tc.redrabbit-第45节

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ill　him　immediately　after　he　takes　his　shot…with　a　suppressed　weapon。　For　the　second　killer；　escape　is　far　easier；　since　the　attention　of　the　crowd　will　be　on　the　first　gunman。　It　also　alleviates　the　possible　problem　of　our　gunman　talking　to　the　police。　The　Italian　police　do　not　have　a　good　public　reputation；　but　this　is　not；　strictly　speaking；　true。　As　our　rezident　in　Rome　can　tell　you；　their　investigative　arms　are　quite　well　organized　and　highly　professional。　Thus；　it　is　in　our　interest　to　have　our　gunman　eliminated　at　once。〃
　　　〃But　won't　that　suggest　the　involvement　of　an　intelligence　service？〃　Andropov　asked。　〃Is　it　too　elegant？〃
　　　Bubovoy　leaned　back　and　spoke　judiciously。　This　was　what　Andropov　wanted　to　hear；　and　he　was　ready　to　deliver　it。　〃rade　Chairman；　one　must　weigh　one　hazard　against　another。　The　greatest　danger　is　if　our　assassin　talked　about　how　he　came　to　be　in　Rome。　A　dead　man　tells　no　tales；　as　they　say。　And　a　silenced　voice　cannot　give　out　information。　The　other　side　can　speculate；　but　it　is　merely　speculation。　For　our　part；　we　can　easily　release　information　through　the　press　sources　we　control　about　Muslim　animosity　toward　the　head　of　the　Roman　church。　The　Western　news　services　will　pick　it　up　and；　with　proper　guidance；　we　can　help　shape　the　public　understanding　of　what　has　taken　place。　The　United　States　and　Canada　Institute　has　some　excellent　academicians　for　this　purpose；　as　you　know。　We　can　use　them　to　formulate　the　black　propaganda；　and　then　use　people　from　the　First　Chief　Directorate　to　propagate　it。　This　proposed　operation　is　not　without　risk；　of　course；　but；　though　plex；　it　is　not　all　that　difficult　from　a　conceptual　point　of　view。　The　real　problems　will　be　in　its　execution　and　in　operational　security。　That's　why　it's　critical　to　eliminate　the　assassin　immediately。　The　most　important　thing　is　the　denial　of　information　to　the　other　side。　Let　them　speculate　all　they　wish；　but　without　hard　information；　they　will　know　nothing。　This　operation　will　be　very　closely　held；　I　presume。〃
　　　〃Less　than　five　people　at　present。　How　many　more？〃　Andropov　asked；　impressed　at　Bubovoy's　expertise　and　sangfroid。
　　　〃At　least　three　Bulgarians。　Then　they　will　select　the　Turk…it　must　be　a　Turk；　you　see。〃
　　　〃Why？〃　Though　Andropov　figured　he　knew　the　answer。
　　　〃Turkey　is　a　Muslim　country；　and　there　is　a　long…standing　antipathy　between　the　Christian　churches　and　Islam。　This　way；　the　operation　will　generate　additional　discord　between　the　two　religious　groups…consider　that　a　bonus；〃　the　Sofia　rezident　suggested。
　　　〃And　how　will　you　select　the　assassin？〃
　　　〃I　will　leave　that　to　Colonel　Strokov…his　ancestry　is　Russian；　by　the　way。　His　family　settled　in　Sofia　at　the　turn　of　the　century；　but　he　thinks　like　one　of　us。　He　is　nashi；〃　Bubovoy　assured　his　boss；　〃a　graduate　of　our　own　academy；　and　an　experienced　field　operator。〃
　　　〃How　long　to　set　this　up？〃
　　　〃That　depends　more　on　Moscow　than　Sofia。　Strokov　will　need　approval　from　his　own　mand；　but　that　is　a　political　question；　not　an　operational　one。　After　he　gets　his　orders。。。　two　weeks；　perhaps　as　many　as　four。〃
