Chapter 17 Chapter 15 Delivery

so what?President Wren asked after the last group of guests had left. Sir, that letter is lost, if there is such a letter.Inspector O'Day replied that, by far, the most important thing was that Secretary Hansen had not fully followed the confidentiality procedures for documents.This was learned from the head of the Ministry of State Security, who said that he had advised the Secretary of State several times on different occasions.The people I went with were interviewing a number of people to determine exactly who had been in and out of that office.Things will pick up from there. Who is in charge of the investigation?Ren thought of that Hansen. Although he may have good diplomatic skills, no one seems to like him.

Mr. Murray has assigned Professional Responsibility sole responsibility for the continuation of the investigation into his office, which means that I too will be stepping back from this matter, and this will be the last time I will report directly to you on the progress of this case. Is this completely in accordance with the regulations? Mr. President, this is necessary, the Inspector nodded and replied, they will get additional help from the Legal Counsel Department.The people in the Legal Advisory Department are all operatives with law degrees, serving as internal legal spies.They are capable.O'Day thought for a while and said: Has anyone ever been in or out of the Vice President's office?

You mean the office here? Yes, sir. Andrea.Price replied: "No one has been in or out recently.The office hadn't been used since he left.His secretary left with him, and You may want to have someone check the typewriter if it's using black charcoal pink tape That's right!She rushed out of the Oval Office almost immediately.wait a minute.who called you I will call.O'Day assured her.Sorry Mr. President, I should have thought of that sooner.Please allow us to close that office. Can.Price assured him. The noise of the monkeys was unbearable.The monkeys lived in packs, usually in groups of up to eighty individuals, and lived mainly in the forests on the edge of the vast savannah.There, they can easily descend from the trees and raid the surrounding area for food.Over the past few hundred years, they have learned to raid farms.On farms, they can get food more safely and easily than in nature, because human farms suppress the presence of predators that would eat monkeys.Green monkeys are a delicacy for leopards and coyotes, as are calves, so farmers have to protect them.The result is a curious ecological mess.Farmers have legally or illegally removed predators to protect livestock, allowing the monkeys to multiply rapidly, so hungry green monkeys loot grains and other crops for farmers and livestock to eat.To complicate matters, the monkeys even prey on the crop-eating insects, leading local ecologists to argue that reducing monkey numbers would be ecologically harmful.But for the farmers, it couldn't be simpler: whoever eats their livestock must die, and whoever eats their crops must die, too.So when the monkey hunters came, the farmers welcomed them.

A member of the cercopithecus monkey family, the blue monkey has yellow whiskers and a golden-blue coat.With a lifespan of up to thirty years, they may live longer in a comfortable cage than in the wilderness where carnivores are infested, and they live in lively packs.The monkey group is made up of female monkeys, and during mating season, many female monkeys in estrus will allow a large number of male monkeys to join the monkey group and share a good time together.Not so on airliners, where cages are piled up like a truck full of chicken coops headed to market.Some female monkeys are in estrus, but the male monkeys can't get close, which makes those suitors very anxious.Rows of male monkeys are screaming in the cage, waving their paws, and spitting at the male monkeys in the left and right cages.What makes them even more unhappy is that those who catch the monkeys put them all in the same size cage with African green monkeys regardless of their size. The male monkey is twice the size of the female monkey plus the size of the passenger plane. The unfamiliar smell and the lack of food and water caused the monkeys to make a noise. As a result, the collective rage of hundreds of monkeys was far louder than the sound of the JT|Eight engine flying eastward across the Indian Ocean.

In the front cabin, the crew closed the door tightly and clamped the earphones tightly to their ears.That would lessen the loud noise, but it still wouldn't lessen the stench in the air that was recirculating inside the plane.The stench enraged the monkeys and made the crew sick. The driver, who is always good at cursing, has run out of cursing words and is too tired to beg Allah to let these nasty little animals disappear from the face of the earth.With the passing of tolerance bit by bit, the pilot reached for the emergency oxygen mask and turned on the switch, hoping to blow open the door of the cargo compartment, reduce the pressure in the compartment, and then eliminate these monkeys and expel the Terrible smell.If he could understand how the monkeys felt, he would feel better that something evil was waiting for them.

