cc.vixen03-第22章

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　〃You　give　me　Felicia　Collins　and　I'll　see　to　it　my　mittee　votes　favorably　on　funding　an　arms　program　for　your　revolution。〃
　Felicia　leaped　to　her　feet；　her　mahogany　eyes　ablaze。　〃I　don't　believe　this。〃
　〃Consider　it　as　a　small　sacrifice　on　behalf　of　a　noble　crusade；〃　said　Daggat　sarcastically。
　〃Hiram；　for　God's　sake；〃　she　snapped；　〃tell　this　turkey　to　pack　up　and　ship　out。〃
　Lusana　did　not　reply　immediately。　He　gazed　down　at　his　lap　and　brushed　off　an　imaginary　piece　of　lint　from　a　razor…creased　pant　leg。　Finally　he　spoke　in　a　soft　voice。　〃I'm　sorry；　Felicia；　but　I　can't　allow　sentimental　feelings　to　enter　into　this。〃
　〃What　crap！〃　She　stared　at　him；　her　expression　void　of　belief。　〃You're　both　mad；　raving　mad；　if　you　think　you　can　pass　me　around　like　abowl　of　grits。〃
　Lusana　rose　and　came　over　and　brushed　his　lips　across　her　forehead。　〃Do　not　hate　me。〃　He　faced　Daggat。　〃Congressman；　enjoy　your　spoils。〃
　Then　he　walked　from　the　room。
　For　a　long　moment　Felicia　stood　there；　her　face　a　study　in　mixed　hostility　and　confusion；　then　understanding　came　and　her　eyes　filled　with　tears。　She　made　no　protest；　no　gesture　of　resistance；　as　Daggat　gently　pulled　her　close　and　kissed　her。
　〃You　bastard；〃　she　whispered。　〃You　rotten　bastard。　I　hope　you're　satisfied。〃
　〃Not　quite　yet。〃
　〃You've　won　your　pound　of　flesh。　What　more　do　you　want？〃
　He　pulled　a　handkerchief　from　his　breast　pocket　and　dabbed　her　misting　eyes。
　〃You　forget；〃　he　said；　grinning　sardonically。　〃You　still　owe　me　a　dollar。〃
　
　21
　
　Pieter　De　Vaal　closed　the　report　folder　on　the　Fawkes…farm　massacre。　His　face　was　drawn　and　tired　as　he　looked　up。　〃I'm　still　shocked　by　this　dreadful　tragedy。　It　was　so　senseless。〃
　Fawkes　remained　impassive。　He　sat　across　the　desk　from　the　Defence　Minister　and　tamped　the　tobacco　in　his　old　pipe。　The　room　fell　silent；　only　the　muted　noise　of　Pretoria's　traffic　seeped　through　the　large　win…dows　overlooking　Burger　Park。
　At　last　De　Vaal　slipped　the　folder　into　a　drawer　and　avoided　Fawkes's　eyes　as　he　spoke。　〃I　regret　that　our　patrols　failed　to　catch　the　savages　who　were　responsible。〃
　〃Only　one　man　was　responsible；〃　said　Fawkes　grimly。　〃The　men　who　slaughtered　my　family　were　acting　under　his　orders。〃
　〃I　know　what　y；ou　are　thinking；　Captain　Fawkes；　but　we　have　no　proof　that　Lusana　was　behind　this。〃
　〃I'm　satisfied　he　was。〃
　〃What　can　I　say？　Even　if　we　knew　for　certain；　he　is　beyond　our　borders。　There　is　no　way　we　can　touch　him。〃
　〃I　can　touch　him。〃
　〃How？〃
　〃By　volunteering　to　lead　your　Operation　Wild　Rose。〃
　De　Vaal　could　sense　the　vengeful　hate　that　seethed　within　Patrick　Fawkes。　The　Defence　Minister　rose　to　his　feet　and　stood　at　the　window；　gazing　over　the　sea　ofjacaranda　trees　that　quilted　the　city。　〃　I　sympathize　with　your　feelings；　Captain。　However；　the　answer　is　no。〃
　〃But　why；　man？〃
　〃Wild　Rose　is　a　monstrous　concept。　If　the　operation　failed；　the　conse…quences　would　prove　disastrous　to　our　government。〃
　Fawkes　rapped　his　pipe　on　the　Minister's　desk；　snapping　the　stem。　〃No；　dammit！　My　farm　was　only　the　opening　thrust。　Lusana　and　his　bloody　mob　have　got　to　be　stopped　before　the　whole　country　runs　red。〃
　〃The　risks　far　outweigh　the　possible　benefits。〃
　〃I　won't　fail；〃　Fawkes　said　coldly。
　De　Vaal　looked　like　a　man　torn　apart　by　his　conscience。　He　paced　the　room　nervously；　then　stopped　and　stared　down　at　Fawkes。　〃I　cannot　promise　to　evacuate　you　successfully　when　the　time　es。　And　the　Defence　Ministry　will；　of　course；　deny　any　association　with　the　venture　if　you　are　uncovered。〃
　〃Understood。〃　Fawkes　heaved　a　great　sigh　of　relief。　Then　a　thought　occurred　to　him。　〃The　train；　Minister。　How　was　it　you　traveled　from　the　operating　room　in　a　Durban　hospital　to　the　Pembroke　rail　yard　so　quickly？〃
　For　the　first　time；　De　Vaal　smiled。　〃A　simple　ruse。　I　went　in　the　front　door　of　the　hospital　and　out　the　back。　An　ambulance　carried　me　to　the　Heidriek　Air　Base；　where　I　took　a　military　jet　to　an　airstrip　near　Pem…broke。　The　train　belongs　to　our　President。　I　merely　borrowed　it　for　a　few　hours　while　it　was　traveling　to　a　scheduled　overhaul。〃
