tc.redrabbit-第98节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　　　〃Right。〃　Kingshot　left　the　room。
　　　C　thought　for　a　moment　and　decided　it　was　time　to　warn　the　American。　He　punched　another　button　on　his　phone。　This　took　only　a　minute　and　a　half。
　　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Ryan　said；　entering　his　office。
　　　〃Your　trip　to　Budapest；　three　days　from　today…perhaps　four；　but　more　likely　three。〃
　　　〃Where　do　I　leave　from？〃
　　　〃There's　a　morning　British　Airways　flight　from　Heathrow。　You　can　leave　from　here；　or　just　take　a　taxi　from　Victoria　Station。　You'll　be　acpanied　on　the　flight　by　one　of　our　people；　and　met　in　Budapest　by　Andy　Hudson；　he's　our　Chief　of　Station　there。　Good　man。　Runs　a　good　little　station。〃
　　　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Ryan　said；　not　knowing　what　the　hell　else　to　say　in　preparation　for　his　first　field　mission　as　a　spook。　Then　it　was　time　for　a　question。　〃What；　exactly；　is　going　to　happen；　sir？〃
　　　〃I'm　not　sure　yet；　but　Andy　has　good　connections　with　local　smugglers。　I　would　expect　him　to　arrange　a　crossing　into　Yugoslavia；　and　then　home　from　there　by　mercial　aircraft。〃
　　　Great。　More　fucking　airplanes；　Ryan　thought。　Couldn't　we　take　the　train？　But　ex…Marines　weren't　supposed　to　show　fear。　〃Okay；　I　guess　that　works。〃
　　　〃You　may　speak　with　our　Rabbit…discreetly；〃　Charleston　warned。　〃And　then　you'll　be　allowed　to　sit　in　on　our　initial　debriefing　out　in　Somerset。　Finally；　I　rather　expect　you'll　be　one　of　the　chaps　to　escort　him　back　to　the　States；　probably　on　U。S。　Air　Force　transport　out　of　RAF　Bentwaters。〃
　　　Better　and　better；　Jack　thought。　His　hatred　for　flying　was　something　he'd　have　to　get　over；　and　intellectually　he　knew　that　sooner　or　later　he'd　do　it。　It　was　just　that　he　hadn't　quite　gotten　over　it　yet。　Well；　at　least　he　wouldn't　be　flying　anywhere　in　a　CH…46　with　a　fluky　transmission。　He　drew　the　line　there。
　　　〃My　total　time　away　from　home？〃　And　sleeping　apart　from　my　wife；　Ryan　thought。
　　　〃Four　days；　perhaps　as　many　as　seven。　It　depends　on　how　things　work　out　in　Budapest；〃　C　replied。　〃That　is　difficult　to　predict。〃
　　　None　of　them　had　ever　eaten　at　sixty　miles　per　hour。　The　adventure　for　their　little　girl　just　got　better　and　better。　Dinner　was　adequate。　The　beef　was　about　average　for　the　Soviet　Union；　and　so　they　could　not　be　disappointed　by　it；　along　with　potatoes　and　greens；　and；　of　course；　a　carafe　of　vodka；　one　of　the　better　brands；　to　erase　the　pain　of　travel。　They　were　heading　into　the　setting　sun；　now　in　country　used　exclusively　for　farming。　Irina　leaned　across　the　table　to　cut　the　zaichik's　meat　for　her；　watching　their　little　angel　eat　her　dinner；　like　the　big　girl　she　proclaimed　herself　to　be；　along　with　a　glass　of　cold　milk。
　　　〃So；　looking　forward　to　the　trip　now；　my　dear？〃　Oleg　asked　his　wife。
　　　〃Yes；　especially　the　shopping。〃　Of　course。
