rl.thebourneultimatum-第27部分

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on't　know　when　he'll　return。〃　Gates's　wife　looked　briefly　at　the　phone；　then　hung　up。　She　turned　to　her　husband。　〃That　was　the　operator　in　Paris。　。。。　It's　strange。　Someone　was　calling　you；　but　when　I　said　you　weren't　here；　she　didn't　even　ask　where　you　could　be　reached。　She　simply　got　off　the　line…very　abruptly。〃
　〃Oh；　my　God！〃　cried　Gates；　visibly　shaken。　〃Something　happened　。。。　something's　gone　wrong；　someone　lied！〃　With　those　enigmatic　words　the　attorney　whipped　around；　and　raced　across　the　room；　fumbling　in　his　trousers　pocket。　He　reached　a　section　of　the　floor…to…ceiling　bookshelves　where　the　center　of　the　chest…high　shelf　had　been　converted　into　a　safe…like　cupboard；　a　carved　wooden　door　superimposed　on　the　brown　steel。　In　panic；　as　an　afterthought　stunned　him　further；　he　spun　around　and　screamed　at　his　wife。　〃Get　out　of　here！　Get　out；　get　out；　get　out！〃
　Edith　Gates　walked　slowly　to　the　study　door；　where　she　turned　to　her　husband　and　spoke　quietly。　〃It　all　goes　back　to　Paris；　doesn't　it；　Randy？　Seven　years　ago　in　Paris。　That's　where　something　happened；　isn't　it？　You　came　back　a　frightened　man；　a　man　with　a　pain　you　won't　share。〃
　〃Get　out　of　here！〃　shrieked　the　vaunted　professor　of　law；　his　eyes　wild。
　Edith　went　out　the　door；　closing　it　behind　her　but　not　releasing　the　knob；　her　hand　twisted　so　the　latch　would　not　close。　Moments　later　she　opened　it　barely　a　few　inches　and　watched　her　husband。
　The　shock　was　beyond　anything　she　could　imagine。　The　man　she　had　lived　with　for　thirty…three　years；　the　legal　giant　who　neither　smoked　nor　drank　a　drop　of　alcohol；　was　plunging　a　hypodermic　needle　into　his　forearm。
　
　10
　Darkness　had　descended　on　Manassas；　the　countryside　alive　with　nocturnal　undercurrents；　as　Bourne　crept　through　the　woods　bordering　the　〃farm〃　of　General　Norman　Swayne。　Startled　birds　fluttered　out　of　their　black　recesses；　crows　awoke　in　the　trees　and　cawed　their　alarms；　then；　as　if　calmed　by　a　foraging　co…conspirator；　kept　silent。
　He　reached　it；　wondering；　if　indeed　it　would　be　there。　A　fence…high；　with　thick　crisscrossing　links　embedded　in　green　plastic；　a　coiled…barbed…wire　addition　above　slanting　outward。　Entry　prohibited。　Beijing。　The　Jing　Shan　Sanctuary。　There　had　been　things　to　conceal　within　that　Oriental　wildlife　preserve；　so　it　was　protected　by　an　all　but　impassable　government　barrier。　But　why　would　a　desk…bound　general　on　military　pay　erect　such　a　barricade　around　a　〃farm〃　in　Manassas；　Virginia；　an　obstruction　costing　thousands　of　dollars？　It　was　not　designed　to　fence　in　livestock；　it　was；　instead；　built　to　keep　out　human　life。
　As　with　the　sanctuary　in　China；　there　would　be　no　electric　alarms　threaded　through　the　links；　for　the　animals　and　the　birds　of　the　forest　would　set　them　off　repeatedly。　Nor　would　there　be　the　unseen　beams　of　trip　lights　for　the　same　reason；　instead；　they　would　be　on　the　flat　ground　nearer　the　house；　and　waist…high；　if　they　existed。　Bourne　pulled　the　small　wire　cutters　out　of　his　rear　pocket　and　started　with　the　links　at　earth　level。
　With　each　scissoring　cut；　he　again　understood　the　obvious；　the　inevitable；　confirmed　by　his　heavy　breathing　and　the　sweat　that　had　formed　on　his　hairline。　No　matter　how　hard　he　tried…not　fanatically　but　at　least　assiduously…to　keep　himself　in　reasonably　good　shape；　he　was　now　fifty　and　his　body　knew　it。　Again；　it　was　something　to　think　about；　not　dwell　upon；　and　with　every　inch　of　progress　not　think　about　at　all。　There　were　Marie　and　the　children；　his　family；　there　was　nothing　he　could　not　do　as　long　as　he　willed　it。　David　Webb　was　gone　from　his　psyche；　only　the　predator　Jason　Bourne　remained。
