tc.redrabbit-第106部分

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can；　but　they　fixed　me　up　with　a　British　one。　Oh；〃　Ryan　realized；　〃you're　worried　that　this　is　all　faked？〃
　　　〃How　can　I　be　sure？〃
　　　〃My　friend；　in　less　than　an　hour；　you　will　be　certain　it　is　not。　Here…〃　He　opened　his　wallet　again。　〃This　is　my　wife；　my　daughter；　and　our　new　son。　My　address　at　home…in　America；　that　is…is　here　on　my　driver's　license；　5000　Peregrine　Cliff　Road；　Anne　Arundel　County；　Maryland。　That　is　right　on　the　Chesapeake　Bay。　It　takes　me　about　an　hour　to　drive　from　there　to　CIA　Headquarters　at　Langley。　My　wife　is　an　eye　surgeon　at　Johns　Hopkins　Hospital　in　Baltimore。　It　is　world…famous。　You　must　have　heard　of　it。〃
　　　Zaitzev　just　shook　his　head。
　　　〃Well；　a　couple　years　ago；　three　docs　from　Hopkins　fixed　the　eyes　of　Mikhail　Suslov。　I　understand　he　just　died。　His　replacement；　we　think；　will　be　Mikhail　Yevgeniyevich　Alexandrov。　We　know　a　little　about　him；　but　not　enough。　In　fact；　we　don't　know　enough　about　Yuriy　Vladimirovich。〃
　　　〃What　do　you　not　know？〃
　　　〃Is　he　married？　We've　never　seen　a　picture　of　his　wife；　if　any。〃
　　　〃Yes；　everyone　knows　this。　His　wife　is　Tatiana；　elegant　woman；　my　wife　says　she　has　noble　features。　But　no　children　for　them；〃　Oleg　concluded。
　　　Well；　there's　factoid'　#1　from　the　Rabbit；　Ryan　thought。
　　　〃How　is　it　possible　that　you　do　not　know　this？〃　Zaitzev　demanded。
　　　〃Oleg　Ivan'ch；　there　are　many　things　we　do　not　know　about　the　Soviet　Union；〃　Jack　admitted。　〃Some　are　important；　and　some　are　not。〃
　　　〃Is　this　true？〃
　　　〃Yes；　it　is。〃
　　　Something　rattled　loose　in　Zaitzev's　head。　〃You　say　your　name　Ryan？〃
　　　〃That's　right。〃
　　　〃Your　father　policeman？〃
　　　〃How　did　you　know　that？〃　Ryan　asked　in　some　surprise。
　　　〃We　have　small　dossier　on　you。　Washington　rezidentura　do　it。　Your　family　attacked　by　hooligans；　yes？〃
　　　〃Correct。〃　KGB　is　interested　in　me；　eh？　Jack　thought。　〃Terrorists；　they　tried　to　kill　me　and　my　family。　My　son　was　born　that　night。〃
　　　〃And　you　join　CIA　after　that？〃
　　　〃Again；　yes…officially；　anyway。　I've　done　work　for　the　Agency　for　several　years。〃　Then　curiosity　took　full　hold。　〃What　does　my　dossier　say　about　me？〃
　　　〃It　say　you　are　rich　fool。　You　were　officer　in　naval　infantry；　and　your　wife　is　rich　and　you　marry　her　for　that　reason。　To　get　more　money　for　self。〃
　　　So；　even　the　KGB　is　a　prisoner　of　its　own　political　prejudices；　Jack　thought。　Interesting。
　　　〃I　am　not　poor；〃　Jack　told　the　Rabbit。　〃But　I　married　my　wife　for　love；　not　money。　Only　a　fool　does　that。〃
　　　〃How　many　capitalists　are　fools？〃
　　　Ryan　had　himself　a　good　laugh。　〃A　lot　more　than　you　might　think。　You　do　not　need　to　be　very　smart　in　America　to　bee　rich。〃　New　York　and　Washington　in　particular　were　full　of　rich　idiots；　but　Ryan　thought　the　Rabbit　needed　a　little　while　before　he　learned　that　lesson。　〃Who　did　the　dossier　on　me？〃
　　　〃Reporter　in　Washington　resydentura　of　Izvestia　is　junior　KGB　officer。　He　do　it　last　summer。〃
　　　〃And　how　did　you　e　to　know　about　it？〃
　　　〃His　dispatch　e　to　my　desk；　and　I　forward　to　America…Canada　Institute…is　KGB　office。　You　know　that；　yes？〃
　　　〃Yes；〃　Jack　confirmed。　〃That　is　one　we　do　know。〃　That　was　when　his　ears　popped。　The　airliner　was　descending。　Ryan　gunned　down　the　last　of　his　third　white　wine　and　told　himself　it　would　all　be　over　in　a　few　minutes。　One　thing　he'd　learned　from　Operation　BEATRIX：　This　field　work　wasn't　for　him。
