johngardner.winloseordie-第38部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！

　Later；　as　he　was　about　to　go　up　to　munications；　the　Tannoy　clicked　on。　'D'you　hear　（here！　D'you　hear　there！　Would　Captain　Bond　please　take　a　message　in　his　cabin？　Captain　Bond　to　his　cabin　please。'
Nikki；　looking　pale　and　unfortable；　was　waiting　for　him。
'What　can　I　do　for　you。　Nikki？'
　'Oh。　please　don't　tempt　me；　James；　but　1　have　a　terrible　concern。　A　worry。'
〃That's　what　I'm　here　for。　Pour　it　all　out。'
　'This　is　about　the　new　American。　The　one　called　Woodward；　Dan　Woodward。'
　'Desperate　Dan。'　Bond　smiled。　'Has　he　been　desperate　with　you？　He　es　plete　with　a　reputation　that　he　likes　the　ladies。'
　'No；　James。　No。　This　is　not　funny。　I　am　suspect　that　this　man　is　not　American；　That　he　is　not　truly　the　Dan　Woodward　he　claims。'
　'What？'　He　sat　up。　a　little　twitch　of　anxiety　deep　in　his　stomach。　'Why　do　you　say　Ihis；　Nikki？'
　'How　do　1　tell　you？　It　is　difficult。　Look；　is　operational　secret；　but　we　must　share　it。　Three　years　ago。　I　was　assigned　to　work　in　Afghanistan。　With　KGB。　We　had　a　dossier　on　terrorists　operating　in　the　Gulf。　You　know　the　kind　of　thing。　A　mixed　bag　of　names　and　suspicions。　The　man　who　says　he　is　Dan　Woodward。　His　picture　was　there　in　dossier。　I　forget　what　he　was　called　then。　Hamarik；　or　Homarak。　Something。　James；　you　should　take　a　look。'
　'Keep　quiet　for　now。　Nikki。　＇'II　run　it　through　London。　Play　it　gently。　1　know　how　we　can　check　it　out。'
He　went　up　10　munications　and　went　through　the　same；　thorough　inquisition　by　a　different；　armed　marine；　then　got　on　with　the　job　in　hand。　First　a　cipher　concerning　Speaker；　followed　by　a　second　one　to　liaison　with　Grosvenor　Square；　requesting　a　photograph　to　be　sent　over　the　wires。　When　unbuttoned；　the　text　read　…
PLEASE　HAVE　PHOTOGRAPH　OF　DANIEL　WOODWARD　YOUR　N1　OFFICER　STOP　SEND　MY　EYES　ONLY　URGE…NT　AND　HIGHEST　PRIORITY　STOP　PREDATOR　STOP
　It　had　been　a　long；　tiring　day；　so　he　hoped　it　would　e　in　before　he　went　to　sleep。
　He　had　just　got　into　his　bunk　when　there　was　a　tap　at　the　door。　He　opened　up；　and　Nikki　slipped　past　him　into　ihc　cabin。
　'James；　I'm　sorry。　I　feel　so　alone。　So　afraid。　It　is　like　a　feeling　of　doom。　Please　don't　send　me　away。'　She　wore　a　towelling　robe　which　she　slipped　from　her　shoulders。　There　was　nothing　underneath。　Bond's　mind　travelled　back　to　the　villa　on　Ischia。　Once　more　he　saw　the　doomed　and　treacherous　Beatrice　and　realised　that；　whatever　she　had　been；　it　would　take　a　long　time　for　her　to　be　expunged　from　his　emotions。
　Now。　looking　at　the　young　body　of　Nikki　Ratnikov　he　realised　that　he　was　also　lonely；　worried；　and　in　need　of　fort。　He　turned　the　lock　in　the　cabin　door；　and　took　her　in　his　arms。　For　a　long　lime　she　just　clung　to　him。　then；　lifting　her　head。　Bond　put　his　own　lips　to　hers；　and　they　moved　to　the　bunk；　then　drowned　in　each　other　as　though　this　was　the　first　and　last　time　they　would　ever　meet。
　She　left　him　at　dawn；　and　he　lay　on　the　bunk　alone；　thinking　they　had　both　given　and　taken　from　each　other。　It　was　the　most；　except　for　dying；　that　any　two　humans　could　give。
