el.angeleyes-第37部分

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　But　now　she　had　one　piece　of　the　puzzle。　Rega　had　been　working　for　Cruz。　Then　why　did　the　Yakuza　kill　him？　What　had　one　of　them　said？　His　use　was　at　an　end。
　〃When　the　Orolas　killed　Rega；〃　Cruz　said；　〃the　war　began　in　earnest。　And　war　is　profitable　only　for　the　armament　suppliers。〃
　〃Cruz；〃　Tori　said；　〃the　Orolas　did　not　kill　Rega。〃　He　scowled　at　her。　〃What　could　you　know　of　it？〃　〃I　ran　into　Rega's　killers　in　Buenos　Aires。　In　fact；　they　almost　killed　me；　as　well。　They　were　Japanese　gangsters。〃
　〃Japanese？〃　Cruz　laughed　in　her　face；　then　his　scowl　got　deeper。　〃Are　you　trying　to　make　a　fool　of　me？〃
　〃I'm　sure　she　isn't；〃　Sonia　said；　keeping　his　hand　around　her　amulet。　〃Think。　Rega　had　a　rich　source；　a　buyer　flooding　us　with　money。　That's　why　you　sent　him…a　lieutenant；　not　a　mule…to　Buenos　Aires。　She's　telling　the　truth；　corazon。　Don't　you　see　how　it　makes　sense？〃
　〃But　the　Japanese？〃　Cruz　said。　〃Why　would　they　want　so　much　coke？〃
　〃That's　what　we've　e　here　to　find　out；〃　Tori　said。　
　〃You　see；　соrazoп；〃　Sonia　said　excitedly　to　Cruz；　〃they　are　good　luck　for　you。''
　Russell　said；　〃The　question　now　is　to　find　out　why　the　Japanese　killed　Rega。　He　was　their　connection。〃
　Cruz　considered　this。　〃Only　two　answers　are　possible；〃　he　said。　〃One；　they　don't　need　supply　anymore；　two；　they　found　a　better　connection。〃
　〃They　still　need　the　cocaine；〃　Russell　said。　〃We're　certain　of　that。〃
　〃Could　the　Orolas　be　giving　the　Japanese　a　better　deal？〃　Tori　asked。
　〃All　that　product？〃　Cruz　shook　his　head。　〃I'd　know　about　it　right　away。　If　they　have　a　new　connection；　it's　not　the　Cali　cartel。〃
〃Then　who？〃　Russell　asked。
　Cruz　shrugged。　〃It　may　be　nothing；　you　know　how　rumors　are；　especially　here。　But　。　。　。　over　the　last　several　months　there　has　been　talk　of　a　major　new　cocaine　factory　establishing　itself　in　the　llanos　of　Meta　Province；　east　of　here；　just　past　the　Manacacias　River。　It's　very　wild　there；　difficult　to　track　even　rumors。　Like　I　said；　we　had　all　dismissed　the　stories。〃
　〃Whose　territory　is　that？〃　Russell　asked。　Cruz　shrugged。　〃Not　Orola's；　not　mine。　The　Colombian　army　is　in　and　out　of　there　all　the　time。　So　is　the　DAS。〃　He　meant　the　Colombian　Department　of　Administrative　Security；　charged　with　keeping　the　cartels　and　the　shipments　from　the　Bolivian　cocaleros　under　control。　〃They　do　a　shit　job；　but　they　can　be　dangerous　nonetheless。〃
　〃No…man's…land；〃　Estilo　said。
　〃Llano　negro。　〃Black　jungle。　Cruz　nodded。　〃A　land　of　only　shadows。　One　of　the　stories；　more　persistent　than　most；　says　that　the　army　and　the　DAS　patrol　this　area　not　to　find　this　factory；　but　to　protect　it。〃　He　shrugged　again。　〃But　these　rumors　have　a　way　of　growing　out　of　all　proportion。　There　is　no　way　to　tell　the　truth　from　the　fiction。〃
　But；　of　course；　there　was　one　way。　Tori；　Russell；　Estilo；　and　Sonia　all　looked　at　one　another。　Without　saying　a　word；　they　had　municated　everything　they　needed　to　know。　It　was　to　this　llano　negro　they　would　have　to　go　to　find　the　beginning　of　the　bizarre　Yakuza　cocaine　trail。
　Less　than　twenty…four　hours　later　the　three　of　them　were　lifting　off　from　Machine…Gun　City　in　one　of　Cruz's　Bell　JetRanger　III　helicopters。
　Just　before　they　left；　Sonia　took　Tori　aside　without　anyone　seeing　and　said；　〃Remember　your　promise　to　me。　You　must　help　me　destroy　Cruz。〃
　〃I　won't　forget；〃　Tori　said。　〃When　we　get　back。〃
　〃When　you　get　back。〃　Sonia　nodded。
　Sonia　said　something　else；　but　the　wind　was　already　in　Tori's　ears。　Was　it　her　imagination　or　did　Sonia　have　a　doubtful　look　on　her　face？
　They　were　all　dressed　in　tropical　paramilitary　camouflage　suits。　Among　the　armament　each　carried　was　a　machete；　a　Marine　KA…BAR　knife；　a　。45　handgun；　and　an　Uzi　machine　pistol　with　three　extra　loads。
　It　was　dark　inside　the　helicopter；　and　the　heavy　vibrations　penetrated　to　their　bones。　Russell　was　up　front；　quizzing　Cruz's　pilot；　who　was　set　to　pick　them　up　twenty…four　hours　after　he　set　them　down。　If　they　didn't　make　the　first　rendezvous；　he'd　return　the　same　time　the　day　after。　Estilo　was　stretched　out；　asleep；　on　the　bench　on　the　opposite　side　of　the　cabin。　Tori　put　her　head　back　against　cold　steel　and　closed　her　eyes。
