el.angeleyes-第39部分
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uffing cocaine into the plastic bags。 As he collapsed； two of the ten…kilo bags fell to the floor。 One burst open； and Tori made a sound deep in her throat。
She and Russell went over to the opened bag。 Within the coke； something dark was just visible。 Using the tip of her knife blade； Tori pushed aside the white powder。
〃What the hell is that？〃 Estilo said。
〃A soft cell；〃 Russell said。
〃What？〃
Tori said； 〃It's a method of smuggling； unusual but invariably effective。 It takes a convoluted brain to think of it。 Contraband inside an altogether different type of contraband。〃 She had uncovered a glassine tube。 It was filled with pellets。 They were of a metal that was almost black； almost totally without shine。
〃What are they？〃 Russell said almost to himself。 He took the glassine envelope； hefted it。 〃Heavy。〃
Tori was already slitting open the second ten…kilo bag。 In its center； hidden by the powder； was an identical glassine envelope filled with the same metallic pellets。
〃This must be why the Japanese are here；〃 she said。
〃This isn't about cocaine smuggling at all。〃 Russell was staring at the pellets。
〃No。〃
''But what is it about？''
At that moment Estilo said； 〃They're ing。〃
〃Shit！'' Estilo shouted at the workers； herded them out of the lab building。 He took a look into the pound。 〃The goddamned army's arrived。〃
Russell looked at Tori。 〃Now we've had it；〃 he said。
Tori said； 〃Take the pellets。 Let's get going。〃
Gunfire began； and Estilo jumped away from the doorway； began to return the fire。
〃Forget that way；〃 Tori said。 〃Use the windows！ When you get out； head for the airstrip。''
They climbed onto me trestle tables； launched themselves through the windows。 They emerged high up on the corrugated tin wall； but the underbrush cushioned their fell。
Immediately； more firing started； and the foliage around them began to fly apart。 Estilo was nicked in the fleshy part of his arm； shouted a curse in German； pulled Russell backward to safety behind a tree。
There were shouts； and Tori moved in； Estilo and Russell behind her； fanning out； firing in short； accurate bursts。
Then they were through the hastily thrown…up cordon of guards； racing away from the pound； toward me airstrip where the Twin Otter waited； gleaming in the are lights like an oasis in the blackness of the night。
They were halfway to the airstrip when the firing began again。 A Jeep was careening out of the pound； heading toward them in a vector that would cut them off from the runway。 The driver gunned the engine； and the two soldiers in back readied a machine gun on a swivel mount bolted to the side of the Jeep。
〃Christ；〃 Russell said。
〃Keep going！〃 Tori called。 She stopped； began to fire her Uzi with the blunt shock jammed hard against her left side。 The Jeep did not veer toward her as she had wanted it to； but the machine gun swiveled in her direction。 It began to fire。 With her right hand Tori pulled the pin on a phosphorus grenade tied to the bandolier she wore across her chest。 She ripped the grenade free； lofted it toward the Jeep。
The driver saw it； pulled hard on the wheel。 The Jeep screamed； skittered on the rutted dirt track； lurched； bounced； came down just as the grenade made contact。 The white…green explosion peeled back the nearside fender； impaled the wheel on hot metal； tore into the engine housing。
The Jeep bucked； shot upward； passing vertical； crashed down on its top。 No one moved underneath its bulk。 Flames began to lick upward； then the ammunition ignited。
Ducking the flying debris； Tori ran in a zigzag pattern； heading toward the airstrip where the others had gone。 And ran right
into a pair of soldiers who had burst at a full run from the underbrush surrounding the back of the lab。
One hit the point of her jaw with the stock of his machine pistol； the other kicked her legs out from under her。 She fell to the ground； and one of the soldiers smashed the toe of his boot into her stomach。 Tori doubled over； gasping for air； struggling for equilibrium。
Then she was hauled over on her back and one of the soldiers placed the muzzle of his pistol against the side of her head。 His sweat dripped onto her forehead； into her eyes。 He stunk from cordite and male sweat。
He grinned at her； and she could see the gaps between his teeth。 〃Adios； puta；〃 he said。
Tori heard the crack of the pistol and she jerked。 But when she looked up； she saw the soldier with a stupefied expression on his face。 Blood drooled from the center of his forehead。 Then he toppled out of her line of vision； and she rolled into the second soldier； who had lifted his machine pistol。
Tori unsheathed her knife； drove it upward in a shallow arc； into the soldier's lower belly。 He gave a cry； his machine pistol sprayed the air； then he fell to his knees。
There was plenty of life still in him。 He smashed his fists into her side； and she grunted； twisting the knife； dragging it through his viscera。 He hit her again in the kidneys and her strength momentarily left her。 Then； gathering herself； she drew the knife upward and across； disemboweling him。
