Chapter 2 the other side of the wedge

davidGringold was born in Brooklyn, a neighborhood that couldn't be more American, on the occasion of his bar mitzvah On the sixth Sabbath, go to the synagogue, hold the coming-of-age ceremony and receive the blessing, and become a Jew who is responsible for himself. Bar Mitzvah means the son of the law, emphasizing that men should be able to understand and obey the ten commandments from now on, which also means finding recognition becoming a Jew), an important event changed his life forever.When he announced that I am a man from today, I went to a celebration in his honor to meet some family members who flew to the US from Israel.David's uncle Moses was a wealthy diamond merchant in Israel, and David's father owned seven jewelry stores, the flagship store on Fortieth Street in Manhattan.

While his father and uncle were talking business over California wine, David struck up a conversation with his first cousin, Daniel.Daniel was ten years older than David and had just started working for Mossad, Israel's main overseas intelligence agency.Although he is an out-and-out novice, he already has a stomach full of stories to tell his cousin.Daniel served compulsory service in the Israeli paratroopers, jumping parachute eleven times, and took part in several operations during the 1967 Six-Day War.For him, it was a happy war. The company he belonged to had no serious casualties, and the number of enemies wiped out just made the whole battle look like an adventurous activity; Not too dangerous.So he came to the conclusion that the war was indeed very consistent with his pre-war views and expectations.

Those stories stood in stark contrast to the depressing headlines about Vietnam that were broadcast on television every night at the time.After reaffirming his enthusiasm for his religious beliefs, David quickly decided to immigrate back to the Jewish homeland as soon as possible after graduating from high school.His father served in the 2nd Armored Division of the U.S. Army during World War II, and the experience was not very pleasant, so it is not very pleasant for his son to go to some jungle in Asia to fight a war, whether it is him or those around him. I felt even more unhappy when I was not interested in the war, but David still got on the plane of Israel Airlines as soon as he graduated, and returned to Israel without any favor.He had mastered his Hebrew, finished his military service, and, like his cousin, was called up by Mossad as a new member.

David did so well in this line of work that he became the station master of the Mossarde Rome station, which was not an insignificant position.At the same time, his cousin Daniel left the intelligence service and went back to join the family business, which earned much more than the salary of a civil servant.The operation of the Mossade Rome station kept David busy.He had three full-time intelligence agents under him, who collected a large amount of intelligence data for him, some of which were obtained from an informant they called Hassan.Hassan, who is of Palestinian descent, has good relations with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PELP), but he can share what he learns there with the enemy for money, as long as it is enough money.In fact, he has enough money to buy a comfortable one-story apartment a kilometer from the Italian Congress.David is going to find this person today to collect information.

He had used this meeting place before, in the men's room of Giovanni's restaurant not far below the Spanish Steps.At noon, David had a leisurely meal of the restaurant's signature French beef short ribs. After drinking the white wine, he got up to collect his parcel.This drop point is under the leftmost urinal in the men's toilet. It is a very dramatic choice. The advantage is that this place will never be checked or cleaned.There was a copper plate glued in there, and even if someone noticed it, it would appear to be undamaged from the outside, because it was engraved with the manufacturer's name and a completely meaningless number.He got there, decided to take the opportunity to do what a man would do at a urinal, and as he was doing so, the door creaked open.Although whoever came in wouldn't be interested in giving him a second look, he'd better be careful.So he deliberately dropped the cigarette box on the ground, and when he bent down to pick it up with his right hand, he quickly removed the magnetic box from its hiding place with his left hand.His technique was so subtle that it was almost like a professional magician, using one hand to attract attention while using the other to get the job done.

However, this time it didn't work.Just as he was taking the box down, someone bumped him from behind, which was a rare occurrence. Sorry, man.I mean sir.The tone of the apologetic voice sounded like Oxford English, just the kind of accent that would make an educated person feel a little more comfortable in the situation. David didn't even answer, he just turned to the right, ready to wash his hands and leave.When he went to the sink and turned on the faucet, he also glanced at the mirror. Most of the time, the human brain works much faster than the hands.He saw the blue eyes of the man who hit him, a pair of ordinary eyes that couldn't be more ordinary, but the look in the eyes was not like that.As soon as his intuition ordered his body to react, the man stretched forward his left hand and grabbed his forehead, and then something sharp and cold pierced the back of his neck, just below the skull .His head was jerked back before a knife was gently sent into his spinal cord, severing it completely.

Death did not come immediately.When all the electrochemical commands to the muscles stopped, his body slumped down, and all the sensations disappeared, leaving only the faint burning sensation in his neck, because of the shock that this moment brought him. , the burning sensation did not turn into excruciating pain.He tried to breathe, not realizing he couldn't do it anymore.The man flipped him over like a department store mannequin and carried him into the toilet stall.At this time, all he can do is see with his eyes and think with his brain.He saw a face, but that face meant nothing to him.The other party also looked at him as if looking at a thing or object, not even a look of hatred.When David was placed on the toilet in a sitting position, he could only look around helplessly with his eyes.The man reached into his coat, apparently to steal his wallet.What's going on here, is it just a robbery?Was a high-ranking Mossad official robbed?Impossible!Then the man grabbed David's hair and lifted his drooping head.

