johngardner.rollofhonor-第17部分

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uition　Bond　was　able　first　to　detect　the　routine　and　then　remove　it；　line　by　line。
　Then　he　matched　up　his　virgin　disk　in　a　format　to　copy　exactly　the　original。　　The　work　took　over　an　hour；　but　at　the　end　he　had　a　true　clone　of　Holy's　training　program　for　the　Kruxator　robbery。　　He　spent　a　further　twenty　minutes　returning　the　protect　program　to　the　original　disk。
　The　second　of　Cindy's　disks　was　a　similar　training　program；　this　time；　they　presumed；　for　the　hijacking　of　an　aircraft。　　As　in　fact　there　had　been　a　monumental　hijack　of　a　specially　chartered　freight　plane　carrying　newly　printed　money　from　the　Royal　Mint　printers　to　several　countries；　the　chances　were　that　this　was　the　blueprint　for　it。
　Once　more；　the　cloning　process　began；　but　this　time　with　more　urgency；　for　Cindy　had　bee　anxious　about　her　return。
　〃There　is　one　other　thing；'　she　said；　looking　tired　and　concerned。
　〃Yes？〃　Bond　grunted；　not　taking　his　eyes　off　the　screen。
　〃Something　very　big's　going　on　now。　　Not　a　robbery；　I'm　pretty　sure　of　that；　but　a　criminal；　probably　violent　operation。　　There　have　been　callers　in　the　night；　and　I've　heard　several　references　to　a　special　program。〃
　〃What　kind　of　special　program？〃
　〃I've　heard　the　name　only　…　they　call　it　the　Balloon　Game；　and　there　seem　to　be　specialists　involved。〃　Bond　was　concentrating；　writing　back　the　protect　program　on　to　the　hijack　simulation　original。　　〃They're　all　specialists；　Cindy。〃
　〃No；　I've　seen　some　of　these　guys。　　They're　not　all　hoods　and　heavies。
　Some　are　like　。　　。　　。　　are　like　pilots　and　parsons。
　〃Parsons？〃
　〃Well；　not　exactly。　　Doctors　and　dentists；　if　you　like。
　Upright。　　Professional。〃
　〃The　Balloon　Game？〃
　〃I　heard　Tigerbalm　use　the　expression；　and　one　of　the　others　…　talking　to　Old　Bald　Eagle。
　Will　you　report　it；　please？　　I　think　it's　something　nasty。〃　Bond　said　he　would　be　getting　the　copies　of　these　two　programs　to　London　quickly。
　He'd　mention　the　Balloon　Game　at　the　same　time。
　〃You　think　they're　using　it　now？　　Training　on　it？〃
　〃Positive。〃
　〃If　we　could　get　a　copy。
　〃Not　a　chance。　　Not　yet；　anyway。
　He　fell　silent；　finishing　off　the　job　in　hand。　　Presently　he　rattled　off　a　description　of　RollingJoe　Zwingli。　　〃Ever　see　anyone　like　him　around　Endor？〃　he　asked。
　〃General　Zwingli。　　I　recognise　the　description；　and　the　answer's　no。　　I　had　some　garbled　message　from　Percy　that　he's　alive。〃　She　paused；　adding　that　this　seemed　incredible。
　Bond　pleted　his　tasks　and　returned　the　original　disks　to　Cindy　and　asked　about　the　routine　at　the　house。
　Did　Jason　and　Dazzle　ever　go　out？　　Or　away？　　How　many　security　people　did　they　have　around？
　Yes；　he　went　away　for　a　couple　of　days　about　once　a　month。　　Always　left　and　returned　at　night。　　Never　left　the　house　during　the　day；　never　showed　his　face　in　the　village。　　Cindy　invariably　referred　to　Jay　Autem　as　the　Target；　or　Old　Bald　Eagle。
　〃Very　cagey；　our　Target。　　Dazzle's　out　and　about　a　great　deal　…　in　the　village；　over　to　Oxford；　London；　taking　trips　abroad。　　I　suspect　she's　the　liaison　officer。〃
　〃Where　abroad？〃
　〃Middle　East；　Europe。　　All　over。　　Percy's　got　the　list。　　I　try　to　keep　a　track；　mainly　from　hotel　book　matches　or　flight　labels。　　But　she's　cagey　as　well。　　Gets　rid　of　a　lot　of　stuff　before　she　es　home。〃　As　for　the　household；　there　was　one　Filipino　boy　and　four　security　men。　　〃He　has　six　genuine　sales　reps　who　wouldn't　suspect　a　thing。　　But　they're　on　the　outside。　　The　four　security　men　double　as　reps　and　staff。　　It's　very　good　cover。　　Would　have　had　me　fooled　if　I　hadn't　known　better。　　They're　all　quiet；　efficient　guys　…　two　cars　between　them；　out　and　about　a　lot；　managing　the　telephones；　taking　orders；　distributing　the　genuine　Gunfire　Simulations　packages。　　But　two　of　them　never　leave　the　house。　　They　work　on　the　security　in　a　strict　rota。　　The　electronics　are　highly　sophisticated。　　Breakable；　but　clever。　　I　mean；　you　have　to　know　the　system　to　fiddle　it。
　What's　more；　as　I've　already　told　you；　they　alter　the　codings　for　every　shift。　　You　can　only　get　in　and　out　if　you　know　the　numbers　for　a　particular　six…hour　period。　　Even　then；　the　machines　have　to　know　your　voice…print。〃
