rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第61部分

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would　be。
　Drake　was　relishing　that　thought　when　he　saw　a　black　sphere　arc　toward　him。　His　instincts　and　reactions　were　superb；　but　he　couldn't　cover　his　eyes　in　time。　The　stun　grenade　exploded　like　a　supernova；　blinding　him。　The　shock　wave　hammered　him　to　the　ground。
　Drake　was　young　and　very　fit。　During　live　fire　training　and　on　actual　missions　he　had　taken　his　share　of　explosions。　As　soon　as　he　hit　the　ground　he　covered　his　head　in　case　of　shrapnel。　He　did　not　panic　when；　opening　his　eyes；　he　saw　nothing　but　white。　The　flash　would　wear　off　in　a　few　seconds。　He　still　had　his　gun　in　his　hand。　He　knew　that　he'd　hit　Smith　and　that　he　was　down。　All　he　had　to　do　was　wait　for　his　sight　to　return。
　Then　Drake　heard　the　distant　wail　of　sirens。　Cursing；　he　staggered　to　his　feet。　Although　the　room　was　still　a　blur　he　made　it　to　the　windows。　His　vision　cleared　enough　for　him　to　make　out　two　red　dots　flickering　between　the　trees　bordering　the　access　road。
　〃Goddamnit！〃　he　roared　as　he　heard　the　sirens。　Smith　had　brought　his　own　backup！　Who　were　they？　How　many？
　His　vision　almost　normal；　Drake　rushed　to　where　he'd　seen　Smith　fall。
　But　he　wasn't　there！
　The　sirens　were　getting　louder。　Cursing；　Drake　snatched　up　the　backpack　and　headed　into　the　stairwell。　He　made　it　outside　just　in　time　to　see　two　sedans　pull　up　in　front　of　the　gates。
　Let　'em　e；　he　thought。　All　they're　going　to　find　is　a　body！
　
　Staring　at　the　loose　wires　dangling　from　the　panel；　Megan　Olson　struggled　to　fend　off　her　despair。　She　had　lost　track　of　all　the　binations　she　had　tried；　running　different　wires　to　different　terminals。　So　far；　nothing　had　worked。　The　shuttle's　air…lock　door　remained　firmly　sealed。
　Her　only　consolation　was　that　she　thought　she'd　fixed　her　mike。　But　she　didn't　want　to　test　it　just　yet。
　Calm　down；　she　told　herself。　There's　a　way　out　of　here。　All　you　have　to　do　is　find　it。
　It　was　maddening　that　less　than　a　foot　away；　on　the　other　side　of　the　door；　was　the　emergency…release　lever。　All　Dylan　Reed　had　had　to　do　was　pull　it。
　Instead　he's　going　to　let　you　die。　Like　all　the　others。。。
　No　matter　how　hard　she　tried；　Megan　could　not　distance　herself　from　the　horror　of　Reed's　actions。　For　the　last　several　hours　she　had　listened　in　on　his　terse；　intermittent　conversations　with　Harry　Landon　at　mission　control。　In　one　of　them；　he　had　given　a　graphic　description　of　the　bodies。
　But　how　did　he　get　a　sample？
　From　Treloar！　Klein　had　told　her　about　the　theft　from　Bioaparat　and　how　Treloar　had　helped　smuggle　the　Russian　smallpox　sample　into　the　country。　But　how　had　Treloar　gotten　the　virus　to　the　launch　site？　He　was　killed　soon　after　landing　in　Washington。
　That's　when　she　remembered　the　morning　of　the　liftoff；　being　unable　to　sleep；　taking　a　walk　in　the　darkness；　seeing　the　launch　pad　in　the　distance；　seeing　Reed。。。　Then　the　anonymous　visitor；　approaching　him；　handing　him　something；　and　leaving。　Could　it　have　been　a　last…minute　transfer？　It　had　to　be。
　If　what　Reed　had　received　was　in　fact　smallpox；　Megan　thought；　then　it　would　have　remained　stable　until　the　shuttle　was　in　orbit　and　Reed　could　store　it　in　the　biofreezer。
　The　Spacelab！　Suddenly　she　remembered　the　message　that　had　e　in　to　the　flight　deck。　Minutes　later；　Reed　had　changed　the　experiments'　schedule；　bumping　her　and　taking　the　first　slot　for　himself。　He　had　explained　it　away　so　smoothly　that　no　one；　not　even　she；　had　questioned　him。
　Not　even　when　you　had　seen　the　NASA　log　number　for　that　message。　Reed's　number。　And　you　asked　yourself　how　he　could　possibly　have　sent　that　message　to　himself。。。
　Megan　shook　her　head。　The　questions　had　been　there；　but　she　had　ignored　them。　Instead；　she　had　accepted　the　events　as　coincidence；　had　chosen　to　believe　in　the　integrity　of　the　man　who　had　brought　her　to　the　stars。
　The　question　of　why　Reed　would　be　party　to　such　a　barbaric　act　plagued　her。　Even　after　she'd　gone　over　everything　she　knew　about　him；　no　answer　was　forthing。　There　was　something　in　him；　about　him；　that　she　hadn't　seen。　No　one　had。
