johngardner.rollofhonor-第17章

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e　wall　when　the　stun　grenades　exploded　in　the　hallway　below　…　two　ear…splitting　crumps；　followed　by　several　bursts　of　automatic　fire。
　Bullets　hacked　and　chipped　into　the　plaster　and　brickwork　on　the　other　side　of　the　wall；　while　another　burst　almost　took　the　door　beside　him　off　its　hinges。
　They　were　not　using　blanks。　　This　was　for　real；　and　he　knew　with　sudden　shock；　that　it　was　as　he　had　earlier　deduced。　　He　was　being　thrown　to　the　wolves。
　
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　Two
　
　　MORE　EXPLOSIONS　came　from　below；　followed　by　another　heavy　burst　of　fire。　　The　second　team　of　two　men　was　clearing　the　ground　floor。　　Bond　could　hear　the　feet　of　the　first　team　on　the　stairs。　　In　a　few　seconds　there　would　be　the　dance　of　death　on　the　landing　…　a　couple　of　stun　grenades　or　smoke　canisters　would　be　thrown　through　the　door　to　his　right；　then　lead　would　hose　down　the　passage；　taking　him　on　that　short　trip　into　eternity。
　Simon's　voice　kept　running　in　his　head　like　a　looped　tape：　〃Use　your　initiative　。　　。　　。　　Use　your　initiative　。
　Was　that　a　hint？　　A　clue？　　There　was　certainly　something　of　a　nudge　in　the　tone　he　had　adopted。
　Move。　　Bond　was　off　down　the　corridor；　making　for　the　room　to　his　left。　He　had　some　vague　idea　that　he　might　leap　from　the　window。
　Anything　to　remove　himself　from　the　vicious　hailstorm　of　bullets。
　He　took　rapid　strides　into　the　room　and；　trying　to　make　as　little　noise　as　possible；　closed　the　door；　automatically　sliding　a　small　bolt　above　the　handle。　　He　started　to　cross　the　floor；　heading　for　the　windows；　clutching　the　useless　ASP　as　though　his　life　depended　on　it。
　As　he　sidestepped　a　chair；　he　saw　them　…　two　ASP　magazines；　cutaway　matt　black　oblongs；　lying　on　a　rickety　table　between　the　high　windows。
　Grabbing　at　the　first；　he　saw　immediately　that　they　were　his　own　reserves；　both　full；　loaded　with　Glasers。
　There　is　a　fast　routine　for　reloading　the　ASP；　a　fluent　movement　that　quickly　jettisons　an　empty　magazine；　replacing　it　with　a　full　one。
　Bond　went　through　the　reload　procedure　in　a　matter　of　five　seconds；　including　dropping　his　eyes　to　check　that　a　live　round　had　entered　the　chamber。
　He　performed　the　reloading　on　the　move；　finally　positioning　himself　hard　against　the　wall　to　the　left　of　the　door。　　The　team　would　leap　in　after　the　grenades　had　acplished　their　disorientating　effect；　one　to　the　left　and　one　right。　　They　would　be　firing　as　they　came；　but　Bond　gambled　on　their　first　bursts　going　wide　across　the　room。
　Flattening　himself　against　the　wall；　he　held　the　powerful　little　weapon　at　arm's　length　in　the　two…handed　grip；　at　the　same　time　clutching　the　spare　magazine　almost　as　an　extension　to　the　butt。
　They　were　making　straight　for　this　room。　　As　he　reloaded；　Bond　had　been　conscious　of　the　bangs　and　rattle　of　their　textbook　assault　through　the　landing　door。
　Bullets　spat　and　splintered　the　woodwork　to　his　right。　　A　boot　smashed　in　the　handle　and　broke　the　flimsy　bolt；　while　a　pair　of　stun　grenades　hit　the　bare　boards；　making　a　heavy　clunk；　one　of　them　rolling　for　a　split　second　before　detonation。
　He　closed　his　eyes；　head　turning　slightly　to　avoid　the　worst　effect　…　the　flash　that　temporarily　blinds　…　though　nothing　could　stop　the　noise　which　seemed　to　explode　from　within　his　own　cranium；　putting　his　head　in　a　vice；　and　ringing　in　his　ears　like　a　magnified　bell。　　It　blotted　out　all　external　sounds；　even　that　of　his　own　pistol　as　he　fired；　and　the　death…rattle　of　the　submachine　guns　as　the　two…man　team　stepped　through　the　lingering　smoke。
　Bond　acted　purely　by　intuition。　　At　the　first　movement　through　the　door　he　sighted　the　three　little　yellow　triangles　on　the　dark　moving　shape。　He　squeezed　the　trigger　twice；　resighted　and　squeezed　again。
