璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将-第122部分

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l　plan　being　drawn　up　by　a　larger　Pentagon　working　group：　the　invasion　of　the　North。　It　would　be　that　most　American　of　military　operations；　a　bined…arms　assault；　without　precedent　for　its　daring；　scope；　and　potential　dangers：　an　airborne　drop　directly　into　Hanoi；　a　division　of　marines　hitting　the　beaches　on　both　sides　of　Haiphong；　air…mobile　assaults　in　the　middle；　supported　by　everything　America　could　bring　to　bear　in　one；　massive；　crushing；　attempt　to　break　the　North　by　capture　of　its　political　leadership。　That　plan；　whose　cover　name　changed　on　a　monthly　basis　…　currently　it　was　CERTAIN　COR　…　was　the　Holy　Grail　of　vengeance　for　all　the　professionals　who　had　for　six　years　watched　their　country　blunder　about　in　indecision　and　the　profligate　waste　of　America‘s　children。
‘Don‘t　you　think　I　know　that？　Osborne　worked　for　me　at　Suitland。　I　went　with　the　chaplain　when　he　delivered　the　fucking　telegram；　okay？　I‘m　on　your　side；　remember？‘
Unlike　Cas　and　Dutch；　Greer　knew　that　CERTAIN　COR　would　never　be　more　than　a　staff　study。　It　just　couldn‘t　happen；　not　without　briefing　Congress；　and　Congress　had　too　many　leaks　A　possibility　in　1966　or　‘67；　maybe　even　as　late　as　1968；　such　an　operation　was　unthinkable　now。　But　SENDER　GREEN　was　still　there；　and　this　mission　was　possible；　just。
‘Cool　down；　Cas；‘　Maxwell　suggested。
‘Yes；　sir。‘
Greer　shifted　his　gaze　to　the　relief　map。　‘You　know；　you　airedales　kind　of　limit　your　thinking。‘
‘What　do　you　mean？　‘Maxwell　asked。
Greer　pointed　to　a　red　line　that　ran　from　a　coastal　town　neatly　to　the　camp‘s　main　gate。　On　the　overhead　photos　it　looked　like　a　good　road；　black…topped；　and　all。　‘The　reaction　forces　are　here；　here；　and　here。　The　road‘s　here；　follows　the　river　most　of　the　way　up。　There　are　flak　batteries　all　over　the　place；　the　road　supports　them；　but；　you　know；　triple…A　isn‘t　dangerous　to　the　right　sort　of　equipment。‘
‘That‘s　an　invasion；‘　Podulski　observed。
‘And　sending　in　two　panies　of　air…mobile　troops　isn‘t？‘
‘I‘ve　always　said　you　were　smart；　James；‘　Maxwell　said。　‘You　know；　this　is　right　where　my　son　was　shot　down。　That　SEAL　went　in　and　recovered　him　right　about　here；‘　the　Admiral　said；　tapping　the　map。
‘Somebody　who　knows　the　area　from　ground　level？‘　Greer　asked。　‘That‘s　help。　Where　is　he？‘
‘Hi；　Sarah。‘　Kelly　waved　her　to　the　chair。　She　looked　older；　he　thought。
‘This　is　my　third　time；　John。　You　were　asleep　the　other　two。‘
‘I‘ve　been　doing　a　lot　of　that。　It‘s　okay；‘　he　assured　her。　‘Sam‘s　in　here　a　couple　times　a　day。‘　He　was　already　unfortable。　The　hardest　part　was　facing　friends；　Kelly　told　himself。
‘Well；　we‘ve　been　busy　in　the　lab。‘　Sarah　spoke　rapidly。　‘John；　I　needed　to　tell　you　how　sorry　I　am　that　I　asked　you　to　e　into　town。　I　could　have　sent　you　somewhere　else。　She　didn‘t　need　to　see　Madge。　There‘s　a　guy　I　know　in　Annapolis；　perfectly　good　practitioner　。。。‘　Her　voice　stumbled　on。　。
So　much　guilt；　Kelly　thought。　‘None　of　this　was　your　fault；　Sarah；‘　he　said　when　she　stopped　talking。　‘You　were　a　good　friend　to　Pam。　If　her　mom　had　been　like　you；　maybe　…　‘
It　was　almost　as　though　she　hadn‘t　heard　him。　‘I　should　have　given　you　a　later　date。　If　the　timing　had　been　a　little　different…‘
