el.angeleyes-第84部分

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the　floor。　Valeri　scrambled　to　his　feet；　went　to　the　bed；　gazed　down　at　the　placid　face　of　his　daughter。　He　was　never　so　happy　to　see　her。　Bending　down；　he　scooped　her　up；　stepped　over　the　body　of　the　fallen　KGB　man。
　He　peeked　out　into　the　corridor。　It　was　clear。　He　ran　to　the　stairwell；　headed　downstairs。　It　took　him　seven　minutes　to　ferry　his　daughter　out　of　the　asylum；　back　to　where　the　car　was　hidden　among　the　birches。
　Then　he　hurried　back。　There　was　more　to　be　done。
　He　skirted　the　building；　heading　around　back　to　the　long；　sloping　lawn。　He　looked　back　toward　the　open　doors　to　the　main　lobby。　There　was　the　usual　activity；　with　nurses　passing　this　way　and　that；　some　with　their　charges　in　wheelchairs；　others　shepherding　slow…shuffling　figures　in　tatty　robes　from　one　corridor　to　another。　There　was　a　clot　of　doctors　to　the　left　who　seemed　to　be　huddled　over　a　chart。
　Valeri　saw　Dr。　Kalinin　among　the　clot　of　doctors　and；　at　almost　the　same　moment。　Dr。　Kalinin　saw　him。
　Valeri　saw　the　doctor's　face　go　white；　then　he　began　to　surreptitiously　edge　away　from　his　colleagues；　away　from　the　spot　where　Valeri　stood。
　Valeri　ran　down　the　lawn　toward　the　bench　that　overlooked　the　large　birch　tree　where　he　always　sat　with　his　daughter。　It　was　empty。　He　turned；　looked　beyond　the　tree；　toward　the　birch　forest；　and　he　saw　to　his　horror　the　young　man　with　the　strawberry　birthmark　on　his　cheek　running　from　two　plainclothes　men。　The　young　man　was　heading　toward　the　forest；　but　Valeri　could　see　that　he　was　not　going　to　make　it。
　Valeri　drew　his　pistol；　went　down　on　one　knee；　held　the　gun　in　both　hands。　He　sighted；　squeezed　off　one　shot；　two。　Both　the　KGB　men　fell。
　〃rade！〃
　He　heard　the　shout　behind　him　and　whirled。　Dr。　Kalinin　had　e　down　the　back　steps　onto　the　lawn。　He　kept　shouting；　pointing　at　Valeri。　Valeri　shot　him。　Dr。　Kalinin　threw　his　hands　into　the　air　as　he　spun　around。　By　the　time　he　hit　the　ground　face　first；　Valeri　was　already　off　and　running　toward　the　forest　of　birch　trees。
　He　crashed　into　the　underbrush；　then　was　within　the　woods；　the　light　dimmer；　speckled　with　deep　shadow。　The　rich　scents　of　moss　and　humus　perfumed　the　air。
　〃Halt！〃
　Valeri　came　up　short。
　〃Hands！〃
　Valeri　raised　his　hands。
　〃Stay　right　where　you　are　or　you　will　be　shot！〃
　In　a　moment　the　young　man　with　the　strawberry　birthmark　emerged。　〃Valeri！〃
　Valeri　put　down　his　hands。　〃You　gave　me　a　start；　Sergei！〃　Valeri's　voice　was　filled　with　relief。　〃What　are　you　doing　waiting　around　here？〃
　〃I　wanted　to　make　certain　you　got　away　clean；〃　Sergei　said。　〃That　was　some　shooting；　rade！〃
　They　laughed　together；　clapping　each　other　on　the　back；　but　Sergei　quickly　sobered。　〃What　has　happened？〃
　〃e；〃　Valeri　said；　leading　him　through　the　forest。　〃The　KGB　picked　up　Natasha。〃
　〃But　how？　How　could　they　know　about　her？　If　there　is　a　leak　of　such　proportions；　we're　finished。〃
　Valeri　found　the　rutted　dirt　track；　followed　it　back　toward　where　he　had　hidden　his　car。
　〃Let's　not　get　ahead　of　ourselves；〃　he　said；　but　Sergei　could　see　the　concern　on　his　face。
　〃This　is　Volkov's　doing；〃　Sergei　said。　〃I　can　smell　his　duplicity　from　a　mile　away。〃　He　shuddered。　〃That　charm　of　his。　How　many　people　he　has　gulled。〃
　And；　of　course；　that　was　when　Valeri　thought　of　Irina。
