if.liveandletdie-第28节

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kneecap。　There　was　a　scream　of　agony　and　the　rifle　clattered　to　the　ground　as　The　Robber　tried　to　save　himself。　He　was　half　way　to　the　floor　when　Bond's　uppercut　hit　him　and　projected　the　body　another　few　feet。
　The　Robber　fell　in　the　centre　of　the　passage　just　opposite　what　Bond　could　now　see　was　a　drawn　bolt　in　the　floor。
　As　the　body　hit　the　ground　a　section　of　the　floor　turned　swiftly　on　a　central　pivot　and　the　body　almost　disappeared　down　the　black　opening　of　a　wide　trap…door　in　the　concrete。
　As　he　felt　the　floor　give　under　his　weight　The　Robber　gave　a　shrill　scream　of　terror　and　his　hands　scrabbled　for　a　hold。　They　caught　the　edge　of　the　floor　and　clutched　it　just　as　his　whole　body　slid　into　space　and　the　six…foot　panels　of　reinforced　concrete　revolved　smoothly　until　it　rested　upright　on　its　pivot；　a　black　rectangle　yawning　on　either　side。
　Bond　gasped　for　air。　He　put　his　hands　on　his　hips　and　got　back　some　of　his　breath。　Then　he　walked　to　the　edge　of　the　right…hand　hole　and　looked　down。
　The　Robber's　terrified　face；　the　lips　drawn　back　from　the　teeth　and　the　eyes　madly　distended；　jabbered　up　at　him。
　Looking　beyond　him；　Bond　could　see　nothing；　but　he　heard　the　lapping　of　water　against　the　foundations　of　the　building　and　there　was　a　faint　luminescence　on　the　seaward　side。　Bond　guessed　that　there　was　access　to　the　sea　through　wire　or　narrow　bars。
　As　The　Robber's　voice　died　down　to　a　whimper；　Bond　could　hear　something　stirring　down　there；　awoken　by　the　light。　A　Hammerhead　or　a　Tiger　Shark；　he　guessed；　with　their　sharper　reactions。
　'Pull　me　out；　friend。　Give　me　a　break。　Pull　me　out。　I　can't　hold　much　longer。　I'll　do　anything　you　want。　Tell　you　anything。'　The　Robber's　voice　was　a　hoarse　whisper　of　supplication。
　'What　happened　to　Solitaire？'　Bond　stared　down　into　the　frenzied　eyes。
　'The　Big　Man　did　it。　Told　me　to　fix　a　snatch。　Two　men　in　Tampa。　Ask　for　Butch　and　The　Lifer。　Poolroom　behind　the　〃Oasis〃。　She　came　to　no　harm。　Lemme　out；　pal。'
　'And　the　American；　Leiter？'
　The　agonized　face　pleaded。　'It　was　his　fault。　Called　me　out　early　this　mornin'。　Said　the　place　was　on　fire。　Seen　it　passing　in　his　car。　Held　me　up　and　brought　me　back　in　here。　Wanted　to　search　the　place。　Just　fell　through　the　trap。　Accident。　I　swear　it　was　his　fault。　We　pulled　him　out　before　he　was　finished。　He'll　be　okay。'
　Bond　looked　down　coldly　at　the　white　fingers　desperately　clinging　to　the　sharp　edge　of　concrete。　He　knew　that　The　Robber　must　have　got　the　bolt　back　and　somehow　engineered　Leiter　over　the　trap。　He　could　hear　the　man's　laugh　of　triumph　as　the　floor　swung　open；　could　see　the　cruel　smile　as　he　pencilled　the　note　and　stuck　it　into　the　bandages　when　they　had　fished　the　half…eaten　body　out。
　For　a　moment　blind　rage　seized　him。
　He　kicked　out　sharply；　twice。
　One　short　scream　came　up　out　of　the　depths。　There　was　a　splash　and　then　a　great　motion　in　the　water。
　Bond　walked　to　the　side　of　the　trap…door　and　pushed　the　upright　concrete　slab。　It　revolved　easily　on　its　central　pivot。
