rludlum-shelby.thecassandracompact-第53章

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d　strokes；　cut　an　opening　in　the　cocoon。
　〃Go　through；〃　he　told　Megan；　then　followed　her　into　the　cocoon。
　Once　inside；　Megan　turned　when　she　no　longer　felt　Smith's　hand　on　her　shoulder。　She　found　him　staring　at　the　hatch。
　〃Jon；　we're　running　out　of　time！〃
　Then　she　saw　the　cold；　pitiless　expression　behind　his　faceplate；　the　grief　in　his　eyes。　His　anger　spilled　into　her　as　she　pictured　the　bodies　of　her　crewmates；　the　terrible　way　they　had　died。　She　understood　exactly　what　he　intended　to　do。
　〃Go　down　the　tunnel；〃　Smith　said。　〃Don't　stop。　Don't　look　back。　There's　a　decontamination　chamber　right　behind　the　blast　door。〃
　〃Jon…？〃
　〃Go；　Megan。〃
　Smith　didn't　think　of　the　time　that　he　had　left；　of　the　odds　of　making　it　out　of　the　chamber　alive。　He　knew　that　men　like　Bauer；　rich　and　powerful；　seldom　if　ever　paid　for　their　crimes…　especially　since　those　who　could　have　condemned　them　were　already　dead。　Worse；　Bauer　would　try　again。　Somewhere；　sometime；　there　would　be　another　Cassandra　pact。
　Smith　hurried　through　the　small　decontamination　pass…through…　the　size　of　a　shower　stall…　and　came　up　to　the　hatch。　Through　the　rectangular　porthole　he　saw　the　mutilated　body　of　Dylan　Reed　and　Bauer；　holding　a　ceramic　capsule　in　the　palm　of　his　hand。
　He　wasn't　going　to　bring　out　the　entire　sample。　He　didn't　need　to。　A　drop　would　be　more　than　enough。　A　drop　he　could　hide　in　his　suit；　that　would　be　enough　to　re…create　the　monstrosity。
　Crouching；　Smith　opened　a　panel　at　the　bottom　of　the　hatch　and　engaged　the　manual　override。　He　rose　just　as　Bauer　turned；　his　expression　one　of　total　disbelief。
　It　can't　be。。。！
　Smith　saw　Bauer's　lips　move　but　didn't　hear　his　words　until　he　had　changed　the　frequency　on　his　helmet　radio。
　〃。。。are　you　doing　here？〃
　Silently　he　watched　as　Bauer　punched　the　keypad；　watched　as　his　incredulity　dissolved　to　horror　when　the　hatch　didn't　open。
　〃What　are　you　doing　here？〃　Bauer　screamed。　〃Open　this　hatch！〃
　〃No；　Doctor；〃　Smith　replied。　〃I　think　I'll　leave　you　with　your　creation。〃
　Bauer's　face　was　contorted　with　fear。　〃Listen　to　me…！〃
　Smith　changed　the　frequency　and　began　walking　away。　He　thought　he　heard　fists　falling　on　the　hatch；　but　knew　that　that　was　just　his　imagination。
　〃Control；　this　is　Smith。　Where's　Olson？〃
　Static　crackled　in　his　ear；　then　a　familiar　voice　came　through。　〃Jon；　this　is　Klein。　Megan　is　safe。　She's　in　the　decontamination　area。　She　told　me　that　the　autodestruct　was　armed。〃
　〃Bauer　did　that。〃
　〃Where　is　he？〃
　〃Still　inside。〃
　After　a　moment's　hesitation；　Klein　replied；　〃Understood。　We're　opening　the　blast　door；　Jon。　But　you　only　have　a　few　seconds。　Hurry！〃
　At　the　end　of　the　cocoon　Smith　saw　the　huge　door　start　to　swing　open。　With　sweat　pouring　off　him；　he　forced　himself　to　move　even　faster。　There　it　was；　the　cavity　cut　into　the　wall　at　the　end　of　the　cocoon。
　Then　the　door　stopped　and　began　closing。　He　was　still　at　least　fifteen　steps　away。
　〃What's　happening？〃　he　demanded。
　〃The　door　closes　automatically；〃　Klein　shouted　back。　〃It　will　seal　five　seconds　before　the　blast。　Jon；　get　out　of　there。〃
　Smith　forced　his　screaming　muscles　to　move　even　faster。　One　step；　one　second；　one　step；　one　second。。。