　〃But　why　the　plicated　illusion？〃
　〃I　often　find　it　necessary　to　cloud　my　movements；〃　De　Vaal　answered。　〃And；　I　think　you'll　agree；　Operation　Wild　Rose　is　not　exactly　a　product　we　want　to　advertise。〃
　〃I　see　your　point。〃
　〃And　you；　Captain　Fawkes。　Can　you　drop　from　sight　without　prodding　suspicious　minds？〃
　Fawkes　nodded　solemnly。　〃I've　left　Umkono　under　a　cloud　of　grief。　My　friends　and　neighbors　think　I've　returned　to　Scotland。〃
　〃All　right；　then。〃　De　Vaal　moved　behind　his　desk；　wrote　on　a　slip　of　paper；　and　passed　it　across　to　Fawkes。　〃Here　is　the　address　of　a　hotel　ten　miles　south　of　the　city。　Check　into　a　room　and　wait　for　the　necessary　papers　and　instructions　to　get　the　ball　rolling。　As　of　this　moment；　the　government　of　South　Africa　considers　you　dead。〃　He　relaxed　his　shoul…ders。　〃God　help　us　now。〃
　〃God？　No；　I　don't　think　so。〃　An　evil　light　began　to　dance　in　Fawkes's　eyes。　〃I　sincerely　doubt　he'd　want　any　part　of　it。〃
　On　the　floor　below　the　Minister's　office　Colonel　Zeegler　sat　alone　in　an　operations　room　and　paced　back　and　forth　in　front　of　a　large　table　stacked　with　glossy　photographs。
　For　the　first　time　in　his　military　career　he　was　totally　baffled。　The　raid　on　the　Fawkes　farm　had　an　aura　of　intrigue　about　it　that　did　not　fit　the　usual　terrorist　scheme。　It　was　acplished　with　too　much　precision　and　sophistication　for　the　AAR。　Besides；　it　was　not　Lusana's　style。　Granted；　he　might　order　the　deaths　of　white　soldiers；　but　he　would　never　condone　the　murders　of　Fawkes's　Bantu　workers；　especially　the　women　and　children。　That　part　ran　counter　to　the　insurgent　leader's　known　strategy。
　〃Who；　then？〃　Zeegler　mused　aloud。
　Certainly　not　black　units　of　the　South　African　Defence　Forces。　That　would　have　been　impossible　without　Zeegler's　knowledge。
　He　stopped　and　shuffled　the　photographs　taken　by　a　team　of　inves…tigators　after　the　raid。　No　witnesses　were　ever　found　and　none　of　the　raiders　caught。　It　was　too　perfect　in　execution；　too　pletely　free　of　flaws。
　The　slightest　clue　to　the　attacker's　identity　eluded　him。　But　his　years　of　experience　told　him　it　was　there；　obscured　in　the　background。
　Like　a　surgeon　examining　X　rays　in　preparation　for　a　delicate　opera…tion；　Zeegler　picked　up　a　magnifying　glass　and　for　the　twentieth　time　began　scrutinizing　each　photograph。
　
　22
　
　The　Air　Malawi　jet　from　Lourenco　Marques；　Mozambique；　touched　down　and　taxied　to　the　terminal　of　Pretoria's　airport。　A　few　moments　after　the　whine　of　the　engines　had　faded　away；　the　boarding　ramp　was　extended；　and　the　passengers　nodded　their　good…byes　to　the　pretty　African　stewardess　and　made　their　way　toward　the　terminal。
　Major　Thomas　Machita　followed　the　other　travelers；　and　when　his　turn　came；　he　handed　his　falsified　Mozambique　passport　to　the　immigra…tion　official。
　The　white　South　African　studied　the　passport　photo　and　the　name；　George　Yariko；　beneath　it　and　smiled　sagaciously。　〃That　makes　three　trips　to　Pretoria　in　the　last　month；　Mr。　Yariko。〃　He　nodded　at　the　courier　briefcase　chained　to　Machita's　wrist。　〃Instructions　to　your　consul　seem　to　be　running　hot　and　heavy；　as　of　late。〃
　Machita　shrugged。　〃If　my　foreign　department　doesn't　send　me　to　our　consulate　in　Pretoria；　they　send　me　to　a　consulate　somewhere　else。　No　offense　intended；　sir；　but　I'd　prefer　a　Paris　or　London　delivery。〃
　The　official　motioned　him　toward　the　exit。　〃I　look　forward　to　seeing　you　again；〃　he　said　with　mock　courtesy。　〃Have　an　enjoyable　stay。〃
　Machita　smiled；　showing　every　tooth；　and　casually　made　his　way　through　the　terminal　to　the　taxi　stand　outside。　He　waved　his　free　hand　at　the　first　cab　heading　a　long　line。　The　driver　acknowledged　him　and　started　his　engine。　But　suddenly；　before　he　could　pull　up　to　his　fare；　another　cab　swung　out　from　the　rear　of　the　line；　cut　in；　and　skidded　to　a　stop　in　front　of　Machita　amid　a　cacophony　of　angry　shouting　and　horn　honking　from　the　outraged　cabbies　awaiting　their　rightful　rotation。
　Machita　found　the　performance　amusing。　He　threw　the　bag　into　the　backseat　and　followed　it。　〃The　Mozambique　Consulate；〃　he　said　to　the　aggressive　driver。