　In　all　the　four　bullets　were　off　in　less　than　three　seconds　…　though　the　whole　business　appeared　to　be　frozen　in　time；　slowed　down　like　a　cinematic　trick　so　that　everything　happened　with　a　ponderous；　even　clumsy；　brutality。
　The　man　nearest　Bond　came　through；　leaping　to　his　left；　the　wicked　little　automatic　weapon　tucked　between　upper　arm　and　ribcage；　the　muzzle　already　spitting　fire　as　he　identified　and　turned　towards　his　target。　Bond's　first　bullet　caught　him　in　the　neck；　tearing　through　flesh；　bone；　arteries　and　sinews；　hurling　the　man　sideways；　pushing　him；　the　head　lolling；　as　though　it　was　being　torn　away　from　its　body。
　The　second　slug　entered　the　head；　which　exploded；　leaving　a　cloud　of　fine　pink　and　grey　matter　hanging　in　the　air。　　The　third　and　fourth　bullets　both　caught　the　second　man　in　the　chest；　a　couple　of　inches　below　the　windpipe。　　He　was　swinging　outwards；　and　to　his　right；　realising　too　late　where　the　target　was　situated；　the　gun　in　his　hand　spraying　bullets　towards　the　window。
　The　impact　lifted　the　man　from　his　feet；　knocking　him　back　so　that；　for　a　split　second　he　was　poised　in　midair；　angled　at　forty…five　degrees　to　the　floor；　the　machine　pistol　still　firing　and　ripping　into　the　ceiling　as　a　mushroom　of　blood　and　flesh　spouted　from　the　torn　chest。
　Because　of　his　temporary　deafness；　Bond　felt　as　though　he　stood　outside　the　action；　as　if　watching　a　silent　film。
　But　his　experience　pushed　him　on：　two　down；　he　thought；　two　to　go。
　The　second　team　almost　certainly　would　be　covering　the　entrance　hall；　and　may　even　be　ing　to　the　assistance　of　their　rades　at　this　moment。
　Bond　stepped　over　the　headless　corpse　of　the　first　intruder；　his　foot　almost　slipping　in　the　lake　of　blood。　　It　always　amazed　Bond　how　there　was　so　much　blood　in　one　man。　　This　was　something　they　did　not　show　in　movies；　or　even　news　film　…　over　a　gallon　of　blood　which　fountained　from　a　human　body　when　violently　cut　to　pieces。
　In　the　doorway；　he　paused　for　a　second；　ears　straining　to　no　effect；　for　his　head　still　buzzed　as　though　a　hundred　electric　doorbells　were　ringing　inside　his　skull。
　Glancing　down；　he　saw　that　the　second　man　still　had　a　pair　of　grenades　tucked　firmly　into　his　belt；　hooked　on　by　the　safety　levers。
　He　slid　one　out；　removed　the　pin；　and　holding　it　in　his　left　hand　advanced　down　the　corridor　towards　the　landing　door；　calculating　the　amount　of　force　he　would　need　to　hurl　the　grenade　down　the　stairs。
　It　had　to　be　right；　for　he　would　not　get　a　second　chance。
　He　paused；　just　short　of　the　landing　door。　　Something　made　him　turn　…　that　sixth　sense　which；　over　the　years　was　now　fine…tuned　to　most　emergencies。　　He　spun　round　just　in　time　to　see　a　figure　emerging　gingerly　from　the　room；　negotiating　his　way　through　the　gore　and　shattered　bodies　on　the　far　side　of　the　door。　　Later；　Bond　reasoned　they　had　planned　some　kind　of　pincer　manoeuvre　when　they　heard　additional　shots；　one　man　scaling　the　wall　to　attack　through　the　window；　the　other　mounting　the　stairs。
　Bond　let　off　two　shots　at　the　man　in　the　doorway；　both　aimed　at　the　centre　of　the　target；　while　with　his　left　hand　he　lobbed　the　stun　grenade　out　of　the　landing　door　in　the　direction　of　the　staircase。　　He　saw　the　man　in　the　doorway　spin　as　though　caught　by　a　whirlwind。　　In　the　same　instant；　he　was　aware　of　the　flash　from　the　landing。
　There　were　only　two　rounds　left　in　the　first　magazine。　　In　five　seconds　Bond　replaced　it　with　the　fully　charged　one。　　Then　he　took　two　paces　through　the　door；　firing　as　he　went；　two　slugs　going　nowhere　while　he　located　his　target。
　The　last　man　was　struggling　at　the　bottom　of　the　stairs；　for　the　grenade　had　caught　him　napping。　　From　the　scorch　marks　and　his　agonised　beating　at　the　smouldering　cloth　around　his　loins；　it　was　obvious　that　the　grenade　had　hit　him　in　the　groin　while　he　was　on　the　stairs。
