mreilly.icestation-第50部分

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ad。　
　He　heard　voices　immediately。　
　〃…the　national　interest。〃　
　〃Snake；　put　that　fucking…〃　
　And　then　suddenly　static　cut　across　the　signal　and　there　was　nothing。　
　But　Schofield　had　heard　enough。　
　Mother。　
　Snake　was　down　with　Mother。　
　〃Jesus；〃　he　said。　
　He　spun　to　face　Renshaw。　〃OK；　Harry　Houdini；　you've　got　exactly　five　seconds　to　show　me　how　you　got　out　of　this　room。〃　
　Renshaw　immediately　ran　toward　the　door。　〃Why？　What's　going　on？〃　he　said。　
　Schofield　hurried　alongside　him。　〃Somebody's　about　to　get　killed。〃　
　
　Down　in　the　storeroom；　Snake　lifted　his　foot　off　what　was　left　of　Mother's　helmet。　
　The　small　microphone　at　the　jawline　of　her　helmet　lay　crumpled　and　bent；　broken　beyond　repair。　
　〃e　on；　Mother；〃　Snake　said　in　an　admonishing　tone。　〃I　expected　more　from　you。　Or　did　you　just　forget　that　I　receive　your　transmissions；　too？〃　
　Mother　scowled　at　him。　〃Did　you　kill　Samurai？〃　
　〃Yes。〃　
　〃You　fuck。〃　
　Snake　was　almost　on　top　of　her　now。　Mother　shifted　against　the　wall。　
　〃Time　to　die；　Mother；〃　Snake　said。　
　Mother　snorted　at　him。　〃Snake。　I've　just　got　to　know。　What　sort　of　sick；　twisted；　two…faced　son　of　a　bitch　are　you？〃　
　Snake　smiled。　〃The　only　kind；　Mother。　I'm　ICG。〃　
　
　Schofield　watched　tensely　as　Renshaw　stepped　up　to　the　thick　wooden　door　of　his　room。　
　Up　until　that　time；　Schofield　hadn't　noticed　that　the　door　was　made　up　of　about　ten　vertical　wooden　planks。　Renshaw　immediately　placed　his　fingers　up　against　one　of　these　vertical　planks。　
　〃The　horizontal　beams　are　on　the　outside；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃Which　meant　that　no　one　outside　this　room　saw　the　cuts　I　made　on　the　inside　of　these　vertical　planks。〃　
　Schofield's　eyes　widened　when　he　saw　them。　
　Two　thin　horizontal　lines　stretched　across　the　width　of　the　heavy　wooden　door…like　two　scars　in　the　wood…cutting　across　the　wide　vertical　planks。　The　two　horizontal　lines　ran　in　parallel；　approximately　three　feet　away　from　each　other…at　precisely　those　points　where　the　horizontal　beams　on　the　other　side　of　the　door　would　have　been。　
　Schofield　marveled　at　Renshaw's　ingenuity。　
　Anyone　standing　on　the　other　side　of　the　door　would　never　have　known　that　Renshaw　had　managed　to　saw　right　through　the　vertical　wooden　planks。　
　〃I　used　a　steak　knife　to　saw　through　the　planks；〃　Renshaw　said。　〃Three；　actually。　The　wood　wears　them　down　pretty　fast。〃　He　reached　off　to　his　right　and　grabbed　a　worn…down　steak　knife　and　Renshaw　inserted　the　blade　of　the　knife　into　the　narrow　gap　between　two　of　the　vertical　planks。　Then　he　worked　the　knife　like　a　crowbar　until　suddenly　one　of　the　planks　popped　clear　of　the　rest　of　the　door。　
　Renshaw　pulled　the　plank　clear　of　the　door；　and　a　long　rectangular　hole　appeared　in　the　door　where　the　plank　had　been。　Through　that　rectangular　hole　Schofield　could　see　the　curved　outer　tunnel　of　B…deck　stretching　away　from　him。　
　Renshaw　worked　quickly。　He　grabbed　the　next　plank　with　his　bare　hands　and　hurriedly　pulled　it　away。　
　The　hole　on　the　door　got　wider。　
　Schofield　started　removing　the　vertical　planks　with　him；　and　soon　the　hole　was　wide　enough　for　a　man　to　fit　through。　
　〃Stand　back；〃　Schofield　said。　
　Renshaw　took　a　step　back　as　Schofield　dived；　headfirst；　through　the　hole　in　the　door。　He　rolled　to　his　feet　on　the　other　side　and　immediately　ran　off　down　the　tunnel。　
　〃Wait！〃　Renshaw　yelled。　〃Where　are　you　going！〃　
　〃E…deck！〃　Schofield's　voice　echoed　back。　
　And　then　suddenly　Schofield　was　gone　and　Renshaw　was　alone　in　his　room；　staring　at　the　empty　square　hole　he　had　made　in　the　door。　
　He　peered　out　through　it　after　Schofield。　
　〃I　never　dived　through　it　like　that；〃　he　said。　
　
　Schofield　ran。　
　The　walls　of　the　curved　outer　tunnel　streaked　past　him。　He　was　breathing　hard。　His　heart　pounded　loudly　inside　his　head。　He　turned　left；　headed　toward　the　central　shaft。　
　A　thousand　thoughts　ran　through　his　mind　as　he　raced　through　the　tunnels　of　B…deck。　
　He　thought　of　the　tattoo　on　the　shoulder　plate　of　the　man　who　had　shot　him。　A　cobra。　A　snake。　
　Snake。　