　　　〃And　the　chances　of　success？〃　the　Chairman　asked。
　　　〃Medium　to　high；　I　should　think。　The　DS　field　officer　will　drive　the　killer　to　the　proper　place；　and　then　kill　him　a　moment　after　the　mission　is　acplished；　before　making　his　escape。　That　is　more　dangerous　than　it　sounds。　The　assassin　will　probably　have　a　pistol；　and　it　will　not　be　a　suppressed　weapon。　So　the　crowd　will　be　drawn　to　the　sound。　Most　people　will　draw　back；　but　some　will　leap　forward　into　danger；　hoping　to　detain　the　gunman。　If　he　falls　from　a　silent　bullet　in　the　back；　they　will　still　rush　in；　while　our　man；　like　others　in　the　crowd；　draws　back。　Like　waves　on　the　beach；〃　Bubovoy　explained。　He　could　see　it　all　happening　in　his　mind。　〃Shooting　a　pistol　is　not　as　easy　as　the　cinema　would　have　us　believe；　though。　Remember；　on　a　battlefield；　for　every　man　killed；　two　or　three　are　wounded　and　survive。　Our　gunman　will　get　no　closer　than　four　or　five　meters。　That's　close　enough　for　an　expert；　but　our　man　will　not　be　an　expert。　And　then　there's　the　plicating　factor　of　medical　care。　Unless　you're　shot　through　the　heart　or　brain；　skilled　surgeons　can　often　reach　into　the　grave　and　pull　a　wounded　man　back　out。　So；　realistically；　it　is　a　fifty…percent　operation。　The　consequences　of　failure；　therefore；　must　be　taken　into　account。　That　is　a　political　question；　rade　Chairman；〃　Bubovoy　concluded；　meaning　that　it　wasn't　his　ass　on　the　line；　exactly。　At　the　same　time；　he　knew　that　mission　success　meant　general's　stars；　which；　for　the　colonel；　was　an　acceptable　gamble　with　a　huge　upside　and　little　in　the　way　of　a　downside。　It　appealed　to　his　careerism　as　well　as　his　patriotism。
　　　〃Very　well。　What　needs　to　be　done？〃
　　　〃First　of　all；　the　DS　operates　under　political　guidance。　The　section　that　Colonel　Strokov　mands　operates　with　few　written　records；　but　it　is　directly　controlled　by　the　Bulgarian　Politburo。　So　we　would　have　to　get　political　authorization；　which　necessarily　means　approval　from　our　own　political　leadership。　The　Bulgarians　will　not　authorize　their　cooperation　without　an　official　request　from　our　government。　After　that；　it's　actually　a　straightforward　operation。〃
　　　〃I　see。〃　Andropov　went　silent　for　half　a　minute　or　so。　There　was　a　Politburo　meeting　the　day　after　tomorrow。　Was　it　too　soon　to　float　this　mission？　he　wondered。　How　difficult　might　it　be　to　make　his　case？　He'd　have　to　show　them　the　Warsaw　Letter；　and　they　would　not　be　the　least　bit　pleased　by　it。　He'd　have　to　present　it　in　such　a　way　as　to　make　the　urgency　of　the　matter　plain　and。。。　frightening　to　them。
　　　Would　they　be　frightened？　Well；　he　could　help　them　along　that　path；　couldn't　he？　Andropov　pondered　the　question　for　a　few　more　seconds　and　came　to　a　favorable　conclusion。
　　　〃Anything　else；　Colonel？〃
