rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第8节

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　〃The　president　will　be　leaving　in　less　than　an　hour；　Jon；〃　Klein　informed　him。　〃Tell　me　what　happened　so　that　I　can　determine　whether　or　not　to　brief　him。〃
　When　he　noticed　Smith　glancing　around　the　room；　he　added；　〃The　Secret　Service　swept　the　room　for　bugs。　You　may　speak　freely。〃
　Smith　detailed；　minute　by　minute；　what　had　happened　from　the　moment　he　had　spotted　Danko　at　St。　Mark's　Square。　He　noted　how　Klein　flinched　when　Smith　described　the　shooting。　When　he　mentioned　Bioaparat；　Klein　was　clearly　shocked。
　〃Did　Danko　tell　you　anything　before　he　died？〃　Klein　demanded。　〃He　didn't　get　the　chance。　But　he　was　carrying　this。〃　He　handed　Klein　the　page　with　Danko's　handwriting。
　
　Bioaparat　cannot　go　from　Stage　One　to　Stage　Two。　It　is　not　a　matter　of
　money；　but　of　inadequate　facilities。　Still；　rumors　persist　that　Stage　Two
　will　be　pleted；　though　not　here。　A　courier　is　to　leave　Bioaparat　no
　later　than　4/9　with　the　cargo。
　
　Klein　glanced　at　Smith。　〃Who's　the　courier？　Is　it　a　man　or　a　woman？　Who　does　he　work　for？　This　is　maddeningly　inconclusive！　And　what　are　Stages　One　and　Two？〃
　〃They　generally　refer　to　viruses；　sir；〃　Smith　replied；　then　added；　〃I'd　also　like　to　know　what　the　courier　is　bringing　out。　And　where　he's　headed。〃
　Klein　went　to　the　window；　which　had　an　excellent　view　of　a　fuel　depot。　〃It　doesn't　make　any　sense。　Why　would　Danko　run　if　this　was　all　he　had？〃
　〃Exactly　the　question　I've　been　asking　myself；　sir。　Consider　this　possibility：　Danko　es　across　information　about　the　courier　while　he's　rotating　through　Bioaparat。　He　starts　investigating…　and　ends　up　digging　deeper　than　he　should　have。　He　makes　someone　suspicious　and　has　to　make　a　run　for　it。　But　he　doesn't　have　a　chance…　or　doesn't　dare…　to　put　down　anything　else　he　might　have　learned。　If　Danko　ever　discovered　the　courier's　identity；　payload；　or　destination；　that　information　died　with　him。〃
　〃I　can't　believe　that　he　died　for　nothing；〃　Klein　said　softly。
　〃I　won't　believe　that；〃　Smith　said　vehemently。　〃I　think　that　Danko　was　anxious　to　get　to　us　because　whatever's　headed　out　of　Russia　is　ing　our　way。〃
　〃Are　you　saying　that　someone　is　bringing　a　Russian　bioweapon　into　this　country？〃　Klein　demanded。
　〃Given　the　circumstances；　I'd　say　it's　a　strong　possibility。　What　else　could　have　frightened　Danko　so　badly？〃
　Klein　pinched　the　bridge　of　his　nose。　〃If　that's　the　case…　or　even　the　suspicion…　I　have　to　alert　the　president。　Steps　need　to　be　taken。〃　He　paused。　〃The　problem　is；　how　do　we　protect　ourselves　when　we　don't　know　what　to　look　for？　Danko　didn't　leave　us　any　clues。〃
　Something　in　Klein's　words　jogged　Smith。　〃That　might　not　be　true；　sir。　May　I？〃　He　gestured　at　the　Dell　puter　sitting　on　the　desk。
　Smith　logged　on　to　USAMRIID　and　wended　his　way　through　the　numerous　security　checkpoints　until　he　reached　the　library；　the　world's　biggest；　most　prehensive　pendium　on　biowarfare。　He　entered　Stage　One　and　Stage　Two　and　asked　the　puter　to　bring　up　the　names　of　all　the　viruses　that　had　two　distinct　development　levels。
