bl.necroscope2-第68章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ins　and　so　passed　out　of　sight。　Whichever；　Dolgikh　knew　that　he　now　had　all　four　men　trapped。　There　was　no　way　out　at　their　end　of　the　defile；　and　in　any　case　they　had　to　e　back　here　to　detonate　the　charges。　Dolgikh's　leering　expression　changed；　turned　into　a　grim　smile。　An　especially　sadistic　thought　had　just　occurred　to　him。
　His　original　plan　had　been　simple：　surprise　them；　tell　them　he　was　investigating　them　for　the　KGB；　have　them　tie　each　other　up…finally　hurl　them　one　at　a　time　from　the　castle's　broken　rim。　It　was　a　hell　of　a　long　way　down。　He'd　make　sure　that　part　of　the　rotten　wall　went　with　them；　to　make　it　more　convincing。　Then；　at　a　safe　place；　he'd　climb　down；　make　his　way　back　to　them　and　carefully　remove　their　bindings。　An　〃accident〃；　as　simple　as　that。　There'd　be　no　escape　for　them：　the　nylon　cord　in　Dolgikh's　pocket　had　a　2001b　breaking　strain！　They　probably　wouldn't　even　be　found　for　weeks；　months；　maybe　never。
　But　Dolgikh　was　something　of　a　vampire　in　his　own　right；　except　he　fed　on　fear。　Yes；　and　now　he　saw　the　opportunity　to　give　his　plan　an　elaborate　twist。　A　little　extra　something　for　his　own　amusement。
　He　quickly　kneeled；　used　his　strong　square　teeth　to　strip　the　cable　down　to　its　copper　cores；　and　connected　up　the　firing　box。　Then；　still　on　one　knee；　he　called　out　loudly　up　the　trail：　〃Gentlemen！〃
　The　three　turned；　saw　him。　Quint　and　Krakovitch　recognised　him　at　once；　looked　stunned。
　〃Now　what　are　we　having　here？〃　he　laughed；　holding　up　the　box　for　them　to　see。　〃See？　Someone　is　forgetting　to　make　the　connections…but　I　have　done　it　for　him！〃　He　put　down　the　box　and　drew　up　the　plunger。
　〃For　God's　sake；　be　careful　with　that！〃　Carl　Quint　threw　up　his　arms　in　warning；　stumbled　out　of　the　ruins。
　〃Stay　right　where　you　are；　Mr　Quint；〃　Dolgikh　shouted。　And　in　Russian：　〃Krakovitch；　you　and　that　stupid　ox　of　a　foreman　e　to　me。　And　no　tricks；　or　I　blow　your　English　friend　and　Gulharov　to　bits！〃　He　gave　the　T…shaped　handle　two　savage　right…hand　twists。　The　box　was　now　armed；　only　depress　the　plunger；　and　…〃Dolgikh；　are　you　mad？〃　Krakovitch　called　back。　〃I'm　here　on　official　business。　The　Party　Leader　himself…〃
　〃…Is　a　mumbling　old　fool！〃　Dolgikh　finished　for　him。　〃As　are　you。　And　you'll　be　a　dead　fool　if　you　don't　do　exactly　as　I　say。　Do　it　now；　and　bring　that　lumbering　engineer　with　you。　Quint；　Mr　English　mind…spy；　you　stay　right　there。〃　He　stood　up；　took　out　his　gun　and　the　nylon　cord。　Krakovitch　and　Volkonsky　had　put　up　their　hands　in　the　air；　were　slowly　leaving　the　area　of　the　ruins。
　In　the　next　split　second　Dolgikh　sensed　that　something　was　wrong。　He　felt　the　tug　of　hot　metal　at　his　sleeve　before　he　heard　the　crack　of　Sergei　Gulharov's　automatic。　For　when　the　others　had　gone　forward　to　the　ruins；　Gulharov　had　stepped　into　a　clump　of　bushes　to　answer　a　call　of　nature。　He　had　seen　and　heard　everything。
　〃Put　up　your　gun！〃　he　now　yelled；　ing　at　Dolgikh　at　a　run。　〃The　next　shot　goes　in　your　belly！〃
　Gulharov　had　been　trained；　but　not　nearly　as　thoroughly　as　Theo　Dolgikh；　and　he　lacked　the　agent's　killer　instinct。　Dolgikh　fell　to　his　knees　again；　straightened　his　gun　arm　toward　Gulharov；　aimed　and　squeezed　the　trigger　of　his　weapon。　Gulharov　was　nearly　on　him。　He；　too；　had　fired　again。　His　shot　went　inches　wide；　but　Dolgikh's　was　right　on　target。　His　snub…nosed　bullet　blew　away　half　of　Gulharov's　head。　Gulharov；　dead　on　the　instant；　jerked　to　a　halt；　then　took　another　stumbling　step　forward　and　crashed　over　like　a　felled　tree…directly　on　to　the　firing　box　and　its　extended　plunger！