　Just　before　its　edges　shut　out　the　blackness　below；　Bond　heard　one　terrible　snuffling　grunt　as　if　a　great　pig　was　getting　its　mouth　full。　He　knew　it　for　the　grunt　that　a　shark　makes　as　its　hideous　flat　nose　es　up　out　of　the　water　and　its　sickle…shaped　mouth　closes　on　a　floating　carcase。　He　shuddered　and　kicked　the　bolt　home　with　his　foot。
　Bond　collected　the　gold　coin　off　the　floor　and　picked　up　his　Beretta。　He　went　to　the　main　entrance　and　looked　back　for　a　moment　at　the　shambles　of　the　battlefield。
　He　reflected　that　there　was　nothing　to　show　that　the　secret　of　the　treasure　had　been　discovered。　The　top　had　been　shot　off　the　Scorpion　Fish　tank　under　which　Bond　had　dived；　and　when　the　other　men　came　in　the　morning　they　would　not　be　surprised　to　find　the　fish　dead　in　the　tank。　They　would　get　the　remains　of　The　Robber　out　of　the　Shark　tank　and　report　to　Mr。　Big　that　he'd　been　worstei　in　a　gun　battle　and　that　there　were　X　thousand　dollars'　worth　of　damage　which　would　have　to　be　repaired　before　the　Secatur　could　bring　over　its　next　cargo。　They　would　find　some　of　Bond's　bullets　and　soon　guess　that　it　was　his　work。。。
　Bond　grimly　shut　his　mind　to　the　horror　beneath　the　floor　of　the　warehouse。　He　turned　off　the　lights　and　let　himself　out　by　the　main　entrance。
　A　small　payment　had　been　made　on　account　of　Solitaire　and　Leiter。
　
　CHAPTER　XVI
　THE　JAMAICA　VERSION
　
　IT　was　two　o'clock　in　the　morning。　Bond　eased　his　car　away　from　the　sea…wall　and　moyed　off　through　the　town　on　to　4th　Street；　the　highway　to　Tampa。
　He　dawdled　along　down　the　four…lane　concrete　highway　through　the　endless　gauntlet　of　motels；　trailer　camps　and　roadside　emporia　selling　beach　furniture；　sea…shells　and　concrete　gnomes。
　He　stopped　at　the　'Gulf　Winds　Bar　and　Snacks'　and　ordered　a　double　Old　Grandad　on　the　rocks。　While　the　barman　poured　it　he　went　into　the　washroom　and　cleaned　himself　up。　The　bandages　on　his　left　hand　were　covered　with　dirt　and　the　hand　throbbed　painfully。　The　splint　had　broken　on　The　Robber's　stomach。　There　was　nothing　Bond　could　do　about　it。　His　eyes　were　red　with　strain　and　lack　of　sleep。　He　went　back　to　the　bar；　drank　down　the　Bourbon　and　ordered　another　one。　The　barman　looked　like　a　college　kid　spending　his　holidays　the　hard　way。　He　wanted　to　talk　but　there　was　no　talk　left　in　Bond。　Bond　sat　and　looked　into　his　glass　and　thought　about　Leiter　and　The　Robber　and　heard　the　sickening　grunt　of　the　feeding　shark。
　He　paid　and　went　out　and　on　again　over　the　Gandy　Bridge；　and　the　air　of　the　Bay　was　cool　on　his　face。　At　the　end　of　the　bridge　he　turned　left　towards　the　airport　and　stopped　at　the　first　motel　that　looked　awake。
　The　middle…aged　couple　that　owned　the　place　were　listening　to　late　rhumba　music　from　Cuba　with　a　bottle　of　rye　between　them。　Bond　told　a　story　of　a　blow…out　on　his　way　from　Sarasota　to　Silver　Springs。　They　weren't　interested。　They　were　just　glad　to　take　his　ten　dollars。　He　drove　his　car　up　to　the　door　of　Room　5　and　the　man　unlocked　the　door　and　turned　on　the　light。　There　was　a　double　bed　and　a　shower　and　a　chest…of…drawers　and　two　chairs。　The　motif　was　white　and　blue。　It　looked　clean　and　Bond　put　his　bag　down　thankfully　and　said　good　night。　He　stripped　and　threw　his　clothes　unfolded　on　to　a　chair。　Then　he　took　a　quick　shower；　cleaned　his　teeth　and　gargled　with　a　sharp　mouthwash　and　climbed　into　bed。
