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Steal The Sun(战争间谍)-第20部分
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home。 If Finn is organizing the search; he’ll learn you turned up here after he warned you off in
Oakland。”
Hecht started to protest; but Vanessa kept on talking。
“What’s the name of a respectable hotel?” she asked。
“Uh – the Mayfair。 It’s off Union Square。”
“Good。 Go there。 Get a room in the name of John Brent。 Stay there and do nothing until I call
you。”
“But what about my newspaper story?”
“What about the country that trained you in return for your help in a crisis like this?”
Hecht shifted uncomfortably。 Vanessa knew that he had not expected to be called so soon; nor
to have to give up so much。
“Finn would only cripple you;” she said。 “If you don’t obey me; I will kill you。 But;” lied
Vanessa; “if you obey me; you will be a rich man and a hero of Russia。 Which will it be; Hecht?
Finn or me?”
“I’ll be in the Mayfair。”
San Francisco
10 Hours After Trinity
The Fragrant Petal was in a section of San Francisco that had been called Little Tokyo until
1941。 Since Pearl Harbor; Mexicans; Koreans; Chinese and a few whites had moved in; buying
homes and businesses from relocated Japanese at a price barely higher than outright
confiscation。
Even so; the area was less crowded than other parts of the city。 Many businesses were boarded
up; and many signs offered rooms for rent; cheap。 There were more Mexicans on the street than
Orientals; and enough fair skins so that Vanessa would not draw too much attention。
She drove slowly past the Fragrant Petal。 It was a flower shop rather than teahouse; and in great
need of paint。 Though the sign said CLOSED; she thought she saw someone moving behind the
grimy window。
Another pass by the shop did not reveal any further movement。 Vanessa drove on slowly;
weighing and rejecting options。
Masarek was dead。
Refugio was hiding。
The FBI was searching Ho’s laundry; which meant that the uranium had not been in the van。 She
must assume that the U…235 was with Refugio; she hoped that he was inside the Fragrant Petal。
Slowly; Vanessa drove by the flower shop。 The door was closed。 No one moved behind the
windows。 The shop looked as deserted as the Reyes Funeral Home that was next door。 She
drove down the block; watching the shop in the rearview mirror。 No one appeared in the
window。
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She wished that Masarek were alive。 Together they could have turned the shop and its occupants
inside out。 To… gethcr they could have – but Masarek was dead and she dared not contact any
other Russian agents in the Bay Area for fear that they were under surveillance。 She must protect
herself。 She was Russia’s only lead to the uranium。 She must be bold; yes; but also careful。
A sign; ROOM FOR RENT; FURNISHED; caught her eye。 The room was on the second floor
of a Victorian building across and down the street from the Fragrant Petal。 The window looked
like it would give a clear view of the shop。
The landlord was an old Mexican with a heavy accent; a light handshake and a pimp’s smile。 The
room was dirty; furnished with once…elegant Oriental pieces; and looked as though it had been
decorated by a blind man。 But the room’s view of the street was even better than Vanessa
expected。
“I’ll take it;” Vanessa said。
“When do you want to move in?”
“I’ll pay beginning today;” she said; “although I’ll only need the room occasionally。”
“Five dollars more for every man you bring to your room。”
Vanessa nearly laughed。 “That’s far too much。 One dollar。”
“Four。”
“Two。”
“Three…fifty;” said the old man; settling in for an enjoyable bargaining session。
“One…fifty。”
Startled by the unexpected turn of bargaining; the Mexican said in disbelief; “But that’s less than
your second offer!”
