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！
〃Thank you；〃 Toad said； finally pulling his eyes from Grafton's door and giving the woman a smile。 〃Know anything about that accident？ Why it happened？〃
〃It's all very hush…hush；〃 she confided； her voice low。 She glanced around。 〃I just haven't seen anything on it； but it was so temblor。〃
After he assured her he would convey her good wishes to Rita； she went back to her desk。 She was sitting there sorting the mail when Smoke Judy came in。 Toad went over to him。 〃mander； good to see you。〃
〃Hey； Tarkington。 How's your wife？〃
〃Gonna be okay； I think。 mander。 Say〃…Toad drew the senior officer away from the secretary's desk…〃what can you tell me about the accident investigation？ What went wrong？〃
〃Toad； all that is classified special access； and I don't know if you have access。 All I've seen is the confidential section of the report。 You'll have to talk to Captain Grafton。〃
〃Sorta off the record； it was the E…PROMs； wasn't it？ I figure EMI dicked them up。〃 EMI was Electromagnetic Interference。
Judy grinned。 〃Ask Grafton。 Give my best to your wife。 And congratulations！〃
〃Thanks。〃
Grafton's door opened and Toad stood。 He watched the two men in civilian clothes who came out。 Their eyes swept the office as they exited； casually； taking in everything at a glance。 Toad forgot about them as soon as they were out of sight。 He was walking toward the door when Jake Grafton stuck his head out and motioned to him…
〃How's Rita？〃
〃Settled in at Bethesda； sir。 The reason I wanted to see you〃…Toad carefully closed the door…〃is that I want to know why that plane went out of control。 What have you guys found out？〃
Jake Grafton stood with his back to Toad； facing the window。 In a moment he rubbed his nose； then tugged at an earlobe。
〃What have you found out； sir？〃 Toad asked again。
〃Huh？ Oh。 Sorry。 The E…PROMs were defective。〃
〃EMI。 I'll bet。〃
〃No。 The chips were defective。 Won't happen； can't happen； not a chance in a zillion； but it did。〃 Grafton shoved both hands into his pockets and turned around slowly。 He stared at a corner of his desk。 〃Defective when installed。〃
Something was amiss。 〃When did you learn this？〃 Toad said。
〃Uh； we knew something was wrong with the chips when we saw the telemetry； but。。。 ah。。。〃 He gestured vaguely at the door。 〃Those guys who were just here。。。〃
〃Who were they？〃
〃Uh。。。〃 Suddenly the wrinkles disappeared from Jake Grafton's brow and he looked straight at Toad's face； as if seeing him for the first time。 〃Can't tell you that；〃 he said curtly。 〃Classified。〃
〃CAG； I've got a wife who may be crippled for life。 I need to know。〃
〃You want to know。 There's a hell of a difference。 Glad you're back。〃
Toad tried to approach the subject from another angle； only to be rebuffed and shown the door。
Jake Grafton went back to the window and stared without seeing。 Agents Camacho and Dreyfus had been informative； to a point。 No doubt it was a rare experience for them； answering the questions instead of asking them。 And all those looks and pauses； searching for words！ A performance！ That's what it had been…a performance。 Produced and acted because Vice Admiral Henry demanded it。 Well； as little satisfaction as they gave； they were still virgins。
So what did he know？ The E…PROMs were defective。 The data on the chips was that of preliminary engineering work done several years ago。 Somehow。。。 No。 Someone in this office or at TRX had given that data to the manufacturer。 The agents had skated around that conclusion； but they didn't challenge it。 They couldn't。 〃Who？〃 was the question they had refused to answer。 He had run through names to see if he could get a reaction； but no。 They had just stared at him。
〃Does this have anything to do with Captain Strong's death？〃 He had asked them that and they had discussed the possibilities； in the end saying nothing of substance。 They should have been politicians； not federal agents。
The only fact he now had that he hadn't had before was that the data on the chips matched preliminary engineering work。 For that they had e at Henry's insistence？
〃Why in hell；〃 Jake muttered； 〃does everything have to be so damned plicated？〃
At 2 P。M。 Smoke Judy decided to do it。 The desk beside him was empty。 Les Richards was at a meeting and would be for another hour； at least。 Most of the people in the office were busy on Captain Grafton's report or were in a meeting somewhere。
He inserted a formatted disk in the a…drive of his terminal and started tapping。 The code word for the file he wanted was 〃kilderkin。〃 He didn't legally have access to this file。 The code word that Albright had supplied was a word he had never heard before。 Before he typed it； he wiped his hands on his trousers and adjusted the brightness level of the screen。
He had been debating this all week。 He had a hundred grand of Albright's money plus the bucks he already had。 He could walk out of here this evening； jump a plane at Dulles tomorrow and by 7 A。M。 Monday be so far from Washington these clowns would never find him。 Not in fifty years； even if he lived to be ninety…three。
He would be stiffing Albright； of course； but the man was a spy and wasn't going to squeal very loudly。 And what the hey； in the big wide world of espionage； a hundred thousand bucks must be small change。
Or he could copy this file and give it to Albright on Monday night。 Roll the dice； pass Go and collect another hundred and fifty。 Then he would have a total of almost three hundred thousand green American dollars； in cash。 Now； for that kind of money you could live pretty damn good in one of those little beach villages out on the edge of nowhere。 Get yourself a firm； warm something to take to bed at night。 Live modestly but well； loose and relaxed； as light as it's possible to get and keep breathing。
If he copied this file he would not be able to ever e back。 If he walked without it； the heat would dissipate sooner or later over that E…PROM chip flap and he could slip back into the country。
Do you pay a hundred and fifty grand to keep your options open？ Without the money he would eventually go broke and have to e back。
