el.the miko-第109部分

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a…three　codes；　she　knew　you　were　the　best　at　breaking　them。　Why　in　Christ's　name　would　she　use　them？〃
　The　Boy　Wonder　shrugged。　〃For　one　thing；　I　don't　think　she　had　a　choice。　The　Alpha…threes　are　still　by　far　the　most　secure　ciphers　the　Soviets　have。〃　He　shuddered　when　he　said　the　word　Soviets；　he　still　could　not　believe　the　truth。　〃She　knew　that　my　success　was　spotty。　In　fact；　not　too　long　ago　we　spoke　about　it。　Now　that　I　think　about　it；　she　even　asked　me　how　I　was　ing　on　the　latest　one。〃　He　nodded。　〃That　would　have　been　this　one　here。　I　told　her　it　was　the　worst　yet。　I　didn't　think　I'd　crack　it。　Maybe　twelve　hours　after　that　I　got　the　first　breakthrough；　it　came　like　a　bolt　of　lightning。　After　that　it　was　just　a　matter　of　a　lot　of　donkey　work；　much　of　which　the　puters　did。〃
　Minck　contemplated　the　Boy　Wonder。　He　had　not　even　bothered　to　say　something　as　fatuous　as　〃There　must　be　some　mistake！〃　He　knew　Theerson　too　well；　the　man　just　did　not　make　mistakes。　He　might　not　be　able　to　break　every　Alpha…three　but　when　he　did　he　knew　whereof　he　spoke。
　〃You　did　a　fine　job；　Tony。〃　His　voice　was　as　bleak　as　a　winter's　day。
　Theerson　nodded　sadly。　〃I'm　sorry。　Really　I　am。〃
　Minck　waved　him　mutely　away。　When　he　was　again　alone；　he　rose　and；　taking　the　hideous　message　with　him；　went　into　the　now　windowless　room　next　door。　Dhzerzinsky　Square　greeted　him；　as　ugly　as　all　Russian　architecture　was　to　him。　Above；　the　dark；　crepuscular　sky。　Across　the　square；　Children's　World；　where　gift　wrapped　presents　were　presented。　Back　across　the　square；　the
　
　black　Zil　entered　the　rat's　hole　of　Lubyanka。　He　had　returned；　running　for　his　life　through　the　snyeg；　all　sound　muffled；　all　life　stifled。
　How　much　information　had　he　unwittingly　provided　the　Russians？　How　many　steps　ahead　of　him　was　Viktor　Protorov？　For　the　message　was　clear　enough：　Volk　reported　to　him。　Tanya　and　Protorov。　How　had　he　done　it？　How？
　Minck　ground　his　teeth　together。　He　was　having　trouble　breathing。　How　the　Wolf　must　have　laughed　at　his　idea　to　send　her　in　to　back　up　Linnear；　and　how　she　must　have　panicked　on　learning　that　he　had　sent　Linnear　in　against　her　master。
　He　could　see　her　face　clearly　at　the　moment　she　had　learned　what　he　had　done；　how　he　had　so　cleverly　improvised。　How　he　had　misread　her　concern！　What　perspectives　the　truth　lent　reality。
　He　paced　the　room；　Moscow　all　around　him　cloaked　in　winter's　dank　and　frosty　grip。　He　did　not　want　to　see　the　changing　of　the　seasons　there；　like　his　burning　hatred；　he　wished　only　to　see　the　city's　immutability。
　What　to　do　now？　he　wondered。　How　in　God's　name　could　he　salvage　the　operation？　He　had　not　heard　from　Linnear。　Certainly　he　could　send　no　other　agent　in　after　her；　she　would　be　instantly　alerted；　a　call　from　him；　an　order　home　would　have　the　same　effect。　She　knew　there　was　nothing　on　the　boards…there　could　not　be…as　important　as　Tenchi　and　Protorov。
　Like　a　parent　at　the　moment　of　parting　with　his　child；　he　felt　utterly　betrayed。　Yet　he　could　not　bring　himself　to　hate　her。　Nothing　she　could　do　to　him　could　destroy　his　love。
　There　must　be　an　answer；　he　thought　furiously。　I　have　pulled　victory　from　the　edge　of　defeat　many　times　before。　Why　should　this　be　any　different。　But　he　knew　the　answer　to　that。　Never　had　he　been　faced　with　a　disaster　of　this　magnitude。