She　was　right　on　that　part；　Kelly　thought。　The　variables。　What　if？　What　if　he‘d　selected　a　different　block　to　be　parked　on？　What　if　Billy　had　never　spotted　him？　What　if　I　hadn‘t　moved　at　all　and　let　the　bastard　just　go　on　his　way？　A　different　day；　a　different　week？　What　if　a　lot　of　things。　The　past　happened　because　a　hundred　little　random　things　had　to　fall　exactly　into　place　in　exactly　the　right　way；　in　exactly　the　proper　sequence；　and　while　it　was　easy　to　accept　the　good　results；　one　could　only　rage　at　the　bad　ones。　What　if　he‘d　taken　a　different　route　from　the　food　warehouse？　What　if　he‘d　not　spotted　Pam　at　the　side　of　the　road　and　never　picked　her　up？　What　if　he‘d　never　spotted　the　pills？　What　if　he　hadn‘t　cared；　or　what　if　he‘d　been　so　outraged　that　he　had　abandoned　her？　Would　she　be　alive　now？　If　her　father　had　been　a　little　more　understanding；　and　she‘d　never　run　away；　they　would　never　have　met。　Was　that　good　or　bad？　
And　if　all　that　were　true；　then　what　did　matter？　Was　everything　a　random　accident？　The　problem　was　that　you　couldn‘t　tell。　Maybe　if　he　were　God　looking　down　on　everything　from　above；　maybe　then　it　would　fit　some　pattern；　but　from　the　inside　it　merely　was；　Kelly　thought；　and　you　did　the　best　you　could；　and　tried　to　learn　from　your　mistakes　for　when　the　next　random　event　happened　to　you。　But　did　that　make　sense？　Hell；　did　anything　really　make　sense？　That　was　far　too　plex　a　question　for　a　former　Navy　chief　lying　in　a　hospital　bed。
‘Sarah；　none　of　this　is　your　fault。　You　helped　her　in　the　best　way　you　could。　How　could　you　change　that？‘
‘Damn　it；　Kelly；　we　had　her　saved！‘　
‘I　know。　And　I　brought　her　here；　and　I　got　careless；　not　you。　Sarah；　everyone　tells　me　it‘s　not　my　fault；　and　then　you　e　in　here　and　tell　me　it‘s　yours。‘　The　grimace　was　almost　a　smile。　‘This　can　be　very　confusing；　except　for　one　thing。‘
‘It　wasn‘t　an　accident；　was　it？‘　Sarah　noted。
‘No；　it　wasn‘t。‘
‘There　he　is；‘　Oreza　said　quietly；　keeping　his　binoculars　on　the　distant　speck。　‘Just　like　you　said。‘
‘e　to　papa；‘　the　policeman　breathed　in　the　darkness。
It　was　just　a　happy　coincidence；　the　officer　told　himself。　The　people　in　question　owned　a　corn　farm　in　Dorchester　County；　but　between　the　corn…rows　were　marijuana　plants。　Simple；　as　the　saying　went；　but　effective。　With　a　farm　came　barns　and　outbuildings；　and　privacy。　Being　clever　people；　they　didn‘t　want　to　drive　their　product　across　the　Bay　Bridge　in　their　pickup　truck；　where　the　summer　traffic　was　unpredictably　interrupted；　and　besides；　a　sharp…eyed　toll　taker　had　helped　the　State　Police　make　a　bust　only　a　month　before。　They　were　careful　enough　to　bee　a　potential　threat　to　his　friend。　That　had　to　be　stopped。
So　they　used　a　boat。　This　heaven…sent　coincidence　gave　the　Coast　Guard　the　chance　to　participate　in　a　bust　and　thus　to　raise　his　stature　in　their　eyes。　It　couldn‘t　hurt；　after　he‘d　used　them　as　the　stalking　horse　to　help　get　Angelo　Vorano　killed；　Lieutenant　Charon　thought；　smiling　in　the　wheelhouse。
‘Take　‘em　now？‘　Oreza　asked。
‘Yes。　The　people　they‘re　delivering　to　are　under　our　control。　Don‘t　tell　anybody　that；‘　he　added。　‘We　don‘t　want　to　promise　them。‘
‘You　got　it。‘　The　quartermaster　advanced　his　throttles　and　turned　the　wheel　to　starboard。　‘Let‘s　wake　up；　people；‘　he　told　his　crew。
