rl.thebourneultimatum-第91部分

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　〃But　I　gather　you　found　them；〃　said　the　impatient　Conklin。
　〃Again；　we　think　so…we　being　our　people　in　quiet　consultation　with　New　York's　anticrime　division；　especially　a　unit　called　the　U。S。　platoon。〃
　〃Never　heard　of　it。〃
　〃They're　mostly　Italian　Americans；　they　gave　themselves　the　name　Untouchable　Sicilians。　Thus　the　U。S。　initials　with　a　dual　connotation。〃
　〃Nice　touch。〃
　〃Unnice　work。　。。。　According　to　the　Reco…Metropolitan's　billing　files…〃
　〃The　who？〃
　〃The　pany　that　installed　the　answering　machine　on　One　Hundred　Thirty…eighth　Street　in　Manhattan。〃
　〃Sorry。　Go　on。〃
　〃According　to　the　files；　the　machine　was　leased　to　a　small　importing　firm　on　Eleventh　Avenue　several　blocks　from　the　piers。　An　hour　ago　we　got　the　telephone　records　for　the　past　two　months　for　the　pany；　and　guess　what　we　found？〃
　〃I'd　rather　not　wait；〃　said　Alex　emphatically。
　〃Nine　calls　to　a　reasonably　acceptable　number　in　Brooklyn　Heights；　and　three　in　the　space　of　an　hour　to　an　extremely　unlikely　telephone　on　Wall　Street。〃
　〃Someone　was　excited…〃
　〃That's　what　we　thought…we　in　this　case　being　our　own　unit。　We　asked　the　Sicilians　to　give　us　what　they　had　on　Brooklyn　Heights。〃
　〃DeFazio？〃
　〃Let's　put　it　this　way。　He　lives　there；　but　the　phone　is　registered　to　the　Atlas　Coin　Vending　Machine　pany　in　Long　Island　City。〃
　〃It　fits。　Dumb；　but　it　fits。　What　about　DeFazio？〃
　〃He's　a　middle…level　but　ambitious　capo　in　the　Giancavallo　family。　He's　very　close；　very　underground；　very　vicious　。。。　and　very　gay。〃
　〃Holy　Christ　。。。　！〃
　〃The　Untouchables　swore　us　to　secrecy。　They　intend　to　spring　it　themselves。〃
　〃Bullshit；〃　said　Conklin　softly。　〃One　of　the　first　things　we　learn　in　this　business　is　to　lie　to　anyone　and　everyone；　especially　anyone　who's　foolish　enough　to　trust　us。　We'll　use　it　anytime　it　gets　us　a　square　forward。　。。。　What's　the　other　telephone　number；　the　unlikely　one？〃
　〃Just　about　the　most　powerful　law　firm　on　Wall　Street。〃
　〃Medusa；〃　concluded　Alex　firmly。
　〃That's　the　way　I　read　it。　They've　got　seventy…six　lawyers　on　two　floors　of　the　building。　Which　one　is　it…or　who　among　them　are　they？〃
　〃I　don't　give　a　goddamn！　We　go　after　DeFazio　and　whatever　controls　he's　sending　over　to　Paris。　To　Europe　to　feed　the　Jackal。　They're　the　guns　after　Jason　and　that's　all　I　care　about。　Go　to　work　on　DeFazio。　He's　the　one　under　contract！〃
　Peter　Holland　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　rigid；　intense。　〃It　had　to　e　to　this；　didn't　it；　Alex？〃　he　asked　quietly。　〃We　both　have　our　priorities。　。。。　I'd　do　anything　within　my　sworn　capacity　to　save　the　lives　of　Jason　Bourne　and　his　wife；　but　I　will　not　violate　my　oath　to　defend　this　country　first。　I　can't　do　it　and　I　suspect　you　know　that。　My　priority　is　Medusa；　in　your　words　a　global　cartel　that　intends　to　bee　a　government　within　our　government　over　here。　That's　whom　I　have　to　go　after。　First　and　immediately　and　without　regard　to　casualties。　To　put　it　plainly；　my　friend…and　I　hope　you're　my　friend…the　Bournes；　or　whoever　they　are；　are　expendable。　I'm　sorry；　Alex。〃
　〃That's　really　why　you　asked　me　to　e　over　here　this　morning；　isn't　it？〃　said　Conklin；　planting　his　cane　on　the　floor　and　awkwardly　getting　to　his　feet。
　〃Yes；　it　is。〃
　〃You've　got　your　own　game　plan　against　Medusa…and　we　can't　be　a　part　of　it。〃
　〃No；　you　can't。　It's　a　fundamental　conflict　of　interest。〃