　The　machine　offered　him　thirteen　choices。　Smith　then　instructed　the　puter　to　check　those　thirteen　against　viruses　that　Bioaparat　was　known　to　have　developed；　manufactured；　and　stockpiled。
　〃Could　be　Marburg　or　Ebola；〃　Klein　said；　looking　over　his　shoulder。　〃Some　of　the　most　lethal　bugs　in　the　world。〃
　〃Stage　Two　implies　reconfiguration；　gene　splicing；　or　some　other　form　of　alternation；〃　Smith　told　him。　〃Marburg；　Ebola；　and　others　can't　be　'developed'　per　se。　They　exist　in　nature…　and；　of　course；　in　the　bioweapons　labs。　With　them；　it's　more　a　case　of　designing　effective　battlefield　delivery　systems。〃
　Suddenly　Smith　gasped。　〃But　this。。。　this　can　be　tampered　with。　We　know　that　the　Russians　were　playing　with　it　for　years；　trying　to　alter　it　to　produce　a　more　virulent　strain。　They　were　supposed　to　have　shut　down　those　labs；　but。。。〃
　Klein　was　listening；　but　his　eyes　were　locked　on　the　screen　where　black　letters　blinked　like　death's…heads　against　a　white　background：　SMALLPOX。
　
　Virus　is　derived　from　the　Latin　word　for　poison。　Viruses　are　so　minuscule　that　their　existence　was　unknown　until　the　late　nineteenth　century；　when　Dmitri　Ivanovsky；　a　Russian　microbiologist；　stumbled　across　them　while　investigating　an　outbreak　of　disease　in　tobacco　plants。
　Smallpox　belongs　to　the　pox　family　of　viruses。　Its　earliest　recorded　history　dates　back　to　China　in　1122　B。C。　Since　then；　it　has　changed　the　course　of　human　history；　decimating　the　populations　of　eighteenth…century　Europe　and　the　native　peoples　of　the　Americas。
　Variola　major　attacks　the　respiratory　system。　After　an　incubation　period　of　five　to　ten　days；　the　disease　brings　on　high　fever；　vomiting；　headaches；　and　stiffness　of　the　joints。　After　a　week；　a　rash　appears；　localized　at　first；　then　spreading　throughout　the　body　and　causing　blisters。　Scabs　appear；　fall　away；　and　leave　scars　that　serve　as　incubation　beds　for　a　fresh　assault。　Death　can　e　within　two　to　three　weeks　or；　in　the　case　of　the　red　or　the　black　pox；　in　a　matter　of　days。
　It　wasn't　until　1796　that　a　medical　assault　was　mounted　on　the　virus。　A　British　doctor；　Edward　Jenner；　discovered　that　milkmaids　who　had　contracted　a　mild　form　of　the　pox　virus　from　cows　seemed　immune　to　smallpox。　Taking　samples　of　a　milkmaid's　lesions；　Jenner　inoculated　a　young　boy　who　subsequently　survived　the　epidemic。　Jenner　named　his　discovery　vaccinia…　vaccine。
　The　last　known　case　of　the　disease　was　reported　and　treated　in　Somalia　in　1977。　By　May　1980；　the　World　Health　Organization　had　declared　smallpox　vanquished。　The　Organization　also　ordered　the　cessation　of　immunization　programs；　since　there　was　no　tangible　need　to　subject　people　to　even　the　slightest　risk　associated　with　vaccination。
　By　the　end　of　the　1980s；　only　two　stockpiles　of　Variola　major　remained　on　earth：　at　the　Centers　for　Disease　Control　in　Atlanta；　and　at　the　Ivanovsky　Institute　of　Virology　in　Moscow。　In　the　case　of　the　latter；　the　virus　was　subsequently　moved　to　Bioaparat；　located　near　the　town　of　Vladimir；　350　kilometers　southeast　of　Moscow。