　〃Visual？〃　Bond　asked。
　〃Quite　a　lot　…　the　main　gates；　large　areas　of　the　walls；　front　and　rear　of　the　house。　　You　can　only　dodge　the　closed…circuit　stuff　at　the　back；　and　then　only　if　you　know　the　pattern。　　They　change　that　with　the　lock　codings；　so　you　really　do　need　to　know　your　six…hour　period　to　get　in　or　out　without　being　detected。　　An　intruder　wouldn't　last　three　minutes。〃
　〃Ever　had　any？〃
　〃Intruders？　　Only　a　tramp；　and　one　false　alarm　…　at　least　they　presume　it　was　a　false　alarm。〃
　〃Weapons？〃
　〃I　was　around　when　the　false　alarm　was　triggered。　　Yes；　one　of　the　guys　on　duty　had　a　hand　gun。　　So　I've　seen　one。
　There　are　probably　more。　　James；　can　I　get　going？　　I　can't　afford　to　get　caught　with　these　disks　on　me。　　There　are　blanks　in　the　cabinets　。
　〃On　your　way；　Cindy；　and　good　luck。　　I'll　see　you　tonight。　　I'm　ing　for　a　little　tournament　with　our　Target。　　By　the　way；　your　friend　Peter　tipped　me　off　about　Jason's　style　of　play　〃He　doesn't　like　to　lose；'　she　said　with　a　grin。　　〃Almost　pathological；　like　a　child。
　It's　a　matter　of　honour　with　him。〃　Bond　did　not　smile。　　〃And　me；'　he　said　softly。　　〃It's　a　matter　of　honour　with　me。〃　It　was　past　three…thirty　in　the　morning。　　Bond　packed　up　the　equipment　and　took　it　down　to　the　car；　locking　it　away　in　the　boot。　　Back　in　his　room；　he　put　the　cloned　programs　in　a　FloppiPak　disk　mailer；　smiling　wryly　at　the　frightful　nomenclature　of　the　trade。　　He　addressed　the　label　to　himself　at　a　Post　Office　box　number；　then　weighed　the　small；　flat　package　in　his　hand；　making　an　intelligent　guess　as　to　weight。　　He　stuck　on　what　he　estimated　to　be　sufficient　postage　from　a　folder　of　stamps　in　his　briefcase。　　He　would　have　liked　to　deliver　the　package　in　person；　but　he　was　not　going　to　leave　anything　to　chance。
　Sitting　at　the　small　dressing　table；　Bond　next　wrote　a　short　note　to　Freddie　on　hotel　paper。
　Gone　to　Oxford　for　the　morning。　　Didn't　want　to　wake　you；　but　will　be　back　for　lunch。　　How　about　a　return　match　this　afternoon？
　Stripping　off；　he　ran　a　cold　shower　and　stepped　under　it；　holding　his　face　against　the　stinging　needle　spray　and　gasping　at　the　initial　shock。　After　a　minute　or　so；　he　added　some　warm　water；　soaped　himself；　then　rubbed　himself　down；　towelling　his　body　briskly。　　Before　shaving　he　climbed　into　his　underwear；　a　pair　of　black　Ted　Lapidus　cords　and　a　black　cotton　rollneck。　　He　strapped　the　ASP　automatic；　in　its　holster；　so　that　it　lay　hard　against　his　right　hip。　　Last；　he　put　on　a　light　suede　jacket　and　pushed　his　feet　into　the　old　favourite　moccasins。
　It　was　just　getting　light；　the　dark　sky　changing　to　grey　and　then　that　cold…washed　pearl　which　heralds　unsettled　weather。　　With　the　detested　FloppiPak　in　his　briefcase　Bond　went　downstairs；　left　his　key　and　the　note　for　Freddie　at　the　deserted　reception　and　went　out　to　the　car。
　The　Bentley's　engine　growled　into　life　at　the　first　turn　of　the　key；　and　he　allowed　it　to　settle　to　its　normal；　gentle　purr；　fastening　the　seatbelt　and　watching　the　red　warning　lights　flick　off　one　by　one。
　Releasing　the　foot　brake；　he　slid　the　selector　into　Drive　and　let　the　car　roll　forward。　　If　he　took　the　Oxford　road；　turned　on　to　the　ring　road；　and　then　headed　for　the　M40　he　could　be　in　London　in　ninety　minutes。
　It　began　to　rain　as　he　reached　the　big　roundabout　on　the　periphery　of　the　ring　road　and　took　the　dual　carriageway；　heading　towards　London。
　He　was　a　mile　or　so　along　this　stretch　when　the　white　Mercedes　of　the　day　before　appeared　in　his　mirror。
　Bond　cursed　silently；　tightened　his　seatbelt　and　moved　his　foot　smoothly　down　on　the　accelerator。　　The　car　slid　forward；　gathering　power；　the　speedometer　rising　to　100；　then　120　miles　per　hour。
　There　was　little　traffic　as　he　slid　neatly　in　and　out　of　the　stray　cars　and　lorries；　mainly　keeping　to　the　fast　lane。
　The　white　Mercedes　held　back；　but　even　at　speed；　Bond　could　not　throw　it　off　altogether。　　Ahead　the　signs　came　up　for　an　exit。
　Flicking　the　indicator　at　the　last　moment；　he　left　the　dual　carriageway　still　well　in　excess　of　the　100　mile