el.angeleyes-第83部分

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　He　gave　a　piercing　whistle　and；　almost　immediately；　Lara　appeared。　〃Your　rade　Volkov　has　claimed　another　victim；〃　the　Него　said　to　her。
　Lara　came　to　the　side　of　the　pool；　pulled　Irina　out。　She　lay　her　by　the　side；　then　went　to　get　materials　to　clean　up　the　mess。
　''Are　you　all　right？''　the　Него　asked　Irina。
　Arbat　poked　her　head　out　of　the　water；　pressing　her　bottle　snout　against　Irina's　shoulder。
　〃No；〃　Irina　said。　〃I'm　not　in　the　least　all　right。〃　She　sat　up　as　Lara　knelt　beside　her。　She　opened　her　mouth；　but　the　Hero　put　his　forefinger　across　his　lips；　pointed　to　his　ear　as　if　to　say；　Remember　the　listening　devices。
　Lara　turned　on　a　portable　wet…vac。　The　noise　ate　up　the　silence　of　the　room。
　〃How　long　have　you　been　working　for　the　KGB？''　Irina　asked　the　young　woman。
　〃All　my　life；〃　Lara　said。　〃Tatiana；　as　well。　We　were　orphans；　wards　of　the　state。　We　were　raised　by　the　KGB；　trained　in　their　schools。〃
　〃How　long　have　you　been　working　for　Mars？〃
　〃Tatiana　and　I　are　part　of　the　team　rade　Volkov　put　together　when　he　was　given　the　assignment　of　finding　out　what　went　on　during　the　EVA　event。〃　She　kept　on　scrubbing。　〃Not　long　ago　Odysseus　was　able　to　procure　for　us　our　KGB　dossiers。　Tatiana　and　I　discovered　who　we　were；　who　our　parents　had　been。　Tatiana　is　Estonian。　Her　parents　were　killed　in　a　nuclear　accident　of　suspicious　origin。　The　KGB　file　mentions　negligence；　a　plete　cover…up　of　the　incident。''　She　sponged　more　soapy　water　onto　the　coping；　worked　the　wet…vac　back　and　forth。　〃As　for　me；　I'm　Ukrainian。　My　parents　were　sent　to　the　Perm　political　prison　in　the　Urals。''
　〃What　was　their　crime？〃　Irina　asked。
　''I　don't　know；''　Lara　said。　〃Their　dossiers　say　that　the　KGB　arrested　them　for　espionage　for　talking　to　American　diplomatic　personnel；　but　that　is　a　euphemistic　catchall　charge。　It　means　nothing　in　itself。　Perhaps　my　parents　didn't　know　why　they　were　arrested；　either。　Perhaps　it　was　because　my　father　was　a　professor　of　political　science　and　held　strong　views　at　odds　with　the　state。　Or　perhaps　the　state　just　needed　more　wards　to　bring　up　as　they　saw　fit。　The　truth　in　these　matters　is　impossible　to　determine；　so　I　try　not　to　dwell　on　it。''
　〃Do　you　at　least　know　whether　they　are　alive　or　dead？〃
　〃No。　No　one　knows。〃
　〃But　someone　must；〃　Irina　said。
　''I　think　rade　Volkov　knows；''　the　Hero　interjected。　''But　he's　not　telling。〃
　Irina　said　to　Lara；　〃You're　awfully　open　about　all　this。〃
　〃Not　to　everyone。〃　Lara　finished　her　clean…up；　but　kept　the　wet…vac　running。
　The　Hero　said；　''I　think　to　some　extent　Lara　and　Tatiana　have　been　changed　by　their　proximity　to　me。〃
　Lara　nodded。　〃We　find　it　prudent　not　to　report　everything　that　we　hear　at　our　weekly　debriefings。''
　Irina　said　to　the　Hero；　〃I　see　that　you　have　been　quietly　assembling　your　own　team。''
　〃In　a　way；〃　the　Hero　said。　〃Volkov　thought　he　could　win　my　confidence　by　disconnecting　all　the　listening　devices　in　the　room。　But　he　was　wearing　a　body　mike。　The　next　time　he　came；　I　forced　him　into　the　pool；　and　while　he　was　with　me；　Lara　made　a　copy　of　the　cassette　he　had　on　him。　Would　you　care　to　hear　it？　There　are　all　sorts　of…〃
　It　was　then　that　Irina　felt　an　icy　stab　through　her　heart；　a　wave　of　panic　so　strong　that　all　the　blood　drained　from　her　face。
　〃Irina；　what　is　it？〃
