mreilly.icestation-第46部分

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　from　an　alien　civilization。〃　
　Trent　shook　his　head。　〃Stupid　bastards。　They　did　it　over　a　telephone　line。　An　open　goddamn　telephone　line。　Hell；　anyone　could　have　heard　them。　My　unit　was　sent　in　to　protect　mem　from　anyone　who　did。〃　
　Trent　leaned　forward　in　his　chair。　
　〃The　problem　was；　it　wasn't　really　my　unit。〃　
　Trent　went　on　to　tell　Cameron　about　what　had　happened　after　his　unit's　arrival　at　the　temple…in　particular；　how　several　of　his　own　men　had　turned　on　him　when　the　SEAL　team　had　arrived　at　the　temple。　
　〃Mr。　Cameron。　The　order　to　plant　men　in　my　unit　came　from　a　government　mittee　called　the　Intelligence　Convergence　Group；〃　Trent　said。　〃It's　a　joint　mittee　made　up　of　members　of　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff　and　the　National　Reconnaissance　Office。　Put　simply；　its　primary　objective　is　to　secure　for　America　technological　superiority　over　the　rest　of　the　world。　
　〃They　killed　my　unit；　Mr。　Cameron。　My　whole　unit。　And　then　they　hunted　me。　For　twelve　days；　they　scoured　that　temple　looking　for　me。　American　soldiers；　hunting　me。　I　stood　squeezed　into　a　small　fissure　in　a　wall；　being　dripped　on　by　stinking　seepage；　for　twelve　days　before　they　gave　up　and　left。〃　
　Cameron　said；　〃What　happened　to　the　university　researchers？〃　
　Trent　shook　his　head。　〃The　SEALs　took　them　away。　They　were　never　heard　from　again。〃　
　Cameron　fell　silent。　
　Trent　went　on。　〃Eventually；　I　got　out　of　that　temple　and　made　it　back　to　the　States。　It　took　a　while；　but　I　got　there　in　the　end。　The　first　place　I　went　was　my　parents'　house。　But　when　I　got　there　I　saw　two　guys　sitting　in　a　van　across　the　street；　watching　the　house。　They　had　people　there；　waiting　for　me　to　e　back。〃　
　Trent's　face　went　cold。　〃That　was　when　I　decided　to　find　out　who'd　been　behind　it　all。　It　didn't　take　me　long　to　find　a　trail；　and　at　the　end　of　that　trail。　I　found　the　ICG。〃　
　Cameron　found　that　he　was　staring　at　Trent。　He　blinked　out　of　it。　
　〃OK。　Right；〃　he　said；　regaining　his　posure。　〃This　ICG；　you　say　it's　a　joint　mittee；　right？　Made　up　of　members　of　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff　and　the　National　Reconnaissance　Office；　right？〃　
　〃That's　correct；〃　Trent　said。　
　〃OK。〃　Cameron　knew　about　the　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff；　but　he　knew　little　about　the　National　Reconnaissance　Office。　It　was　the　intelligence　agency　charged　with　procuring；　launching；　and　operating　all　of　America's　spy　satellites。　Its　secrecy　was　legendary；　it　was　one　of　the　few　agencies　that　was　allowed　to　operate　under　a　〃black〃　budget…a　budget　that；　because　of　the　sensitivity　of　its　subject　matter；　did　not　have　to　be　disclosed　to　Senate　Finance　mittees。　Throughout　the　Cold　War；　the　U。S。　Government　had　consistently　refused　to　acknowledge　the　NRO's　existence。　It　was　only　in　1991；　in　the　face　of　mounting　evidence；　that　the　government　finally　caved　in　and　acknowledged　that　it　did　exist。　
　Trent　said；　〃The　ICG　is　a　marriage　of　two　of　the　most　powerful　agencies　in　this　country…the　supreme　manding　body　of　all　of　our　armed　forces　and　the　most　secret　arm　of　our　intelligence　munity。〃　
