tc.patriotgames-第58部分

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　　　　〃I　guess　that's　one　way　to　look　at　it；〃　Jack　agreed。
　　　　〃I　heard　you　were　out　jogging　this　morning。〃　Tyler　changed　subjects。
　　　　〃So　did　I。〃　Robby　laughed。　
　　　　〃I'm　still　alive；　guys。〃
　　　　〃One　of　my　mids　said　tomorrow　they're　going　to　follow　you　around　with　an　ambulance　just　in　case。〃　Skip　chuckled。　〃I　suppose　it's　nice　for　you　to　remember　that　most　of　the　kids　know　CPR。〃　
　　　　〃Why　are　Mondays　always　like　this？〃　Jack　asked。

　　　　Alex　and　Sean　Miller　made　a　final　run　along　Route　50。　They　were　careful　to　keep　just　under　the　speed　limit。　The　State　Police　radar　cars　were　out　in　force　today　for　some　reason　or　other。　Alex　assured　his　colleague　that　this　would　end　around　4：30。　Rush　hour　had　too　many　cars　on　the　road　for　efficient　law　enforcement。　Two　other　men　were　in　the　back　of　the　van；　each　with　his　weapon。　
　　　　〃Right　about　here；　I　think；〃　Miller　said。　
　　　　〃Yeah；　it's　the　best　place；〃　Alex　agreed。　
　　　　〃Escape　route。〃　Sean　clicked　on　a　stopwatch。
　　　　〃Okay。〃　Alex　changed　lanes　and　kept　heading　west。　〃Remember；　it's　gonna　be　slower　tonight。〃
　　　　Miller　nodded；　getting　the　usual　pre…op　butterflies　in　his　stomach。　He　ran　through　his　plan；　thinking　over　each　contingency　as　he　sat　in　the　right…front　seat　of　the　van；　watching　the　way　traffic　piled　up　at　certain　exits　off　the　highway。　The　road　was　far　better　than　the　roads　he　was　accustomed　to　in　Ireland；　but　people　drove　on　the　wrong　side　here；　he　thought；　though　with　pretty　good　traffic　manners　pared　to　Europe。　Especially　France　and　Italy　。　。　。　he　shook　off　the　thought　and　concentrated　on　the　situation　at　hand。
　　　　Once　the　attack　was　pleted；　they　would　reach　the　getaway　vehicles　in　under　ten　minutes。　The　way　it　was　timed；　Ned　Clark　would　be　waiting　for　them。　Miller　pleted　his　mental　run…through；　satisfied　that　his　plan；　though　a　hasty　one；　was　effective。