　　　Part　of　Oleg　Ivan'ch　was　calm…in　fact；　the　calmest　he'd　been　in　weeks。　It　was　really　happening。　His　treason…part　of　his　consciousness　thought　of　it　that　way…was　under　way。　How　many　of　his　countrymen；　he　wondered…indeed；　how　many　of　his　coworkers　at　The　Centre…would　take　the　chance　if　they　had　the　courage　to　do　so？　You　couldn't　know。　He　lived　in　a　country　and　worked　at　an　office　where　everyone　concealed　their　inner　thoughts。　And　at　KGB；　even　the　Russian　custom　of　sanctifying　especially　close　friendships　by　speaking　things　that　could　put　you　in　prison；　trusting　that　a　true　friend　would　never　denounce　you…no；　a　KGB　officer　didn't　do　such　things。　KGB　was　founded　on　the　dichotomous　balance　of　loyalty　and　betrayal。　Loyalty　to　the　state　and　its　principles；　and　betrayal　of　any　who　violated　them。　But　since　he　didn't　believe　in　those　principles　anymore；　he　had　turned　to　treason　to　save　his　soul。
　　　And　now　the　treason　was　under　way。　If　the　Second　Chief　Directorate　knew　of　his　plans；　they　would　have　been　mad　to　allow　him　on　this　train。　He　could　leave　it　at　any　intermediate　stop…or　just　jump　off　the　train　when　it　slowed；　approaching　some　preplanned　point…and　escape　to　Western　hands；　which　could　be　waiting　anywhere　for　him。　No；　he　was　safe；　at　least　as　long　as　he　was　on　this　train。　And　so　he　could　be　calm　for　now；　and　he'd　let　the　days　e　as　they　would　and　see　what　happened。　He　kept　telling　himself　that　he　was　doing　the　right　thing；　and　from　that　knowledge　came　his　feeling；　however　illusory；　of　personal　safety。　If　there　were　a　God；　surely　He　would　protect　a　man　on　the　run　from　evil。
　　　Dinner　in　the　Ryan　house　was　spaghetti　again。　Cathy　had　a　particularly　good　recipe　for　sauce…from　her　mom；　who　didn't　have　a　single　drop　of　Italian　blood　in　her　veins…and　her　husband　loved　it；　especially　with　good　Italian　bread；　which　Cathy　had　found　at　a　local　bakery　in　downtown　Chatham。　No　surgery　tomorrow；　so　they　had　wine　with　dinner。　Time　to　tell　her。
　　　〃Honey；　I　have　to　travel　in　a　few　days。〃
　　　〃The　NATO　thing？〃
　　　〃'Fraid　so；　babe。　Looks　like　three　or　four　days…maybe　a　little　more。〃
　　　〃What's　it　about；　can　you　say？〃
　　　〃Nope；　not　allowed。〃
　　　〃Spook　business？〃
　　　〃Yep。〃　He　was　allowed　to　say　that。
　　　〃What's　a　spook？〃　Sally　asked。
　　　〃It's　what　daddy　does；〃　Cathy　said；　without　thinking。
　　　〃Spook；　like　in　the　Wizzerdaboz？〃　Sally　went　on。
　　　〃What？〃　her　father　asked。
　　　〃The　Cowardly　Lion　says　he　believes　in　spooks；　remember？〃　Sally　pointed　out。
　　　〃Oh；　you　mean　the　Wizard　of　Oz〃；　It　was　her　favorite　movie　so　far　this　year。
　　　〃That's　what　I　said；　Daddy。〃　How　could　her　daddy　be　so　stupid？
　　　〃Well；　no；　Daddy　isn't　one　of　those；〃　Jack　told　his　daughter。
　　　〃Then　why　did　Mommy　say　so？〃　Sally　persisted。　She　has　the　makings　of　a　good　FBI　agent；　Jack　thought　at　that　moment。
　　　It　was　Cathy's　turn。　〃Sally；　Mommy　was　just　making　a　joke。〃
　　　〃Oh。〃　Sally　went　back　to　work　on　her　pisghetti。　Jack　gave　his　wife　a　look。　They　couldn't　talk　about　his　work　in　front　of　his　daughter…not　ever。　Kids　never　kept　secrets　for　more　than　five　minutes；　did　they？　So；　he'd　learned；　never　say　anything　in　front　of　a　kid　that　you　didn't　want　on　the　first　page　of　The　Washington　Post。　Everyone　on　Grizedale　Close　thought　that　John　Patrick　Ryan　worked　at　the　U。S。　Embassy　and　was　lucky　enough　to　be　married　to　a　surgeon。　They　didn't　need　to　know　that　he　was　an　officer　of　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency。　Too　much　curiosity。　Too　many　jokes。