　〃I'll　grant　you　that。　We'd　louse　you　up　in　a　minute　if　it'd　help　Jason　and　Marie。　Naturally；　my　personal　and　professional　opinion　is　that　if　the　whole　fucking　United　States　government　can't　rip　out　a　Medusa　without　sacrificing　a　man　and　a　woman　who've　given　so　much；　I'm　not　sure　it's　worth　a　damn！〃
　〃Neither　am　I；〃　said　Holland；　standing　up　behind　the　desk。　〃But　I　swore　an　oath　to　try…in　order　of　my　sworn　priorities。〃
　〃Have　I　got　any　perks　left？〃
　〃Anything　I　can　get　you　that　doesn't　promise　our　going　after　Medusa。〃
　〃How　about　two　seats　on　a　military　aircraft；　Agencycleared；　to　Paris。〃
　〃Two　seats？〃
　〃Panov　and　me。　We　went　to　Hong　Kong　together；　why　not　Paris？〃
　〃Alex；　you're　out　of　your　goddamned　mind！〃
　〃I　don't　think　you　understand；　Peter。　Mo's　wife　died　ten　years　after　they　were　married；　and　I　never　had　the　courage　to　give　it　a　try。　So　you　see；　'Jason　Bourne'　and　Marie　are　the　only　family　we　have。　She　makes　a　hell　of　a　meat　loaf；　let　me　tell　you。〃
　〃Two　tickets　to　Paris；〃　said　Holland；　his　face　ashen。
　
　29
　Marie　watched　her　husband　as　he　walked　back　and　forth；　the　pacing　deliberate；　energized。　He　tramped　angrily　between　the　writing　table　and　the　sunlit　curtains　of　the　two　windows　overlooking　the　front　lawn　of　the　Auberge　des　Artistes　in　Barbizon。　The　country　inn　was　the　one　Marie　remembered；　but　it　was　not　part　of　David　Webb's　memory；　and　when　he　said　as　much；　his　wife　briefly　closed　her　eyes；　hearing　another　voice　from　years　ago。
　〃Above　everything；　he's　got　to　avoid　extreme　stress；　the　kind　of　tension　that　goes　with　survival　under　life…threatening　circumstances。　If　you　see　him　regressing　into　that　state　of　mind…and　you'll　know　it　when　you　see　it…stop　him。　Seduce　him；　slap　him；　cry；　get　angry　。。。　anything；　just　stop　him。〃　Morris　Panov；　dear　friend；　doctor　and　the　guiding　force　behind　her　husband's　therapy。
　She　had　tried　seduction　within　minutes　after　they　were　alone　together。　It　was　a　mistake；　even　a　touch　farcical；　awkward　for　both　of　them。　Neither　was　remotely　aroused。　Yet　there　was　no　embarrassment；　they　held　each　other　on　the　bed；　both　understanding。
　〃We're　a　couple　of　real　sexpots；　aren't　we？〃　said　Marie。
　〃We've　been　there　before；〃　replied　David　Webb　gently；　〃and　I've　no　doubt　we'll　be　there　again。〃　Then　Jason　Bourne　rolled　away　and　stood　up。　〃I　have　to　make　a　list；〃　he　said　urgently；　heading　for　the　quaint　country　table　against　the　wall　that　served　as　a　desk　and　a　place　for　the　telephone。　〃We　have　to　know　where　we　are　and　where　we're　going。〃
　〃And　I　have　to　call　Johnny　on　the　island；〃　added　Marie；　rising　to　her　feet　and　smoothing　her　skirt。　〃After　I　talk　to　him　I'll　speak　to　Jamie。　I'll　reassure　him　and　tell　him　we'll　be　back　soon。〃　The　wife　crossed　to　the　table；　she　stopped；　blocked　by　her　husband…her　husband　yet　not　her　husband。
　〃No；〃　said　Bourne　quietly；　shaking　his　head。
　〃Don't　say　that　to　me；〃　protested　the　mother；　anger　flashing　in　her　eyes。
　〃Three　hours　ago　in　the　Rivoli　changed　everything。　Nothing's　the　same　now。　Don't　you　understand　that？〃
　〃I　understand　that　my　children　are　several　thousand　miles　away　from　me　and　I　intend　to　reach　them。　Don't　you　understand　that？〃
　〃Of　course　I　do；　I　just　can't　allow　it；〃　answered　Jason。
　〃Goddamn　you；　Mr。　Bourne！〃
　〃Will　you　listen　to　me？　。。。　You'll　talk　to　Johnny　and　to　Jamie…we'll　both　talk　to　them…but　not　from　here　and　not　while　they're　on　the　island。〃
　〃What　。。。　？〃