　Dolgikh　hurled　himself　flat；　felt　a　hot　wind　blow　on　him　as　hell　opened　up　just　one　hundred　yards　away。　Deafening　sound　blasted　his　ears；　left　them　ringing　with　wild　peals。　He　didn't　see　the　actual　explosion；　or　simultaneous　series　of　explosions；　but　as　the　spray　of　soil　and　pebbles　subsided　and　the　earth　stopped　shaking　he　looked　up…and　then　he　did　see　the　result。　On　the　far　side　of　the　gorge　the　ruins　of　Faethor's　castle　stood　much　as　before；　but　on　this　side　they　had　been　reduced　to　so　much　rubble。
　Craters　smoked　where　the　castle's　roots　were　bedded　in　the　mountain。　A　landslide　of　shale　and　fractured　rock　was　still　tumbling　from　the　cliff　onto　the　wide；　pitted　ledge；　burying　deep　the　last　traces　of　whatever　secrets　had　been　there。　And　of　Krakovitch；　Quint　and　Volkonsky　…Nothing　whatsoever。　Flesh　isn't　nearly　as　strong　as　rock。
　Dolgikh　stood　up；　brushed　himself　down；　heaved　Gulharov's　corpse　off　the　detonating　box。　He　grabbed　Gulharov's　legs　and　dragged　his　body　to　the　smouldering　ruins；　then　toppled　him　from　the　cliff。　An　〃accident〃；　a　genuine　accident。
　On　his　way　back　down　the　track；　the　KGB　man　rolled　up　what　was　left　of　the　cable；　he　also　collected　Gulharov's　gun　and　the　box。　Half…way　down　the　ledge　where　it　hugged　the　cliff　he　threw　all　of　these　things　into　the　dark　gurgling　ravine。　It　was　finished　now；　all　of　it。　Before　he　got　back　to　Moscow　he　would　have　thought　up　an　excuse；　a　reason　why　Gerenko's　supposed　〃weapon〃；　whatever　it　had　been；　no　longer　existed。　That　was　a　pity。
　But　on　the　other　hand…Dolgikh　congratulated　himself　that　at　least　half　of　his　mission　had　been　acplished　successfully。　And　very　satisfactorily。
　
　8。00　P。M。　at　the　Chateau　Bronnitsy。
　Ivan　Gerenko　lay　in　a　shallow　sleep　on　a　cot　in　his　inner　office。　Down　below；　in　the　sterility　of　the　brain…washing　laboratory；　Alec　Kyle　also　lay　asleep。　His　body；　anyway。　But　since　there　was　no　longer　a　mind　in　there；　it　was　hardly　Kyle　any　longer。　Mentally；　he　had　been　drained　to　less　than　a　husk。　The　information　this　had　released　to　Zek　Foener　had　been　staggering。　This　Harry　Keogh；　if　he　had　still　lived；　would　have　been　an　awesome　enemy。　But　trapped　in　the　brain　of　his　own　child；　he　was　no　longer　a　problem。　Later；　maybe；　when　（and　if）　the　child　had　grown　into　a　man　。
　As　for　INTESP：　Foener　was　now　privy　to　that　entire　organisation's　machinery。　Nothing　remained　secret。　Kyle　had　been　the　controller；　and　what　he　had　known　Zek　F？ener　was　heir　to。　Which　was　why；　as　the　technicians　dismantled　their　instruments　and　left　Kyle's　body　naked　and　drained　even　of　instinct；　she　hurried　to　report　something　of　her　findings…and　one　thing　in　particular…to　Ivan　Gerenko。
　Zekintha　F？ener's　father　was　East　German。　Her　mother　had　been　Greek；　from　Zakinthos　in　the　Ionian　Sea。　When　her　mother　died；　Zek　had　gone　to　her　father　in　Posen；　to　the　university　where　he　worked　in　parapsychology。　Her　psychic　ability；　which　he　had　always　suspected　in　her　when　she　was　a　child；　had　bee　immediately　apparent　to　him。　He　had　reported　the　fact　of　her　telepathic　talent　to　the　College　of　Parapsychological　Studies　on　Brasov　Prospekt　in　Moscow；　and　had　been　summoned　to　attend　with　Zek　so　that　she　could　be　tested。　That　was　how　she　had　e　to　E…Branch；　where　she　had　rapidly　made　herself　invaluable。
　F？ener　was　five…nine；　slim；　blonde　and　blue…eyed。　Her　hair　shone　and　bounced　on　her　shoulders　when　she　walked。　Her　Chateau　uniform　fitted　her　like　a　glove；　accentuating　the　delicate　curves　of　her　figure。　She　climbed　the　stone　stairs　to　Krakovitch's　（no；　she　corrected　herself；　to　Gerenko's）　office；　entered　the　anteroom　and　knocked　firmly　on　the　closed　inner　door。
　Gerenko　heard　her　knock；　forced　himself　awake　and　struggled　to　sit　up。　In　his　shrivelled　frame　he　tired　easily；　slept　often　but　poorly。　Sleep　was　one　way　of　prolonging　a　life　which　doctors　had　told　him　would　be　short。　It　was　the　ultimate　irony：　men　could　not　kill　him；　but　his　own　frailty　surely　would。　At　only　thirty…seven　he　already　looked　sixty；　a　shrunken　monkey　of　a　man。　But　still　a　man。