　The　mere　concept　was　too　bizarre　for　Schofield　to　prehend。　Snake　was　a　highly　decorated　Marine。　One　of　the　longest…serving　members　in　the　Corps；　let　alone　Schofield's　unit。　Why　would　he　throw　it　all　away　by　doing　something　like　this？　Why　would　he　kill　his　own　men？　
　And　then　Schofield　thought　about　Mother。　
　Snake　was　down　on　E…deck　with　Mother。　
　It　made　sense。　Snake　had　already　killed　Samurai；　the　weakest　member　of　Schofield's　team。　Mother…with　one　leg　and　heavily　dosed　up　on　methadone…would　be　another　easy　target。　
　Schofield　hit　the　B…deck　catwalk　on　the　fly。　He　ran　for　the　rung…ladder　and　slid　down　it　fast　C…deck。　He　slid　down　the　next　rung…ladder…D…deek…and　then　the　next。　
　He　was　on　E…deck　now。　He　ran　across　the　pool　deck；　past　the　lapping　waves　of　the　pool；　and　headed　for　the　south　tunnel。　
　He　entered　the　south　tunnel　and　saw　the　door　to　Mother's　storeroom。　
　Schofield　approached　the　open　doorway　to　the　storeroom　cautiously。　He　unholstered　his　Maghook…he　still　couldn't　use　his　pistol　in　the　gaseous　environment　of　the　station…and　held　it　out　in　front　of　him　like　a　gun。　
　He　approached　the　doorway；　came　to　it。　Then　he　took　one　last　deep　breath　and　then。。。　
　。。。　he　turned　fast　into　the　doorway；　his　Maghook　up　and　ready。　
　He　saw　the　scene　inside。　
　And　his　jaw　dropped。　
　〃Holy　shit；〃　he　breathed。　
　
　They　were　on　the　floor　of　the　storeroom。　
　Mother　and　Snake。　
　At　first；　Schofield　just　stared　at　them；　stared　at　the　scene。　
　Mother　was　stretched　out　on　the　floor；　with　her　back　up　against　one　of　the　walls。　She　had　her　good　leg　extended　across　the　room；　pressed　up　against　Snake's　throat；　pinning　him　to　a　thick　wooden　shelf　filled　with　scuba　tanks。　Her　boot　was　pressed　hard　against　his　throat；　pushing　his　chin　upward；　squeezing　his　face　back　against　the　sturdy　wooden　shelf。　She　also　held　her　Colt　automatic　pistol　cupped　in　her　hands；　extended　in　the　perfect　shooting　position。　Pointed　right　at　Snake's　face。　
　The　gaseous　environment　of　the　station　obviously　didn't　bother　her。　
　Mother　glared　at　Snake　down　the　barrel　of　her　gun。　Blood　dripped　freely　from　two　deep　gashes　above　her　left　eye。　It　dripped　down　off　her　eyebrow；　smacking　down　onto　her　left　cheek　like　droplets　of　water　from　a　leaking　tap。　Mother　didn't　notice　the　blood…she　just　stared　right　through　it；　into　the　eyes　of　the　man　who　had　tried　to　kill　her。　
　For　his　part；　Snake　was　pinned　to　the　wooden　shelf。　Every　now　and　then　he　would　attempt　to　struggle；　but　Mother　had　all　the　leverage。　Whenever　he　tried　to　wriggle　out　of　her　hold；　she　would　press　down　hard　on　his　Adam's　apple　with　her　big　Size　12。　Mother　was　choking　him　with　her　foot。　
　The　room　around　them　looked　like　a　bomb　had　hit　it。　
　Wooden　shelves　lay　twisted　on　the　floor；　splintered　and　shattered。　Scuba　tanks　rolled　aimlessly　across　the　floor。　A　knife…Snake's…lay　on　the　floor。　Blood　dripped　off　its　blade。　
　Slowly；　Mother　turned　her　head　and　looked　over　at　Schofield；　who　was　still　just　standing　in　the　doorway；　stunned。　
　Her　chest　heaved　up　and　down。　She　was　still　breathing　hard　from　the　fight。　
　〃Well；　Scarecrow；〃　she　said；　taking　another　breath。　〃You　think　this　was　easy？　Are　you　just　gonna　fucking　stand　there；　or　what？〃　
　
　
　
　Pete　Cameron　pulled　his　Toyota　to　a　stop　outside　14　Newbury　Street；　Lake　Arthur；　New　Mexico。　
　Fourteen　Newbury　was　a　pleasant…looking　white　weatherboard　cottage。　Its　front　garden　was　immaculate…perfectly　cut　grass；　a　rock　garden；　even　a　small　pond。　It　looked　like　the　home　of　a　retiree…the　home　of　someone　who　had　the　time；　and　the　inclination；　to　take　loving　care　of　it。　
　Cameron　looked　at　the　business　card　again。　〃All　right；　Andrew　Wilcox；　let's　see　what　you've　got　to　say。〃　
　
　Cameron　stepped　up　onto　the　porch　and　knocked　on　the　screen　door。　
　Thirty　seconds　later；　the　inner　door　opened　and　a　man　of　about　thirty…five　appeared　behind　the　screen。　He　looked　young　and　fit；　clean…shaven。　He　smiled　pleasantly。　
　〃Mornin'；〃　the　young　man　said。　〃How　can　I　help　you？〃　He　had　a　broad　Southern　drawl。　When　he　said　〃I〃　it　sounded　like　〃Ah〃…How　can　ah　help　you？　
　Cameron　said；　〃Yes；　hi。　I'm　looking　for　a　Mr。　Andre