The　forty…one…boat　squatted　at　the　stem　with　the　increased　power。　The　rumble　of　the　diesels　was　intoxicating　to　the　boat‘s　mander。　The　small　steel　wheel　vibrated　in　his　hands　as　he　steadied　up　on　his　new　course。　The　funny　part　was　that　it　would　e　as　a　surprise　to　them。　Although　the　Coast　Guard　was　the　principal　law…enforcement　agency　on　the　water；　their　main　activity　had　always　been　search　and　rescue；　and　the　word　hadn‘t　quite　gotten　out　yet。　Which；　Oreza　told　himself；　was　just　too　goddamned　bad。　He‘d　found　a　few　coastguardsmen　smoking　pot　in　the　past　couple　of　years；　and　his　wrath　was　something　still　talked　about　by　those　who‘d　seen　it。
The　target　was　easily　seen　now；　a　thirty…foot　Bay…built　fishing　boat　of　the　sort　that　dotted　the　Chesapeake；　probably　with　an　old　Chevy　engine；　and　that　meant　she　couldn‘t　possibly　outrun　his　cutter。　It　was　a　perfectly　good　thing　to　have　a　good　disguise；　Oreza　thought　with　a　smile；　but　not　so　clever　to　bet　your　life　and　your　freedom　on　one　card；　however　good　it　might　be。
‘Just　let　everything　look　normal；‘　the　policeman　said　quietly。
‘Look　around；　sir；‘　the　quartermaster　replied。　The　boat　crew　was　alert　but　not　obviously　so；　and　their　weapons　were　holstered。　The　boat‘s　course　was　almost　a　direct　one　toward　their　Thomas　Point　station；　and　if　the　other　boat　even　took　note　of　them　…　and　nobody　was　looking　aft　at　the　moment　…　they　could　easily　assume　that　the　forty…one…footer　was　just　heading　back　to　the　barn。　Five　hundred　yards　now。　Oreza　jammed　the　throttles　to　the　stops　to　get　the　extra　knot　or　two　of　overtake　speed。
‘There‘s　Mr　English；‘　another　crewman　said。　The　other　forty…one…boat　from　Thomas　Point　was　on　a　reciprocal　course；　outbound　from　the　station；　holding　steady　in　a　straight　line；　roughly　towards　the　lighthouse　that　the　station　also　supported。
‘Not　real　smart；　are　they？‘　Oreza　asked。
‘Well；　if　they　were　smart；　why　break　the　law？‘
‘Roger　that；　sir。‘　Three　hundred　yards　now；　and　a　head　turned　aft　to　see　the　gleaming　white　shape　of　the　small　cutter。　Three　people　aboard　the　target　craft；　and　the　one　who　had　looked　at　them　leaned　forward　to　say　something　to　the　guy　at　the　wheel。　It　was　almost　ical　to　watch。　Oreza　could　imagine　every　word　they　were　saying。　There‘s　a　Coast　Guard　boat　back　there。　So　just　play　it　cool；　maybe　they‘re　just　changing　the　duty　boat　or　something；　see　the　one　there　。。。　Uh…oh；　I　don‘t　like　this。。。　Just　be　cool；　damn　it！　I　really　don‘t　like　this。　Settle　down；　their　lights　aren‘t　on　and　their　station　is　right　down　there；　for　Christ‘s　sake。
Just　about　time；　Oreza　smiled　to　himself；　just　about　time　for：　oh；　shit！
He　grinned　when　it　happened。　The　guy　at　the　wheel　turned；　and　his　mouth　opened　and　shut；　having　said　just　that。　One　of　the　younger　crewmen　read　the　man‘s　lips　and　laughed。
‘I　think　they　just　figured　it　out；　skipper。‘
‘Hit　the　lights！‘　the　quartermaster　ordered；　and　the　cop　lights　atop　the　wheelhouse　started　blinking；　somewhat　to　Oreza‘s　displeasure。
‘Aye　aye！‘
The　Bay　boat　turned　rapidly　south；　but　the　outbound　cutter　turned　to　cover　the　maneuver；　and　it　was　instantly　clear　that　neither　could　outrun　the　twin…screw　forty…one…boats。
‘Should　have　used　the　money　to　buy　something　sportier；　boys；‘　Oreza　said　to　himself；　knowing　that　criminals　learned　from　their　mistakes；　too；　and　buying　something　to　outrun　a　forty…one…foot　patrol　boat　was　not　exactly　a　taxing　problem。　This　one　was　easy。　Chasing　another　little　sailboat　would　be　easy；　if　this　damned　fool　of　a　cop　would　let　them　do　it　right；　but　the　easy　ones　wouldn‘t　last　forever。
The　Bay　boat　cut　power；　trapped　between　two　cutters。　Warrant　Officer　English　kept　station　a　few　hundred　yards　out　while　Oreza　drove　i