rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第56节

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　Smith　fired　up　his　machine；　ran　the　encryption　program；　and　downloaded　the　file　Howell　had　left。　Reading　it；　he　was　stunned。　After　making　a　copy；　he　saved　the　text　in　a　secure　file　and　typed　in　a　quick　E…mail　Howell　would　get　on　his　mobile　phone：　Job　well　done…　and　better。　e　home。　Drinks　are　on　me。　J。　S。
　As　dawn　broke；　Smith　left　the　house　and　drove　through　the　empty　streets　to　the　west　gate　of　the　White　House。　The　guard　checked　his　ID　against　the　puterized　list　and　waved　him　through。　At　the　portico；　a　marine　corporal　escorted　him　through　the　silent　corridors　of　the　West　Wing　and　into　a　small；　cluttered　office　where　Nathaniel　Klein　rose　to　greet　him。
　Smith　was　startled　by　Klein's　appearance。　The　head　of　Covert…One　hadn't　shaved　and　his　clothes　looked　as　if　they　had　been　slept　in。　Wearily；　he　indicated　that　they　should　sit。
　〃You　did　a　tremendous　job；　Jon；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃People　owe　you　a　debt　of　gratitude。　I'm　assuming　you　came　through　unscathed。〃
　〃Bumped　and　bruised　but　otherwise　intact；　sir。〃
　Klein's　wan　smile　faded。　〃You　haven't　heard　a　thing；　have　you？〃
　〃Heard　what；　sir？〃
　Klein　nodded。　〃Good。。。　That's　good。　That　means　the　blackout　is　holding。〃　He　took　a　deep　breath。　〃Eight　hours　ago；　Harry　Landon；　mission　director　at　the　Cape；　was　told　that　there　was　an　emergency　onboard　Discovery。　When　he　managed　to　reestablish　voice　munication；　he　learned　that。。。　that　the　crew　was　all　dead　except　for　one　member。〃
　He　looked　at　Smith　sadly　and　the　tremor　in　his　voice　betrayed　his　loss。　〃Megan's　gone；　Jon。〃
　Smith　felt　his　body　stiffen。　He　tried　to　speak　but　couldn't　find　the　words。　The　voice　he　heard　didn't　seem　to　belong　to　him。
　〃What　was　it；　sir？　A　fire？〃
　Klein　shook　his　head。　〃No。　The　orbiter　is　functioning　perfectly。　But　something　ripped　through　the　craft　and　killed　the　crew。〃
　〃Who's　the　survivor？〃
　〃Dylan　Reed。〃
　Smith　raised　his　head。　〃The　only　survivor？　We're　sure？〃
　〃Reed's　gone　through　the　entire　craft。　Everyone　is　accounted　for。　I'm　sorry。〃
　Smith　had　lost　people　before　to　sudden；　violent　death。　He　knew　that　his　reaction　was　typical　of　a　survivor：　his　mind　flashed　on　the　last　time　he'd　seen　Megan　in　that　coffee　shop　near　the　NASA　pound　in　Houston。
　Now　she　was　gone。　Just　like　that。
　〃Landon　and　the　rest　of　NASA　have　been　tearing　out　their　collective　hair；〃　Klein　was　saying。　〃They　still　can't　figure　out　what　went　wrong。
　〃How　did　Reed　survive？〃
　〃He　was　in　one　of　those　suits　they　use　on　space　walks。　Apparently　he　was　preparing　some　experiment。〃
　〃And　the　rest　of　the　crew　were　in　their　normal　work　outfits；　the　overalls；〃　Smith　said。　〃No　protection　gear。〃　He　paused。　〃You　said　there　was　no　fire；　that　something　ripped　through　them。〃
　〃Jon…〃
　〃Megan　told　you　that　she　saw　someone　with　Reed　just　before　the　launch；〃　Smith　cut　him　off。　〃You　already　suspected　a　link　between　Treloar　and　Reed。。。。〃　He　thought　for　a　moment。　〃What　did　the　bodies　look　like？〃
　〃Landon　said　that　Reed　described　them　as　bloated；　covered　with　sores；　bleeding　from　the　orifices。〃
