johngardner.winloseordie-第42节

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　absolutely。　Lord　Acton；　wasn't　it？　Said　it　all。'
　'You　don't　think　。　。　。？'　she　began。　'No。　No；　you're　trying　the　old　hostage　rapport　trick。　Time　for　you　to　go　quietly　on　your　way。　James。'　Even　before　she　had　said　it；　there　was　an　urgent　knocking　at　the　door。　She　called　oui　and　one　of　the　Leading　Wrens；　who　had　taken　him　on　the　main　deck；　came　in。　She　was　a　tall；　angular　blonde；　but　with　the　unfortunate　lire　and　fervour　of　belief　in　her　eyes。　'All　three　countries　have　turned　us　down。　Ma'am。　'Viper'　says　everyone　is　to　stay　below　at　15；00　hours。　He　thinks　that　by　going　public　we'll　force　their　hands。'
　Clover　nodded；　then　cocked　her　head　towards　Bond。　'You　can　take　him　down　to　the　cells。　Lock　him　up　tight。'
　'I　don't　have　to　keep　the　bracelets　on；　do　1；　Clover？　I　mean　the　cells　are　pretty　secure。'
　She　gave　it　a　moment's　thought。　'Make　sure　he's　banged　up　tightly。　Take　one　of　the　other　girls　down　with　you　…　armed。　The　cuffs　can　go。'
　Bond　went　quietly。　He　knew　his　only　hope　would　be　to　get　up　onto　the　main　deck。　and。　with　tuck；　get　off　in　the　first　Sea　Harrier　which　was　on　the　ski…ramp；　juiced　up　and　heavy　with　weaponry。　When　in　this　kind　of　situation；　go　along　with　them。　The　entire　business　was　crazy　anyhow；　for　he　fully　believed　all　that　BAST　had　done　was　to　present　an　unexpected　political　bonus　to　those　who　opposed　Gorbachev；　Thatchcr　and　Bush。
　Another　Wren　joined　them；　cradling　an　H　&　К　МР5　SD3；　with　which　she　prodded　Bond。　He　could　not　but　admire　（he　organisation。　Baradj　might　have　chosen　a　stupid；　negative　target；　but　the　operation　and　its　methods　had　been　excellent。
　The　cells　were　a　little　cluster　of　six。　barred　cubicles；　deep　within　the　ship。　In　a　world　of　technology　they　were　a　tad　old…fashioned。　The　barred　doors　slid　back　by　hand　and　they　were　equipped　wiih　straightforward　deadlocks。　Nobody　else　occupied　the　cells　and　they　just　pushed　him　into　the　first　one　available。
　'What　about　the　handcuffs？'　he　asked；　as　ihe　Leading　Wren　seemed　about　to　lock　him　up。
'Oh。　yes。　Frisk　him。　Daphne。'　The　blonde　with　the　feverish　eyes　had　that　tough；　rather　butch　manner　that　you　often　found　in　service　women。　It　did　not　mean　that　they　were　different　from　other　females；　but　it　came　with　the　job。　Soft　girls　hardened　under　military　discipline。
　Daphne　frisked　him。　Very　thoroughly。　Bond　thought；　for　she　lingered　around　his　crotch。　A　genuine　FCP；　he　said　to　himself。
　Finally　they　unlocked　the　cuffs；　slid　the　bars　in　place　and　locked　him　away。
　'Someone'll　have　to　bring　you　food；　I　suppose；'　the　blonde　said；　her　voice　irritated　at　the　thought。　'Don't　know　how　long　that'll　be；　we're　pretty　heavily　stretched。'
　'I　can　wait。'　Bond　said　politely；　knowing　that　whatever　they　brought　him　would　be　well　laced　with　（heir　new　coneoction　of　basie　chloral　hydrate。
　Alone　now。　he　had　decisions　to　make。　This　lime　he　really　was　on　his　own。　Up　the　proverbial　creek　without　a　paddle。　No　hidden　weapons：　nothing　spectacular　from　Q　Branch。　Just　himself；　his　skills；　and　the　absolute　necessity　to　get　away。