　Deke　was　no　problem。　He　was　a　scientist；　not　a　hero。　Koi　left　him　hanging　by　his　ankles　in　the　lab　at　the　back　of　his　tattoo　parlor。　His　face　was　purple；　bloated　beyond　any　easy　recognition；　but　it　looked　a　good　sight　better　than　did　his　body。
　Twenty…two　minutes；　Koi　thought　as　she　emerged　into　the　teeming　nighttime　streets　of　Shinjuku；　from　the　time　I　walked　in　there。　She　had　been　fascinated　by　the　smells　in　the　lab：　formaldehyde；　sulfuric　acid；　acetone。　They　spoke　to　her　of　death　and　destruction　by　increments；　breaking　down　the　building　blocks　of　life　one　at　a　time。　She　had　used　some　of　these　substances　on　Deke；　rubbing　them　into　his　skin　as　if　she　were　in　the　process　of　pickling　him。
　Koi　rode　the　subways；　advertisements　everywhere：　on　long　cards　overhead；　on　banners　hanging　at　eye　level；　even　on　the　straps　standing　passengers　held　on　to　while　the　train　was　in　motion。　Koi　read　them　all；　but　they　were　meaningless　to　her。　She　was　outside　of　time；　traveling　down　her　own　dark　tunnel　even　as　the　train　she　was　riding　snaked　through　the　tunnels　beneath　the　city。
　Her　mind　was　empty；　her　expression　approaching　the　one　of　the　mask　of　the　god　that　had　so　entranced　Big　Ezoe：　the　bination　of　ecstasy　and　despair。　But　not　yet。
　She　emerged　onto　the　street　near　Hammacho　Station。　The　killing　ground。
　In　her　mind　a　roll　of　thunder。　Big　Ezoe　saying；　We　must　punish　Hitasura　for　his　transgressions　against　members　of　my　family。　We　must　destroy　Tori　Nunn　for　her　part　in　all　this。　She　murdered　Fukuda。
　Deke　had　told　her　how　Tori　Nunn　and　a　man　named　Russell　Slade　had　e　to　him　with　a　pellet　he　had　identified　as　hafnium。　They　had　returned　later；　along　with　Hitasura。　The　two　men　were　carrying　Tori　Nunn。　According　to　Deke；　she　had　been　poisoned　by　a　plex　organic　doku；　a　toxin；　usually　lethal；　whose　main　elements　had　been　distilled　from　monkshood　and　the　poison　in　fugu；　Japanese　blowfish。
　Fortunately　for　Tori　Nunn；　she　had　been　exposed　to　a　very　small　amount　of　the　doku。　That；　bined　with　her　own　inner　resources；　had　prevented　her　from　dying　immediately。　Deke　had　prevented　her　from　dying　at　all。　According　to　him；　she　was　recuperating　in　one　of　Hitasura's　safehouses　near　Hammacho　Station。　Deke　had　not　wanted　to　give　Koi　the　address；　but　she　had　finally　persuaded　him。　By　that　time　he　had　looked　like　meat　ready　for　the　slaughter。
　Koi　found　the　house　with　little　difficulty。　It　was　one　of　those　expensive　postmodern　ferroconcrete　structures；　angular；　minimalist；　higher　than　it　was　wide；　with　windows　inset　like　those　of　a　medieval　castle；　and　a　heavy　iron　gate　fronting　a　tiny　courtyard　dominated　by　a　slender　cryptomeria　tree；　a　bonsaied　dwarf　juniper。　A　powerful　grouping　of　rocks　provided　the　negative　space；　and　thus　made　the　courtyard　appear　far　larger　than　it　actually　was。
　She　spent　forty…five　minutes　watching　the　house　from　all　angles；　noting　who　walked　by　and　what　cars　passed　on　the　street　in　front　of　it。　Parking　on　this　street　was　nonexistent。　No　one　was　loitering　about；　but　she　knew　that　Hitasura's　men　must　be　hidden　somewhere。　She　understood　that　she　must　solve　that　puzzle　before　she　could　confront　the　one　waiting　for　her　inside　the　house：　how　to　kill　Tori　Nunn。
　Less　than　an　hour　after　she　had　arrived　in　the　vicinity；　Koi　spotted　the　first　of　Hitasura's　street　men。　It　had　taken　him　quite　a　while　to　make　a　second　circuit　of　the　block；　which　meant…as　she　suspected…he　was　not　the　only　one　guarding　the　house。