　Earlier；　Megan　had　clung　to　the　frail　hope　that　Reed　would　return。　A　part　of　her　could　not　believe　that　he　would　kill　her　in　cold　blood。　But　as　the　hours　passed　and　she　listened　to　his　munication　with　mission　control；　she　came　to　accept　that　as　far　as　he　was　concerned；　she　was　already　dead。
　Megan　stared　hard　at　the　wiring　panel。　Because　she　was　able　to　eavesdrop　on　the　conversations　with　mission　control；　she　knew　how　Harry　Landon　intended　to　bring　down　the　shuttle　and；　more　important；　how　long　that　would　take。　She　still　had　time　to　figure　out　how　to　escape。　Once　she　did；　she　would　head　straight　for　the　auxiliary　munications　unit　in　the　lower　bay。
　But　if　the　wiring　continued　to　foil　her　and　time　began　to　run　out；　she　had　one　final　option。　Choosing　to　exercise　it　meant　that　the　door　would　open…　no　doubt　about　that。　But　there　was　no　guarantee　that　she　would　survive　the　aftermath。
　
　Smith　staggered　to　his　feet；　ripped　off　his　jacket；　and　tore　at　the　Velcro　straps　of　his　Kevlar　Second　Chance　bulletproof　vest。　It　was　rated　to　stop　anything　up　to　a　9mm　slug。　But　even　though　it　had　absorbed　Drake's　。22s　easily；　Smith　still　felt　as　though　he'd　been　kicked　in　the　chest　by　a　mule。
　Getting　into　his　car；　he　activated　the　global　positioning　system　built　into　the　dash。　Instantly　a　glowing　blue　dot　appeared　on　the　small　screen　that　showed　a　map　of　Fairfax　County。
　Smith　reached　for　the　phone。
　〃Klein　here。〃
　〃It's　me；　sir。〃　Smith　said。
　〃Jon！　Are　you　all　right？　I　received　reports　of　an　explosion。〃
　〃That　was　my　doing。〃
　〃Where　are　you？〃
　〃Just　outside　the　plant。　The　target's　moving…　by　the　looks　of　it；　on　foot。　Whoever　you　sent；　sir；　did　the　job。　They　got　here　just　in　time　to　spook　Drake。〃
　〃What　about　Drake？　Did　he　take　the　bait？〃
　Smith　glanced　at　the　pulsing　blue　dot。　〃Yes；　sir。　He's　on　the　move。
　
　It　took　Sergeant　Patrick　Drake　five　minutes　to　cover　the　one…mile　hiking　path　through　the　woods　between　the　power　plant　and　the　deserted　recreational　area　where　he'd　parked　his　vehicle。
　Alert　for　any　sign　of　a　tail；　Drake　drove　to　the　outskirts　of　Alexandria。　Pulling　into　the　lot　of　a　Howard　Johnson　motor　lodge；　he　parked　in　front　of　the　last　unit　in　the　row。　Drake　opened　the　door　to　find　General　Richardson　and　Anthony　Price　inside。
　〃Mission　report；　Sergeant？〃　Richardson　asked。
　〃The　target　was　neutralized；　sir；〃　Drake　replied　smartly。　〃Two　hits；　center　mass。〃
　〃You're　sure？〃　Price　demanded。
　〃What　do　you　want；　Tony？〃　Richardson　snapped。　〃Smith's　head　on　a　platter？〃　He　turned　to　Drake。　〃At　ease；　Sergeant。　You　did　well。〃
　〃Thank　you；　sir。〃
　Price　gestured　at　the　backpack　that　Drake　had　brought　with　him。　〃What's　that？〃
　Drake　dropped　the　pack　on　one　of　the　beds。　〃Something　Smith　left　behind。〃
　Undoing　the　straps；　he　laid　out　the　contents：　two　spare　ammunition　clips；　a　road　map；　a　cell　phone；　a　microcassette　recorder；　and　a　small；　round　object　that　got　Price's　attention。
　〃What's　that？〃
　〃A　flash　grenade；　sir；〃　Drake　said；　pretending　not　to　notice　Price's　shocked　expression。　〃It's　okay；　sir。　The　pin　is　secure。〃
　〃Give　us　some　privacy；　soldier；〃　Price　said。
　As　Drake　went　into　the　bathroom；　Price　grabbed　Richardson's　arm。　〃Enough　of　this　soldier…boy　shit；　Frank。　Neither　one　of　us　needed　to　be　here。　Drake　could　have　called　in　the　results。〃
　Richardson　jerked　his　arm　away。　〃That's　not　the　way　I　work；　Tony。　I　lost　a　soldier　boy；　as　you　call　him；　over　in　Palermo。　He　had　a　name。　Travis　Nichols。　And　in　case　you've　forgotten；　Smith　got　close　enough　to　us　to　call　me　at　Fort　Belvoir…　on　a　line　you　guaranteed　was　secure！〃
　〃The　number　was　secure！〃　Price　shot　back。　〃Your　man　gave　it　up。〃
　Richardson　shook　his　head。　〃For　someone　who's　done　the　things　you　have；　you　sure　don't　like　getting　your　hands　dirty；　do　you？　You　prefer　to　give　orders　and　let　others　die　while　you　watch　the　results　on　television；　like　this　is　all　a　big　game。〃　Richardson　leaned　in　close。　〃I'm　not　playing　a　game；　Tony。　I'm　doing　this　because　I　believe　it　is　necessary。　I'm　doing　this　for　my　country。　What　do　you　believe　in？〃
　〃The　same；〃　Price　replied。
　Richardson　snorted。　〃But　you've　feathered　your　bed　with　Bauer…Zermatt；　have