　He　was　through！　The　parallel　vertical　links　were　cut；　the　ground　wires　as　well。　He　gripped　the　fence　and　pulled　the　opening　toward　him；　making　each　half　foot　of　space　an　ordeal。　He　crawled　inside　this　strangely　fortified　acreage　and　stood　up；　listening；　his　eyes　darting　in　every　direction；　scanning　the　darkness…which　was　not　plete　darkness。　He　saw…filtered　through　the　thick　branches　of　the　tall　overlapping　pines　bordering　the　tamed　grounds…flickerings　of　light　ing　from　the　large　house。　Slowly；　he　made　his　way　toward　what　he　knew　was　the　circular　drive。　He　reached　the　outer　border　of　the　asphalt　and　lay　prone　beneath　a　spreading　pine；　gathering　his　thoughts　and　his　breath　as　he　studied　the　scene　in　front　of　him。　Suddenly　there　was　a　flash　of　light　on　his　far　right；　deep　inside　the　grounds　at　the　end　of　a　straight　graveled　road　that　branched　off　from　the　circular　drive。
　A　door　had　been　opened；　it　belonged　to　what　appeared　to　be　a　small　house　or　a　large　cabin　and　it　remained　open。　Two　men　and　a　woman　came　out　and　were　talking　。。。　no；　they　were　not　just　talking；　they　were　arguing　heatedly。　Bourne　ripped　the　short　powerful　binoculars　out　of　their　Velcro　recess　and　put　them　up　to　his　eyes。　Quickly　he　focused　on　the　trio；　whose　voices　grew　in　volume；　the　words　indistinguishable　but　the　anger　apparent。　As　the　blurred　image　sharpened；　he　studied　the　three　people；　knowing　instantly　that　the　medium…sized；　medium…built；　ramrod…straight　protesting　man　on　the　left　was　the　Pentagon's　General　Swayne；　and　the　large…breasted　woman　with　streaked　dark　hair　his　wife；　but　what　struck　him…and　fascinated　him…was　the　hulking　overweight　figure　nearest　the　open　door。　He　knew　him！　Jason　could　not　remember　from　where　or　when；　which　was　certainly　not　unusual；　but　his　visceral　reaction　to　the　sight　of　the　man　was　not　usual。　It　was　one　of　instant　loathing　and　he　did　not　know　why；　since　no　connection　with　anything　in　the　past　came　to　him。　Only　feelings　of　disgust　and　revulsion。　Where　were　the　images；　the　brief　flashes　of　time　or　circumstance　that　so　often　illuminated　his　inner　screen？　They　did　not　e；　he　only　knew　that　the　man　he　focused　on　in　the　binoculars　was　his　enemy。
　Then　that　huge　man　did　an　extraordinary　thing。　He　reached　for　Swayne's　wife；　throwing　his　large　left　arm　protectively　around　her　shoulders；　his　right　hand　accusingly　jabbing　the　space　between　him　and　the　general。　Whatever　he　said…or　yelled…caused　Swayne　to　react　with　what　seemed　to　be　stoic　resolve　mixed　with　feigned　indifference。　He　turned　around；　and　in　military　fashion　strode　back　across　the　lawn　toward　a　rear　entrance　to　the　house。　Bourne　lost　him　in　the　darkness　and　swung　back　to　the　couple　in　the　light　of　the　door。　The　large　obese　man　released　the　general's　wife　and　spoke　to　her。　She　nodded；　brushed　her　lips　against　his；　and　ran　after　her　husband。　The　obvious　consort　walked　back　into　the　small　house　and　slammed　the　door　shut；　removing　the　light。
　Jason　reattached　the　binoculars　to　his　trousers　and　tried　to　understand　what　he　had　observed。　It　had　been　like　watching　a　silent　movie　minus　the　subtitles；　the　gestures　far　more　real　and　without　exaggerated　theatricality。　That　there　was　in　the　confines　of　this　fenced　acreage　a　ménage　а　trois　was　obvious；　but　this　could　hardly　explain　the　fence。　There　was　another　reason；　a　reason　he　had　to　learn。
