rl.thebourneultimatum-第102部分

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　Bernardine　staggered　into　the　shadows　of　a　long…abandoned　storefront　across　from　the　house　on　the　boulevard　Lefebvre。　Jason　breached　the　corner　and　ran　down　the　pavement；　racing　into　the　recess　and　grabbing　the　Deuxième　veteran　as　he　leaned　against　a　long　glass　window；　breathing　heavily。
　〃For　God's　sake；　what　happened？〃　cried　Bourne；　supporting　Bernardine　by　both　shoulders。
　〃Easy；　mon　ami；〃　choked　Bernardine。　〃The　pig　I　sat　next　to…a　politician；　no　doubt；　looking　for　an　issue…punched　me　in　the　chest　before　he　threw　me　out　of　the　car。　。。。　I　told　you；　I　don't　know　all　the　new　people　who　attach　themselves　to　the　Bureau　these　days。　You　have　the　same　problems　in　America；　so；　please；　do　not　give　me　a　lecture。〃
　〃It's　the　last　thing　I'm　about　to　do。　。。。　This　is　the　house；　Bernardine。　Right　here；　right　in　front　of　us！〃
　〃This　is　also　a　trap。〃
　〃What？〃
　〃Alex　and　I　confirmed　it。　The　telephone　numbers　were　different。　I　gather　you　did　not　make　your　call　to　Carlos；　as　he　instructed　you　to。〃
　〃No。　I　had　the　address　and　I　wanted　him　stretched。　What's　the　difference？　This　is　the　house！〃
　〃Oh；　this　is　where　your　Mr。　Simon　was　to　go；　and　if　he　was　truly　Mr。　Simon；　he　would　be　taken　to　another　rendezvous。　But　if　he　was　not　Monsieur　Simon　but　someone　else；　then　he　would　be　shot…proof…another　corpse　in　search　of　the　Jackal。〃
　〃You're　wrong！〃　insisted　Jason；　shaking　his　head　and　speaking　quietly；　rapidly。　〃This　may　be　a　detour；　but　Carlos　is　still　on　the　switch。　He's　not　going　to　allow　anyone　to　waste　me　but　himself。　That's　his　mandment。〃
　〃As　yours　is　regarding　him？〃
　〃Yes。　I　have　a　family；　he　has　a　borderline　legend。　Mine　is　plete　for　me；　but　his　is　a　vacuum…without　any　real　meaning　for　him　any　longer。　He's　gone　as　far　as　he　can　go。　The　only　way　he　can　go　further　is　to　move　into　my　territory…David　Webb's　territory…and　eliminate　Jason　Bourne。〃
　〃Webb？　David　Webb？　Who　in　the　name　of　almighty　God　is　that？〃
　〃Me；〃　replied　Bourne；　smiling　forlornly　and　leaning　beside　Bernardine　against　the　window。　〃It's　nuts；　isn't　it？〃
　〃Nuts！〃　cried　the　former　Deuxième。　〃It　is　fou！　Insane；　not　to　be　believed！〃
　〃Believe　it。〃
　〃You　are　a　family　man　with　children　and　you　do　this　work？〃
　〃Alex　never　told　you？〃
　〃If　he　did　so；　I　passed　it　off　as　a　cover…one　goes　along　with　anything。〃　Shaking　his　head；　the　older　man　looked　up　at　his　taller　panion。　〃You　really　have　a　family　whom　you　do　not　wish　to　escape　from？〃
　〃On　the　contrary；　I　want　to　get　back　to　them　as　soon　as　I　can。　They're　the　only　people　on　earth　I　really　care　about。〃
　〃But　you　are　Jason　Bourne；　the　killer　Chameleon！　The　deepest　recesses　of　the　criminal　world　tremble　at　your　name！〃
　〃Oh；　e　on；　that's　a　bit　much；　even　from　you。〃
　〃Not　for　an　instant！　You　are　Bourne；　second　only　to　the　Jackal…〃
　〃No！〃　shouted　the　suddenly　forgotten　David　Webb。　〃He's　no　match　for　me！　I'll　take　him！　I'll　kill　him！〃
　〃Very　well；　very　well；　mon　ami；〃　said　Bernardine　calmly；　reassuringly；　staring　at　the　man　he　could　not　understand。　〃What　do　you　want　me　to　do？〃
　Jason　Bourne　turned　and　breathed　heavily　against　the　glass　window　for　several　moments…and　then　through　the　mists　of　indecision　the　Chameleon's　strategy　became　clear。　He　swung　around　and　looked　across　the　dark　street　at　the　stone　building　on　the　right。　〃The　police　are　gone；〃　he　said　quietly。
　〃Of　course；　I　realize　that。〃
　〃Did　you　also　realize　that　no　one　from　the　other　two　buildings　came　outside？　Yet　there　are　lights　on　in　a　number　of　the　windows。〃
　〃I　was　preoccupied；　what　can　I　say？　I　did　not　notice。〃　Bernardine　raised　his　eyebrows　in　sudden　recollection。　〃But　there　were　faces　at　the　windows；　several　faces；　I　saw　them。〃
　〃Yet　no　one　came　outside。〃
　〃Very　understandable。　The　police　。。。　men　with　weapons　racing　around。　Best　to　barricade　oneself；　no？〃
　〃Even　after　the　police　and　the　weapons　and　the　patrol　cars　have　left？　They　all　just　go　back　to　their　television　sets　as　if　nothing　had　happened？　No　one　es　out　to　check　with　the　neighbors？　That's　not　natural；　Fran？ois；　it's　not　even　unnaturally　natural。　It's　been　orchestrated。〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？　How？〃
