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！
〃What panies？ What was he talking about？ 。。。 Good God。〃
〃If I had asked； my wife and children might have to attend a private memorial service； no casket in evidence because I wouldn't be there。〃
〃You've got more to tell me。 Tell me。〃
〃Our illustrious chairman of the Federal Trade mission said that the ubiquitous 'we' could get rid of the military because in six months 'we' would have all the controls we needed in Europe。 。。。 Alex； what controls？ What are we dealing with？〃
There was silence on the unbroken line； and Jason Bourne did not interrupt。 David Webb wanted to shout in defiance and confusion； but there was no point； he was a non…person。 Finally； Conklin spoke。
〃I think we're dealing with something we can't handle；〃 he said softly； his words barely audible over the phone。 〃This has to go upstairs； David。 We can't keep it to ourselves。〃
〃Goddamn you； you're not talking to David！〃 Bourne did not raise his voice in anger； he did not have to； its tone was enough。 〃This isn't going anywhere unless or until I say it does and I may not ever say it。 Understand me； field man。 I don't owe anyone anything； especially not the movers and the shakers in this city。 They moved and shook my wife and me too much for any concessions where our lives or the lives of our children are concerned！ I intend to use everything I can learn for one purpose and one purpose only。 That's to draw out the Jackal and kill him so we can climb out of our personal hell and go on living。 。。。 I know now that this is the way to do it。 Armbruster talked tough and he probably is tough； but underneath he's frightened。 They're all frightened…panicked； as you put it…and you were right。 Present them with the Jackal and he's a solution they can't refuse。 Present Carlos with a client as rich and as powerful as our current Medusa and it's irresistible to him…he's got the respect of the international big boys； not just the crud of the world； the fanatics of the left and right。 。。。 Don't stand in my way； don't； for God's sake！〃
〃That's a threat； isn't it？〃
〃Stop it； Alex。 I don't want to talk like that。〃
〃But you just did。 It's the reverse of Paris thirteen years ago； isn't it？ Only now you'll kill me because I'm the one who hasn't a memory； the memory of what we did to you and Marie。〃
〃That's my family out there！〃 cried David Webb； his voice tight； sweat forming on his hairline as his eyes filled with tears。 〃They're a thousand miles away from me and in hiding。 It can't be any other way because I won't risk letting them be harmed！ 。。。 Killed； Alex； because that's what the Jackal will do if he finds them。 It's an island this week； where is it next？ How many thousands of miles more？ And after that； where will they go…where will we go？ Knowing what we know now； we can't stop…he's after me； that goddamned filthy psychopath is after me； and everything we've learned about him tells us he wants a maximum kill。 His ego demands it； and that kill includes my family！ 。。。 No； field man； don't burden me with things I don't care about…not where they interfere with Marie and the kids…I'm owed that much。〃
〃I hear you；〃 said Conklin。 〃I don't know whether I'm hearing David or Jason Bourne； but I hear you。 All right； no reverse Paris； but we have to move fast and I'm talking to Bourne now。 What's next？ Where are you？〃
〃I judge about six or seven miles from General Swayne's house；〃 replied Jason； breathing deeply； the momentary anguish suppressed； the coldness returning。 〃Did you make the call？〃
〃Two hours ago。〃
〃Am I still 'Cobra'？〃
〃Why not？ It's a snake。〃
〃That's what I told Armbruster。 He wasn't happy。〃
〃Swayne will be less so； but I sense something and I can't really explain it。〃
〃What do you mean？〃
〃I'm not sure； but I have an idea that he's answerable to someone。〃
〃In the Pentagon？ Burton？〃
〃I suppose so； I just don't know。 In his partial paralysis he reacted almost as if he was an onlooker； someone involved but not in the middle of the game。 He slipped a couple of times and said things like 'We'll have to think about this；' and 'We'll have to confer。' Confer with whom？ It was a one…on…one conversation with my usual warning that he wasn't to talk to anyone。 His response was a lame editorial 'we；' meaning that the illustrious general was conferring with himself。 I don't buy it。〃
〃Neither do I；〃 agreed Jason。 〃I'm going to change clothes。 They're in the car。〃
〃What？〃
Bourne turned partially in the plastic shell of the pay phone and glanced around the gas station。 He saw what he hoped for； a men's room in the side of the building。 〃You said that Swayne lives on a large farm west of Manassas…〃