　Further；　instinct　told　him　that　whatever　it　was；　was　linked　to　the　huge　overweight　man　who　had　walked　angrily　back　into　the　small　house。　He　had　to　reach　that　house；　he　had　to　reach　that　man　who　had　been　a　part　of　his　forgotten　past。　He　slowly　got　to　his　feet；　and　ducking　from　one　pine　to　the　next；　he　made　his　way　to　the　end　of　the　circular　drive；　and　then　continued　down　the　tree…lined　border　of　the　narrow　graveled　road。
　He　stopped；　lurching　to　the　ground　at　a　sudden　sound　that　was　no　part　of　the　murmuring　woods。　Somewhere　wheels　were　spinning；　crushing　stone　and　displacing　it；　he　rolled　over　and　over　into　the　dark　recesses　of　the　low…hanging；　wide…spreading　branches　of　a　pine　tree；　swinging　his　body　around　to　locate　the　disturbance。
　Within　seconds　he　saw　something　racing　out　of　the　shadows　of　the　circular　drive；　rushing　over　the　gravel　of　the　extended　road。　It　was　a　small　odd…shaped　vehicle；　half　three…wheeled　motorbike；　half　miniature　golf　cart；　the　tires　large　and　deeply　treaded；　capable　of　both　high　speed　and　balance。　It　was　also；　in　its　way；　ominous；　for；　in　addition　to　a　high　flexible　antenna；　thick　curved　Plexiglas　shields　shot　up　from　all　sides；　bulletproof　windows　that　protected　the　driver　from　gunfire　while　alerting　by　radio　anyone　inside　the　residences　of　an　assault。　General　Norman　Swayne's　〃farm〃　took　on　an　even　stranger　ambience。　。。。　Then；　abruptly；　it　was　macabre。
　A　second　three…wheeled　cart　swung　out　from　the　shadows　behind　the　cabin…and　it　was　a　cabin　with　split　logs　on　the　exterior…and　came　to　a　stop　only　feet　from　the　first　vehicle　on　the　graveled　road。　Both　drivers'　heads　swung　militarily　toward　the　small　house　as　if　they　were　robots　in　a　public　gallery；　and　then　the　words　shot　out　from　an　unseen　speaker。
　〃Secure　the　gates；〃　said　the　amplified　voice；　a　voice　in　mand。　〃Release　the　dogs　and　resume　your　rounds。〃
　As　if　choreographed；　the　vehicles　swung　in　unison；　each　in　the　opposite　direction；　the　drivers　gunning　their　engines　as　one；　the　strange…looking　carts　racing　forward　into　the　shadows。　At　the　mention　of　dogs　Bourne　had　automatically　reached　into　his　back　pocket　and　removed　the　CO2　gun；　he　then　crawled　laterally；　rapidly；　through　the　underbrush　to　within　feet　of　the　extended　fence。　If　the　dogs　were　in　a　pack；　he　would　have　no　choice　but　to　scramble　up　the　links　and　spring　over　the　coiled　barbed　wire　to　the　other　side。　His　dual…chambered　dart　pistol　could　eliminate　two　animals；　not　more；　there　would　be　no　time　to　reload。　He　crouched；　waiting；　ready　to　leap　up　on　the　fence；　the　sightlines　beneath　the　lower　branches　relatively　clear。
　Suddenly　a　black　Doberman　raced　by　on　the　graveled　road；　no　hesitation　in　his　pace；　no　scent　picked　up；　the　animal's　only　objective　apparently　to　reach　a　given　place。　Then　another　dog　appeared；　this　a　long…haired　shepherd。　It　slowed　down；　awkwardly　yet　instinctively；　as　if　programmed　to　halt　at　a　specific　area；　it　stopped；　an　obscure　moving　silhouette　up　the　road。　Standing　motionless；　Bourne　understood。　These　were　trained　male　attack　dogs；　each　with　its　own　territory；　which　was　constantly　urinated　upon；　forever　its　own　turf。　It　was　a　behavioral　discipline　favored　by　Oriental　peasants　and　small　landowners　who　knew　too　well　the　price　of　feeding　the　animals　who　guarded　their　minuscule　fiefdoms　of　su