jefflong.yearzero-第49部分

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　We　need　him。
　〃This　isn't　a　missing　persons　bureau；〃　she　declared。
　〃I'm　not　the　pizza　delivery　boy；　either；〃　he　said。
　It　was　almost　reckless；　almost　insolent。　Almost。　But　there　was　no　pride　behind　the　chutzpah。　He　was　just　here　for　his　daughter。
　〃How　do　I　know　you　won't　betray　me？　We've　got　no　evidence　this　package　of　artifacts　even　exists。〃
　〃There's　those　letters　from　the　Smithsonian。〃　He　pointed　helpfully　with　one　finger；　and　both　hands　came　up；　attached　at　the　wrist。
　〃Pieces　of　paper。〃　Miranda　nudged　at　his　forged　blood　book。　〃Fictions。〃
　〃You'll　find　a　tree；〃　he　said。　〃Go　forty　feet　north　of　mile　marker　3。〃
　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃
　〃Off　Highway　502。　It's　all　there。　In　saddlebags。　They're　not　buried。　Look　up　in　the　branches。〃
　〃You　said　they　were　buried。〃
　〃I　lied。　Again。〃
　Miranda　looked　at　the　Captain；　and　his　eyebrows　were　knit　into　a　single　black　V。　He　was　taken　off　guard；　too。　As　an　afterthought；　he　took　a　notepad　from　his　pocket　and　started　writing。　He　spoke　into　a　cellphone。
　Nathan　Lee　gave　her　a　pleasant　smile。　〃Now　we've　got　that　out　of　the　way。〃
　The　smile　annoyed　her。　She　wanted　to　scold　him。　What　did　he　have　to　smile　about？　He'd　left　himself　no　chips。　He'd　gained　nothing；　except　to　throw　the　question　of　trust　back　on　her。　She'd　made　no　promises。　But　now　it　was　her　in　the　position　of　betraying　him。　Then　Miranda　realized　he　knew　exactly　what　he　was　doing。　She'd　made　an　issue　of　trust；　so　now　he　was　using　it　against　her。
　〃I　could　wait　until　they　confirm　your。。nfession。〃　She　made　her　voice　frosty。　〃But　I'll　go　ahead　and　check　the　registry。〃　She　slid　the　keyboard　closer。　〃It's　only　for　Los　Alamos；〃　she　warned。
　〃That's　fine。〃
　She　spoke　as　she　typed。　〃Grace　Swift。〃
　〃Probably　not；〃　he　said。
　He　was　right。　〃Well；　what　then？〃
　〃There　was　a　divorce。〃　Miranda　backspaced　over　the　Swift。　He　craned　to　see　her　screen；　but　the　Captain　moved　him　back　with　a　gesture。　〃Try　Ochs；〃　he　said。
　Miranda's　fingers　froze。　〃Not　David　Ochs；〃　she　blurted。
　His　eyes　lit　up。　They　positively　burned。　Then　he　made　himself　clement　and　mild　behind　the　clunky　horn…rims　again。　〃So　he's　made　himself　safe；〃　he　said。
　She　glanced　at　the　Captain；　confounded。　〃He　has　a　wife　and　child？〃　The　executioner　had　a　family？
　〃A　sister；〃　Nathan　Lee　corrected　her。　〃She　remarried。　She　might　have　taken　another　name。　But　start　with　Ochs。　Please。〃
　What　kind　of　charade　was　this？　Clearly　the　man　had　followed　Ochs　here。　He'd　skillfully　used　documents　that　were　over　a　half　year　old　to　gain　access　to　the　Mesa；　and　maybe　that　was　all　there　was　to　it；　one　more　opportunist　trying　to　slide　through　the　fence。　More　ominously；　Ochs　may　have　summoned　him；　an　ally；　the　last　thing　Los　Alamos　needed。　But　why　use　her；　why　not　go　straight　through　Ochs？　Cover？　A　sting？　On　the　other　hand；　he　could　be　who　he　claimed　to　be；　which　verged　on　nothing。　There　was　only　one　sure　way　to　find　out。
　〃Captain；〃　she　said；　〃lock　this　man　up。〃
　*　　*　　*
　OCHS　DID　NOT　Egently。　He　entered　the　monitor　room　loudly；　eyes　bulging　with　gangster　aggression。　His　skull　was　mottled　red　with　his　indignation。　〃What　is　this　all　about？〃　he　demanded。
　〃That's　what　I　want　to　know；〃　said　Miranda。
　〃Take　it　up　with　Cavendish；　whatever　it　is。〃　He　made　a　show　of　trying　to　leave；　but　the　Captain　had　sent　two　of　his　biggest　men。　They　loomed　at　the　door。
　〃Sit；〃　said　the　Captain。
　Then　Ochs　caught　sight　of　the　television　screen　by　Miranda's　elbow。　The　stranger　was　sitting　on　a　metal　bed　in　a　stainless　steel　cell。　A　small　noise　eked　from　Ochs's　nostrils。　The　red　blotches　on　his　polished　head　drained　pale。　〃Swift；〃　he　whispered。　〃But　he's　dead。〃
　Miranda　felt　a　shock　of　happiness；　wicked　and　relieved　at　the　same　time。　Ochs　was　afraid。　And　the　stranger　had　been　honest　at　least　about　his　name。　〃We　were　discussing　you；〃　she　said。
　〃What　in　God's　name　is　he　doing　here？〃
　〃He　brought　the　Smithsonian　specimens　that　you　said　don't　exist；〃　she　said。　〃I　wanted　to　hear　your　side　of　it。〃
