rl.thebourneidentity-第49部分

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t　of　that　would　call　for　the　needle。　Or　perhaps　Cain　simply　wanted　to　bury　his　current　traces。　Regardless；　the　circumstances　plus　the　sources　leave　little　doubt　that　it　was　Cain。'
　There'll　be　a　lot　more　when　I　clarify　Zurich；'　said　Manning。　'May　we　proceed　to　the　summary？'
　'A　moment；　please。'　David　Abbott　spoke　casually　while　lighting　his　pipe。　'I　believe　our　colleague　from　the　Security　Council　mentioned　the　occurrence　related　to　Cain　that　took　place　six　months　ago。　Perhaps　we　should　hear　about　it。'
　'Why？'　asked　Gillette；　his　eyes　owl…like　beyond　the　lenses　of　his　rimless　glasses。　The　time　factor　removes　it　from　having　any　bearing　on　Brussels　or　Zurich。　I　mentioned　that；　too。'
　'Yes；　you　did；'　agreed　the　once…formidable　Monk　of　Covert　Services；　I　thought；　however；　any　background　might　be　helpful。　As　you　also　said；　we　can　return　to　the　summary；　it's　right　in　front　of　us。　But　if　it's　not　relevant；　let's　get　on　with　Zurich。'
　Thank　you；　Mr。　Abbott；'　said　the　colonel。　'You'll　note　that　eleven　days　ago；　on　the　night　of　February　twenty…seventh；　four　men　were　killed　in　Zurich。　One　of　them　was　a　watchman　in　a　parking　area　by　the　Limmat　River；　it　can　be　presumed　that　he　was　not　involved　in　Cain's　activities；　but　caught　in　them。　Two　others　were　found　in　an　alley　on　the　west　bank　of　the　city；　on　the　surface　unrelated　murders；　except　for　the　fourth　victim。　He's　tied　in　with　the　dead　men　in　the　alley　…　all　three　part　of　the　Zurich…Munich　underworld　…　and　is；　without　question；　connected　to　Cain。'
　That's　this　Chernak；'　said　Gillette；　reading　the　summary。　'At　least；　I　assume　it's　Chernak。　I　recognize　the　name；　and　associate　it　with　the　Cain　file　somewhere。'
　'You　should；'　replied　Manning。　'It　first　appeared　in　a　G…Two　report　eighteen　months　ago；　and　cropped　up　again　a　year　later。'
　'Which　would　make　it　six　months　ago；'　interjected　Abbott；　softly；　looking　at　Gillette。
　'Yes；　sir；〃　continued　the　colonel。　'If　there　was　ever　an　example　of　what's　called　the　scum…of…the…earth；　it　was　Chernak。　During　the　war　be　was　a　Czechoslovakia！！　recruit　at　Dachau；　a　trilingual　interrogator　as　brutal　as　any　guard　in　the　camp。　He　sent　Poles；　Slovaks　and　Jews　to　the　showers　after　torture　sessions　in　which　he　extracted　…　and　manufactured　…　〃incriminating〃　information　Dachau's　mandants　wanted　to　hear。　He　went　to　any　length　to　curry　favour　with　his　superiors　and　the　most　sadistic　cliques　were　hard　pressed　to　match　his　exploits。　What　they　didn't　realize　was　that　he　was　cataloguing　theirs。　After　the　war　he　escaped；　got　his　legs　blown　off　by　an　undetected　land　mine；　and　still　managed　to　survive　very　nicely　on　his　Dachau　extortions。　Cain　found　him　and　used　him　as　a　go…between　for　payments　on　his　kills。'
　'Now　just　wait　a　minute！〃　objected　Knowlton　strenuously。　'We've　been　over　this　Chernak　business　before。　If　you　recall；　it　was　the　agency　that　first　uncovered　him；　we　would　have　exposed　him　long　ago　if　State　hadn't　interceded　on　behalf　of　several　powerful；　anti…Soviet　officials　in　the　Bonn　government。　You　assume　Cain's　used　Chernak；　you　don't　know　it　for　certain　any　more　than　we　do。'