　　　　〃You're　early；〃　Breckenridge　said。
　　　　〃Yeah；　well；　I　have　a　couple　of　mids　ing　in　this　afternoon　to　go　over　their　term　papers。　Any　problem？〃　Jack　took　the　Browning　from　his　briefcase。
　　　　The　Sergeant　Major　grabbed　a　box　of　9mm　rounds。　〃Nope。　Mondays　are　supposed　to　be　screwed　up。〃
　　　　Ryan　walked　to　lane　three　and　pulled　the　gun　from　the　holster。　First　he　ejected　the　empty　clip　and　pulled　the　slide　back。　Next　he　checked　the　barrel　for　obstructions。　He　knew　the　weapon　was　fine　mechanically；　of　course；　but　Breckenridge　had　range…safety　rules　that　were　inviolable。　Even　the　Superintendent　of　the　Academy　had　to　follow　them。
　　　　〃Okay；　Gunny。〃
　　　　〃I　think　today　we'll　try　rapid　fire。〃　The　Sergeant　Major　clipped　the　appropriate　target　on　the　rack；　and　the　motorized　pulley　took　it　fifty　feet　downrange。　Ryan　loaded　five　rounds　into　the　clip。
　　　　〃Get　your　ears　on；　Lieutenant。〃　Breckenridge　tossed　the　muff…type　protectors。　Ryan　put　them　on。　He　slid　the　clip　into　the　pistol　and　thumbed　down　the　slide　release。　The　weapon　was　now　〃in　battery；〃　ready　to　fire。　Ryan　pointed　it　downrange　and　waited。　A　moment　later　the　light　over　the　target　snapped　on。　Jack　brought　the　gun　up　and　set　the　black　circle　right　on　the　top　of　his　front　sight　blade　before　he　squeezed。　Rapid…fire　rules　gave　him　one　second　per　shot。　This　was　more　time　than　it　sounded　like。　He　got　the　first　round　off　a　little　late；　but　most　people　did。　The　gun　ejected　the　spent　case　and　Ryan　pulled　it　down　for　the　next　shot；　concentrating　on　the　target　and　his　sights。　By　the　time　he　counted　to　five；　the　gun　was　locked　open。　Jack　pulled　off　the　ear　protectors。
　　　　〃You're　getting　there；　Lieutenant；〃　Breckenridge　said　at　the　spotting　scope。　〃All　in　the　black：　a　nine；　four　tens；　one　of　'em　in　the　X…ring。　Again。〃
　　　　Ryan　reloaded　with　a　smile。　He'd　allowed　himself　to　forget　how　much　fun　a　pistol　could　be。　This　was　a　pure　physical　skill；　a　man's　skill　that　carried　the　same　sort　of　satisfaction　as　a　just…right　golf　shot。　He　had　to　control　a　machine　that　delivered　a　。357…inch　bullet　to　a　precise　destination。　Doing　this　required　coordination　of　eye　and　hand。　It　wasn't　quite　the　same　as　using　a　shotgun　or　a　rifle。　Pistol　was　much　harder　than　either　of　those；　and　hitting　the　target　carried　a　subintellectual　pleasure　that　was　not　easily　described　to　someone　who　hadn't　done　it。　His　next　five　rounds　were　all　tens。　He　tried　the　two…hand　Weaver　stance；　and　placed　four　out　of　five　in　the　X…ring；　a　circle　half　the　diameter　of　the　ten…ring；　used　for　tie…breaking　in　petition　shoots。
　　　　〃Not　bad　for　a　civilian；〃　Breckenridge　said。　〃Coffee？〃　
　　　　〃Thanks；　Gunny。〃　Ryan　took　the　cup。
　　　　〃I　want　you　to　concentrate　a　little　more　on　your　second　round。　You　keep　letting　that　one　go　off　to　the　right　some。　You're　rushing　it　a　little。〃　The　difference；　Ryan　knew；　was　barely　two　inches　at　fifty　feet。　Breckenridge　was　a　stone　perfectionist。　It　struck　him　that　the　Sergeant　Major　and　Cathy　had　very　similar　personalities：　either　you　were　doing　it　exactly　right　or　you　were　doing　it　pletely　wrong。　〃Doc；　it's　a　shame　you　got　hurt。　You　would　have　made　a　good　officer；　with　the　right　sergeant　to　bring　you　along　　they　all　need　that　of　course。〃
　　　　〃You　know　something；　Gunny？　I　met　a　couple　of　guys　in　London　that　you'd　just　love。〃　Jack　slipped　the　magazine　back　into　his　automatic。