“Yes;” agreed Vanessa。 She fanned two months’ rent in her hand。 “And if you don’t take
one…fifty; my next offer will be even less。”
The landlord reached for the bills; but Vanessa hung on to them。 “One…fifty?” she said; her blue
eyes wide and innocent。
“Yes;” grumbled the man; counting the money。 He pulled two keys from his pocket and
slammed them on a table。 “The telephone is downstairs。”
He shut the door behind him with the vigor of a man half his age。 Vanessa slipped the deadbolt
and went to the bay window。 It was covered by curtains that allowed her to look down at the
street without being seen。 She dragged a chair over and began watching the front door of the
Fragrant Petal。
San Francisco
11 Hours 2 Minutes After Trinity
A green Plymouth cab pulled up a block away from the Fragrant Petal。
“You sure you got it right this time; buddy?” asked the cabbie。
“Yes。”
Kestrel had made the cabbie drive around the block several times; pretending not to be sure of
the location。 When he was convinced that the Fragrant Petal was not a trap; he told the cabbie to
pull over。
“It was hard;” said Kestrel。 “So many changes since I went to war。”
“Yeah。 Sure thing。”
Kestrel pulled out his suitcase; waited for the cab to disappear around the corner; then crossed
the street and walked briskly toward the peeling storefront called the Fragrant Petal。 Like Ana;
he deplored the shallow translation。 Unlike her; he did not denigrate the English language。 It was
a fine language for scientific inquiry。
Inside the shop; Ana was standing at her father’s former worktable; fashioning sprays and
wreaths。 Arranging flowers was the one part of her childhood that she remembered with
pleasure; the brilliant colors and petal textures shifting beneath her hands。 The pungence of
stems and greenery had not changed; nor had the sweet essence of petals。 Her fingers; however;
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had。 They were slow where they once had been quick; awkward where they once had been
skilled。
“Damn!” she muttered; stabbing an errant spray of scarlet gladiolus into the pottery frog at the
bottom of the vase。
The thick stem bent; the flower canted out at an awkward angle。
“Damned useless thing!” said Ana beneath her breath; pulling out stems until the frog was bare
once more。 “The flower stems are limp and there aren’t even any lead frogs。 How can anyone
make anything?”
“It would require patience;” suggested Kestrel softly。
“Oh!” The pottery frog crashed to the floor。 “Kestrel!” she cried。 “I didn’t hear – how did you
– are you all right?”
Kestrel smiled swiftly and touched Ana’s cheek with his fingertips。 She was so American;
impatient and transparent。 “My name is Captain Ikedo。 I’m your cousin and I’m fine;” said
Kestrel; speaking rapid Japanese。 “But you call me Kestrel because as a boy I was obsessed with
sparrow hawks。”
His dark glance flicked around the back room of the shop。 There was no one else nearby。
Kestrel removed his overseas cap and loosened the knot of his black uniform tie as if these were
things he did every day。 He walked over and stood beside Ana; selected a new pottery frog and
began to rebuild the flower arrangement。
“Tell me what happened;” he said; his voice both calm and commanding。
Ana watched his fingers – deft; gentle; skilled – and remembered when he had touched her as he
now touched flowers。 His hands paused。 He was watching her。
“I don’t know all of it;” she said quickly。 “I waited behind the curtain as you told me to do。 I
couldn’t see the street。 For a long time nothing happened。 Then; after dawn; there were shots。 I
looked out just as a car turned around and raced by me on the street。 There was another shot;
maybe more; from the van。”
Ana took a long breath to ease the fear that rose in her when she remembered the silence and
fog; shots and fear and a van full of blood。
“I – I waited; but no one got out of the van。” She touched Kestrel’s arm in a silent bid for
understanding。 “I know you told me to wait for Refugia; but I was afraid he was – dead。”
“You did well;” murmured Kestrel。
Some of Ana’s rigidity left her。 She drew a ragged breath and began to speak more slowly。 “The
van – inside the van there was so much blood。” She swallowed。 “Dead men and blood
everywhere。”
Ana stared at the glowing red of the petals she had unconsciously crushed in her fist。
“Is Refugio dead?” asked Kestrel。
“No。” Ana turned her hand upside down; letting crushed petals fall to the floor。 “His leg; here;”
she said; touching the top of Kestrel’s thigh。 “Like a furrow plowed in raw meat。”
“Can he walk?”
“With help; yes。 He says it’s nothing。” Ana smiled。 “A long scab and a limp。 Except it hasn’t
stopped bleeding yet and he’s been very sick; throwing up and – “ She handed Kestrel a frond
of pale green fern。 “He’s been better in the last few hours; I think。”
Kestrel frowned。 It did not sound like a superficial leg wound。 “Is the bullet still in his leg?”
“No。 It’s a furrow;” repeated Ana。 She reached for the modeling clay used in complex flower
arrangements。 With her thumbnail she gouged a shallow trough across the clay。 “Like this。”
“Where is he?”
“I moved him next door; to his cousin’s funeral parlor。 There wasn’t enough privacy here。 Too
many people in and out。 And you told us to keep the businesses open; to act normally。”
Kestrel’s fingers paused; then he selected a flawless white rose and anchored it in the frog;
completing his work。 He had duplicated her flower arrangement; except that he substituted the
single white rose for her stalk of blood…colored gladiolus。 The result; like Kestrel himself; was
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strong and poised。
Ana led Kestrel to the interior door that connected the flower shop with the Reyes Funeral
Home。 As he put his hand on the door; he turned toward her。
“Memories can be as cruel as knives;” Kestrel said。 “Do not cut yourself more than you must;
Ana。 It was karma that brought you here。 When it is time; karma will take you away again。”
He was gone before Ana could find her voice to answer。
Kestrel was in a room without windows; without air。 In one corner was a shapeless; eerie blue
glow。 Kestrel had never seen a blue so pure; no tint of purple; no tone of green; nothing but a
flawless blue blush emanating from… what?
