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！
ced him。 This was the way it had to be。 Better to sacrifice one to save the many。〃 The secretary went back to his chair and sat heavily。 He shook his head slowly。 〃Too often；〃 he said softly； 〃we must assume some of God's burden。 It is not light。〃
〃Too bad；〃 said Toad Tarkington； now staring at the secretary； 〃that after you gave an innocent civilian the chop； this whole thing fizzled。〃
〃Did it？〃 Caplinger's voice assumed an edge； a hard flinty edge。 〃Did it now？〃
When Toad didn't respond； Caplinger went on； his voice back to normal。 〃So after three years and some damn tragic risks； the stage was set。 After a few carefully chosen facts were fed to Albright； he killed Terry Franklin。 That was a masterpiece of cunning； well set up by Camacho。 Of course Luis didn't like it； not he； but he played his part to perfection。 Albright personally eliminated the Soviets' only access to the Pentagon puter。 He had to find another。 Because now the Minotaur offered the richest gift of all： Athena。〃
〃Smoke Judy；〃 said Jake Grafton； unable to keep silent。
〃Yes。 Smoke Judy； a bitter little man who had killed once and found how easy it is。 Of course； that was the crisis。 When Judy failed； as fail he surely would with Luis Camacho watching him； Albright would have no other choice。 He would have to go to another deep plant on the list！ And he would make this inevitable choice of his own free will； unpressured by anyone。 That was our thinking； at least。 Didn't work out that way。 Camacho thought Albright was onto him and made a decision on his own to warn Vice Admiral Henry about the risk to Athena。〃 He gestured to the heavens。 〃It was all downhill from there。 Henry took it upon himself to apprehend Judy。 You know how that turned out。 The jig was up。 Camacho had no choice。 He sent men to arrest Albright。〃
〃You were willing to give away Athena？〃 Jake's horror was in his voice…
〃We on the mittee were willing to take the risk Albright would get it； which isn't precisely the same thing； Captain。 By now the Minotaur's credentials were impeccable。 We thought that surely； for this exquisite technical jewel； the Soviets would brush the dirt off one or two deep agents。〃
〃But they didn't？〃
〃No。 Perhaps Albright was suspicious。 Probably was。 Camacho knew that Albright saw the whole operation too clearly； so he revealed the Minotaur's actual identity to save the game。 It wasn't enough。 With Judy and Albright in hiding； the Minotaur wrote one more letter； giving the access codes for the new Athena file。 Then we waited for the Soviets to activate one of the sleepers。 They didn't。 What happened next was Albright kidnapped you； swiped all the Athena information he could readily lay hands on； then went to Camacho's house to kill him。 Camacho had been expecting Albright to try something； but we didn't know exactly what it would be。 When Luis Camacho came down those stairs and saw you there that afternoon…then he knew。 The Soviets weren't going to invest any more major assets in this operation。 His sole hope of getting the sleepers' names was Harlan Albright； who might know。〃
Jake said； 〃I wondered why the Athena file was suddenly renamed； all the access codes changed。〃
〃Henry shouldn't have done that。 Camacho shouldn't have warned him。 But Camacho was worried he didn't have all the possible holes covered and he knew Athena's real value。 Still； it would have worked if Henry hadn't interfered。〃 Caplinger sounded as if he was trying to convince himself。
〃We had to let the Russians work at it。 If they succeeded too easily； they would have smelled the setup。 No； our mistake was giving them the real Minotaur。 Perhaps they found his identity too troublesome once they knew。〃
Caplinger shrugged。 〃After Judy failed； we wanted Albright badly。 Our thinking then was that perhaps we could get the names from him； willingly or with hypnosis and drugs。 We thought the odds about three to one that he knew the names then。 If the GRU was even contemplating using a sleeper； the controller had to be briefed in advance； before the possibility became the necessity。 Yet Albright evaded the clowns sent to pick him up。 The agents thought they were going to arrest a mail…fraud suspect。〃 Caplinger spread his hands； a gesture of frustration。 〃So we waited； hoping against hope a sleeping mole would awaken。 It didn't happen。〃
〃So you failed；〃 Toad said。
〃Oh no； Mr。 Tarkington。 The Minotaur succeeded beyond our wildest dreams。 Not exactly in the way we expected； of course； but the benefits are real and tangible。 This operation was one of the most successful covert intelligence operations ever undertaken by any nation。 Ever。〃