　The　blast　door　moved　relentlessly；　reducing　the　size　of　the　opening。　With　a　final　desperate　effort　Smith　hurled　himself　forward；　hitting　the　leading　edge　of　the　door；　squeezing　himself　through　as　it　brushed　by　him　and　locked。
　Seconds　later；　he　was　thrown　to　the　ground　as　the　earth　seemed　to　rear　up　and　something　like　a　giant's　fist　slammed　into　the　blast　door。
　
　He　opened　his　eyes　to　white：　ceiling；　walls；　sheets。　With　a　soldier's　instincts　he　lay　perfectly　still；　then　slowly；　carefully　moved　his　neck；　hands；　feet；　arms；　and　legs。　His　body　felt　as　though　it　had　gone　over　Niagara　Falls　in　a　barrel。
　The　door　opened　and　Klein　walked　in。
　〃Where　am　I？〃　Smith　asked；　his　voice　weak。
　〃In　the　land　of　the　living；　I'm　happy　to　say；〃　Klein　replied。　〃The　doctor　tells　me　that　you'll　be　just　fine。〃
　〃How…？〃
　〃After　the　shuttle　exploded；　Jack　Riley　and　his　team　went　into　the　decontamination　chamber；　put　you　through　the　process；　then　got　you　out。〃
　〃Megan？〃
　〃She's　fine。　You　both　are。〃
　Smith　felt　his　limbs　turn　to　jelly。　〃It's　over；〃　he　whispered。
　Somewhere　far　away　he　heard　Klein　reply；　〃Yes。　The　pact　has　been　broken。〃
　
　EPILOGUE　
　　
　According　to　the　media　reports；　General　Frank　Richardson　and　NSA　Deputy…Director　Anthony　Price　were　killed　in　a　tragic　crash　due　to　faulty　brake　lines。　Richardson　was　given　a　warrior's　burial　at　Arlington　National　Cemetery　while　Price　was　interred　in　his　family's　plot　in　New　Hampshire。　The　president；　citing　overseas　mitments；　was　absent　on　both　occasions。
　Subsequent　reports　dealt　with　the　crash　of　a　private　jet　over　the　Pacific　Ocean。　The　plane；　belonging　to　the　Bauer…Zermatt　pharmaceutical　pany；　went　down　six　hundred　miles　west　of　Los　Angeles　on　its　way　to　the　Big　Island　of　Hawaii。　There　was　only　one　passenger　onboard：　Dr。　Karl　Bauer。
　President　Castilla　led　the　nation　in　mourning　its　greatest　space　tragedy　since　the　Challenger　disaster。　Investigators　determined　that　the　explosion　onboard　the　shuttle　Discovery　was　linked　to　fuel…pump　problems　during　the　craft's　descent　into　Edwards　Air　Force　Base。
　〃What　will　happen　to　Megan？〃　Randi　Russell　asked。
　She　stood　beside　Smith　in　a　small　cemetery　called　Tsarsoye；　overlooking　Moscow　and　the　river。
　〃She's　not　Megan　anymore；〃　Smith　replied。　〃She　has　a　new　name；　a　new　face；　new　identity。〃　He　paused。　〃She　survived；　but　in　the　end　she　was　counted　among　the　dead。　There　was　no　choice。　She　had　to　give　up　her　old　life　if　the　secret　of　what　really　happened　was　to　remain　intact。〃
　Randi　nodded。　Through　the　CIA　grapevine　she　had　heard　rumors　that　one　or　more　of　the　shuttle　astronauts　had　survived。　But　after　a　while；　the　whispers　died　away。　When　Smith　had　arrived　in　Moscow；　she　turned　to　him　for　the　truth。　Megan　Olson　had　been　a　longtime　friend　of　Sophia's。。。　and　of　hers　as　well。　Randi　felt　she　had　a　right　to　know　if　Megan　was　still　alive　somewhere。
　〃Thank　you　for　telling　me　about　her；〃　she　said。
　Smith　looked　over　the　rows　of　headstones。　〃Without　your　help；　everything　would　have　ended　differently；〃　he　said　softly。
　Smith　stepped　forward　and　laid　flowers　on　Yuri　Danko's　grave。
　〃Without　the　brave；　where　would　any　of　us　be？〃
　
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