His hand fumbled for the wall switch。 Blue disappeared in a soundless explosion of white light
splintering off a porcelain table。 In the center of the table were two white; oddly shaped chunks
of metal; one of which was three times larger than xhe other。 The two pieces were less than a
hand’s width apart。
Swiftly; Kestrel’s fingers snapped off the light。 Blue suffused the area where the white metal
pieces had been。 Kestrel felt an instant of incredible elation。 He stood motionless; his hand on
the light switch; transfixed by the eerie blue light。 The binding power of the universe lay before
him; radiating energy as though alive。 And it was alive; the embryo of a deadly cloud eight miles
tall。 With that metal; he controlled the future of his country as surely as he controlled the light
switch on the wall。
But then a secondary realization drenched him like icy rain; making his skin contract in a reaction
as old as man。 He was looking at the radioactive heart of an atomic bomb; and that heart was
deadly to human flesh。
“Pretty; yes?” said a low voice。 “As blue as the eyes of God。”
Kestrel’s hand hit the switch again。 Light flooded the room; revealing what he had overlooked
the first time – Refugio; lying motionless on a gurney a few feet beyond the radioactive glow。
It took every bit of Kestrel’s discipline not to scream at Refugio’s lethal stupidity。 The Japanese
was a physicist before he was a spy; he knew that unshielded radioactive material could be as
deadly as curare。
“Yes;” he said; his voice ragged in spite of his control。 “They’re very pretty。 Where is their
box?”
“Box?”
“What they were packed in。”
“Oh;” Refugio’s voice was casual。 “That was too heavy。 Masarek told us to leave it。”
“Too heavy;” repeated Kestrel。 “Was it big?”
Refugio was lying on his back; his hands on his abdomen as though to hold back cramps。 The
bandage on his thigh was crimson。 His face was the color of old ivory。
“Not very。” Refugio pulled himself upright with a motion that sent the gurney wheeling closer to
the embalming table。 “About like this;” he said; sketching the canister with hands that shook。
“Lead? Was it lead that made it so heavy?”
Refugio shrugged。 “Who knows? It was very heavy; Se?or Kestrel。 Madonna! Even Salvador
could not lift it。”
At the mention of Salvador’s name; Refugio’s expression changed。 “Salvador is dead。 So is
Lopez。” He sighed。 “Masarek; too。 He was hard to kill; that one。”
“The woman;” said Kestrel。 “Is she dead; too?”
“She killed Salvador。 I don’t know if he hurt her first。 I shot at her but it was foggy and my
leg…” Refugio shrugged again。 “I think the whore is alive。”
Kestrel drew a breath; feeling elation slide away。 Masarek was dead; but the blonde was still free。
She would be gathering other agents to her; planning a means of stealing back the uranium。 The
Russian spy network had the regenerative power of a gifted; mythic snake: so long as the head
remained intact; new bodies could be grown。
All he had was Ana and Refugio。
Page 103
“You’ve been sick;” said Kestrel。
“It’s the water;” said Refugio; laughing feebly at his joke。
“It’s more than water。 Can you walk?”
“Of course。”
“Prove it。 Take the smaller piece of metal and put it over there。”
Refugio looked from the uranium to the table Kestrel had indicated on the far side of the room。
“But why?”
“Do it。”
Refugio eased himself off the gurney。 Using the wheeled table as a rolling crutch; he approached
the embalming table。
Kestrel watched; knowing the Mexican was absorbing an enormous amount of radiation。 But
Kestrel suspected that it mattered no more than shooting bullets into a corpse。
The uranium rang; bell…like; when Refugio dropped it on the metal table at the far end of the
room。 Kestrel turned out the lights and stared intently。
“The pretty blue light;” said Refugio; “is gone。”
Kestrel stared silently; intently。 Both spheres had been heavily irradiated。 He could not guess at
the consequences。 After a few minutes; he still could not be sure whether it was radioactivity or
his imagination that imbued the separate metal chunks with a vague flicker of blue life。 He
blinked; then his hand swept up; bringing light back into the room。 “I’ll need containers。”
“There are the sacks we brought them in。”
“What?”
“The canvas laundry bags。”
Kestrel made a dismissing motion with his hand。 “I need something heavy; something that will
absorb atomic particles。”
“What?”
