rl.thebourneultimatum-第4部分

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n　who　assumed　the　name　of　Jason　Bourne；'　stating　that　he　was　alive　and　in　hiding。　In　terms　of　specifics；　we're　at　a　loss…at　least　I　am；　God　knows。〃
　〃You　didn't　pull　the　record　out？〃
　〃No；〃　answered　DeSole。　〃That　was　my　decision。　As　you　may　or　may　not　know；　every　invasion　of　a　maximum…classified　file　is　automatically　marked　with　the　date　and　hour　of　penetration。　。。。　Since　the　director　informed　me　that　there　was　a　large　Security　Agency　flap　over　an　illegal　entry；　I　decided　to　leave　well　enough　alone。　Not　penetrated　in　nearly　five　years；　therefore　not　read　or　even　known　about　and　consequently　not　given　to　the　evil　people；　whoever　they　are。〃
　〃You　were　covering　your　ass　right　down　to　the　last　square　inch　of　flesh。〃
　〃Most　assuredly；　Alex。　That　data　has　a　White　House　flag　on　it。　Things　are　relatively　stable　around　here　now　and　it　serves　no　one　to　ruffle　feathers　in　the　Oval　Office。　There's　a　new　man　at　that　desk；　but　the　former　president　is　still　very　much　alive　and　opinionated。　He'd　be　consulted；　so　why　risk　trouble？〃
　Conklin　studied　each　face　and　spoke　quietly。　〃Then　you　really　don't　know　the　story；　do　you？〃
　〃It's　the　truth；　Alex；〃　said　Deputy　Director　Casset。
　〃Nothing　but；　you　pain；〃　agreed　Valentino；　permitting　himself　a　slight　smile。
　〃My　word　on　it；〃　added　Steven　DeSole；　his　clear；　wide　eyes　rigid　on　Conklin。
　〃And　if　you　want　our　help；　we　should　know　something　besides　contradictory　rumors；〃　continued　the　director；　leaning　back　in　his　chair。　〃I　don't　know　if　we　can　help；　but　I　do　know　there's　little　we　can　do　so　pletely　in　the　dark。〃
　Again　Alex　looked　at　each　man；　the　lines　in　his　pained　face　more　pronounced　than　ever；　as　if　the　decision　was　momentarily　too　agonizing　for　him。　〃I　won't　tell　you　his　name　because　I've　given　my　word…maybe　later；　not　now。　And　it　can't　be　found　in　the　record；　it's　not　there　either；　it's　a　cover…I　gave　my　word　on　that；　too。　The　rest　I'll　tell　you　because　I　do　want　your　help　and　I　want　that　record　to　remain　in　its　black　hole。　。。。　Where　do　I　begin？〃
　〃With　this　meeting　perhaps？〃　suggested　the　director。　〃What　prompted　it？〃
　〃All　right；　that'll　be　quick。〃　Conklin　stared　pensively　at　the　surface　of　the　table；　absently　gripping　his　cane；　then　raised　his　eyes。　〃A　woman　was　killed　last　night　at　an　amusement　park　outside　Baltimore…〃
　〃I　read　about　it　in　the　Post　this　morning；〃　interrupted　DeSole；　nodding；　his　full　cheeks　jiggling。　〃Good　Lord；　were　you…〃
　〃So　did　I；〃　broke　in　Casset；　his　steady　brown　eyes　on　Alex。　〃It　happened　in　front　of　a　shooting　gallery。　They　closed　the　guns　down。〃
　〃I　saw　the　article　and　figured　it　was　some　kind　of　terrible　accident。〃　Valentino　shook　his　head　slowly。　〃I　didn't　actually　read　it。〃
　〃I　was　given　my　usual　thick　sheaf　of　scissored　newspaper　stories；　which　is　enough　journalism　for　anyone　in　the　morning；〃　said　the　director。　〃I　don't　remember　any　such　article。〃
　〃Were　you　involved；　old　boy？〃
　〃If　I　wasn't；　it　was　a　horrible　waste　of　life。　。。。　I　should　say　if　we　weren't　involved。〃
　〃We？〃　Casset　frowned　in　alarm。