　Still　deafened；　Bond　saw　the　man's　mouth　opening　and　closing；　his　face　distorted。　　From　the　top　of　the　stairs　Bond　shot　him　once；　neatly　blowing　off　the　top　of　his　head　so　that　he　fell　on　to　his　back；　moving　a　foot　or　so　on　impact；　with　his　brains　spilling　out　over　the　dirty　entrance　hall　floor。
　Quietly；　Bond　retraced　his　footsteps；　once　more　stepping　over　the　now…larger　sprawl　of　bodies；　and　crossing　to　the　window。　　Below；　about　twenty　yards　away；　Tamil　Rahani　stood　with　Simon　and　half　a　dozen　members　of　Erewhon's　permanent　staff。　　They　were　quite　still；　heads　held　as　though　listening。　　There　was　no　sign　of　an　unholstered　weapon；　and　Bond　could　not　see　a　gun　trained　on　the　house　from　any　vantage　points。
　He　moved　back　from　the　window；　not　wanting　to　show　himself　yet　uncertain　of　the　safest　way　to　get　out　of　the　place。　　He　had　gone　only　two　steps；　when　the　decision　was　partially　made　for　him。
　〃Are　you　still　with　us；　mander　Bond？〃　Rahani's　voice　drifted　up　from　outside；　followed　by　Simon　calling；　〃James？　　Did　you　figure　it　out？〃　He　returned　to　the　window；　standing　to　one　side；　showing　as　little　of　his　head　as　possible。　　They　were　all　in　the　same　place。
　Still　there　were　no　weapons　visible。
　Withdrawing；　Bond　shouted；　〃You　tried　to　kill　me；　you　bastards。
　Let's　make　it　fair。　　I'll　take　you　on　…　one　at　a　time。〃　He　dropped　to　the　ground　and　snake…crawled　below　the　window；　along　the　wall　to　the　next　aperture。　　They　were　all　looking　at　the　first　window　as　he　fired；　putting　the　bullet　about　ten　yards　in　front　of　them；　kicking　up　a　great　cloud　of　dust。
　wanted　to　do　you　any　harm。　　It　was　a　test；　that's　all。　　A　test　of　your　efficiency。　　Just　e　out　now。　　The　test　is　over。
　〃I　want　one　of　you；　unarmed。　　Just　one　…　Simon；　if　you　like。　　In　now。　At　the　front。　　Otherwise　I　start　taking　you　out；　very　quickly。〃　Bond　took　a　quick　peep　through　the　window。　　Simon　was　already　unbuckling　his　belt；　letting　it　fall　to　the　ground　as　he　walked　forward。
　Seconds　later；　Bond　was　at　the　top　of　the　stairs；　and　Simon　stood　in　the　entrance　hall；　hands　on　his　head；　looking　up　at　Bond　with　some　admiration。
　〃What's　going　on　exactly？〃　Bond　asked。
　〃Nothing。　　You　did　as　we　expected。　　Everyone　told　us　how　good　you　were；　so　we　sent　in　four　expendable　men。
　Two　of　them　were　the　ones　you　pointed　out　to　me　the　other　day；　the　Germans　you　said　were　known　faces。　　We　have　others　like　them。　　This　is　a　standard　exercise。〃
　〃Standard？　　Telling　the　victim　only　blank　ammunition　is　being　used？〃
　〃Well；　you　soon　discovered　you　had　live　rounds；　like　the　others。　　They　also　thought　they　had　blanks。〃
　〃But　I　had　live　ammunition　only　if　I　could　find　it；　which　I　did　partially　by　luck。〃
　〃Rubbish；　James。　　You　had　the　real　thing　from　the　word　go；　and　there　were　spare　magazines　all　over　the　place。　　Can　I　e　up？〃　Keeping　his　hands　on　his　head；　Simon　slowly　mounted　the　stairs；　while　Bond　began　to　wonder。　　Fool；　he　said　to　himself。　　You　took　the　man's　word　for　it。　　He　said　you　had　blanks；　but　Five　minutes　later；　Simon　had　proved　his　point；　first　by　retrieving　Bond's　original　magazine；　which　was　fully　loaded　with　Glasers；　and　then　by　showing　him　other　full　magazines　on　the　corridor　floor　and　in　the　second　room　upstairs；　as　well　as　on　the　landing。　　Even　with　live　ammunition；　it　had　been　an　exceptionally　dangerous　business。　　One　man　against　four　armed　with；　as　it　turned　out；　MP　5K　submachine　guns。
　〃I　could　have　been　wiped　out　within　seconds。〃
　〃But　you　weren't；　were　you；　James？　　Our　information　was　that　you　would　get　out　of　this　kind　of　challenge　alive。
　It　just　shows　that　our　informants　were　correct。
　They　walked　down　the　stairs　and　out　into　the　warm　air；　which　felt