　　　The　no…smoking　sign　dinged　back　on。　Ryan　brought　his　chair　to　its　full　upright　position；　and　then　the　lights　of　Manchester　appeared　through　the　windows；　the　car　headlights　and　the　airport　fence；　and　in　a　few　more　seconds。。。　thump；　the　wheels　touched　down　in　Merry　Old　England。　It　might　not　be　the　same　as　America；　but　for　the　moment　it　would　do。
　　　Oleg；　he　saw；　had　his　face　against　the　window；　checking　out　the　tail　colors　of　the　aircraft。　There　were　too　many　for　this　to　be　a　Soviet　Air　Force　base　and　a　huge　maskirovka。　He　visibly　started　to　relax。
　　　〃We　wele　you　to　Manchester；〃　the　pilot　said　over　the　inter。　〃The　time　is　three…forty；　and　the　temperature　outside　is　fifty…four　degrees　Fahrenheit。　We　appreciate　your　patience　earlier　today；　and　we　hope　to　see　you　again　soon　in　British　Midlands　Airways。〃
　　　Yeah；　Jack　thought。　In　your　dreams；　skipper。
　　　Ryan　sat　and　waited　as　the　aircraft　taxied　to　the　international…arrivals　area。　A　truck…borne　stairway　came　to　the　front　door；　which　the　lead　stew　duly　opened。　Ryan　and　the　Rabbit　family　were　first　off　and　down　the　steps；　where　they　were　guided　to　some　cars　instead　of　the　waiting　transfer　bus。
　　　Alan　Kingshot　was　there　to　take　his　hand。　〃How　was　it；　Jack？〃
　　　〃Just　like　a　trip　to　Disney　World；〃　Ryan　answered；　without　a　trace　of　audible　irony　in　his　voice。
　　　〃Right。　Let's　get　you　all　loaded　and　off　to　a　fortable　place。〃
　　　〃Works　for　me；　pal。　What　is　it；　quarter　of　three？〃　Ryan　hadn't　changed　his　watch　back　yet。　Britain　was　an　hour　behind　the　rest　of　Europe。
　　　〃That's　right；〃　the　field　spook　confirmed。
　　　〃Damn；〃　Jack　reacted。　Too　damned　late　to　call　home　and　tell　Cathy　he　was　back。　But；　then；　he　wasn't　really　back。　Now　he　had　to　play　CIA　representative　for　the　first　interview　of　the　Red　Rabbit。　Probably　Sir　Basil　had　him　doing　this　because　he　was　too　junior　to　be　very　effective。　Well；　maybe　he'd　show　his　British　host　just　how　dumb　he　was；　Ryan　growled　to　himself。　But　first　it　was　time　for　sleep。　Stress；　he'd　learned；　was　about　as　tiring　as　jogging…just　harder　on　the　heart。
　　　Back　in　Budapest；　the　three　bodies　were　at　the　city　morgue；　an　institution　as　depressing　behind　the　Iron　Curtain　as　in　front　of　it。　When　Zaitzev's　identity　as　a　Russian　citizen　had　been　confirmed；　a　call　had　been　made　to　the　Soviet　Embassy；　where　it　was　speedily　established　that　the　man　in　question　was　a　KGB　officer。　That　generated　interest　in　the　rezidentura；　just　across　the　street　from　the　hotel　where　he'd　ostensibly　died；　and　more　telephone　calls　were　made。
　　　Before　five　in　the　morning；　Professor　Zoltan　Biro　was　awakened　in　his　bed　by　the　AVH。　Biro　was　professor　of　pathology　at　the　Ignaz　Semmelweis　Medical　College。　Named　for　one　of　the　fathers　of　the　germ　theory　that　had　transformed　the　science　of　medicine　in　the　nineteenth　century；　it　remained　a　good　one；　even　attracting　students　from　West　Germany；　none　of　whom　would　attend　the　postmortem　examinations　ordered　by　the　country's　Belugyminiszterium；　which　would　also　be　attended　by　the　physician…in…residence　at　the　Soviet　Embassy。
　　　The　first　done　would　be　the　adult　male。　Technicians　took　blood　samples　from　all　three　bodies　for　analysis　in　the　adjacent　laboratory。
　　　〃This　is　the　body　of　a　male　Caucasian；　approximately　thirty…five　years　of　age；　length　approximately　one　hundred　seventy…five　centimeters；　weight　approximately　seventy…six　kilograms。　Color　of　hair　cannot　be　determined　due　to　extensive　charring　from　a　domestic　fire。　Initial　impression　is　death　by　fire…more　probably　from　carbon　monoxide　intoxication；　as　the　body　shows　no　evidence　of　death　throes。〃　Then　the　dissection　began　with　the　classical　Y　incision　to　open　the　body　cavity　for　viewing　of　the　internal　organs。
