按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Miller handed over a passbook。 〃Numbered account； Bahamian bank。 I believe you'll find the amount correct。〃
Alex pocketed the book。 〃That's more like it。 Okay； we have another job。 I hope you don't expect to go with it as fast as before。〃
〃We have several months to plan it；〃 Miller replied。
〃I'm listening。〃 Alex sat through ten minutes of information。
〃Are you out of your fucking mind？〃 Dobbens asked when he was finished。
〃How hard would it be to gather the information we need？〃
〃That's not the problem； Sean。 The problem is getting your people in and out。 No way I could handle that。〃
〃That is my concern。〃
〃Bullshit！ If my people are involved； it's my concern； too。 If that Clark turkey broke to the cops； it would have burned a safe…house and me！〃
〃But he didn't break； did he？ That's why we chose him。〃
〃Look； what you do with your people； I don't give a rat's ass。 What happens to my people； I do。 That last little game we played for you was bush league； Sean。〃
Miller figured out what 〃bush league〃 meant from context。 〃The operation was politically sound； and you know it。 Perhaps you've forgotten that the objective is always political。 Politically； the operation was a plete success。〃
〃I don't need you to tell me that！〃 Alex snapped back in his best intimidating tone。 Miller was a proud little twerp； but Alex figured he could pinch his head off with one good squeeze。 〃You lost a troop because you were playing this personal； not professional and I know what you're thinking。 It was our first big play； right？ Well； son； I think we proved that we got our shit together； didn't we？ And I warned you up front that your man was too exposed。 If you'd listened to me； you wouldn't have a man on the inside。 I know your background is pretty impressive； but this is my turf； and I know it。〃
Miller knew that he had to accept that。 He kept his face impassive。 〃Alex； if we were in any way displeased； we would not have e back to you。 Yes； you do have your shit together；〃 you bloody nigger； he didn't say。 〃Now； can you get us the information we need？〃
〃Sure； for the right price。 You want us in the op？〃
〃We don't know yet；〃 Miller replied honestly。 Of course the only issue here is money。 Bloody Americans。
〃If you want us in； I'm part of the planning。 Number one； I want to know how you get in and out。 I might have to go with you。 If you shitcan my advice this time； I walk and I take my people with me。〃
〃It's a little early to be certain； but what we hope to arrange is really quite simple 。 。 。 〃
〃You think you can set that up？〃 For the first time since he'd arrived； Sean had Alex nodding approval。 〃Slick。 I'll give you that。 It's slick。 Now let's talk price。〃
Sean wrote a figure on a piece of paper and handed it to Alex。 〃Fair enough？〃 People interested in money were easy to impress。
〃I sure would like an account at your bank； brother。〃
〃If this operation es off； you will。〃
〃You mean that？〃
Miller nodded emphatically。 〃Direct access。 Training facilities； help with travel documents； the lot。 Your skill in helping us last time attracted attention。 Our friends like the idea of an active revolutionary cell in America。〃 If they really want to do business with you； it's their problem。 〃Now； how quickly can you get the information？〃
〃End of the week good enough？〃
〃Can you do it that fast without attracting attention？〃
〃Let me worry about that；〃 Alex replied with a smile。
〃Anything new on your end？〃 Owens asked。
〃Not much；〃 Murray admitted。 〃We have plenty of forensic evidence； but only one witness who got a clear look at one face； and she can't give us a real ID。〃
〃The local help？〃
〃That's who we almost ID'd。 Nothing yet。 Maybe they've learned from the ULA。 No manifesto； no announcement claiming credit for the job。 The people we have inside some other radical groups that is； those that still exist have drawn a big blank。 We're still working on it； and we have a lot of money out on the street； but so far we haven't got anything to show for it。〃 Murray paused。 〃That'll change。 Bill Shaw is a genius； one of the real brains we have in the Bureau。 They switched him over from counterintelligence to terrorism a few years back； and he's done really impressive work。 What's new on your end？〃
〃I can't go into specifics yet；〃 Owens said。 〃But we might have a small break。 We're trying to decide now if it's real or not。 That's the good news。 The bad is that His Royal Highness is traveling to America this ing summer。 A number of people were informed of his itinerary； including six on our list of possible suspects。〃