Salaam Aleikum (Arabic greeting, meaning peace be upon you)!The killer greeted him in Arabic, so this guy is an Arab?He doesn't look like an Arab at all.David thought the bewilderment must be evident on his face at this moment. Do you really trust Hassan, Jew?The man asked him, and the voice sounded unpleasant, and the stern tone showed even more contempt for David.At the last moment of life, before the brain died of lack of oxygen, David.Only then did Gringold know that he had fallen into one of the oldest espionage traps, the use of bait.Hasan provided information to him in order to confirm his identity and lure him out.What a stupid way to die!There was only enough time left for him to think of another thought:

There is only one true God. The killer first made sure that his hands were clean, and then checked his clothes. In fact, stabbing the body with a knife in this way would not cause a lot of bleeding; he put David's wallet and the box at the drop point into his pocket, Then he tidied up his appearance and went out.He left twenty-three euros on the dining table to pay the bill for the meal, with only a few cents extra as a tip, anyway, he will not come again in a short time.Walking across the piazza when he was done with Giovanni's, he noticed a Brioni store on his way, and it occurred to him that it was time for him to buy a new suit.

The U.S. Marine Corps Command is not located in the Pentagon. The largest office building in the world has enough space for the Army, Navy, and Air Force, but somehow the Marine Corps is left out.So the Marines had to find their own way and locate themselves at the complex known as the Naval Annex in Arlington, Virginia, about a quarter of a mile off the General Lee Highway.This kind of sacrifice is actually not a big deal. The role of the Marine Corps has always been a bit like the oil bottle of the US military. Although technically speaking, the origin of the Marine Corps is to be used as the private army of the Navy. Army soldiers board warships, no matter what, the sea and the army can never get along in a friendly way.

For many years, the Marines themselves were their raison d'être, as they were the only US ground combat force that foreigners had seen in over a hundred years.They don't need to worry about heavy backup supplies, or even medical personnel, because they have Navy brethren to help them out.Every Marine is a guardian of the country, a forbidding symbol to anyone who lacks a passionate heart for America.However, among their American military counterparts, the Marines, while widely respected, are not all that popular because they are too pushy, too ostentatious, and the Marines' sense of public relations is, as far as the military is concerned, It's grown too well. The Marine Corps acts like a small army. It even has its own air force, which is small but powerful.There is now an intelligence chief, though some military personnel see that as an oxymoron.The Marine Corps Intelligence Agency is a new unit, the Corps' effort to keep itself on par with the rest of the services in this regard.This unit is called M｜2, 2 stands for people who work in the intelligence industry, and the director is Terry.Major General Brotton.He is short and dainty, and he is a professional infantryman. information to save lives.Another secret that the Marine Corps thinks is that the first-hand intelligence obtained by its officers and soldiers is the most important, just like those computer experts in the Air Force believe that anyone who is capable of flying a plane must be better than anyone Everyone is smart.Eleven months from now, Brotton would be ready to take over the 2nd Marine Division, stationed in Lehoun, North Carolina.This happy news had only been received a week ago, and until now his emotions had been steeped in the excitement of learning about it. The news for Brian.Good news for Captain Caruso, too.Going to see a general doesn't make him terrified, but he must be cautious.He's wearing a class A olive green uniform with an officer's belt and all the medals he's ever got, not many but some really nice ones and gold paratrooper badges and a bunch of marksmanship medals, even if he's been in the infantry all his life General Brotton should also