璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将-第135部分

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；　whose　code　name；　SENDER　GREEN；　was　known　to　fewer　than　fifty　men　and　women；　was　separate　from　the　better…known　Hanoi　Hilton；　which　had　been　visited　by　American　citizens　and　where；　since　the　spectacular　but　unsuccessful　Operation　KINGPIN　raid　on　the　camp　at　Song　Tay；　nearly　all　American　POWs　had　been　concentrated。　Out　of　the　way；　located　in　the　most　unlikely　of　places；　not　acknowledged　in　any　way；　SENDER　GREEN　was　ominous。　However　the　war　would　turn　out；　America　wanted　her　pilots　back。　Here　was　a　place　whose　very　existence　suggested　that　some　would　never　be　returned。　A　statistical　study　of　losses　had　shown　an　ominous　irregularity：　flight　officers　of　relatively　high　rank　were　reported　killed　at　a　higher　rate　than　those　of　lower　rank。　It　was　known　that　the　enemy　had　good　intelligence　sources；　many　of　them　within　the　American　‘peace‘　movement；　that　they　had　dossiers　on　senior　American　officers；　who　they　were；　what　they　knew；　what　other　jobs　they　had　held。　It　was　possible　that　those　officers　were　being　held　in　a　special　place；　that　their　knowledge　was　being　used　by　North　Vietnam　as　a　bargaining　chip　for　dealing　with　their　Russian　sponsors。　The　prisoners‘　knowledge　in　areas　of　special　strategic　interest　was　being　traded　…　maybe　…　for　continuing　support　from　a　sponsor　nation　that　was　losing　interest　in　this　lengthy　war；　with　the　new　atmosphere　of　detente。　So　many　games　were　going　on。
‘Gutsy；‘　Maxwell　breathed。　The　three　blowups　showed　the　man‘s　face；　each　one　staring　straight　at　the　camera。　The　last　of　the　three　caught　one　of　his　guards　in　the　act　of　swinging　a　rifle　butt　into　his　back。　The　face　was　clear。　It　was　Zacharias。
‘This　guy　is　Russian；‘　Casimir　Podulski　said；　tapping　the　drone　photos。　The　uniform　was　unmistakable。
They　knew　what　Cas　was　thinking。　The　son　of　Poland‘s　one…time　ambassador　to　Washington；　by　heredity　a　count　and　scion　of　a　family　that　had　once　fought　at　the　side　of　King　John　Sobieski；　his　family　had　been　extinguished　on　one　side　of　the　demarcation　line　by　the　Nazis　along　with　the　rest　of　the　Polish　nobility　and　on　the　other　by　the　Russians　in　Katyn　Forest；　where　two　brothers　had　been　murdered　after　fighting　a　brief　and　futile　two…front　war。　In　1941；　the　day　after　graduating　Princeton　University；　Podulski　had　joined　the　US　Navy　as　an　aviator；　adopting　a　new　country　and　a　new　profession；　both　of　which　he　had　served　with　pride　and　skill。　And　rage。　That　was　now　all　the　more　intense　because　soon　he　would　be　forced　to　retire。　Greer　could　see　the　reason。　His　surprisingly　delicate　hands　were　gnarled　with　arthritis。　Try　as　he　might　to　conceal　it；　his　next　physical　would　down…check　him　for　good；　and　Cas　would　face　retirement　with　memories　of　a　dead　son　and　a　wife　on　antidepressant　medications；　after　a　career　he　would　probably　deem　a　failure　despite　his　medals　and　personal　flag。　
‘We‘ve　got　to　find　a　way；‘　Podulski　said。　‘If　we　don‘t；　we‘ll　never　see　these　men　again。　You　know　who　might　be　there；　Dutch？　Pete　Francis；　Hank　Osborne。‘