　''Don't　look　so　worried；　Senor　Slade；''　Estilo　said　some　hours　later。　〃We　Argentines　have　a　saying；　'When　Satan　tries　to　walk　on　ice；　he　falls　on　his　face。　Ice　is　not　his　milieu。'　〃
　Who　is　he　kidding？　Tori　thought；　as　the　JetRanger　set　them　down　in　a　minuscule　clearing　in　the　llanos　of　Meta　Province。　She　had　a　clear　sense　of　foreboding。
　Llano　negro。　The　black　jungle；　where　only　shadows　dwelled；　where　maybe　the　good　guys　rode　shotgun　for　the　bad　guys。　She　thought；　This　territory　isn't　controlled　by　Cruz；　or　by　the　Orolas。　So　who　does　it　belong　to？
　
　
FOUR
MOSCOW/TOKYO

　Mars　called　Irina　at　work　and　asked　her　to　go　to　No。　1　Gastronome　on　Gorky　Street　during　her　lunch　hour　to　pick　up　some　provisions　for　his　parents；　which　he　planned　to　take　to　them　on　the　following　Saturday。　He　was　in　meetings　all　day；　could　not　go　himself；　and　he　was　afraid　if　he　waited　until　tomorrow；　the　fresh　sturgeon　would　all　be　gone。
　Irina　readily　agreed。　She　loved　Gorky　Street；　with　its　rush　of　sumptuously　dressed　tourists；　its　myriad　shops　and　huge　hotels；　but　she　loved　No。　1　Gastronome　most　of　all。　She　felt　like　a　child　in　a　storybook；　allowed　to　wander　through　a　wonderland　of　magical　displays。　Food　stuffs　from　all　over　the　Soviet　Union；　as　well　as　from　foreign　lands；　were　stacked　on　shelves　and　behind　glass　cases。　There　were　always　lines　here；　but　Irina　never　minded　standing　in　them；　because　it　gave　her　more　time　to　soak　up　the　atmosphere。
　As　Mars　had　asked；　she　purchased　fresh　smoked　sturgeon；　several　tins　of　caviar；　and　on　impulse；　a　half…pound　of　smoked　salmon　all　the　way　from　Nova　Scotia。　It　was　an　extravagant　purchase；　but　she　thought　the　exotic　salmon　would　make　Mars　happy。
　Afterward　she　strolled　down　Gorky　Street　in　the　wan　sunshine；　happy　merely　to　be　out　of　her　dim；　cramped　office　and　in　the　fresh　air。　Of　course；　one　had　to　discount　the　traffic　fumes；　but　like　all　city　dwellers；　Irina　was　barely　aware　of　the　clouds　of　exhaust。
　She　was　perhaps　fifty　yards　from　the　Druzhba　bookstore　when　she　saw　Valeri　emerge　from　the　entrance。　She　raised　her　arm；　about　to　call　out　to　him；　but　he　had　already　turned　away。　Irina　hurried　after　him；　excited　to　extend　her　lunch　hour；　anything　to　keep　her　from　returning　to　her　stultifying　job。
　She　followed　him　up　Gorky　Street；　past　No。　1　Gastronome；　through　the　Soviet　Square；　with　its　monument　to　Prince　Dol…goruky；　Moscow's　founder。　A　few　streets　on　he　turned　left；　disappeared　into　a　small　building　with　a　green　facade；　the　old　Moscow　Arts　Theater；　where；　years　ago；　Stanislavsky　had　taught　the　Method　to　Soviet　actors；　and　thereby　changed　the　face　of　modern　theater　forever。
　Chekhov's　Three　Sisters　was　playing；　and　photos　of　the　actors　were　posted　just　above　the　schedule　of　times。　Irina　went　inside。　The　interior　was　cool；　musty；　filled　with　hushed　voices；　but　she　saw　no　one；　the　lobby　deserted。
　She　pushed　through　the　door　into　the　theater　proper。　On　stage；　a　series　of　spotlights　shone　down　on　actors　rehearsing　a　scene。　Irina　looked　around；　saw　Valeri　sitting　near　the　back　of　the　semidark　theater。　She　took　two　steps　toward　him；　then　froze。
　There　was　a　stunning　woman　with　him。　She　had　blond　hair；　blue　eyes；　and　a　nose　Irina　would　have　killed　for。　Irina　recognized　her　as　one　of　the　stars　of　the　current　production；　Natasha　Mayakova。
　Irina　could　not　move；　hearing　in　her　mind　Valeri　saying　to　her；　The　joke　is　that　it　is　you；　Irina；　who　has　seduced　me。　Do　you　think　that　you　are　the　latest　in　a　long　line　of　conquests　for　me？　No。　But　what　was　she　thinking？　Of　course；　this　must　be　a　business　meeting；　or　a　visit　with　a　friend。　But　in　the　back　of　her　mind　a　perverse　voice　kept　saying　no；　no；　no。　He's　lied　to　you。　It　is　something　else；　not　business；　not　friendship。　It　is　an　assignation。
　They　were　sitting　very　close；　their　heads　together。　She　could　hear　Valeri　saying；　〃Time　is　difficult　to　e　by；　but　not　for　you；　koshka；〃　and　Natasha　Mayakova's　answering　silvery　laughter。
　He　called　her　koshka。　Darling。　Irina　wanted　to　turn　away；　to　run；　but　she　could　not。　She　felt　like