Chapter 23 Chapter 21 Relationship

Pat.O'Day is a widower.He married very late, and his wife Deborah used to be an operator of the Experimental Department and an expert in criminal investigation, so he had to leave the headquarters to go out for investigations.Until one afternoon, her airliner crashed en route to Colorado Springs; it was her first outing after maternity leave, but it left behind her daughter, Megan, who was only 14 weeks old. Megan is now two and a half years old, and Inspector O'Day is still thinking about how to talk to Megan about her mother.The role of a single father entrusted to him by fate made him not only be a good father wholeheartedly, but also strive for performance at work; from the beginning to the end, he has handled no less than six kidnapping cases.He is 6 feet 4 inches tall and weighs 200 pounds. In order to meet the requirements of the headquarters, he gave up his Sabada beard (editor's note: the beard drooping on both sides of the mouth), but as a tough guy among tough guys, he Concern for her daughter may invite ridicule from colleagues.She had long blonde hair, which he brushed and smoothed every morning after dressing her in bright children's clothes and tiny sneakers.To Meghan, Dad is a giant, towering protection bear who can lift her like a rocket so her arms can wrap around his neck.

Ouch, Dad said, you're hugging too tight! Did I hurt you?Megan asked pretending to be worried.It's a routine every morning. Dad laughed.No, not this time.As he spoke, he walked out of the house, opened the door of his mud-spattered pickup truck, carefully strapped her into the car seat, and placed her lunch box and completed forms between them.It is half past six and they are leaving for the new nursery.Always looking down at Megan, who resembles her mother, O'Day starts his truck.And seeing this once a day always makes him bite his lip, close his eyes and hurt his heart, and always makes him wonder again why the 737 that his wife of sixteen months was on board rolls over Straight to the ground.

Meghan's new nursery is easier for him to pick up and go to work, and his neighbors love sending their twin boys there.He turned left onto Ridge Highway and found that the nursery was right across from the convenience store, where he could buy a cup of coffee later when he crossed Bridge Fifty on his way to work.Great footprint, great name. This sucks for a living, Pat thought as he pulled over the car.Marlene.Deckett was always there by six o'clock, taking care of the children of the officials driving to Washington, D.C., and she would even step out to greet the two of the earliest arrivals.

Arriving so early, the teacher exclaimed with astonishing enthusiasm: "Mr. O'Day!"It must be Megan!Megan looked up, looking at Dad strangely.When she turned around again, she was surprised to see something special.She's also called Megan, she's your bear, and she's been waiting for you all day. Wow!The little girl grabbed the fluffy brown toy and hugged the name tag tightly in her arms.Hello! Ms. Deckett looked up at the FBI agent, and her eyes told him: It worked every time.Do you have the form? Right here, sir.O'Day answered and handed her the form he had filled out the night before.Megan is in good health and has no allergies to drugs, milk or food; of course, if there is a real emergency, you can take her to a local hospital; the Inspector's office and pager numbers, and his parents And the phone numbers of Deborah's parents, who are wonderful grandparents.Bigfoot is very organized.O'Day didn't know how organized it was, because there was one thing that Mr. Deckett couldn't talk to him casually.

Well, Miss Megan, I think it's time for us to go play and make new friends.She looked up and said: We will take good care of her. With a touch of the usual sadness of leaving his daughter wherever, whenever and wherever O'Day got back in the car and sprinted across the street to the convenience store across the street to buy his coffee.He has a meeting at nine o'clock, mainly to review the latest developments in the investigation of the plane crash. Their investigation is now at a crossroads. The next day is boring administrative business, but at least it will not prevent him from picking up on time. his little daughter.Forty minutes later, he pulled into the FBI headquarters at Tenth Street and Pennsylvania Avenue.His position as Mobile Inspector entitles him to a reserved parking space.From there today he had to walk to the indoor pistol range.