　munications　did　not　e　back　to　him　uniil　almost　ten…thirty　the　next　morning。　There　were　two　messages　waiting　for　him。　First；　a　flash　from　Regent's　Park　authorising　him　to　remove　Speaker　from　the　interrogation　of　Deeley　if　he　was　not　happy。　The　second　was　almost　an　afterthought；　but　in　cipher。
PHOTOGRAPH　　　OF　　　USNI　　　OFFICER　　　WOODWARD
FOLLOWS　PAGE　TWO
　And；　sure　enough；　there　was　Daniel　Woodward's　photograph　with　a　number　stamped　beneath　it。　He　looked　into　the　face　to　see　clearly　that　the　Americans'　Daniel　Woodward　was　certainly　not　the　Woodward　they　had　on　board　Invincible。
　Bond　went　back　to　his　cabin；　clipped　the　holster　to　his　bell；　behind　his　right　hip；　inserted　the　Browning　9mm　and　sent　for　Bruce　Trimble；　Sergeant　Harvey　and　four　marines。　Trimble　arrived　first；　and　Bond　wasted　no　（ime　in　telling　him　they　had　at　least　an　impostor；　at　worst　a　terrorist；　in　Ihe　shape　of　Dan　Woodward。
　'Was　goin'　to　talk　with　you　anyhow。'　The　massive　Trimblc　looked　menacing。　'I　been　worried　about　that　guy。　Doesn't　mix；　won't　be　drawn。　Best　get　him　in　the　brig。〃
　They　went　together　…　four　marines　with　loaded　weapons；　Sergeant　Harvey；　Bond　and　Bruce　Trimblc　who　looked　as　though　he　would　rather　do　the　job　single…handed。
　Stan　Hare　told　them　that　Woodward　was　in　the　cabin　they　all　shared；　so　they　look　up　assault　positions　and　Bond　raised　his　hand　to　knock。　If　possible　he　wanted　to　take　the　man　clean；　and　with　little　violence；　but；　before　his　knuckles　could　tap　on　the　metal　door；　Ihe　whole　ship　seemed　to　tremble　under　their　feel；　as　though　it　had　suddenly　hit　unexpected；　and　very　rough　water。　The　jolt　was　so　great　that　they　were　all　thrown　to　one　side。　The　explosion　was　not　loud；　more　like　a　heavy…duty　grenade　exploding　a　long　wayoff。
Then　the　warning　klaxons　started　to　wail。
　
　15
　
　The　Rain　in　Spain
　
Half　an　hour　earlier。　Petty　Officer　Blackie　Blackstone　sat　in　the　Engine　Room　Control　module；　passing　the　time　with　the　other　members　of　his　watch。　None　of　them　noticed　that　Blackstone　idly　kept　scanning　one　particular　section　of　the　turbine　controls　…　those　which　would　give　indications　of　oil…temperature　rise。
　They　had　told　him　to　expect　the　temperature　on　Number　One　turbine　to　start　going　up　rapidly　sometime　between　nine　and　eleven　o'clock；
　He　spotted　the　first　indicator　at　09。45。　Number　One　was　showing　a　minute　rise。　By　10。（X）　it　was　really　going　up；　and　at　1（1。05　Blackie　was　able　to　give　a　startled　cry　…　'Oil　temp　on　Number　One　going　into　the　red！'　He　moved　towards　the　controls；　checking　off　item　by　item；　trying　to　locate　any　obvious　fault。　In　fact　he　let　his　Chief　Petty　Officer　discover　the　problem。　ll　took　less　than　a　minute。
　〃It's　the　bloody　filters。　Change　Filter　One　on　Number　One　Turbine；　Blackie。'
　？Done。'　Blackstone　went　into　the　little　store　room　behind　the　Control　Room；　signed　for　one　filter　and　took　a　sealed　package　from　the　spare　module　rack。
'Want　some　help；　Blackie？'　the　Killick　asked。