　〃e　in；〃　he　wheezed；　as　he　sucked　air　into　his　fragile　lungs。
　Outside　the　door；　while　Gerenko　had　e　more　surely　awake；　Zek　F？ener　had　broken　a　trust。　It　was　an　unwritten　rule　at　the　Chateau　that　telepaths　would　not　deliberately　spy　on　the　minds　of　their　colleagues。　That　was　all　very　well　and　only　decent　in　normal　conditions；　normal　circumstances。　But　on　this　occasion　there　were　gross　abnormalities；　things　which　F？ener　must　track　down　to　her　satisfaction。
　For　one；　the　way　Gerenko　had　literally　taken　over　Krakovitch's　job。　It　wasn't　as　if　he　stood　in　for　him　at　all；　but　had　in　fact　replaced　him…permanently！　F？ener　had　liked　Krakovitch；　from　Kyle　she　had　learned　about　Theo　Dolgikh's　surveillance　activities　in　Genoa；　Kyle　and　Krakovitch　had　been　working　together　on　…〃e　in！〃　Gerenko　repeated；　breaking　her　chain　of　thought；　but　not　before　everything　had　fallen　together。　Gerenko's　ambition　burned　bright　in　her　mind；　bright　and　ugly。　And　his　intention；　to　use　those。。。　those　Things　which　Krakovitch　was　quite　rightly　bent　on　destroying　。
　She　drew　air　deeply　and　entered　the　office；　staring　at　Gerenko　where　he　lay　in　the　dark　on　his　cot；　propped　up　on　one　elbow。
　He　put　on　a　bedside　lamp　and　blinked　as　his　weak　eyes　accustomed　themselves。　〃Yes？　What　is　it；　Zek？〃
　〃Where's　Theo　Dolgikh？〃　she　waded　straight　in。　No　preliminaries；　no　formalities。
　〃What？〃　He　blinked　at　her。　〃Is　something　wrong；　Zek？〃
　〃Many　things；　perhaps。　I　said　…〃
　〃I　heard　what　you　said；〃　he　snapped。　〃And　what　has　it　to　do　with　you　where　Dolgikh　is？〃
　〃I　saw　him　for　the　first　time；　with　you；　on　the　morning　that　Felix　Krakovitch　left　for　Italy…after　he　left；〃　she　answered。　〃Following　which　he　was　absent　until　he　brought　Alec　Kyle　back　here。　But　Kyle　wasn't　working　against　us。　He　was　working　with　Krakovitch。　For　the　good　of　the　world。〃
　Gerenko　swung　his　brittle　legs　carefully　off　the　cot　onto　the　floor。　〃He　should　only　have　been　working　for　the　good　of　the　USSR；〃　he　said。
　〃Like　you？〃　she　came　back　at　once；　her　voice　sharp　as　broken　glass。　〃I　know　now　what　they　were　doing；　rade。　Something　that　had　to　be　done；　for　safety　and　sanity。　Not　for　themselves；　but　for　mankind。〃
　Gerenko　eased　himself　to　his　feet。　He　wore　child's　pyjamas；　looked　frail　as　a　twig　as　he　made　for　his　great　desk。　〃Are　you　accusing　me；　Zek？〃
　〃Yes！〃　She　was　relentless；　furious。　〃Kyle　was　our　opponent；　but　he　personally　had　not　declared　war　on　us。　We　aren't　at　war；　rade。　And　we've　murdered　him。　No；　you　have　murdered　him…to　foster　your　own　ambitions！〃
　Gerenko　climbed　into　his　chair；　put　on　a　desk　lamp　and　aimed　its　light　at　her。　He　steepled　his　hands　in　front　of　him；　shook　his　head　almost　sadly。　〃You　accuse　me？　And　yet　you　were　party　to　it。　You　drained　his　mind。〃
　〃I　did　not！〃　She　came　forward。　Her　face　was　working；　full　of　anger。　〃I　merely　read　his　thoughts　as　they　flooded　out　of　him。　Your　technicians　drained　him。〃
　Unbelievably；　Gerenko　chuckled。　〃Mechanical　necromancy；　yes。〃
　She　slammed　her　hand　flat　down　on　the　desk　top。　〃But　he　wasn't　dead！〃
　Gerenko's　shrivelled　lips　curled　into　a　sneer。　〃He　is　now；　or　as　good　as。　。
　〃Krakovitch　is　loyal；　and　he's　Russian。〃　She　wouldn't　be　stopped。　〃And　yet　you'll　murder　him　too。　And　that　really　would　be　murder！　You　must　be　mad！〃　And　in　that　she　had　hit　upon　the　truth。　For　Gerenko's　warps　weren't　only　in　his　body。
　〃That…is…enough！〃　he　snarled。　〃Now　you　listen　to　me；　rade。　You　speak　of　my　ambition。　But　if　I　grow　strong；　Russia　herself　grows　that　much　stronger。　Yes；　for　we　are　one　and　the　same。　You？　You've　not　been　Russian　long　enough　to　know　that。　This　country's　strength　lies　in　its　people！　Krakovitch　was　weak；　and　…；　〃Was？〃　Her　arms　tremble