tc.redrabbit-第86节

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oyed　docs　with　whom　she　worked。　He　wondered　if　this　bad　habit　would　carry　over　when　they　went　home　to　Peregrine　Cliff。　Probably　not。　Bernie　Katz　liked　to　have　his　desk　clean；　and　waiting　lists　at　zero；　and　the　local　work　habits　were　driving　his　wife　to　drink。　The　good　news　was　that；　with　no　surgery　scheduled　this　week；　they'd　be　able　to　have　wine　that　evening　with　dinner。
　　　He　wondered　how　long　he'd　be　away　from　home。　It　wasn't　something　he　was　used　to。　One　advantage　of　being　an　analyst　was　that　he　did　all　of　his　work　at　the　office；　then　drove　home。　He'd　rarely　slept　away　from　his　wife　in　all　the　time　they'd　been　married；　a　rule　almost　sacred　in　their　marriage。　He　liked　it　when　he　woke　up　at　three　in　the　morning　and　could　roll　over　and　kiss　her　in　mid…dream；　then　see　her　smile　in　her　sleep。　His　marriage　to　Cathy　was　the　anchor　to　his　life；　the　very　center　of　his　universe。　But　now　duty　would　take　him　away　from　her　for　several　days…not　something　he　looked　forward　to。　Nor　did　he　look　forward　to　flying　on　another　goddamned　airplane　into　a　munist　country　with　false　identity　papers　and　overseeing　a　black　operation　there…he　didn't　know　shit　about　them；　just　what　he'd　picked　up　talking　to　the　occasional　field　spook　at　Langley。。。　and　from　his　own　experiences　here　in　London；　and　at　home　over　the　Chesapeake；　when　Sean　Miller　and　his　terrorists　had　e　to　his　house　with　guns　blazing。　It　was　something　he　tried　very　hard　to　forget。　It　might　have　been　different　had　he　stayed　in　the　Marine　Corps；　but　there　he　would　have　been　surrounded　by　fellow　warriors。　He'd　have　been　able　to　bathe　in　their　respect；　to　remember　his　feat　of　arms　with　pride　at　having　done　the　right　thing　at　the　right　time；　to　recount　his　deeds　to　the　interested；　to　pass　along　the　tactical　lessons　learned　the　hard　way　on　the　field　of　demibattle　over　beers　at　the　O…club；　even　to　smile　about　something　that　one　didn't　ordinarily　smile　about。　But　he'd　left　the　Marine　Corps　with　a　bad　back；　and　had　had　to　endure　his　bat　as　a　very　frightened　civilian。　Courage；　though；　he'd　once　been　told；　was　being　the　only　one　who　knew　how　terrified　you　were。　And；　yeah；　he　supposed；　he'd　shown　that　quality　when　it　had　counted。　And　his　job　in　Hungary　would　be　only　to　watch；　and　then；　the　important　part；　to　sit　in　while　Sir　Basil's　boys　interviewed　the　Rabbit　at　some　safe　house　in　London；　or　wherever；　before　the　Air　Force；　probably；　flew　them　to　Washington　in　their　own　special…mission　KC…135　out　of　RAF　Bentwaters；　with　nice　food　and　plenty　of　liquor　to　ease　the　flight　fright。
　　　He　walked　off　the　train　and　up　the　steps；　and　caught　a　cab　for　Grizedale　Close；　where　he　found　that　Cathy　had　sent　Miss　Margaret　away　and　was　busy　in　the　kitchen；　assisted；　he　saw；　by　Sally。
　　　〃Hey；　babe。〃　Kiss。　He　lifted　Sally　for　the　usual　hug。　Little　girls　give　the　best　hugs。
　　　〃So；　what　was　the　important　message　about？〃　Cathy　asked。
　　　〃No　big　deal。　Kinda　disappointing；　actually。〃
　　　Cathy　turned　to　look　her　husband　in　the　eye。　Jack　couldn't　lie　worth　a　damn。　It　was　one　of　the　things　she　liked　about　him；　actually。　〃Uh…huh。〃
