p&c.brimstone-第62部分

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　stream　of　smoke　overhead；　illuminating　the　laser　beams　that　crisscrossed　the　field。　Dark　woods　and　ruins　surrounded　the　verge　of　the　meadow；　and　it　was　impossible　to　see　where　the　beams　were　ing　from。　When　the　cigarette　went　out；　he　lit　another。　
　In　five　minutes　they　were　across。　Pendergast　ground　out　the　stub　of　cigarette；　rose；　and　moved　at　a　crouch　to　an　empty　door　frame；　withdrawing　his　light　and　directing　it　inside。　The　beam　briefly　illuminated　a　long　passageway；　rooms　fronted　with　metal　bars　facing　each　other　across　the　corridor。　To　D'Agosta　it　looked　almost　like　a　prison。　The　ceilings　had　caved　in；　along　with　some　of　the　walls；　leaving　a　maze　of　broken　masonry；　beams；　and　tile。　
　Pendergast　paused　in　the　doorway　to　wave　a　handheld　meter　of　some　kind；　then　advanced　cautiously。　What　was　left　of　the　edifice　seemed　about　to　collapse；　and　from　time　to　time　D'Agosta　could　hear　the　creaking　and　groaning　of　a　beam　or　the　rattle　of　falling　plaster。　As　they　moved　through　the　vast　crumbling　space；　the　faint　light　ahead　grew　stronger；　ing　in　through　a　row　of　shattered　windows　at　the　far　end。　Reaching　the　windows；　they　cautiously　peered　out。　
　An　astonishing　sight　greeted　D'Agosta's　eyes。　Beyond　the　ruined　building　was　a　double…chain…link　fence；　topped　with　concertina　wire；　enclosing　a　sweeping　lawn　swathed　in　light。　A　new　building　stood　there　behind　trimmed　shrubbery　and　flowers；　a　postmodern　structure　in　glass；　titanium；　and　white　paneling；　glowing　like　a　crystal　in　the　night。　To　the　far　right；　D'Agosta　could　see　a　guardhouse　and　a　gate　in　the　fence。　
　They　moved　away　from　the　window；　and　Pendergast　sat　against　the　wall。　He　seemed　to　be　thinking。　Several　minutes　passed　before　he　roused　himself　and　motioned　D'Agosta　to　follow。　Keeping　low；　they　moved　the　length　of　the　far　wall　and　exited　a　side　door。　Thick　brush　and　gooseberry　bushes　grew　up　to　within　about　ten　yards　of　the　double　fence；　where　the　closely　clipped　lawn　began。　
　They　wormed　their　way　into　the　brush　and　began　crawling　forward。　Then　D'Agosta　felt　Pendergast　freeze。　The　sound　of　voices　was　rapidly　approaching；　along　with　the　probing　of　a　bright　spotlight。　D'Agosta　flattened　himself　in　the　bushes；　hoping　to　God　his　black　outfit　and　face　paint　would　keep　him　invisible。　But　the　voices　were　getting　close；　too　close；　and　they　were　loud；　and　the　light　was　drawing　ever　nearer。　
　　　
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　D'Agosta　lay　motionless；　hardly　daring　to　breathe；　while　thebeam　of　the　spotlight　lanced　through　the　leaves　and　vines。　The　voices　were　even　closer　now；　and　he　could　make　out　what　the　men　were　saying。　They　were　American。　There　were　two　of　them；　it　seemed；　and　they　were　walking　slowly　along　the　inner　perimeter　of　the　fence。　He　felt　a　sudden；　almost　irresistible　desire　to　look　up。　But　then　the　brilliant　beam　landed　square　on　his　back；　and　he　went　still　as　death。　The　beam　lingered；　unmoving。　The　men　had　stopped。　There　was　a　scratching　sound；　the　flaring　of　a　match；　followed　by　the　faint　smell　of　cigarette　smoke。　
