dk.watchers-第49部分

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　He　knew　why　he　was　obsessed　with　closing　every　case　successfully；　but　that　knowledge　was　of　no　help　in　modifying　his　obsession。
　We　are　what　we　are；　he　thought；　and　maybe　the　only　time　we　can　change　what　we　are　is　when　life　throws　us　such　a　surprise　that　it's　like　hitting　a　plate…glass　window　with　a　baseball　bat；　shattering　the　grip　of　the　past。
　So　he　stared　out　at　the　blazing　July　day　and　brooded；　worried。
　Back　in　May；　he　had　surmised　that　the　retriever　might　have　been　picked　up　by　someone　and　given　a　home。　It　was；　after　all；　a　handsome　animal；　and　if　it　revealed　even　a　small　fraction　of　its　intelligence　to　anyone；　its　appeal　would　be　irresistible；　it　would　find　sanctuary。　Therefore；　Lem　figured　locating　the　dog　would　be　harder　than　tracking　down　The　Outsider。　A　week　to　locate　The　Outsider；　he　had　thought；　and　perhaps　a　month　to　lay　hands　on　the　retriever。
　He　had　issued　bulletins　to　every　animal　pound　and　veterinarian　in　California；　Nevada；　and　Arizona；　urgently　requesting　assistance　in　locating　the　golden　retriever。　The　flyer　claimed　that　the　animal　had　escaped　from　a　medical　research　lab　that　was　conducting　an　important　cancer　experiment。　The　loss　of　the　dog；　the　bulletin　claimed；　would　mean　the　loss　of　a　million　dollars　of　research　money　and　countless　hours　of　researchers'　time…and　might　seriously　impede　the　development　of　a　cure　for　certain　malignancies。　The　flyer　included　a　photograph　of　the　dog　and　the　information　that；　on　the　inside　of　its　left　ear；　it　bore　a　lab　tattoo：　the　number　33…9。　The　letter　acpanying　the　flyer　requested　not　only　cooperation　but　confidentiality。　The　mailing　had　been　repeated　every　seven　days　since　the　breakout　at　Banodyne；　and　a　score　of　NSA　agents　had　been　doing　nothing　but　phoning　animal　pounds　and　vets　in　the　three　states　to　be　certain　they　remembered　the　flyer　and　continued　to　keep　a　lookout　for　a　retriever　with　a　tattoo。
　Meanwhile；　the　urgent　search　for　The　Outsider　could；　with　some　confidence；　be　confined　to　undeveloped　territories　because　it　would　be　reluctant　to　show　itself。　And　there　was　no　chance　that　someone　would　think　it　was　cute　enough　to　take　home。　Besides；　The　Outsider　had　been　leaving　a　trail　of　death　that　could　be　followed。
　Subsequent　to　the　murders　at　Bordeaux　Ridge　east　of　Yorba　Linda；　the　creature　had　fled　into　the　unpopulated　Chino　Hills。　From　there　it　had　gone　north；　crossing　into　the　eastern　end　of　Los　Angeles　County；　where　its　presence　was　next　pinpointed；　on　June　9；　on　the　outskirts　of　semirural　Diamond　Bar。　The　Los　Angeles　County　Animal　Control　Authority　had　received　numerous…　and　hysterical…reports　from　Diamond　Bar　residents　regarding　wild…animal　attacks　on　domestic　pets。　Others　called　the　police；　believing　the　slaughter　was　the　work　of　a　deranged　man。　In　two　nights；　more　than　a　score　of　Diamond　Bar's　domestic　animals　had　been　torn　to　pieces；　and　the　condition　of　the　carcasses　left　no　doubt　in　Lem's　mind　that　the　perpetrator　was　The　Outsider。
　Then　the　trail　went　ice…cold　for　more　than　a　week；　until　the　morning　of　June　18；　when　two　young　campers　at　the　foot　of　Johnstone　Peak；　on　the　southern　flank　of　the　vast　Angeles　National　Forest；　reported　seeing　something　they　insisted　was　〃from　another　world。〃　They　had　locked　themselves　in　their　van；　but　the　creature　had　tried　repeatedly　to　get　in　at　them；　going　so　far　as　to　smash　a　side　window　with　a　rock。　Fortunately；　the　pair　kept　a　。32　pistol　in　the　van；　and　one　of　them　opened　fire　on　their　assailant；　driving　it　off。　The　press　treated　the　campers　as　a　couple　of　kooks；　and　on　the　evening　news　the　happy…talk　anchorpersons　got　a　lot　of　mileage　out　of　the　story。
