rl.thebourneultimatum-第90部分

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ino　are　down　in　the　cellars　sending　out　queries　all　over　the　Paris　sewers　but　so　far　nothing。　。。。　Christ；　look　at　the　scenario　and　find　me　a　thread！　Swayne；　Armbruster；　DeSole…our　mute　son　of　a　bitch；　the　mole。　Then　for　God's　sake；　Teagarten　with　Bourne's　calling　card；　when　we　know　damned　well　it's　a　trap　for　Jason　set　by　the　Jackal。　But　there's　no　logic　anywhere　that　ties　Carlos　to　Teagarten　and　by　extension　to　Medusa。　Nothing　makes　sense；　Peter。　We've　lost　the　spine…everything's　gone　off　the　wire！〃
　〃Calm　down；〃　said　Holland　gently。
　〃How　the　hell　can　I？　Bourne's　disappeared…I　mean　really　disappeared；　if　he　isn't　dead。　And　there's　no　trace　of　Marie；　no　word　from　her；　and　then　we　learn　that　Bernardine　was　killed　in　a　shoot…out　only　hours　ago　on　the　Rivoli…Christ；　shot　in　broad　daylight！　And　that　means　Jason　was　there…he　had　to　be　there！〃
　〃But　since　none　of　the　dead　or　wounded　fits　his　description；　we　can　assume　he　got　away；　can't　we？〃
　〃We　can　hope；　yes。〃
　〃You　asked　for　a　thread；〃　mused　the　DCI。　〃I'm　not　sure　I　can　actually　provide　one；　but　I　can　give　you　something　like　it。
　〃New　York？〃　Conklin　sat　forward　on　the　couch。　〃The　answering　machine？　That　DeFazio　hood　in　Brooklyn　Heights？〃
　〃We'll　get　to　New　York；　to　all　of　that…them。　Right　now　let's　concentrate　on　that　thread　of　yours；　that　spine　you　mentioned。〃
　〃I'm　not　the　slowest　kid　on　the　block；　but　where　is　it？〃
　Holland　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　gazing　first　at　the　papers　on　his　desk　and　then　up　at　Alex。　〃Seventy…two　hours　ago；　when　you　decided　to　e　clean　with　me　about　everything；　you　said　that　the　idea　behind　Bourne's　strategy　was　to　persuade　the　Jackal　and　this　latter…day　Medusa　to　join　forces；　with　Bourne　as　the　mon　target；　one　feeding　the　other。　Wasn't　that　basically　the　premise？　Both　sides　wanted　him　killed。　Carlos　had　two　reasons…revenge　and　the　fact　that　he　believes　Bourne　could　identify　him；　the　Medusans　because　Bourne　had　pieced　together　so　much　about　them？〃
　〃That　was　the　premise；　yes；〃　agreed　Conklin；　nodding。　〃It's　why　I　dug　around　and　made　those　phone　calls；　never　expecting　to　find　what　I　did。　Jesus；　a　global　cartel　born　twenty　years　ago　in　Saigon；　peopled　by　some　of　the　biggest　fish　in　and　out　of　the　government　and　the　military。　It　was　the　kind　of　pay　dirt　I　didn't　want　and　wasn't　looking　for。　I　thought　I　might　dig　up　maybe　ten　or　twelve　hotshot　millionaires　with　post…Saigon　bank　accounts　that　couldn't　bear　scrutiny；　but　not　this；　not　this　Medusa。〃
　〃To　put　it　as　simply　as　possible；〃　continued　Holland；　frowning；　his　eyes　again　straying　down　to　the　papers　in　front　of　him；　then　up　at　Alex。　〃Once　the　connection　was　made　between　Medusa　and　Carlos；　word　would　be　passed　to　the　Jackal　that　there　was　a　man　Medusa　wanted　eliminated；　and　cost　was　no　object。　So　far；　yes？〃
　〃The　key　here　was　the　caliber　and　the　status　of　those　reaching　Carlos；〃　explained　Conklin。　〃They　had　to　be　as　close　to　bona　fide　Olympians　as　we　could　find；　the　kind　of　clients　the　Jackal　doesn't　get　and　never　got。〃
　〃Then　the　name　of　the　target　is　revealed…say；　in　a　way　such　as　'John　Smith；　once　known　years　ago　as　Jason　Bourne'…and　the　Jackal　is　hooked。　Bourne；　the　one　man　he　wants　dead　above　all　others。〃
　〃Yes。　That's　why　the　Medusans　reaching　Carlos　had　to　be　so　solid；　so　above　questioning　that　Carlos　accepts　them　and　dismisses　any　sort　of　a　trap。〃
