sk.dreamcatcher-第142部分

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　　　　Well；　I　wouldn't　change　that；　Owen　thought；　opening　the　driver's　door　and　getting　out。　From　somewhere　north；　away　in　the　white　blank　of　the　storm；　came　the　scream　of　an　eagle　bitching　about　the　weather。　From　behind；　south；　came　the　approaching　racket　of　Kurtz；　that　annoying　madman。　It　was　impossible　to　tell　how　close　because　of　the　fucking　snow。　ing　down　this　fast　and　hard；　it　was　like　a　sound…baffle。　He　could　be　two　miles　back；　he　could　be　a　lot　closer。　Freddy　would　be　with　him；　fucking　Freddy；　the　perfect　soldier；　Dolph　Lundgren　from　hell。
　　　　Owen　went　around　to　the　back　of　the　car；　slipping　and　sliding　in　the　snow；　cursing　it；　and　popped　the　Humvee's　back　gate；　expecting　automatic　weapons；　hoping　for　a　portable　rocket…launcher。　No　rocket…launcher；　no　grenades；　either；　but　there　were　four　MP5　auto…fire　rifles；　and　a　carton　containing　long　banana…clips；　the　ones　that　held　a　hundred　and　twenty　rounds。
　　　　He　had　played　it　Henry's　way　back　at　the　pound；　and　Owen　guessed　that　they　had　saved　at　least　some　lives；　but　he　would　not　play　it　Henry's　way　this　time　…　if　he　hadn't　paid　enough　for　the　Rapeloews'　goddam　serving　platter；　he　would　simply　have　to　live　with　the　debt。　Not　for　long；　either；　if　Kurtz　had　his　way。
　　　　Henry　was　either　sleeping；　unconscious；　or　joined　to　his　dying　childhood　friend　in　some　weird　mind…meld。　Let　it　be；　then。　Awake　and　by　his　side；　Henry　might　balk　at　what　needed　to　be　done；　especially　if　Henry　was　right　in　believing　his　other　friend　was　still　alive；　hiding　out　in　the　mind　the　alien　now　controlled。　Owen　would　not　balk　。　。　。　and　with　the　telepathy　gone；　he　wouldn't　hear　Jonesy　pleading　for　his　life　if　he　was　still　in　there。　The　Glock　was　a　good　weapon；　but　not　sure　enough。
　　　　The　MP5　would　rip　the　body　of　Gary　Jones　apart。
　　　　Owen　grabbed　one；　plus　three　extra　clips　which　he　stuffed　into　his　coat　pockets。　Kurtz　close　now　…　close；　close；　close。　He　looked　back　at　East　Street；　almost　expecting　to　see　the　second　Humvee　materializing　like　a　green…brown　ghost；　but　as　yet　there　was　nothing。　Praise　Jesus；　as　Kurtz　would　say。
　　　　The　Hummer's　windows　were　already　glazing　over　with　snow；　but　he　could　see　the　dim　shapes　of　the　two　men　in　the　rear　seat　as　he　passed　back　along　the　body　of　the　vehicle；　trotting　now。　Still　locked　in　each　other's　arms。　'Goodbye；　boys；'　he　said。　'Sleep　well。'　And　with　any　luck　they　would　still　be　sleeping　when　Kurtz　and　Freddy　arrived；　putting　an　end　to　their　lives　before　moving　on　after　their　main　quarry。　
　　　　Owen　stopped　suddenly；　skidding　in　the　snow　and　grabbing　the　Humvee's　long　hood　to　keep　from　falling。　Duddits　was　clearly　a　lost　cause；　but　he　might　be　able　to　save　Henry　Devlin。　It　was　just　possible。
　　　　No！　part　of　his　mind　screamed　as　he　started　back　for　the　rear　door。　No；　there's　no　time！
　　　　But　Owen　decided　to　gamble　that　there　was　…　to　gamble　the　whole　world。　Maybe　to　pay　a　little　more　on　what　he　owed　for　the　Rapeloews'　plate；　maybe　for　what　he　had　done　yesterday　（those　naked　gray　figures　standing　around　their　downed　ship　with　their　arms　held　up；　as　if　in　surrender）；　probably　just　for　Henry；　who　had　told　him　they　would　be　heroes　and　who　had　tried　splendidly　to　fulfill　that　promise。
　　　　No　sympathy　for　the　devil；　he　thought；　wrenching　open　the　rear　door。　No　sir；　zero　sympathy　for　that　motherfucker。
　　　　Duddits　was　closer。　Owen　seized　him　by　the　collar　of　his　big　blue　duffel　coat　and　yanked。　Duddits　toppled　sideways　onto　the　seat。　His　hat　fell　off；　revealing　his　shining　bald　skull。　Henry；　with　his　arms　still　around　Duddits's　shoulders；　came　with　him；　landing　on　top。　His　eyes　didn't　open　but　he　groaned　softly。　Owen　leaned　forward　and　whispered　fiercely　into　Henry's　ear。
　　　　；　Don't　sit　up。　For　the　love　of　God；　Henry；　don't　you　sit　up！'
　　　　Owen　withdrew；　slammed　the　door；　backed　off　three　steps；　placed　the　butt　of　the　rifle　against　his　hip；　and　fired　a　burst。　The　Humvee's　windows　turned　to　milk；　then　fell　in。　Casings　clinked　around　Owen's　feet。　He　stepped　forward　again　and　looked　through　the　shattered　window　into　the　rear　seat。　Henry　and　Duddits　still　lay　there；　now　covered　with　crumbles　of　Saf…T…Glas　as　well　as　Duddits's　blood；　and　to　Owen　they　looked　like　the　two　deadest　people　he　had　ever　seen。　Owen　hoped　Kurtz　would　be　in　too　much　of　a　hurry　for　a　close　examination。　In　any　case；　he　had　done　the　best　he　could。
　　　　He　heard　a　hard　metallic　jouncing　sound　and　grinned。　That　placed　Kurtz；　by　God　…　they'd　reached　the　washout　where　the　Subaru　had　finished　up。　He　wished　mightily　that　Kurtz　and　Freddy　had　rear…ended　the　fucking　thing；　but　the　sound　had　not；　unfortunately；　been　that　loud。　Still；　it　placed　them。　A　mile　back；　a　mile　back　at　least。　Not　as　bad　as　he'd　thought。　　
　　　　'Plenty　of　time；'　he　muttered；　and　that　might　be　true　of　Kurtz；　but　what　about　the　other　end？　Where　was　Mr　Gray　now？
　　　　Holding　the　MP5　by　the　strap；　Owen　started　down　the　path　that　led　to　Shaft　12。