be impressed by those shooting medals. The director of M|2, the director of intelligence, had a lieutenant colonel who ran errands and a black female gunnery sergeant as his personal secretary.The young captain was taken aback by this, but immediately reminded himself that no one ever questioned the logic of the Marine Corps.They often say that two hundred and thirty years of unfettered tradition is also progressing. The general can see you now, captain.The private secretary raised her head and said to him while listening to the phone on the seat. Thank you, Sergeant.Caruso said.He stood up and walked towards the office door, and the sergeant opened the door for him at the same time. Brotton looked just as Caruso expected, thin, less than six feet tall, with a chest that would deflect even a high-velocity bullet, and hair on his head that was only a little longer than a stubble.Like most Marines, the bad hair days only happen when his hair is longer than half an inch, and that's when he knows it's time for a trip to the barber.The general looked up from the papers he was reviewing, and looked up and down his visitor with cold hazel eyes. Caruso did not salute the general. The Marine Corps is the same as an officer in the Navy. Unless it is armed or wearing a military cap, it does not need to salute.The general looked at him for maybe three seconds, but it felt like a week. Good morning, sir. Please sit down, Captain.The general pointed to a leather chair and said. Caruso sat down, maintaining a generally tall posture except for his legs bent. Do you know why you are here?Brotton asked him. No, sir, they didn't tell me. What do you think of armed reconnaissance? I like it, sir, Caruso replied, I think I lead the best non-commissioned officers in the whole Corps, and I have always been interested in this job. The file says you did pretty well in Afghanistan.Broughton picked up a file folder with red and white striped tape on the side, indicating that it was extremely confidential information.Since special missions usually fall into that category, it's pretty sure that Caruso's mission in Afghanistan won't be on NBC's nightly news. That was a very exhilarating mission, sir. It says you did a great job and everyone came back alive. General, that's mostly because of the SEAL medics that went out with us, and Corporal Ward got a serious gunshot wound, but Sergeant Randle saved him, that's absolutely true.I reported this to him for a medal, and I hope he never gets it. He will, Brotton assured him, and you will, too. Sir, I just did what I was supposed to do. Caruso didn't take it seriously. It's all up to my brothers. That means you're a fine young officer, interrupted the Chief of Marine Corps Intelligence, and I read your mission report, and I've seen Gunnery Sergeant Sullivan's report, in which he stated that, as a young officer, For your first combat mission, you've performed well.Gunnery Major Joe.Sullivan has been to Lebanon, Kuwait, and other places that will never make the news on television.Sullivan had been with me before.Brotton told his guests that it was time for him to be promoted. Caruso nodded and said, "That's right, sir, he really should go to the next level." I've seen the personnel evaluation report you wrote for him.The director of intelligence patted another file folder, but there was no super-secret mark on that file folder.You really don't hesitate to praise your brothers, Captain, why? This question made Caruso blink for a long time.Sir, they really did very well. I couldn't have expected a better performance under any circumstances. I would take this group of Marines against anyone in the world.Even those few recruits would one day become sergeants, and two of them showed from beginning to end that they were master sergeants.These guys are hard workers and smart enough to get things right before I even open my mouth.At least one of them is officer stuff, sir, and that's my brethren, and I'm lucky enough to be at home to lead them. You also train them extremely well.Broton added. This is my job.sir. Not anymore, Captain. What does it mean?sir?I have fourteen more months to stay in this battalion, and I don't know where my next post will be.Although he would be very happy