Bed'an met them again in the communications bunker.Even if there are large blocks of concrete all around, it doesn't give him a sense of security.The only reason the building exists is that it is hidden under the supports of a factory that actually produces very few books.The reason why this and a few other bunkers were able to survive the war with the United States was entirely based on American intelligence failures.Two Elf bombs were aimed directly at the building across the road, and you can still see the crater from the bombing that the Americans mistook for the bunker.We could learn from this, Bed'an thought as he waited.Really, you have to see it to believe it, it's a far cry from what you see on the TV screen and what you hear.Above him are layers of concrete covering up to five meters thick.At five meters, it's solid enough, and it was built under the supervision of well-paid German engineers.The traces of the plywood that held the wet concrete in place were still visible, but there was no sign of the explosion, because the Yankee had blown the wrong side.Although Ali.Bedian has lived in this world full of wars and struggles all his life, but this is the first time he is sincerely grateful for that fact.

They are good hosts.He had a colonel who looked after him round the clock, and two sergeants who looked after his food.He had watched the funeral on TV.Like an American police program applied globally, everything is expected and you always know how things will end.Iraqis, like many in the region, are a passionate people, especially when they gather in large numbers and are incited to make a scene.They are easily led and easily moved, and Bedian knows that it doesn't matter who leads them.And, how many of them are sincere?The whistleblower is still there to see who is happy and who is sad.Although the president's life could not be saved, the security apparatus continued to operate as usual, and there were few sincere expressions of emotion on the TV screens and in the crowd moving through the square.He chuckled softly, and Beidean said to himself, they are like women, always hiding their happiest moments.

Since only one opinion was to be heard for the entire meeting, they arrived separately to avoid discussing issues in small groups.The door of the exquisite wooden cabinet was open, revealing a cabinet full of wine bottles and glasses, which violated Islamic law.But Bedian didn't care, he drank a glass of vodka, the taste of which he had gotten used to when he was in Moscow twenty years ago. They are strangely silent in the face of such a powerful man, and even more so in the face of those who are keeping vigil for someone they have never loved.They sipped their glasses of mostly scotch and looked at each other again.The television was still on, and local stations rebroadcasted the funeral, with the announcer extolling the late leader's extraordinary virtues.The generals watched and listened to the broadcast, but there was no sadness on their faces, only fear.Their world has come to an end, and they are unmoved by the cries of the masses and the words of the analysts.

The last of them arrived at last. He was the intelligence chief who had met Bedian earlier in the day. He had just arrived after a stop at his headquarters.Others wanted him to answer, and he didn't need to hear their questions to give an answer. All is calm, my friends. For now, such succinct words seem unnecessary. Bedian should have said something, but he didn't.His eloquence has inspired many over the years, but silence is the most powerful statement at this time.He just watched them, waiting, knowing his gaze spoke louder than any words. I do not like this.Someone among them finally spoke.Not a single face changed expression, and this speaker confirmed everyone's thoughts.

How do we know we can trust your master?asked the leader of the Praetorian Guard. He assures you in the name of God.Bedian replied and put down the cup.If you want, you can send some people as representatives to take the plane to meet him. I am willing to stay here as a hostage, but I must make a decision quickly. They all knew this, but what they feared could happen both before and after they took off; there was another silence.Beide'an can see their thoughts from their faces. They hope that someone will come out to express their position, and get unanimous agreement or disputes, and then reach a collective consensus that everyone will abide by during the debate. There may be some differences of opinion.Finally, one of them spoke.