Since being a Boy Scout, Pat.O'Day is a highly skilled marksman, and he is also the chief small arms instructor for several FBI field offices, which means that he was selected by the Support Weapons Coordinator to instruct other operators in weapons training. Both are an important part of police training. Usually at this time of day, the shooting range is not crowded. It is seven twenty-five. Federal hollow point ammunition, and took a pair of standard Q targets and a pair of ear protectors.The target is a white cardboard with a humanoid figure on it, marked with the deadly parts of the body.Its size and shape are roughly similar to the steel drums used by farmers to hold milk. The letter Q is located in the center of the target, which is the position of the human heart.He attached the paper target to the spring clips of the mobile crane, fixed the distance of thirty feet, and flipped the switch of the crane.As the crane began to move in the direction of the shooting set, he allowed his thoughts to settle and recalled the content of the sports page and the newcomers who lined up in the spring training camp.The hardware equipment in the shooting range can be designed. When it reaches the predetermined position, the target is turned sideways, making it almost invisible.O'Day didn't look at the target, he set the timer to a random setting, and then stared at the direction of the shot, his two hands ready by the side.His thoughts changed now and there was a bad guy there, a very dangerous, sentenced and cornered felon, who was telling the informant that he would rather die than go back to prison.In O'Day's long career, he's heard words like that so many times, and whenever he can, he'll give those guys a chance to keep their promises, but when they're in real danger it's not like drinking beer Or smoking marijuana, which is very easy to deal with, these people stop resisting, drop their weapons, wet their pants, and even cry.But this time, the villain is not only extremely dangerous, but also has a hostage, most likely a child, possibly even his own little Megan.The thought made him squint his eyes

With the click of the timer, the target turned to face O'Day.His right hand drew the pistol out of the holster with a movement that was almost invisible, his right foot moved back at the same time, his body turned slightly and crouched, and his left hand also held the rubber handle when the gun was half raised.He kept his eyes on the crosshairs, aimed at the head on the Q target, and squeezed the trigger twice with his finger. The shooting speed was so fast that the two empty shell casings shot into the air almost at the same time.This trick is called doubles, and O'Day has practiced it for many years.The echoes of those two shots bounced off the steel retaining wall just as the empty shell casings fell on the concrete floor.At this moment, two holes less than an inch apart have appeared on the target at a position a little higher than the eyes.It took less than a second for the target to turn around, but almost immediately it fell to the ground.

I think you beat them. O'Day was awakened by a familiar voice, he turned around and said: Good morning, Director. Hey Pat.Murray yawned, holding a pair of ear protectors in his left hand, your movements were extremely fast.Hostage drama? I want to train for the worst case. your little daughter.Murray nodded.They are all like this, because the hostages in your heart must be quite important people.Very good, you finished him off.Let me see again.ordered the chief.He wanted to see O'Day's technique and learn something from it.After the second pass, there was a broken hole in the forehead of the target.Even though Murray thought he was a sharpshooter, this was a real surprise.It seems that I still need to practice more.

O'Day is now relaxed.If you hit the target with your first shot of the day and he's got four rounds now of course you can still hit it.After twenty rounds in two minutes, the head on the target had turned into a ring.On another track, Murray was busy practicing standard Jeff.Cooper-style technique, first two quick shots hit the chest, then slowly aim and hit the head.When both are satisfied with the results of the shooting, it's time to review the day's work. Is there something new?asked the chief. No, sir.A follow-up review of the JAL crash case has opened, but there have been few surprising findings.

What happened to Kirti? O'Day shrugged.He has no right to interfere with the investigation of the Professional Responsibility Department, but he can get a daily progress briefing. Although the supervision of this case is entirely within the purview of the Professional Responsibility Department, the relevant progress information must also be filtered and reviewed by the Chief Mobile Inspector of the Bureau. Send to the Chief's Office.Dan, a lot of people have been in and out of Secretary Hansen's office, and anyone could have snatched that letter if there was one, but most of us think there should be.At least, Hansen talked to a lot of people about it, and that's what they told us.

