rl.thebourneultimatum-第82部分

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sn't　it？〃
　〃Nuts！〃　cried　the　former　Deuxième。　〃It　is　fou！　Insane；　not　to　be　believed！〃
　〃Believe　it。〃
　〃You　are　a　family　man　with　children　and　you　do　this　work？〃
　〃Alex　never　told　you？〃
　〃If　he　did　so；　I　passed　it　off　as　a　cover…one　goes　along　with　anything。〃　Shaking　his　head；　the　older　man　looked　up　at　his　taller　panion。　〃You　really　have　a　family　whom　you　do　not　wish　to　escape　from？〃
　〃On　the　contrary；　I　want　to　get　back　to　them　as　soon　as　I　can。　They're　the　only　people　on　earth　I　really　care　about。〃
　〃But　you　are　Jason　Bourne；　the　killer　Chameleon！　The　deepest　recesses　of　the　criminal　world　tremble　at　your　name！〃
　〃Oh；　e　on；　that's　a　bit　much；　even　from　you。〃
　〃Not　for　an　instant！　You　are　Bourne；　second　only　to　the　Jackal…〃
　〃No！〃　shouted　the　suddenly　forgotten　David　Webb。　〃He's　no　match　for　me！　I'll　take　him！　I'll　kill　him！〃
　〃Very　well；　very　well；　mon　ami；〃　said　Bernardine　calmly；　reassuringly；　staring　at　the　man　he　could　not　understand。　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
　Jason　Bourne　turned　and　breathed　heavily　against　the　glass　window　for　several　moments…and　then　through　the　mists　of　indecision　the　Chameleon's　strategy　became　clear。　He　swung　around　and　looked　across　the　dark　street　at　the　stone　building　on　the　right。　〃The　police　are　gone；〃　he　said　quietly。
　〃Of　course；　I　realize　that。〃
　〃Did　you　also　realize　that　no　one　from　the　other　two　buildings　came　outside？　Yet　there　are　lights　on　in　a　number　of　the　windows。〃
　〃I　was　preoccupied；　what　can　I　say？　I　did　not　notice。〃　Bernardine　raised　his　eyebrows　in　sudden　recollection。　〃But　there　were　faces　at　the　windows；　several　faces；　I　saw　them。〃
　〃Yet　no　one　came　outside。〃
　〃Very　understandable。　The　police　。。。　men　with　weapons　racing　around。　Best　to　barricade　oneself；　no？〃
　〃Even　after　the　police　and　the　weapons　and　the　patrol　cars　have　left？　They　all　just　go　back　to　their　television　sets　as　if　nothing　had　happened？　No　one　es　out　to　check　with　the　neighbors？　That's　not　natural；　Fran？ois；　it's　not　even　unnaturally　natural。　It's　been　orchestrated。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？　How？〃
　〃One　man　walks　out　on　the　porch　and　shouts　into　a　searchlight。　Attention　is　drawn　to　him　and　precious　seconds　of　a　minute's　warning　evaporate。　Then　a　nun　emerges　on　the　other　side　draping　herself　in　holy　indignation…more　seconds　lost；　more　hours　for　Carlos。　The　assault's　mounted　and　the　Deuxième　es　up　with　zero。　。。。　And　when　it's　all　over；　everything's　back　to　normal…an　abnormal　normalcy。　A　job　was　done　according　to　a　predesigned　plan；　so　there's　no　call　for　really　normal　curiosity…no　gathering　in　the　street；　no　excitement；　not　even　a　collective　postcrisis　indignation。　Simply　people　inside　undoubtedly　checking　with　one　another。　Doesn't　it　all　tell　you　something？〃
　Bernardine　nodded。　〃A　prearranged　strategy　carried　out　by　professionals；〃　said　the　veteran　field　officer。
　〃That's　what　I　think；　too。〃
　〃It's　what　you　saw　and　I　did　not；〃　countered　Bernardine。　〃Stop　being　kind；　Jason。　I've　been　too　long　away　from　the　cold。　Too　soft；　too　old；　too　unimaginative。〃
　〃So　have　I；〃　said　Bourne。　〃It's　just　that　the　stakes　are　so　high　for　me　that　I　have　to　force　myself　into　thinking　like　a　man　I　wanted　to　forget。〃
　〃This　is　Monsieur　Webb　speaking？〃
　〃I　guess　it　is。〃
　〃So　where　does　that　leave　us？〃
