rl.thebourneultimatum-第132部分

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　〃Hold　it；〃　said　Benjamin；　touching　Jason's　arm。　〃Slow　down。〃
　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃Stop；　〃cried　the　young　trainer。　〃Pull　over　and　shut　off　the　engine。〃
　〃What's　the　matter　with　you？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure。〃　Benjamin's　neck　was　arched　back；　his　eyes　on　the　clear　night　sky　and　the　shimmering　lights　of　the　stars。　〃No　clouds；〃　he　said　cryptically。　〃No　storms。〃
　〃It's　not　raining；　either。　So　what？　I　want　to　get　up　to　the　Spanish　pound！〃
　〃There　it　goes　again…〃
　〃What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？〃　And　then　Bourne　heard　it　。。。　far　away；　the　sound　of　distant　thunder；　yet　the　night　was　clear。　It　happened　again…and　again　and　again；　one　deep　rumble　after　another。
　〃There！〃　shouted　the　young　Soviet　from　Los　Angeles；　standing　up　in　the　jeep　and　pointing　to　the　north。　〃What　is　it？〃
　〃That's　fire；　young　man；〃　answered　Jason　softly；　hesitantly；　as　he　also　stood　up　and　stared　at　the　pulsating　yellow　glow　that　lit　up　the　distant　sky。　〃And　my　guess　is　that　it's　the　Spanish　pound。　He　was　initially　trained　there　and　that's　what　he　came　back　to　do…to　blow　the　place　up！　It's　his　revenge！　。。。　Get　down；　we've　got　to　get　up　there！〃
　〃No；　you're　wrong；〃　broke　in　Benjamin；　quickly　lowering　himself　into　the　seat　as　Bourne　started　the　engine　and　yanked　the　jeep　into　gear。　〃　'Spain's'　no　more　than　five　or　six　miles　from　here。　Those　fires　are　a　lot　farther　away。〃
　〃Just　show　me　the　fastest　route；〃　said　Jason；　pressing　the　accelerator　to　the　floor。
　Under　the　trainer's　swiftly　roving　eyes　acpanied　by　sudden　shouts　of　〃Turn　here！〃　and　〃Go　right！〃　and　〃Straight　down　this　road！〃　they　raced　through　〃Paris；〃　and　north　into　successive　sectors　labeled　〃Marseilles；〃　〃Montbéliard；〃　〃Le　Havre；〃　〃Strasbourg〃　and　so　many　others；　circling　town　squares　and　passing　quaint　streets　and　miniaturized　city　blocks；　until　finally　they　were　in　sight　of　the　〃Spanish〃　border。　The　closer　they　came；　the　louder　were　the　booms　in　the　distance；　the　brighter　the　yellow　night　sky。　The　guards　at　the　gate　were　furiously　manning　their　telephones　and　hand…held　radios；　the　two…note　blasts　of　sirens　joined　the　shouting　and　the　screaming　as　police　cars　and　fire　engines　appeared　seemingly　out　of　nowhere；　racing　into　the　streets　of　〃Madrid〃　on　their　way　to　the　next　northern　border　crossing。
　〃What's　happening？〃　yelled　Benjamin；　leaping　from　the　jeep　and　dropping　all　pretense　of　Novgorod　training　by　speaking　Russian。　〃I'm　senior　staff！〃　he　added；　slipping　the　card　into　the　release　equipment；　snapping　the　barrier　up。　〃Tell　me！〃
　〃Insanity；　rade！〃　shouted　an　officer　from　the　gatehouse　window。　〃Unbelievable！　。。。　It's　as　if　the　earth　went　crazy！　First　'Germany；'　all　over　there　are　explosions　and　fires　in　the　streets　and　buildings　going　up　in　flames。　The　ground　trembles；　and　we　are　told　it's　some　kind　of　massive　earthquake。　Then　it　happens　in　'Italy'…'Rome'　is　torched；　and　in　the　'Greek'　sector　'Athens'　and　the　port　of　'Piraeus'　are　filled　with　fires　everywhere　and　still　the　explosions　continue；　the　streets　in　flames！〃
　〃What　does　Capital　Headquarters　say？〃
　〃They　don't　know　what　to　say！　The　earthquake　nonsense　was　just　that…nonsense。　Everyone's　in　panic；　issuing　orders　and　then　countermanding　them。〃　Another　wall　phone　rang　inside　the　gatehouse；　the　officer　of　the　guard　picked　it　up　and　listened；　then　instantly　screamed　at　the　top　of　his　lungs。　〃Madness；　it's　plete　madness！　Are　you　certain？〃
