dk.intensity-第65部分

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ything。　More　urgent　tasks　awaited　her。
　She　emptied　the　dresser　drawers　on　the　floor；　but　they　contained　only　socks；　under…wear；　sweaters；　sweatshirts；　and　a　few　rolled　belts。　No　guns。
　Across　the　hall　from　Vess's　bedroom　was　a　Spartan　study。　Bare　walls。　Blackout　blinds　instead　of　drapes。　On　two　long　worktables　stood　two　puters；　each　with　its　own　laser　printer。　Of　the　numerous　items　of　puter…related　equipment；　she　could　identify　some　but　was　mystified　by　others。
　Between　the　long　tables　was　an　office　chair。　The　floor　was　not　carpeted；　the　bare　wood　was　exposed；　evidently　to　make　it　easier　for　Vess　to　roll　between　tables。
　The　drab；　utilitarian　room　intrigued　her。　She　sensed　that　it　was　an　important　place。　Time　was　precious；　but　there　was　something　here　worth　pausing　to　examine。
　She　sat　in　the　chair　and　looked　around；　bewildered。　She　knew　that　the　world　was　wired　these　days；　even　into　the　hinterlands；　but　it　seemed　odd　to　find　all　this　high…tech　equipment　in　such　a　remote　and　rustic　house。
　Chyna　suspected　that　Vess　was　set　up　to　enter　the　Internet；　but　there　was　no　phone　or　modem　in　sight。　She　spotted　two　unused　phone　jacks　in　the　baseboard。　His　meticulous　security　procedures　had　served　him　well　again；　she　was　stymied。
　What　did　he　do　here？　On　one　of　the　tables　were　six　or　eight　ring…bound　notebooks　with　colorful　covers；　and　she　opened　the　nearest。　The　binder　was　divided　into　five　sections；　each　with　the　name　of　an　agency　of　the　federal　government。　The　first　was　the　Social　Security　Administration。　The　pages　were　filled　with　what　seemed　to　be　notes　from　Vess　to　himself　regarding　the　trial…and…error　method　by　which　he　had　hacked　his　way　into　the　administration's　data　files　and　had　learned　to　manipulate　them。　The　second　divider　was　labeled　U。S。　DEPT　OF　STATE　（PASSPORT　AGENCY）；　and　judging　by　the　following　notes；　Vess　was　engaged　in　an　inplete　experiment　to　determine　if；　by　a　byzantine　route；　he　might　be　able　to　enter　and　control　the　Passport　Agency's　puterized　records　without　being　detected。
　Part　of　what　he　was　doing；　evidently；　was　preparing　for　the　day　when　he　slipped　up　in　his　〃homicidal　adventuring〃　and　required　new　identities。
　Chyna　didn't　believe；　however；　that　Vess's　only　projects　were　the　altering　of　his　public　records　and　the　obtaining　of　fake　ID。　She　was　troubled　by　the　feeling　that　this　room　contained　information　about　Vess　that　could　be　of　vital　importance　to　her　own　survival　if　only　she　knew　where　to　look　for　it。
　She　put　down　the　notebook　and　swiveled　in　the　chair　to　face　the　second　puter。　Under　one　end　of　this　table　stood　a　two…drawer　file　cabmet。　She　opened　the　top　drawer　and　saw　Pendaflex　hanging　files　with　blue　tags；　each　tag　featured　a　person's　name；　with　the　surname　first。
　Each　folder　contained　a　two…sheet　dossier　on　a　different　lawenforcement　officer；　and　after　a　couple　of　minutes　of　investigation；　Chyna　decided　that　they　were　deputies　with　the　sheriffs　department　in　the　very　county　in　which　Vess's　house　was　located。　These　dossiers　provided　all　vital　statistics　on　the　officers　plus　information　about　their　families　and　their　personal　lives。　A　Xerox　of　each　deputy's　official　ID　photo　was　also　attached。
　Did　the　freak　see　some　advantage　in　collecting　information　on　all　the　local　cops　as　insurance　against　the　day　when　he　might　find　himself　in　a　standoff　with　them？　This　effort　seemed　excessive　even　for　one　as　meticulous　as　Edgler　Vess；　on　the　other　hand；　excess　was　his　philosophy。
　The　lower　drawer　of　the　filing　cabinet　contained　manila　folders　as　well。　The　tabs　of　these　also　featured　names；　like　those　in　the　upper　drawer；　but　only　surnames。
　In　the　first　folder；　labeled　ALmEs；　Chyna　found　a　full…page　enlargement　of　the　California　driver's　license　of　an　attractive　young　blonde　named　Mia　Lorinda　Almes。　Judging　by　the　exceptional　clarity；　it　wasn't　a　Xerox　blow…up　of　the　original　license　but　a　digitized　data　transmission　received　on　a　phone　line；　through　a　puter；　and　reproduced　on　a　high…quality　laser　printer。