　She　looked　into　the　Hero's　eyes；　pale　now　with　anxiety。　〃Oh；　Odysseus；　you　don't　know　what　I've　been　doing。　I've　been　spying　on　Natasha　Mayakova。　I've　told　Mars　everything。　How　Natasha　has　been　secretly　meeting　with　Valeri；　how　I　followed　Natasha　here　after　she　and　Valeri　met。　My　God；　what　have　I　done？〃
　In　the　ringing　silence　that　ensued；　only　the　wet…vac's　drone　could　be　heard。　Then　the　Hero　turned　to　Lara；　said；　〃Make　the　call。〃
　Her　eyes　were　wide；　she　was　clearly　startled。　〃Are　you　certain？〃
　〃Now。〃
　Lara　obeyed。
　When　Natasha　failed　to　make　their　next　scheduled　rendezvous；　Valeri　drove　out　to　Arkhangelskoe　as　fast　as　he　could　without　attracting　attention。　He　did　not　take　his　usual　route；　and　he　made　sure　he　wasn't　being　followed。
　All　the　way　out　to　the　insane　asylum　he　thought　of　the　sinking　feeling　he　had　gotten　as　he　waited　for　Natasha　in　the　lobby　of　the　old　Moscow　Arts　Theater。　It　was　still　with　him；　and　it　was　accelerating。
　Natasha　was　absolutely　reliable。　On　the　one　occasion　when　she　could　not　make　their　rendezvous；　she　had　used　the　dead…letter　drop　at　the　International　Post　Office　in　Kohisomolskaya　Square　he　had　described　to　her。　Before　every　rendezvous；　Valeri　went　to　the　post　office　box　there　to　make　sure　there　was　no　message　from　her。　There　had　been　none　today；　and　she　hadn't　made　the　scheduled　rendezvous。　He　could　not　ask　about　her　at　the　old　Moscow　Arts　Theater　without　calling　attention　to　himself；　so　he　had　left；　fearing　the　worst。　Then；　at　the　public　phone　bank　at　the　post　office；　he　had　called　her　apartment。　A　man　had　answered　in　an　officious　voice。　His　blood　turned　to　ice；　Valeri　put　down　the　receiver　as　if　it　had　turned　into　a　serpent。
　All　the　way　out　to　Arkhangelskoe；　Valeri　was　thinking　like　a　chess　player；　three；　four；　five　steps　ahead。　He　was　moderately　successful　in　keeping　his　mind　free　of　Natasha；　because　surely　she　was　lost　to　him　now；　and　there　were　larger　issues　at　stake；　something　Natasha　knew　and　accepted　when　he　had　recruited　her。　Because　her　beliefs　coincided　with　his；　she　had　made　herself　into　a　professional。　But；　as　he　well　knew；　even　professionals　had　their　breaking　points。
　It　was　a　question　of　time　now。
　If　the　KGB　had　picked　her　up…which　it　appeared　they　had…　they　would　break　her；　no　question。　It　was　merely　a　matter　of　how　long　before　she　broke。　There　was　no　blame　here。　Valeri　knew　that　were　he　in　Natasha's　position；　he　too　would　eventually　break；　tell　them　everything　he　knew；　everything　they　wanted　to　hear。　There　would　be　no　shame　in　it；　only　the　secret　knowledge　of　how　many　more　lives　would　be　saved　by　holding　out　that　much　longer　before　the　will　gave　out　and　the　damaging　information　began　to　flow。
　He　arrived　in　Arkhangelskoe　free　of　ticks；　and　skirted　the　magnificent　estate；　the　birch　forest；　but　he　did　not　park　in　the　lot　outside　the　insane　asylum。　Instead　he　pulled　into　a　badly　rutted　dirt　track　that　cut　diagonally　through　the　forest　and　switched　off　the　ignition。
　He　sat　listening　to　the　ticking　of　the　hot　engine。　The　bluebirds　and　cardinals　sang　in　the　trees；　the　insects　droned　and　whirred；　life　went　on　here　no　different　than　it　had　the　day　before；　than　it　would　the　day　after。　If　only　that　were　true　for　Valeri　Bondasenko。
　Valeri　pulled　open　the　locked　glove　partment；　extracted　the　handgun。　It　was　of　West　German　manufacture；　and　extremely　reliable。　He　slid　it　into　the　waistband　of　his　trousers。　It　was　unfortable　there；　but　that　was　good；　he　thought　as　he　began　his　nerve…racking　trek　toward　the　grim　Victorian　facade　of　the　insane　asylum；　it　would　remind　him　of　what　had　to　be　done　now。