I think that event will be forgotten sooner or later.Murray said. Good morning, Mr. President. Another day.The kids were out and Kathy wasn't there.Ryan came out of his residence wearing a suit and tie. His jacket was tightly buttoned. He rarely did this, or it should be said that he only did this after he moved here. His leather shoes were also polished by the servants.In addition, Ryan still can't think of this place as his own home. Although the decoration is gorgeous and the service is good, it is more like a hotel, or a VIP room like the one he used to live in when he was on a business trip. Are you Raman?the president asked. Yes, sir.Operator Aref.Raman replied.He was six feet tall and athletic, more like a weightlifter than a runner, Lane thought, thinking that might be the result of the kind of body armor many members of the Presidential Guard wore.Lane judged him to be about thirty-five, handsome, with a shy smile and eyes as blue as Casey's.The swordsman set off, he said into his microphone, heading for the office. Raman, where are you from?the President asked him on the way to the elevator. His mother is Lebanese and his father is Iranian. He came to the United States in 1979 when the Shah of Iran was in trouble.My dad was very close to the Iranian government at the time. So, what's your take on the situation in Iraq?the president asked. Sir, I don't even know the language there.The operator laughed, if you are asking me which team will win in the NCAA finals right now, then you are asking the right person. Kentucky.The president said with certainty.The elevators in the White House are very old, and the interior decoration belongs to the pre-art deco style.Raman helped him press that worn black button. The president can't press it by himself. Oregon will win, I never miss it, sir.If you don’t believe me, you can ask other operators, I have won the previous three bets, and no one can bet against me.The final will be Oregon vs. Duuk, my alma mater Oregon will win by six to eight points.Of course, if Maceo.And maybe a little less if Rollins does well.Raman added a few words. What did you study at Duke? Pre-law, but I decided not to be a lawyer.In fact, I didn't think criminals should have any rights, so I thought I wanted to be a cop, so I joined the Secret Service. Are you married?Ryan wanted to get to know the people around him.Partly because it was a minimum of courtesy, but partly because these were people who had sworn to protect his life and he couldn't treat them like ordinary employees. Haven't met the right girl, at least not yet. Are you a Muslim? My parents are, but after I saw the trouble religion got them, huh, he had a wry smile, if you ask people around, they will tell you my religion is ACC basketball, Dee I've never missed a Uke game live.Damn bad luck, Oregon is so aggressive this year.But that's something you can't change. The President giggled at his blunt words.Is the Aref you said your name? Actually, they call me Jeff because it's easier to pronounce.While Raman was explaining, the elevator door opened.He stood in the middle of the elevator doors, blocking his direct view of the President.A uniformed guard and two members of the guard were standing there, and Rahman nodded to them and stepped out of the elevator, followed by Ryan; Hall and side porch of the carpentry. Well, Jeff, today's schedule is relatively light.Ryan told Laman without hesitation, in fact, the Secret Service knew about his itinerary today before he did. Maybe it will be easier for us. When the President walked into the Oval Office, the Foleys, Bert.Visco, Scott.Adler, and one other person stood up, they were waiting for him. class!cried Ryan. Mr President.class.Dr. Goodree responded with a smile. Class is here today to give us a morning briefing.Edward.Foley explained. Since the morning guests weren't all insiders, Rahman had to stay in the room lest someone try to jump over the coffee table and strangle the President.Members of the guard also carried not only pistols, but also steel telescopic batons.Rahman stared at Goodree, whose name tag identified him as the National Intelligence Officer, pulling out the briefing; like many members of the Secret Service, he was bound to hear almost everything.The words on the top-secret file folder are only for the president to read, but this is not really the case.There will be outsiders in this office most of the time, and the members of the guards pretend to stay among them nonchalantly, as if they don't pay attention to that kind of thing, but in fact they don't discuss it too much.They don't listen or remember, but they don't, because police officers aren't trained or paid to remember things, let alone ignore their existence. In that sense, Raman thought, he was a good spy.Since training as a law enforcement officer in the United States, he has consistently excelled in field assignments, especially in counterfeiting cases.He's a skilled shooter with a