danbrown.deceptionpoint-第34部分

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　but　he　arrived　too　late。　Rachel　fell　backward；　pulling　a　pile　of　equipment　with　her。　She　and　Tolland　tumbled　to　the　ice　in　a　pile　of　electronic　apparatus。
　〃They're。。。　bullets。。。　；〃　she　gasped；　the　air　momentarily　crushed　from　her　lungs。　〃Run！〃
　
　　
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　The　Washington　MetroRail　subway　now　leaving　Federal　Triangle　station　could　not　speed　away　from　the　White　House　fast　enough　for　Gabrielle　Ashe。　She　sat　rigid　in　a　deserted　corner　of　the　train　as　darkened　shapes　tore　past　outside　in　a　blur。　Marjorie　Tench's　big　red　envelope　lay　in　Gabrielle's　lap；　pressing　down　like　a　ten…ton　weight。
　I've　got　to　talk　to　Sexton！　she　thought；　the　train　accelerating　now　in　the　direction　of　Sexton's　office　building。　Immediately！
　Now；　in　the　dim；　shifting　light　of　the　train；　Gabrielle　felt　like　she　was　enduring　some　kind　of　hallucinogenic　drug　trip。　Muted　lights　whipped　by　overhead　like　slow…motion　discotheque　strobes。　The　ponderous　tunnel　rose　on　all　sides　like　a　deepening　canyon。
　Tell　me　this　is　not　happening。
　She　gazed　down　at　the　envelope　on　her　lap。　Unclasping　the　flap；　she　reached　inside　and　pulled　out　one　of　the　photos。　The　internal　lights　of　the　train　flickered　for　a　moment；　the　harsh　glare　illuminating　a　shocking　image…Sedgewick　Sexton　lying　naked　in　his　office；　his　gratified　face　turned　perfectly　toward　the　camera　while　Gabrielle's　dark　form　lay　nude　beside　him。
　She　shivered；　rammed　the　photo　back　inside；　and　fumbled　to　reclasp　the　envelope。
　It's　over。
　As　soon　as　the　train　exited　the　tunnel　and　climbed　onto　the　aboveground　tracks　near　L'Enfant　Plaza；　Gabrielle　dug　out　her　cellphone　and　called　the　senator's　private　cellular　number。　His　voice　mail　answered。　Puzzled；　she　phoned　the　senator's　office。　The　secretary　answered。
　〃It's　Gabrielle。　Is　he　in？〃
　The　secretary　sounded　peeved。　〃Where　have　you　been？　He　was　looking　for　you。〃
　〃I　had　a　meeting　that　ran　long。　I　need　to　talk　to　him　right　away。〃
　〃You'll　have　to　wait　till　morning。　He's　at　Westbrooke。〃
　Westbrooke　Place　Luxury　Apartments　was　the　building　where　Sexton　kept　his　D。C。　residence。　〃He's　not　picking　up　his　private　line；〃　Gabrielle　said。
　〃He　blocked　off　tonight　as　a　P。E。；〃　the　secretary　reminded。　〃He　left　early。〃
　Gabrielle　scowled。　Personal　Event。　In　all　the　excitement；　she'd　forgotten　Sexton　had　scheduled　himself　a　night　alone　at　home。　He　was　very　particular　about　not　being　disturbed　during　his　P。E。　blocks。　Bang　on　my　door　only　if　the　building　is　on　fire；　he　would　say。　Other　than　that；　it　can　wait　until　morning。　Gabrielle　decided　Sexton's　building　was　definitely　on　fire。　〃I　need　you　to　reach　him　for　me。〃
　〃Impossible。〃
　〃This　is　serious；　I　really…〃
　〃No；　I　mean　literally　impossible。　He　left　his　pager　on　my　desk　on　his　way　out　and　told　me　he　was　not　to　be　disturbed　all　night。　He　was　adamant。〃　She　paused。　〃More　so　than　usual。〃
　Shit。　〃Okay；　thanks。〃　Gabrielle　hung　up。
　〃L'Enfant　Plaza；〃　a　recording　announced　in　the　subway　car。　〃Connection　all　stations。〃
　Closing　her　eyes；　Gabrielle　tried　to　clear　her　mind；　but　devastating　images　rushed　in。。。　the　lurid　photos　of　herself　and　the　senator。。。　the　pile　of　documents　alleging　Sexton　was　taking　bribes。　Gabrielle　could　still　hear　Tench's　raspy　demands。　Do　the　right　thing。　Sign　the　affidavit。　Admit　the　affair。
