tc.patriotgames-第39部分

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ree　thousand　miles　behind　him。

　　　　〃Good　evening；　Mr。　Cooley。〃　Kevin　O'Donnell　looked　up　from　his　menu。
　　　　〃Hello；　Mr。　Jameson。　How　nice　to　see　you；〃　the　book　dealer　replied　with　well…acted　surprise。　
　　　　〃Won't　you　join　me？〃　
　　　　〃Why；　yes。　Thank　you。〃　
　　　　〃What　brings　you　into　town？〃
　　　　〃Business。　I'm　staying　overnight　with　friends　at　Cobh。〃　This　was　true；　it　also　told　O'Donnell　　known　locally　as　Michael　Jameson　　that　he　had　the　latest　message　with　him。
　　　　〃Care　to　look　at　the　menu？〃　O'Donnell　handed　it　over。　Cooley　inspected　it　briefly；　closed　it；　and　handed　it　back。　No　one　could　have　seen　the　transfer。　〃Jameson〃　let　the　small　envelope　inside　the　folder　drop　to　his　lap。　The　conversation　which　ensued　over　the　next　hour　drifted　through　various　pleasantries。　There　were　four　Gardai　in　the　next　booth；　and　in　any　case　Mr。　Cooley　did　not　concern　himself　with　operational　matters。　His　job　was　that　of　contact　agent　and　cutout。　A　weak　man；　O'Donnell　thought；　though　he'd　never　told　this　to　anyone。　Cooley　didn't　have　the　right　qualities　for　real　operations；　he　was　better　suited　to　the　role　of　intelligence。　Not　that　he'd　ever　asked；　and　surely　the　smaller　man　had　passed　through　training　well　enough。　His　ideology　was　sound；　but　O'Donnell　had　always　sensed　within　him　a　weakness　of　character　that　acpanied　his　cleverness。　No　matter。　Cooley　was　a　man　with　no　record　in　any　police　station。　He'd　never　even　thrown　a　rock；　much　less　a　cocktail；　at　a　Saracen。　He'd　preferred　to　watch　and　let　his　hate　fester　without　an　emotional　release。　Quiet；　bookish；　and　unobtrusive；　Dennis　was　perfect　for　his　job。　If　Cooley　was　unable　to　shed　blood；　O'Donnell　knew；　he　was　also　unlikely　to　shed　tears。　You　bland　little　fellow；　you　can　organize　a　superb　intelligence…gathering　operation；　and　so　long　as　you　don't　have　to　do　any　of　the　wet…work　yourself；　you　can　　you　have　helped　cause　the　death　of　。　。　。　ten　or　twelve；　wasn't　it？　Did　the　man　have　any　emotions　at　all？　Probably　not；　the　leader　judged。　Perfect。　He　had　his　own　little　Himmler；　O'Donnell　told　himself　　or　maybe　Dzerzhinsky　would　be　a　more　apt　role　model。　Yes；　〃Iron　Feliks〃　Dzerzhinsky：　that　malignant；　effective　little　man。　It　was　only　the　round；　puffy　face　that　reminded　him　of　the　Nazi　Himmler　　and　a　man　couldn't　choose　his　looks；　could　he？　Cooley　had　a　future　in　the　Organization。　When　the　time　came；　they'd　need　a　real　Dzerzhinsky。
　　　　They　finished　their　talking　over　after…dinner　coffee。　Cooley　picked　up　the　check。　He　insisted：　business　was　excellent。　O'Donnell　pocketed　the　envelope　and　left　the　restaurant。　He　resisted　the　urge　to　read　the　report。　Kevin　was　a　man　to　whom　patience　came　hard；　and　as　a　consequence　he　forced　himself　to　it。　Impatience　had　ruined　more　operations　than　the　British　Army　ever　had；　he　knew。　Another　lesson　from　his　early　days　with　the　Proves。　He　drove　his　BMW　through　the　old　streets　at　the　legal　limit；　leaving　the　town　behind　as　he　entered　the　narrow　country　roads　to　his　home　on　the　headlands。　He　did　not　take　a　direct　route；　and　kept　an　eye　on　his　mirror。　O'Donnell　knew　that　his　security　was　excellent。　He　also　knew　that　continued　vigilance　was　the　reason　it　remained　so。　His　expensive　car　was　registered　to　his　corporation's　head　office　in　Dundalk。　It　was　a　real　business；　with　nine　blue…water　trawlers　that　dragged　purse…seine　nets　through　the　cold　northern　waters　that　surrounded　the　British　Isles。　The　business　had　an　excellent　general　manager；　a　man　who　had　never　been　involved　in　the　Troubles　and　whose　skills　allowed　O'Donnell　to　live　the　life　of　a　country　gentleman　far　to　the　south。　The　tradition　of　absentee　ownership　was　an　old　one　in　Ireland　　like　O'Donnell's　home；　a　legacy　from　the　English。
