cc.goldenbuddha-第67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！

　〃Give　him　the　broth　of　the　bear；〃　Gampo　said。　〃I'll　go　gas　up　your　flying　ship。〃　
　
　JUST　ACROSS　THE　border　of　Russia　and　Mongolia；　General　Alexander　Kernetsikov　was　breathing　deeply　of　the　diesel…smoke…tinged　air。　After　leaving　Novosibirsk；　his　tank　column　had　blown　through　the　Altai　Region　like　a　top…fueler　down　a　drag　strip。　Kernetsikov　was　riding　in　the　lead　tank　with　his　head　out　of　a　forward　hatch。　He　was　wearing　a　helmet　with　a　headset　so　he　could　municate　with　his　other　officers；　and　a　uniform　with　enough　ribbons　to　decorate　a　Christmas　tree。　In　his　mouth　was　an　unlit　Cuban　cigar。　In　his　hand　was　a　GPS　that　he　was　using　to　track　the　column's　speed。　
　The　distance　to　the　Tibet　border　was　five　hundred　miles。　They　were　traveling　at　thirty…five　miles　per　hour。　
　Kernetsikov　stared　overhead　as　a　flight　of　fighters　crisscrossed　high　in　the　air　above。　Then　he　called　his　intelligence　officer　over　the　radio　to　learn　what　was　new。　The　weather　was　due　to　change　to　snow　sometime　in　the　next　few　hours。　Other　than　that；　all　was　the　same。　
　
　IN　MACAU；　SUNG　Rhee　was　reaching　the　end　of　his　patience。　
　Marcus　Friday　had　learned　that　his　plane　had　been　found　and　had　ordered　it　to　return　to　pick　him　up　and　fly　him　out　of　the　city。　Stanley　Ho　was　still　angry　about　the　theft　of　his　priceless　Buddha。　The　later　discovery　that　the　one　Friday　had　recovered　was　fake　just　added　to　his　rage。　
　After　the　Chinese　navy　had　realized　that　the　cargo　ship　they　had　illegally　stopped　on　the　high　seas　had　nothing　to　do　with　the　incident　in　Macau；　they　had　broadened　their　circle　of　observation　and　tracked　the　Oregon　to　Vietnam。　
　Po　had　made　a　few　calls　to　a　friend　he　knew　in　the　Da　Nang　police　department　and　learned　that　a　C…130　had　left　Da　Nang　for　Bhutan。　A　few　more　calls　and　some　wired　bribes　had　led　him　to　a　rumor　that　the　group　that　had　stolen　the　statue　was　on　their　way　to　Tibet。　
　Po　was　a　Chinese　police　officer　and　Tibet　was　a　Chinese　region；　so　Po　had　decided　to　follow　the　trail。　Flying　from　Macau　to　Chengdu；　he　had　arrived　on　the　last　flight　in　Gonggar　yesterday　evening。　By　the　time　he'd　arrived　at　the　office　of　the　Public　Security　Bureau；　Tibet's　police　force；　it　was　closed。　So　he'd　checked　into　a　hotel　and　waited　for　morning。　
　This　morning　was　chaotic　in　Lhasa；　but　he'd　managed　to　meet　with　the　chief　of　police　and　requisitioned　half　a　dozen　men　to　help　his　investigation　before　the　street　fighting　escalated。　By　now；　he'd　figured　out　which　of　the　band　members　had　been　the　ringleader。　The　memory　of　Cabrillo's　face　on　the　tape　from　the　single　security　camera　that　had　worked　had　burned　a　hole　in　his　brain　that　only　death　or　insanity　would　erase。　
　Po　set　out　to　see　if　he　could　find　his　targethe　had　no　idea　of　the　impending　war。　
　As　Po　and　the　other　policemen　loaded　into　a　large　six…passenger　truck　to　scour　Lhasa；　the　Chinese　military　officers　were　beginning　to　realize　the　gravity　of　the　situation。　They　started　to　assemble　to　exert　control　over　the　city　and　crush　the　rebel　forces。　
　The　Dungkar　started　their　plan　in　motion　as　well。　
　