'Nah。　Take　me　a　couple　of　minutes。'　Blackie　went　into　the　Engine　Room；　making　his　way　to　the　far　side　of　the　first　turbine。　In　case　of　accidents；　he　had　already　put　the　new；　but　doctored；　filter；　in　its　packaging　on　the　shelf　which　held　filters　in　the　store　room。　As　it　was　first　in　line；　the　filter　would；　naturally；　be　the　one　to　be　used　if　any　emergency　arose。　They　had　told　him　that；　within　five　minutes；　this　filter　would　produce　thick　smoke　and　do　a　very　small　amount　of　damage　which　would　cause　the　turbine　to　be　shut　down。　The　small　pencil　mark　he　had　inscribed　to　identify　this　doctored　package　was　there；　so　he　had　no　worries。　Change　the　filter；　he　thought；　then　go　back　and　wait　for　the　panic。
　Petty　Officer　Blackstone　went　through　exactly　the　same　sequence　of　events　as　he　had　done　on　the　previous　night：　unscrewing　the　lugs　and　lifting　the　filter　out　with　his　long　tweezers。　He　took　the　second；　doctored　filter　in　the　tweezers　and　dropped　it　in　place。
　There　was　a　great　deal　of　smoke；　then　an　explosion　which　lifted　Blackstone　off　his　feet；　hurling　him　against　the　metal　wall　behind　him　and　removing　parts　of　his　body　as　it　did　so。　His　last　thought　before　his　final　sleep　descended　on　him　was　'They　said　it　would　only　be　smoke。　They　said　there　was　no　risk。'
Orders　were　ing　through　the　Tannoy　system；　spoken　calmly　but　giving　essentials　…　all　fireproof　doors　to　be　closed　up：　damage　control　to　their　stations；　all　firefighting　crews　to　the　Engine　Room。　This　is　not　a　drill！　This　is　not　a　drill！'　the　disembodied　voice　repeated　several　limes。
　James　Bond　and　his　party　were　thrown　around　the　passageway　in　Irani　of　the　cabin　door　where　（hey　were　preparing　to　take　the　substitute　Dan　Woodward　into　custody。　Bond　had　been　knocked　off　his　feet　by　the　lurch　of　the　ship；　and　was　just　picking　himself　up；　when　the　cabin　door　opened　to　reveal　Joe　Israel；　looking　puzzled；　〃Hey。　what　the　hell's　going　on？　。。。　1　was　just　。　。　。'　He　was　cut　off　by　Dan　Woodward's　arm　snaking　around　his　neck。
　'I　think　（hey　want　to　have　words　with　me；　Joe。'　Woodward　was　pressing　against　Israel。　Tell　them　I　have　a　gun　in　your　back。'　He　spoke　loudly；　but　with　confidence。
　Israel　let　out　a　long　sigh。　'Okay。　Yes；　James；　he's　pushing　a　large　piece　into　my　back；　and　I've　no　doubt　he'll　take　me　out。　I　presume　he's　not　really　。　。　。'
　'Desperate　Dan　Woodward？　No；　I'm　not；'　Abou　Hamarik　hissed。　'This　is　most　unfortunate；　because　I　must　now　get　off　this　ship　alive。　I　would　suggest　Captain　Bond　takes　me；　unless　he　would　like　to　see　this　wretched　man　blown　apart。　Now；　just　put　down　your　weapons；　all　of　you。　Gently　does　it。　Just　put　them　down　on　the　deck。　This　is　really　most　inconvenient。'
　'Okay。'　Bond's　face　was　like　stone。　'Just　do　as　he　says。　I　don't　want　to　endanger　Joe　in　any　way。'
　As　he　bent　at　the　knees　to　place　the　Browning　on　the　carpeted　deck；　he　caught　a　slight　movement　out　of　the　corner　of　his　left　eye。　Someone　pressed　against　the　bulkhead　in　the　Russian　section　of　cabins。
　Around　him　the　marines　and　Bruce　Trimble　also　put　down　their　weapons。
　'Okay；'　Hamarik　whispered。　'Now　move　away　from　the　door。　I'm　bringing　the　American　out。'
　Bond　did　nol　dare　to　even　allow　his　eyes　to　flicker　in　the　direction　of　the　Russian　section。　He　did　not　know　which　way　this　fake