　〃With　an　irate　baker　and　an　angry　nun；　and　if　they　prove　to　be　ciphers；　several　faces　in　various　windows。　At　this　juncture　the　pickings　are　ours　but　that　won't　last　long；　I　doubt　through　the　morning。〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃Carlos　will　close　up　shop　here　and　he'll　do　it　quickly。　He　hasn't　got　a　choice　now。　Someone　in　his　Praetorian　guard　gave　someone　else　the　location　of　his　Paris　headquarters；　and　you　can　bet　your　pension…if　you've　still　got　one…that　he's　climbing　the　walls　trying　to　figure　out　who　betrayed　him…〃
　〃Get　back！〃　cried　Bernardine；　interrupting　and　grabbing　Jason　by　the　cloth　of　his　black　jacket；　yanking　him　into　the　farthest　recess　of　the　dark　storefront。　〃Get　out　of　sight！　Flat　on　the　pavement！〃
　Both　men　threw　themselves　down；　lying　prone　on　the　broken　concrete；　Bourne's　face　against　the　short　wall　below　the　glass；　his　head　angled　to　see　the　street。　A　second　dark　van　appeared　from　the　right；　but　it　was　not　police　equipment。　Instead；　it　was　shinier　and　smaller；　somehow　thicker；　lower　to　the　ground　and　more　powerful。　The　one　glaring；　blinding　similarity　it　had　to　the　police　van　was　the　searchlight。　。。。　No；　not　one；　but　two　searchlights；　one　on　either　side　of　the　windshield；　both　beams　swinging　back　and　forth　scanning　the　vehicle's　flanks。　Jason　reached　for　the　weapon　in　his　belt…the　gun　he　had　borrowed　from　Bernardine…knowing　that　his　panion　already　had　his　backup　automatic　out　of　his　pocket。　The　beam　of　the　left　searchlight　shot　over　their　bodies　as　Bourne　whispered；　〃Good　work；　but　how　did　you　spot　it？〃
　〃The　moving　reflections　of　the　lamps　on　the　side　windows；〃　replied　old　Fran？ois。　〃I　thought　for　a　moment　it　was　my　former　colleague　returning　to　finish　the　job　he　had　contemplated。　Namely；　my　stomach　in　the　street。　。。。　My　God；　look！〃
　The　van　swept　past　the　first　two　buildings；　then　suddenly　swerved　into　the　curb　and　stopped　in　front　of　the　last　structure；　nearly　two　hundred　feet　from　the　storefront；　the　building　farthest　from　the　Jackal's　telephone。　The　instant　the　vehicle　came　to　a　halt　the　rear　door　opened　and　four　men　jumped　out；　automatic　weapons　in　their　hands；　two　running　to　the　street　side；　one　racing　down　the　pavement　to　the　front；　the　last　guard　standing　menacingly　by　the　open　doors；　his　MAC…10　ready　to　fire。　A　dull　wash　of　yellow　light　appeared　at　the　top　of　the　brick　steps；　the　door　had　been　opened　and　a　man　in　a　black　raincoat　came　outside。　He　stood　for　a　moment　looking　up　and　down　the　boulevard　Lefebvre。
　〃Is　that　him？〃　whispered　Francois。
　〃No；　not　unless　he's　wearing　high　heels　and　a　wig；〃　answered　Jason；　reaching　into　his　jacket　pocket。　〃I'll　know　him　when　I　see　him…because　I　see　him　every　day　of　my　life！〃　Bourne　took　out　one　of　the　grenades　he　had　also　borrowed　from　Bernardine。　He　checked　the　release；　laying　down　his　gun　and　gripping　the　pockmarked　steel　oval；　tugging　at　the　pin　to　make　certain　it　was　free　of　corrosion。
　〃What　the　hell　do　you　think　you're　doing？〃　asked　the　old　Deuxième　veteran。
　〃That　man　up　there　is　a　decoy；〃　replied　Jason；　his　soft　voice　suspended　in　a　cold　monotone。　〃In　moments　another　will　take　his　place；　run　down　the　steps　and　get　into　the　van；　either　in　the　front　seat　or　through　the　rear　doors…I　hope　the　latter；　but　it　won't　make　much　difference。〃
　〃You're　mad！　You'll　be　killed！　What　good　is　a　corpse　to　that　family　of　yours？〃