　　　He　was　examining　the　heart…unremarkable…when　the　lab　reports　came　in。
　　　〃Professor　Biro；　carbon　monoxide　in　all　three　blood　samples　are　well　into　lethal　range；〃　the　voice　on　the　speaker　said；　giving　the　exact　numbers。
　　　Biro　looked　over　at　his　Russian　colleague。　〃Anything　else　you　need？　I　can　do　a　full　postmortem　on　all　three　victims　here；　but　the　cause　of　death　is　determined。　This　man　was　not　shot。　We　will　do　fuller　blood…chemistry　checks；　of　course；　but　it's　unlikely　that　they　were　poisoned；　and　there　is　clearly　no　bullet　wound　or　other　penetrating　trauma　in　this　man。　They　were　all　killed　by　fire。　I　will　send　you　the　full　laboratory　report　this　afternoon。〃　Biro　let　out　a　long　breath。　〃A　kurva　eletbe！〃　he　concluded　with　a　popular　Magyar　epithet。
　　　〃Such　a　pretty　little　girl；〃　the　Russian　internist　observed。　Zaitzev's　wallet　had　somehow　survived　the　fire；　along　with　its　family　photos。　The　picture　of　Svetlana　had　been　particularly　engaging。
　　　〃Death　is　never　sentimental；　my　friend；〃　Biro　told　him。　As　a　pathologist；　he　knew　that　fact　all　too　well。
　　　〃Very　well。　Thank　you；　rade　Professor。〃　And　the　Russian　took　his　leave；　already　thinking　through　his　official　report　to　Moscow。
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　29　…　REVELATION
　　　The　safe　house　was　palatial；　the　country　home　of　somebody　with　both　money　and　taste；　built　in　the　previous　century　by　the　look　of　it；　with　stucco　and　the　sort　of　heavy　oaken　timbers　used　to　build　ships　like　HMS
　　　Victory　once　upon　a　time。　But　landlocked；　it　was　about　as　far　from　blue　water　as　one　could　get　on　this　island　kingdom。
　　　Evidently；　Alan　Kingshot　knew　it　well　enough；　since　he　drove　them　there　and　then　got　them　settled　inside。　The　two…person　staff　that　ran　the　place　looked　like　cops　to　Ryan；　probably　married　and　retired　from　the　Police　Force　of　the　Metropolis；　as　the　London　Constabulary　was　officially　known。　They　kindly　escorted　their　new　guests　to　a　rather　nice　suite　of　rooms。　Irina　Zaitzev's　eyes　were　agog　at　the　acmodations；　which　were　impressive　even　by　Ryan's　standards。　All　Oleg　Ivanovich　did　was　set　his　shaving　kit　in　the　bathroom；　strip　off　his　clothes；　and　collapse　onto　the　bed；　where　alcohol…aided　sleep　proved　to　be　less　than　five　minutes　away。
　　　Word　got　TO　Judge　Moore　just　before　midnight　that　the　package　was　safely　ensconced　in　a　very　secure　location；　and　with　that　information　he　also　went　to　bed。　All　that　remained　was　to　tell　the　Air　Force　to　get　a　KC…135　or　a　similar　aircraft　ready　to　fly　the　package　home；　and　that　would　take　a　mere　telephone　call　to　an　officer　in　the　Pentagon。　He　wondered　what　the　Rabbit　would　say；　but　he　could　wait　for　that。　Patience；　once　the　dangerous　stuff　was　behind；　was　not　all　that　difficult　for　the　Director　of　Central　Intelligence。　It　was　like　Christmas　Eve；　and　while　he　wasn't　exactly　sure　what　would　be　under　the　tree；　he　could　be　confident　that　it　wouldn't　be　anything　bad。
　　　For　Sir　Basil　Charleston　at　his　Belgravia　house；　the　news　came　before　breakfast；　when　a　messenger　from　Century　House　arrived　with　the　word。　An　altogether　pleasant　way　to　start　a　working　day；　he　thought；　certainly　better　than　some　others　he'd　had。　He　left　home　for　the　office　just　before　seven　A。M。；　ready　for　his　morning　brief　to　outline　th