　'We　do　now；'　said　Manning。　'Seven　and　a　half　months　ago；　we　received　a　tip　about　a　man　who　ran　a　restaurant　called　the　Drei　Alpenhauser；　it　was　reported　that　he　was　an　intermediary　between　Cain　and　Chernak。　We　kept　him　under　surveillance　for　weeks；　but　nothing　came　of　it；　he　was　a　minor　figure　in　the　Zurich　underworld；　that　was　all。。。　We　didn't　stay　with　him　long　enough。〃　The　colonel　paused；　satisfied　that　all　eyes　were　on　him。　'When　we　heard　about　Chernak's　murder；　we　gambled。　Five　nights　ago　two　of　our　men　hid　in　the　Drei　Alpenhauser　after　the　restaurant　closed。　They　cornered　the　owner　and　accused　him　of　dealing　with　Chernak；　working　for　Cain；　they　put　on　a　hell　of　a　show。　You　can　imagine　their　shock　when　the　man　broke；　literally　fell　to　his　knees　begging　to　be　protected。　He　admitted　that　Cain　was　in　Zurich　the　night　Chernak　was　killed；　that；　in　fact；　he　had　seen　Cain　that　night　and　Chernak　had　e　up　in　the　conversation。　Very　negatively。'
　The　military　man　paused　again；　the　silence　filled　by　a　slow　soft　whistle　from　David　Abbott；　his　pipe　held　in　front　of　his　crag…lined　face。　'Now；　that　is　a　statement；'　said　the　Monk　quietly。
　'Why　wasn't　the　Agency　informed　of　this　tip　you　received　seven　months　ago？'　asked　the　C。I。A。's　Knowlton　abrasively。
　'It　didn't　prove　out。'
　'In　your　hands；　it　might　have　been　different　in　ours。〃
　'That's　possible。　I　admitted　we　didn't　stay　with　him　long　enough。　Manpower's　limited；　which　of　us　can　keep　up　a　non…productive　surveillance　indefinitely？'
　'We　might　have　shared　it；　if　we'd　known。'
　'And　we　could　have　saved　you　the　time　it　took　to　build　the　Brussels　file；　if　we'd　been　told　about　that。'
　'Where　did　the　tip　e　from？'　asked　Gillette；　interrupting　impatiently；　his　eyes　on　Manning。
　'It　was　anonymous。'
　'You　settled　for　that？'　The　bird…like　expression　on　Gillette's　face　conveyed　his　astonishment。
　'It's　one　reason　the　initial　surveillance　was　limited。'
　'Yes；　of　course；　but　you　mean　you　never　dug　for　it？'
　'Naturally；　we　did；'　replied　the　colonel　testily。
　'Apparently　without　much　enthusiasm；'　continued　Gillette　angrily。　'Didn't　it　occur　to　you　that　someone　over　at　Langley；　or　on　the　Council；　might　have　helped；　might　have　filled　in　a　gap？　I　agree　with　Peter。　We　should　have　been　informed。'
　'There's　a　reason　why　you　weren't'　Manning　breathed　deeply；　in　less　military　surroundings　it　might　have　been　construed　as　a　sigh。　'The　informant　made　it　clear　that　if　we　brought　in　any　other　branch；　he　wouldn't　make　contact　again。　We　felt　we　had　to　abide　by　that；　we've　done　it　before。'
　'What　did　you　say？'　Knowlton　put　down　the　summary　page　and　stared　at　the　Pentagon　officer。
　'It's　nothing　new；　Peter。　Each　of　us　sets　up　his　own　sources；　protects　them。'
　'I'm　aware　of　that。　It's　why　you　weren't　told　about　Brussels。　Both　drones　said　to　keep　the　army　out'
　Silence。　Broken　by　the　abrasive　voice　of　the　Security　Council's　Alfred　Gillette。　'How　often　is　〃we've　done　it　before〃；　Colonel？'
　'What？'　Manning　looked　at　Gillette；　but　was　aware　that　David　Abbott　was　watching　both　of　them　closely。