　Smith　felt　a　tingle　as　the　connections　snapped　together　in　his　mind。
　〃I　had　a　message　from　Peter　Howell；〃　he　told　Klein。　〃He　had　a　long　chat　with　Herr　Weizsel。　He　was　so　cooperative　that　he　insisted　on　taking　Peter　back　to　his　apartment；　where　he　accessed　the　Offenbach　Bank's　puters　through　his　laptop。　It　seems　that　Ivan　Beria　had　a　long　and　profitable　relationship　with　the　bank；　especially　when　one　client　employed　him　exclusively：　Bauer…Zermatt　A。G。〃
　Klein　was　stunned。　〃The　pharmaceutical　giant？〃
　Smith　nodded。　〃Over　the　last　three　years；　Bauer…Zermatt　made　a　total　of　ten　deposits　into　Beria's　account；　two　of　the　last　three　just　before　the　Russian　guard　and　Treloar　were　eliminated。〃
　〃What　about　the　third　one？〃　Klein　demanded。
　〃That　was　for　the　contract　on　me。〃
　After　a　moment's　silence；　Klein　said；　〃Do　you　have　proof？〃
　As　though　he　were　moving　a　piece　in　for　checkmate；　Smith　pulled　out　a　floppy　disk。　〃Proof　positive。〃
　Klein　shook　his　head。　〃All　right。　Bauer…Zermatt　is…　was…　paying　Beria　for　assassinations。　These　included　the　Russian　guard　and　Treloar。　That　links　Bauer…Zermatt　to　the　stolen　smallpox。　But　there　are　two　questions：　why　would　Bauer…Zermatt　want　the　smallpox？　And　who　at　the　pany　authorized　the　hits　and　the　payments？〃　He　pointed　to　the　disk。　〃Is　there　a　name？〃
　〃No　name；〃　Smith　replied。　〃But　it's　not　hard　to　guess；　is　it？　Only　one　man　could　have　authorized　the　use　of　someone　like　Beria：　Karl　Bauer　himself。〃
　Klein's　breath　whistled　through　his　nostrils。　〃Okay。。。　But　finding　Bauer's　fingerprints　on　the　authorization　to　use　Beria；　or　on　the　payments　themselves；　that's　another　matter。〃
　〃They　won't　exist；〃　Smith　said　flatly。　〃Bauer's　much　too　careful　to　leave　such　an　obvious　trail。〃　He　paused。　〃But　why　would　he　want　the　smallpox　to　begin　with？　To　make　a　vaccine？　No。　We　can　already　do　that。　To　play　with　it？　Tweak　it　genetically？　Maybe。　But　why？　Smallpox　has　been　studied　for　years。　It　can't　be　used　as　a　battlefield　weapon。　The　incubation　period　is　too　long。　The　effects　are　not　a　hundred　percent　predictable。　So　why　would　Bauer　still　want　a　sample？　Want　it　so　badly　that　he　would　murder　for　it？〃
　He　looked　at　Klein。　〃Do　you　know　how　people　die　from　smallpox？　The　first　symptoms　are　a　rash　on　the　roof　of　the　mouth；　which　then　spreads　to　the　face　and　forearms；　then　to　the　rest　of　the　body。　The　pustules　erupt；　scabs　form；　erupt　again。　Eventually；　there's　bleeding　from　the　orifices。。。。〃
　Klein　stared　at　him。　〃Just　like　the　shuttle　crew！〃　he　whispered。　〃They　died　the　way　smallpox　victims　do！　Are　you　saying　Bauer　got　the　stolen　smallpox　onboard　Discovery？〃
　Smith　rose　and　tried　to　dispel　the　image　of　Megan；　how　she　had　died；　her　last；　terrible　moments。　〃Yes。　That's　what　I'm　saying。〃
　〃But…？〃
　〃In　space…　in　microgravity…　you　can　reengineer　cells；　bacteria；　virtually　anything　in　a　way　that　can't　be　done　on　earth。〃　He　paused。　〃We　wiped　smallpox　off　the　planet　but　we　kept　two　sets　of　samples…　one　here；　one　in　Russia。　Ostensibly；　we　did　this　because　we　could　not　bring　ourselves　to　eradicate　a　species　into　extinction。　The　truth　is　darker　than　that：　we　never　knew　when　we　might　need　it。　Maybe　years　from　now　we　would　find　a　way　to　convert　it　into　a　weapon。　Or　if　someone　else　did；　we'd　have　enough　material　with　which　to　produce　a　vaccine…　hopefully。
