tc.redrabbit-第137节

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　　　〃I'd　feel　better　if　Jack　Cammer　was　working　on　him；　but　they　have　to　have　some　good　ones。　Every　big　city　does。　The　University　of　Padua　is　about　the　oldest　medical　school　in　the　world。　Their　ophthalmologists　are　about　as　good　as　we　are　at　Hopkins。　For　general　surgery；　they　must　have　some　good　people；　but　the　guy　I　know　best　for　this　is　Jack。〃　John　Michael　Cammer　was　Chairman　of　Hopkins'　Department　of　Surgery；　holder　of　the　prestigious　Halstead　Chair；　and　one　hell　of　a　good　man　with　a　knife。　Cathy　knew　him　well。　Jack　had　met　him　once　or　twice　at　fund…raisers　and　been　impressed　by　his　demeanor；　but　wasn't　a　physician　and　couldn't　evaluate　the　man's　professional　abilities。　〃It's　fairly　straightforward　to　treat　a　gunshot　wound；　mostly。　Unless　the　liver　or　spleen　is　hit。　The　real　problem　is　bleeding。　Jack；　it's　like　when　Sally　got　hurt　in　the　car　with　me。　If　you　get　him　there　fast；　and　if　the　surgeon　knows　his　stuff；　you　have　a　good　chance　of　surviving…unless　the　spleen's　ruptured　or　the　liver　is　badly　lacerated。　I　saw　the　TV　coverage。　His　heart　wasn't　hit…wrong　angle。　I'd　say　better　than　even　money　he'll　recover。　He's　not　a　young　man；　and　that　won't　help；　but　a　really　good　surgical　team　can　do　miracles　if　they　get　to　him　fast　enough。〃　She　didn't　talk　about　the　nasty　variables　of　trauma　surgery。　Bullets　could　ricochet　off　ribs　and　go　in　the　most　unpredictable　directions。　They　could　fragment　and　do　damage　in　widely　separated　places。　Fundamentally；　you　couldn't　diagnose；　much　less　treat；　a　bullet　wound　from　five　seconds　of　TV　tape。　So　the　odds　on　the　Pope's　survival　were　better　than　even　money；　but　a　lot　of　5…1　horses　had　beaten　the　chalk　horse　and　won　the　Kentucky　Derby。
　　　〃Thanks；　babe。　I'll　probably　be　able　to　tell　you　more　when　I　get　home。　Hug　the　kids　for　me；　okay？〃
　　　〃You　sound　tired；〃　she　said。
　　　〃I　am　tired；　babe。　It's　been　a　busy　couple　of　days。〃　And　it　wasn't　going　to　get　any　quieter。　〃Bye　for　now。〃
　　　〃I　love　you；　Jack；〃　she　reminded　him。
　　　〃I　love　you；　too；　babe。　Thanks　for　saying　that。〃
　　　Ryan　waited　more　than　an　hour　for　the　Zaitzev　family。　So　the　offer　of　a　helicopter　would　have　just　enabled　him　to　wait　here　longer…fairly　typical　of　the　U。S。　military。　Ryan　sat　on　a　fortable　couch　and　drifted　off　to　sleep　for　perhaps　half　an　hour。
　　　The　Rabbits　arrived　by　car。　A　USAF　sergeant　shook　Jack　awake　and　pointed　him　to　the　waiting　KC…135。　It　was　essentially　a　windowless　Boeing　707；　also　equipped　to　refuel　other　aircraft。　The　lack　of　windows　didn't　help　his　attitude　very　much；　but　orders　were　orders；　and　he　climbed　up　the　steps　and　found　a　plush　leather　seat　just　forward　of　the　wing　box。　The　aircraft　had　hardly　lifted　off　the　ground　when　Oleg　fell　into　the　seat　beside　his　own。
　　　〃What　happened？〃　Zaitzev　demanded。
　　　〃We　caught　Strokov。　I　got　him　myself；　and　he　had　a　gun　in　his　hand；〃　Ryan　reported。　〃But　there　was　another　shooter。〃
　　　〃Strokov？　You　arrested　him？〃
　　　〃Not　exactly　an　arrest；　but　he　decided　to　e　with　me　to　the　British　Embassy。　SIS　has　him　now。〃
　　　〃I　hope　they　kill　the　zvoloch；〃　Zaitzev　snarled。
