cc.goldenbuddha-第32部分
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lated events begin to reveal themselves。 If there were someone high above the party; what he would see right now would be two distinctly different groups。 The people from the Corporation began to move like pieces on a chessboard; while those who were part of the party seemed to act as a single unit。
Sung Rhee tried to focus his eyes; but the view of the inside of the tent was ebbing and flowing。 Specks of blue dotted the far edges of his peripheral vision。 Then he saw what he thought was a yellow…and…red weasel out of the corner of his eye; but when he moved his head; it was gone。 At just that instant; his cellular telephone rang。
〃Rhee。〃
〃I can barely hear you; sir;〃 one of his detectives said。 Rhee stared at the tiny telephone。 He was holding it a foot from his mouth; as if unable to gauge distances。 He tried to move it to the proper place; but he slammed it into his temple。
〃How's that?〃 he asked。
〃Better。 Sir; we just received a call from the head abbot at the A…Ma Temple。 They report that a pair of men has just stolen a large golden Buddha they had on display。〃
Rhee thought for a second。 The Buddha was right outside the tent。 〃That's all right;〃 Rhee said; 〃I saw our friend earlier。〃
〃What are you talking about; sir?〃
Rhee stared at the floral arrangement in the center of the table。 The head of a tiny horse appeared and spoke in a British accent。 Take me for a ride; it said。
〃Listen; you;〃 Rhee said; 〃my horse is here。〃
〃Sir;〃 the detective said; 〃I'm ing over there right away。〃 Rhee dropped the telephone and turned to the person next to him。
〃See my horse?〃
The person was a troll and he was speaking in a language Rhee could not understand。
OVER THE ROAR of the motorcycle engine; a siren came from just over the hill。 The two men shut off the engines and listened。 The sound neither grew louder nor diminished。
〃Good;〃 the first man said; 〃they're stuck in traffic; just like we planned。〃
〃Let's do it;〃 the second man said。
They started their engines and roared away。
DETECTIVE LING PO was screaming into the radio as he raced toward the mansion。 He was a half mile away when the traffic ground to a stop。
〃Can anyone reach the temple?〃 he shouted。
The units reported in one at a time。 Only the car along the Inner Port Road was making any progress。 〃We have a pair of men on motorcycles that have stolen a large gold Buddha;〃 he said as he beeped his horn。 〃Has anyone seen them pass?〃
The reports were negative。
Po steered his squad car onto the sidewalk and; blaring his horn; continued on。
THE BAND WAS performing the Thin Lizzie song 〃The Boys Are Back in Town。〃
On the Oregon; Hanley was watching the monitors in alarm。 They had expected some unusual behavior once the potion was administered; but what he was seeing was chaos。 A crowd of guests in tuxedos and evening dresses had suddenly filled the dance floor; and several of the ladies were shedding their clothes。
Stanley Ho was walking through the tent in a daze。 He was feeling strange; but he had no idea why。 Spotting Candace across the tent; he began to make his way toward her。
〃Okay; everyone; we go in sixty seconds;〃 Hanley ordered。
〃I hear sirens;〃 King reported; 〃and they are growing closer。〃
〃Monica;〃 Hanley said; 〃are you hearing?〃
Crabtree turned to where she knew the camera was in the keyboard and winked。
〃Now;〃 Hanley said。
Crabtree bit down on a packet she had taken from her purse and slipped it inside her mouth。 Ho was a few feet away and she stumbled toward him with foam seeping from the edges of her mouth。 She grabbed him around his neck and held tight。
〃Go ahead; Murph;〃 Hanley ordered。
Murphy slipped his hand inside his pocket and hit the trigger。 Almost instantly there was a series of explosions like fireworks。 The outside lights and those inside the tent went dark。
〃We're a go for switch;〃 Hanley said。
