rl.thebourneidentity-第47部分

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　'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　supported　by　the　Senate　Armed　Services　mittee。'
　'That's　considerable　fire…power；　isn't　it？'
　'It　was　felt　to　be　in　the　national　interest；'　Said　the　C。I。A。　man。
　'In　this　case；　I　won't　argue；〃　agreed　Walters。　'The　spectre　of　such　an　operation　wouldn't　do　much　for　the　glory　of　Old　Glory。　We　don't　train　assassins；　much　less　field　them。'　He　flipped　through　the　pages。　'And　somewhere　here　just　happens　to　be　an　assassin　we　trained　and　fielded　and　now　can't　find。'
　'We　believe　that；　yes；'　said　the　colonel。
　'You　say　he　made　his　reputation　in　Asia　but　moved　to　Europe。　When？'
　'About　a　year　ago。'
　'Why？　Any　ideas？'
　'The　obvious；　I'd　suggest；'　said　Peter　Knowlton。　'He　overextended　himself。　Something　went　wrong　and　he　felt　threatened。　He　was　a　white　killer　among　Orientals；　at　best　a　dangerous　concept；　it　was　time　for　him　to　move　on。　God　knows　his　reputation　was　made；　there'd　be　no　lack　of　employment　in　Europe。'
　David　Abbott　cleared　his　throat。　'I'd　like　to　offer　another　possibility　based　on　something　Alfred　said　a　few　minutes　ago。'　The　Monk　paused　and　nodded　deferentially　at　Gillette。　'He　said　that　we　had　been　forced　to　concentrate　on　a　〃toothless　sand　shark　while　the　hammerhead　roamed　free〃。　I　believe　that　was　the　phrase；　although　my　sequence　may　be　wrong。'
　'Yes；'　said　the　man　from　National　Security。　'I　was　referring　to　Carlos；　of　course。　It's　not　Cain　we　should　be　after。　It's　Carlos。'
　'Of　course。　Carlos。　The　most　elusive　killer　in　modem　history；　a　man　many　of　us　truly　believe　has　been　responsible　…　in　one　way　or　another　…　for　the　most　tragic　assassinations　of　our　time。　You　were　quite　right；　Alfred；　and；　in　a　way；　I　was　wrong。　We　cannot　afford　to　forget　Carlos。'　'Thank　you；'　said　Gillette。　'I'm　glad　I　made　my　point。'　'You　did。　With　me；　at　any　rate。　But　you　also　made　me　think。　Can　you　imagine　the　temptation　for　a　man　like　Cain；　operating　in　the　steamy　confines　of　an　area　rife　with　drifters　and　fugitives　and　regimes　up　to　their　necks　in　corruption？　But　he　must　have　envied　Carlos；　how　he　must　have　been　jealous　of　the　faster；　brighter；　more　luxurious　world　of　Europe。　How　often　did　he　say　to　himself；　〃I'm　better　than　Carlos〃。　No　matter　how　cold　these　fellows　are；　their　egos　are　immense。　I　suggest　he　went　to　Europe　to　find　that　better　world。。。　and　to　dethrone　Carlos。　The　pretender；　sir；　wants　to　take　the　title。　He　wants　to　be　champion。'
　Gillette　stared　at　the　Monk。　'It's　an　interesting　theory。'　'And　if　I　follow　you；'　interjected　the　congressman　from　Oversight；　'by　tracking　Cain　we　may　e　up　with　Carlos。'　'Exactly。'
　'I'm　not　sure　I　follow；'　said　the　C。I。A。　director；　annoyed。　'Why？'
　'Two　stallions　in　a　paddock；'　answered　Walters。　'They　tangle。'
　'A　champion　does　not　give　up　the　title　willingly。'　Abbott　reached　for　his　pipe。　'He　fights　viciously　to　retain　it。　As　the　congressman　says；　we　continue　to　track　Cain；　but　we　must　also　watch　for　other　spoors　in　the　forest。　And　when　and　if　we　find　Cain；　perhaps　we　should　hold　back。　Wait　for　Carlos　to　e　after　him。'
　'Then　take　both；'　added　the　military　officer。
　'Very　enlightening；'　said　Gillette。
　The　meeting　was　over；　the　members　in　various　stages　of　leaving。　David　Abbott　stood　with　the　Pentagon　colonel　who　was　gathering　together　the　pages　of　the　Medusa　folder；　he　had　picked　up　the　casualty　sheets；　prepared　to　insert　them。