About　one　hundred　miles　to　the　north…west　of　Rota；　the　freighter　Esiado　Novo　had　stopped　her　engines；　and　the　sides　of　the　fake　crate　were　being　lowered　to　display　the　stolen　Sea　Harrier。
　Felipe　Pantano　fussed　around。　There　was　a　lot　of　arm…waving；　and　a　good　deal　of　shouting　and　talking；　as　he　supervised　the　arming　and　refuelling　of　the　jet。　He　was　being　given　his　chance。　Today　he　would　see　action　for　BAST　and　the　thought　never　occurred　to　him　that　he　just　might　not　get　back　to　the　freighter　alive。　After　all。　the　whole　thing　was　fool…proof。
　Nobody　on　any　of　the　other　ships　from　the　Task　Force　would　challenge　a　Royal　Navy　Sea　Harrier；　and　by　the　time　he　had　done　his　work；　he　would　be　streaking　back　to　the　Estado　Novo　with　the　throttle　fully　open。　It　was　certainly　a　great　day　for　him。　The　one　word　message。　Dispatch；　which　had　e　in　clearly　by　radio；　had　changed　the　entire　pattern　of　his　life。
To　put　it　simply；　Felipe　Pantano　was　an　excited　man。
In　Gibraltar；　Baradj　had　been　loath　to　send　the　Dispatch　signal
to　the　Estado　Novo；　but　the　American　State　Department；　the　British　Foreign　Office　and　the　Kremlin　had　left　him　no　alternative。　Fools；　he　thought；　they　do　not　know　what　they're　dealing　with。　So　he　sent　the　signal　…　a　telephone　call　to　London；　as　before；　another　telephone　call　from　his　people　in　London　to　the　registered　owners　of　the　ship　in　Oporto；　and　the　signal　sent　buried　in　a　longer　message；　direct　from　the　owners。
　Altogether；　Baradj　was　pleased　with　the　way　in　which　he　had　organised　the　messages；　by　short　'phone　calls　from　himself；　to　longer　calls　from　his　London　people；　who　used　pay　'phones　and　stolen　credil　cards　…　recently　stolen：　which　meant　purloined　less　than　an　hour　before　the　calls　went　out。　The　munications　were　untraceable；　which；　once　more；　put　him　in　the　clear。
　Baradj　sat　in　his　room　at　The　Rock　Hotel；　just　five　minutes　or　so　from　the　famous　monkeys　which　inhabited　their　own　territory　of　the　Rock　and　were　all　known　by　name　（o　their　keepers。　All　of　the　monkeys　had　names；　and　were　identifiable。　Baradj　found　it　a　strange；　and　unnatural　trait　in　the　British　that　they　allowed　one　pair　of　them　to　be　called　Charles　and　Di；　and　another　twosome；　Andy　and　Fergie。　This　was　almost　treason　to　the　British　Royal　Family。　Baradj　considered。　He　had　a　great　love　of　the　British　Royal　Family　…　which　meant　that　Baradj　would　really　have　liked　to　have　been　born　into　a　different　kind　of　background。　It　also　meant　that　he　was　trying　to　buy　himself　into　the　aristocracy：　via　terrorist　activities。
　Well；　he　thought；　the　balloon　would　go　up　soon　enough。　They　would　see。　in　less　than　two　hours　now；　that　they　weren't　playing　with　any　old　terrorist　outfit。　Oh。　he　thought；　the　books　are　correct：　it　is　very　lonely　at　the　top　of　the　chain　of　mand；　One　of　his　great　troubles　at　this　moment　was　that　he　had　nobody　to　talk　to。　He　had；　in　fact；　been　reduced　to　making　quick；　almost　nonsensical　calls　to　other　members　of　the　organisation；　uninvolved　in　the　present　operation。
