rl.thebourneidentity-第46部分

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ols。　The　coup　story　was　a　cover　for　an　assassination　that　could　tempt　other　professional　killers。　Three　troublesome　nonentities　from　the　Officer　Corps　were　executed　to　lend　credence　to　the　lie。　For　a　while；　we　thought　one　of　them　was　Cain；　the　timing　corresponds　to　Cain's　dormancy。'
　Who　would　pay　Cain　for　assassinating　Kalig？'
　'We　asked　ourselves　that　over　and　over　again；'　said　Manning。　'The　only　possible　answer　came　from　a　source　who　claimed　to　know；　but　there　was　no　way　to　verify　it。　He　said　Cain　did　it　to　prove　it　could　be　done。　By　him。　Oil　sheikhs　travel　with　the　tightest　security　in　the　world。'
　〃There　are　several　dozen　other　incidents；〃　added　Knowlton。　'Probables　that　fall　into　the　same　pattern　where　highly　protected　figures　were　killed　and　sources　came　forward　to　implicate　Cain。〃
　'I　see。'　The　congressman　picked　up　the　summary　page　for　Zurich。　'But　from　what　I　gather　you　don't　know　who　he　is。〃
　'No　two　descriptions　have　been　alike；'　interjected　Abbott。　'Cain's　apparently　a　virtuoso　at　disguise。'
　'Yet　people　have　seen　him；　talked　to　him。　Your　sources；　the　informants；　this　man　in　Zurich；　none　of　them　may　e　out　in　the　open　to　testify；　but　surely　you've　interrogated　them。　You've　got　to　have　e　up　with　a　posite；　with　something：
　'We've　e　up　with　a　great　deal；'　replied　Abbott；　'but　a　consistent　description　isn't　part　of　it。　For　openers；　Cain　never　lets　himself　be　seen　in　daylight。　He　holds　meetings　at　night；　in　dark　rooms　or　alleyways。　If　he's　ever　met　more　than　one　person　at　a　time　…　as　Cain　…　we　don't　know　about　it。　We've　been　told　he　never　stands；　he's　always　seated　…　in　a　dimly　lit　restaurant；　or　a　corner　chair；　or　parked　car。　Sometimes　he　wears　heavy　glasses；　sometimes　none　at　all；　at　one　rendezvous　he　may　have　dark　hair；　at　another　white　or　red　or　covered　by　a　hat。'
　'Language？'
　'We're　closer　here；'　said　the　C。I。A。　director；　anxious　to　put　the　pany's　research　on　the　table。　'Fluent　English　and　French；　and　several　Oriental　dialects。'
　'Dialects？　What　Dialects？　Doesn't　a　language　e　first？'
　'Of　course。　It's　root…Vietnamese。'
　'Viet？　Walters　leaned　forward　'Why　do　I　get　the　idea　that　I'm　ing　to　something　you'd　rather　not　tell　me？'
　'Because　you're　probably　quite　astute　at　cross…examination；　sir。'　Abbott　struck　a　match　and　lit　his　pipe。
　'Passably　alert；〃　agreed　the　congressman。　'Now　what　is　it？'
　'Cain；'　said　Gillette；　his　eyes　briefly；　oddly；　on　David　Abbott。　'We　know　where　he　came　from。'
　'Where？'
　'Out　of　South…east　Asia；'　answered　Manning；　as　if　sustaining　the　pain　of　a　knife　wound。　'As　far　as　we　can　gather；　he　mastered　the　fringe　dialects　so　as　to　be　understood　in　the　hill　country　along　the　Cambodian　and　Laos　border　routes；　as　well　as　in　rural　North　Vietnam。　We　accept　the　data；　it　fits。'
　'With　what？'
　'Operation　Medusa。〃　The　colonel　reached　for　a　large；　thick　manilla　envelope　on　his　left。　He　opened　it　and　removed　a　single　folder　from　among　several　inside；　he　placed　it　in　front　of　him。　'That's　the　Cain　file；〃　he　said；　nodding　at　the　open　envelope。　This　is　the　Medusa　material；　the　aspects　of　it　that　might　in　any　way　be　relevant　to　Cain。'
　The　Tennessean　leaned　back　in　his　chair；　the　trace　of　a　sardonic　smile　creasing　his　lips。　'You　know；　gentlemen；　you　slay　me　with　your　pithy　titles。　Incidentally；　that's　a　beauty　it's　very　sinister；　very　ominous。　I　think　you　fellows　take　a　course　in　this　kind　of　thing。　Go　on；　Colonel。　What's　this　Medusa？'