thorough mind, which he's been showing since he was in school; He was also a wrestler on the college team.It is very important for an operator to have a good memory, and his memory is particularly good.In fact, it was his photographic memory that first attracted the attention of the top guards, because when the president appeared in a crowded crowd, the operatives protecting the president must have the kind of ability to immediately recognize him from the pile of photos they carry. The ability to put on a special face.During the Fowler administration, he was a low-ranking operative assigned to the Presidential Guard by the St. Louis Field Service to cover a fundraiser dinner.He detained a man suspected of stalking the President on ID and found a .22 automatic in his pocket.Raman managed to pull the guy out of the crowd so subtly and covertly that the guy's check-up with the mental health system in Missouri didn't make news, which is exactly what the operators were trying to achieve.The incident of this young operator was recorded in detail, and the then director of the U.S. Secret Service decided to retry the case, so Roger.After During entered the White House, Rahman was quickly transferred to the Presidential Guard.As a low-ranking operative of the Presidential Guard, Raman had spent hard days and nights at the post, and also followed the presidential car, and then gradually climbed up. This is very fast for a young man .He was always doing hard work without complaint, explaining from time to time that as an immigrant he knew how much America meant to him, that his ancestors had served Darius, one of the immortal greats (Editor's Note: Ancient Persian Dynasty King), and he had to do a good job for his new country.It was an easy job, really, far easier than the job his brother, not his own, had been doing in Baghdad not long ago.Americans, no matter what they say in their polls, do love immigrants in their big, stupid hearts.They know a lot, and they're always learning, but the one thing they haven't learned is that you can never read another person's heart. On the ground we have no equipment we can use.Fu Mary said. But the wiretapping was good, Gudre went on, and the NSA did a lot for us.The whole Baath-led regime is in a difficult situation, and I don't think they'll be able to fix it any time soon, at least for a while. So Iraq is completely leaderless? There is a military council made up of colonels and junior generals.They and an Iranian church will appear on television in the afternoon.Burt.Visco said with confidence that this at least shows that the friendly relationship between the two countries will be rebuilt, and as far as the current situation is concerned, the two countries may merge.We'll get the definite news in two days and people out there will have to wait two weeks. What about Saudi Arabia?Ryan asked. They're flustered, Jack.Edward.Foley immediately replied, I just spoke to Prince Ali on the phone less than an hour ago.They scrambled to draw up an aid package and drew up an extremely complicated letter of credit, but no one answered the phone in Iraq, which made them fidgety in Riyadh.Iraq has always liked to talk business, but not now. Ryan knew that this might be what the countries of the Arabian Peninsula were afraid of.Westerners don't think highly of Arabs, they are businessmen, not dreamers, fanatics, or lunatics, just pure businessmen; their culture is a maritime trade culture, and that's what the US is recreating Sinbad kind of movie is the only recognition.Leaving aside differences in language, dress, and religion, in this sense they are very similar to Americans, and they don't quite understand those who are unwilling to do business, accommodate, and make all kinds of exchanges.And Iran is such a country. Khomeini changed the country previously controlled by the Shah of Iran into a country that combines politics and religion. Unlike us, they consider any culture from a global perspective. What about Tehran?Ren then asked.class.Goodley answered the question. Official news broadcasts welcomed the development, offering the usual offer of peace and renewed friendship, but otherwise little reaction.That's officially the case, Gudre said.As for the unofficial side, we are receiving various wiretapping situations.Those in Baghdad are seeking Tehran's instructions for what they say is to let the current situation develop quickly.Next up is the Revolutionary Tribunal and we will see many Muslim clerics on TV preaching love, peace and all the good things.But when the trial begins, people will retreat behind the walls to fire, and there will be a complete vacuum. Iran could then take over Iraq, or use Iraq as a puppet.Gudre might be right, said Wesker, with a quick look at the latest wiretaps.This is the first time I've seen this signals intelligence stuff; sorry, Mr. President, but I've always been interested in politics.This thing is more useful than I expected. Are you saying