　　　　〃Ryan　is　rather　a　clever　lad；　isn't　he？〃　Owens　handed　the　document　back　to　Murray。
　　　　〃Nothing　really　new　in　here；〃　Dan　admitted；　〃but　at　least　it's　well　organized。　Here's　the　other　thing　you　wanted。〃　
　　　　〃Oh；　our　friends　in　Boston。　How　is　Paddy　O'Neil　doing？〃　Owens　was　more　than　just　annoyed　at　this。　Padraig　O'Neil　was　an　insult　to　the　British　parliamentary　system；　an　elected　mouthpiece　for　the　Provisional　IRA。　In　ten　years　of　trying；　however；　neither　Owens'　Anti…Terrorist　Branch　nor　the　Royal　Ulster　Constabulary　had　ever　linked　him　to　an　illegal　act。
　　　　〃Drinking　a　lot　of　beer；　talking　to　a　lot　of　folks；　and　raising　a　little　money；　just　like　always。〃　Murray　sipped　at　his　port。　〃We　have　agents　following　him　around。　He　knows　they're　there；　of　course。　If　he　spits　on　the　sidewalk；　we'll　put　him　on　the　next　bird　home。　He　knows　that；　too。　He　hasn't　broken　a　single　law。　Even　his　driver　　the　guy's　a　teetotaler。　I　hate　to　say　it；　Jimmy；　but　the　bum's　clean；　and　he's　making　points。〃
　　　　〃Oh；　yes；　he's　a　charming　one；　Paddy　is。〃　Owens　flipped　a　page　and　looked　up。　〃Let　me　see　that　thing　your　Ryan　fellow　did　again。〃
　　　　〃The　guys　at　Five　glommed　your　copy。　I　expect　they'll　give　it　to　you　tomorrow。〃
　　　　Owens　grunted　as　he　flipped　to　the　summary　at　the　back　of　the　document。　〃Here　it　is　。　。　。　Good　God　above！〃　
　　　　〃What？〃　Murray　snapped　forward　in　his　chair。　
　　　　〃The　link；　the　bloody　link。　It's　right　here！〃
　　　　〃What　are　you　talking　about；　Jimmy？　I've　read　the　thing　twice　myself。〃
　　　　〃　'The　fact　that　ULA　personnel　seem　to　have　been　drawn　almost　entirely　from　〃extreme〃　elements　within　the　PIRA　itself；'　〃　he　read　aloud；　〃　'must　have　a　significance　beyond　that　established　by　existing　evidence。　It　seems　likely　that　since　the　ULA　membership　has　been　so　recruited；　some　ULA　〃defectors…in…place〃　remain　within　the　PIRA；　serving　as　information　sources　to　their　actual　parent　organization。　It　follows　that　such　information　may　be　of　an　operational　nature　in　addition　to　its　obvious　counterintelligence　value。'　Operational；〃　Owens　said　quietly。　〃We've　always　assumed　that　O'Donnell　was　simply　trying　to　protect　himself　。　。　。　but　he　could　be　playing　another　game　entirely。〃
　　　　〃I　still　haven't　caught　up　with　you；　Jimmy。〃　Murray　set　his　glass　down　and　frowned　for　a　moment。　〃Oh。　Maureen　Dwyer。　You　never　did　figure　out　that　tip；　did　you？〃
　　　　Owens　was　thinking　about　another　case；　but　Murray's　remark　exploded　like　a　flashbulb　in　front　of　his　eyes。　The　detective　just　stared　at　his　American　colleague　for　a　moment　while　his　brain　raced　down　a　host　of　ideas。
　　　　〃But　why？〃　Murray　asked。　〃What　do　they　gain？〃　
　　　　〃They　can　do　great　embarrassment　to　the　leadership；　inhibit　operations。〃
　　　　〃But　what　material　good　does　that　do　for　the　ULA？　O'Donnell's　too　professional　to　screw　his　old　friends　just　for　the　hell　of　it。　The　INLA　might；　but　they're　just　a　bunch　of　damned…fool　cowboys。　The　ULA　is　too　sophisticated　for　that　sort　of　crap。〃　
　　　　〃Yes。　We've　just　surmounted　one　wall　to　find　another　before　us。　Still；　that's　one　more　wall　behind　us。　It　gives　us　something　to　question　young　Miss　Dwyer　about；　doesn't　it？〃
　　　　〃Well；　it's　an　idea　to　run　down。　The　ULA　has　the　PIRA　penetrated；　and　sometimes　they　feed　information　to　you　to　make　the　Provos　look　bad。〃　Murray　shook　his　head。　Did　I　just　say　that　one　terrorist　outfit　was　trying　to　make　another　one　look　bad？　〃Do　you　have　enough　evidence　to　back　that　idea　up？〃
　　　　〃I　can　name　you　three　cases　in　the　last　year　where　anonymous　tips　gave　us　Provos　who　were　at　the　top　of　our　list。　In　none　of　the　three　did　we　ever　learn　who　the　source　was。〃
　　　　〃But　if　the　Provos　suspect　it　　oh；　scratch　that　idea。　They　want　O'Donnell　anyway；　and　that's　straight　revenge　for　all　the　people　he　did　away　with　within　the　organization。　Okay；　embarrassing　the　PIRA　leadership　may　be　an　objective　in　itself　　if　O'Donnell　was　trying　to　recruit　some　new　members。　But　you've　already　discarded　that　idea。〃
　　　　Owens　swore　under　his　breath。　Criminal　investigation；　he　often　said；　was　like　doing　a　jigsaw　puzzle　when　you　didn't　have　all　the　pieces　and　never　really　knew　their　shapes。　But　telling　that　to　his　subordinates　wasn't　the　same　thing　as　experiencing　it　himself。　If　only　they　hadn't　lost　Sean　Miller。　Maybe　they　might　have　gotten　something　from　him　by　now。　His　instinct　told　him　that　one　small；　crucial　fact　would　make　a　plete　picture　of　all　the　rubbish　he　was　sorting　through。　Without　that　fact；　his　reason　told　Owens；　everything　he　thought　he　knew　was　nothing　more　than　speculation。　But　one　thought　kept　repeating　itself　in　his　mind：
　　　　〃Dan；　if　you　wanted　to　embarrass　the　Provisionals'　leadership　politically；　how　and　where　would　you　do　it？〃

　　　　〃Hello；　this　is　Doctor　Ryan。〃
　　　　〃This　is　Bernice　Wilson　at　Johns　Hopkins。　Your　wife　asked　me　to　tell　you　that　she's　in　an　emergency　procedure　and　she'll　be　about　a　half　hour　late　tonight。〃
　　　　〃Okay；　thank　you。〃　Jack　replaced　the　phone。　Mondays；　he　told　himself。　He　went　back　to　discussing　the　term　paper　projects　with　his　two　mids。　His　desk　clock　said　four　in　the　afternoon。　Well；　there　was　no　h