　He　plunged　at　once　into　a　calm　untroubled　sleep。　It　was　the　first　night　since　he　had　arrived　in　America　that　did　not　threaten　a　fresh　battle　with　his　stars　on　the　morrow。
　He　awoke　at　midday　and　walked　down　the　road　to　a　cafeteria　where　the　short…order　cook　fixed　him　a　delicious　three…decker　western　sandwich　and　coffee。　Then　he　came　back　to　his　room　and　wrote　a　detailed　report　to　the　FBI　at　Tampa。　He　omitted　all　reference　to　the　gold　in　the　poison　tanks　for　fear　that　The　Big　Man　would　close　down　his　operations　in　Jamaica。　The　nature　of　these　had　still　to　be　discovered。　Bond　knew　that　the　damage　he　had　done　to　the　machine　in　America　had　no　bearing　on　the　heart　of　his　assignment　…　the　discovery　of　the　source　of　the　gold；　its　seizure；　and　the　destruction；　if　possible；　of　Mr。　Big　himself。
　He　drove　to　the　airport　and　caught　the　silver；　four…engined　plane　with　a　few　minutes　to　spare。　He　left　Leiter's　car　in　the　parking　space　as　in　his　report　he　had　told　the　FBI　he　would。　He　guessed　that　he　need　not　have　mentioned　it　to　the　FBI　when　he　saw　a　man　in　an　unnecessary　raincoat　hanging　round　the　souvenir　shop；　buying　nothing。　Raincoats　seemed　almost　the　badge　of　office　of　the　FBI。　Bond　was　certain　they　wanted　to　see　he　caught　the　plane。　They　would　be　glad　to　see　the　last　of　him。　Wherever　he　had　gone　in　America　he　had　left　dead　bodies。　Before　he　boarded　the　plane　he　called　the　hospital　in　St。　Petersburg。　He　wished　he　hadn't；　Leiter　was　still　unconscious　and　there　was　no　news。　Yes；　they　would　cable　him　when　they　had　something　definite。
　It　was　five　in　the　evening　when　they　circled　over　Tampa　Bay　and　headed　East。　The　sun　was　low　on　the　horizon。　A　big　jet　from　Pensacola　swept　by；　well　to　port；　leaving　four　trails　of　vapour　that　hung　almost　motionless　in　the　still　air。　Soon　it　would　plete　its　training　circuit　and　go　in　to　land；　back　to　the　Gulf　Coast　packed　with　oldsters　in　Truman　shirts。　Bond　was　glad　to　be　on　his　way　to　the　soft　green　flanks　of　Jamaica　and　to　be　leaving　behind　the　great　hard　continent　of　Eldollarado。
　The　plane　swept　on　across　the　waist　of　Florida；　across　the　acres　of　jungle　and　swamp　without　sign　of　human　habitation；　its　wing…lights　blinking　green　and　red　in　the　gathering　dark。　Soon　they　were　over　Miami　and　the　monster　chump…traps　of　the　Eastern　Seaboard；　their　arteries　ablaze　with　Neon。　Away　to　port；　State　Highway　No。1　disappeared　up　the　coast　in　a　golden　ribbon　of　motels；　gas　stations　and　fruit…juice　stands；　up　through　Palm　Beach　and　Daytona　to　Jacksonville；　three　hundred　miles　away。　Bond　thought　of　the　breakfast　he　had　had　at　Jacksonville　not　three　days　before　and　of　all　that　had　happened　since。　Soon；　after　a　short　stop　at　Nassau；　he　would　be　flying　over　Cuba；　perhaps　over　the　hideout　where　Mr。　Big　had　put　her　away。　She　would　hear　the　noise　of　the　plane　and　perhaps　her　instincts　would　make　her　look　up　towards　th