to stay in the Second Reconnaissance Group forever, Caruso actually felt that he should soon take up the vacancy of the major, and he might be transferred to the battalion to serve as the operations officer of the Division Reconnaissance Battalion. official. That CIA guy who went with you to Afghanistan, how did you feel working with him? James.Hardest?He was said to have been in the Army Special Forces before, and he was about forty years old, but he was still in good shape for a man his age.He speaks two local languages ​​and doesn't scare the shit out of him even when things get rough.He put it this way, he helped me a lot and was a good partner. The director of intelligence picked up the top secret folder again.He said in this report that you saved his life in that ambush. Sir, there's no one who's been better at being ambushed than he is.I was setting up the satellite radio at the time, and Mr. Hardesty and Corporal Ward went up ahead to scout, and those bastards picked a very clever spot, but they showed themselves first, and attacked Hardesty too early. One round missed him and we outflanked them from the uphill.Their defenses were not good enough, and Gunnery Sergeant Sullivan led his squad to outflank from the right, and when he reached the fixed position, I rushed in with my men in the middle.The entire operation took ten to fifteen minutes in total, and Gunnery Sergeant Sullivan killed our target with a single shot to the head from ten meters away.Although we wanted to keep alive, the circumstances at the time made it impossible for us to do so.Caruso shrugged.It is true that superiors can give officers the opportunity to educate, but it is by no means at such an urgent moment.That guy had no intention of being captured by the Americans at all. When he met that kind of person, it was impossible to capture him alive.The final result of the fighting between the two sides was that one of the marines was shot so badly that he killed sixteen Arabs, plus two alive for the intelligence guys to interrogate.The outcome was better than anyone expected.Afghans are brave, but they are not crazy; or more precisely, they choose to be martyred in their own way. So what have you learned?asked Brotton. There's no such thing as overtraining, sir, and there's no such thing as too good a situation. Real conditions are messier than practice.Like I said, the Afghans are brave, but they're not trained.And you never know who will be ready to fight you and who will give in to you.They taught us at Quantico to trust our intuition, but they don't give you intuition as equipment, and you can never be sure if your intuition is right or wrong.Caruso shrugged and went on to say what he thought, I think this method is fine for me and my marines, but I can't say I know why. Don't think too much, Captain.When chaos occurs, there is no time to think it through, you have to think it through first.It depends on how you train your people and how you give them their due responsibilities.You mentally prepare yourself for the task, but you never assume you know what form the task will take.By all accounts, you're doing everything right.You impress this guy Hardesty on you, he's a decent guy, and that's how it came about today.Broton made his conclusion. Excuse me, sir? The CIA wants to talk to you, the Director of Intelligence announces, they have a selection and your name is on it. What do you want me to do, sir? That didn't tell me.They're looking for someone who can go on field missions, not espionage I don't think.Probably some paramilitary operation in the Bureau, I guess it's a new counter-terrorist unit.I can't say I'm glad I'm about to lose a promising young Marine, but I'm okay with it.You have full freedom to decide whether to decline the job, but you must talk to them first before doing so. I understand.In fact, he still doesn't really understand. It could be that you remind them of another ex-Marine who was doing really well.Broughton said a little to himself. You mean Uncle Jack?God, I'm sorry, sir, I've been hiding things like this since I was in Marine Corps school.I'm just a marine captain officer, sir, and I'm not asking for anything else. very good.These two words were the only words Brotton could think