　〃And　its　job　is…what　did　you　say？…'to　secure　technological　superiority'　for　America？〃　
　〃Its　job；〃　Trent　said；　〃is　to　ensure　that　every　major　breakthrough　in　technology…be　it　the　pact　disc　or　a　puter　chip　or　stealth　technology…belongs　to　the　United　States　of　America。〃　
　Trent　took　a　deep　breath。　〃Mr。　Cameron；　I　don't　think　I'm　explaining　this　very　well。　Let　me　put　it　another　way。　The　ICG's　job　is　intelligence　gathering　or；　as　they　call　it　in　government…speak；　'intelligence　convergence。'　
　〃Its　job　is　to　hoard　valuable　information。　To　make　sure　that　no　one　knows　about　it　except　us。　And　the　ICG　will　not　hesitate　to　kill　in　order　to　achieve　that　goal。　Its　job…its　reason　for　being…is　to　ensure　that　certain　information　is　for　American　eyes　only。　Because　in　the　end；　the　ICG　has　only　one　ambition：　to　keep　America　in　the　lead…way　out　in　the　lead…　ahead　of　the　rest　of　the　world。〃　
　〃Uh…huh；〃　Cameron　said；　〃and　you　claim　it　does　this　by　inserting　men　into　elite　military　units？〃　
　〃promising　frontline　military　units　is　only　one　part　of　the　ICG's　overall　strategy；　Mr。　Cameron。　It's　also　one　of　the　easiest　parts。　Think　about　it；〃　Trent　said。　〃The　Joint　Chiefs　of　Staff　are　part　of　the　ICG。　They　can　ensure　that　men　of　their　choosing…ultraloyal　men；　usually　older　enlisted　men；　sergeants；　gunnery　sergeants；　the　career　soldiers…get　placed　in　the　right　units。　And　by　'the　right　units'　I　mean　the　rapid…response　units；　the　frontline　units　that　get　to　battle　scenes　first。　The　Marine　Recons；　the　Navy　SEALs；　the　Army　Rangers。　
　〃But　having　men　inside　frontline　military　units　is　only　good　for　getting　sudden　things　like　enemy　spy　satellites　that　fall　out　of　the　sky　or　meteorites　that　crash　down　to　Earth。　
　〃Look　at　it　this　way：　A　meteorite　lands　in　the　middle　of　the　Brazilian　jungle。　We　send　in　the　Marines。　The　Marines　secure　the　area　and　grab　the　meteorite。　Then；　if　something　of　value　is　found　inside　that　meteorite；　you　eliminate　the　Marines　who　found　it。〃　
　〃You　eliminate　them？〃　
　〃Think　about　it；〃　Trent　said　bitterly。　〃You　can't　have　a　team　of　high…school…educated　grunts　running　around　with　the　most　highly　prized　national　secrets…secrets　that　could　put　the　United　States　twenty　years　ahead　of　the　rest　of　the　world…　bouncing　around　inside　their　heads；　now　can　you？　
　〃Hell；　you　don't　need　sodium　nitrate　to　get　that　sort　of　information　out　of　a　low…level　soldier。　You　give　him　a　few　beers；　a　pretty　girl；　and　the　slightest　hint　that　he　has　a　chance　of　getting　a　blow　job　and　your　average　Marine　Corporal　will　be　telling　Miss　Big　Tits　everything　he　knows　about　the　glowing　green　meteorite　he　found　on　a　mission　in　the　jungles　of　Brazil。　
　〃Don't　forget　the　value　of　these　secrets；　Mr。　Cameron；〃　Trent　said。　〃The　loss　of　a　couple　of　foot　soldiers　does　not　even　begin　to　pare　with　the　value　of　a　twenty…year　head　start　on　the　rest　of　the　world。〃　
　Pete　Cameron　interrupted　him。　〃All　right；　then；　how　often　does　something　like　this　happen？　The　elimination　of　an　entire　unit。　I　mean；　it's　got　to　be　pretty　rare。〃　
