el.angeleyes-第48部分

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he　had　still　been　in　Mall　Central；　and　she　realized　that　this　was　as　close　as　he　could　e　to　telling　her　how　much　he　missed　his　friend；　Ariel　Solares。
　Night　in　the　llano　negro　was　absolute。　There　was　no　moon；　but　illumination　was　provided　by　the　factory's　powerful　arc　lights。　It　was　eerie　to　be　deep　in　the　jungle；　and　to　see　everything　in　terms　of　the　powder…white　sodium　lights。　There　were　no　colors；　no　grays；　only　utter　black　and　stalk　white。
　Russell　went　with　Tori　into　the　warehouse。　He　said；　〃I'm　not　sure　this　is　a　good　idea。〃
　〃It　doesn't　matter；〃　Tori　said；　crouching　down　by　the　side　of　a　barrel　of　acetone。
　〃I'm　the　mander　in　the　field；〃　Russell　pointed　out。
　〃You're　nothing；〃　Tori　said。　〃You　want　to　be　a　mander；　go　ahead。　But　you've　got　no　one　to　mand。〃
　There　was　a　small　silence。　Then　he　crouched　down　beside　her。　''I　still　think　this　is　far　too　dangerous。　We　could　all　die。〃
　〃We　could　all　have　died　in　Cruz's　copter；　if　the　pilot　had　crashed；〃　Tori　said。　〃The　idea　is　not　to　make　a　mistake。〃　She　nodded；　held　out　a　length　of　cord。　〃Cut　this　for　me；　will　you？''
　Russell　did　as　she　asked；　and　Tori　dipped　the　cord　into　the　acetone。　She　looped　it　around　the　barrel　and　over　to　the　one　next　to　it　that　contained　ether。　She　opened　the　barrel。　Then　she　backed　up；　trailing　the　cord　behind　her。
　〃Ready？〃
　〃Not　by　a　long　shot；〃　Russell　said；　watching　her　light　the　end　of　the　acetone…soaked　cord。　Then　they　got　out　of　there。
　The　string　of　explosions　began　twenty　seconds　later。　The　three　of　them　set　out　on　the　run；　through　the　confusion　of　the　pound；　the　screaming　of　the　Jeeps'　tires；　the　shouts　of　the　personnel。
　They　had　their　Uzi　assault　rifles　at　the　ready；　but　they　made　it　to　the　lab　without　having　to　fire　them。　With　the　entire　warehouse　going　up；　no　one　was　interested　in　them。　Yet。　This　was　a　shut…ended　situation；　because　the　explosions　would　surely　bring　the　army　out　of　its　Apocalypse　Now　torpor；　and　those　in　mand　surely　would　begin　instituting　a　building…by…building　search　of　the　pound　as　soon　as　the　post…percussion　fire　was　under　control。
　Tori　estimated　they　had　five　minutes；　any　more　would　be　stretching　it。
　They　hit　the　lab　at　once；　smashing　in　the　door；　hearing　bursts　of　semiautomatic　fire　and　answering　with　their　Uzis。　Six　guards　went　down　in　a　hail　of　bullets；　shards　of　glass；　wood；　and　metal。　A　dozen　lab　workers　stood　cringing　with　their　hands　on　their　heads。　The　chemical　stench　was　almost　overpowering；　even　though　the　line　of　windows　at　the　back　of　the　lab　was　open。
　Tori　posted　Estilo　at　the　open　doorway；　where　he　could　cover　the　workers　while　she　and　Russell　roamed　up　and　down　the　aisles。　Zinc…topped　trestle　tables　were　filled　with　huge　metal　buckets　of　cured　cocaine；　but　all　the　''cooking〃　was　being　done　in　vats　outside。　This　was　the　end　product。
　On　another　table　plastic　bags　were　being　filled　with　refined　coke。　〃There's　something　odd　here；〃　Tori　said。
　At　that　moment　Estilo　came　up。　Keeping　his　eye　on　the　workers；　he　said；　〃Did　you　take　a　look　at　the　guards？〃
Tori　shook　her　head。　〃No　time。〃　
〃They're　all　Japanese。〃
　〃Japanese？〃　Russell　went　over　to　where　two　of　the　guards　were　sprawled。　He　turned　one　over；　looked　at　his　face。　〃Japanese；〃　he　confirmed。　Then　he　pulled　back　the　man's　sleeve。　〃Yakuza。　What's　this　all　about？〃　
　〃Protecting　their　investment？〃　Estilo　offered。
　Tori　didn't　think　so。　She　took　a　look　at　the　irizumi；　the　body　tattoos　on　the　man。　She　saw　from　the　intricacy　of　the　irizumi　that　this　man　was　an　underboss。　He　had　been　very　powerful。　That　wasn't　the　way　the　Japanese　Yakuza　worked。　The　underbosses　did　not　like　to　be　so　far　from　home。　He'd　be　here　only　for　the　most　vital　of　reasons。　Coke　was　coke。　He　could　just　as　easily　have　checked　it　at　his　end　of　the　pipeline；　or　sent　a　trusted　underling　here　to　make　certain　of　the　quality。　Then　what　was　he　doing　in　the　middle　of　nowhere？　What　was　so　important…
　Estilo　gave　a　shout；　then　opened　up　with　his　Uzi。　A　worker　who　had　drawn　a　pistol　was　thrown　backward　against　the　zinc…topped　table　where　he　had　been　stuffing　cocaine　into　the　plastic　bags。　As　he　collapsed；　two　of　the　ten…kilo　bags　fell　to　the　floor。　One　burst　open；　and　Tori　made　a　sound　deep　in　her　throat。