　TIME　WAS　OF　the　essence　and　Cabrillo　had　none　to　spare。　For　a　man　that　had　been　yanked　from　sleep；　bound　and　transported　south　to　the　airport　under　guard；　Legchog　Zhuren　was　surprisingly　bel　
　ligerent。　Cabrillo　had　first　tried　to　appeal　to　Zhuren's　sense　of　goodness；　asking　him　just　to　explain　the　procedure　for　the　poison　gas　and　where　the　stockpiles　were　located；　but　Zhuren　had　spit　in　his　face　and　puffed　up　his　chest。　
　It　was　obvious　that　goodness　was　not　a　quality　Zhuren　cherished。　
　〃Tape　him；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　Up　until　this　second；　Cabrillo　had　tried　to　show　respect　by　allowing　Zhuren　to　simply　sit　in　the　chair　in　front　of　himnow　it　was　time　to　learn　what　he　needed；　and　for　that　the　Chinese　leader　would　need　to　be　secured。　Seng　and　Gannon　wrapped　his　arms　and　legs　with　duct　tape　and　secured　him　to　the　chair。　
　〃Prepare　the　juice；〃　Cabrillo　said　to　Huxley。　
　〃What　are　you〃　Zhuren　started　to　say。　
　〃I　asked　you　nice；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃to　help　me　save　both　the　Chinese　in　Tibet　as　well　as　the　Tibetan　nationals。　You　didn't　seem　to　want　to　cooperate。　We　have　a　little　serum　that　will　help　to　loosen　your　tongue。　Trust　me；　you'll　tell　us　everything；　from　your　first　conscious　memory　to　the　last　time　you　had　sex。　The　only　problem　is　this：　
　We　cannot　always　get　the　dosage　right。　Too　much　and　we　erase　your　memory　like　a　wet　cloth　across　a　chalkboard。　Usually　we　gradually　increase　the　dosage　to　try　and　avoid　thatbut　you're　a　prick；　so　I　think　we'll　bypass　that　step。〃　
　〃You're　lying；〃　Zhuren　said　in　a　voice　showing　fear。　
　〃Ms。　Huxley；〃　Cabrillo　said；　〃twenty　cc's　in　the　lieutenant's　arm；　please。〃　
　Huxley　walked　over　to　where　the　Chinese　army　lieutenant　was　still　bound　to　his　chair。　She　squirted　some　of　the　liquid　in　the　air　until　she　had　the　correct　amount；　then　with　her　other　hand　wiped　an　alcohol　swab　across　his　upper　arm；　then　plunged　the　needle　into　a　vein。　Cabrillo　watched　the　second　hand　of　his　watch　as　fifteen　seconds　passed。　
　〃Name　and　where　you　were　born；　please；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　The　lieutenant　rattled　off　the　information　like　his　tongue　was　on　fire。　
　〃What　is　the　total　troop　strength　inside　Lhasa？〃　
　〃There　were　eighty…four　hundred　approximate　troops；〃　the　lieutenant　said。　〃Just　over　six　thousand　were　sent　north　toward　Mongolia。　That　leaves　around　twenty…four　hundred。　Of　those；　some　two　hundred　fifty　were　sick　or　injured。　The　remaining　troops　are　pany　S；　pany　L〃　
　〃That's　enough；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　〃I　don't　mind；〃　the　lieutenant　said；　smiling。　〃We　have　the　following　armor。　Four　T…59〃　
　〃That's　fine；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　Zhuren　stared　at　the　lieutenant　in　horror。　
　〃Ms。　Huxley；〃　Cabrillo　said　slowly。　〃Prepare　one　hundred　cc's。〃　
　Zhuren　started　talking　and　it　was　nearly　a　half　hour　before　he　finished。　
　Cabrillo　was　scanning　the　notes　of　Zhuren's　disclosures。　He　turned　to　Seng；　pointed　out　a　spot　on　the　map；　and　then　examined　a　satellite　photograph　of　the　area。　
　〃I　want　to　lead　this　one　myself；〃　he　said　slowly。　〃I'll　need　a　dozen　men；　air　cover　and　some　way　to　destroy　the　gas。〃　