　Trent　nodded。　〃It　is　rare。　I　only　know　of　it　happening　on　four　occasions　in　the　last　fifteen　years。〃　
　〃Uh…huh。〃　Cameron　cocked　his　head　doubtfully。　〃Mr。　Trent；　I　see　what　you're　saying；　but　something　like　this　would　require　a　whole　network　of　well…placed　people。　High…ranking　soldiers　who　aren't　just　part　of　the　Joint　Chiefs　but　who　are　well　placed　in　the　bureaucracy…〃　
　〃Mr。　Cameron；　do　you　know　who　Chuck　Kozlowski　is？〃　
　〃I've　heard　the　name…〃　
　〃Sergeant　Major　Charles　R。　Kozlowski　is　Sergeant　Major　of　the　Marine　Corps。　Do　you　know　what　the　Sergeant　Major　of　the　Marine　Corps　is；　Mr。　Cameron？〃　
　〃What？〃　
　〃The　Sergeant　Major　of　the　Marine　Corps　is　the　highest…ranking　nonmissioned　officer　in　the　Corps。　An　enlisted　man；　Mr。　Cameron；　the　highest…ranking　enlisted　man。　Chuck　Kozlowski　has　been　a　Marine　for　thirty…three　years。　He's　one　of　the　most　decorated　soldiers　in　the　country。〃　
　Trent　paused。　〃He's　also　ICG。〃　
　Cameron　stared　at　Trent　for　a　long　moment；　then　he　wrote　down　the　name。　
　Chuck　Kozlowski。　
　Trent　said；　〃He's　the　guardian　angel　of　every　crooked　soldier　in　the　Corps。　Someone　told　me　he　even　came　down　to　Peru　after　my　incident　and　personally　escorted　the　surviving　Marines…the　traitors；　all　of　them　senior　enlisted　men…back　home。　He　reassigned　them　without　even　a　blink。　I'm　told　he　even　remended　one　for　a　fucking　medal。〃　
　〃Jesus。。。。〃　
　〃That's　your　network；　Mr。　Cameron。　A　network　that　has　infiltrated　the　enlisted　ranks　of　the　United　States　Marine　Corps　all　the　way　to　the　very　top…to　the　extent　that　it　even　determines　which　units　its　men　are　assigned　to。　But　it　doesn't　stop　there。　Like　I　said　before；　promising　elite　military　units　is　only　one　part　of　the　ICG's　overall　program。　The　ICG　promises　a　whole　lot　more　than　just　the　military。〃　
　〃Like　what？〃　
　〃Like　other　sources　of　breakthrough　technology；〃　Trent　said。　
　〃Such　as？〃　
　〃Well；　for　one　thing；　business。〃　
　〃Business？　You　mean　private　panies？〃　
　Trent　nodded。　
　〃You're　telling　me　that　the　government　of　the　United　States　has　planted　people　inside　private　corporations　to　spy　on　them？〃　
　〃Microsoft。　IBM。　Boeing。　Lockheed；〃　Trent　said；　deadpan。　〃Plus；　of　course；　all　of　the　other　major　Navy；　Army；　and　Air　Force　contractors；　especially　if　they　have　contracts　with　other　countries。〃　
　〃Holy　shit；〃　Cameron　said。　
　〃There　are　other　places；　too。〃　
　〃Like。。。〃　
　〃Like　universities；〃　Trent　said。　〃Universities　are　high　on　the　list　of　ICG…promised　organizations。　Cloning　sheep…　ICG　knew　about　in　1993。　Cloning　humans…ICG　knew　about　it　last　year。〃　Trent　shrugged。　〃It　makes　sense。　Universities　are　the　cutting　edge。　If　you　want　to　find　out　what's　in　the　pipeline；　it's　best　to　put　your　people　in　the　pipe。〃　
　Cameron　didn't　say　anything　for　a　full　minute。　
　The　sheer　concept　of　an　America…wide　intelligence…gathering　conspiracy　made　his　spine　tingle。　An　octopus…like　network；　with　its　tentacles　stretching　out　from　a　small　boardroom　in　the　Pentagon　to　all　the　corners　of　the　country；　penetrating　every　major　business　and　university。　It　was　worth　checking　out　some　more。　
　Andrew　Trent　interrupted　his　thoughts。　
　〃Mr。　Cameron；〃　he　said　seriously。　〃The　ICG　is　a　dange