‘Pete　worked　for　me　when　I　had　Enterprise；‘　Maxwell　acknowledged。　Both　men　looked　at　Greer。
‘I　concur　in　the　nature　of　the　camp。　I　had　my　doubts。　Zacharias；　Francis；　and　Osborne　are　all　names　they‘d　be　interested　in。‘　The　Air　Force　officer　had　spent　a　tour　at　Omaha；　part　of　the　joint…targeting　staff　that　selected　the　destinations　for　strategic　weapons；　and　his　knowledge　of　America‘s　most　secret　war　plans　was　encyclopedic。　The　two　naval　officers　had　similarly　important　information；　and　while　each　might　be　brave；　and　dedicated；　and　obstinately　determined　to　deny；　conceal；　and　disguise；　they　were　merely　men；　and　men　had　limits；　and　the　enemy　had　time。　‘Look；　if　you　want；　I　can　try　to　sell　the　idea　to　some　people；　but　I‘m　not　very　hopeful。‘
‘If　we　don‘t；　we‘re　breaking　faith　with　our　people！‘　Podulski　slammed　his　fist　on　the　desk。　But　Cas　had　an　agenda；　too。　Discovery　of　this　camp；　rescue　of　its　prisoners；　would　make　it　explicitly　clear　that　North　Vietnam　had　publicly　lied。　That　might　poison　the　peace　talks　enough　to　force　Nixon　to　adopt　yet　another　optional　plan　being　drawn　up　by　a　larger　Pentagon　working　group：　the　invasion　of　the　North。　It　would　be　that　most　American　of　military　operations；　a　bined…arms　assault；　without　precedent　for　its　daring；　scope；　and　potential　dangers：　an　airborne　drop　directly　into　Hanoi；　a　division　of　marines　hitting　the　beaches　on　both　sides　of　Haiphong；　air…mobile　assaults　in　the　middle；　supported　by　everything　America　could　bring　to　bear　in　one；　massive；　crushing；　attempt　to　break　the　North　by　capture　of　its　political　leadership。　That　plan；　whose　cover　name　changed　on　a　monthly　basis　…　currently　it　was　CERTAIN　COR　…　was　the　Holy　Grail　of　vengeance　for　all　the　professionals　who　had　for　six　years　watched　their　country　blunder　about　in　indecision　and　the　profligate　waste　of　America‘s　children。
‘Don‘t　you　think　I　know　that？　Osborne　worked　for　me　at　Suitland。　I　went　with　the　chaplain　when　he　delivered　the　fucking　telegram；　okay？　I‘m　on　your　side；　remember？‘
Unlike　Cas　and　Dutch；　Greer　knew　that　CERTAIN　COR　would　never　be　more　than　a　staff　study。　It　just　couldn‘t　happen；　not　without　briefing　Congress；　and　Congress　had　too　many　leaks　A　possibility　in　1966　or　‘67；　maybe　even　as　late　as　1968；　such　an　operation　was　unthinkable　now。　But　SENDER　GREEN　was　still　there；　and　this　mission　was　possible；　just。
‘Cool　down；　Cas；‘　Maxwell　suggested。
‘Yes；　sir。‘
Greer　shifted　his　gaze　to　the　relief　map。　‘You　know；　you　airedales　kind　of　limit　your　thinking。‘
‘What　do　you　mean？　‘Maxwell　asked。
Greer　pointed　to　a　red　line　that　ran　from　a　coastal　town　neatly　to　the　camp‘s　main　gate。　On　the　overhead　photos　it　looked　like　a　good　road；　black…topped；　and　all。　‘The　reaction　forces　are　here；　here；　and　here。　The　road‘s　here；　follows　the　river　most　of　the　way　up。　There　are　flak　batteries　all　over　the　place；　the　road　supports　them；　but；　you　know；　triple…A　isn‘t　dangerous　to　the　right　sort　of　equipment。‘
‘That‘s　an　invasion；‘　Podulski　observed。
‘And　sending　in　two　panies　of　air…mobile　troops　isn‘t？‘
