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Bourne once more walked silently； now retracing his steps up the hallway。 He reached a point roughly thirty paces away from the eighth door on the left and turned around； suddenly aware of a muted chorus of sporadic sobs and cries that came from closed doorways along the hotel corridor。 Orders had been given couched in language far removed from Krupkin's instructions： Stay inside your rooms； please。 Admit no one。 Our people are investigating。 It was always 〃our people；〃 never 〃the police；〃 never 〃the authorities〃； with those names came panic。 And panic was precisely what Medusa's Delta One had in mind。 Panic and diversion； eternal ponents for the human snare； lifelong allies in the springing trap。
He raised the Graz Burya automatic； aiming at one of the ornate hallway chandeliers； and fired twice； simultaneously shouting furiously as the earsplitting explosions acpanied the shattered glass that plummeted from the ceiling。 〃There he goes！ A black suit！〃 His feet pounding； Bourne ran with loud emphatic strides down the corridor to the eighth door on the left； then past the door； shouting once again。 〃The exit 。。。 the exit！〃 He abruptly stopped； firing a third shot into another chandelier； the jarring cacophony covering the absent noise of his pounding feet as he spun around； throwing his back against the opposing wall of the eighth door； then pushing himself away； hurling his body at the door and crashing into it； smashing it off its hinges as he。 lurched inside； plunging to the floor； his weapon raised； prepared for rapid fire。
He was wrong！ He knew it instantly…a final reverse trap was in the making！ He heard another door opening somewhere outside…he either heard it or he instinctively knew it！ He rolled furiously to his right； over and over again； his legs crashing into a floor lamp； sending it toward the door； his panicked darting eyes catching a glimpse of an elderly couple clutching each other； crouching in a far corner。
The white…gowned figure burst into the room； his automatic pistol spitting indiscriminately； the staccato reports deafening。 Bourne fired repeatedly into the mass of white as he sprang into the left wall； knowing that if for only a split second he was positioned on the killer's blind right flank。 It was enough！
The Jackal was caught in his shoulder…his right shoulder！ The weapon literally snapped out of his grip as he jerked up his forearm； his fingers spastically uncurled under the impact of the Graz Burya's penetration。 With no cessation of movement； the Jackal swung around； the bloody long white robe separating； billowing like a sail as he grabbed the massive flesh wound with his left hand and violently kicked the floor lamp into Jason's face。
Bourne fired again； half blinded by the flying shade of the heavy lamp； his weapon deflected by the thick stem。 The shot went wild； steadying his hand； he squeezed the trigger again； only to hear the sickening finality of a sharp metallic click…the gun's magazine was empty！ Struggling to a crouch； he lunged for the blunt； ugly automatic weapon as the white…robed Carlos raced through the shattered doorway into the corridor。 Jason got to his feet； but his knee collapsed！ It had buckled under his own weight。 Oh； Christ！ He crawled to the edge of the bed and dived over the pulled…down sheets toward the bedside telephone…it had been demolished； the Jackal had shot it apart！ Carlos's demented mind was summoning up every tactic； every counteraction he had ever used。
Another sound！ This loud and abrupt。 The crash bar on the hallway's stairway exit had been slammed into the opening position； the heavy metal door smashed back into the concrete wall of the landing。 The Jackal was heading down the flights of steps to the lobby。 If the front desk had listened to Conklin； he was trapped！
Bourne looked at the elderly couple in the corner； affected by the fact that the old man was covering the woman with his own body。 〃It's all right；〃 he。 said； trying to calm them by lowering his voice。 〃I know you probably don't understand me…I don't speak Russian…but you're safe now。〃
〃We don't speak Russian either；〃 admitted the man； an Englishman； in clipped； guarded tones； straining his neck as he looked at Jason while trying to rise。 〃Thirty years ago I would have been standing at that door！ Eighth Army with Monty； y'know。 Rather grand at El Alamein…all of us； of course。 To paraphrase； age doth wither； as they say。〃
〃I'd rather not hear it； General…〃
〃No； no； merely a brigadier…〃
〃Fine！〃 Bourne crept over the bed； testing his knee； whatever it was had snapped back。 〃I have to get to a phone！〃