　〃Sir；　I　inventoried　the　hangar；〃　Gannon　said。　〃There　were　a　pair　of　fuel…air　cluster　bombs　in　the　ordnance　room。〃
　〃That　should　do　it；〃　Cabrillo　said。　
　
　STANLEY　HO　MIGHT　own　a　mansion　in　Macau　and　bear　all　the　earmarks　of　legitimacy；　but　the　fact　was　that　he　was　really　only　one　step　away　from　street…level　thug。　Once　he　realized　that　Winston　Spenser　had　screwed　him　on　the　Golden　Buddha；　his　every　waking　minute　since　had　been　used　in　scheming　to　settle　the　score。　It　was　not　just　that　Spenser　had　ripped　him　offthat　was　one　thing。　It　was　the　fact　that　he　had　dealt　with　Spenser　so　many　times　in　the　past。　That　Spenser　had　smiled　in　his　face；　then　stabbed　him　in　the　back。　To　Ho；　that　meant　that　Spenser　had　been　toying　with　him；　that　all　the　art　dealer's　good…　natured　ass…kissing　and　pandering　had　been　merely　a　prelude　to　the　big　screw。　Ho　had　been　treated　like　a　dupeand　he　hated　that　most　of　all。　
　Ho　had　personally　gone　down　to　the　Macau　immigration　office　to　bribe　the　clerk。　That　had　given　him　a　list　of　everyone　who　had　exited　the　country　the　day　after　the　robbery。　With　that　in　hand；　it　had　just　been　a　case　of　eliminating　all　the　improbabilities　until　Ho　had　gotten　down　to　just　three　people。　Then　he　had　sent　three　men　hired　from　the　local　triad　leader　to　Singapore；　Los　Angeles；　and　Asuncion；　Paraguay。　The　first　two　had　been　washes；　the　parties　had　been　observed　and　disqualified　and　the　men　were　called　back。　Ho　was　starting　to　think　that　maybe　he'd　need　to　expand　the　search；　that　he　had　somehow　eliminated　Spenser　from　the　first　cut　by　accident。　He　was　beginning　to　think　this　would　take　longer　than　he'd　planned。　
　Just　then　his　fax　started　printing　and　a　picture　came　across。　
　Ho　was　staring　at　the　photograph　when　his　telephone　rang。　
　〃Yes　or　no？〃　a　voice　with　a　rough　Chinese　accent　asked。　
　Ho　stared　a　second　longer；　then　smiled。　〃His　hands　and　his　head；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃Pack　them　in　ice　and　overnight　them。〃　
　The　telephone　went　dead　in　his　ear。　
　
　PARAGUAY　IN　GENERAL　and　Asuncion　in　particular　is　more　European　feeling　than　South　American。　The　massive　stone　buildings　and　extensive　parks　with　fountains　scream　Vienna；　not　Rio。　Spenser　tossed　some　feed　purchased　from　a　machine　nearby　toward　the　pigeons；　then　wiped　the　cold　sweat　from　his　forehead。　
　The　fact　is；　a　man　who　mits　a　crime　is　never　freeeven　if　it　seems　he　pulled　it　off。　
　The　abiding　knowledge　of　his　infraction　is　never　far　from　his　mind　and　it　weighs　on　his　psyche；　and　holding　it　inside　only　makes　it　worse。　Only　the　sociopath　feels　no　remorsethe　events　happened　to　another；　if　they　ever　happened　at　all。　
　Spenser　brushed　the　last　of　the　feed　from　his　hand；　watched　as　the　birds　fought　over　the　morsels；　then　stood　up。　It　was　Jate　afternoon。　He　decided　to　return　to　his　anonymous　hotel　and　nap　before　going　out　for　a　Jate　dinner。　Tomorrow　he　would　start　looking　for　a　house　to　rent　and　begin　to　rebuild　his　life。　Tonight；　his　plan　was　to　eat；　sleep　and　try　to　forget。　
　The　art　dealer　was　not　a　stupid　man。　He　knew　Ho　would　scour　the　earth　for　him。　
　Right　now；　however；　Spenser　was　just