　He　took　out　a　slender　switchblade　with　a　long；　wicked　blade。　He　tested　the　action　of　the　blade；　then　strapped　the　knife　in　its　sheath　to　the　inside　of　his　wrist。
　If　he　was　expecting　a　contingent　of　KGB　Border　Guards　to　have　surrounded　the　place；　he　was　mistaken。　By　the　time　he　arrived　near　the　front　steps；　he　had　almost　convinced　himself　that　Natasha　was　still　holding　on；　that　she　hadn't　spilled　everything　in　her　mind　into　their　laps。　He　said　a　little　prayer　as　he　turned　away　from　the　main　lobby；　entering　the　building　through　the　rear　service　doors。
　He　was　immediately　hit　by　the　familiar　noxious　odors；　but　he　was　too　concerned　to　be　repelled。　He　went　quickly　up　the　south　staircase　to　the　third　floor。　He　stood　just　outside　the　door　to　the　floor　corridor；　peering　through　the　meshed　square　of　glass。　In　a　moment　he　saw　a　plainclothes　man　ing　in　his　direction。　Valeri　ducked　back　into　the　stairwell。　The　man　passed　by　the　door；　and　Valeri　watched　him　as　he　went　into　his　daughter's　room。
　His　heart　sank。　Natasha　was　as　good　as　dead。　She　had　told　them　everything　she　knew。　Poor　Natasha。
　The　only　good　news　for　him　was　that　it　appeared　that　she　had　just　been　broken；　otherwise　all　entrances　would　have　been　guarded；　the　place　would　have　been　surrounded。　Time　was　running　away。　He　knew　that　the　Border　Guards　contingent　must　be　on　its　way。
　Valeri　opened　the　door；　looked　first　to　his　left；　the　direction　from　which　the　KGB　man　had　e。　The　corridor　was　clear　in　that　direction；　but　to　his　right　another　KGB　man　stood　guard　outside　his　daughter's　room。
　His　heart　thundering　in　his　chest；　Valeri　ventured　out　into　the　corridor。　He　walked　directly　up　to　the　KGB　man；　said；　〃I'm　looking　for　Dr。　Kalinin。　Have　you　seen　him？〃
　The　KGB　man　opened　his　mouth　to　reply；　and　Valeri　depressed　the　stud　that　opened　the　switchblade；　shoved　the　blade　between　the　man's　third　and　fourth　ribs；　in　a　slight　upward　tilt　so　that　the　blade　pierced　his　heart。
　The　KGB　man's　jaws　snapped　together　as　he　collapsed　into　Valeri's　arms。　Valeri　dragged　him　quickly　across　the　corridor；　parking　him　just　inside　the　door　to　a　room　occupied　by　a　atose　woman　in　her　eighties。　He　went　through　the　KGB　man's　pockets；　taking　his　ID　folder；　his　weapons。
　He　strode　swiftly；　confidently；　back　across　the　hall　and　through　the　door　to　his　daughter's　room。　The　second　KGB　man　looked　up；　said；　〃Stop　where　you　are；〃　then　looked　down　in　astonishment　at　the　hilt　of　the　knife　buried　in　his　chest。
　He　went　down　on　one　knee；　but　still　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　draw　his　pistol。　Valeri　kicked　it　out　of　his　hand。　The　KGB　man　grabbed　Valeri's　foot；　twisted　it　from　the　heel。
　Valeri　felt　himself　going　over；　and　the　man　was　upon　him。　Blood　was　seeping　from　the　wound　in　his　chest；　but　Valeri　could　see　how　his　aim　had　been　off。　The　man's　sternum　had　been　pierced；　but　the　bone　had　taken　the　brunt　of　the　wound。
　His　hands　were　around　Valeri's　throat；　and　Valeri　used　his　knee；　kicking　the　man　in　his　crotch。　Pink　froth　flew　from　the　KGB　man's　mouth；　and　his　eyes　almost　bugged　out　of　his　head。　He　growled　like　an　animal；　but　did　not　relinquish　his　stranglehold　on　Valeri's　throat。　His　spatulate　thumbs　were　pressing　into　Valeri's　windpipe。
　Valeri　used　three　kites　to　the　man's　rib　cage；　felt　it　stave　in　on　the　third　blow。　The　man　toppled　to　the　floor。　Valeri　scrambled　to