tc.redrabbit-第59节

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e　Americans　didn't　really　have　a　feel　for　espionage。　The　English　did；　but　KGB　and　its　antecedents　had　enjoyed　some　success　at　infiltrating　it　in　the　past。　Less　so　today；　unfortunately。　The　young　Cambridge　munists　of　the　1930s　were　all　old　now；　either　in　British　prisons　or　drawing　their　government　pensions　in　peace；　or　living　out　their　years　in　Moscow；　like　Kim　Philby；　considered　a　drunk　even　by　Muscovites。　He　probably　drank　because　he　missed　his　country…missed　the　place　in　which　he'd　grown　up；　the　food　and　drink　and　football　games；　the　newspapers　with　which　he'd　always　philosophically　disagree；　but　he'd　miss　them　even　so。　What　a　terrible　thing　it　must　be　to　be　a　defector；　Rozhdestvenskiy　thought。
　　　What　will　i　do？　Zaitzev　asked　himself。　What　will　I　ask　for？
　　　Money？　CIA　probably　paid　its　spies　very　well…more　money　than　he　would　ever　be　able　to　spend。　Luxuries　beyond　his　imagination。　A　videotape　machine！　They　were　just　being　available　in　Russia；　mainly　made　in　Hungary；　patterned　after　Western　machines。　The　bigger　problem　was　in　getting　tapes…pornographic　ones　were　particularly　in　demand。　Some　of　his　KGB　coworkers　spoke　of　such　things。　Zaitzev　had　never　seen　one　himself；　but　he　was　curious；　as　any　man　might　be。　The　Soviet　Union　was　run　by　such　conservative　men。　Maybe　the　Politburo　members　were　just　too　old　to　enjoy　sex；　and　so　saw　no　need　for　younger　citizens　to　indulge。
　　　He　shook　his　head。　Enough！　He　had　to　decide　what　to　tell　the　American　in　the　metro。　That　was　a　task　that　he　chewed　on　with　his　lunch　in　the　KGB　cafeteria。
　　　
　　　CHAPTER　15　…　MEETING　PLACE
　　　Mary　Pat　was　expected　to　e　into　the　embassy　sometimes；　to　see　her　husband　about　family　matters　or　to　purchase　special　food　items　from　the　missary。　To　do　this；　she　always　dressed　up…better　than　she　did　for　the　Moscow　streets…with　her　hair　well…brushed　and　held　in　place　by　a　youthful　headband；　and　her　makeup　done；　so　that　when　she　drove　into　the　pound　parking　lot　she　would　look　like　a　typical　air…headed　American　blonde。　She　smiled　to　herself。　She　liked　being　a　natural　blonde；　and　anything　that　made　her　appear　dumb　worked　for　her　cover。
　　　So　she　breezed　in　the　front　door；　waving　airily　at　the　ever…polite　Marines；　and　into　the　elevator。　She　found　her　husband　alone　in　his　office。
　　　〃Hey；　baby。〃　Ed　rose　to　kiss　her；　then　drew　back　to　take　in　the　whole　picture。　〃Looking　good。〃
　　　〃Well；　it's　an　effective　disguise。〃　It　had　worked　fine　in　Iran；　too；　especially　when　she'd　been　pregnant。　That　country　didn't　treat　women　especially　well；　but　it　did　extend　them　an　odd　deference；　especially　when　pregnant；　she'd　found；　right　before　she'd　skipped　the　country　for　good。　It　was　one　station　she　didn't　particularly　miss。
　　　〃Yeah；　babe。　Just　gotta　get　you　a　surfboard　and　a　nice　beach；　maybe　the　Banzai　Pipeline。〃
　　　〃Oh；　Ed；　that's　just　so　tubular。　And　Banzai　Beach　is　in　Hawaii；　dummy。〃　A　quick　gear　change。　〃The　flag　go　up　wrong？〃