　　　〃It　hardly　needs　saying　that　operational　security　must　be　airtight。　The　Vatican　has　its　own　highly　effective　intelligence　service。　It　would　be　a　mistake　to　underestimate　their　capabilities；〃　Bubovoy　warned。　〃Therefore；　our　Politburo　and　the　Bulgarians　must　know　that　this　matter　cannot　be　discussed　outside　of　their　own　number。　And　for　our　side；　that　means　no　one；　even　in　the　Central　mittee　or　the　Party　Secretariat。　The　smallest　leak　would　be　ruinous　to　the　mission。　But；　at　the　same　time；〃　he　went　on；　〃we　have　much　working　for　us。　The　Pope　necessarily　cannot　isolate　himself；　nor　can　he　be　protected　as　we　or　any　other　nation…state　would　do　with　such　a　threat　to　its　chief　of　state。　In　an　operational　sense；　he　is；　actually；　rather　a　'soft'　target…if；　that　is；　we　can　find　an　assassin　willing　to　risk　his　life　to　get　sufficiently　close　to　take　his　shot。〃
　　　〃So；　if　I　can　get　authorization　from　the　Politburo；　and　then　we　make　the　request　for　assistance　from　our　Bulgarian　brothers；　and　then　you　can　get　this　Colonel　Strokov　moving；　how　long　before　it　actually　happens？〃
　　　〃A　month；　I　should　think；　perhaps　two　months；　but　not　more　than　that。　We　would　need　some　support　from　Station　Rome；　for　issues　of　timing　and　such；　but　that's　all。　Our　own　hands　would　be　entirely　clean…especially　if　Strokov　assists　in　eliminating　the　assassin　immediately　upon　pletion　of　his　mission。〃
　　　〃You'd　want　this　Strokov　fellow　to　act　personally？〃
　　　〃Da。〃　Bubovoy　nodded。　〃Boris　Andreyevich　is　not　averse　to　getting　his　hands　wet。　He's　done　this　sort　of　thing　before。〃
　　　〃Very　well。〃　Andropov　looked　down　at　his　desk。　〃There　will　be　no　written　records　of　this　operation。　Once　I　have　proper　authorization；　you　will　receive　notice　to　proceed　from　my　office；　but　only　by　operational　code；　and　that　is　15…8…82…666。　Any　plex　information　will　be　relayed　by　messenger　or　by　face…to…face　contact　only。　Is　that　clear？〃　
　　　〃It　is　clear；　rade　Chairman。　Nothing　gets　written　down　except　the　operation　number。　I　expect　I　will　be　flying　a　good　deal　between　Sofia　and　Moscow；　but　that　is　not　a　problem。〃
　　　〃The　Bulgarians　are　trustworthy？〃　Andropov　asked；　suddenly　worried。
　　　〃Yes；　they　are；　rade　Chairman。　We　have　a　long…standing　operational　relationship　with　them；　and　they　are　expert　at　this　sort　of　thing…more　than　we　are；　in　fact。　They　have　had　more　practice。　When　someone　must　die；　it's　often　the　Bulgars　who　take　care　of　matters　for　us。〃
　　　〃Yes；　Colonel　Rozhdestvenskiy　has　told　me　that。　I　just　have　no　direct　knowledge　of　it。〃
　　　〃You　could；　of　course；　meet　with　Colonel　Strokov　any　time　you　wish；〃　Bubovoy　suggested。
　　　Andropov　shook　his　head。　〃Better　that　I　should　not；　I　think。〃
　　　〃As　you　wish；　rade　Chairman。〃　That　figures；　Bubovoy　thought。　Andropov　was　a　party　man；　not　used　to　getting　his　hands　dirty。　Politicians　were　all　the　same…bloodthirsty；　but　personally　tidy；　depending　on　others　to　carry　out　their　nasty　wishes。　Well；　that　was　his　job；　the　colonel　decided；　and　since　politicians　controlled　the　good　things　in　his　society；　he　needed　to　please　them　to　get　the　honey　from　the　hive。　And　he　had　as　big　a　sweet　tooth　as　anyone　else　in　the　Soviet　Union。　At　the　end　of　this　mission　might　be　general's　stars；　a　nice　flat　in　Moscow…even　a　modest　dacha　in　the　Lenin　Hills。　He'd　be　glad　to　return　to　Moscow；　and　so　would　his　wife。　If　the　price　of　it　was　the　death　of　some　foreigner　who　was　a　political　in