　She　and　Russell　went　over　to　the　opened　bag。　Within　the　coke；　something　dark　was　just　visible。　Using　the　tip　of　her　knife　blade；　Tori　pushed　aside　the　white　powder。
　〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃　Estilo　said。
　〃A　soft　cell；〃　Russell　said。
　〃What？〃
　Tori　said；　〃It's　a　method　of　smuggling；　unusual　but　invariably　effective。　It　takes　a　convoluted　brain　to　think　of　it。　Contraband　inside　an　altogether　different　type　of　contraband。〃　She　had　uncovered　a　glassine　tube。　It　was　filled　with　pellets。　They　were　of　a　metal　that　was　almost　black；　almost　totally　without　shine。
　〃What　are　they？〃　Russell　said　almost　to　himself。　He　took　the　glassine　envelope；　hefted　it。　〃Heavy。〃
　Tori　was　already　slitting　open　the　second　ten…kilo　bag。　In　its　center；　hidden　by　the　powder；　was　an　identical　glassine　envelope　filled　with　the　same　metallic　pellets。
　〃This　must　be　why　the　Japanese　are　here；〃　she　said。
　〃This　isn't　about　cocaine　smuggling　at　all。〃　Russell　was　staring　at　the　pellets。
　〃No。〃
　''But　what　is　it　about？''
　At　that　moment　Estilo　said；　〃They're　ing。〃
　〃Shit！''　Estilo　shouted　at　the　workers；　herded　them　out　of　the　lab　building。　He　took　a　look　into　the　pound。　〃The　goddamned　army's　arrived。〃
　Russell　looked　at　Tori。　〃Now　we've　had　it；〃　he　said。　
　Tori　said；　〃Take　the　pellets。　Let's　get　going。〃
　Gunfire　began；　and　Estilo　jumped　away　from　the　doorway；　began　to　return　the　fire。
　〃Forget　that　way；〃　Tori　said。　〃Use　the　windows！　When　you　get　out；　head　for　the　airstrip。''
　They　climbed　onto　me　trestle　tables；　launched　themselves　through　the　windows。　They　emerged　high　up　on　the　corrugated　tin　wall；　but　the　underbrush　cushioned　their　fell。
　Immediately；　more　firing　started；　and　the　foliage　around　them　began　to　fly　apart。　Estilo　was　nicked　in　the　fleshy　part　of　his　arm；　shouted　a　curse　in　German；　pulled　Russell　backward　to　safety　behind　a　tree。
　There　were　shouts；　and　Tori　moved　in；　Estilo　and　Russell　behind　her；　fanning　out；　firing　in　short；　accurate　bursts。
　Then　they　were　through　the　hastily　thrown…up　cordon　of　guards；　racing　away　from　the　pound；　toward　me　airstrip　where　the　Twin　Otter　waited；　gleaming　in　the　are　lights　like　an　oasis　in　the　blackness　of　the　night。
　They　were　halfway　to　the　airstrip　when　the　firing　began　again。　A　Jeep　was　careening　out　of　the　pound；　heading　toward　them　in　a　vector　that　would　cut　them　off　from　the　runway。　The　driver　gunned　the　engine；　and　the　two　soldiers　in　back　readied　a　machine　gun　on　a　swivel　mount　bolted　to　the　side　of　the　Jeep。
　〃Christ；〃　Russell　said。
　〃Keep　going！〃　Tori　called。　She　stopped；　began　to　fire　her　Uzi　with　the　blunt　shock　jammed　hard　against　her　left　side。　The　Jeep　did　not　veer　toward　her　as　she　had　wanted　it　to；　but　the　machine　gun　swiveled　in　her　direction。　It　began　to　fire。　With　her　right　hand　Tori　pulled　the　pin　on　a　phosphorus　grenade　tied　to　the　bandolier　she　wore　across　her　chest。　She　ripped　the　grenade　free；　lofted　it　toward　the　Jeep。
　The　driver　saw　it；　pulled　hard　on　the　wheel。　The　Jeep　screamed；　skittered　on　the　rutted　dirt　track；　lurched；　bounced；　came　down　just　as　the　grenade　made　contact。　The　white…green　explosion　peeled　back　the　nearside　fender；　impaled　the　wheel　on　hot　metal；　tore　into　the　engine　housing。
　The　Jeep　bucked；　shot　upward；　passing　vertical；　crashed　down　on　its　top。　No　one　moved　underneath　its　bulk。　Flames　began　to　lick　upward；　then　the　ammunition　ignited。
　Ducking　the　flying　debris；　Tori　ran　in　a　zigzag　pattern；　heading　toward　the　airstrip　where　the　others　had　gone。　And　ran　right
into　a　pair　of　soldiers　who　had　burst　at　a　full　run　from　the　underbrush　surrounding　the　back　of　the　lab。
　One　hit　the　point　of　her　jaw　with　the　stock　of　his　machine　pistol；　the　other　kicked　her　legs　out　from　under　her。　She　fell　to　the　ground；　and　one　of　the　soldiers　smashed　the　toe　of　his　boot　into　her　stomach。　Tori　doubled　over；　gasping　for　air；　struggling　for　equilibrium。
　Then　she　was　hauled　over　on　her　back　and　one　of　the　soldiers　placed　the　muzzle　of　his　pistol　against　the　side　o