　Manning　glanced　briefly　at　David　Abbott；　then　spoke。　'It　was　a　clandestine　outgrowth　of　the　search…and…destroy　concept；　designed　to　function　behind　enemy　lines　during　the　Vietnam　war。　In　the　late　'sixties　and　early　'seventies；　units　of　American；　French；　British；　Australian　and　native　volunteers　were　formed　into　teams　to　operate　in　territories　occupied　by　the　North　Vietnamese。　Their　priorities　were　the　disruption　of　enemy　munications　and　supply　lines；　the　pinpointing　of　prison　camps　and；　not　the　least；　the　assassination　of　village　leaders　known　to　be　co…operating　with　the　munists；　as　well　as　the　enemy　manders　whenever　possible。'
　'It　was　a　war…within…a…war；'　broke　in　Knowlton。　'Unfortunately；　racial　appearances　and　languages　made　participation　infinitely　more　dangerous　than；　say；　the　German　and　Dutch　undergrounds；　or　the　French　Resistance　in　World　War　Two。　Therefore；　occidental　recruitment　was　not　always　as　selective　as　it　might　have　been。'
　There　were　dozens　of　these　teams；'　continued　the　colonel；　'the　personnel　ranging　from　old　line　Navy　chiefs　who　knew　the　coastlines　to　French　plantation　owners　whose　only　hope　for　reparations　lay　in　an　American　victory。　There　were　British　and　Australian　drifters　who'd　lived　in　Indochina　for　years；　as　well　as　highly　motivated　American　army　and　civilian　intelligence　career　officers。　Also；　inevitably；　there　was　a　sizeable　faction　of　hard…core　criminals。　In　the　main；　smugglers　…　men　who　dealt　in　running　guns；　narcotics；　gold　and　diamonds　throughout　the　entire　South　China　Sea　area。　They　were　walking　encyclopaedias　when　it　came　to　night　landings　and　jungle　routes。　Many　we　employed　were　runaways　or　fugitives　from　the　States；　a　number　well…educated；　all　resourceful。　We　needed　their　expertise。'
　'That's　quite　a　cross…section　of　volunteers；'　interrupted　the　congressman。　'Old　line　Navy　and　Army；　British　and　Australian　drifters；　French　colonials；　and　platoons　of　thieves。　How　the　hell　did　you　get　them　to　work　together？〃
　To　each　according　to　his　greeds；'　said　Gillette。
　'Promises；'　amplified　the　colonel。　'Guarantees　of　rank；　promotions；　pardons；　outright　bonuses　of　cash；　and　in　a　number　of　cases　opportunities　to　steal　funds。。。　from　the　operation　itself。　You　see；　they　all　had　to　be　a　little　crazy；　we　understood　that。　We　trained　them　secretly；　using　codes；　methods　of　transport；　entrapment　and　killing　…　even　weapons　mand　Saigon　knew　nothing　about　As　Peter　mentioned；　the　risks　were　incredible；　capture　resulting　in　torture　and　execution；　the　price　was　high　and　they　paid　it。　Most　people　would　have　called　them　a　collection　of　paranoics；　but　they　were　geniuses　where　disruption　and　assassination　were　concerned。　Especially　assassination。'
　'What　was　the　price？'
　'Operation　Medusa　sustained　over　ninety　per　cent　casualties。　But　there's　a　catch　…　among　those　who　didn't　e　back　were　a　number　who　never　meant　to。'
　'From　that　faction　of　thieves　and　fugitives？'
　'Yes。　Some　stole　considerable　amounts　of　money　from　Medusa。　We　think　Cain　is　one　of　those　men。'
　'Why？'
　'His　modus　operand！。　He's　used　codes；　traps；　methods　of　killing　and　transport　that　were　developed　and　specialized　in　the　Medusa　training。'
　'Then　for　Christ's　sake；'　broke　in　Walters；　'you've　got　a　direct　line　to　his　identity。　I　don't　care　where　they're　buried　and　I'm　damn　sure　you　don't　want　them　made　public　…　but　I　assume　records　were　kept'