　〃Morris　Panov　and　I　received　identical　telegrams　from　Jason　Bourne　asking　us　to　be　at　the　amusement　park　at　nine…thirty　last　night。　It　was　urgent；　and　we　were　to　meet　him　in　front　of　the　shooting　gallery；　but　we　were　not；　under　any　condition；　to　call　his　house　or　anyone　else。　。。。　We　both　independently　assumed　that　he　didn't　want　to　alarm　his　wife；　that　he　had　something　to　tell　us　individually　that　he　didn't　want　her　to　know。　。。。　We　arrived　at　the　same　time；　but　I　saw　Panov　first　and　figured　it　was　a　bad　scene。　From　any　point　of　view；　especially　Bourne's；　we　should　have　reached　each　other　and　talked　before　going　up　there；　instead；　we　had　been　told　not　to。　It　smelled；　so　I　did　my　best　to　get　us　out　of　there　fast。　The　only　way　seemed　to　be　a　diversion。〃
　〃You　stampeded　then；〃　said　Casset；　making　a　statement。
　〃It　was　the　only　thing　I　could　think　of；　and　one　of　the　few　things　this　goddamned　cane　is　good　for　other　than　keeping　me　upright。　I　cracked　every　shin　and　kneecap　I　could　see　and　lanced　a　few　stomachs　and　tits。　We　got　out　of　the　circle；　but　that　poor　woman　was　killed。〃
　〃How　did　you　figure　it…do　you　figure　it？〃　asked　Valentino。
　〃I　just　don't　know；　Val。　It　was　a　trap；　no　question　about　that；　but　what　kind　of　trap？　If　what　I　thought　then　and　what　I　think　now　are　correct；　how　could　a　hired　marksman　miss　at　that　distance？　The　shot　came　from　my　upper　left…not　that　I　necessarily　heard　it…but　the　position　of　the　woman　and　the　blood　all　over　her　throat　indicated　that　she　had　turned　and　caught　the　bullet　in　her　body　swing。　It　couldn't　have　e　from　the　gallery；　those　guns　are　chained　and　the　massive　hemorrhage　in　her　neck　was　caused　by　a　far　larger　caliber　than　any　of　the　toys　there。　If　the　killer　wanted　to　take　out　either　Mo　Panov　or　me；　his　telescopic　cross　hairs　wouldn't　be　that　far　off　the　mark。　Not　if　my　thinking　is　right。〃
　〃　'Right；'　Mr。　Conklin；〃　interjected　the　DCI；　〃meaning　the　assassin；　Carlos　the　Jackal。〃
　〃Carlos？〃　exclaimed　DeSole。　〃What　in　heaven's　name　has　the　Jackal　to　do　with　a　killing　in　Baltimore？〃
　〃Jason　Bourne；〃　answered　Casset。
　〃Yes；　I　gather　that；　but　this　is　all　terribly　confusing！　Bourne　was　a　scum　hit　man　out　of　Asia　who　moved　to　Europe　to　challenge　Carlos　and　lost。　As　the　director　just　said；　he　went　back　to　the　Far　East　and　was　killed　four　or　five　years　ago；　yet　Alex　talks　as　if　he's　still　alive；　that　he　and　someone　named　Panov　got　telegrams　from　him。　。。。　What　in　God's　name　does　a　dead　scumball　and　the　world's　most　elusive　assassin　have　to　do　with　last　night？〃
　〃You　weren't　here　a　few　minutes　ago；　Steve；〃　again　Casset　answered　quietly。　〃Apparently　they　had　a　lot　to　do　with　last　night。〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon。〃
　〃I　think　you　should　start　at　the　beginning；　Mr。　Conklin；〃　said　the　director。　〃Who　is　Jason　Bourne？〃
　〃As　the　world　knew　him；　a　man　who　never　existed；〃　replied　the　former　intelligence　officer。
　
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　〃The　original　Jason　Bourne　was　garbage；　a　paranoid　drifter　from　Tasmania　who　found　his　way　into　the　Vietnam　war　as　part　of　an　operation　no　one　wants　to　acknowledge　even　today。　It　was　a　collection　of　killers；　misfits；　smugglers　and　thieves；　mostly　escaped　criminals；　many　under　death　sentences；　but　they　knew　every　inch　of　Southeast　Asia　and　operated　behind　enemy　lines…funded　by　us。〃
　〃Medusa；〃　whispered　Steven　DeSole。　〃It's　all　buried。　They　were　animals；　killing　wantonly　without　reason　or　authorization　and　stealing　millions。　Savages。〃
　〃Most；　not　all；〃　said　Conklin。　〃But　the　original　Bourne　fitted　every　rotten　profile　you　could　e　up　with；　including　the　betrayal　of　his　own　men。　The　leader　of　a　particularly　hazardous　mission…hazardous；　hell；　it　was　suicidal…found　Bourne　radioing　their　position　to　the　North　Vietnamese。　He　executed　him　on　the　spot；　shoving　the　body　into　a　swamp　to　rot　in　the　jungles　of　Tam　Quan。　Jason　Bourne　disappeared　from　the　face　of　the　earth。〃