In a moment Russell was at her side。 He put his 。45 against the soldier's head； pulled the trigger。 He hauled Tori to her feet。
〃You okay？〃
She nodded。 ''Nice bit of shooting。 Right between the eyes。''
He had to help her a little until the running could work out the soreness in her abdomen and side。 Her jaw still ached from where she had taken the shot with the stock of the machine pistol。
They caught up with Estilo on the edge of the tarmac。 The Twin Otter sat waiting； closer than ever。 They trotted out onto the airstrip。
The airplane loomed up； and Tori thought； We've made it。 Just then they saw another Jeep careen onto the tarmac。 It headed for them at full speed； machine pistols blazing。
〃Around the other side！〃 Estilo called。 〃Get the plane between us and those guns！〃
They ducked beneath the wing of the Twin Otter。 But as soon as they did； they could make out an advancing column of troops appearing from out of the jungle on that side of the plane。 They were caught in a tightening net。
〃The plane's our only hope now；〃 Estilo said。 〃We've got to get inside。〃
〃But the moving stair is on the other side；〃 Russell said。 〃Those machine pistols will cut us to ribbons if we show ourselves。〃
〃Nevertheless；〃 Tori said； 〃Estilo's right。 If we don't take off in this plane； we're finished。〃 She checked her Uzi。 〃Reload；'' she said。 〃Make sure you've got a full magazine。 Okay。'' She looked at their faces； pale and grim in the reflection of the sodium are lights。 〃Let's go！〃
They began to fire even before they came around beneath the gleaming belly of the Twin Otter。 The Jeep was closer than they expected； the fusillade from the soldiers withering。 Already； they could hear the pop…pop…pop of semiautomatic rifles from the column of soldiers on the other side of the plane。
''We'll never get the moving stair in place！'' Russell shouted over the din。
Tori saw that he was right。 〃Quick！〃 she shouted back。 〃In there！〃 she indicated the open cargo doors。
Russell grabbed Estilo； shoved him into the cargo bay。 Tori got off a quick burst at the Jeep； saw one of the soldiers slump back。 She covered Russell； still firing； as he climbed in himself。 She shot off a final burst； scrambled in； closed the doors behind her。
The semiautomatic fire was like hail against the side of the plane。
〃Shit； shit； shit。〃 Tori； forward of them； was scrabbling at a plate in the ceiling。 She pulled her 。45； shot off the lock； shoved the panel aside； and light flooded downward。 She clambered up； Russell right behind her。
They ran forward。 There was no one on the plane； and she said a prayer for their luck。 She slid into the pilot's chair； began throwing switches。 〃I'm not sure of the takeoff；〃 she said。 〃Once we're in the air I'll be okay。〃
Russell sat in the copilot's seat； went through the pre…takeoff checklist。 The engines started up。 There was no problem； except for the semiautomatic fire directed their way。
〃Time；〃 Russell said； and they began to taxi down the air…strip。 Faster and faster he fed the engines； adjusting the mix； then pulled back on the throttle； and with a great rush they were airborne； lifting slowly away from the llano negro； the insane cocaine city； the unknown enemy； powerful； plotting； hidden beneath layers of deceit； working the soft cell。
BOOK TWO
THE HARD MACHINE
Perfection of means and confusion of goals
seem； in my opinion； to characterize our age。 …ALBERT EINSTEIN
SIX
MOSCOW/STAR TOWN /АРКНАNGELSКОЕ/TOKYO
The next time Irina saw Natasha Mayakova； it was face…to…face。 As it happened； Natasha ran an acting school for women。 There were four instructors； and she herself gave one class a week。 Irina had enrolled in this class。
She had to audition； of course； but oddly； this had posed no great problem。 Irina suspected that her recent work burrowing in between Valeri and Mars had made of her a fairly decent actor。 She found that she had no fear or trepidation at all。 She read from a scene in Chekhov's Three Sisters； which she privately thought was the height of irony。 She must have done well； because the next day she was informed that she had been accepted into Miss Mayakova's class。
The class was attended by six women。 They sat in a dusty back room of the new Moscow Arts Theater； which Irina did not like nearly as much as she did the old one； where Natasha performed five nights a week。
Irina had not； of course； given her real name。 Her goal was to discover what Valeri was secretly doing with Natasha Mayakova； and to find some way to use it against him so that she could get out of him the information Mars needed on the nationalist group； White Star。 Here； she was Katya Boroskaya。
Mars had been delighted to provide the false documentation Irina needed for enrolling in the acting school。 It was too early to give him any information； and he had not asked why she required new identity documents。 ''I want you to think of yourself as a free agent；〃 he had told her。 〃I trust you。〃
The first night； Natasha Mayakova had told her students that this class would not have been possible