14

Mr　Gray　had　discovered　another　unlovely　human　emotion：　panic。　He　had　e　all　this　way　…　light…years　through　space；　miles　through　the　snow　…　to　be　balked　by　Jonesy's　muscles；　which　were　weak　and　out　of　shape；　and　the　iron　shaft　cover；　which　was　much　heavier　than　he　had　expected。　He　yanked　down　on　the　crowbar　until　Jonesy's　back…muscles　screamed　in　agonized　protest　。　。　。　and　was　finally　rewarded　by　a　brief　wink　of　darkness　from　beneath　the　edge　of　the　rusty　iron。　And　a　grinding　sound　as　it　moved　a　bit　…　perhaps　no　more　than　an　inch　or　two　…　on　the　concrete。　Then　Jonesy's　lower　back　muscles　locked　up　and　Mr　Gray　staggered　away　from　the　shaft；　crying　out　through　clenched　teeth　（thanks　to　his　immunity；　Jonesy　still　had　a　full　set　of　them）　and　pressing　his　hands　to　the　base　of　Jonesy's　spine；　as　if　to　keep　it　from　exploding。
　　　　Lad　let　out　a　series　of　yipping　whines。　Mr　Gray　looked　at　him　and　saw　that　things　had　now　reached　the　critical　juncture。　Although　he　was　still　asleep；　Lad's　abdomen　was　now　so　grotesquely　swelled　that　one　of　his　legs　stuck　stiffly　up　in　the　air。　The　skin　of　his　lower　belly　had　stretched　to　the　point　of　splitting；　and　the　veins　there　pulsed　with　clocklike　rapidity。　A　trickle　of　bright　blood　spilled　out　from　beneath　his　tall。
　　　　Mr　Gray　looked　balefully　at　the　crowbar　jutting　from　the　slot　in　the　iron　cover。　In　Jonesy's　imagination；　the　Russian　woman　had　been　a　slim　beauty　with　dark　hair　and　dark　tragic　eyes。　In　reality；　Mr　Gray　thought；　she　must　have　been　broad…shouldered　and　muscular。　How　else　could　she　have…
　　　　There　was　a　blast　of　gunfire；　alarmingly　close。　Mr　Gray　gasped　and　looked　around。　Thanks　to　Jonesy；　the　human　corrosion　of　doubt　was　also　part　of　his　makeup　now；　and　for　the　first　time　he　realized　that　he　might　be　balked　…　yes；　even　here；　so　close　to　his　goal　that　he　could　hear　it；　the　sound　of　rushing　water　starting　on　its　sixty…mile　underground　journey。　And　all　that　stood　between　the　byrum　and　this　whole　world　was　a　circular　iron　plate　weighing　a　hundred　and　twenty　pounds。
　　　　Screaming　a　thin　and　desperate　litany　of　Beaver…curses；　Mr　Gray　rushed　forward；　Jonesy's　failing　body　jerking　back　and　forth　on　the　defective　pivot…point　of　its　right　hip。　One　of　them　was　ing；　the　one　called　Owen；　and　Mr　Gray　dared　not　believe　he　could　make　this　Owen　turn　his　weapon　on　himself　Given　time；　given　the　element　of　surprise；　maybe。　Now　he　had　neither。　And　this　man　who　was　ing　had　been　trained　to　kill；　it　was　his　career。
　　　　Mr　Gray　leaped　into　the　air。　There　was　a　snap；　quite　audible；　as　Jonesy's　overstressed　hip　broke　free　of　the　swollen　socket　which　had　held　it。　Mr　Gray　landed　on　the　crowbar　with　Jonesy's　full　weight。　The　edge　lifted　again；　and　this　time　the　cover　slid　almost　a　foot　across　the　concrete。　The　black　crescent　through　which　the　Russian　woman　had　slipped　appeared　again。　Not　much　of　a　crescent；　really　no　more　than　a　delicate　capital　C　drawn　with　a　calligrapher's　pen　but　enough　for　the　dog。
　　　　Jonesy's　leg　would　no　longer　support　Jonesy's　weight　（and　where　was　Jonesy；　anyway？　Still　not　a　murmur　from　his　troublesome　host）；　but　that　was　all　right。　Crawling　would　do　now。
　　　　Mr　Gray　worked　his　way　in　such　fashion　across　the　cold　cement　floor　to　where　the　sleeping　border　collie　lay；　seized　Lad　by　his　collar；　and　began　to　drag　him　back　to　Shaft　12。


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