　Lem　believed　the　young　couple。　On　a　map；　he　traced　the　thinly　populated　corridor　of　land　by　which　The　Outsider　could　have　gone　from　Diamond　Bar　to　the　area　below　Johnstone　Peak：　over　the　San　Jose　Hills；　through　Bonelli　Regional　Park；　between　San　Dimas　and　Glendora；　then　into　the　wilds。　It　would　have　had　to　cross　or　go　under　three　freeways　that　cut　through　the　area；　but　if　it　had　traveled　in　the　deep　of　night；　when　there　was　little　or　no　traffic；　it　could　have　passed　unseen。　He　shifted　the　hundred　men　from　Marine　Intelligence　into　that　portion　of　the　forest；　where　they　continued　their　search　in　civilian　dress；　in　groups　of　three　and　four。
　He　hoped　the　campers　had　hit　The　Outsider　with　at　least　one　shot。　But　no　blood　was　found　at　their　campsite。
　He　was　beginning　to　worry　that　The　Outsider　might　evade　capture　for　a　long　time。　Lying　north　of　the　city　of　Los　Angeles；　the　Angeles　National　Forest　was　discouragingly　immense。
　〃Nearly　as　large　as　the　entire　state　of　Delaware；〃　Cliff　Soames　said　after　he　had　measured　the　area　on　the　wall　map　pinned　to　the　bulletin　board　in　Lem's　office　and　had　calculated　the　square　miles。　Cliff　had　e　from　Delaware。　He　was　relatively　new　to　the　West　and　still　had　a　newer's　amazement　at　the　gigantic　scale　of　everything　at　this　end　of　the　continent。　He　was　also　young；　with　the　enthusiasm　of　youth；　and　he　was　almost　dangerously　optimistic。　Cliff's　upbringing　had　been　radically　different　from　Lem's；　and　he　did　not　feel　himself　to　be　on　a　tightrope　or　at　risk　of　having　his　life　destroyed　by　just　one　error；　by　a　single　failure。　Sometimes　Lem　envied　him。
　Lem　stared　at　Cliff's　scribbled　calculations。　〃If　it　takes　refuge　in　the　San　Gabriel　Mountains；　feeding　on　wildlife　and　content　with　solitude；　venturing　out　only　rarely　to　vent　its　rage　on　the　people　living　along　the　periphery　of　the　preserve　。　。　。　it　might　never　be　found。〃
　〃But　remember；〃　Cliff　said；　〃it　hates　the　dog　more　than　it　hates　men。　It　wants　the　dog　and　has　the　ability　to　find　it。〃
　〃So　we　think。〃
　〃And　could　it　really　tolerate　a　wild　existence？　I　mean；　yeah；　it's　part　savage；　but　it's　also　smart。　Maybe　too　smart　to　be　content　with　a　hardscrabble　life　in　that　rugged　country。〃
　〃Maybe；〃　Lem　said。
　〃They'll　spot　it　soon；　or　it'll　do　something　to　give　us　another　fix　on　it；〃　Cliff　predicted。
　That　was　June　18。
　When　they　found　no　trace　of　The　Outsider　during　the　next　ten　days；　the　expense　of　keeping　a　hundred　men　in　the　field　grew　insupportable。　On　June　29；　Lem　finally　had　to　relinquish　the　Marines　that　had　been　put　at　his　disposal　and　send　them　back　to　their　bases。
　Day　by　day；　Cliff　was　heartened　by　the　lack　of　developments　and　was　willing　to　believe　that　The　Outsider　had　suffered　a　mishap；　that　it　was　dead；　that　they　would　never　hear　of　it　again。
　Day　by　day；　Lem　sank　deeper　into　gloom；　certain　that　he　had　lost　control　of　the　situation　and　that　The　Outsider　would　reappear　in　a　most　dramatic　fashion；　making　its　existence　known　to　the　public。　Failure。
　The　only　bright　spot　was　that　the　beast　was　now　in　Los　Angeles　County；　out　of　Walt　Gaines's　jurisdiction。　If　there　were　additional　victims；　Walt　might　not　even　learn　of　them　and　would　not　have　to　be　persuaded；　all　over　again；　to　remain　out　of　the　case。