I married late, said the chief of staff of the Air Force, and my children were young.He paused, looked around, and I thought, we all know the possibilities and possible consequences for our family if things go badly.Bader thought to himself, this is a good start. Tayelan's assurances in the name of God could not really convince them at all.They have had no purpose in going to the mosque for a long time, other than to show their false allegiance.Although the religion they practice is different from that of their enemies, they have come to believe in someone else's religion in their minds. I don't think money is an issue here.Reassure them that that's really not a problem, Bedian said, and let them consider their options.A few people happily turned around, and the answer was already obvious.Although the official account in Iraq has been frozen for a long time, other similar accounts have not been frozen.After all, the nationality of a bank account is interchangeable, but the amount of funds is even more so.Everyone here has nearly nine-figure wealth, maybe dollars, maybe pounds, so now is not the time to worry about who the money belongs to, Bader thought. The next question is, where can they go?How can I get there safely?Beide'an could see these doubts on their faces, but he was powerless at the moment.Ironically, the foe they fear and distrust only wants to assuage their fears and keep their promises, yet only he sees it with appreciation.Ali knew he was a very patient man, otherwise, he wouldn't be here. Are you sure? The situation is optimistic.Tayalan's visitor told him and explained further. Even for a believer in God's will, things did go incredibly smoothly.But that's the way it is or it seems to be. anything else? Also, we are on schedule. great.Not really, Tayelan would have preferred to deal with each issue in turn, but he couldn't choose.How strange, he had the feeling of being caught in a plan he had started himself. The hardest part is dealing with the World Health Organization people, but the situation is under control because so far the reports on that are pretty good.Benedict.Mkosa Index Patient or Patient Zero has died, his body has been completely destroyed, and a team of fifteen has scoured the vicinity of his home, so far nothing has been found.The critical period has not yet passed. Saibola virus usually has an incubation period of four to ten days. Although, in special cases, the shortest is two days, and the longest is nineteen days. But in front of him is another case.Because Mkosa was a young naturalist and spent most of his free time in the jungle, a search team is now hunting rodents, bats and monkeys in the tropical jungle to try to find other Ebola reservoirs, or other such Carriers of deadly viruses, but they especially hope that luck will favor them at least once.The index patient was able to be sent directly to the hospital because of his family status.His wealthy and educated parents had hired a nurse to take care of the boy instead of them, and because of this, they may have saved his life.Now, however, they are waiting for the results of that numbingly horrifying incubation period, which is more difficult than the great grief of the loss of their beloved son.Every day, they have to draw blood for IF and antigen tests, but the tests can also lead to false results, as some stupid doctor once told them.In any case, the World Health Organization team hoped that the outbreak would be stopped after the deaths of two patients, so they were willing to consider Dr. Moody's proposal. Of course, there will be opposition.The local doctor Say wanted to treat her on the spot.There is indeed an advantage here in treating the disease, although what they do does not have any effect on the patient, they do have more experience with the Sai virus than anyone else, and the World Health Organization team is also reluctant because of political factors harm their peers.Before that, the native arrogance of European doctors had been aroused by their natural arrogance; there was some truth to both sides.Indeed, Rousseau in Paris is a real hero to the international community. He is a genius scientist and a dedicated clinician, but