　　　〃Honest；　babe；〃　Ryan　said；　knowing　the　look；　and　then　deepening　the　hole　in　which　he　was　standing。　〃I　didn't　get　shot　at　or　anything。〃
　　　〃Okay；〃　she　acknowledged；　meaning；　We'll　talk　about　it　later。
　　　Blew　it　again；　Jack；　Ryan　told　himself。　〃How's　the　glasses　business？〃
　　　〃Saw　six　people；　had　time　for　eight　or　nine；　but　that's　all　I　had　on　my　list。〃
　　　〃Have　you　told　Bernie　about　working　conditions　here？〃
　　　〃Called　him　today；　right　after　I　got　home。　He　had　himself　a　good　laugh　and　told　me　to　enjoy　the　vacation。〃
　　　〃What　about　the　guys　who　had　a　brewski　during　a　procedure？〃
　　　Cathy　turned。　〃He　said；　and　I　quote；　'Jack's　in　the　CIA；　isn't　he？　Have　him　shoot　the　bastards。'　End　of　quote。〃　She　turned　back　to　her　cooking。
　　　〃You　need　to　tell　him　that　we　don't　do　that　sort　of　thing。〃　Jack　managed　a　smile。　This；　at　least；　wasn't　a　lie；　and　he　hoped　she　could　tell。
　　　〃I　know。　You'd　never　be　able　to　carry　it　on　your　conscience。〃
　　　〃Too　Catholic；〃　he　confirmed。
　　　〃Well；　at　least　I　know　you'll　never　fool　around　on　me。〃
　　　〃May　God　strike　me　dead　with　cancer　if　I　ever　do。〃　It　was　the　one　imprecation　about　cancer　that　she　almost　approved　of。
　　　〃You'll　never　have　reason　to；　Jack。〃　And　that　was　true　enough。　She　didn't　like　guns　and　she　didn't　like　bloodshed；　but　she　did　love　him。　And　that　was　sufficient　to　the　moment。
　　　Dinner　turned　out　okay；　followed　by　the　usual　evening　activities；　until　it　was　time　for　their　four…year…old　to　put　on　her　yellow　sleeper　and　climb　into　her　big…girl　bed。
　　　With　Sally　in　bed　and　Little　Jack　dozing　as　well；　there　was　time　for　the　usual　mindless　TV　watching。　Or　so　Jack　hoped；　until。。。
　　　〃Okay；　Jack；　what's　the　bad　news？〃
　　　〃Nothing　much；〃　he　answered。　The　worst　possible　answer。　Cathy　was　just　too　good　at　reading　his　mind。
　　　〃What's　that　mean？〃
　　　〃I　have　to　go　on　a　little　trip…to　Bonn；〃　Jack　remembered　the　advice　from　Sir　Basil。　〃It's　a　NATO　thing　I　got　stuck　with。〃
　　　〃Doing　what？〃
　　　〃I　can't　say；　babe。〃
　　　〃How　long？〃
　　　〃Three　or　four　days；　probably。　They　think　I　am　uniquely　suited　to　this　for　some　damned　reason　or　other。〃
　　　〃Uh…huh。〃　Ryan's　semi…truthfulness　was　just　oblique　enough　to　foil　her　mind　reading　for　once。
　　　〃You're　not　going　to　be　carrying　a　gun　or　anything？〃
　　　〃Honey；　I　am　an　analyst；　not　a　field　officer；　remember？　That　sort　of　thing　is　not　my　job。　For　that　matter；　I　don't　think　field　spooks　carry　guns　very　much　anyway。　Too　hard　to　explain　away　if　somebody　notices。〃
　　　〃But…〃
　　　〃James　Bond　is　in　the　movies；　babe；　not　real　life。〃
　　　Ryan　returned　his　attention　to　the　TV。　ITV　was　doing　a　repeat　of　Danger…UXB；　and　again　Jack　found　himself　wondering　if　Brian　would　survive　his　job　of　defusing　unexploded　bombs　and　then　marry　Suzy　when　he　returned　to　civilian　life。　EOD；　now　there　was　a　miserable　job；　but；　if　you　made　a　mistake；　at　least　it　wouldn't　hurt　for　very　long。
　　　〃Heard　anything　from　Bob？〃　Greer　asked　just　before　six　in　the　evening。
　　　Judge　Moore　stood　up　from　his　expensive　swivel　chair　and　stretched。