　〃Because；〃　added　the　CIA's　director；　〃Jason　Bourne　came　out　of　Saigon's　Medusa…a　fact　known　to　Carlos…but　he　never　shared　in　the　riches　of　the　later；　postwar　Medusa。　That's　the　background　scenario；　isn't　it？〃
　〃The　logic's　as　clean　as　it　can　be。　For　three　years　he　was　used　and　damn　near　killed　in　a　black　operation；　and　along　the　way　he　supposedly　discovered　that　more　than　a　few　undistinguished　Saigon　pricks　were　driving　Jaguars　and　were　sailing　yachts　and　pulling　down　six…figure　retainers　while　he　went　on　a　government　pension。　That　could　try　the　patience　of　John　the　Baptist；　to　say　nothing　of　Barabbas。〃
　〃It's　a　terrific　libretto；〃　allowed　Holland；　a　slow　smile　breaking　across　his　face。　〃I　can　hear　the　tenors　soaring　in　triumph　and　the　Machiavellian　bassos　slinking　offstage　in　defeat。　。。。　Don't　scowl　at　me；　Alex；　I　mean　it！　It's　really　ingenious。　It's　so　inevitable　it　became　a　self…fulfilling　prophecy。〃
　〃What　the　hell　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Your　Bourne　was　right　from　the　beginning。　It　all　took　place　the　way　he　saw　it；　but　not　in　any　way　he　could　have　imagined。　Because　it　was　inevitable；　somewhere　there　had　to　be　a　cross…pollinator。〃
　〃Please　e　down　from　Mars　and　explain　to　an　earthling；　Peter。〃
　〃Medusa's　using　the　Jackal！　Now。　Teagarten's　assassination　proves　it　unless　you　want　to　concede　that　Bourne　actually　blew　up　that　car　outside　of　Brussels。〃
　〃Of　course　not。〃
　〃Then　Carlos's　name　had　to　surface　for　someone　in　Medusa　who　already　knew　about　Jason　Bourne。　It　couldn't　be　otherwise。　You　didn't　mention　either　one　to　Armbruster；　or　Swayne；　or　Atkinson　in　London；　did　you？〃
　〃Again；　of　course　not。　The　time　wasn't　right；　we　weren't　ready　to　pull　those　triggers。〃
　〃Who's　left？〃　asked　Holland。
　Alex　stared　at　the　DCI。　〃Good　Lord；〃　he　said　softly。　〃DeSole？〃
　〃Yes；　DeSole；　the　grossly　underpaid　specialist　who　plained　amusingly　but　incessantly　that　there　was　no　way　a　man　could　properly　educate　his　children　and　grandchildren　on　government　pay。　He　was　brought　in　on　everything　we　discussed；　starting　with　your　assault　on　us　in　the　conference　room。〃
　〃He　certainly　was；　but　that　was　limited　to　Bourne　and　the　Jackal。　There　was　no　mention　of　Armbruster　or　Swayne；　no　Teagarten　or　Atkinson…the　new　Medusa　wasn't　even　in　the　picture。　Hell；　Peter；　you　didn't　know　about　it　until　seventy…two　hours　ago。〃
　〃Yes；　but　DeSole　did　because　he'd　sold　out；　he　was　part　of　it。　He　had　to　have　been　alerted。　'。。。　Watch　it。　We've　been　penetrated。　Some　maniac　says　he's　going　to　expose　us；　blow　us　apart。'　。。。　You　told　me　yourself　that　panic　buttons　were　punched　from　the　Trade　mission　to　Pentagon　Procurements　to　the　embassy　in　London。〃
　〃They　were　punched；〃　agreed　Conklin。　〃So　hard　that　two　of　them　had　to　be　taken　out　along　with　Teagarten　and　our　disgruntled　Mole。　Snake　Lady's　elders　quickly　decided　who　their　vulnerable　people　were。　But　where　does　Carlos　or　Bourne　fit　in？　There's　no　attribution。〃
　〃I　thought　we　agreed　that　there　was。〃
　〃DeSole？〃　Conklin　shook　his　head。　〃It's　a　provocative　thought；　but　it　doesn't　wash。　He　couldn't　have　presumed　that　I　knew　about　Medusa's　penetration　because　we　hadn't　even　started　it。〃
　〃But　when　you　did；　the　sequence　had　to　bother　him　if　only　in　the　sense　that　although　they　were　poles　apart；　one　crisis　followed　too　quickly　upon　another。　What　was　it？　A　matter　of　hours？〃
　〃Less　than　twenty…four　。。。　Still；　they　were　poles　apart。〃