he refuses to admit the fact that viral diseases cannot be effectively cured.He tried to treat Ebola with synthetic ribonucleic acid and interferon, but it didn't work.His latest theory was exciting to begin with, and probably ineffective, but some modest promise in experiments on monkeys led him to try it out in patients under carefully controlled conditions. experimenting.Although, the treatment he proposed has not yet been used in real clinical applications, but one has to start somewhere. As can be expected, the determining factor is the identity of the patient.Many on the WHO team knew her from the last Ebola outbreak in Kikwit.At that time Jane.Sister Baptiste flew to that town to instruct the local nurses, and the doctors were as touched as anyone else by the contact with the patients they treated.Yes, with final consent, Dr. Moody can transport the patient elsewhere. The technique of transferring patients is very difficult.They use trucks instead of ambulances because trucks are easier to clean after use.The patient is placed on a plastic sheet and lifted onto a gurney on wheels and pushed into a hallway.Everyone else was cleared from the scene.When Dr. Moody and Maria.As Sister Magdalena wheeled the patients toward the far door, a team of technicians in hazmat suits sprayed the floors and walls, especially the air, with a stinky man-made chemical mist disinfectant. The patient has been heavily anesthetized and is firmly bound.Her body was tightly wrapped to keep virus-rich blood out, and the plastic sheets beneath her were sprayed with the same chemical.As Dr. Moody pushed the gurney forward from behind, he marveled at his own folly, risking his life with a deadly virus. They wheeled the bed to the loading dock outside the door, where hospital supplies were loaded and unloaded.The truck was already waiting there, the driver sitting nervously behind the wheel, not even daring to look back at them.The interior of the truck was also sprayed with chemicals.When the doors are closed, the gurney is locked securely in place.Under the escort of police cars, the truck left the hospital and headed for the airport not far away at a speed of no more than 30 kilometers per hour.Everything went smoothly.The sun was still high in the sky, and under the high heat, the truck soon became a mobile oven. Protective chemicals began to boil in the confined space, and the smell of disinfectant continued to seep into the filter system of the protective clothing. The jet is already waiting at the airport.The Gulfstream IV had arrived at the airport on a direct flight from Tehran two hours earlier.Everything inside the jet has been removed except for two seats and a cot.Dr. Moody felt the truck stop, then turned around and backed up.After a while, the back door of the truck opened, and the dazzling sunlight dazzled their eyes.Still this nurse, still this compassionate Maria.Sister Magdalena covers her companion's eyes with her hands. There were others, of course, two nuns in hazmat suits nearby and a priest a little further away.They were all praying for her as others lifted the patient on a plastic sheet and slogged her onto a white-painted commercial jet.It took five minutes to carefully secure her in place and the ground crew began to evacuate.Moody looked over his patient, checking her pulse and blood pressure, which was beating fast while her blood pressure kept dropping.This worried him because he needed her to live as long as possible.Once everything was in place, he waved to the crew and buckled up in their seats. Once seated, he looked out the window and was disturbed to see a television camera pointed at the jet.When he heard the first engine rev, he thought at least they were still some distance away.From another porthole, he saw the cleaning crew cleaning the truck again.That's overdone.Ebola is indeed a deadly virus, but it appears to be a fragile organism that is quickly killed by the ultraviolet rays of direct sunlight and does not tolerate high temperatures, which is why it cannot search for its hosts.Ebola is a parasite, it cannot support itself, but as long as it can provide a comfortable living environment for the virus, it will become its original host. As long as the host provides such services, the Ebola virus will not kill its host. What kind of creature is it? It makes it linger like a ghost and survive