　〃One　man　walks　out　on　the　porch　and　shouts　into　a　searchlight。　Attention　is　drawn　to　him　and　precious　seconds　of　a　minute's　warning　evaporate。　Then　a　nun　emerges　on　the　other　side　draping　herself　in　holy　indignation…more　seconds　lost；　more　hours　for　Carlos。　The　assault's　mounted　and　the　Deuxième　es　up　with　zero。　。。。　And　when　it's　all　over；　everything's　back　to　normal…an　abnormal　normalcy。　A　job　was　done　according　to　a　predesigned　plan；　so　there's　no　call　for　really　normal　curiosity…no　gathering　in　the　street；　no　excitement；　not　even　a　collective　postcrisis　indignation。　Simply　people　inside　undoubtedly　checking　with　one　another。　Doesn't　it　all　tell　you　something？〃
　Bernardine　nodded。　〃A　prearranged　strategy　carried　out　by　professionals；〃　said　the　veteran　field　officer。
　〃That's　what　I　think；　too。〃
　〃It's　what　you　saw　and　I　did　not；〃　countered　Bernardine。　〃Stop　being　kind；　Jason。　I've　been　too　long　away　from　the　cold。　Too　soft；　too　old；　too　unimaginative。〃
　〃So　have　I；〃　said　Bourne。　〃It's　just　that　the　stakes　are　so　high　for　me　that　I　have　to　force　myself　into　thinking　like　a　man　I　wanted　to　forget。〃
　〃This　is　Monsieur　Webb　speaking？〃
　〃I　guess　it　is。〃
　〃So　where　does　that　leave　us？〃
　〃With　an　irate　baker　and　an　angry　nun；　and　if　they　prove　to　be　ciphers；　several　faces　in　various　windows。　At　this　juncture　the　pickings　are　ours　but　that　won't　last　long；　I　doubt　through　the　morning。〃
　〃I　beg　your　pardon？〃
　〃Carlos　will　close　up　shop　here　and　he'll　do　it　quickly。　He　hasn't　got　a　choice　now。　Someone　in　his　Praetorian　guard　gave　someone　else　the　location　of　his　Paris　headquarters；　and　you　can　bet　your　pension…if　you've　still　got　one…that　he's　climbing　the　walls　trying　to　figure　out　who　betrayed　him…〃
　〃Get　back！〃　cried　Bernardine；　interrupting　and　grabbing　Jason　by　the　cloth　of　his　black　jacket；　yanking　him　into　the　farthest　recess　of　the　dark　storefront。　〃Get　out　of　sight！　Flat　on　the　pavement！〃
　Both　men　threw　themselves　down；　lying　prone　on　the　broken　concrete；　Bourne's　face　against　the　short　wall　below　the　glass；　his　head　angled　to　see　the　street。　A　second　dark　van　appeared　from　the　right；　but　it　was　not　police　equipment。　Instead；　it　was　shinier　and　smaller；　somehow　thicker；　lower　to　the　ground　and　more　powerful。　The　one　glaring；　blinding　similarity　it　had　to　the　police　van　was　the　searchlight。　。。。　No；　not　one；　but　two　searchlights；　one　on　either　side　of　the　windshield；　both　beams　swinging　back　and　forth　scanning　the　vehicle's　flanks。　Jason　reached　for　the　weapon　in　his　belt…the　gun　he　had　borrowed　from　Bernardine…knowing　that　his　panion　already　had　his　backup　automatic　out　of　his　pocket。　The　beam　of　the　left　searchlight　shot　over　their　bodies　as　Bourne　whispered；　〃Good　work；　but　how　did　you　spot　it？〃
　〃The　moving　reflections　of　the　lamps　on　the　side　windows；〃　replied　old　Fran？ois。　〃I　thought　for　a　moment　it　was　my　former　colleague　returning　to　finish　the　job　he　had　contemplated。　Namely；　my　stomach　in　the　street。　。。。　My　God；　look！〃
　The　van　swept　past　the　first　two　buildings；　then　suddenly　swerved　into　the　curb　and　stopped　in　front　of　the　last　structure；　nearly　two　hundred　feet　from　the　storefront；　the　building　farthest　from　the　Jackal's　telephone。　The　instant　the　vehicle　came　to　a　halt　the　rear　door　opened　and　four　men　jumped　out；　automatic　weapons　in　their　hands；　two　running　to　the　street　side；　one　racing　down　the　pavement　to　the　front；　the　last　guard　standing　menacingly　by　the　open　doors；　his　MAC…10　ready　to　fire。　A　dull　wash　of　yellow　light　appeared　at　the　top　of　the　brick　steps；　the　door　had　been　opened　and　a　man　in　a　black　raincoat　came　outside。　He　stood　for　a　moment　looking　up　and　down　the　boulevard　Lefebvre。
　〃Is　that　him？〃　whispered　Francois。
　〃No；　not　unless　he's　wearing　high　heels　and　a　wig；〃　answered　Jason；　reaching　into　his　jacket　pocket。　〃I'll　know　him　when　I　see　him…because　I　see　him　every　day　of　my　life！〃　Bourne　took　out　one　of　the　grenades　he　had　also　borrowed　from　Bernardine。　He　checked　the　release；　laying　down　his　gun　and　gripping　the　pockmarked　steel　oval；　tugging　at　the　pin　to　make　certain　it　was　free　of　corrosion。
　〃