　〃You're　not　thinking；　Fran？ois。　The　guards　will　run　back　and　climb　up　through　the　rear　doors　because　there's　no　room　in　front。　There's　a　lot　of　difference　between　climbing　into　a　truck　and　jumping　out　of　it。　For　starters；　it's　a　slower　sequence。　。。。　By　the　time　the　last　man　gets　in　and　reaches　out　to　close　those　wide　doors；　I'll　have　a　primed　grenade　inside　that　van。　。。。　And　I　have　no　intention　of　being　a　corpse。　Stay　here！〃
　Before　Bernardine　could　object　further；　Medusa's　Delta　crawled　out　into　the　dark　boulevard；　dark　but　for　the　harsh　stationary　beams　of　the　searchlights；　which　were　now　angled　on　the　flanks；　thus　actually　enhancing　Bourne's　concealment。　The　hot　white　light　around　the　vehicle　obscured　the　darkness　beyond；　his　only　extreme　risk　was　the　guard　posted　by　the　open　doors。　Hugging　the　shadows　of　the　successive　storefronts　as　though　he　were　threading　his　way　through　the　high　grass　of　the　Mekong　Delta　toward　a　floodlit　prisoner　pound；　Jason　crept　slowly　forward　with　each　wayward　glance　of　the　rear　guard；　his　eyes　darting　continuously　up　to　the　man　by　the　door　above　the　brick　steps。
　Suddenly　another　figure　emerged；　it　was　a　woman　carrying　a　small　suitcase　in　one　hand；　a　large　purse　in　the　other。　She　spoke　to　the　man　in　the　black　raincoat　as　the　guard's　attention　was　drawn　to　both　of　them。　Bourne　scrambled；　his　elbows　and　knees　silently　pounding　the　hard　pavement；　until　he　reached　that　point　nearest　the　van　where　he　could　observe　the　scene　on　the　staircase　with　minimum　risk　of　being　spotted。　He　was　relieved　to　see　that　the　two　guards　in　the　street　continuously　winced　and　blinked　under　the　beam　of　the　searchlight。　His　status　was　as　clean　as　it　could　be　under　the　tenuous　circumstances。　Everything　now　was　timing；　precision；　and　all　the　expertise　he　could　summon　from　times　too　often　unremembered　or　too　vague　or　too　long　ago。　He　had　to　remember　now；　instinct　had　to　propel　him　through　his　personal　mists。　Now。　The　end　of　the　nightmare　was　at　hand。
　It　was　happening！　Suddenly　there　was　furious　activity　at　the　door　as　a　third　figure　came　rushing　out；　joining　the　other　two。　The　man　was　shorter　than　his　male　colleague；　wearing　a　beret　and　carrying　a　briefcase。　He　obviously　issued　orders　that　included　the　rear　guard；　who　ran　up　to　the　pavement　as　the　new　arrival　hurled　his　briefcase　down　over　the　brick　steps。　The　guard　instantly　clutched　his　weapon　under　his　left　arm　and　effortlessly　caught　the　leather　missile　in　midair。
　〃Allez…vous…en。　Nous　partons！　Vite！〃　shouted　the　second　man；　gesturing　for　the　other　two　on　the　brick　steps　to　precede　him　down　to　the　van。　They　did　so；　the　man　in　the　raincoat　joining　the　guard　at'　the　rear　doors；　the　woman　acpanying　the　one　who　gave　the　orders。　。。。　The　Jackal？　Was　it　Carlos？　Was　it？
　Bourne　desperately　wanted　to　believe　that　it　was…therefore；　it　was！　The　sound　of　the　vehicle's　curbside　door　slamming　shut　was　followed　rapidly　by　the　gunning　of　the　vehicle's　powerful　engine；　both　were　a　signal。　The　three　other　guards　raced　from　their　posts　to　the　rear　doors　of　the　van。　One　by　one　they　climbed　up　inside　after　the　man　in　the　black　raincoat；　their　legs　stretched；　arms　bracing　shoulders；　curved　hands　gripping　the　two　metal　frames　that　with　instant　muscular　strain　propelled　them　inside　as　their　weapons　were　thrown　in　front　of　them。　Then　a　pair　of　hands　reached　out　for　the　interior　door　handles…
　Now！　Bourne　pulled　the　pin　of　the　grenade　and　lurched　to　his　feet；　running　as　he　had　never　run　in　his　life　toward　the　swinging　rear　doors　of　the　van。　He　dived；　twisting　his　body　in　flight；　landing　on　his　back　as　he　gripped　the　left　panel　and　threw　the　grenade　i