of.He saw in front of him a promising young officer who knew everything in the Marine Corps officer code and hadn't forgotten a single important part.If anything, he was just too involved, but Brotton himself has been like that before.Well, you've got to be over there in two hours to meet a man named Peter.Alexander guy, this guy used to be in Special Forces too, he was in charge of operations in Afghanistan in the CIA in the 1980s.I've heard he's a nice guy, but he's too lazy to develop his expertise, so watch out for your own skills being stolen, Captain.Broton concluded. Yes, sir.Caruso agreed, standing up at attention at the same time. The Director of Intelligence smiled cordially at his visitor.Always keep faith, boy. As ordered, sir.Caruso left Brotton's office and nodded to the gunnery sergeant when he went out, but he didn't say a word to the lieutenant colonel, and the lieutenant colonel didn't even raise his head.Caruso walked downstairs, thinking about what would happen to him. Hundreds of miles away, another man named Caruso was thinking the same thing.As one of the nation's premier law enforcement agencies, the FBI's reputation was built on its investigations of interstate kidnappings, especially after the passage of the Lindbergh Act in 1930.The Bureau of Investigation has repeatedly successfully solved cases, which has greatly reduced the number of cases of kidnapping for money. At least it has a deterrent effect on those criminals who are smarter.The bureau cracked every kidnapping case, making it clear to professional criminals that committing this type of crime was a game of losers and losers.This situation continued for many years until kidnappers who did not commit crimes for money appeared.But that kind of criminal is much harder to catch. This morning, Penelope.Davidson went missing on her way to kindergarten. Her parents reported her disappearance to local police within an hour of her disappearance, and the sheriff immediately contacted the FBI.According to the procedures, the FBI must intervene as soon as possible, because the victim is likely to have been taken to another state.Georgetown, Alabama is only an hour and a half from the Mississippi state line, so the Birmingham office of the FBI began investigating the case as soon as it received the news.In the code name of the Bureau of Investigation, the code name for this kind of kidnapping case is 7. As soon as almost every operative in the Birmingham office saw this code, they all jumped into the car and drove towards the agricultural town in the southwest, but every operative The members were very afraid that they would make a trip in vain.Time is of the essence in kidnappings, and most victims are sexually assaulted and killed within four to six hours.There is no way to save the child so quickly unless a miracle occurs, but miracles rarely occur. Most of these operators are men with wives and children. It is because they think there is still a glimmer of hope, so they are desperately handling the case.The Assistant Special Agent in Charge (ASAC) of the Birmingham office was the first to speak to the local sheriff.The sheriff's name is Paul.Turner, the bureau felt that the sheriff was an amateur in handling kidnapping cases, which was beyond his competence, and Turner himself thought so.He felt sick to his stomach at the thought that the little girl might be raped and murdered in his precinct, and he readily accepted the FBI's assistance.Every law enforcement officer got a photo of the little girl, and after studying the map, the local police and Bureau of Investigation special agents went to the area between Davidson's home and the school.Every morning for the past two months, the little girl has walked five streets to school, and every resident on that route has been interviewed.In Birmingham, people with criminal convictions for sexual assault within a 100-mile radius will be investigated using computers, and Bureau of Investigation agents and Alabama State Police will also go to interview them.Everyone's home is searched, usually with the owner's consent, but often without it because local judges are lenient with kidnapping cases. To special operator Dominic.For Caruso, this is not his first big case, but