　〃Not　for　an　analyst's　analyst；〃　countered　Holland。　〃If　it　walks　like　an　odd　duck　and　sounds　like　an　odd　duck；　look　for　an　odd　duck。　I　submit　that　somewhere　along　the　line　DeSole　made　the　connection　between　Jason　Bourne　and　the　madman　who　had　infiltrated　Medusa…the　new　Medusa。〃
　〃For　Christ's　sake；　how？〃
　〃I　don't　know。　Maybe　because　you　told　us　Bourne　came　out　of　the　old　Saigon　Medusa…that's　one　hell　of　a　connection　to　begin　with。〃
　〃My　God；　you　may　be　right；〃　said　Alex；　falling　back　on　the　couch。　〃The　driving　force　we　gave　our　unnamed　madman　was　that　he'd　been　cut　off　from；　the　new　Medusa。　I　used　the　words　myself　with　every　phone　call。　'He's　spent　years　putting　it　together。　。。。'　'He's　got　names　and　ranks　and　banks　in　Zurich。　。。。'Jesus；　I'm　blind！　I　said　those　things　to　total　strangers　on　a　telephone　fishing　expedition　and　never　even　thought　about　having　mentioned　Bourne's　origins　in　Medusa　at　that　meeting　when　DeSole　was　here。〃
　〃Why　should　you　have　thought　about　it？　You　and　your　man　decided　to　play　a　separate　game　all　by　yourselves。〃
　〃The　reasons　were　goddamned　valid；〃　broke　in　Conklin。　〃For　all　I　knew；　you　were　a　Medusan。〃
　〃Thanks　a　bunch。〃
　〃e　on；　don't　give　me　that　shit。　'We've　got　a　top　max　out　at　Langley'　。。。　those　were　the　words　I　heard　from　London。　What　would　you　have　thought；　what　would　you　have　done？〃
　〃Exactly　what　you　did；〃　answered　Holland；　a　tight　grin　on　his　lips。　〃But　you're　supposed　to　be　so　bright；　so　much　smarter　than　I'm　supposed　to　be。〃
　〃Thanks　a　bunch。〃
　〃Don't　be　hard　on　yourself；　you　did　what　any　of　us　would　have　done　in　your　place。〃
　〃For　that　I　do　thank　you。　And　you're　right；　of　course。　It　had　to　be　DeSole；　how　he　did　it；　I　don't　know；　but　it　had　to　be　him。　It　probably　went　back　years　inside　his　head…he　never　really　forgot　anything；　you　know。　His　mind　was　a　sponge　that　absorbed　everything　and　never　let　a　recollection　drip　away。　He　could　remember　words　and　phrases；　even　spontaneous　grunts　of　approval　or　disapproval　the　rest　of　us　forgot。　。。。　And　I　gave　him　the　whole　Bourne…Jackal　history…and　then　someone　from　Medusa　used　it　in　Brussels。〃
　〃They　did　more　than　that；　Alex；〃　said　Holland；　leaning　forward　in　his　chair　and　picking　up　several　papers　from　his　desk。　〃They　stole　your　scenario；　usurped　your　strategy。　They've　pitted　Jason　Bourne　against　Carlos　the　Jackal；　but　instead　of　the　controls　being　in　your　hands；　Medusa　has　them。　Bourne's　back　where　he　was　in　Europe　thirteen　years　ago；　maybe　with　his　wife；　maybe　not；　the　only　difference　being　that　in　addition　to　Carlos　and　Interpol　and　every　other　police　authority　on　the　continent　ready　to　waste　him　on　sight；　he's　got　another　lethal　monkey　on　his　back。〃
　〃That's　what's　in　those　pages　you're　holding；　isn't　it？　The　information　from　New　York？〃
　〃I　can't　guarantee　it；　but　I　think　so。　It's　the　cross…pollinator　I　spoke　about　before；　the　bee　that　went　from　one　rotten　flower　to　another　carrying　poison。〃
　〃Deliver；　please。〃
　〃Nicolo　Dellacroce　and　the　higher…ups　above　him。〃
　〃Mafia？〃
　〃It's　consistent；　if　not　socially　acceptable。　Medusa　grew　out　of　Saigon's　officer　corps　and　it　still　relegates　its　dirty　work　to　the　hungry　grunts　and　corrupt　NCOs。　Check　out　Nicky　D。　and　men　like　Sergeant　Flannagan。　When　it　es　to　killing　or　kidnapping　or　using　drugs　on　prisoners；　the　starched…shirt　boys　stay　far　in　the　background；　they're　nowhere　to　be　found。〃
　〃But　I　gather　you　found　them；〃　said　the　impatient　Conklin。
　〃Again；　we　think　so…we　being　our　people　in　quiet　consultation　with　New　York