　To　have　a　Dig　Dug　within　his　own　Red　Sector　was；　for　him；　intolerable。　It　was　to　him　other　agencies　came　to　ferret　out　just　such　dangers　within　their　own　hierarchies。
　No　answer　came　to　him。　Tanya；　by　her　very　position　within　Red　Section；　knew　all　of　its　personnel。　Individuals　from　agencies　allied　with　the　Family　would　never　get　to　her。　And　besides　alerting　her；　there　was　another　danger　in　going　outside　his　own　organization。　He'd　never　live　the　infiltration　down。　No　one　must　know　of　Tanya　Vladimova's　heinous　betrayal。
　He　was　being　frantic；　his　mind　racing　from　one　possibility　to　another；　discarding　each　one　almost　as　soon　as　he　had　thought　of　it。　Why　hadn't　Linnear　used　the　access　number？
　His　inter　buzzed。　He　ignored　it　but　the　sound　would　not　go　away。　He　wanted　no　interruptions　now　and　reached　out　for　the　disconnect　button。　He　hit　the　on　switch　instead　and　the　floor　receptionist's　voice　rang　in　the　room。
　〃Someone　here　to　see　you；　sir。〃
　〃I　want　to　see　no　one；　is　that　clear？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　But　the　gentleman　will　not　leave。　He　insists　on…〃
　Oh；　for　Christ's　sake！　Minck　thought。　〃Does　this　'gentleman'　have　a　name？〃
　〃Yes；　sir。　He　says　you　know　him。　His　name　is　Detective　Lieutenant　Lewis　Croaker。〃
　His　body　was　a　mass　of　bruises　where　Protorov　and　Koten　had　beaten　him。　The　first　three　fingers　of　his　right　hand　were　broken　and　badly　swollen。　The　pain；　however；　was　no　problem；　he　knew　how　to　control　that。
　He　walked　gingerly　over　to　Protorov's　desk；　turned　on　the　paper　shredder；　and　fed　the　coded　sheets　into　it。　Now　the　information　existed　only　in　his　head。
　He　crawled　back　to　where　Protorov　lay　and　continued　his　deep　breathing。　He　stared　down　at　his　bloated　fingers　and　knew　there　was　no　help　for　it；　he　could　not　leave　them　in　this　condition。
　At　the　Tenshin　Shoden　Katori　he　had　learned　koppo；　the　sub…specialization　of　ninjutsu　which　dealt　in　the　breaking　of　bones。　In　fact　he　had　applied　some　of　those　techniques　when　he　had　gripped　Protorov。　Now　he　needed　to　reverse　the　process　on　himself。
　Using　only　thumb　and　forefinger；　he　gripped　one　finger　at　a　time　and　began　to　explore。　Just　as　a　safe's　tumblers　will　somehow　convey　to　the　trained　ear　when　they　are　about　to　fall　into　place；　so　Nicholas　reached　a　moment　in　each　exploration　when　his　body　told　him　the　spot　had　been　found。　More　investigation　revealed　to　him　the　precise　angle　he　would　need。
　A　Westerner　would　grit　his　teeth；　tense　his　muscles　against　what　his　mind　told　him　was　ing；　thus　increasing　the　pain。　Nicholas　relaxed　his　body　and　mind；　decreasing　the　pain。　He　floated　in　getsumei　no　michi　as　his　body　healed　itself。
　When　his　eyes　returned　from　middle　distance　he　saw　that　his　fingers　were　set。　Ripping　off　a　length　of　cloth　from　Protorov's　dress　blouse；　he　wound　the　coarse；　heavy　material　around　and　around　the　line　of　breaks　until　it　was　thick　enough　to　act　as　a　temporary　splint。　He　used　his　teeth　to　tie　it　off；　mindful　of　not　cutting　off　local　circulation。
　Then　he　took　stock。　It　was　not　good。　He　was　in　a　strictly　shut…ended　situation。　He　had　been　lucky　up　until　now　that　no　one　had　entered　to　see　what　Protorov　was　up　to。　That　could　not　last　much　longer；　he　knew。　He　was　in　the　center　of　a　veritable　fortress；　in　a　room　with　one　doorway；　thick　as　a　bank's　vault。　He　glanced　upward。　This　room；　by　its　very　isolated　nature；　had　an　oversized　ventilation　system。　It　would　have　been　entirely　possible　for　him　to　get　up　to　one　of　the　vent　ports　high　up　near　the　room's　ceiling　and　exit　that　way　had　it　not　been　for　his　broken　fingers　and　the　residue　of　the　drug。