〃Please explain； sir。〃
〃I see the disbelief written all over your face； Captain。〃
〃My impression is that you people gave away the ranch； sir。 Just how many top secret programs did you promise？〃
〃We showed them the crown jewels； Captain。 We had to。 They would never have taken the bait otherwise。 The three buried moles are very valuable。〃
〃Pooh。〃 Tarkington shook his head。 〃I'm not buying it。 Those three agents may have turned； exactly like Camacho。 If the Soviets ever try to use them； those guys may run straight to the FBI。 The Russians may not even know where they are now。〃
〃You are a very young man； Lieutenant。〃 Caplinger was scathing。 〃You have a lot to learn。 The deep plants are valuable to the Soviets as chips in the Cold War poker games； at home and abroad。 They are valuable in exactly the same way that thermonuclear weapons are valuable； ICBMs； boomer submarines…I could go on。 Those three buried agents are hole cards。 Lieutenant。 They may even be dead。 Yet we can never afford to ignore them。 Do you begin I to understand？〃
〃Yessir。〃 Toad looked miserable。 〃But…〃
〃There are layers and layers and layers。〃
〃But listen；〃 Toad objected reasonably。 〃We didn't even know these men existed until four years ago。 What if they don't？〃
〃Aha！ The light bees a glow！〃
Caplinger leaped from his chair； galvanized。 〃Perhaps they don't exist！ Perhaps the defection of a mid…level KGB officer was a ploy； and the list was bait to make us think they had three agents。 They write the list； they leave it where a man of dubious professional acplishments； a man of dubious loyalty and dubious value； will see it。 Very convenient； you must admit！ And in the fullness of time he is given an opportunity to defect； which he； no fool； takes as the best of a poor range of options。〃
Caplinger's voice rose to a shout。 〃And he gets here and tells us his little tale。 We give it credence。 We must！ We have no other choice。〃
〃I'm slightly baffled； Mr。 Secretary；〃 Jake said dryly。 〃Just how did the Minotaur succeed； if that word can even be used in these kinds of…what the hell are they？…games？〃
Royce Caplinger began to walk back and forth； lost in thought。 〃The Soviet Union today is a nation in transition。 Their system is against the wall。 The Soviet people want good wages and housing and food to eat。 The generals want to maintain their privileged positions。 The politicians want to stay in power。 （That's human enough。 Ours will sell their soul for another term in office。） To do all of this the Soviets need money； vast quantities of it； money that does not exist。
〃So the government is scrambling for money。 What the Minotaur did was prove beyond a shadow of a doubt that the amount they have been spending for defense was nowhere near enough。 The Soviets have spent as much money in real terms as we have for defense over the years； but it's a much larger percentage of their Gross National Product。 Only a dictatorship can maintain that level of defense spending。〃 He stopped his pacing and spread his arms。 〃The Minotaur put the spotlight on the Soviet system's failings。 The Soviet economy； if it can be called that； is an abject debacle： food must be purchased from abroad； there is nothing in the stores to buy； the prosperity of the other industrial nations has eluded them。 And now the military needs many more billions to replace hardware it has spent billions to obtain which is now obsolete； years and years before the Soviets planned to replace it。〃
He examined the faces of his listeners。 〃Don't you read newspapers？ Where have you been？ Gorbachev has been talking perestroika and glasnost for years。 Why？ The threat of Star Wars technology was a major impetus。 There was no way they could match it Under no conceivable circumstances could enough rubles be printed or squeezed from the people to fund such a program。 The generals lost power。 The politicians gained it。 Through diplomacy the threat of Star Wars could be blunted； perhaps even eliminated。 Soviet foreign policy changed course dramatically； arms reduction treaties were agreed to and signed； mutual verification was at last swallowed with good grace。 Then came the Minotaur's revelations。〃
〃I see；〃 Jake said； rubbing his chin and glancing at Toad。
〃Yes； Captain。 We are having a major technological revolution in America just now。 The research of the space programs has borne fruit。 Ever smaller； ever more powerful puters； lasers； missiles； fiber optics； new manufacturing techniques that allow us to build structures and engines with capabilities undreamed of ten years ago： last year's cutting…e