　　　〃Yep。　The　TV　cameras　didn't　show　anyone　on　the　street　paying　particular　attention　to　it。　But　you　could　see　it　from　a　block　away；　and　the　security　cameras　don't　look　that　far　out。　We'll　see　if　our　friend　drops　a　message　in　my　pocket　on　the　ride　home　tonight。〃
　　　〃What　did　the　Marines　say？〃　she　asked。
　　　〃They　asked　why；　but　Dom　didn't　tell　them　anything。　Hell；　he　doesn't　know　either；　does　he？〃
　　　〃He's　a　good　spook；　Dominic　is；〃　Mary　Pat　judged。
　　　〃Ritter　likes　him。　Oh；〃　Foley　remembered。　He　fished　a　message　out　of　his　drawer　and　handed　it　across。
　　　〃Shit；〃　his　wife　breathed；　scanning　it　quickly。　〃The　Pope？　Those　motherfuckers　want　to　kill　the　Pope？〃　Mary　Pat　didn't　always　talk　like　a　California　blonde。
　　　〃Well；　there's　no　information　to　suggest　that　directly；　but；　if　they　want　to；　we're　supposed　to　find　out。〃
　　　〃Sounds　like　a　job　for　WOODCUTTER；〃　who　was　their　man　in　the　Party　Secretariat。
　　　〃Or　maybe　CARDINAL？〃　Ed　wondered。
　　　〃We　haven't　flagged　him　yet；〃　MP　pointed　out；　but　it　would　soon　be　time　to　check　in　with　him。　They　checked　his　apartment　every　night　for　the　light…and…blinds　bination　in　his　living　room。　His　apartment　was　agreeably　close　to　their　own；　and　the　ratline　was　well　established；　beginning　with　a　piece　of　paper　tape　on　a　lamppost。　Setting　that　flag　signal　was　MP's　job。　She'd　already　walked　Little　Eddie　by　it　half　a　dozen　times。　〃Is　this　a　job　for　him？〃　she　asked。
　　　〃The　President　wants　to　know；〃　her　husband　pointed　out。
　　　〃Yeah。〃　But　CARDINAL　was　their　most　important　agent…in…place；　and　not　one　to　be　alerted　unless　it　was　really　critical。　CARDINAL　would　also　know　to　get　something　like　this　out　on　his　own　if　he　became　aware　of　it。　〃I'd　hold　off　on　that　unless　Ritter　says　different。〃
　　　〃Agreed；〃　Ed　Foley　conceded。　If　Mary　Pat　advised　caution；　then　caution　was　justified。　After　all；　she　was　the　one　who　enjoyed　taking　risks　and　betting　her　skill　against　the　house　odds。　But　that　didn't　mean　that　his　wife　was　a　reckless　player；　either。　〃I'll　sit　on　that　one　for　a　while。〃
　　　〃Be　nice　to　see　what　your　new　contact　will　do　next。〃
　　　〃Bet　your　cute　little　tushy；　babe。　Want　to　meet　the　Ambassador？〃
　　　〃I　suppose　it's　time；〃　she　agreed。
　　　〃So；　recover　from　yesterday？〃　Ryan　asked　Harding。　It　was　the　first　time　he'd　beaten　his　workmate　into　the　office。
　　　〃Yes；　I　suppose　I　have。〃
　　　〃If　it　makes　you　feel　any　better；　I　haven't　met　the　President　yet；　myself。　And　I'm　not　exactly　looking　forward　to　the　experience。　Like　Mark　Twain　said　about　the　guy　who　got　himself　tarred　and　feathered；　if　it　weren't　for　the　honor　of　the　thing；　he　would　just　as　soon　have　missed　it。〃
　　　Harding　managed　a　brief　laugh。　〃Precisely；　Jack。　One　does　go　a　little　weak　in　the　knees。〃
　　　〃Is　she　as　tough　as　they　say？〃
　　　〃I'm　not　sure　I'd　want　to　play　rugger　against　her。　She's　also　very；　very　bright。　Doesn't　miss　a　thing；　and　asks　bloody　good　questions。〃
　　　〃Well；　answering　them　is　what　they　pay　us　for；　Simon；〃　Ryan　pointed　out。　There　was　no　sense　being　afraid　of　people　who　were　only　doing　their　job　as　well；　and　who　needed　good　information　to　do　it　properly。
　　　〃And　her；　too；　Jack。　She　has　to　do　questions　in　Parliament。〃
　　　〃On　this　sort　of　thing？〃　Jack　asked；　surprised。