　As　the　train　screeched　into　the　station；　Gabrielle　forced　herself　to　imagine　what　the　senator　would　do　if　the　photos　hit　the　presses。　The　first　thing　to　pop　in　her　mind　both　shocked　and　shamed　her。
　Sexton　would　lie。
　Was　this　truly　her　first　instinct　regarding　her　candidate？
　Yes。　He　would　lie。。。　brilliantly。
　If　these　photos　hit　the　media　without　Gabrielle's　having　admitted　the　affair；　the　senator　would　simply　claim　the　photos　were　a　cruel　forgery。　This　was　the　age　of　digital　photo　editing；　anyone　who　had　ever　been　on…line　had　seen　the　flawlessly　retouched　spoof　photographs　of　celebrities'　heads　digitally　melded　onto　other　people's　bodies；　often　those　of　porn　stars　engaged　in　lewd　acts。　Gabrielle　had　already　witnessed　the　senator's　ability　to　look　into　a　television　camera　and　lie　convincingly　about　their　affair；　she　had　no　doubt　he　could　persuade　the　world　these　photos　were　a　lame　attempt　to　derail　his　career。　Sexton　would　lash　out　with　indignant　outrage；　perhaps　even　insinuate　that　the　President　himself　had　ordered　the　forgery。
　No　wonder　the　White　House　hasn't　gone　public。　The　photos；　Gabrielle　realized；　could　backfire　just　like　the　initial　drudge。　As　vivid　as　the　pictures　seemed；　they　were　totally　inconclusive。
　Gabrielle　felt　a　sudden　surge　of　hope。
　The　White　House　can't　prove　any　of　this　is　real！
　Tench's　powerplay　on　Gabrielle　had　been　ruthless　in　its　simplicity：　Admit　your　affair　or　watch　Sexton　go　to　jail。　Suddenly　it　made　perfect　sense。　The　White　House　needed　Gabrielle　to　admit　the　affair；　or　the　photos　were　worthless。　A　sudden　glimmer　of　confidence　brightened　her　mood。
　As　the　train　sat　idling　and　the　doors　slid　open；　another　distant　door　seemed　to　open　in　Gabrielle's　mind；　revealing　an　abrupt　and　heartening　possibility。
　Maybe　everything　Tench　told　me　about　the　bribery　was　a　lie。
　After　all；　what　had　Gabrielle　really　seen？　Yet　again；　nothing　conclusive…some　Xeroxed　bank　documents；　a　grainy　photo　of　Sexton　in　a　garage。　All　of　it　potentially　counterfeit。　Tench　cunningly　could　have　showed　Gabrielle　bogus　financial　records　in　the　same　sitting　as　the　genuine　sex　photos；　hoping　Gabrielle　would　accept　the　entire　package　as　true。　It　was　called　〃authentication　by　association；〃　and　politicians　used　it　all　the　time　to　sell　dubious　concepts。
　Sexton　is　innocent；　Gabrielle　told　herself。　The　White　House　was　desperate；　and　they　had　decided　to　take　a　wild　gamble　on　scaring　Gabrielle　into　going　public　about　the　affair。　They　needed　Gabrielle　to　desert　Sexton　publicly…scandalously。　Get　out　while　you　can；　Tench　had　told　her。　You　have　until　eight　o'clock　tonight。　The　ultimate　pressure　sales　job。　All　of　it　fits；　she　thought。
　Except　one　thing。。。　
　The　only　confusing　piece　of　the　puzzle　was　that　Tench　had　been　sending　Gabrielle　anti…NASA　e…mails。　This　certainly　suggested　NASA　really　did　want　Sexton　to　solidify　his　anti…NASA　stance　so　they　could　use　it　against　him。　Or　did　it？　Gabrielle　realized　that　even　the　e…mails　had　a　perfectly　logical　explanation。
　What　if　the　e…mails　were　not　really　from　Tench？
　It　was　possible　Tench　caught　a　traitor　on　staff　sending　Gabrielle　data；　fired　that　person；　and　then　stepped　in　and　e…mailed　the　final　message　herself；　calling　Gabrielle　in　for　a　meeting。　Tench　could　have　pretended　she　leaked　all　the　NASA　data　on　purpose…to　set　Gabrielle　up。
　The　subway　hydraulics　hissed　now　in　L'Enfant　Plaza；　the　doors　preparing　to　close。
　Gabrielle　stared　out　at　the　platform；　her　mind　racing。　She　had　no　idea　if　her　suspicions　were　making　any　sense　or　if　they　were　just　wishful　thinking；　but　whatever　the　hell　was　going　on；　she　knew　she　had　to　talk　to　the　senator　right　away…P。E。　night　or　not。