　He　needed　help　but　he　had　no　allies　for　many　miles　around。　Therefore　he　would　have　to　create　one。
　Using　ichi；　he　gave　as　accurate　an　approximation　of　Viktor　Protorov's　voice　as　he　could　summon　up；　calling　out　for　Russilov。　When　the　lieutenant　appeared　through　the　doorway；　he　heaved　Protorov's　limp　form　at　him　face　first。
　Russilov's　reaction　was　predictable。　The　first　autonomic　reaction　of　throwing　his　hands　up　to　protect　the　body　was　quickly　followed　by　a　stunned　cry　as　he　recognized　the　identity　of　the　corpse。
　The　bination　was　enough　to　paralyze　him　for　the　amount　of　time　Nicholas　needed　to　rush　him　and　make　him　prisoner。　He　touched　Russilov's　chest　and　the　Russian　felt　his　heart　stutter。　He　sagged　a　bit；　feeling　abruptly　faint　and　unable　to　breathe。　He　might　just　as　well　have　ingested　a　toxic　substance。　All　color　dropped　out　of　his　face；　and　cold　sweat　appeared　on　his　upper　lip　and　at　his　hairline。
　Still　his　head　whipped　around　to　get　another　look。　〃Impossible！〃　he　cried。　〃You're　dead！〃
　〃Then　we　have　just　proved　that　there　is　life　beyond　the　grave！〃　Nicholas　hissed　in　his　ear。
　There　was　blood　on　Russilov　and；　fastidiously；　stupidly；　he　tried　to　brush　it　off。
　Nicholas　took　his　sidearm；　searched　him　thoroughly　for　other　weapons。　He　found　a　knife　on　the　inside　of　the　Russian's　left　calf。　〃Now　you're　going　to　get　me　out　of　here。〃
　〃Impossible　as　well；〃　Russilov　said　and；　when　Nicholas　tightened　his　grip；　said　hurriedly；　〃No；　it　is　the　truth！　There　is　an　electronic　scanner。　Prisoners　are　stamped　with　an　invisible　mark　that　is　renewed　every　week。　If　we　were　to　walk　or　drive　out　through　any　gate　you　would　be　fried…I　along　with　you　if　we　were　in　the　same　vehicle。〃
　〃There　must　be　some　way　to　get　it　off　prematurely；〃　Nicholas　said。
　〃There　is；〃　Russilov　nodded。　〃Protorov　knew　how。　Only　Pro…torov。　You'll　never　get　out　of　here；　with　me　or　without　me。〃
　Nicholas　did　not　despair。　He　had　been　taught　to　infiltrate　and　he　knew　that　there　was　a　way　out　of　every　manmade　structure；　just　as　there　was　a　way　in。
　〃Quickly；〃　he　said；　〃tell　me　about　this　place。〃
　Russilov　plied。　The　building　that　Protorov　had　chosen　as　his　base　had　originally　been　a　barn　plex　which　he　had　converted　to　his　own　uses。　There　were　two　exits　and；　as　Russilov　had　said；　they　were　useless　to　Nicholas。　Stone　walls　had　been　erected　inside　the　wooden　ones；　one　extra　story　had　been　built；　which　was　where　they　currently　were。
　Russilov　laughed　low　in　his　throat。　〃There's　nowhere　for　you　to　go　but　up；　to　the　parapets。　From　there　you　may　leap　into　the　dense　woods；　my　friend。　Perhaps　you　will　not　die；　perhaps　you　will　be　lucky　and　the　fall　will　only　break　your　legs！〃
　Nicholas'　mind　was　racing。　It　was　conceivable　that　Russilov　had　described　his　way　out。
　〃Out　now！〃　he　manded。　〃And　whoever　we　run　across　must　not　bee　suspicious；　is　that　clear？　If　you　raise　your　voice；　you　die；　if　you　make　an　unaccounted…for　move；　you　die。　Clear？〃
　The　lieutenant　nodded。
　Outside　in　the　hallway；　they　saw　no　one。　The　two　lieutenants　had　taken　the　doctor　downstairs　to　a　detention　cell。　Russilov　led　him　toward　the　stairs　up　to　the　roof。　On　the　way；　they　passed　a　number　of　bamboo　and　aluminum　poles　perhaps　fifteen　meters　in　length。
　Nicholas　stopped　him。　〃What　are　these　for？〃
　〃Bamboo　groves　all　around　here；〃　Russilov　said　sullenly。　〃Farmers　used　to　store　and