the first code-named 7 case.He is unmarried and has no children. When he thinks about the disappearance of his children, he first shudders and then burns with anger.In a kindergarten file photo provided to police, the little girl has blue eyes, blond hair that is turning brown, and an adorable smile.The kidnapping had nothing to do with money. The family was an ordinary blue-collar family. His father was a wiring operator for a contractor for the local power company, and his mother had a part-time job as a nurse's assistant at the county hospital.The couple, both Methodist churchgoers, did not look like child abuse suspects during the initial investigation, but further investigation is needed.There is a senior operator from the Birmingham Field Office, whose specialty is criminal and case profiling. His first profiling report is chilling to read. It reads: This unknown criminal may be a serial kidnapper With a murderer who has a sexual fetish for children and knows that the safest way to commit a crime is to kill the victim after committing the crime. Dominic.Caruso knew that this guy must still be somewhere.Although he is a young operator, he has been away from Quantico for less than a year, but this is already his second field mission A sparrow in a hurricane isn't much better than that.His first assignment was seven months, to Newark, New Jersey, but Alabama was more to his taste.The weather in Alabama is usually bad, but at least it's not as crowded and filthy as Newark and a hive.At this time, he was sent to patrol the west area of ​​Georgetown to see if he could find some useful clues.He was too inexperienced to do effective interviewing, a job that required years of experience, even if Caruso thought he was smart and had a degree in psychology from college. Find a car with a little girl in it, he said to himself, a little girl who isn't in a car seat, he thought.This should make it easier for her to see out of the car and maybe be able to wave for help, so no, the suspect will likely tie her up, handcuff her, or bind her with electrical duct tape, possibly Mouth gagged.There was such a little girl, helpless and frightened.The thought made his hands grip the steering wheel, and the radio broke the silence. Birmingham Base on Mission Unit 7, we have received reports that the suspect was driving a white van, possibly a Ford, white, dirty, with Alabama license plates.If you see a vehicle that matches the description, call us and we'll have the local police check it out. Meaning, don't turn on your lights and pull over that car if you don't have to, Caruso thought.It's time to think about it. What would I do if I was a suspect?Caruso slowed down the speed of the car while thinking about a decent road entry and exit, but it is not a decent secondary road on the main road, the kind that can turn out to a more secluded place.Easy to get in, easy to get out, a place where the neighbors won't see or hear what he's doing. He picked up his walkie-talkie. Caruso vs Birmingham. Please speak, Dominique.The operator on duty in front of the radio replied.The FBI's radio calls are encrypted and not interceptable by anyone unless they have a good codec. White van, how reliable is this clue? One old lady said she went outside to get a newspaper and saw a little girl who matched her appearance talking to a guy standing next to a white van.The likely suspect is a white man of unknown age, but nothing else is known.There is not much information, a little much, but it is all we have.Special agent Sandy.Alice reported. How many people in this area have a history of child abuse?Caruso continued. There's nineteen on the computer records, our guys have talked to them all, no progress so far, that's all we know, man. Got it, Sandy, call over. Caruso continued to drive and continued to patrol.He wondered if this was like what his brother Brian had been through in Afghanistan: alone, hunting the enemy.He began to look for dirt paths that branched off from the main road, wondering which one would have fresh tire tracks on it. Caruso looked down at the picture of the little girl the size of a wallet again, a cute little girl who was just about to start learning the English alphabet.The world was always a safe place