Read Online The Bourne Supremacy by Robert Ludlum - Free Book Online
Authors: Robert Ludlum
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Kowloon, Macao and all the territories are part of their so-called "great nation under heaven", even the China Accords make that clear. It's one entity, and the Oriental won't tolerate a disobedient child, you know that. '
'Are you telling me that one man pretending to be Jason Bourne can do this - can bring about this kind of crisis? I don't believe you!'
'It's an extreme scenario, but yes, it could happen. You see, the myth rides with him, that's the hypnotic factor. Multiple killings are ascribed to him, if Only to distance the real killers from the scenes - conspirators from the politically fanatic right and left using Bourne's lethal image as their own. When you think about it, it's precisely the way the myth itself was created. Whenever anyone of importance anywhere in the South China area was assassinated, you, as Jason Bourne, made sure the kill was credited to you. At the end of two years you were notorious, yet in fact you killed only one man, a drunken informer in Macao who tried to garrotte you. '
'I don't remember that,' said David.
The man from State nodded sympathetically. 'Yes, I was told. But don't you see, if the killings are perceived as political and powerful figures - let's say the Crown governor, or a PRC negotiator, anyone like that - is assassinated, the whole colony is in an uproar.' McAllister paused, shaking his head in weary dismissal. 'However, this is our concern, not yours, and I can tell you we have the best men in the intelligence community working on it. Your concern is yourself, Mr Webb. And right now, as a matter of conscience, it's mine. You have to be protected. '
That file,' said Marie coldly, 'should never have been given to anyone?
'We had no choice. We work closely with the British; we had to prove that Treadstone was over, finished. That your husband was thousands of miles away from Hong Kong. '
'You told them where he was?' shouted Webb's wife. 'How dare you?"
'We had no choice,' repeated McAllister, again rubbing his forehead. 'We have to co-operate when certain crises arise.
Surely you can understand that. '
'What I can't understand is why there ever was a file on my husband!' said Marie, furious. 'It was deep, deep, cover?
'Congressional funding of intelligence operations demanded it. It's the law. '
'Get off it!' said David angrily. 'Since you're so up on me, you know where I come from. Tell me, where are all those records on Medusa?
'I can't answer that,' replied McAllister.
'You just did,' said Webb.
'Dr Panov pleaded with you people to destroy all the Treadstone records,' insisted Marie. 'Or at the very least to use false names, but you wouldn't even do that. What kind of men are you?
'I would have agreed to both? said McAllister with sudden, surprising force. 'I'm sorry, Mrs Webb. Forgive me. It was before my time... Like you, I'm offended. You may be right, perhaps there never should have been a file. There are ways-'
'Bullshit,' broke in David, his voice hollow. 'It's part of another strategy, another trap. You want Carlos, and you don't care how you get him. '
'I care, Mr Webb, and you don't have to believe that, either. What's the Jackal to me - or the Far East Section? He's a European problem. '
'Are you telling me I spent three years of my life hunting a man who didn't mean a goddamned thing?5
'No, of course not. Times change, perspectives change. It's all so futile sometimes. '
'Jesus Christ!'
'Loosen up, David,' said Marie, her attention briefly on the man from State, who sat pale in his chair, his hands gripping the arms. 'Let's all loosen up.' Then she held her husband's eyes with her own. 'Something happened this afternoon, didn't it?
'I'll tell you later, '
'Of course.' Marie looked at McAllister as David sank back in his chair, his face lined and tired, older than it had been only minutes ago. 'Everything you've told us is leading up to something, isn't it?' she said to the man from State. There's something else you want us to know.
'Are you telling me that one man pretending to be Jason Bourne can do this - can bring about this kind of crisis? I don't believe you!'
'It's an extreme scenario, but yes, it could happen. You see, the myth rides with him, that's the hypnotic factor. Multiple killings are ascribed to him, if Only to distance the real killers from the scenes - conspirators from the politically fanatic right and left using Bourne's lethal image as their own. When you think about it, it's precisely the way the myth itself was created. Whenever anyone of importance anywhere in the South China area was assassinated, you, as Jason Bourne, made sure the kill was credited to you. At the end of two years you were notorious, yet in fact you killed only one man, a drunken informer in Macao who tried to garrotte you. '
'I don't remember that,' said David.
The man from State nodded sympathetically. 'Yes, I was told. But don't you see, if the killings are perceived as political and powerful figures - let's say the Crown governor, or a PRC negotiator, anyone like that - is assassinated, the whole colony is in an uproar.' McAllister paused, shaking his head in weary dismissal. 'However, this is our concern, not yours, and I can tell you we have the best men in the intelligence community working on it. Your concern is yourself, Mr Webb. And right now, as a matter of conscience, it's mine. You have to be protected. '
That file,' said Marie coldly, 'should never have been given to anyone?
'We had no choice. We work closely with the British; we had to prove that Treadstone was over, finished. That your husband was thousands of miles away from Hong Kong. '
'You told them where he was?' shouted Webb's wife. 'How dare you?"
'We had no choice,' repeated McAllister, again rubbing his forehead. 'We have to co-operate when certain crises arise.
Surely you can understand that. '
'What I can't understand is why there ever was a file on my husband!' said Marie, furious. 'It was deep, deep, cover?
'Congressional funding of intelligence operations demanded it. It's the law. '
'Get off it!' said David angrily. 'Since you're so up on me, you know where I come from. Tell me, where are all those records on Medusa?
'I can't answer that,' replied McAllister.
'You just did,' said Webb.
'Dr Panov pleaded with you people to destroy all the Treadstone records,' insisted Marie. 'Or at the very least to use false names, but you wouldn't even do that. What kind of men are you?
'I would have agreed to both? said McAllister with sudden, surprising force. 'I'm sorry, Mrs Webb. Forgive me. It was before my time... Like you, I'm offended. You may be right, perhaps there never should have been a file. There are ways-'
'Bullshit,' broke in David, his voice hollow. 'It's part of another strategy, another trap. You want Carlos, and you don't care how you get him. '
'I care, Mr Webb, and you don't have to believe that, either. What's the Jackal to me - or the Far East Section? He's a European problem. '
'Are you telling me I spent three years of my life hunting a man who didn't mean a goddamned thing?5
'No, of course not. Times change, perspectives change. It's all so futile sometimes. '
'Jesus Christ!'
'Loosen up, David,' said Marie, her attention briefly on the man from State, who sat pale in his chair, his hands gripping the arms. 'Let's all loosen up.' Then she held her husband's eyes with her own. 'Something happened this afternoon, didn't it?
'I'll tell you later, '
'Of course.' Marie looked at McAllister as David sank back in his chair, his face lined and tired, older than it had been only minutes ago. 'Everything you've told us is leading up to something, isn't it?' she said to the man from State. There's something else you want us to know.
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