rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第25章

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　The　first…class　and　business　cabins　were　a　wash。　Not　that　she　had　expected　to　find　the　target　there。　Guys　like　this　Beria　character　liked　to　hide　themselves　in　a　mob。　Diforio　pulled　back　the　curtain　and　stepped　into　the　economy　section。
　The　cabin　was　configured　for　3…3…3　sitting；　the　seats　separated　by　two　aisles。　While　pretending　to　check　the　magazine　rack；　Diforio　scanned　the　first　six　rows　along　the　left…hand　aisle：　retirees；　kids　on　a　college　break；　young　families　traveling　on　a　budget。　She　began　walking　to　the　back　of　the　plane。
　A　few　minutes　later；　Diforio　was　at　the　lavatories　at　the　end　of　the　bulkhead。　She'd　gotten　a　good　look　at　all　the　passengers　in　the　perimeter；　plus　two　who　had　exited　the　washrooms。　The　rest　of　the　seats　were　filled；　none　of　the　occupants　resembled　the　target。
　Now　the　tricky　part。
　Diforio　went　back　the　way　she'd　e；　stepped　into　the　business　section；　came　around　the　partition；　then　went　back　into　economy。　Arching　her　back；　she　made　it　look　like　she　was　trying　to　work　out　cramped　muscles。　Curious　male　faces　turned　sympathetic…　and　appreciative…　when　her　breasts　pushed　against　the　shell　beneath　her　jacket。　She　encouraged　the　ogling　with　a　slight　smile　as　she　moved　down　the　right…hand　aisle；　her　gaze　flitting　over　but　never　alighting　on　individual　faces。　Again；　her　luck　held。　All　the　seats　were　occupied；　the　male　passengers　either　asleep；　reading；　or　working　on　business　papers。　She　was　grateful　that　the　movie　had　ended　and　most　of　the　window　shades　were　up；　allowing　the　sunlight　to　pour　in。
　Once　again；　Diforio　found　herself　at　the　back　of　the　plane。　She　walked　past　the　lavatories；　then　up　the　left…hand　aisle；　double…checking　to　make　sure　that　she　hadn't　overlooked　any　seats。　A　moment　later；　she　was　in　the　flight　deck。
　〃Negative　on　the　target；〃　she　reported　to　the　pilot。
　〃You're　sure？〃
　〃First　and　business　are　clean。　No　one　even　remotely　resembles　this　guy。　You　have　a　full　house　in　economy…　two　hundred　thirty…eight　people。　One　hundred　seventeen　are　women…　and　believe　me；　they　are　women。　Twenty…two　are　children　under　the　age　of　fifteen；　forty…three　are　kids　in　their　twenties。　Out　of　sixty…three　possible　males；　twenty…eight　are　over　sixty…five　and　look　it。　Another　sixteen　are　over　fifty。　That　leaves　nineteen　possibles…　and　no　match。〃
　The　pilot　nodded　with　his　chin　at　the　copilot。　〃Danny'll　set　up　a　link　with　Dallas。　Tell　'em　what　you　found…　or　didn't。〃　He　paused。　〃Does　this　mean　I　can　start　breathing　again？〃
　
　The　munications　gear　on　the　C…22　allowed　Smith　to　eaves　drop　on　the　French　security　operations　channel。　He　listened　as　agents　of　the　Deuxième　Bureau　reported　on　the　disembarkation　of　Air　France　flight　612。　Three…quarters　of　the　passengers　were　off　and　still　there　was　no　sign　of　Beria。　Smith　was　turning　his　attention　to　the　American　flight；　less　than　twenty　minutes　from　touchdown；　when　the　satellite　phone　chirped。
　〃It's　Klein。　Jon；　I　just　got　a　report　from　Dallas。　The　marshal　on　1710　reports　that　there's　no　one　onboard　who　resembles　Beria。〃
　〃That's　impossible！　The　French　have　just　about　off…loaded。　Nothing　there。　He　has　to　be　on　American。〃
　〃Not　according　to　the　air　marshal。　She's　almost　positive　that　Beria　isn't　there。〃
　〃Almost　isn't　good　enough。〃
　〃I　realize　that。　I've　relayed　her　findings　to　the　Brits。　They're　grateful；　but　they're　not　going　to　ease　up。　The　SAS　is　in　position　and　will　stay　there。〃
　〃Sir；　I　think　we　have　to　consider　the　possibility　that　Beria　took　some　other　flight　or　that　he's　using　another　way　to　get　into　the　States。〃
　Klein's　breath　whistled　over　the　line。　〃Do　you　think　he'd　be　so　brazen　as　to　try　that？　He　must　know　that　we've　pulled　out　all　the　stops　to　bring　him　down。〃