　〃He　obviously　reappeared；　Mr。　Conklin；〃　observed　the　director；　leaning　forward　on　the　table。
　〃In　another　body；〃　agreed　Alex；　nodding。　〃For　another　purpose。　The　man　who　executed　Bourne　in　Tam　Quan　took　his　name　and　agreed　to　be　trained　for　an　operation　that　we　called　Treadstone　Seventy…one；　after　a　building　on　New　York's　Seventy…first　Street；　where　he　went　through　a　brutal　indoctrination　program。　It　was　a　brilliant　strategy　on　paper；　but　ultimately　failed　because　of　something　no　one　could　predict；　even　consider。　After　nearly　three　years　of　living　the　role　of　the　world's　second　most　lethal　assassin　and　moving　into　Europe…as　Steve　accurately　described…to　challenge　the　Jackal　in　his　own　territory；　our　man　was　wounded　and　lost　his　memory。　He　was　found　half　dead　in　the　Mediterranean　and　brought　by　a　fisherman　to　the　island　of　Port　Noir。　He　had　no　idea　who　he　was　or　what　he　was…only　that　he　was　a　master　of　various　martial　arts；　spoke　a　couple　of　Oriental　languages；　and　was　obviously　an　extremely　well…educated　man。　With　the　help　of　a　British　doctor；　an　alcoholic　banished　to　Port　Noir；　our　man　started　to　piece　his　life…his　identity…back　together　from　fragments　both　mental　and　physical。　It　was　a　hell　of　a　journey　。。。　and　we　who　had　mounted　the　operation；　who　invented　the　myth；　were　no　help　to　him。　Not　knowing　what　had　happened；　we　thought　he　had　turned；　had　actually　bee　the　mythical　assassin　we'd　created　to　trap　Carlos。　I；　myself；　tried　to　kill　him　in　Paris；　and　when　he　might　have　blown　my　head　off；　he　couldn't　do　it。　He　finally　made　his　way　back　to　us　only　through　the　extraordinary　talents　of　a　Canadian　woman　he　met　in　Zurich　and　who　is　now　his　wife。　That　lady　had　more　guts　and　brains　than　any　woman　I've　ever　met。　Now　she　and　her　husband　and　their　two　kids　are　back　in　the　nightmare；　running　for　their　lives。〃
　Aristocratic　mouth　agape；　his　pipe　in　midair　in　front　of　his　chest；　the　director　spoke。　〃Do　you　mean　to　sit　there　and　tell　us　that　the　assassin　we　knew　as　Jason　Bourne　was　an　invention？　That　he　wasn't　the　killer　we　all　presumed　he　was？〃
　〃He　killed　when　he　had　to　kill　in　order　to　survive；　but　he　was　no　assassin。　We　created　the　myth　as　the　ultimate　challenge　to　Carlos；　to　draw　the　Jackal　out。〃
　〃Good　Christ！〃　exclaimed　Casset。　〃How？〃
　〃Massive　disinformation　throughout　the　Far　East。　Whenever　a　killing　of　consequence　took　place；　whether　in　Tokyo　or　Hong　Kong；　Macao　or　Korea…wherever…Bourne　was　flown　there　and　took　the　credit；　planting　evidence；　taunting　the　authorities；　until　he　became　a　legend。　For　three　years　our　man　lived　in　a　world　of　filth…drugs；　warlords；　crime；　tunneling　his　way　in　with　only　one　objective：　Get　to　Europe　and　bait　Carlos；　threaten　his　contracts；　force　the　Jackal　out　into　the　open　if　only　for　a　moment；　just　long　enough　to　put　a　bullet　in　his　head。〃
　The　silence　around　the　table　was　electric。　DeSole　broke　it；　his　voice　barely　above　a　whisper。　〃What　kind　of　man　would　accept　an　assignment　like　that？〃
　Conklin　looked　at　the　analyst　and　answered　in　a　monotone。　〃A　man　who　felt　there　wasn't　much　left　to　live　for；　someone　who　had　a　death　wish；　perhaps　。。。　a　decent　human　being　who　was　driven　into　an　outfit　like　Medusa　out　of　hatred　and　frustration。〃　The　former　intelligence　officer　stopped；　his　anguish　was　apparent。
　〃e　on；　Alex；〃　said　Valentino　softly。　〃You　can't　leave　us　with　that。〃
　〃No；　of　course　not。〃　C