　〃I'm　calling　Alex　in　a　few　minutes　and　telling　him　to　get　all　of　them　out　of　there；　including　Mrs。　Cooper；　of　course。〃
　Marie　had　stared　at　her　husband；　suddenly　understanding。　〃Oh；　my　God；　Carlos！〃
　〃Yes。　As　of　this　noon　he's　got　only　one　place　to　zero　in　on…Tranquility。　If　he　doesn't　know　now；　he'll　learn　soon　enough　that　Jamie　and　Alison　are　with　Johnny。　I　trust　your　brother　and　his　personal　Tonton　Macoute；　but　I　still　want　them　away　from　there　before　it's　night　in　the　islands。　I　also　don't　know　if　Carlos　has　sources　in　the　island's　trunk　lines　that　could　trace　a　call　between　there　and　here；　but　I　do　know　that　Alex's　phone　is　sterile。　That's　why　you　can't　call　now。　From　here　to　there。〃
　〃Then；　for　God's　sake；　call　Alex！　What　the　hell　are　you　waiting　for？〃
　〃I'm　not　sure。〃　For　a　moment　there　was　a　blank；　panicked　look　in　her　husband's　eyes…they　were　the　eyes　of　David　Webb；　not　Jason　Bourne。　〃I　have　to　decide…where　do　I　send　the　kids？〃
　〃Alex　will　know；　Jason；〃　said　Marie；　her　own　eyes　leveled　steadily　on　his。　〃Now。〃
　〃Yes　。。。　yes；　of　course。　Now。〃　The　veiled；　vacuous　look　passed　and　Bourne　reached　for　the　phone。
　Alexander　Conklin　was　not　in　Vienna；　Virginia；　U。S。A。　Instead；　there　was　the　monotonic　voice　of　a　recorded　operator　that　had　the　effect　of　crashing　thunder。　〃The　telephone　number　you　have　called　is　no　longer　in　service。〃
　He　had　placed　the　call　twice　again；　believing　in　desperate　hope　that　an　error　had　been　made　by　the　French　telephone　service。　Then　bolts　of　lightning　followed：　〃The　telephone　number　you　have　called　is　no　longer　in　service。〃　For　a　third　time。
　The　pacing　had　begun；　from　the　table　to　the　windows　and　back　again。　Over　and　over；　the　curtains　were　pulled　aside；　anxious　eyes　nervously　peering　out；　then　seconds　later　poring　over　a　growing　list　of　names　and　places。　Marie　suggested　lunch；　he　did　not　hear　her；　so　she　watched　him　in　silence　from　across　the　room。
　The　quick；　abrupt　movements　of　her　husband　were　like　those　of　a　large　disquieted　cat；　smooth；　fluid；　alert　for　the　unexpected。　They　were　the　movements　of　Jason　Bourne　and；　before　him；　Medusa's　Delta；　not　David　Webb。　She　remembered　the　medical　records　piled　by　Mo　Panov　in　the　early　days　of　David's　therapy。　Many　were　filled　with　wildly　divergent　descriptions　from　people　who　claimed　to　have　seen　the　man　known　as　the　Chameleon；　but　among　the　most　reliable　was　a　mon　reference　to　the　catlike　mobility　of　the　〃assassin。〃　Panov　had　been　looking　for　clues　to　Jason　Bourne's　identity　then；　for　all　they　had　at　the　time　were　a　first　name　and　fragmented　images　of　painful　death　in　Cambodia。　Mo　often　wondered　aloud　if　there　was　more　to　his　patient's　physical　dexterity　than　mere　athleticism；　oddly　enough；　there　was　not。
　As　Marie　looked　back　the　subtle　physical　differences　between　the　two　men　who　were　her　husband　both　fascinated　and　repelled　her。　Each　was　muscular　and　graceful；　each　capable　of　performing　difficult　tasks　requiring　physical　coordination；　but　where　David's　strength　and　mobility　came　from　an　easy　sense　of　acplishment；　Jason's　was　filled　with　an　inner　malice；　no　pleasure　in　the　acplishment；　only　a　hostile　purpose。　When　she　had　mentioned　this　to　Panov；　his　reply　was　succinct：　〃David　couldn't　kill。　Bourne　can；　he　was　trained　to。〃
　Still；　Mo　was　pleased　that　she　had　spotted　the　different　〃physical　manifestations；〃　as　he　called　her　observation。　〃It's　another　signpost　for　you。　When　you　see　Bourne；　bring　David　back　as　fast　as　you　can。　If　you　can't；　call　me。〃
　She