　　　　It　took　just　under　an　hour　to　reach　the　private　driveway　marked　by　a　pair　of　stone　pillars；　and　another　five　minutes　to　reach　the　house　over　the　sea。　Like　any　mon　man；　O'Donnell　parked　his　car　in　the　open；　the　carriage　house　that　was　attached　to　the　manor　had　been　converted　to　offices　by　a　local　contractor。　He　went　at　once　to　his　study。　McKenney　was　waiting　for　him　there；　reading　a　recent　edition　of　Yeats'　poetry。　Another　bookish　lad；　though　he　did　not　share　Cooley's　aversion　to　the　sight　of　blood。　His　quiet；　disciplined　demeanor　concealed　an　explosive　capacity　for　action。　A　man　very　like　O'Donnell　himself；　Michael　was。　Like　the　O'Donnell　often　or　twelve　years　before；　his　youth　needed　tempering；　hence　his　assignment　as　chief　of　intelligence　so　that　he　could　learn　the　value　of　deliberation；　of　gathering　all　the　information　he　could　get　before　he　mitted　himself　to　action。　The　Proves　never　really　did　that。　They　used　tactical　intelligence；　but　not　the　strategic　kind　　a　fine　explanation；　O'Donnell　thought；　for　the　mindlessness　of　their　overall　strategy。　Another　of　the　reasons　he　had　left　the　Provisionals　　but　he　would　return　to　the　fold。　Or　more　properly；　the　fold　would　return　to　him。　Then　he　would　have　his　army。　Kevin　already　had　his　plan；　though　not　even　his　closest　associates　knew　it　　at　least　not　all　of　it。
　　　　O'Donnell　sat　in　the　leather　chair　behind　the　desk　and　took　the　envelope　from　his　coat　pocket。　McKenney　discreetly　went　to　the　corner　bar　and　got　his　superior　a　glass　of　whiskey。　With　ice；　a　taste　Kevin　had　acquired　in　hotter　climes　several　years　before。　He　set　the　glass　on　the　desk；　and　O'Donnell　took　it；　sipping　off　a　tiny　bit　without　a　word。
　　　　There　were　six　pages　to　the　document；　and　O'Donnell　read　through　the　single…spaced　pages　as　slowly　and　deliberately　as　McKenney　had　just　been　doing　with　the　words　of　Yeats。　The　younger　man　marveled　at　the　man's　patience。　For　all　his　reputation　as　a　fighter　capable　of　ruthless　action；　the　chief　of　the　ULA　often　seemed　a　creature　made　of　stone；　the　way　he　would　assemble　and　process　data。　Like　a　puter；　but　a　malignant　one。　He　took　fully　twenty　minutes　to　go　through　the　six　pages。
　　　　〃Well；　our　friend　Ryan　is　back　in　America；　where　he　belongs。　Flew　the　Concorde　home；　and　his　wife　arranged　for　a　friend　to　meet　them　at　the　airport。　Next　Monday　I　expect　he'll　be　back　teaching　those　fine　young　men　and　women　at　their　Naval　Academy。〃　O'Donnell　smiled　at　the　humor　of　his　words。　〃His　Highness　and　his　lovely　bride　will　be　back　home　two　days　late。　It　seems　that　their　aircraft　developed　electrical　problems；　and　a　new　instrument　had　to　be　flown　in　all　the　way　from　England　　or　so　the　public　story　will　go。　In　reality；　it　would　seem　that　they　like　New　Zealand　so　much　that　they　wanted　some　additional　time　to　enjoy　their　privacy。　Security　on　their　arrival　will　be　impressive。
　　　　〃In　fact；　looking　this　over；　it　would　seem　that　their　security　for　the　next　few　months　at　least　will　be　impenetrable。〃　
　　　　McKenney　snorted。　〃No　security's　impenetrable。　We've　proven　that　ourselves。〃
　　　　〃Michael；　we　do　not　wish　to　kill　them。　Any　fool　can　do　that；〃　he　said　patiently。　〃Our　objective　demands　that　we　take　them　alive。〃　
　　　　〃But　〃
　　　　Would　they　never　learn？　〃No　buts；　Michael。　If　I　wanted　to　kill　them；　they　would　already　be　dead；　and　this　Ryan　bastard　along　with　them。　It　is　easy　to　kill；　but　that　will　not　achieve　what　we　wish。〃　
　　　　〃Yes；　sir。〃　McKenney　nodded　his　submission。　〃And　Sean？〃　
　　　　〃They　will　be　processing　him　in　Brixton　Prison　for　another　two　weeks　or　so　　our　friends　in　C…13　don't　want　him　far　from　their　reach　for　the　moment。〃　
　　　　〃Does　that　mean　that　Sean　〃
　　　　〃Most　unlikely；〃　O'Donnell　cut　him　off。　〃Still　and　all；　I　think　the　Organization　is　stronger　with　him　than　without　him；　don't　you？〃　
　　　　〃But　how　will　we　know？〃
　　　　〃There　is　a　great　deal　of　high…level　interest　in　our　rade；〃　O'Donnell　half…explained。
　　　　McKenney　nodded　thoughtfully。　He　concealed　his　annoyance　that　the　mander　would　not　share　his　intelligence　source　with　his　own　intelligence　chief。　McKenney　knew　how　valuable　the　information　was；　but　where　it　came　from　was　the　deepest　of　all　the　ULA's　secrets。　The　younger　man　shrugged　it　off。　He　had　his　own　information　sources；　and　his　skill　at　using　their　information　was　growing　on　a　daily　basis。　Having　always　to　wait　so　long　to　act　on　it　chafed　on　him；　but　he　admitted　to　himself　　grudgingly　at　first；　but　with　increasing　conviction　　that　full　preparation　had　allowed　several　tricky　operations　to　go　perfectly。　Another　operation　that　had