〃Actually； what outraged me was the goddamned robe！〃 went on the veteran of El Alamein。 〃Fucking disgraceful； I say…forgive me； darling。〃
〃What are you talking about？〃
〃The white robe； lad！ It had to be Binky's…the couple across the hall we're traveling with…he must have copped it from that lovely Beau…Rivage in Lausanne。 The rotten theft is bad enough； but to have given it to that swine is unforgivable！〃
In seconds； Jason had grabbed the Jackal's weapon and crashed his way into the room across the hall； immediately knowing that 〃Binky〃 deserved more admiration than the brigadier afforded him。 He lay on the floor bleeding from knife wounds across his stomach and throat。
〃I can't reach anyone！〃 screamed the woman with thinning gray hair； she was on her knees above the victim； weeping hysterically。 〃He fought like a madman…somehow he knew that priest wouldn't fire his gun！〃
〃Hold the skin together wherever you can；〃 yelled Bourne； looking over at the telephone。 It was intact！ He ran to it； and instead of calling the front desk or the operator； he dialed the numbers for the suite。
〃Krupkin？〃 cried Alex。
〃No； me！ First： Carlos is on the staircase…the hallway I went into！ Second： a man's cut up； same hallway； seventh door on the right！ Hurry。〃
〃As fast as I can。 I've got a clear line to the office。〃
〃Where the hell is the KGB team？〃
〃They just got here。 Krupkin called only seconds ago from the lobby…it's why I thought you were…〃
〃I'm going to the staircase！〃
〃For God's sake； why？〃
〃Because he's mine！〃
Jason raced to the door； offering no words of fort for the hysterical wife； he could not summon them。 He crashed his way through the exit door； the Jackal's weapon in his hand。 He started down the staircase； suddenly hearing the sound of his own shoes； he stopped on the seventh step and removed both； and then his ankle…length socks。 The cool surface of the stone on his feet somehow reminded him of the jungles； flesh against the cold morning underbrush； for some abstract； foolish memory he felt more in mand of his fears…the jungles were always the friend of Delta One。
Floor by floor he descended； following the inevitable rivulets of blood； larger now； no longer to be stemmed； for the last wound was too severe to stop by exerting pressure。 Twice the Jackal had applied such pressure； once at the fifth…floor and again at the third…floor hallway doors； only to be followed by streaks of dark red； as he could not manipulate the exterior locks without the security keys。
The second floor； then the first； there were no more！ Carlos was trapped！ Somewhere in the shadows below was the death of the killer who would set him free！ Silently； Bourne removed a book of Metropole matches from his pocket； he huddled against the concrete wall； tore out a single match and； cupping his hands； fired the packet。 He threw it over the railing； the weapon in his hand ready to explode with continuous rounds of bullets at anything that moved below！
There was nothing…nothing！ The cement floor was empty…there was no one there！ Impossible！ Jason raced down the last flight of steps and pounded on the door to the lobby。
〃Shto？〃 yelled a Russian inside。 〃Kto tam？〃
〃I'm an American！ I'm working with the KGB！ Let me in！〃
〃Shto 。。。 ？〃
〃I understand；〃 shouted another voice。 〃And； please； you understand that many guns are directed at you when I open the door。 It is understand？〃
〃Understand！〃 shouted Bourne； at the last second remembering to drop Carlos's weapon on the concrete floor。 The door opened。
〃Da！〃 said the Soviet police officer； instantly correcting himself as he spotted the machine pistol at Jason's feet。 〃Nyet！〃 he yelled。
〃Nye za shto？〃 said a breathless Krupkin； urging his heavyset body forward。
〃Pochemu？〃
〃Komitet！〃
〃Prekrasno。〃 The policeman nodded obsequiously； but stayed in place。
〃What are you doing？〃 demanded Krupkin。 〃The lobby is cleared and our assault squad is in place！〃
〃He was here！〃 whispered Bourne； as if his intense quiet voice further obscured his inprehensible words。
〃The Jackal？〃 asked Krupkin； astonished。
〃He came down this staircase！ He couldn't have gone out on any other floor。 Every fire door is dead…bolted from the inside…only the crash bars release them。〃
〃Skazhi；〃 said the KGB official to the hotel guard； speaking in Russian。 〃Has anyone e through this door within the past ten minutes since the orders were given to seal them off？〃
〃No； sir！〃 replied the mititsiya。 〃Only a hysterical woman in a soiled bathrobe。 In her panic； she fell in the bathroom and cut herself。 We thought she might have