　　　Ryan　didn't　reply；　wondering　if　that　might　actually　happen。　Did　the　Brits　play　that　rough？　He　had　mitted　rather　a　nasty　murder　on　their　soil…hell；　within　sight　of　Century　House。
　　　〃The　Pope；　will　he　live？〃　the　Rabbit　asked。　Ryan　was　surprised　to　see　his　degree　of　interest。　Maybe　the　guy　was　a　real　conscience　defector　after　all。
　　　〃I　don't　know；　Oleg。　I　called　my　wife…she's　a　surgeon。　She　says　that　it's　better　than　a　fifty…fifty　chance　that　he　will　survive。〃
　　　〃That　is　something；〃　Zaitzev　thought　out　loud。
　　　〃Well？〃　Andropov　asked。
　　　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　stood　a　little　more　erect。　〃rade　Chairman；　we　know　little　at　this　point。　Strokov's　man　took　the　shot；　as　you　know；　and　he　hit　his　target　in　a　deadly　area。　Strokov　was　unable　to　eliminate　him　as　planned；　for　reasons　unknown。　Our　Rome　rezidentura　is　working　carefully　to　discover　what　happened。　Colonel　Goderenko　is　taking　personal　charge。　We　will　know　more　when　Colonel　Strokov　flies　back　to　Sofia。　He　is　scheduled　to　be　on　the　regular　flight　at　nineteen　hours。　So；　to　this　point　it　appears　we　have　had　a　partial　success。〃
　　　〃There　is　no　such　thing　as　a　partial　success；　Colonel！〃　Andropov　pointed　out　heatedly。
　　　〃rade　Chairman；　I　told　you　weeks　ago　that　this　was　a　possibility。　You　will　recall　that。　And　even　if　this　priest　survives；　he　will　not　be　going　back　to　Poland　anytime　soon；　will　he？〃
　　　〃I　suppose　not；〃　Yuriy　Vladimirovich　grumbled。
　　　〃And　that　was　the　real　mission；　wasn't　it？〃
　　　〃Da；〃　the　Chairman　admitted。
　　　〃No　signals　as　yet？〃
　　　〃No；　rade　Chairman。　We've　had　to　break　in　a　new　watch　officer　in　munications；　and…〃
　　　〃What　is　that？〃
　　　〃Major　Zaitzev；　Oleg　Ivanovich；　he　and　his　family　died　in　a　hotel　fire　in　Budapest。　He　had　been　our　municator　for　mission　six…six…six。〃
　　　〃Why　was　I　not　informed　of　this？〃
　　　〃rade　Chairman；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　soothed；　〃it　was　fully　investigated。　The　bodies　have　been　returned　to　Moscow　and　were　duly　buried。　They　all　died　of　smoke　inhalation。　The　autopsy　procedures　were　viewed　in　person　by　a　Soviet　physician。〃
　　　〃You　are　sure　of　this；　Colonel？〃
　　　〃I　can　get　the　official　report　to　you　if　you　wish；〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　said　with　confidence。　〃I　have　read　it　myself。〃
　　　Andropov　shook　it　off。　〃Very　well。　Keep　me　informed　on　whatever　es　in。　And　I　want　to　be　notified　at　once　of　the　condition　of　this　troublesome　Pole。〃
　　　〃By　your　order；　rade　Chairman。〃　Rozhdestvenskiy　made　his　way　out　while　the　Chairman　went　back　to　other　business。　Brezhnev's　health　had　taken　a　definite　downturn。　Very　soon　Andropov　would　have　to　step　away　from　KGB　in　order　to　protect　his　ascension　to　the　head　seat　at　the　table；　and　that　was　the　main　item　on　his　plate　at　the　moment。　And；　besides；　Rozhdestvenskiy　was　right。　This　Polish　priest　would　not　be　a　problem　for　months；　even　if　he　survived；　and　that　was　sufficient　to　the　moment。
　　　〃Well；　Arthur？〃　Ritter　asked。
　　　〃He's　calmed　down　a　little　bit。　I　told　him　about　Operation　BEATRIX。　I　told　him　that　we　and　the　Brits　had　people　right　there。　He　wants　to　meet　the　Rabbit　we　just　got　out；　personally。　So；　he's　still　pretty　pissed；　but　at　least　it's　not　at　us；〃　Moore　reported　on　his　arrival　back　from　the　White　House。