〃How the hell did you let that happen； Jimmy？〃
〃No one asked me； Dan；〃 Owens replied sourly。 〃In several cases； if the people hadn't been informed it would have told them that something odd was happening you can't simply stop trusting people； can you？ For the rest； it was just another balls…up。 Some secretary put out the plans on the normal list without consulting the security officers。〃 This wasn't a new story for either man。 There was always someone who didn't get the word。
〃Super。 So call it off。 Let him get the flu or something when the time es；〃 Murray suggested。
〃His Highness won't do that。 He's bee quite adamant on the subject。 He won't allow a terrorist threat to affect his life in any way。〃
Murray grunted。 〃You gotta admire the kid's guts； but 〃
〃Quite so；〃 Owens agreed。 He didn't really care for having his next king referred to as 〃the kid；〃 but he'd long since gotten used to the American way of expressing things。 〃It doesn't make our job any easier。〃
〃How firm are the travel plans？〃 Murray asked； getting back to business。
〃Several items on the itinerary are tentative； of course； but most are set in stone。 Our security people will be meeting with yours in Washington。 They're flying over next week。〃
〃Well； you know that you'll get all the cooperation you want； Secret Service； the Bureau； local police； everything。 We'll take good care of him for you；〃 Murray assured him。 〃He and his wife are pretty popular back home。 Will they be taking the baby with them？〃
〃No。 We were able to prevail on him about that。〃
〃Okay。 I'll call Washington tomorrow and get things rolling。 What's happening with our friend Ned Clark？〃
〃Nothing as yet。 His colleagues are evidently giving him rather a bad time； but he's too bloody stupid to break。〃
Murray nodded。 He knew the type。
Well； they wanted me to take off early； Ryan thought。 He decided to accept an invitation to a lecture at Georgetown University。 Unfortunately； it was something of a disappointment。 Professor David Hunter was Columbia's enfant terrible； America's ranking authority on political affairs in Eastern Europe。 His book of the previous year； 'Revolution Postponed'； had been a penetrating study of the political and economic problems of the Soviet's unsteady empire； and Ryan； like others； had been eager to hear his new information on the subject。 The speech had turned out to be little more than a rehash of the book； with the rather startling suggestion at the end that the NATO countries should be more aggressive in trying to separate the Soviet Union from her captives。 Ryan considered that to be lunacy； even if it did guarantee lively discussions at the reception。
At the end of the talk； Ryan moved quickly to the reception。 He'd skipped dinner to make it here on time。 There was a wide table of hors d'oeuvres； and Jack filled his plate as patiently as he could before drifting off to a sedate corner by the elevators。 He let others form knots of conversation around Professor Hunter。 On the whole； it was nice to be back at Georgetown； if only for a few hours。 The 〃Galleria〃 in the Intercultural Center was quite a contrast to the CIA institutional drab。 The four…story atrium of the language building was lined with the glass windows of offices； and a pair of potted trees reached toward the glass roof。 The plaza outside was paved with bricks； and known to the students as Red Square。 To the west was the old quadrangle； and the cemetery where rested the priests who had taught here for nearly two hundred years。 It was a thoroughly civilized setting； except for the discordant shriek of jets ing out of National Airport； a few miles downriver。 Someone jostled Ryan just as he was finishing his snacks。
〃Excuse me； Doctor。〃 Ryan turned to see a man shorter than himself。 He had a florid plexion and was dressed in a cheap…looking suit。 His blue eyes seemed to sparkle with amusement。 His voice had a pronounced accent。 〃Did you enjoy the lecture？〃
〃It was interesting；〃 Ryan said diffidently。
〃So。 I see that capitalists can lie as well as we poor socialists。〃 The man had a jolly； overpowering laugh； but Jack decided that his eyes were sparkling with something other than amusement。 They were measuring eyes； playing yet another variation of the game he'd been part of in England。 Already Ryan disliked him。
〃Have we met？〃
〃Sergey Platonov。〃 They shook hands after Ryan set his plate on a table。 〃I am Third Secretary of the Soviet Embassy。 Perhaps my photograph at Langl