　'May　I　take　a　look？'　asked　Abbott。　'We　don't　have　a　copy　over　at　Forty。'
　'Those　were　our　instructions；〃　replied　the　officer；　handing　the　stapled　pages　to　the　older　man。　'I　thought　they　came　from　you。
　Only　three　copies。　Here；　at　the　Agency；　and　over　at　the　Council。'
　They　did　e　from　me。'　The　silent　Monk　smiled　benignly。　Too　damn　many　civilians　in　my　part　of　town。'
　The　colonel　turned　away　to　answer　a　question　posed　by　the　congressman　from　Tennessee。　David　Abbott　did　not　listen；　instead　his　eyes　sped　rapidly　down　the　columns　of　names；　he　was　alarmed。　A　number　had　been　crossed　out；　accounted　for。　Accountability　was　the　one　thing　they　should　not　allow　I　Ever！　Where　was　it？　He　was　the　only　man　in　that　room　who　knew　the　name；　and　he　could　feel　the　pounding　in　his　chest　as　he　reached　the　last　page。　The　name　was　there！
　Bourne；　Jason　C。　…　Last　known　station：　Tarn　Quan。
　What　in　God's　name　had　happened〃｝
　Rend　Bergeron　slammed　down　the　telephone　on　his　desk；　his　Voice　only　slightly　more　controlled　than　his　gesture。　'We've　tried　every　cafe〃；　every　restaurant　and　bistro　she's　ever　frequented！'
　There's　not　a　hotel　in　Paris　that　has　him　registered；'　said　the　grey…haired　switchboard　operator；　seated　at　a　second　telephone　by　a　drawing　board。　'It's　been　more　than　two　hours　now；　she　could　be　dead。　If　she's　not；　she　might　well　wish　she　were。'
　'She　can　only　tell　him　so　much；'　mused　Bergeron。　'Less　than　we　could；　she　knows　nothing　of　the　old　men。'
　'She　knows　enough；　she's　called　Pare　Monceau。'
　'She's　relayed　messages；　she's　not　certain　to　whom。'
　'She　knows　why。'
　'So　does　Cain；　I　can　assure　you。　And　he　would　make　a　grotesque　error　with　Pare　Monceau。'　The　designer　leaned　forward；　his　powerful　forearms　tensing　as　he　locked　his　hands　together；　his　eyes　on　the　grey…haired　man。　Tell　me；　again；　everything　you　remember。　Why　are　you　so　sure　he's　Bourne？'
　'I　don't　know　that。　I　said　he　was　Cain。　If　you've　described　his　methods　accurately；　he's　the　man。'
　'Bourne　is　Cain。　We　found　him　through　the　Medusa　records。　It's　why　you　were　hired。〃
　Then　he's　Bourne；　but　it's　not　the　name　he　used。　Of　course；　there　were　a　number　of　men　in　Medusa　who　would　not　permit　their　real　names　to　be　used。　For　them；　false　identities　were　guaranteed；　they　had　criminal　records。　He　would　be　one　of　those　men。'
　'Why　him？　Others　disappeared。　You　disappeared。'
　'I　could　say　because　he　was　here　in　Saint…Honoree　and　that　should　be　enough。　But　there's　more；　much　more。　I　watched　him　function。　I　was　assigned　to　a　mission　he　manded；　it　was　not　an　experience　to　be　forgotten；　nor　was　he。　That　man　could　be　…　would　be　…　your　Cain。'
　Tell　me。'
　'We　parachuted　at　night　into　a　sector　called　Tarn　Quan；　our　objective　to　bring　out　an　American　named　Webb　who　was　being　held　by　the　Viet　Cong。　We　didn't　know　it；　but　the　odds　against　survival　were　monumental。　Even　the　flight　from　Saigon　was　horrendous；　gale…force　winds　at　a　thousand　feet；　the　aircraft　vibrating　as　if　it　would　fall　apart。　Still；　he　ordered　us　to　jump。〃
　'And　you　did？〃
　'His　gun　was　pointed　at　our　heads。　At　each　of　us　as　we　approached　the　hatchway。　We　might　survive　the　elements；　not　a　bullet　in　our　skulls。'
　'How　many　were　there　of　you？'
　'Eight'
　'You　could　have　taken　him。'
　'You　didn't　know　him。'
　'Go　on；'　said　Bergeron；　concentrating；　immobile　at　the　desk。