　〃Beria　started　a　job；　sir。　He's　killed　in　the　course　of　carrying　it　out。　Yes；　I　think　he's　determined　enough　to　try　to　reach　us。〃　He　paused。　〃Moscow　is　the　main　point　for　flights　to　the　West；　but　it's　not　the　only　way　out。〃
　〃St。　Petersburg？〃
　〃It　handles　a　lot　of　flights　to　and　from　Scandinavia　and　northern　Europe。　Aeroflot；　Scandinavian　Airlines；　Finnair；　Royal　Dutch…　they　all　have　steady　traffic　in　and　out　of　there。〃
　〃Kirov　will　have　an　embolism　when　I　suggest　that　Beria　might　have　gotten　as　far　as　St。　Petersburg。〃
　〃He's　gotten　awfully　far　as　it　is；　sir。　This　guy　isn't　running；　he's　following　a　well…thought…out　plan。　That's　what's　keeping　him　one　step　ahead　of　us。〃
　Smith　heard　something　on　the　French　channel。　He　excused　himself；　listened　briefly；　then　got　back　to　Klein。　〃Paris　confirms　that　their　flight's　clean。〃
　〃What's　your　next　step；　Jon？〃
　Smith　thought　for　a　moment。　〃London；　sir。　That's　where　I　get　off。〃
　
　CHAPTER　FOURTEEN
　　
　With　puffs　of　blue　tire　smoke　and　the　stink　of　superheated　brakes；　American　1710　touched　down　at　London's　Heathrow　Airport。　Per　instructions　from　the　Special　Air　Service　mander；　the　pilot　informed　his　passengers　that　a　mechanical　problem　had　developed　with　the　jetway　assigned　to　their　gate。　The　control　tower　was　rerouting　them　to　another　part　of　the　field　where　ramps　could　be　rolled　up　against　the　hatches。
　The　flight　attendants　passed　through　the　first…　and　business…class　cabins；　reassuring　passengers　that　they　would　make　their　connecting　flights。
　〃What　about　the　continuation　to　Dulles？〃　Treloar　asked。
　〃Our　time　on　the　ground　will　be　as　brief　as　possible；〃　the　steward　replied。
　Treloar　prayed　that　he　was　right。　The　nitrogen　charges　inside　the　canister　were　good　for　another　twelve　hours。　The　stop　at　Heathrow　was　usually　ninety　minutes；　the　flying　time　to　Dulles；　six　hours　fifteen　minutes。　After　customs　and　immigration；　he　would　have　a　three…hour　window　to　get　the　smallpox　into　a　refrigerated　facility。　There　was　little　room　for　the　unforeseen。
　Stepping　out　onto　the　ramp；　Treloar　discovered　that　the　aircraft　was　parked　next　to　a　giant　maintenance　hangar。　As　he　descended　the　steps；　he　saw　baggage　carts　being　loaded　and　two　airport　buses　idling　near　the　hangar　doors。　At　the　bottom　of　the　steps；　a　pleasant　young　customs　officer　invited　him　to　step　into　the　hangar；　which　was　set　up　as　a　temporary　processing　and　in…transit　facility。
　As　Treloar　and　his　fellow　travelers　shuffled　along；　they　had　no　idea　that　hard　eyes　tucked　against　sniperscopes　were　scrutinizing　their　every　move。　They　could　not　have　guessed　that　the　young　men　in　customs　and　immigration　uniforms；　along　with　the　baggage　handlers；　bus　drivers；　and　maintenance　people；　were　all　heavily　armed　undercover　SAS　operatives。
　Just　before　Treloar　disappeared　through　the　door　leading　into　the　hangar；　he　heard　a　high…pitched　shriek。　Turning；　he　saw　a　trim；　executive　jet　land　gracefully　on　the　runway　two　hundred　yards　away。　He　imagined　that　it　belonged　to　an　obscenely　wealthy　entrepreneur；　or　to　some　sheik；　never　suspecting　that　inside　the　Ilyushin　C…22　a　man　was；　at　that　moment；　receiving　a　detailed　description　of　him　from　a　sniper　who　happened　to　have　Treloar's　forehead　in　his　crosshairs。
　
　〃The　Brits　say　that　1710　is　clean；　sir。〃
　Klein's　voice　whistled　through　the　secure　link。　〃I　got　the　same　report。　You　should　have　heard　Kirov　when　I　gave　him　the　news。　All　hell's　breaking　loose　in　Moscow。〃
　Sitting　in　the　parked　Ilyushin；　Smith　continued　to　watch　the　activity　around　the　American　767。　〃What　about　St。　Petersburg？〃
　〃Kirov's　piling　a　list　of　all　flights　that　have　left　up　to　now。　He's　scrambling　to　get　the　terminal's　departure　tapes；　as　well　as　putting　men　on　the　ground　to　start　interviewing　employees。〃