　〃。　。　。　real　bastard；〃　came　one　of　the　voices。　〃If　it　weren't　for　the　money；　I'd　go　back　to　Brooklyn。〃　
　〃The　way　things　are　going；　we　might　all　be　heading　back；〃　replied　the　other。　
　〃The　fucker's　gone　crazy。〃　
　A　grunt　of　assent。　
　〃They　say　he　lives　in　a　villa　once　owned　by　Machiavelli。〃　
　〃Who？〃　
　〃Machiavelli。〃　
　〃He's　that　new　tight　end　for　the　Rams；　right？〃　
　〃Forget　it。〃　The　light　abruptly　swiveled　away；　leaving　sudden　darkness　in　its　wake。　It　was　a　handheld　torch；　D'Agosta　realized；　carried　by　one　of　the　men。　
　The　cigarette　arced　through　the　darkness；　landing　near　D'Agosta's　left　thigh；　and　the　men　continued　on。　
　Several　minutes　passed。　Then；　abruptly；　Pendergast　was　at　his　side。　
　〃Vincent；〃　he　whispered；　〃the　security　here　is　considerably　more　sophisticated　than　I　had　hoped。　This　is　a　system　designed　not　just　to　thwart　corporate　espionage；　but　to　keep　out　the　CIA　itself。　We　can't　hope　to　get　inside　with　the　tools　at　hand。　We　must　retreat　and　plan　another　avenue　of　attack。〃　
　〃Such　as？〃　
　〃I　have　developed　a　sudden　interest　in　Machiavelli。〃　
　〃I　hear　you。〃　
　They　crept　back　the　way　they　had　e；　through　the　groaning；　ruined　building。　The　trip　seemed　longer　than　before。　When　they　were　halfway　through；　Pendergast　paused。　〃Nasty　odor；〃　he　murmured。　
　D'Agosta　smelled　it；　too。　The　wind　had　shifted；　and　the　scent　of　decay　reached　them　from　a　far　room。　Pendergast　opened　a　shutter　on　the　flashlight；　allowing　a　faint　illumination。　The　greenish　light　disclosed　what　had　once　been　a　small　laboratory；　its　roof　caved　in。　Below；　several　heavy　beams　lay　crisscrossed　on　the　ground；　and…protruding　from　them…a　rotting；　partly　skeletonized　head　of　a　boar；　its　tusks　broken　off　into　stubs。　
　〃Booby　trap？〃　whispered　D'Agosta。　
　Pendergast　nodded。　〃Designed　as　an　unstable；　rotting　building。〃　He　let　the　shaft　of　green　light　fall　here　and　there；　finally　pausing　on　a　doorsill。　〃There's　the　trigger。　Step　on　that　and　you　bring　down　the　works。〃　
　D'Agosta　shivered；　thinking　how　he'd　blithely　crossed　this　very　threshold　not　ten　minutes　before。　
　They　passed　carefully　through　the　rest　of　the　building；　warning　creaks　of　wood　sounding　occasionally　over　their　heads。　Beyond　lay　the　broad　field。　It　looked　to　D'Agosta　like　a　lake　of　blackness。　Pendergast　lit　another　cigarette；　then　knelt　and　moved　forward　cautiously；　blowing　smoke　before　him　once　again；　until　the　first　laser　beam　became　visible；　pencil…thin　and　glowing　dully。　Pendergast　nodded　over　his　shoulder；　and　they　returned　to　the　laborious　work　of　crawling　through　the　field；　keeping　under　the　beams。　
　This　time　the　process　seemed　interminable。　When　D'Agosta　finally　allowed　himself　a　glance　ahead；　he　was　shocked　to　find　they　had　only　reached　the　middle　of　the　field。　
　Just　then　there　was　a　sudden　motion　in　the　grass　ahead　of　them。　A　family　of　hares　burst　into　view；　startled；　leaping　in　several　directions　at　once　and　bounding　off　into　the　blackness。　
　Pendergast　paused；　took　in　another　lungful　of　smoke；　and　blew　it　at　the　spot　where　the　rabbits　had　been。　A　crisscrossing　of　laser　beams　became　visible。　