on the African continent, and it has not yet been discovered.The doctor grunted.He had hoped to discover Ebola's natural host and put it to good use for experimentation, but it had always been a pipe dream.However, he found something that was almost good, a living patient whose body was breeding pathogens.All previous Ebola victims had been cremated or soaked in chemicals and buried deeply, but this patient would have an entirely different fate.The jet started to slide, and Moody checked the seat belts again and hoped to get something to drink. In the front cabin, the two pilots wore Nomex protective flight suits that were pre-sprayed with drugs.The masks on their faces muffled their voices, forcing them to repeatedly ask for flight control clearance until the control tower figured it out.Then, the Gulfstream IV began to taxi before takeoff, and then took off into the clear and cloudless skies of Africa, heading north.Their first leg will be 2,551 miles, or exactly six hours. Meanwhile, another Gulfstream Quad jet of almost the same size has landed at Benghazi Airport and its crew is now being briefed on emergency procedures. Just after midnight, the 707 finally landed at Tehran-Mehrabad International Airport.After almost 36 hours of continuous flight, the crew members were all stunned. Such flight hours have greatly exceeded the warning of the civil aviation flight time limit.They were all burdened by their cargo, and in such a bad mood all kinds of angry words were vented during the long descent.The strong impact when the plane touched the ground also brought relaxation and anxiety. The three pilots all felt the same and sighed.The pilot shook his head and wiped his face vigorously with tired hands; the airliner taxied south between the rows of blue lights.The airport is also home to the Iranian military and its Air Force Command; the plane turned a corner and slid to the spacious Air Force tarmac. Although it bears the Civil Aviation logo, the 707 actually belongs to the Iranian Air Force.The crew were all happy to see the truck waiting there.The passenger plane came to a stop, the technician turned off the engine, and the pilot pulled the parking brake handle, and then the three turned and walked to the inside of the cabin. The driver said in an apologetic tone: Friends, what a long day. Let's get a good night's sleep, if we can.The technician replied that he was always the captain's main punching bag. As they took off their oxygen masks, the stench of the cargo they were transporting filled their nostrils.They fought back the urge to gag when the rear cargo door opened.They couldn't leave yet, because the plane was full of cages, and unless they climbed out the window, which would be too shameful, they had to wait to be free, like any passenger in an international immigration building. Soldiers were responsible for the unloading, which was made difficult by the fact that no one warned their commanders in advance to hand out gloves as the Africans did.There was a wire carrying handle on top of each cage, but the green monkeys were very annoyed at the people standing in front of them, scratching and scratching when their hands tried to lift the cages.The soldiers reacted in different ways, some slapped the cages to scare the monkeys into silence, and the more intelligent took off their field jackets to cushion the cages.Soon the soldiers formed a single file and the cages were transferred, one at a time, onto a long line of trucks. The process was full of loud noises.The temperature in Tehran that night was only 50 degrees Fahrenheit, which was far below the temperature that the green monkeys are used to, but it did not help their general mood to improve, which was about the same as the previous few days.Faced with this latest trauma, they hissed and roared so loudly that they echoed across the tarmac.Finally, the unloading was completed, the hatch was opened, and the crew finally had the opportunity to see what the once clean and tidy airliner had become.They were convinced that the smell would take weeks to get rid of and that scrubbing would be a hassle enough that it was best not to think about it for now.Together they walked towards the tail of the plane, then down the steps towards the parked car. Green monkeys are trucked north, towards their third or fourth and final leg of the journey.It was a