At exactly that instant; Barrett and Pryor slid one of the speaker boxes off the cart and opened a back door。 A gold…painted plaster Buddha replica slipped onto the ground。 At the same time; Reinholt flipped the edge of the tent over the Buddha on display。 Several potted plants placed in the Y inside the tent shielded the guards from anyone who might be watching。
〃All dark on the western front;〃 King said as he scanned the ground through the pale green light of a night scope。 〃Anyone moving?〃 Hanley asked。 King swept across the grounds; then down the hillside。 〃There's an unmarked police car with a portable light on the roof proceeding along Avenida Republica。 He's three hundred and fifty yards distant。〃
〃Can you hit at that distance?〃 Hanley asked。 〃Oh ye of little faith;〃 King said。 〃It's a car; not a bug。 I doubt I can hit the driver's nose; but you never know。〃
〃Just a tire; Larry;〃 Hanley said。 〃Hold on;〃 King said。
Supporting the rifle on a branch; he regulated his breathing; then waited until the police car was in his field of fire。 He was in an almost Zen state of concentration。 When the target appeared; it was as if it were in slow motion。 King squeezed the trigger; then willed the bullet to run true。 Inside the rifle; the firing pin hit the shell primer and sparked; the gunpowder burned and propelled the shell out of the cartridge and sent it spinning through the rifling inside the barrel。 Leaving the end of the barrel and passing through the noise suppressor; the slug started down the hill in a straight line toward the target。
〃Shit;〃 Po said as his front tire shredded。 He slowed down and climbed out of the squad car; leaving the door open。 Looking back onto the sidewalk; he tried to see what he had hit。 There was nothing visible; but that didn't mean anything。 He stared up the hill to his intended destination; then decided the hill was too steep to climb。 Po slid back into the driver's seat and reached for the radio。
〃Target has stopped and he's calling for help;〃 King said。
〃Good job;〃 Hanley said。
Hanley was watching the monitors; but without lights there was little to see。 He stared at his watch; then glanced at the schedule of actions。 Thirty seconds passed。 King continued to scan the grounds。 A few of the kitchen workers had popped out from inside and were clustered around the rear door。 He swiveled his scope to the front of the house and noticed that the front gate to the driveway had opened automatically when the power was cut。 Ten seconds。
〃Have you sighted the charge on the fireworks display?〃 Hanley asked。
〃Got it;〃 King said。
〃Protect your eyes after the shot;〃 Hanley said。
〃I'll switch back to regular sights;〃 King agreed。
〃We go in five; four; three; two; one。〃
King squeezed the trigger and hit the explosive packet Murphy had laid in place hours earlier。 The fireworks exploded with a roar。 Roman candles streaked skyward and the large mortarlike devices began to spew forth in belches。 There was shrieking and thumping sounds as the fireworks began to discharge。 King rubbed his eyes and stared at the now…lit…up scene。
Three flickers from a flashlight at the front of the tent caught his attention。
〃I have a signal the switch has been made;〃 King noted。
〃Signal the helicopter;〃 Hanley said to one of the operators。
〃She's having a seizure;〃 Ho shouted。
Monica Crabtree hung on to Ho's neck and rolled her eyes back in her head。 A doctor Ho knew was dancing on one of the tables nearby; but he didn't respond to Ho's request to e over。 At just that instant; Barrett walked over。
〃This woman is sick;〃 Ho said。
The guard grabbed Crabtree and slid her to the ground。 The inside of the tent was chaos; the music was blaring; but in the dim light no one noticed the band had left the stage。 Ho's head was spinning and he vvas having trouble concentrating。 The guard placed his lips over Crab…tree's。
〃No tongue; please;〃 Crabtree whispered。
Faking CPR; the guard turned to Ho。 〃This woman is dying。〃
〃Call for help;〃 Ho said。
The guard reached for the radio on his belt and called for an ambulance。
〃Juan;〃 Hanley said; 〃the bird is inbound。〃
〃Time to pull out;〃 Cabrillo said to his team。 〃Round everyone up。〃 Reinholt and Pry