　〃My　side　of　what？〃　said　Ochs。　The　blood　returned　to　his　face。　But　his　bluster　was　gone。　〃He's　a　convicted　murderer。　A　cannibal。　Yes；　it's　true；　in　this　day　and　age。　It　all　came　out　in　his　trial。　He　tried　to　kill　me。　They　jailed　him　in　Kathmandu。　You　must　have　read　about　it。〃
　The　seamy；　tabloid　details　rushed　to　her。　This　was　that　man？　But　she　recalled；　even　before　the　plague　transcended　it；　doubting　the　story　could　be　true　in　all　its　parts。　It　had　seemed　too　sordid；　too　fantastic　to　be　real。
　〃He's　hunting　me；〃　said　Ochs。　〃He　wants　revenge。〃
　〃That's　not　what　he　told　us；〃　she　managed　to　say。　Ochs's　fear　was　so。。。delicious。
　The　precision…trimmed　goatee　twitched。　〃What　did　he　tell　you？　Jerusalem；　is　that　it？〃
　〃Tell　me；〃　said　Miranda。Jerusalem？　This　was　like　feeding　quarters　into　a　video　game。　Ochs　was　practically　playing　himself。
　〃He　was　one　of　my　students。　An　idiot；　really。　Every　department　has　one；　the　lost　soul　scraping　for　identity。　I　stuck　him　out　in　the　desert　where　he　couldn't　embarrass　himself。〃
　〃Jerusalem；〃　she　repeated。
　〃He　heard　about　the　Golgotha　find。　He　called　me。　The　earthquake　had　just　hit。　A　quick　buck；　he　said。〃
　〃You　robbed　the　Golgotha　site？〃　Until　this　moment；　she'd　never　known　it　had　been　robbed。
　〃What　could　I　do？　I　went　to　stop　him。　He　was　married　to　my　sister。　I　wasn't　trying　to　protect　him；　only　my　family。　My　department。〃
　〃That's　not　what　he　said。〃　She　didn't　know　what　else　to　say。　Feed　the　quarters　in。
　〃I　didn't　push　him。　He　fell；〃　Ochs　snarled。　〃I　was　trying　to　catch　him。〃
　Was　he　talking　about　Jerusalem？　The　Captain　knew　more　about　it　than　she　did。　〃You　left　him；〃　he　said。　〃In　the　mountains。〃
　Ochs　came　closer　to　the　screen。　Nathan　Lee　could　have　been　waiting　for　a　bus　to　arrive。　〃How　did　he　get　out？〃　he　muttered　to　himself。　〃He's　here？〃
　〃He　says　he　wants　his　daughter；〃　said　the　Captain。
　〃She's　not　here。〃
　〃Where　is　she？〃
　Miranda　was　grateful　for　the　Captain's　presence。　He　was　driving　to　the　heart　of　the　matter。　They　had　found　the　saddlebags　in　the　tree。　Their　part　of　the　bargain　was　to　provide　the　man　his　daughter；　or　clues。　But　Ochs　was　too　clever；　or　frightened。
　〃He's　dead；〃　said　Ochs。　〃Tell　him　that。　We　told　her　he　died。〃
　〃Tell　him　yourself；〃　said　the　Captain。　It　was　all　the　leverage　he　had；　a　bully　threat。
　〃I'm　not　going　in　there。〃
　And　that　was　the　end　of　it。　They　couldn't　force　Ochs　to　speak。　And　Miranda　didn't　have　the　nerve　to　throw　Ochs　into　the　same　cell　with　his　enemy。　Slowly　Ochs　emerged　from　his　confusion。　He　began　to　prehend　their　deception。
　〃Is　that　it？〃　he　said。　〃That's　all　you　had？〃　He　bent　and　smeared　his　thumb　across　Nathan　Lee's　image　on　the　screen。
　〃I'm　keeping　him；〃　Miranda　suddenly　spoke。
　The　Captain　looked　at　her。　Ochs　was　contemptuous。　〃It　will　never　work；〃　he　said。　〃The　council　will　throw　him　to　the　dogs。〃　The　council　was　Cavendish。
　〃Essential　personnel。〃　She　made　it　up　as　she　went　along。　〃The　Year　Zero　remains。　Golgotha。　Forensics。〃
　It　came　to　her。　She　could　draw　the　line。　Maybe　she　couldn't　take　back　all　the　territory　Cavendish　had　seized　over　the　years。　But　she　could　fortify　the　safe　haven　she　had　begun　to　build　here。　It　needed　a　guardian；　someone　who　struck　fear　into　her　enemies；　or　at　least　into　this　one　bully。　It　was　a　start。　With　Nathan　Lee　Swift　in　her　keeping；　Ochs　would　think　twice　before　descending　upon　them。　No　more　raids；　she　thought。　No　more　terror　tactics。　She　would　force　it　with　her　father；　if　it　came　to　that。　Cavendish；　be　damned。
　〃I'm　very　clear　about　this；〃　she　told　Ochs。
　〃We'll　see　about　that；〃　he　said。
　Miranda　did　something　she'd　never　done　to　anyone。　She　slapped　him。　It　wasn't　much　of　a　slap；　but　Ochs　looked　shot。　He　blinked。　He　prehended。
　〃Yes；〃　she　told　him。
　
　18
　The　Mission
　
　THELASTDAYS　OFJULY
　I'm　not　a　child；〃　Miranda　warned　him。　〃I　know　what　you　want。　Don't　get　any　ideas。〃　They　had　emerged　from　Alpha　Lab's　maze　of　basements。　It　was　a　New　Mexican　morning；　blue　sky；　yellow　sun。　She　was　strange　to　him。　Her　loping　stride　made　Nathan　Lee　feel　tardy。　He　hurried　to　keep　up。
　The　hillside　was　crowded　with　buildings；　trailers；　even　a　big　red…and…white　circus　tent　with　a　fading　Barnum　and　Bailey　on　one　si