　Finally；　Baradj　decided　to　call　in　his　last　lieutenant；　Ali　Al　Adwan　whom　he　had　left　quietly　in　Rome。　The　call　was　to　be　his　undoing；　for　the　monitors　in　the　whole　area　of　Spanish　coastal　waters；　had。　as　the　jargon　would　say；　unwaxed　their　ears：　which　meant　they　were　listening　out　with　extreme　diligence。
'Pronto；'　Adwan　answered　the　telephone　in　his　Rome　hotel。
'Health　depends　on　strength；'　said　Bassam　Baradj。
　They　picked　up　Ali　Al　Adwan　an　hour　later　outside　the　hotel；　on　his　way　to　the　airport。
　It　was　decided；　at　very　high　level；　to　let　Baradj　remain　as　a　sleeping　dog。　After　all；　they　could　monitor　his　telephone　calls；　and　even　run　plete　surveillance　on　him。
James　Bond　had　decided　his　only　chance　was　to　make　a　move　when　they　brought　his　food。　If　he　ate　or　drank　anything　it　would　be　curtains；　or　at　least　some　heavy　gauze　that　would　leave　him　junked　out　for　a　few　days。
　It　was　going　to　be　very　dangerous；　for　they　would　never　think　of　sending　a　girl　down　on　her　own。　There　would　be　a　guard；　and　he　would　have　to　deal　with　ihe　situation　on　the　hoof。　Time　ticked　away：　half　an　hour；　an　hour。　Then；　at　14。30。　he　heard　the　lock　on　the　outer　door　click　open。
　〃Room　Service。'　It　was　the　unpleasant　voice　of　Donald　Speaker；　who。　a　second　later；　appeared　in　front　of　the　bars；　a　tray　in　one　hand；　keys　and　a　Browning　9mm　in　the　other。　Bond　though！　it　was　probably　his　own　Browning。　On　the　tray　was　a　plate　of　cold　cuts　and　salad；　with　a　large　mug　of　steaming　coffee　next　to　ii。
'I　might　have　known　you'd　turn　coat。'
　'Oh。　I　had　it　turned　a　long　time　ago；　James　Bond。　Money　isn't　everything；　but　it　helps　the　world　go　round。　I'm　not　a　political　traitor：　just　avaricious。'　He　skilfully　operated　the　key　in　（he　lock　and　Bond　relaxed；　trying　to　work　out　the　best；　and　safest；　move。
　？Anyway。〃　Speaker　continued；　'you　can't　expect　these　girls　to　do　it　all。　Girls　can't　do　a　man's　job。'　He　slid　back　the　barred　entrance　and　stood　in　the　opening；　the　tray　held　by　his　left　hand　and　balanced　on　his　righl　wrist；　the　Browning　held　tightly　and　pointing　directly　at　Bond；　a　mite　too　steadily　for　fort。　'Just　step　right　back　against　the　wall。　Move　fast　if　you　like；　ll　would　be　a　great　pleasure　to　kill　you。'
　Til　do　it　slowly　and　correctly；'　Bond　smiled。　Tin　not　quite　ready　for　the　chop　yet。'　He　took　one　short　step　backwards；　then　made　his　move。　Swivelling　to　his　right；　out　of　the　Browning's　deadly　eye；　he　turned　and　brought　his　left　leg　up　in　a　shattering　kick　al　the　tray。
His　aim　was　slightly　off。　but　the　effect　was　what　he　wanted　for　the　kick　lifted　the　tray　at　almost　the　correct　point；　bringing　the　steaming　mug　of　coffee　up　in　a　scalding　spray；　straight　over　Speaker's　face。
　The　interrogator's　reaction　was　one　of　the　most　natural　things　Bond　had　ever　seen。　First；　he　dropped　both　tray　and　gun；　second　his　hands　flew　up　to　his　face；　third；　and　concurrent　with　Ihe　first　two。　Speaker　screamed　…　loudly　and　painfully。
　Bond　stepped　in；　grabbing　at　the　Browning；　twisting　as　he　did　so。　aiming　a　heavy　chop　with　ihe　gun　butt　at　the　base　of　Speaker's　skull。
　'Coffee；'　Bond　whispered　to　himself；　〃can　insiantly　damage　your　health。'　He　was　outside；　sliding　the　gate　closed；　locking　it　and　removing　the　keys。
　H