　'Seven　of　us　regrouped　on　the　ground；　two；　we　assumed；　had　not　survived　the　jump。　It　was　amazing　that　I　did。　I　was　the　oldest　and　hardly　a　bull；　but　I　knew　the　area；　it　was　why　I　was　sent。'　The　grey…haired　man　paused；　shaking　his　head　at　the　memory。　'Less　than　an　hour　later　we　realized　it　was　a　trap。　We　were　pinned　down　by　enemy　gunfire　for　two　nights　and　a　day；　running　like　lizards　through　the　jungle。。。　And　during　the　nights；　he　went　out　alone　through　the　mortar　explosions　and　the　grenades。　To　kill。　Always　ing　back　before　dawn　to　force　us　closer　and　closer　to　the　base　camp。　I　thought　at　the　time；　sheer　suicide。'
　'Why　did　you　do　it？　He　had　to　give　you　a　reason；　you　were　Medusans；　not　soldiers。'
　'He　said　it　was　the　only　way　to　get　out　alive　and　there　was　logic　to　that。　We　were　far　behind　the　lines；　we　needed　the
　supplies　we　could　find　at　the　base　camp　…　if　we　could　take　it。　He　said　we　had　to　take　it；　we　had　no　choice。　If　any　argued；　he'd　put　a　bullet　in　his　head；　we　knew　it。。。　On　the　third　night　we　took　the　camp　and　found　the　man　named　Webb　more　dead　than　alive；　but　breathing。　We　also　found　the　two…missing　members　of　our　team；　very　much　alive　and　stunned　at　what　had　happened。　A　white　man　and　a　Vietnamese；　they'd　been　paid　by　the　Cong　to　trap　us　…　trap　him；　I　suspect。〃
　'Cain？'
　'Yes。　The　Vietnamese　saw　us　first　and　escaped。　Cain　shot　the　white　man　in　the　head。　He　just　walked　up　to　him　and　blew　his　head　off。〃
　'He　got　you　back？　Through　the　lines？'
　'Four　of　us；　yes；　and　the　man　named　Webb。　Five　men　were　killed。　It　was　during　that　terrible　journey　back　that　I　thought　I　understood　why　the　rumours　might　be　true　…　that　he　was　the　highest　paid　recruit　in　Medusa。'
　'In　what　sense？'
　'He　was　the　coldest　man　I　ever　saw；　the　most　dangerous；　and　utterly　predictable。　I　thought　at　the　time　it　was　a　strange　war　for　him；　he　was　a　Savonarola；　but　without　religious　principle；　only　his　own　odd　morality　which　was　centred　on　himself。　All　men　were　his　enemies　…　the　leaders　in　particular　and　he　cared　not　one　whit　for　either　side。'　The　middle…aged　man　paused　again；　his　eyes　on　the　drawing　board；　his　mind　obviously　thousands　of　miles　away　and　back　in　time。　'Remember；　Medusa　was　filled　with　diverse　and　desperate　men。　Many　were　paranoid　in　their　hatred　of　munists　…　kill　a　munist　and　Christ　smiled；　odd　examples　of　Christian　teaching。　Others　…　such　as　myself　…　had　fortunes　stolen　from　us　by　the　Viet　Minh；　the　only　path　to　restitution　was　if　the　Americans　won　the　war。　France　had　abandoned　us　at　Dien　Bien　Phu。　But　there　were　dozens　who　saw　that　fortunes　could　be　made　from　Medusa。　Pouches　often　contained　fifty　to　seventy…five　thousand　American　dollars。　A　courier　siphoning　off　half　during　ten；　fifteen　runs　could　retire　in　Singapore　or　Kuala　Lumpur；　or　set　up　his　own　narcotics　network　in　the　Triangle。　Apart　from　the　exorbitant　pay　…　and　frequently　the　pardoning　of　past　crimes　…　the　opportunities　were　unlimited。　It　was　in　this　group　that　I　placed　that　very　strange　man。　He　was　a　modern…day　pirate　in　the　purest　sense。
　Bergeron　unlocked　his　hands。　'Wait　a　minute。　You　used　the　phrase；　〃a　mission　he　manded〃。　There　were　military　men　in　Medusa；　are　you　sure　he　wasn't　art　American　officer？〃
　'American；　to　be　sure；　but　certainly　not　an　army　man。'
　'Why？'
　'He　hated　everything　military。　His　scorn　for　mand　Saigon　was　in　every　decision　he　made；　he　considered　the　army　fools　and　inpetents。　At　one　point　orders　were　radioed