　〃Bauer　didn't　want　to　wait　years。　Somehow　he　discovered　a　process　he　thought　would　work。　Maybe　he　was　fifty　or　sixty　percent　of　the　way　there；　but　he　couldn't　finish。　He　couldn't　be　certain。　The　only　way　to　prove　that　he　was　right　was　to　arrange　for　an　experiment　in　a　unique　environment　where　bacteria　grow　like　lightning。　He　needed　to　do　it　onboard　the　shuttle。〃　Smith　paused。　〃And　he　did。〃
　〃If　you're　right；　Jon；〃　Klein　said　tightly；　〃that　means　Dylan　Reed　is　his　handmaiden。〃
　〃He's　the　only　survivor；　isn't　he？　The　director　of　NASA's　biomedical　research　program。　The　guy　who　was　conveniently　suited　up　when　all　hell　broke　loose。〃
　〃Are　you　suggesting　that　Reed　murdered　his　own　crew？〃　Klein　demanded。
　〃That's　exactly　what　I'm　saying。〃
　〃Why；　for　God's　sake？〃
　〃Two　reasons：　To　get　rid　of　any　possible　witnesses；　and。。。〃　Smith's　voice　broke。　〃And　to　run　a　controlled　experiment　on　human　test　subjects　to　see　how　fast　the　virus　would　kill。〃
　Klein　slumped　in　his　chair。　〃It's　insane。〃
　〃Only　because　whoever　devised　it　is　insane；〃　Smith　said。　〃Not　raving；　not　foaming　at　the　mouth。　But　insidiously；　malignly　insane。　Yes。〃
　Mein　stared　at　him。　〃Bauer。。。〃
　〃And　Richardson；　Price；　Treloar；　Lara　Telegin。。。〃
　〃To　nail　Bauer；　we　need　hard　evidence；　Jon。　We　can　try　to　trace　his　munications…〃
　Smith　shook　his　head。　〃There's　no　time。　Here's　the　way　I　see　it：　we　assume　there's　a　bioweapon　onboard　the　shuttle　and　that　Reed　is　in　control　of　it。　Bauer　and　his　acplices　will　want　to　destroy　all　the　evidence　of　what　happened　up　there。　Also；　I'm　sure　that　we'll　find　no　evidence　of　any　dealings　with　either　Richardson　or　Price。　But　Bauer　still　has　to　make　sure　that　the　shuttle　es　down　safely。　He　has　to　get　Reed　and　the　sample　out　of　there。　When　is　NASA　bringing　down　the　orbiter？〃
　〃In　about　eight　hours。　They　have　to　wait　for　an　atmospheric　window　to　open　in　order　to　land　it　at　Edwards　Air　Force　Base　in　California。〃
　Smith　leaned　forward。　〃Can　you　get　me　in　to　see　the　president…　right　now？〃
　
　Two　hours　later；　after　speaking　with　the　president；　Smith　and　Klein　found　themselves　in　the　small　conference　room　next　to　the　Oval　Office。　While　they　waited　for　the　president　to　finish　his　meeting；　Klein　received　a　call　from　the　Cape。
　〃Mr。　Klein？　It's　Harry　Landon　at　mission　control。　I　have　that　information　you　were　asking　for。〃
　Klein　listened　in　silence　and　thanked　Landon。　Before　hanging　up；　he　asked：　〃What　is　the　status　of　the　descent？〃
　〃We're　bringing　her　down　as　gently　as　we　can；〃　Landon　replied。　〃I　have　to　tell　you；　we've　never　done　anything　like　this…　outside　of　simulations；　that　is。　But　we'll　get　our　people　down。　You　have　my　word　on　that。〃
　〃Thank　you；　Mr。　Landon。　I'll　stay　in　touch。〃
　He　turned　to　Smith。　〃Landon　called　everyone　in　the　Black　Book…　and　someone　who　Reed　personally　asked　for。〃
　〃Let　me　guess。　Karl　Bauer。〃
　〃On　the　money。〃
　〃Makes　sense；〃　Smit