short journey, and the truck took the split highway, crossed the clover-shaped interchange built under the Shah of Iran, and headed west to Hasnabed.It was originally a farm and has long been used to transport monkeys from Africa to Asia.It was hoped that what the farm would produce would be used to feed the newly arrived animals, but since it is winter, nothing has grown yet and instead truckloads of date palms have just arrived from the southeastern part of the country .The monkeys smelled date palms as they were transported in front of a new three-storey concrete building.This will be their final home.The smell of date palms made them more restless, for they had neither eaten nor drank since leaving the continent of their birth. The Gulfstream IV landed at Benghazi Airport on time exactly according to the flight plan.Throughout the voyage, Jane.Sister Baptiste was almost in a coma all the time, and only a few times she seemed to be slightly half-conscious, but soon fell asleep again.In fact, she was far more comfortable than the other four people on the plane, whose protective clothing prevented them from taking even a sip of water. The doors on the jet never opened, but the fuel truck came and stopped, and the driver got out and put the hose over the tank cap on the long white wing.Dr. Moody was awake all the time nervously, and Maria.Sister Magdalena was dozing off. She was about the same age as the patient and had barely slept these days, doing her best to care for her companion.Too bad, thought Dr. Moody, frowning as he looked out the window.It's not fair.He no longer hated these people in his heart. He had once considered all Westerners as enemies of his country, except these two.He was amazed at the way they were devoted to serving people in the name of God and how they respected his personal beliefs.More importantly, he respected their belief that the path to progress was not an acceptance of the idea of ​​destiny, a concept that was quite different from his Islamic beliefs, but not in conflict.Maria.Magdalena holds a string of rosary beads in her hand, which has been sterilized. She often uses this string of beads to pray to the Virgin Mary, the mother of the prophet Jesus. The Virgin Mary has an extremely high status and is a good example for women in the world to follow Moody looked away from them and out the window, not allowing himself the thought.He has a mission, and here are all people who are bound by the mission. Her fate is chosen by Allah, and the fate of others is chosen by her.When the fuel truck left the plane, the engine started running again, and the crew began to work nervously again. Two jets skidded and jostled north-south to the main runway, which had been roughened by the sweltering summer heat and the biting cold of winter nights.The first jet that arrived first was not the one that Moody and the others were on; the Gulfstream IV looked no different from the one that Moody and the others were on the surface, except for the The number has one digit different.It galloped down the runway, climbed quickly into the sky towards the north, but as soon as the wheels left the ground, it immediately turned right and flew southeast directly towards Sudan. The first airliner jet turned slightly west and entered the international air corridor normally bound for the coast of France.On the scheduled route it will fly over the vicinity of the island of Malta, where a radar station provides services to the airport in the capital, Villetta, and provides air control over the central Mediterranean.The jet's crew was Air Force men accustomed to carrying political and corporate dignitaries everywhere on a regular basis.Those missions were safe, well-paid, and tiresome, but not tonight.The co-pilot looked at the route map on his lap and the general radar locator navigation system at the same time. Now he was less than 200 miles away from Malta, and the cruising altitude was 39,000 feet. After seeing the pilot nodding his head, he turned on the radar transceiver machine, set it to 7711. Call Viller, call Viller, it's November 1st Juliet, help, help, help. The air traffic control personnel at Villeta Airport immediately noticed three signals of UFOs appearing on the monitor. Adjusting his microphone, he waved to the air traffic control supervisor. Call Juliet One, this is Willard, sir, you mean there's