　Under　an　international　treaty　signed　by　both　the　United　States　and　Russia；　the　samples　were　to　be　preserved　in　highly　secure　laboratories　subject　to　international　inspection。　None　of　the　samples　could　be　used　for　any　kind　of　experiment　without　the　World　Health　Organization　monitors　being　present。
　That；　at　least；　was　the　theory。
　
　
　〃In　theory；　monitors　were　supposed　to　be　present；〃　Smith　said。　He　glanced　at　Klein。　〃You　and　I　know　better。〃
　Klein　snorted。　〃The　Russians　gave　the　WHO　bureaucrats　some　song　and　dance　about　updated　facilities　at　Vladimir　and　the　fools　let　them　move　the　smallpox。　What　they　never　realized　was　that　the　Russians　showed　them　only　the　parts　of　Bioaparat　that　they　wanted　them　to　see。〃
　This　was　true。　Through　defectors　and　on…site　sources；　the　United　States　had；　over　the　years；　managed　to　piece　together　a　solid　posite　of　what　was　really　taking　place　at　the　Bioaparat　plex。　The　international　inspectors　had　seen　only　the　tip　of　the　iceberg…　the　variola　storage　facilities；　which　were　subsequently　approved。　But　there　were　other　buildings；　disguised　as　seed　and　fertilizer　laboratories；　that　remained　hidden　from　the　world。　Klein　had　enough　evidence　to　bring　before　the　WHO　and　demand　that　Bioaparat　be　pletely　opened　up。　But　politics　was　an　issue。　The　current　administration　did　not　wish　to　antagonize　Russia；　which　was　threatening　to　revert　to　munist　rule。　Also；　a　number　of　the　WHO　inspectors　were　not　inclined　to　take　American…produced　evidence　at　face　value。　Nor　could　their　discretion　be　relied　on。　American　intelligence　agencies　feared　for　the　lives　of　those　who　had　furnished　him　with　the　information；　believing　that　if　the　Russians　knew　what　information　the　West　had；　they　could　walk　back　the　cat　and　discover　who　had　passed　it　on。
　〃I　have　no　choice；〃　Klein　said　grimly。　〃I　must　tell　the　president。〃
　〃Which　could　make　it　a　government…to…government　situation；〃　Smith　pointed　out。　〃Then　the　question　bees：　do　we　trust　the　Russians　enough　to　go　after　the　leak　and　the　courier？　We　don't　know　whom　we're　dealing　with　at　Bioaparat；　how　senior　he　is；　or　who　gave　him　his　marching　orders。　It's　possible　that　this　isn't　some　rogue　scientist　or　researcher　looking　to　make　a　quick　buck　by　delivering　a　package　to　New　York　City。　This　could　travel　all　the　way　up　to　the　Kremlin。〃
　〃You're　saying　that　if　the　president　were　to　speak　to　the　Russian　prime　minister　we　might　be　tipping　our　hand…　to　the　wrong　people。　I　agree…　but　give　me　an　alternative。〃
　It　took　Smith　three　minutes　to　lay　out　the　contingency　plan　he　had　e　up　with　during　the　flight。　He　noticed　Klein's　skeptical　expression　and　was　prepared　to　argue；　but　Klein　surprised　him。
　〃I　agree。　It's　the　only　course　of　action　we　can　take　immediately…　and　that　has　a　chance　of　success。　But　I'll　tell　you　this：　the　president　won't　give　us　much　time。　If　you　don't　get　results　fast　he'll　have　no　choice　but　to　e　down　hard　on　the　Russians。〃
　Smith　took　a　deep　breath。　〃Give　me　two　days。　I'll　check　in　every　twelve　hours。　If　I　miss　a　signal　by　more　than　sixty　minutes；　assume　that　I　won't　be　calling　in　at　all。〃
　Klein　shook　his　head。　〃That's　a　hell　of　a　gamble；　Jon。　I　don'