　〃Nasty　bit　of　luck；〃　he　said。　
　〃Triggered　the　beam？〃　
　〃I'm　afraid　so。〃　
　〃What　do　we　do　now？〃　
　〃We　run。〃　
　Pendergast　leaped　up　and　flew　like　a　bat　across　the　field。　D'Agosta　rose　and　began　to　follow；　doing　his　best　to　keep　up　with　the　agent。　
　Instead　of　heading　back　the　way　they　had　e；　Pendergast　was　making　for　the　woods　to　their　left。　As　they　approached　the　trees；　D'Agosta　heard　distant　shouts　and　the　starting　of　car　engines。　A　moment　later；　several　pairs　of　headlights　came　sawing　across　the　meadow；　trailed　by　the　much　more　brilliant　beam　of　a　mounted　spotlight；　as　a　pair　of　military…style　jeeps　came　tearing　around　the　ruined　buildings。　
　Pendergast　and　D'Agosta　crashed　into　the　dense　undergrowth　of　the　woods；　clawing　through　brambles　and　heavy　brush。　After　a　hundred　yards；　Pendergast　took　a　sharp　turn　and　continued　at　a　right　angle　to　their　previous　course；　the　haversack　bouncing　wildly　on　his　shoulder。　D'Agosta　followed；　heart　hammering　in　his　ears。　
　Pendergast　took　another　sharp　turn　and　they　plunged　on。　Suddenly　they　emerged　onto　an　old　road　filled　with　waist…high　grass。　They　pushed　through　it；　D'Agosta　struggling　to　keep　Pendergast　in　sight。　Already　he　was　growing　winded；　but　fear　and　adrenaline　spurred　him　on。　
　A　powerful　beam　lanced　down　the　length　of　the　road　and　they　dived　to　the　ground。　Once　it　swept　past；　Pendergast　was　up　and　running　again；　this　time　into　another　copse　at　the　far　end　of　the　abandoned　road。　More　beams　flickered　through　the　trees；　farther　away；　and　voices　floated　toward　them　over　the　sullen　air。　
　Inside　the　copse；　Pendergast　stopped　to　pull　out　his　map　and　scan　it　with　the　green　flashlight　while　D'Agosta　caught　up。　Then　they　continued　on；　this　time　along　a　gentle　rise。　The　woods　grew　thicker；　and　it　seemed　they　had　managed　to　put　space　between　themselves　and　their　pursuers。　For　the　first　time；　D'Agosta　allowed　himself　to　hope　they　might　escape；　after　all。　
　The　trees　thinned　and　D'Agosta　saw　a　scattering　of　starlight。　And　then　suddenly　rising　before　them　was　an　immensity　of　black…a　wall；　twenty　feet　high；　all　rotten　bricks；　dangling　vegetation；　and　vines。　
　〃This　isn't　on　the　map；〃　said　Pendergast。　〃Another　blast　wall…a　late　addition；　it　seems。〃　
　He　glanced　in　either　direction。　Through　the　trees　below；　D'Agosta　could　see　the　flicker　of　flashlights。　Pendergast　turned　and　ran　along　the　base　of　the　wall。　It　curved　along　the　top　of　a　gentle　ridge；　its　overgrown　rim　outlined　against　the　night　sky。　
　Ahead；　where　the　wall　descended；　D'Agosta　could　see　dancing　lights　through　the　vegetation。　
　〃We　climb；〃　said　Pendergast。　
　He　turned；　seized　a　root；　pulled　himself　up。　D'Agosta　did　likewise。　He　grabbed　a　stem；　another；　found　a　foothold。　In　his　haste；　one　of　the　plants　tore　out　of　the　wall；　sending　down　a　shower　of　rotting　brick。　D'Agosta　dangled；　recovered。　He　could　see　Pendergast　already　far　above　him；　climbing　like　a　cat。　The　lights　below　were　ing　up　the　hill；　while　another　group　to　their　right　was　also　closing　in。　
　〃Faster！〃　Pendergast　hissed。　
　D'Agosta　seized　a　vine；　another；　slipping；　scrambling；　one　leg　scrabbling　in　space。　
　He　n