　'I'd　like　to　know　how　many　times　you've　been　told　to　keep　your　sources　to　yourself。　I　refer　to　Cain；　of　course。'
　'Quite　a　few；　I　guess。'
　'You　guess？'
　'Most　of　the　time。〃
　'And　you；　Peter？　What　about　the　Agency？'
　'We've　been　severely　limited　in　terms　of　in…depth　dissemination。'
　'For　God's　sake；　what's　that　mean？'　The　interruption　came　from　the　least　expected　member　of　the　conference；　the　congressman　from　Oversight　'Don't　misunderstand　me；　I　haven't　begun　yet。　I　just　want　to　follow　the　language。'　He　turned　to　the　C。I。A。　man。　'What　the　hell　did　you　just　say？　〃In…depth　what！〃'
　'Dissemination；　Congressman　Walters；　it's　throughout　Cain's　file。　We　risked　losing　informants　if　we　brought　them　to　the　attention　of　other　intelligence　units。　I　assure　you；　it's　standard。'
　'It　sounds　like　you　were　test…tubing　a　heifer。'
　'With　about　the　same　results；'　added　Gillette。　'No　cross　pollinization　to　corrupt　the　strain。　And；　conversely；　no　crosschecking　to　look　for　patterns　of　inaccuracy。〃
　'Some　nice　turns　of　phrase；'　said　Abbott；　his　craggy　face　wrinkled　in　appreciation；　'but　I'm　not　sure　I　understand　you。'
　'I'd　say　it's　pretty　damned　clear；'　replied　the　man　from　National　Security；　looking　at　Colonel　Manning　and　Peter　Knowlton。　'The　country's　two　most　active　intelligence　branches　have　been　fed　information　about　Cain　…　for　the　past　three　years　…　and　there's　been　no　pooling　for　origins　of　fraud。　We've　simply　received　all　information　as　bona　fide　data；　stored　and　accepted　as　valid。'
　'Well；　I've　been　around　a　long　time　…　perhaps　too　long；　I　concede　but　there's　nothing　here　I　haven't　heard　before；'　said　the　Monk。　Sources　are　shrewd　and　defensive　people；　they　guard　their　contacts　jealously。　None　are　in　the　business　of　charity；　only　for　profit　and　survival。'
　'I'm　afraid　you're　overlooking　my　point。'　Gillette　removed　his　glasses。　'I　said　before　that　I　was　alarmed　that　so　many　recent　assassinations　have　been　attributed　to　Cain　…　attributed　here　to　Cain　…　when　it　seems　to　me　that　the　most　acplished　assassin　of　our　time　…　perhaps　in　history　…　has　been　relegated　to　a　paratively　minor　role。　I　think　that's　wrong。　I　think　Carlos　is　the　man　we　should　be　concentrating　on。　What　happened　to　Carlos？
　'I　question　your　judgment；　Alfred；'　said　the　Monk。　'Carlos's　time　has　passed；　Cain's　moved　in。　The　old　order　changes；　there's　a　new　and；　I　suspect；　far　more　deadly　shark　in　the　waters。'
　'I　can't　agree　with　that；'　said　the　man　from　National　Security；　his　owl…eyes　boring　into　the　elder　statesman　of　the　intelligence　munity。　'Forgive　me；　David；　but　it　strikes　me　as　if　Carlos　himself　was　manipulating　this　mittee。　To　take　the　attention　away　from　himself；　making　us　concentrate　on　a　subject　of　much　less　importance。　We're　spending　all　our　energies　going　after　a　toothless　sand　shark　while　the　hammerhead　roams　free。'
　'No　one's　forgetting　Carlos；'　objected　Manning。　'He's　simply　not　as　active　as　Cain's　been。'
　'Perhaps；'　said　Gillette　icily；　'that's　exactly　what　Carlos　wants　us　to　believe。　And；　by　God。　we　believe　it！'
　'Can　you　doubt　it？'　asked　Abbott。