it hides more messages than I thought?asked the national intelligence officer. Wesker nodded, but didn't look up at him.I think it might be.This is very bad.He voiced his opinion threateningly. Later today, Saudi Arabia will ask us to help them.Secretary of State Adler pointed out, what should I tell them? Wren was a little taken aback by his thoughtless answer: Our commitment to Saudi Arabia will not change.If they need us, we will help them, now and later.After speaking, Ren thought for a while. He actually made a reliable guarantee that the United States will go all out to a non-democratic country 7,000 miles away in just two sentences.Fortunately, Adler came out to smooth things over for him. I completely agree, Mr. President; we have no choice.Everyone nodded in agreement, including Ben.Goodrey.We can do this in secret.Prince Ali understands, and he will show the king that we are not joking. Next, Edward.Foley said, we have to take Tony.Britannon, who is very good at listening to intelligence.The yet-to-be CIA director told the president.Are you going to have a cabinet meeting? Ren shook his head.No, I think we should keep a low profile on this matter.The United States is actively paying attention to the development of the regional situation, but there is no need to make things heated up.Scott, get your people to work on this newsletter. OKreplied the Secretary of State. Ben, what are you doing at Langley now? Mr. President, they made me a Senior Value Officer at the Operations Center. Your briefing was well done.The president said to the young man, then turned to the CIA director: Edward, he works for me from now on, and I need a national intelligence officer who speaks for me. God, shouldn't I at least find someone to replace him first?Foley replied with a smile, this kid is indeed the right candidate. Very good, Edward.Ben, your stressful days are about to begin.From now on, my old office is around the corner and it's yours.The meals here are pretty good.The president promised. Throughout the process, Aref.Raman stood still the whole time.He leaned against the white wall, his eyes constantly scanning the visitor.He had been trained not to trust anyone, except probably the president's wife and children, and no one else. It's just a matter of time, what the American education and professional training has given him is to wait patiently for the opportunity to do the right thing, and other things happening on the other side of the world are pushing that moment further and further close.Behind his expressionless eyes, Raman thought maybe he needed instructions.His mission is no longer the random one he swore to accomplish twenty years ago.That kind of task he can do at any time, and his present task is here.While anyone can kill, and although a dedicated man can kill almost anyone, only a truly skilled assassin can kill whomever he wants to kill at the right moment for a greater purpose.It is ironic, he thought, that although his mission came from God, every element of its fulfillment came directly from the great Satan and was embodied in the life of a man who could die at the right moment. Best tribute to Allah.Timing will be the hardest part, so now, two decades later, Raman decided to make a breakthrough. Your goal is to take big risks.Beidean said calmly, but deep down in his heart, he was not at all calm, it was a frightening feeling. People who have no guts cannot survive on this earth.Tayelan replied that it was the first time in his life that he explained his mission to someone other than his own clergy. When they were discussing the plan that would change the face of the entire world, they were like two gamblers fighting around a gambling table.For Da Yelan, it is the realization of the ultimate of his life's work and the construction of a beautiful dream, which he has been fighting, thinking and planning for a long time.If that goal is achieved, his name will be listed alongside the Prophet Muhammad, and that goal is to unify the Islamic world, which is what he has symbolically expressed in his inner circle. Beide'an seemed to see that big country, a new superpower standing in the center of the Persian Gulf, a country with huge economic strength and a huge population.Not only will it be self-sufficient in every way, but it will also expand into Asia and Africa, and it will be possible to fulfill the wishes of the Prophet Muhammad.The Prophet left such a mission to people like Tayalan.For Bedian, it was just a game of power, where differences in religion or ideology differentiated groups, and he belonged to this group simply because he was born here, but because he had carefully studied Marxism, therefore, found that this group alone was not enough to accomplish the task. It works.Beidean said after a few seconds of thinking. That historic moment will be unique.He doesn't really like to get bogged down in ideological platitudes when he talks about statecraft, but sometimes that's