　　　〃Three　or　four　days？〃　Cathy　asked。
　　　〃That's　what　they　tell　me。　Maybe　a　little　longer；　but　not　too　much；　I　think。〃
　　　〃Important？〃　Sally　had　gotten　her　inquisitive　nature　from　her　mother；　Jack　figured。。。　and　maybe　a　little　bit　from　himself。
　　　〃Important　enough　that　they're　throwing　my　ass　on　an　airplane；　yeah。〃　That　actually　worked。　Cathy　knew　of　her　husband's　hatred　for　air　travel。
　　　〃Well；　you　have　your　Valium　prescription。　Want　a　beta…blocker；　too？〃
　　　〃No　thanks；　babe；　not　this　time。〃
　　　〃You　know；　if　you　got　airsick；　it　would　be　easier　to　understand。〃　And　easier　to　treat；　she　didn't　have　to　add。
　　　〃Babe；　you　were　there　when　my　back　went　out；　remember？　I　have　some　bad　memories　from　flying。　Maybe　when　we　go　home；　we　can　take　the　boat；〃　he　added；　with　some　hope　in　his　voice。　But；　no；　it　wouldn't　work　out　that　way。　It　never　did　in　the　real　world。
　　　〃Flying　is　fun；〃　Sally　protested。　She　definitely　got　that　from　her　mother。
　　　Travel　is　inevitably　tiring；　and　so　the　Zaitzev　family　was　agreeably　surprised　to　see　their　beds　turned　out　when　they　got　back　to　their　partments。　Irina　got　her　daughter　changed　into　her　little　yellow　nightgown　with　flowers　on　what　would　have　been　the　bodice。　She　gave　her　parents　the　usual　good…night　kiss　and　climbed　onto　her　bed　all　by　herself…she　insisted　on　doing　that…and　slid　under　the　covers。　Instead　of　sleeping；　she　propped　her　head　on　the　pillow　and　looked　out　the　window　at　the　darkened　countryside　passing　by。　Just　a　few　lights　from　buildings　on　the　collective　farms　but；　for　all　that；　fascinating　to　the　little　girl。
　　　Her　mother　and　father　left　the　connecting　door　partly　open；　lest　she　have　a　nightmare　or　other　sudden　need　to　get　a　reassuring　hug。　Before　going　to　bed；　Svetlana　had　looked　under　the　bed　to　see　if　there　might　be　a　hiding　place　for　a　big　black　bear；　and　she　was　satisfied　that　no　such　hiding　place　existed。　Oleg　and　Irina　opened　books　and　gradually　nodded　off　to　the　rocking　of　the　train。
　　　〃BEATRIX　is　running；〃　Moore　told　Admiral　Greer。　〃The　Rabbit　and　his　family　are　on　the　train；　probably　crossing　into　the　Ukraine　right　about　now。〃
　　　〃I　hate　waiting　like　this；〃　the　DDI　observed。　It　was　easier　for　him　to　admit　it。　He'd　never　gone　into　the　field　on　an　intelligence　mission。　No；　his　job　had　always　been　at　a　desk；　looking　over　important　information。　It　was　times　like　this　that　reminded　him　of　the　simple　pleasures　of　standing　watch　on　a　ship　of　war…mainly　submarines；　in　his　case…where　you　could　look　at　wind　and　wave；　feel　the　breeze　on　your　face　and；　merely　by　speaking　a　few　words；　change　the　course　and　speed　of　your　ship　instead　of　waiting　to　see　what　the　ocean　and　distant　enemy　might　do　to　you。　You　had　the　illusion　there　of　being　master　of　your　fate。
　　　〃Patience　is　the　hardest　of　the　virtues　to　acquire；　James；　and　the　higher　you　get；　the　more　you　need　the　bastard。　For　me；　this　is　like　sitting　on　the　bench；　waiting　for　the　lawyers　to　get　to　the　damned　point。　It　can　take　forever；　especially　when　you　know　what　the　fools　are　going　to　say；〃　Moore　admitted。　He'd　also　been　there　and　done　tha