　　　〃The　Brits　have　this　Strokov　guy　in　custody；〃　Greer　let　the　DCI　know。　Word　had　just　e　in　from　London。　〃Would　you　believe　Ryan's　the　guy　who　put　the　bag　on　him？　The　Brits　have　him　now　at　their　Rome　embassy。　Basil's　trying　to　decide　what　to　do　with　him。　Best　bet；　Strokov　ran　the　operation　and　enlisted　this　Turkish　thug　to　do　the　shooting。　The　Brits　say　they　caught　him　with　a　silenced　pistol　in　his　hand。　The　thinking　is　that　his　job　was　to　take　the　shooter　out；　like　that　Mafia　hit　in　New　York　a　while　back；　to　put　big…league　deniability　on　the　assassination　attempt。〃
　　　〃Your　boy　captured　him？〃　the　DCI　asked　in　some　surprise。
　　　〃He　was　there　with　a　team　of　experienced　British　field　spooks；　and　maybe　his　Marine　training　helped；〃　Ritter　allowed。　〃So；　James；　your　fair…haired　boy　gets　another　attaboy。〃
　　　Don't　bite　your　tongue　off　when　you　sign　the　Letter　of　mendation；　Robert；　Greer　managed　not　to　say。　〃Where　are　they　all　now？〃
　　　〃Halfway　home；　probably。　The　Air　Force　is　flying　them　over；〃　Ritter　told　them。　〃ETA　at　Andrews　is　about　eleven…forty；　they　told　me。〃
　　　There　were　windows　in　the　front　office；　Ryan　found　out；　and　the　flight　crew　was　friendly　enough。　He　was　even　able　to　talk　a　little　about　baseball。　The　Orioles　had　just　one　more　game　to　win　to　finish　the　Phillies　off；　he　was　pleased　and　surprised　to　learn。　The　flight　crew　didn't　even　hint　at　asking　why　they　were　driving　him　back　to　America。　They'd　done　it　too　many　times　and；　besides；　they　never　got　good　answers　anyway。　Aft；　the　Rabbit　Family　was　sound　asleep；　a　feat　Ryan　had　not　yet　managed　to　acplish。
　　　〃How　long？〃　he　asked　the　pilot。
　　　〃Well；　that's　Labrador　there。〃　He　pointed。　〃Call　it　three　hours　more；　and　we'll　be　feet…dry　almost　all　the　way。　Why　don't　you　get　some　sleep；　sir？〃
　　　〃I　don't　sleep　in　the　air；〃　Jack　admitted。
　　　〃Don't　feel　too　bad；　sir。　Neither　do　we；〃　the　copilot　told　him。　And　that　was　good　news；　on　reflection；　Jack　thought。
　　　Sir　Basil　Charleston　was　having　his　own　meeting　with　his　Chief　of　Government　at　the　moment。　Neither　in　America　nor　in　the　U。K。　did　reporters　write　stories　about　when　and　why　the　chiefs　of　the　various　intelligence　services　met　with　their　political　masters。
　　　〃So；　tell　me　about　this　Strokov　fellow；〃　she　ordered。
　　　〃Not　a　very　pleasant　chap；〃　C　replied。　〃We　reckon　he　was　there　to　kill　the　actual　shooter。　He　had　a　suppressed　weapon　to　eliminate　the　noise。　So；　it　would　appear　that　the　idea　was　to　kill　His　Holiness　and　leave　a　dead　assassin　behind。　Dead　men　still　tell　no　tales；　you　see；　Prime　Minister。　But　perhaps　this　one　will；　after　all。　The　Italian　police　must　be　chatting　with　him　right　now；　I　would　imagine。　He　is　a　Turkish　national；　and　I'll　wager　he　had　a　criminal　record；　and/or　experience　in　smuggling　things　into　Bulgaria。〃
　　　〃So；　it　was　the　Russians　who　were　behind　this？〃　she　asked。
　　　〃Yes；　ma'am。　That　seems　virtually　certain。　Tom　Sharp　is　talking　to　Strokov　in　Rome。　We'll　see　how　loyal　he　is　to　his　masters。〃
　　　〃What　will　we　do　with　him？〃　the　PM　asked。　The