　　　〃No；　not　this。　It's　occasionally　discussed　with　the　opposition；　but　under　strict　rules。〃
　　　〃You　worry　about　leaks？〃　Jack　asked；　wondering。　In　America；　there　were　select　mittees　whose　members　were　thoroughly　briefed　on　what　they　could　say　and　what　they　could　not。　The　Agency　did　worry　about　leaks…they　were　politicians；　after　all…but　he'd　never　heard　of　a　serious　one　off　The　Hill。　Those　more　often　came　from　inside　the　Agency；　and　mainly　from　the　Seventh　Floor。。。　or　from　the　White　House's　West　Wing。　That　didn't　mean　that　CIA　was　fortable　with　leaks　of　any　kind；　but　at　least　these　were　more　often　than　not　sanctioned；　and　often　they　were　disinformation　with　a　political　purpose　behind　them。　It　was　probably　the　same　here；　especially　since　the　local　news　media　operated　under　controls　that　would　have　given　The　New　York　Times　a　serious　conniption　fit。
　　　〃One　always　wonders　about　them；　Jack。　So；　anything　new　e　in　last　night？〃
　　　〃Nothing　new　on　the　Pope；〃　Ryan　reported。　〃Our　sources；　such　as　they　are；　have　run　into　a　brick　wall。　Will　you　be　turning　your　field　spooks　loose？〃
　　　〃Yes；　the　PM　made　it　clear　to　Basil　that　she　wants　more　information。　If　something　happens　to　His　Holiness；　well…〃
　　　〃…she　blows　a　head　gasket；　right？〃
　　　〃You　Americans　do　have　a　way　with　words；　Jack。　And　your　President？〃
　　　〃He'll　be　seriously　pissed；　and　by　that　I　do　not　mean　hitting　the　booze。　His　dad　was　Catholic；　and　his　mom　raised　him　a　Protestant；　but　he　wouldn't　be　real　happy　if　the　Pope　so　much　as　catches　a　late…summer　cold。〃
　　　〃You　know；　even　if　we　turn　some　information；　it　is　not　at　all　certain　that　we'll　be　able　to　do　a　thing　with　it。〃
　　　〃I　kinda　figured　that；　but　at　least　we　can　say　something　to　his　protective　detail。　We　can　do　that　much；　and　maybe　he　can　change　his　schedule…no；　he　won't。　He'd　rather　take　the　bullet　like　a　man。　But　maybe　we　can　interfere　somehow　with　what　the　Bad　Guys　are　planning。　You　just　can't　know　until　you　have　a　few　facts　to　rub　together。　But　that's　not　really　our　job；　is　it？〃
　　　Harding　shook　his　head；　as　he　stirred　his　morning　tea。　〃No；　the　field　officers　feed　it　to　us；　and　we　try　to　determine　what　it　means。〃
　　　〃Frustrating？〃　Ryan　wondered。　Harding　had　been　at　the　job　much　longer　than　he　had。
　　　〃Frequently。　I　know　the　field　officers　sweat　blood　doing　their　jobs…and　it　can　be　physically　dangerous　to　the　ones　who　do　not　have　a　'legal'　cover…but　we　users　of　information　can't　always　see　it　from　their　perspective。　As　a　result；　they　do　not　appreciate　us　as　much　as　we　appreciate　them。　I've　met　with　a　few　of　them　over　the　years；　and　they　are　good　chaps；　but　it's　a　clash　of　cultures；　Jack。〃
　　　The　field　guys　are　probably　pretty　good　at　analysis　themselves；　when　you　get　down　to　it；　Ryan　thought。　I　wonder　how　often　the　analyst　munity　really　appreciates　that？　It　was　something　for　Ryan　to　slip　into　his　mental　do…not…forget　file。　The　Agency　was　supposed　to　be　one　big　happy　team；　after　all。　Of　course　it　wasn't；　even　at　the　Seventh　Floor　level。
　　　〃Anyway；　we　had　this　e　in　from　East　Germany。〃　Jack　handed　the　folder　across。　〃Some　rumbles　in　their　political　hierarchy　last　week。〃
　　　〃Thos