse　still；　his　hunter　might　well　be　one　of　his　own；　a　former　KGB　officer　with　connections　to　Spetsnaz；　and　if　he　were　in　contact　with　the　Chinese。。。
　。。。　But　why　would　the　Chinese　wish　to　end　his　life？　F