　They　were；　and　we've　extracted　them　all　from　the　clandestine　archives；　inclusive　of　this　material　here。'　The　officer　tapped　the　file　in　front　of　him。　'We've　studied　everything；　put　rosters　under　microscopes；　fed　facts　into　puters　…　everything　we　could　think　of。　We're　no　further　along　than　when　we　began。'
　That's　incredible；'　said　the　congressman。　'Or　incredibly　inpetent。'
　'Not　really；'　protested　Manning。　'Look　at　the　man；　look　at　what　we've　had　to　work　with。　After　the　war；　Cain　made　his　reputation　throughout　most　of　East　Asia；　from　as　far　north　as
　Tokyo　down　through　the　Philippines；　Malaysia　and　Singapore；　with　side　trips　to　Hong…Kong；　Cambodia；　Laos　and　Calcutta。　About　two　and　a　half　years　ago　reports　began　filtering　in　to　our　Asian　stations　and　embassies。　There　was　an　assassin　for　hire；　his　name　was　Cain。　Highly　professional；　ruthless。　These　reports　started　growing　with　alarming　frequency。　It　seemed　that　with　every　killing　of　note；　Cain　was　involved。　Sources　would　phone　embassies　in　the　middle　of　the　night；　or　stop　attaches　in　the　streets；　always　with　the　same　information。　It　was　Cain；　Cain　was　the　one。　A　murder　in　Tokyo；　a　car　blown　up　in　Hong　Kong；　a　narcotics　caravan　ambushed　in　the　Triangle；　a　banker　shot　in　Calcutta；　an　ambassador　assassinated　in　Moulmein；　a　Russian　technician　or　an　American　businessman　killed　in　the　streets　of　Shanghai　itself。　Cain　was　everywhere；　his　name　whispered　by　dozens　of　trusted　informants　in　every　vital　intelligence　sector。　Yet　no　one　…　not　one　single　person　in　the　entire　east　Pacific　area　…　would　e　forward　to　give　us　an　identification。　Where　were　we　to　begin？'
　'But　by　this　time；　hadn't　you　established　the　fact　that　he'd　been　with　Medusa？'　asked　the　Tennessean。
　'Yes。　Firmly。'
　Then　with　the　individual　Medusa　dossiers；　damn　it！〃
　The　colonel　opened　the　folder　he　had　removed　from　the　Cain　file。　These　are　the　casualty　lists。　Among　the　white　occidentals　who　disappeared　from　Operation　Medusa　…　and　when　I　say　disappeared；　I　mean　vanished　without　a　trace　…　are　the　following。　Seventy…three　Americans；　forty…six　French；　thirty…nine　and　twenty…four　Australians　and　British　respectively；　and　an　estimated　fifty　white　male　contacts　recruited　from　neutrals　in　Hanoi　and　trained　in　the　field　…　most　of　them　we　never　knew。　Over　two　hundred　and　thirty　possibilities；　how　many　are　blind　alleys？　Who's　alive？　Who's　dead？　Even　if　we　learned　the　name　of　every　man　who　actually　survived；　who　is　he　now？　What　is　he？　We're　not　even　sure　of　Cain's　nationality。　We　think　he's　American；　but　there's　no　proof。'
　'Cain's　one　of　the　side　issues　contained　in　our　constant　pressure　on　Hanoi　to　trace　M。I。A。s；'　explained　Knowlton。　'We　keep　recycling　these　names　with　the　division　lists。'
　'And　there's　a　catch　with　that；　too；'　added　the　army　officer。　'Hanoi's　counter…intelligence　forces　broke　and　executed　scores　of　Medusa　personnel。　They　were　aware　of　the　operation；　and
　we　never　ruled　out　the　possibility　of　infiltration。　Hanoi　knew　the　Medusans　weren't　bat　troops；　they　wore　no　uniforms。　Accountability　was　never　required。'
　Walters　held　out　his　hand。　'May　I？'　he　said；　nodding　at　the　stapled　pages。
　'Certainly。'　The　officer　gave　them　to　the　congressman。　'You　understand；　of　course；　that　those　names　still　remain　classified；　as　does　the　Medusa　Operation　itself。'
　'Who　made　that　decision？'
　'It's　an　unbroken　executive　order　from　successive　presidents　based　on　the　remendation　of　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff。　It　was