an emergency? Call Weller, this is Juliet One.We are a medical flight evacuated from Sai to France.Our number two engine has failed and we have a problem with the motor, waiting for rescue Call Juliet One, this is Viller, ready to rescue you, sir.The monitors showed the jet at thirty-nine thousand, then thirty-eight thousand, then thirty-seven thousand.Call Juliet One, this is Villetta, your altitude is dropping. The tone in his earphones changed.Help, help, help!Both engines stalled, both engines stalled, try restarting.This is Juliet One. You cut directly to the heading of Villeta Airport, three|four|three, repeat, Villeta Airport goes directly to three|four|three.We're ready to rescue, sir. A short, terse reception was all the flight controllers got in response; the aircraft altitude read 33,000. What happened?asked the flight control supervisor. The other party said that both engines had stalled and was falling rapidly.Computer screens showed the jet was a Gulfstream jet, and the flight plan confirmed it. It glides well.The air traffic control supervisor said optimistically; both of them saw it at an altitude of 31,000.However, the Gulfstream IV actually didn't glide all that well. Call Juliet One, this is Villetta Airport. There is no sound. Call Juliet One, this is Villetta Airport, call. What's the matter? The air traffic control supervisor personally checked the screen. There was no trace of any aircraft in that airspace. All he could do now was wait and see. In order to more realistically perform the emergency situation in flight, the pilot adjusted the engine to the idling position.It might seem like you've gone too far, but it's not.He pushed the stick forward to increase the speed of the descent, then turned toward the port as if to head toward Malta.That should make the tower crew feel good, he thought, while flying twenty-five thousand feet.That does feel good.He used to be a fighter pilot, and he misses the thrill of flying a plane in the air.The speed of the descent will make the passengers on board pale and panic, but for the pilot, flying is what it is. It must be heavy.Air traffic control supervisor said. The air traffic controller shrugged, grimaced, and said: Paris-Charles de Gaulle flight is allowed to enter, just over Benghazi. Bad fuel?The answer was just another shrug. It's like watching the death process on TV. What's even more frightening is that the altitude value of No. 1 aircraft on the radar is like the light signal on a vending machine, which is constantly decreasing. The air traffic control supervisor picked up the phone.Call the Libyans and ask if they can provide a rescue plane.We have a jet that is about to ditch in the Gulf of Sidra. Call Wheeler, this is USS Riverd, please answer.complete. Call the Riverford, this is the answer from Villetta Airport. We have your signal on radar.It looks like it's going downhill.The voice came from the lieutenant who was on rotation at the combat situation center tonight.The Sharpford, an old Spruance-class destroyer, had just completed exercises with the Egyptian Navy and was on its way to Naples.During its voyage, it was tasked with entering the Gulf of Sidra to declare freedom of navigation, an exercise almost as old as the warship itself.Once a source of endless excitement, and having fought two serious air-to-sea battles in the 1980s, it now does nothing more than tiresome routine, and what's more, the staff at the Operations Center still Listen to the frequencies of civilian radios to relieve boredom.The position stated on the signal is eighty miles west of us, and we are following. Can you respond to rescue calls? Villetta Airport, I just woke up the captain.Give us a moment to get things together and we'll try it out, over. It is falling like a rock.The sergeant in charge of the primary monitor reported that better pull it up right away, man. The target was a Gulfstream IV business jet.We saw that it was sixteen thousand feet high and was rapidly descending.Villeta Airport explained. Thank you, and the information we have on hand is the same.We are ready to rescue at any time. What are the requirements?asked the captain, wearing khaki pants and a T-shirt.He has heard a brief report.Alright, wake up all the people in charge of the turning wheel.Immediately afterwards, the lieutenant colonel picked up the loudspeaker: This is the