　The　only　other　items　in　the　folder　were　six　Polaroid　photographs　of　Mia　Lorinda　Almes。　The　first　two　were　close…ups　from　different　angles。　She　was　beautiful。　And　terrified。
　This　file　drawer　was　Edgler　Vess's　equivalent　of　a　scrapbook。　Four　more　Polaroids　of　Mia　Almes。　Don't　look。　The　next　two　were　full…body　shots。　The　young　woman　was　naked　in　both。　Manacled。
　Chyna　closed　her　eyes。　But　opened　them。　She　was　pelled　to　look；　perhaps　because　she　was　determined　not　to　hide　from　anything　any　more。
　In　the　fifth　and　sixth　photos；　the　young　woman　was　dead；　and　in　the　last　her　beautiful　face　was　gone　as　if　it　had　been　blown　off　or　sheared　away。
　The　folder　and　the　photographs　fluttered　from　Chyna's　hands　to　the　floor；　where　they　clicked　*against　the　wood　and　spun　and　were　still。　She　hid　her　face　in　her　hands。
　She　wasn't　trying　to　block　from　her　mind　the　gruesome　image　on　the　snapshot。　Instead；　she　was　striving　to　repress　a　nineteen…year…old　memory　of　a　farmhouse　outside　New　Orleans；　two　visitors　with　a　Styrofoam　cooler；　a　gun　taken　from　the　refrigerator；　and　the　cold　accuracy　with　which　a　woman　named　Memphis　had　fired　two　rounds。
　Memory；　however；　always　has　its　way。　The　visitors；　who'd　done　business　with　Zack　and　Memphis　before；　had　been　there　to　make　a　drug　purchase。　The　cooler　had　been　filled　with　packets　of　hundred…dollar　bills。　Maybe　Zack　didn't　have　the　promised　shipment；　or　maybe　he　and　Memphis　just　needed　more　money　than　they　could　get　from　a　sale；　whatever　the　reason；　they　had　decided　to　rip　off　the　two　men。
　After　the　gunfire；　Chyna　had　hidden　in　the　barn　loft；　certain　that　Memphis　would　kill　them　all。　When　Memphis　and　Anne　found　her；　she　fought　them　bitterly。　But　she　was　only　seven　years　old　and　no　match　for　them。　With　owls　hooting　in　alarm　and　taking　flight　from　the　rafters；　the　women　dragged　Chyna　out　of　the　mice…infested　hay　and　carried　her　to　the　house。
　Zack　had　been　gone　by　then；　having　taken　the　bodies　elsewhere；　and　Memphis　had　cleaned　up　the　blood　in　the　kitchen　while　Anne　had　forced　Chyna　to　drink　a　shot　of　whiskey。　Chyna　didn't　want　the　whiskey；　sealed　her　lips　against　it；　but　Anne　said；　〃You're　a　wreck；　for　Christ's　sake；　you　can't　stop　blubbering；　and　one　shot　isn't　going　to　hurt　you。　This　is　what　you　need；　kiddo；　trust　Mama；　this　is　what　you　need。　A　shot　of　good　whiskey　will　break　a　fever；　you　know；　and　what　you've　got　now　is　a　kind　of　fever。　e　on；　you　little　wuss；　it's　not　poison。　Jesus；　you　can　be　a　whiny　little　shit　sometimes。　Either　you　drink　it　quick；　or　I'll　hold　you　down　and　pinch　your　nose　shut；　and　Memphis　will　pour　it　in　when　you　open　your　mouth　to　breathe。　That　how　you　want　it？〃　So　Chyna　drank　the　whiskey；　and　then　took　a　second　shot　with　a　few　ounces　of　milk　when　her　mother　decided　that　she　needed　it。　The　booze　made　her　dizzy　and　strange　but　did　not　calm　her。
　She　had　appeared　calmer　to　them　because；　good　little　fisher　that　she　was；　she'd　caught　her　fear　and　reeled　it　inside；　where　they　could　not　see　it。　Even　by　the　age　of　seven；　she　had　begun　to　understand　that　a　show　of　fear　was　dangerous；　because　others　interpreted　it　as　weakness；　and　there　was　no　place　in　this　world　for　the　weak。
　Later　that　night；　Zack　had　returned　with　whiskey　on　bis　breath　too。　He　was　exuberant；　in　a　raucous　and　celebratory　mood。　He　came　straight　to　Chyna　and　hugged　her；　kissed　her　on　the　cheek；　took　her　by　the　hands　and　tried　to　make　her　dance　with　him。
　〃That　bastard　Bobby；　the　last　time　he　was　here；　1　knew　by　the　way　he　couldn't　take　his　eyes　off　Chyna　that　he　was　hot　for　little　girls；　a　genuine　sicko；　so　tonight　he　walks　in　and　his　tongue　just　about　uncurls　to　his　knees　when　tie　sees　nen　You　couia；ve　snot　tne　geek　11alt　a　dozen　times；　Memphis；　before　he　might've　noticed！〃
　　Bobby　had　been　the　man　sitting　at　the　kitchen　table；　talking　to　Chyna；　his　beautiful　gray　eyes　fixed　intently　on　her；　speaking　directly　to　her　in　a　way　that　few　adults；　ever　spoke　to　kids；　asking　whether　she　liked　kittens　or　puppies　best　and　did　she　want　to　grow　up　to　be　a　famous　movie　star　or　a　nurse　or　a　doctor　or　what；　when　Memphis　shot　him　in　the　head。
　〃The　way　our　Chyna　girl　was　dressed；〃　Zack　said　excitedly；　〃Bobby　just　about　totally　forgot　anyone　else　was　here。〃
　The　nigh