for a kid like that, Mommy and Daddy made the rules, she went to Sunday school, she made a crane out of egg cartons and pipe cleaners, she learned to sing Jesus loves me , I know because the Bible tells me so.He kept looking left and right, and there it was, about a hundred yards away, a dirt road leading into the woods.He slowed down and saw that it was a gently curved S-shaped path. There were not many trees in the forest, so he could see a cheaply built house and a corner of a van next to the house. ?But the car is more beige than white. Well, that little old woman who saw the little girl and the van How far apart were they in the sun or in the shade?So many things, so many uncertainties, so many variables.Like the FBI training academy, it can't help you get everything ready. God, the situation is far from having everything.They say the same to you, you have to trust your instincts and experience. But Caruso doesn't even have a year of experience. but He stopped the car. Caruso calls Birmingham. Please speak, Dominique.Sandy.Alice replied. Caruso radioed his location, and I'm going to stop talking for a while and walk in to have a look. Understood, Xiaoduo, did you call the backup police force? No, Sandy.Maybe there is nothing, but I am going to knock on the door and talk to the residents inside. OK, I'll be on call anytime. Caruso didn't have a portable radio, that thing was prepared for the local police, not for the Bureau of Investigation, so now he can't communicate with the outside world except for his mobile phone.His personal gun is Smith.Wesson Model 1076 in the holster next to the right leg.He got out of the car, leaving the door open to avoid making a sound, because people would turn to see who they were when they heard the doors shut. It was a lucky coincidence that he was wearing a green suit that was darker than olive green, Caruso thought, walking to the right to get a first look at the car.He walked quietly, keeping his eyes on the windows of the shabby house, partly hoping to see a face, but partly glad no one appeared. He judged that the Ford was about six years old, with some scratches and dents on the body.The car had come in in reverse, with the side sliding doors close to the house, a bit like what a carpenter or plumber would do, or what a man would do when trying to move a struggling little body.He freed his right hand and left his jacket open.Quick draw is one of those things that every cop in the world practices, usually in front of a mirror, but only an idiot would shoot like that because it's impossible to hit anything that way. Caruso was in no hurry, the window on the driver's side door was open, and the interior was almost empty, with nothing but an unpainted metal floor, spare tire and jack, and a large roll of plumbing duct tape. . You can find this kind of thing everywhere.The ends of the tape are folded back and glued, as if to make it easier for someone to pull off a length of tape without having to pick the end out, as many people do.Finally, he saw a small piece of rug that was tucked in incorrectly, taped to the floor, and just behind the right-hand passenger seat, was there still some tape hanging from the metal seat frame?What's going on here? Why stick there?Caruso thought hard.He suddenly felt the skin on his forearm vibrate, for the first time ever.He'd never personally arrested anyone, or been involved in any felony case, or at least not anything of the sort.Simply put, his job in Newark was to catch fugitives. A total of three fugitives were arrested, and they were usually led by another more experienced operator.He has more experience now than before, a little practice but not enough, he reminded himself. Caruso turned his head and looked into the house, his mind spinning rapidly.How much did he find?not much.Looking at the very ordinary van, there is absolutely no direct evidence in it, but a roll of plumbing duct tape in the empty compartment, and a small piece of rug glued to the metal floor. even so The young operator pulled his mobile phone from his pocket and called the office on speed dial. 聯邦調查局，我能夠幫什麼忙嗎？一個女性的聲音問他。 卡魯索打給艾莉絲。這樣說快一點。 有什麼發現，小多？ 白色福特客貨兩用廂型車，阿拉巴馬州車牌ER六五○一，就停在我現在所在的位置。珊蒂 什麼事，多米尼克？ 我準備去敲這個傢伙的門了。 你需要支援嗎？ 卡魯索想了一秒鐘後說：需要完畢。 