　〃What　is　it？〃　roared　Benjamin；　rushing　to　the　window。
　〃'Egypt！'　〃　he　screamed；　his　ear　pressed　to　the　telephone。　〃'Israel！'　。。。　'Cairo'　and　'Tel　Aviv'…fires　everywhere；　bombs　everywhere！　No　one　can　keep　up　with　the　devastation；　the　trucks　crash　into　one　another　in　the　narrow　streets。　The　hydrants　are　blown　up；　water　flows　in　the　gutters　but　the　streets　are　still　in　flames。　。。。　And　some　idiot　just　got　on　the　line　and　asked　if　the　No　Smoking　signs　were　properly　placed　while　the　wooden　buildings　are　on　their　way　to　being　rubble！　Idiots。　They　are　all　idiots！〃
　〃Get　back　here！〃　yelled　Bourne；　having　made　the　jeep　lurch　through　the　gate。　〃He's　in　here　somewhere！　You　drive　and　I'll…〃　Jason's　words　were　cut　off　by　a　deafening　explosion　up　ahead　in　the　center　of　〃Madrid's〃　Paseo　del　Prado。　It　was　an　enormous　detonation；　lumber　and　stone　arcing　up　into　the　flaming　sky。　Then；　as　if　the　Paseo　itself　were　a　living；　throbbing　immense　wall　of　fire；　the　flames　rolled　forward；　swinging　to　the　left　out　of　the　〃city〃　into　the　road　that　was　the　approach　to　the　border　gate。　〃Look！〃　shouted　Bourne；　reaching　down　out　of　the　jeep；　his　hand　scraping　the　graveled　surface　beneath；　he　brought　his　fingers　to　his　face；　his　nostrils。　〃Christ；〃　he　roared。　〃The　whole　goddamned　road's　soaked　with　gasoline！〃　A　burst　of　fire　imploded　thirty　yards　in　front　of　the　jeep；　sending　stones　and　dirt　smashing　into　the　metal　grille；　and　propelling　the　flames　forward　with　increasing　speed。　〃Plastics！〃　said　Jason　to　himself；　then　yelled　at　Benjamin；　who　was　running　to　the　jeep；　〃Go　back　there！　Get　everyone　out　of　here！　The　son　of　a　bitch　has　the　place　ringed　with　plastics！　Head　for　the　river！〃
　〃I'm　going　with　you！〃　shouted　the　young　Soviet；　grabbing　the　edge　of　the　door。
　〃Sorry；　Junior；〃　cried　Bourne；　gunning　the　engine　and　swerving　the　army　vehicle　back　into　the　open　gate；　sending　Benjamin　sprawling　onto　the　gravel。　〃This　is　for　grown…ups。〃
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　screamed　Benjamin；　his　voice　fading　as　the　jeep　sped　across　the　border。
　〃The　fuel　truck；　that　lousy　fuel　truck！〃　whispered　Jason　as　he　raced　into　〃Strasbourg；　France。〃
　It　happened　in　〃Paris〃…where　else　but　Paris！　The　huge　duplicate　of　the　Eiffel　Tower　blew　up　with　such　force　that　the　earth　shook。　Rockets？　Missiles？　The　Jackal　had　stolen　missiles　from　the　Kubinka　Armory！　Seconds　later；　starting　far　behind　him；　the　explosions　began　as　the　streets　burst　into　flames。　Everywhere。　All　〃France〃　was　being　destroyed　in　a　way　that　the　madman　Adolf　Hitler　could　only　have　envisaged　in　his　most　twisted　dreams。　Panicked　men　and　women　ran　through　the　alleyways　and　the　streets；　screaming；　falling；　praying　to　gods　their　leaders　had　forsworn。
　〃England！〃　He　had　to　get　into　〃England〃　and　then　ultimately　into　〃America；〃　where　all　his　instincts　told　him　the　end　would　e…one　way　or　another。　He　had　to　find　the　truck　that　was　being　driven　by　the　Jackal　and　destroy　both。　He　could　do　it…he　could　do　it！　Carlos　thought　he　was　dead　and　that　was　the　key；　for　the　Jackal　would　do　what　he　had　to　do；　what　he；　Jason　Bourne；　would　do　if　he　were　Carlos。　When　the　holocaust　he　had　ignited　was　at　its　zenith；　the　Jackal　would　abandon　the　truck　and　put　into　play　his　means　of　escape…his　escape　to　Paris；　the　real　Paris；　where　his　army　of　old　men　would　spread　the　word　of　their　monseigneur's　triumph　over　the　ubiquitous；　disbelieving　Soviets。　It　would　be　somewhere　near　the　tunnel；　that　was　a　given。