　Koi　watched　his　movements；　thought　with　a　little　luck　she　could　avoid　him。　Her　instinct　from　the　moment　she　saw　the　house　was　to　get　to　the　roof；　and　now；　an　hour　later；　the　roof　was　still　her　first　choice。　The　front　door　was　out　of　the　question；　and　when　she　had　made　her　way　around　to　the　rear　of　the　house；　there　was　a　vehicle　with　two　of　Hitasura's　men　stationed　at　the　back　entrance。　Besides；　for　security　reasons　Hitasura　was　sure　to　have　put　Tori　Nunn　on　a　top　floor。
　Two　more　of　Hitasura's　men　were　waiting　for　her　on　the　roof。　They　heard　her　only　when　she　was　very　close　to　them。　She　broke　one　man's　neck　instantly；　but　the　other　one；　she　saw；　was　going　to　be　a　bit　of　a　problem。　He　was　a　bull　of　a　man　with　a　bald　head　and　an　evil　look　in　his　eyes。　He　grinned　at　her；　ignoring　his　fallen　rade。　He　beckoned　for　Koi　to　e　to　him。
　Instead　she　melted　into　the　shadows　on　the　rooftop。　The　bald　man　looked　around；　then　unfurled　a　kyotetsu…shoge；　a　particularly　nasty　weapon　posed　of　a　chain　with　a　spiked　ball　on　one　end；　a　curved　double…edged　blade　on　the　other。　He　began　to　whirl　the　spiked　ball　around　as　he　made　for　the　spot　where　she　had　disappeared。
　When　he　reached　the　shadows；　Koi　had　had　sufficient　time　to　work　her　way　around　behind　him。　She　leaped　at　him；　slamming　her　elbow　into　his　side；　then　locking　her　forearm　across　his　throat。
　It　was　a　mistake。
　The　huge　man　bit　into　the　flesh　of　her　forearm　with　such　force　that　his　front　teeth　scraped　the　bone。
　Koi　stifled　a　cry；　whirled　off　him。　The　bald　man　swung　his　weapon　at　her；　and　she　rolled　as　the　spiked　ball　slammed　into　the　tarred　roof　where　she　had　just　been。
　Immediately　it　struck　and　missed；　he　reacted；　arcing　the　double…edged　blade　down　at　the　spot　between　her　eyes。　Koi　swung　left　with　her　head；　kicked　right　with　her　feet。　The　soles　of　her　shoes　cracked　the　bald　man's　shins　just　below　the　knees。
　His　legs　buckled；　he　reached　out　instinctively　to　break　his　fall；　and　Koi　took　up　the　double…edged　blade　of　his　kyotetsu…shoge　and　slashed　his　throat。
　Now　she　had　the　roof　all　to　herself。　The　thick　layer　of　industrial　smog　that　had　caused　the　pollution　alert　blurred　the　lights　of　the　city；　running　the　colors　together　so　that　Tokyo　seemed　embedded　inside　a　giant　clamshell。　The　sky　was　the　largest　sheet　of　mother…of…pearl　she　had　ever　seen。
　From　up　here　she　had　a　good　view　of　the　Hammacho　Station　itself；　where　so　many　customers　embarked　and　debarked　each　day。　The　overhead　rail　lines　shone　like　quicksilver　as　a　train　pulled　into　the　station。　Crowds　surged　forward。　Koi　turned　away。
　She　tore　a　piece　off　the　bald　man's　shirt；　wrapped　it　tightly　around　her　forearm　to　stop　the　bleeding。　When　she　was　satisfied；　she　took　a　careful　look　around　her　immediate　environment。　There　was　a　small　raised　ferroconcrete　structure　in　which　was　set　the　metal　door　down　into　the　house；　but　she　did　not　want　to　use　it。　Too　vulnerable。　If　she　were　caught　in　the　narrow　stairwell；　there　would　only　be　one　way　to　go：　back　to　the　roof；　and　that　could　all　too　easily　prove　to　be　a　deathtrap。
　On　the　other　hand；　all　the　windows　were　illuminated　by　the　streetlights；　making　it　far　too　risky　to　seek　entrance　through　any　of　them。　But　during　her　initial　reconnaissance　she　had　spent　some　time　studying　the　facade　of　the　house；　and　thought　she　had　noticed　a　vulnerable　point：　a　small　pebbled…glass　window　in　back…probably　leading　into　a　bathroom…that　was　in　the　shadow　cast　by　a　large　building　opposite。　It　was　too　small　for　a　man　to　get　through；　but　she　thought