〃Correction；〃 interrupted Alex。 〃He calls it a farm； his neighbors and the tax rolls call it a twenty…eight…acre estate。 Not bad for a career soldier from a lower…middle…class family in Nebraska who married a hairdresser in Hawaii thirty years ago； and supposedly bought his manse ten years ago on the strength of a very sizable inheritance from an untraceable benefactor； an obscure wealthy uncle I couldn't find。 That's what made me curious。 Swayne headed up the Quartermaster Corps in Saigon and supplied Medusa。 。。。 What's his place got to do with your changing clothes？〃
〃I want to look around。 I'll get there while it's light to see what it's like from the road； then when it's dark I'll pay him a surprise visit。〃
〃That'll be effective； but why the looking around？〃
〃I like farms。 They're so spread out and extended and I can't imagine why a professional soldier who knows that he can be transferred anywhere in the world at a moment's notice would saddle himself with such a large investment。〃
〃The same as my reasoning except I was concerned about the how； not the why。 Your approach may be more interesting。〃
〃We'll see。〃
〃Be careful。 He may have alarms and dogs； things like that。〃
〃I'm prepared；〃 said Jason Bourne。 〃I did some shopping after I left Georgetown。〃
The summer sun was low in the western sky as he slowed down the rental car and lowered the visor to keep from being blinded by the yellow globe of fire。 Soon it would drop behind the Shenandoah mountains； twilight descending； prelude to darkness。 And it was the darkness that Jason Bourne craved； it was his friend and ally； the blackness in which he moved swiftly； with sure feet and alert hands and arms that served as sensors against all the impediments of nature。 The jungles had weled him in the past； knowing that although he was an intruder he respected them and used them as a part of him。 He did not fear the jungles； he embraced them； for they protected him and allowed him passage to acplish whatever his objective was； he was at one with the jungles…as he would have to be with the dense woods that flanked the estate of General Norman Swayne。
The main house was set back no less than the distance of two football fields from the country road。 A stockade fence separated the entrance on the right from the exit on the left； both with iron gates； fronting a deep drive that was basically an elongated U…turn。 Immediately bordering each opening was a profusion of tall trees and shrubbery that was in itself a natural extension of the stockade fence both left and right。 All that was missing were guardhouses at each point of entry and exit。
His mind floated back to China； to Beijing and the wild bird sanctuary where he had trapped a killer posing as Jason Bourne。 There had been a guardhouse then and a series of armed patrols in the dense forest 。。。 and a madman； a butcher who controlled an army of killers； foremost among them the false Jason Bourne。 He had penetrated that deadly sanctuary； crippled a small fleet of trucks and automobiles by plunging the blade of his knife into every tire； then proceeded to take out each patrol in the Jing Shan forest until he found the torch…lit clearing that held a swaggering maniac and his brigade of fanatics。 Could he do it all today？ wondered Bourne as he drove slowly past Swayne's property for the third time； his eyes absorbing everything he could see。 Five years later； thirteen years after Paris？ He tried to evaluate the reality。 He was not the younger man that he had been in Paris； nor the more mature man in Hong Kong； Macao and Beijing； he was now fifty and he felt it； every year of it。 He would not dwell on it。 There was too much else to think about； and the twenty…eight acres of General Norman Swayne's property were not the forest primeval of the Jing Shan sanctuary。
However； as he had done on the primitive outskirts of Beijing； he drove the car off the country road deep into a mass of tall grass and foliage。 He climbed out and proceeded to cover the vehicle with bent and broken branches。 The rapidly descending darkness would plete the camouflage； and with the darkness he would go to work。 He had changed his clothes in the men's room at the gas station： black trousers below a black long…sleeved； skintight pullover； and black thick…soled sneakers with heavy tread。 These were his working apparel。 The items he spread on the ground were his equipment； the shopping he had done after leaving Georgetown。 They included a long…bladed hunting knife whose scabbard he threaded into his belt； a dual…chambered CO2 pistol； encased in