　By　Thursday；　July　15；　exactly　two　months　after　the　breakout　at　Banodyne；　almost　one　month　after　the　campers　had　been　terrorized　by　a　supposed　extraterrestrial　or　smaller　cousin　of　Bigfoot；　Lem　was　convinced　he　would　soon　have　to　consider　alternate　careers。　No　one　had　blamed　him　for　the　way　things　had　gone。　The　heat　was　on　him　to　deliver；　but　it　was　no　worse　than　the　heat　he　had　felt　on　other　big　investigations。　Actually；　some　of　his　superiors　viewed　the　lack　of　developments　in　the　same　favorable　light　as　did　Cliff　Soames。　But　in　his　most　pessimistic　moments；　Lem　envisioned　himself　employed　as　a　uniformed　security　guard　working　the　night　shift　in　a　warehouse；　demoted　to　the　status　of　a　make…believe　cop　with　a　rinky…dink　badge。
　Sitting　in　his　office　chair；　facing　the　window；　staring　grimly　at　the　hazy　yellow　air　of　the　blazing　summer　day；　he　said　aloud；　〃Damn　it；　I've　been　trained　to　deal　with　human　criminals。　How　the　hell　can　I　be　expected　to　outthink　a　fugitive　from　a　nightmare？〃
　A　knock　sounded　at　his　door；　and　as　he　swiveled　around　in　his　chair；　the　door　opened。　Cliff　Soames　entered　in　a　rush；　looking　both　excited　and　distraught。　〃The　Outsider；〃　he　said。　〃We've　got　a　new　fix　on　it　。　。　。　but　two　people　are　dead。〃
　　
　　
　Twenty　years　ago　in　Vietnam；　Lem's　NSA　chopper　pilot　had　learned　everything　worth　knowing　about　putting　down　and　taking　off　in　rugged　terrain。　Now；　remaining　in　constant　radio　contact　with　the　L。A。　County　sheriff's　deputies　who　were　on　the　scene　already；　he　had　no　difficulty　locating　the　site　of　the　murders　by　visual　navigation；　making　use　of　natural　landmarks。　At　a　few　minutes　after　one　o'clock；　he　put　his　craft　down　on　a　wide　section　of　a　barren　ridge　overlooking　Boulder　Canyon　in　the　Angeles　National　Forest；　just　a　hundred　yards　from　the　spot　where　the　bodies　had　been　found。
　When　Lem　and　Cliff　left　the　chopper　and　hurried　along　the　crest　of　the　ridge　toward　the　gathered　deputies　and　forest　rangers；　a　hot　wind　buffeted　them。　It　carried　the　scent　of　dry　brush　and　pine。　Only　tufts　of　wild　grass；　parched　and　brittled　by　the　July　sun；　had　managed　to　put　down　roots　on　this　high　ground。　Low　scrub　growth…including　desert　plants　like　mesquite…
　marked　the　upper　reaches　of　the　canyon　walls　that　dropped　away　to　the　right　and　left　of　them；　and　down　on　the　lower　slopes　and　canyon　floors　were　trees　and　greener　undergrowth。
　They　were　less　than　four　air　miles　north　of　the　town　of　Sunland；　fourteen　air　miles　north　of　Hollywood；　and　twenty　miles　north　of　the　populous　heart　of　the　great　city　of　Los　Angeles；　yet　it　seemed　they　were　in　a　desolation　measuring　a　thousand　miles　across；　disquietingly　far　from　civilization。　The　sheriffs　deputies　had　parked　their　four…wheel…drive　wagons　on　a　crude　dirt　track　three…quarters　of　a　mile　away…ing　in；　Lem's　chopper　had　flown　over　those　vehicles…and　they　had　hiked　with　ranger　guides　to　the　site　where　the　bodies　had　been　found。　Now；　gathered　around　the　corpses　were　four　deputies；　two　men　from　the　county　crime　lab；　and　three　rangers；　and　they　looked　as　if　they；　too；　felt　isolated　in　a　primeval　place。
　When　Lem　and　Cliff　arrived；　the　sheriff's　men　had　just　finished　tucking　the　remains　in　body　bags。　The　zippers　hadn't　yet　been　closed；　so　Lem　saw　that　one　victim　was　male；　the　other　female；　both　young　and　dressed　for　hiking。　Their　wounds　were　grievous；　their　eyes　were　gone。
　The　dead　now　numbered　five　innoc