combat center of the bridge, and I am the captain.Full speed ahead, marching towards a new course Two | Seven | Five, sir.The radar operator said the target was bearing 275, eighty-three miles away. The new course is two seven five. Yes, sir, turn right on 275, full speed ahead.The officer on deck replied.On the bridge, the helmsman on duty pushed the main engine control handle straight down, pumping more fuel into the singular jet turbine.The Riverd shuddered, then sank stern and began to accelerate from eighteen knots.The captain looked around the spacious combat situation center, all the crew members were fully awake, only a few shook their heads in order to make themselves fully awake.雷達操作員在調整他們的儀器。在主顯示器上，畫面不斷變化，鎖定了正不斷下降的噴射機。 我們到艦尾的主甲板去。艦長接著說，心想不妨將這次事件當作是不錯的訓練。 不到三十秒的時間，甲板上的每個人就都精神一振地跑向各自的崗位。 在夜晚的海面上逐漸降低高度飛行，不得不特別小心。灣流四型的正駕駛睜大眼睛仔細注意著高度和下降速度。在缺乏高能見度的基準物之下，飛機特別容易俯衝掉入海裡，然而這架噴射機卻避開了這個可能性。由於高度持續下降，再過幾秒鐘，他們將會從維勒他的雷達顯示器上消失，然後再從往下直落中拉平。現在，他唯一關心的是可能出現在下面的軍艦。但是，在微弱的月光下，他並沒有看到海面上有任何蹤跡。 I have a solution.當噴射機向下掉了五千呎的時候，他說道。他鬆回操縱桿。如果維勒他仍然收得到信號，他們就可能會從雷達信號接收器上注意到他下降速率的變化。但是，即使他們得到了信號，也許會假設俯衝之後，氣流會進入噴射機的發動機內，那將有助於重新啟動發動機。現在他試圖將噴射機拉平，使之能在平靜的海面上控制降落。 看不到它了。飛航管制人員說道。噴射機在螢幕上的顯示閃爍了幾下，恢復原狀，然後又變暗。 飛航管制督導點了點頭，調整一下他的麥克風。呼叫銳弗德號，這是維勒他機場。茱麗葉一號已經從我們的螢幕上消失，最後的高度讀數是六千呎，持續下降中，航向是三四三。 呼叫維勒他，收到，我們仍然能看到它，現在的高度是四千五百呎，下降的速率好像開始慢了下來，航向三四三。戰情中心的軍官回答道。在距它僅六呎的地方，艦長正和銳弗德號航空分遣隊的指揮官談話。要讓銳弗德號上單獨搭載的SH｜六○B海鷹式直升機起飛大約得花上二十分鐘的時間。直升機現在已被拖上飛行甲板做飛行前的準備，而駕駛員則轉身觀察著雷達顯示器。 平靜的大海。如果他有大腦的話，我們就不用蹚這渾水了。你想利用噴射機噴出的氣流激起白浪，然後使機身與巨浪平行，再乘巨浪突破險境。好的，我們了解了，長官。說完，他便離開戰情中心向艦尾走去。 在地平線上看不到它了。雷達操作員報告，剛剛通過一千五百呎，看起來好像是掉進海裡一樣。 通知維勒他。艦長命令道。 那架灣流四型噴射機根據雷達高度錶在五百呎的高度上拉平；那已經低得不能再低了。接著，他將發動機加速回到巡航動力，然後左轉，朝向南方，往後飛向利比亞。他現在正處於全面戒備狀態，超低空飛行必須在很好的條件下才能進行，更何況是夜間，又是在海面上。雖然，他們的目的不是如此，但他收到的命令卻是清楚的。他以剛好超過三百節的速度飛行，四十分鐘便可飛到軍用機場。在那裡，他得再次重新加油以飛出那個地區。 五分鐘後，銳弗德號航行到飛行位置，並稍微改變了一下航向，好讓風能從適當的方向吹過甲板。海鷹式的戰術航行系統從艦上戰情中心得到了所需的數據，它將在直徑十五哩的海域範圍內進行乏味、耗時、狂亂的搜尋程序。海裡部署了一些人員負責提供援助給需要幫助的人，這是首要的，也是最古老的海洋法則。只要直升機一起飛，驅逐艦就回轉至左邊，並同時全力發動四具主機以三十四節的速度加速向前駛去。這時，艦長已經用無線電將自己的處境告知那不勒斯，並要求任何靠近的艦隊能提供援助附近沒有美國艦船，但有一艘義大利巡防艦正往南駛向他們所在的海域，甚至連利比亞空軍也在詢問相關的訊息。 就在美國海軍直升機到達搜尋海域時，那架失蹤的灣流四型降落了。當噴射機在加油時，機組人員都出來透一透氣。此時，有一架俄製的，有四具發動機的安托洛夫十幼獸運輸機也點燃了發動機，準備參與搜救行動。利比亞人現在對於這類事也會予以協助，試圖以此重新加入國際社會，但是連他們的指揮官也不太清楚究竟是發生了什麼事的確，幾乎什麼都不知道。一個小時之後，灣流四型噴射機再次起飛，開始一段為時三小時的敘利亞首都大馬士革航程之旅；原本以為他們會直接飛回瑞士的主基地，但是正駕駛認為，如果兩架同型號的班機幾乎同時飛越相同的地點將會引起問題，因此在急劇陡直的爬升過程中，他將噴射機轉向東飛去。 在他左下方的錫德拉灣位置，他們看見閃爍的飛機航行燈，並驚奇地注意到，其中有一架是直升機。有人在耗費燃料與時間，然後又一無所成這個想法讓正駕駛覺得很想笑。在經過一整天的飛行之後，他在飛機達到巡航高度時，便把剩下來的工作交由自動駕駛儀去完成，自己先休息一下。 我們到了沒？ 穆迪轉過頭，他剛為病人換過點滴瓶。在他的塑膠頭盔裡，長長的鬍子搔得他的臉發癢。他看到瑪麗亞．馬格達萊娜修女也和他一樣，有著同樣不潔淨的悚然感。她醒來後的第一個動作就是用手去摸臉，然而由於塑膠面罩的阻隔，使得她的手突然撞了一下。 還沒到，修女，但快了。拜託，妳要好好休息一下，我還可以的。 不，不，你一定很累了，穆迪醫生。她正要起來。 我比妳年輕，而且有較好的睡眠。醫生邊舉起一隻手邊回答道。接著，他換了一瓶新的嗎啡。謝天謝地，珍．巴蒂斯特因為服用了過量的藥劑而仍然不省人事。 what time is it 是該妳休息的時候了。當我們到達時，妳還得看護、照顧妳的朋友，而我則有其他的醫生可以接替。請保存自己的體力，妳會需要它的。這話簡直是再實在不過了。 修女沒有回答，她已習慣了聽從醫生的囑咐。她轉回頭，好像在輕聲地祈禱什麼，然後閉上了眼睛。當他確信她已經再次入睡時，起身走向前艙。 How long? forty minutes.我們會提早一點到達，風向對我們有利。副駕駛答道。 那麼說，是在黎明前囉？ Yes. 她得的是什麼病？駕駛員問，他沒有轉頭，但可以看得出他無聊得想聽一些新鮮的東西。 You don't want to know.穆迪向他保證。 這個女人要死了嗎？ 是的，而且這架噴射機在下次使用之前一定要徹底地消毒。 他們也是這樣告訴我們的。正駕駛聳了聳肩，他不知道自己現在所運載的女人會帶給他多大的恐懼。 貝德安非常高興自己沒有喝酒，他是這個房間裡最清醒的人。十個小時了，他看了看錶，心裡想著，他們已經談論、爭執了十個小時，像市場裡的一群老婦人一樣。 他會同意這樣嗎？禁衛軍團司令問。 至少這不是沒有道理的。貝德安回答道。有五個高階將領將飛往巴格達做為人質即使不是出於善意，也是為了向他們的領袖美言幾句。事情實際上並不像他們真正擔心的那樣，在決定之後，將官們相互看了看，一個接一個地點頭同意。 we agree.禁衛軍團司令代表大家說。有數百個官階較低的軍官將被蒙在鼓裡，畢竟對於他們來說，這都是件小事。冗長的討論並沒有對這個問題深入探討。 我需要打一通電話。貝德安接著告訴他們。情報機構的首長領著他進入一間側房，那裡一直都有德黑蘭直撥電話的線路。即使是在敵對時期，那裡也有通訊連線是透過微波塔傳遞的。在伊拉克軍官的注視下，他按著前幾天才記的電話號碼。 我是尤西，我有消息。他告訴接電話的人。 please wait a while.The other party replied. 達葉蘭比一般人都更不喜歡這麼早就被叫醒，何況過去這幾天來他真的睡得太少了。當他床邊的電話響起時，他眨了眨眼睛，等電話響了好幾聲之後才接起來。 Hello? 我是尤西。They agreed.要求五名人質。 讚美阿拉，祂是如此地仁慈，達葉蘭在心裡對自己說。這些年來所有的戰爭與和平的歲月就在此時要有個了斷了。不，不，還為時過早，還有許多事情要做，而最困難的事已經完成了。 when do we start The sooner the better. 謝謝，我不會忘記的。說著，他徹底地醒了過來。這是多年來第一個他忘記做早晨祈禱的早晨。神會理解他的工作必須盡快完成。 穆迪想，她一定非常疲倦。當飛機降落到跑道上時，兩名修女都開始清醒。當飛機減速滑行時，正常的顛簸隨之而來。一種似水搖動的聲響證明了他所預料的珍．巴蒂斯特確實出血不少。但至少他已讓她活著來到這裡。她睜開雙眼，像嬰兒一樣困惑地盯著機艙內彎曲的天花板。瑪麗亞，馬格達萊娜抽空看了看窗外，但她看到的只是機場，與世界上其他任何機場似乎沒什麼兩樣，特別是在夜間。噴射機在預定的跑道上停了下來，機艙門降下打開。 他們又得再次搭乘卡車。有四個人進入了機艙，全都身著塑膠防護衣。穆迪解開了捆在病人身上的皮帶，示意瑪麗亞待在那裡別動。那四名陸軍醫務兵小心翼翼地拉著四個角抬起牢固的塑膠床單，挪向機艙門口。當他們抬病人時，穆迪看到有東西滴到病人躺的折疊座位上；他把它抖掉。當病人被安全地安置在卡車上之後，穆迪和瑪麗亞．馬格達萊娜也走下了階梯。兩人都取下頭盔，讓自己能夠呼吸清涼、新鮮的空氣。他從一群圍繞在噴射機周圍的軍人手中拿了一個行軍水壺遞給她，同時自己也拿了一壺。在登上卡車之前，兩人都將壺中的一升水給喝得精光。兩人都因為長時間飛行而感到暈頭轉向，而她更是不知道自己究竟身在何方。穆迪看到了早些時候抵達的，那架裝載有非洲青猴的七○七客機，可是他並不知道裡面究竟裝了什麼貨物。 這些年來，我都沒有造訪過巴黎唉，除了在空中過境之外。她說著，在後車蓋放下擋住視線之前，四處環顧了一下。