　Clutching　the　envelope　of　photographs；　Gabrielle　hurried　off　the　train　just　as　the　doors　hissed　shut。　She　had　a　new　destination。
　Westbrooke　Place　Apartments。
　
　　
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　Fight　or　flight。
　As　a　biologist；　Tolland　knew　that　vast　physiological　changes　occurred　when　an　organism　sensed　danger。　Adrenaline　flooded　the　cerebral　cortex；　jolting　the　heart　rate　and　manding　the　brain　to　make　the　oldest　and　most　intuitive　of　all　biological　decisions…whether　to　do　battle　or　flee。
　Tolland's　instinct　told　him　to　flee；　and　yet　reason　reminded　him　he　was　still　tethered　to　Norah　Mangor。　There　was　nowhere　to　flee　anyway。　The　only　cover　for　miles　was　the　habisphere；　and　the　attackers；　whoever　the　hell　they　were；　had　positioned　themselves　high　on　the　glacier　and　cut　off　that　option。　Behind　him；　the　wide　open　sheet　of　ice　fanned　out　into　a　two…mile…long　plain　that　terminated　in　a　sheer　drop　to　a　frigid　sea。　Flight　in　that　direction　meant　death　by　exposure。　The　practical　barriers　to　fleeing　notwithstanding；　Tolland　knew　he　could　not　possibly　leave　the　others。　Norah　and　Corky　were　still　out　in　the　open；　tethered　to　Rachel　and　Tolland。
　Tolland　stayed　down　near　Rachel　as　the　ice　pellets　continued　to　slam　into　the　side　of　the　toppled　equipment　sled。　He　pillaged　the　strewn　contents；　searching　for　a　weapon；　a　flare　gun；　a　radio。。。　anything。
　〃Run！〃　Rachel　yelled；　her　breathing　still　strained。
　Then；　oddly；　the　hailstorm　of　ice　bullets　abruptly　stopped。　Even　in　the　pounding　wind；　the　night　felt　suddenly　calm。。。　as　if　a　storm　had　let　up　unexpectedly。
　It　was　then；　peering　cautiously　around　the　sled；　that　Tolland　witnessed　one　of　the　most　chilling　sights　he　had　ever　seen。
　Gliding　effortlessly　out　of　the　darkened　perimeter　into　the　light；　three　ghostly　figures　emerged；　coasting　silently　in　on　skis。　The　figures　wore　full　white　weather　suits。　They　carried　no　ski　poles　but　rather　large　rifles　that　looked　like　no　guns　Tolland　had　ever　seen。　Their　skis　were　bizarre　as　well；　futuristic　and　short；　more　like　elongated　Rollerblades　than　skis。
　Calmly；　as　if　knowing　they　had　already　won　this　battle；　the　figures　coasted　to　a　stop　beside　their　closest　victim…the　unconscious　Norah　Mangor。　Tolland　rose　shakily　to　his　knees　and　peered　over　the　sled　at　the　attackers。　The　visitors　stared　back　at　him　through　eerie　electronic　goggles。　They　were　apparently　uninterested。
　At　least　for　the　moment。
　　
　Delta…One　felt　no　remorse　as　he　stared　down　at　the　woman　lying　unconscious　on　the　ice　before　him。　He　had　been　trained　to　carry　out　orders；　not　to　question　motives。
　The　woman　was　wearing　a　thick；　black；　thermal　suit　and　had　a　welt　on　the　side　of　her　face。　Her　breathing　was　short　and　labored。　One　of　the　IM　ice　rifles　had　found　its　mark　and　knocked　her　unconscious。
　Now　it　was　time　to　finish　the　job。
　As　Delta…One　knelt　down　beside　the　oblivious　woman；　his　teammates　trained　their　rifles　on　the　other　targets…one　on　the　small；　unconscious　man　lying　on　the　ice　nearby；　and　one　on　the　overturned　sled　where　the　two　other　victims　were　hiding。　Although　his　men　easily　could　have　moved　in　to　finish　the　job；　the　remaining　three　victims　were　unarmed　and　had　nowhere　to　run。　Rushing　to　finish　them　all　off　at　once　was　careless。　Never　disperse　your　focus　unless　absolutely　necessary。　Face　one　adversary　at