　　　Too　much　time　sitting　down；　and　not　enough　moving　around。　Back　in　Texas；　he　had　a　small　ranch…called　that　because　he　owned　three　quarter　horses；　you　couldn't　be　a　prominent　citizen　in　Texas　unless　you　owned　a　horse　or　two…and　three　or　four　times　a　week；　he'd　saddle　Aztec　up　and　ride　around　for　an　hour　or　so；　mainly　to　get　his　head　clear；　to　allow　himself　to　think　outside　his　office。　That　was　how　he　tended　to　get　his　best　thinking　done。　Maybe；　Moore　thought；　that's　why　he　felt　so　goddamned　unproductive　here。　An　office　just　wasn't　a　very　good　place　for　thinking；　but　every　executive　in　the　world　pretended　it　was。　Christ　knew　why。　That's　what　he　needed　at　Langley…his　own　stable。　There　was　plenty　of　room　on　the　Langley　campus…a　good　five　times　what　he　had　in　Texas。　But　if　he　ever　did　that；　the　stories　would　spread　around　the　world：　The　American　DCI　liked　to　ride　horses　with　his　black　Stetson　hat…that　went　along　with　the　horse…and　probably　a　Colt　。45　on　his　hip…that　was　optional…and　that　just　wouldn't　look　good　to　the　TV　crews　that　would　sooner　or　later　appear　at　the　perimeter　fence　with　their　minicams。　And　so；　for　reasons　of　personal　vanity；　he　had　to　deny　himself　the　chance　to　do　some　good　creative　thinking。　It　was　totally　asinine；　the　former　judge　told　himself；　to　allow　such　considerations　to　affect　the　way　he　did　his　work。　Over　in　England；　Basil　could　chase　foxes　on　the　back　of　a　nice　hunter…thoroughbred；　and　would　anyone　over　there　care？　Hell；　no。　He'd　be　admired　for　it；　or　at　worst　thought　a　tiny　bit　eccentric；　in　a　country　where　eccentricity　was　an　admirable　quality。　But　in　the　Land　of　the　Free；　men　were　enslaved　by　customs　imposed　on　them　by　news　reporters　and　elected　officials　who　screwed　their　secretaries。　Well；　there　was　no　rule　that　the　world　had　to　make　sense；　was　there？
　　　〃Nothing　important。　Just　a　cable　that　said　his　meetings　with　our　Korean　friends　were　going　well；〃　Moore　reported。
　　　〃You　know；　those　people　scare　me　a　little；〃　Greer　observed。　He　didn't　have　to　explain　why。　The　KCIA　occasionally　had　its　field　personnel　deal　a　little　too　directly　with　employees　of　the　other　Korean　government。　The　rules　were　a　little　different　over　there。　The　ongoing　state　of　war　between　North　and　South　was　still　a　very　real　thing　and；　in　time　of　war；　some　people　lost　their　lives。　CIA　hadn't　done　such　things　in　almost　thirty　years。　Asian　people　hadn't　adopted　Western　ideas　of　the　value　of　human　life。　Maybe　because　their　countries　were　just　too　crowded。　Maybe　because　they　have　different　religious　beliefs。　Maybe　a　lot　of　things；　but　for　whatever　reason　they　were　just　a　little　different　in　the　operational　parameters　they　felt　free　to　work　within…or　without。
　　　〃They're　our　best　eye　on　North　Korea　and　China；　James；〃　Moore　reminded　him。　〃And　they　are　very　faithful　allies。〃
　　　〃I　know；　Arthur。〃　It　was　nice　to　hear　things　about　the　People's　Republic　of　China　once　in　a　while。　Penetrating　that　country　was　one　of　CIA's　most　frustrating　tasks。　〃I　just　wish　they　weren't　so　cavalier　about　murder。〃
　　　〃They　operate　within　fairly　strict　rules；　and　both　sides　seem　to　play　by　them。〃
　　　And　on　both　sides；　killings　had　to　be　authorized　at　a