有一支郡屬騎警在離你大約十分鐘的地方，請待命。艾莉絲告知他。 收到，待命中。 但是小女孩的性命岌岌可危。 他朝屋子走去，小心地避開能從最近一扇窗戶向外看到的範圍。時間好像靜止了。 當他聽到那聲尖叫時，差點跳了起來。那是一聲令人毛骨悚然的恐怖尖叫，好像某人看見了死神一樣。他的腦筋飛快地轉著，突然發現自己已經把自動手槍用雙手握在胸前，槍口朝著天空。他知道那一定是女人的尖叫聲，於是他喀噠一聲開啟了槍枝的保險。 他盡量在不弄出太多聲音的情況下，快速移動來到門廊，頭頂上是做工粗糙的廉價屋頂。前門是扇把小蟲擋在屋外的金屬紗門。紗門的框需要油漆一下，其實整棟屋子都需要好好油漆一下。這可能是租來的房子，租金很便宜的那種。透過紗門看進去，他似乎能看見裡面有一條通道，往左邊通向廚房，直接通往浴室，從他這裡能夠看見的，只有一個白色搪瓷馬桶跟水槽。 他不知道自己是否有充分的理由進入屋內，但他決定讓自己有足夠的理由進去。他拉開門，盡可能想辦法偷偷摸摸溜進去。通道上鋪著髒兮兮的廉價地毯，他高舉著手槍向前走，全身每一絲感官都處於最靈敏的狀態。隨著他的移動，視線角度也跟著改變，現在他看不到廚房了，但能把浴室裡面看得更清楚。 潘娜洛普．戴維森全身赤裸地躺在浴缸裡，藍瓷般的眼睛圓睜著，喉嚨被人從左耳到右耳割開，全身的血都從這個傷口流出，平坦的前胸跟浴缸都浸在血泊中。她的脖子被用如此兇殘的手段割開，傷口大得看起來就像是第三個嘴巴似的。 奇怪的是，卡魯索的身體沒對此做出什麼反應，只有眼睛記下了這一瞬間的景象，那時候他滿腦子想的都是那個幹下這個慘劇的傢伙還活著，離他只有幾呎而已。 他意識到所聽到的聲音是從左前方傳來的，那是客廳的位置，裡面有台電視。嫌犯應該就在那裡，但裡面可能會有另外一個人嗎？他沒時間去想那麼多了，反正這時他也不特別在意這些。 他慢慢地、小心地移動，心臟有如打鼓般雷鳴著。他緩緩向前，從牆角向裡面偷瞄了一下。他就在那裡，三十幾四十歲的年紀，白人男性，頭髮稀疏，眼睛專注地看著電視，一邊暸飲著鋁罐裝的美樂淡啤酒，電視上播放的是部恐怖片，剛剛的尖叫聲一定是從那兒發出來的。他的表情是滿足的，絕對不是激動的。多米尼克認為，他可能已經激動過了。就在他的右前方天哪！是一把屠刀，上面沾滿了血，放在沙發邊的小桌子上。那傢伙穿的運動衫上面也都是血，就像是噴上去的一樣。那是從小女孩的喉嚨噴出來的。 這些狗雜種的麻煩就是他們絕對不反抗。一名聯邦調查局訓練學院的講師曾在課堂上說過，喔，沒錯，當他們手上有小孩子時，會有約翰．韋恩的架勢，但卻不抵抗配有武器的警察。你也知道，這些傢伙真是丟臉哪。那名講師最後是這麼做結論的。 今天你是不會進監獄的。這個念頭似乎是自動進入卡魯索的心裡。他的右大拇指扳下槍機擊錘，讓手槍處於準備擊發的狀態。有那麼一剎那，他注意到自己的雙手冷得像冰塊一樣。 就在那個角落，向左一轉就能進入客廳的角落，有張破爛的舊茶几。那是張八角型的茶几，上面擺著一個透明的藍色花瓶，很便宜的那種，或許是從當地平價商店買來的，可能是用來插花，但是今天裡面沒有花。卡魯索小心翼翼、慢慢地抬起他的腿，然後把茶几整個踢翻，那只花瓶砸碎在木質地板上時發出巨大的聲響。 嫌犯開始變得狂暴，轉頭看著他屋子裡的這個意外訪客。他的防禦反應是出於本能而不是經過思考的他快速抓起放在小桌子上的屠刀；卡魯索甚至連笑一下的時間都沒有，雖然知道嫌犯已經犯下了一生中最後的錯誤。有個手上拿著刀的人，在距離自己不到二十一呎的地方時，就可以構成生命上的立即威脅，這對一個除惡務盡的美國執法人員而言簡直是天賜良機。那傢伙甚至提起腳步走了過來。 他再也不能這麼做了。 卡魯索扣動史密斯手槍的扳機，把第一發子彈直接送進嫌犯的心臟，不到一秒鐘，他又送出了另外兩發子彈。嫌犯身上的白色運動衫開出了朵朵紅花，他先低頭看看自己的胸口，再抬頭看看卡魯索，臉上寫滿了驚訝，接著他往後坐了下來，半個字都沒有說，也沒有大聲叫痛。 卡魯索下一個動作是朝反方向去檢查這屋子唯一的臥房，裡面沒有人，廚房也沒有，後門仍是從屋裡鎖住的。那一瞬間卡魯索的心裡輕鬆了點，這屋子裡沒有其他人。他又看了那個綁匪一眼，那傢伙的雙眼還是睜開著，但卡魯索可是確確實實地給了對方那幾槍。他先除掉嫌犯手中的武器並用手銬銬住那具死屍，因為他所受的訓練就是這樣；接下來他檢查嫌犯頸動脈的脈搏，那只是在浪費力氣而已，那傢伙除了地獄大門以外什麼都看不見了。卡魯索拿出行動電話用快速鍵撥號，再度打了通電話給辦公室。 小多嗎？電話接通時艾莉絲問道。 沒錯，珊蒂，是我。我才剛把歹徒撂倒。 What?What do you mean by that?Sandy.艾莉絲急迫地問道。 那個小女孩，她在這裡，已經死了，喉嚨被割斷。我進來時，那個傢伙拿刀子對著我衝過來，我幹掉他了，老天。他也死了，真他媽的該死。 天哪，多米尼克！郡警長離那裡只有幾分鐘而已。請待命。 收到，待命中，珊蒂。 還不到一分鐘他就聽到了警笛聲，卡魯索走出來站在門廊上。他把槍上了保險放進槍套裡，從外套口袋裡拿出他的聯邦調查局證件。當警長抵達時，他用左手高舉著證件，警長已經把警用左輪都掏出來了。 情況已經獲得控制。卡魯索盡可能用平靜的聲音宣布道，他現在整個人都還是處於亢奮狀態。他揮手招呼透納警長進屋，自己卻留在屋外。一、兩分鐘後，警長回到屋外，他的史密斯．威森手槍已經收回到槍套裡了。 透納正是好萊塢電影中那種典型的南方警長，體型高大魁梧，有雙強壯的手臂，腰上緊緊繫著一條槍套皮帶，唯一的不同就是他是個黑人。好萊塢電影錯了。 What happened?他問卡魯索。 可以給我一分鐘嗎？卡魯索深深地吸了口氣，想了一下要怎樣去說明整個事件。透納對這件事的了解很重要，因為兇殺案屬於地方罪，他對這種案子有管轄權。 sure.透納伸手從襯衫口袋裡拿出一包酷爾淡菸，接著拿了一支菸給卡魯索，但卡魯索卻搖了搖頭。 這名年輕的幹員坐在沒上油漆的木質地板上，試著在腦海中將整件事拼湊起來。What on earth happened?到底他剛剛做了些什麼事？而現在，他到底需要去解釋些什麼？他心裡有個小小的聲音在告訴他，整件事他一點也不覺得懊悔，至少不會是對那個嫌犯，但這對潘娜洛普而言也他媽的太遲了。如果他能早到一個小時，甚至只要早到半個小時會怎麼樣？那個小女孩今晚再也無法跟我們一起回家，再也不能讓媽媽在她上床時幫她蓋好被子，或是跟爸爸擁抱。就因為這樣，特別幹員多米尼克．卡魯索對整件事並不感到自責，只是懊惱自己來得太遲了。 可以談話了嗎？透納警長問他。 當時我正在找一個像這樣子的地方，我開車經過時，看到一輛廂型車停在那裡。卡魯索開始敘述。不一會兒，他起身帶領警長進入屋內說明其他細節。 總之，我絆倒了茶几，他看到我，便拿起刀子，轉身向我走來。因此，我拔出手槍，對著這個混蛋開了幾槍，我想是三發子彈吧。 嗯哼透納查看屍體，嫌犯並沒有流太多血，三發子彈都是直接貫穿心臟，馬上就停止了心臟輸送血液的能力。 Paul.透納根本沒有那位政府訓練出來的幹員眼中看起來的那麼笨，他注視著那具屍體，接著轉身看著卡魯索開槍的走道，他用眼睛目測著兩者的距離和角度。 所以，警長開口說，你絆倒茶几，嫌犯看到了你，抓起他的刀子，而你，由於擔心你的生命，便拔出你的配槍很快地開了三槍，對不對？ 那就是事情發生的經過，沒錯。 uh-huh.這位每個狩獵季節幾乎都能打到一頭鹿的男人審視著一切。 透納警長伸手從右褲口袋裡拿出鑰匙圈，那是他父親送的禮物，他父親是老伊利諾中央鐵路公司的行李搬運員。那是個老式的鑰匙圈，上面焊著一枚一九四八年的銀幣，樣式很老舊，大約有一吋半寬。警長把它拿到綁匪的胸前比了一下，這枚舊硬幣的直徑完全蓋住了那三發槍彈射入的傷口，警長用很懷疑地眼神看了一會兒，但是當他的眼睛向浴室瞟過去，在表達他對這個事件的觀點前，眼神便柔和下來了。 既然這樣，我們的報告就會是這樣寫了。好槍法，小子！ 十幾分鐘內，現場便來了一打警方及聯邦調查局的車子，很快地又來了輛屬於阿拉巴馬州公共安全部門的實驗室卡車，準備進行犯罪現場調查工作。負責鑑定刑事現場的法醫攝影師拍了二十三捲感光度四百的彩色底片。那把屠刀被從嫌犯手中拿開，裝進證物袋好採集指紋並與受害者的血型做比對；一切雖不那麼墨守成規，但是在一個兇殺案裡，對犯罪程序的認定會特別嚴格。小女孩的屍體終於被裝進屍袋裡抬出去，她的父母親將會確認她的身分，幸運的是她的臉還算完整。 最後到達現場的是班．哈丁，他是負責聯邦調查局伯明罕外勤辦公室的特別幹員。碰上有幹員開槍的事件，就表示他得寫一份正式調查報告給丹尼爾． E．摩瑞局長，那是個跟他不太熟的朋友。哈丁先過來確定卡魯索的身體跟精神狀態都沒有問題，然後過去跟保羅．透納打招呼，並聽取他對整個開槍事件的看法。卡魯索從遠處看著他們，透納比手畫腳地說明整個事件，哈丁則不斷點頭。那是好現象，透納警長等於是在對整個事件蓋下他的認可章，一名州警隊長也聽得不斷點頭。 事實上多米尼克．卡魯索根本就不在乎這些狗屁，他知道他做了件對的事，只不過是遲了一小時而已。終於，哈丁朝著這名年輕的幹員走來。 你現在感覺怎麼樣，多米尼克？ 慢了一步，卡魯索回答，他媽的太晚了點是啊，我知道，期待另一種結果是不太合理的。 哈丁抓著他的肩膀搖了搖，你已經不可能做得比這更好了，小子。他略停了一下問：你是在什麼情況下開的槍？ 卡魯索重複了一次事情經過，整個事實現在幾乎深植在他的腦海裡了。卡魯索心知肚明自己大可以直接說出實情而不用去仔細推敲事情經過，可是何必去冒這個險？在官方紀錄上，這是一次沒有爭議的開槍事件，那就夠了，他的聯邦調查局也只在乎這些而已。 哈丁一邊聽一邊若有所思地點頭，他得寫份書面報告，再用聯邦快遞送到華盛頓特區。然而，一名聯邦調查局幹員在一個綁匪犯案的當天就開槍射殺了他，這條新聞在報紙上看起來還不壞，況且他們可能還會找到證據，發現這並不是這個混蛋所犯下的唯一罪行。這間房子還沒被徹頭徹尾地搜查過，他們就已經在屋裡發現一台數位相機，如果真發現這個混蛋的戴爾電腦裡記錄著他以前所犯下的罪行，也不會有人感到驚訝的。這樣子的話，卡魯索破的就不只是一件案子而已了。如果真是這樣，卡魯索在局裡的紀錄裡就會被記上大功一件。 只不過到底會有多大，哈丁跟卡魯索都還不知道。尋訪人才的單位就快要找到多米尼克．卡魯索了。 以及另外一個卡魯索。