　Smith　bit　his　lip。　〃It's　all　taking　too　long；　sir。　With　every　hour；　Beria　gets　farther　and　farther　away。〃
　〃I　know。　But　we　can't　hunt　until　we　have　a　target。〃　Klein　paused。　〃What's　your　next　move？〃
　〃There's　nothing　I　can　do　in　London。　I　asked　American　to　get　me　on　1710　and　they　obliged。　It's　scheduled　to　leave　in　about　seventy…five　minutes。　That'll　put　me　in　Washington　sooner　than　if　I　were　to　wait　for　military　transport。〃
　〃I　don't　like　the　idea　of　your　being　without　a　secure　link。〃
　〃The　flight　deck　crew　will　know　that　I'm　onboard；　sir。　If　there's　any　word　from　Moscow；　you　can　radio　the　plane。〃
　〃Under　the　circumstances；　that'll　have　to　do。　In　the　meantime；　try　to　get　some　rest　on　the　flight。　This　thing　is　just　getting　started。〃
　
　Anthony　Price　was　in　his　expansive　office　on　the　sixth　floor　of　the　NSA　headquarters　at　Fort　Meade；　Maryland。　As　deputy　director；　Price　was　responsible　for　the　agency's　day…to…day　operations。　Right　now；　that　meant　keeping　his　staff　on　top　of　the　situation　in　Moscow。　So　far；　the　Russians　were　sticking　with　the　story　that　Chechen　rebels　were　responsible　for　the　massacre…　which　suited　Price　just　fine。　It　gave　him　a　legitimate　reason　to　cover　the　incident。　And　the　longer　the　Russians　chased　the　phantom　terrorists；　the　easier　it　would　be　for　Beria　and　Treloar　to　slip　through　the　net。
　Price　looked　up　when　he　heard　the　knock　on　his　door。　〃e　in。〃
　Price's　senior　analyst；　a　stout　young　woman　with　a　librarian's　fussy　air　about　her；　entered。
　〃The　latest　update　from　our　resources　on　the　ground　in　Moscow；　sir；〃　she　said。　〃Seems　that　General　Kirov　is　very　concerned　about　some　surveillance　video　out　of　Sheremetevo　in　Moscow。〃
　Price　felt　a　constriction　in　his　chest　but　managed　to　keep　his　voice　level。　〃Really？　Why？　Who's　on　the　tape？〃
　〃No　one　knows。　But　for　some　reason　the　Russians　red…flagged　it。　Apparently　the　video　is　very　poor。〃
　Price's　mind　was　racing。　〃That's　it？〃
　〃For　now；　sir。〃
　〃I　want　you　to　stay　on　top　of　that　video。　Anyone　hears　word　one　about　it；　I　want　to　know。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　After　the　analyst　left；　Price　turned　to　his　puter　and　called　up　the　flights　ing　into　Dulles。　There　was　only　one　reason　that　the　Russians　would　be　so　interested　in　the　video　surveillance　tapes：　Beria　had　been　seen　with　somebody。　And　that　person　could　only　be　Adam　Treloar。
　American　1710　was　scheduled　to　arrive　in　a　little　over　six　hours。　Russian　photo　analysis　and　enhancement　was　hardly　state　of　the　art。　It　would　take　their　machines　hours　to　float　up　images。　By　that　time；　1710　should　be　on　the　ground　and　Adam　Treloar　would　be　safe。
　Price　sat　back　in　his　executive　leather　chair；　removed　his　glasses；　and　tapped　a　stem　against　his　front　teeth。　The　situation　in　Moscow　had　degenerated　into　a　near…fiasco。　That　Beria　had　escaped　the　carnage　at　the　train　station　was　nothing　short　of　miraculous。　Equally　amazing　was　the　fact　that　he'd　gotten　to　Sheremetevo　in　time　to　hand　off　the　smallpox　to　Adam　Treloar。
　But　the　surveillance　cameras　had　caught　a　connection　between　the　two　men。　Kirov　had　the　connection。　As　soon　as　he'd　reconstructed　Treloar's　picture；　he　would　run　it　against　the　customs　and　immigration　databanks。　He　would　discover　exactly　when　Treloar　had　entered　and　left　Russia。　He　would　alert　the　CIA　and　FBI　liaisons　at　the　embassy。
　Then　we'd　start　running　Treloar　to　ground；　if　for　no　other　reason　than　he　was　seen　with　Beria。。。。　But　does　Kirov　suspect　that　Treloar　is　the　actual　courier？
　Price　didn't　think　so。　So　far；　everything　indicated　that　the　hunt　was　centered　on　Beria。　And　the　Russians　were　getting　close。　The　bulletins　ing　in　from　NSA　assets　in　St。　Petersburg　indicated　intense　counterintelligence　activity　in　there。
　Price　pulled　up　another　set　of　arrivals。　There　it　was；　the　Finnair　flight；　five