“Iron or steel;” said Kestrel。 “Lead would be best。”
“Why not gold as well?” said Refugio sarcastically。 “It’s heavy and it’s not so much more
difficult to get than lead。” The Mexican stared at Kestrel。 “Or had the se?or forgotten that Los
Estados Unidos is at war with Japan and such things as lead arc so hard to get that my cousin
wanted me to smuggle it here from Mexico?”
“Did you?”
“Too heavy;” sighed Refugio。 “Besides; my cousin soon discovered that not many Mexicans
here can afford a lead…lined coffin。 My cousin Raul even sold his flower holders for scrap when
the price went high enough。”
Kestrel swore silently。 “I must have lead!”
Refugio licked his dry lips。 “I have other cousins; se?or。 For a price; they will get you your
lead。”
“How? Where?”
“That’s their problem; se?or。 Yours is to pay for it。”
Kestrel almost laughed。 Money was the least of his problems。 “Arrange it;” he said。
Sonoma County; California
19 Hours 15 Minutes After Trinity
It was dark; with only a thin moon…smile to aid the men creeping through the vineyard into the
Salerno Brothers winery。
“Chingón!” muttered Griego Rincón as he stumbled over a two…by…four abandoned in the
weeds in back of their winery。
“Shut up!” hissed Franco in Spanish。 “Pick up your feet; cabrón! The house is not so far away
that you can curse at the moon!”
Griego looked at the house on a knoll more than a hundred meters away。 There were several
lights still on in the second story of the old mansion。 He walked with more care。 His cousin
Page 104
Refugio would not bail incompetent thieves out of jail。
Franco Rincón stood very quietly; listening to the night。 Other than a dog’s distant barking;
there was no sound。 Apparently no one at the house had heard Griego stumble and swear。
“Come on;” breathed Franco; jerking Griego’s sleeve in silent command。
The two men slipped into the dense moon…shadow of an old fieldstone winery。 They knew the
way; in daylight they worked at the winery。 Franco pulled a tire iron from his belt。 He put the
flattened end between the steel hasp and the heavy wooden door and yanked down hard。 The
hasp gave way with a squeal。
Again; Franco waited with his head up; nostrils flared like a wolf trying to scent enemies。 At the
house; a dog barked until there was a shout from the bedroom。 Silence returned like another
shade of black。 The heavy door opened soundlessly。 Griego had oiled it earlier in the day when
he was sweeping out the winery。 Inside; the sharp…sweet smell of fermentation settled around the
men。 The building was windowless; the darkness complete。
Franco pulled out a flashlight that he had taped until only a pencil of light shone out。 He swept
the light around; but there was no one and nothing he had not expected to see。
“Over there;” whispered Griego; pulling on Franco’s hand。
The flashlight wobbled; then fixed on an old wine…bottling machine。 Empty bottles; metal
pincers and bottle holders gleamed dully in the light。 A roll of scarlet foil and a roll of bright red
labels dangled overhead。 A half…filled case of burgundy sat at the end of the conveyor belt。
Franco went quickly to the conveyor belt。 With a muttered curse; he grabbed Griego by the
arm。
“Where’s the rest of it?” he snarled。
Griego cringed away from the fingers。 He gestured at the cartons of burgundy that had been
filled in the last few days。 “There! On the bottles!”
Griego’s gestures knocked the half…filled carton of wine off the conveyor belt。 With a sound like
the end of the world; bottles exploded against the floor。 The reek of green wine rose from
curved shards of glass。
On the hill; the dog barked again; urgently。
Franco grabbed what he had come for and headed out of the bottling room。 Griego hesitated;
picked up a full case of burgundy and followed Franco’s flashlight。
The two men hurried awkwardly out of the winery; across the dirt farm…road and into the
concealment of chest…high rows of vines。 At a clumsy trot; Franco crossed the sandy vineyard to
another dirt road where his car was parked beneath a tree。
The dog’s bark continued sporadically; then faded into a silence disturbed only by the faint
sound of a car receding into the distance; leaving a thin wake of dust beneath the moon。
San Francisco
25 Hours 31 Minutes After Trinity
The restaurant on Market Street catered to the all…night crowd from the Tenderloin district。
Riley toyed with the limp strands of pasta coated with tomato sauce and olive oil。 He took a
tentative bite。 Finn ate hungrily。 Riley put down his fork。
“How the hell did I let you talk me into this?” said Riley。
“There was nothing else left to do。 The FBI is watching every known or suspected communist
agent; one of them has been approached by a blond woman with a Br
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