He typed the word。 〃Kilderkin。〃 There was the list。 Three dozen documents。 He looked at the list carefully。 Something caught his eye。 He studied the column of numbers that listed how many bytes each file was posed of。 Boy； these were short files。
Then he understood。
He opened one of the files。 The title page came up。 He hit the page advance key。 The second page was blank。 Nothing！
The title page was the whole document！ He tried a second document。 Just a title page。
The Athena file was empty！
Smoke Judy stared at the screen； trying to think。 Possibility Three leaped into his mind。 It hadn't even occurred to him until this moment。 No wonder you never went up the ladder； Smoke。 You just don't think like those snake charmers； those greasy dream merchants who slice off a couple million before they're thirty and spend the rest of their lives pretending they are somebody。 Okay； my slow； dim…witted son； this is your chance to butcher the fat hog。 Albright isn't going to have a puter in that singles bar to check the disk。 Give him an empty disk； take his fucking money； and run。
But no。 The joke will be on him。 Hell get exactly what he paid for。 It's Albright's tough luck the file is empty； not yours。
Judy punched the keys。 The disk whirled and whirred。
The file was quickly copied。 No wonder； short as it was。 Judy put the disk in a side pocket of his gym bag； exited the program and turned off the terminal。 He spent another ten minutes cleaning up his desk； locking the drawers； watching the other people in the office…
At the door he used the grease pencil to annotate the personnel board hanging on the wall。 Back at 4：30。 〃I'm going to work out；〃 he called to the secretary； snagged his cover from the hat rack and logged out with the security guards。 That easy。 Sayonara； mothers。
The elevator took a while to arrive。 It always did。 The navy had a dirt…cheap lease on this space； so the building owner refused to update the elevators。 The thought made Smoke Judy smile。 This was the very last time he would ever have to put up with all the petty irritations that came with the uniform。 He was through。 When he took this uniform off tonight； that would be the very last time。
Thank you； mander Judy。 Thank you for your twenty…one years of faithful service to the navy and the nation。 Thank you for eight cruises； three of them to the Indian Ocean。 Thank you for your devotion； which ruined your marriage and cost you your kids。 Thank you for accepting a mediocre salary and a family move every two years and the prospect of a pissy little pension。 Thank you for groveling before the tyrannical god of the fitness report； your fate dependent upon his every whim。 mander Smoke Judy； you are a great American。
The signal above the elevators dinged。 Judy glanced at it。 The up…light illuminated on the elevator at the far left。
The door of that elevator opened。 Vice Admiral Tyler Henry stepped out。 Automatically the mander straightened。
〃Good afternoon； Ad…〃
The look on Henry's face stopped him。
〃You！〃 the admiral roared。 He turned to the civilian who had acpanied him on the elevator as he pointed a rigid finger at Judy。 〃That's him！ That's the fucking traitor！〃
Judy turned and banged open the door to the stairs。 With his last glimpse over his shoulder he saw the civilian reaching under his Jacket for something on his belt。
He went down the staircase like a rabbit descending a hole； taking them three at a time。
〃Stop！ NIS！〃 The shout came from above； a hollow sound； reverberating in the stairwell。
Your luck's running true to form； Smoke。
He groped into the gym bag as he ran。 The pistol was under the gym clothes。
Seventh floor。 Sixth。 Noises from above。 They were after him。 Fourth。
He kept going down。
Second floor。 As he rounded the landing Vice Admiral Henry came through the fireproof door on the first floor。 He rode the damn elevator！
Smoke shot at the man behind Henry through the door opening and threw his weight against the door； slamming it shut。 In this enclosed space the report deafened him。 The admiral grabbed for him； so he chopped at his head with the gun barrel。
Tyler Henry went to his knees。 Smoke reversed the gun in his hand and hit him in the head with the butt； using all his strength。 The admiral collapsed。
With ears ringing； he wiped his forehead； trying to think。 If he could get into the parking garages under the building quickly enough； he might have a chance。 He could hear running feet above。 Galvanize； he leaped over the admiral's body and charged downward。
Level Gl。 Smoke went out the door and looked wildly around as he ran for the nearest row of cars。 No one in sight。 He had beaten them down here； but he had mere seconds。
He ran along looking for keys dangling in the ignition； frustration and panic welling in him。
Hang tough； Smoke。 You've been in tight spots before and you've always gotten yourself out in one piece。
He loped down the row； searching desperately。
Ah； there ahead； some guy was unlocking his door。 A civilian。 Smoke went for him on a dead run。
The man heard Judy ing at the last moment and looked back over his shoulder； just in time to see the gun barrel chopping down。 Smoke picked up the keys from the concrete and tossed his gym bag through the open driver's door。 He pulled the man out of the way and got behind the wheel。 As he started the car he could see men pouring out of the elevator and stairwell。 They were searching； spreading out； hunting for him…
The engine caught。 Smoke backed out carefully； snicked the transmission into drive and headed for the exit。 Someone was ing this way； shouting。
A shot！
He stepped on the gas。
He went around the last pillar with tires squalling and shot up the exit ramp。
The street at the top of the ramp was one…way； from right to left。 Smoke looked right。 One car ing。 He swerved that way and jammed the accelerator down。 The driver of that sedan swerved to avoid him； then decided to try to ram。 Too late！
Down the street a half block to the intersection； then left through a hole in traffic； almost grazing an oning truck； which sk