　The　race　through　〃London；〃　〃Coventry〃　and　〃Portsmouth〃　could　only　be　likened　to　the　newsreel　footage　from　World　War　II　depicting　the　carnage　hurled　down　on　Great　Britain　by　the　Luftwaffe；　pounded　by　first　the　screaming　and　then　the　silent　terror　of　the　V…2　and　V…5　rockets。　But　the　residents　of　Novgorod　were　not　British…forbearance　gave　way　to　mass　hysteria；　concern　for　all　became　survival　for　self　alone。　As　the　impressive　reproductions　of　Big　Ben　and　the　Houses　of　Parliament　crashed　down　in　flames　and　the　aircraft　factories　of　〃Coventry〃　were　reduced　to　raging　fires；　the　streets　swelled　with　screaming；　horrified　crowds　racing　through　the　roads　that　led　to　the　Volkhov　River　and　the　shipyards　of　〃Portsmouth。〃　There；　from　the　scaled…down　piers　and　slips；　scores　threw　themselves　into　rushing　waters　only　to　be　caught　in　the　magnesium　grids　where　sharp；　jagged　bolts　of　electricity　blazingly　zigzagged　through　the　air；　leaving　limp　bodies　floating　toward　the　next　metal　traps　above　and　below　the　angry　surface。　In　paralyzed　fragments；　the　crowds　watched　and　turned　in　panic；　fighting　their　way　back　into　the　miniaturized　city　of　〃Portsea〃；　the　guards　had　abandoned　their　posts　and　chaos　ruled　the　night。
　Snapping　on　the　jeep's　searchlight；　Bourne　drove　in　sudden　spurts　down　alleyways　and　the　less　crowded　narrow　streets…south；　always　south。　He　grabbed　a　flare　from　the　army　vehicle's　floor；　pulled　the　release　string；　and　proceeded　to　thrust　the　spitting；　hissing；　blinding　burst　of　fire　into　the　hands　and　faces　of　the　hysterical　racing　stragglers　who　tried　to　climb　on　board。　The　sight　of　the　constantly　pulsating　flame　so　close　to　their　eyes　was　enough；　each　screamed　and　recoiled　in　terror；　no　doubt　thinking　yet　another　explosive　had　detonated　in　his　or　her　immediate　vicinity。
　A　graveled　road！　The　gates　to　the　American　pound　were　less　than　a　hundred　yards　away。　。。。　The　graveled　road？　Soaked　with　fuel！　The　plastic　charges　had　not　gone　off…but　they　would　in　a　matter　of　moments；　creating　a　wall　of　fire；　enveloping　the　jeep　and　its　driver！　With　the　accelerator　pressed　to　the　floor；　Jason　raced　to　the　gate。　It　was　deserted…and　the　iron　barrier　was　down！　He　slammed　on　the　brakes；　skidding　to　a　stop；　hoping　beyond　reasonable　hope　that　no　sparks　would　fly　out　and　ignite　the　gravel。　Placing　the　spewing　flare　on　the　metal　floor；　he　swiftly　removed　two　grenades　from　his　pockets…grenades　he　was　loath　to　part　with…pulled　the　pins；　and　hurled　both　toward　the　gate。　The　massive　explosions　blew　the　barricade　away　and　instantly　set　the　graveled　road　on　fire；　the　leaping　flames　immediate…enveloping　him！　He　had　no　choice；　he　threw　the　hot　flare　away　and　sped　through　the　tunnel　of　fire　into　Novgorod's　final　largest　pound。　As　he　did　so　the　concrete　guardhouse　at　the　〃English〃　border　exploded；　glass；　stone　and　shards　of　metal　shot　out　and　up　everywhere。
　He　had　been　so　filled　with　anxiety　on　their　way　to　the　crossing　into　〃Spain〃　that　he　barely　recalled　the　diminutive　replicas　of　the　〃American〃　cities　and　towns；　much　less　the　fastest　routes　that　led　to　the　tunnel。　He　had　merely　followed　young　Benjamin's　harsh　shouted　mands；　but　he　did　remember　that　the　California…bred　trainer　kept　referring　to　the　〃coast　road…like　Route　One；　man；　up　to　Carmel！〃　It　was；　of　course；　those　streets　closest　to　the　Volkhov；　which　in　turn　became；　in　no　order　of　geographical　sequence；　a　shoreline　in　〃Maine；〃　the　Potomac　River　of　〃Washington；〃　and　the　northern　waters　of　Long　Islan