‘I‘ve　always　said　you　were　smart；　James；‘　Maxwell　said。　‘You　know；　this　is　right　where　my　son　was　shot　down。　That　SEAL　went　in　and　recovered　him　right　about　here；‘　the　Admiral　said；　tapping　the　map。
‘Somebody　who　knows　the　area　from　ground　level？‘　Greer　asked。　‘That‘s　help。　Where　is　he？‘
‘Hi；　Sarah。‘　Kelly　waved　her　to　the　chair。　She　looked　older；　he　thought。
‘This　is　my　third　time；　John。　You　were　asleep　the　other　two。‘
‘I‘ve　been　doing　a　lot　of　that。　It‘s　okay；‘　he　assured　her。　‘Sam‘s　in　here　a　couple　times　a　day。‘　He　was　already　unfortable。　The　hardest　part　was　facing　friends；　Kelly　told　himself。
‘Well；　we‘ve　been　busy　in　the　lab。‘　Sarah　spoke　rapidly。　‘John；　I　needed　to　tell　you　how　sorry　I　am　that　I　asked　you　to　e　into　town。　I　could　have　sent　you　somewhere　else。　She　didn‘t　need　to　see　Madge。　There‘s　a　guy　I　know　in　Annapolis；　perfectly　good　practitioner　。。。‘　Her　voice　stumbled　on。　。
So　much　guilt；　Kelly　thought。　‘None　of　this　was　your　fault；　Sarah；‘　he　said　when　she　stopped　talking。　‘You　were　a　good　friend　to　Pam。　If　her　mom　had　been　like　you；　maybe　…　‘
It　was　almost　as　though　she　hadn‘t　heard　him。　‘I　should　have　given　you　a　later　date。　If　the　timing　had　been　a　little　different…‘
She　was　right　on　that　part；　Kelly　thought。　The　variables。　What　if？　What　if　he‘d　selected　a　different　block　to　be　parked　on？　What　if　Billy　had　never　spotted　him？　What　if　I　hadn‘t　moved　at　all　and　let　the　bastard　just　go　on　his　way？　A　different　day；　a　different　week？　What　if　a　lot　of　things。　The　past　happened　because　a　hundred　little　random　things　had　to　fall　exactly　into　place　in　exactly　the　right　way；　in　exactly　the　proper　sequence；　and　while　it　was　easy　to　accept　the　good　results；　one　could　only　rage　at　the　bad　ones。　What　if　he‘d　taken　a　different　route　from　the　food　warehouse？　What　if　he‘d　not　spotted　Pam　at　the　side　of　the　road　and　never　picked　her　up？　What　if　he‘d　never　spotted　the　pills？　What　if　he　hadn‘t　cared；　or　what　if　he‘d　been　so　outraged　that　he　had　abandoned　her？　Would　she　be　alive　now？　If　her　father　had　been　a　little　more　understanding；　and　she‘d　never　run　away；　they　would　never　have　met。　Was　that　good　or　bad？　
And　if　all　that　were　true；　then　what　did　matter？　Was　everything　a　random　accident？　The　problem　was　that　you　couldn‘t　tell。　Maybe　if　he　were　God　looking　down　on　everything　from　above；　maybe　then　it　would　fit　some　pattern；　but　from　the　inside　it　merely　was；　Kelly　thought；　and　you　did　the　best　you　could；　and　tried　to　learn　from　your　mistakes　for　when　the　next　random　event　happened　to　you。　But　did　that　make　sense？　Hell；　did　anything　really　make　sense？　That　was　far　too　plex　a　question　for　a　former　Navy　chief　lying　in　a　hospital　bed。
‘Sarah；　none　of　this　is　your　fault。　You　helped　her　in　the　best　way　you　could。　How　could　you　change　that？‘
‘Damn　it；　Kelly；　we　had　her　saved！‘　
‘I　know。　And　I　brought　her　here；　and　I　got　careless；　not　you。　Sarah；　everyone　tells　me　it‘s　not　my　fault；　and　then　you　e　in　here　and　tell　me　it‘s　yours。‘　The　grimace　was　almost　a　smile。　‘This　can　be　very　confusing；　except　for　one　thing。‘
‘It　wasn‘t　an　accident；　was　it？‘　Sarah　noted。
‘No；　it　wasn‘t。‘
‘There　he　is