inevitable. The great satan is weak and the little satan is utterly defeated, and his Islamic republic is ready to hand over We manage.They need unity, but what unity is better than holy Islam? That's absolutely correct, Bed'an silently nodded in agreement.After the collapse of the Soviet Union, the so-called Confederation of Independent States replaced it with nothing more than a power vacuum that had not been truly filled, and those republics in the south remained economically controlled by Moscow, like a team of carriages hitched to a dying horse .They have been rebelling, religious differences have separated the restless little nations from that godless empire, and now they are all fighting to establish their own economic status so that they can completely separate from the one they never really belonged to. The dead national center split off.However, they are not economically self-reliant, and there is still a big gap between them and the present era.They all need another patron, someone who can lead them into the new century.So this new leader must mean money, a lot of money, plus the banner of unified religion and culture that has long been denied by Marxism-Leninism.And those republics are willing to provide land and population, as well as resources in return. The obstacle is America, but I don't need to tell you that.Bedian explained in a superfluous way that the United States is not only vast in size, but also too powerful to be destroyed. I've seen this Rayne once.But still you go first, tell me what you think of him? He's not stupid, and he's not a coward.Bedian said cautiously that he appeared brave and well versed in intelligence activities.He is well educated.The Saudis trust him, the Israelis trust him, both countries are important at this time, and this third is also important, and the Russians not only know but respect him. anything else? Don't underestimate him, don't underestimate America.We've all seen what happens to those who underestimate it.Bedian replied. But what about the current situation in the United States? What I have seen tells me that President Wren is trying to rebuild his country's government.The task is daunting, but America is a country with strong roots. What about the question of succession? I'm not sure about this situation.Bedian admits that I haven't gathered enough news reports to make sense of the issue. I've seen Ryan.Finally, Dayelan expressed her opinion.He's just a small character.He looks strong, but he is not.If he had been a strong man, he would have dealt directly with this Kirti.He committed treason, didn't he?But it doesn't matter.Wren is a person, America is a country.We can strike at both, at the same moment, from multiple directions. Like lions and coyotes.Beidean nodded, and then explained what he meant clearly.Tayelan likes it, so he doesn't mind where he fits in the metaphor. Not one massive attack, but many small ones?Da Yelan asked. I've used it before and it works. How about multiple large-scale attacks?Against America and against Rennes.For that matter, what would happen if Wren died?What's next, young man? There will be chaos within their government system.But I will consider it carefully, and I will persuade allies.The more coyotes there are, the more directions they can attack, and the better they can torture the lions.As far as attacking Ryan personally, Beidean went on to say that he wanted to know why his master said that. The President of the United States is a difficult character to deal with. He is closely guarded and well-informed. I know.Dayelan replied that there was nothing in her black eyes.Which countries do you want to persuade to be our allies? Have you noticed the conflict between Japan and the United States carefully?Bedian asked, have you ever wondered why some big dogs never bark?The question about big dogs is really interesting.There is one dog who is the hungriest of all dogs, and is bound to pounce on a package that piques his interest. Maybe it just happened to malfunction. Representatives of the Gulfstream jets were sitting in a room with Swiss civil aviation officials and the head of flight management for the company that owns the downed jet.The records he had written showed that the jet had been well maintained by a local company and that all parts were from approved suppliers.The Swiss company that repaired the downed jet has a decade-free history of aviation accidents and is run by the same government agency that oversaw the investigation. This may not be the first time.Representatives of Gulfstream aircraft agreed.Although a flight data recorder black box is a solid piece of hardware, it doesn't necessarily survive a crash because every accident is different.A careful search by the U.S. Navy ship USS Riverd failed to detect the signal from the black box locator.Indirect searches without a signal are undoubtedly looking for a needle in a haystack.Then there is the issue of the Libyans, who don't want foreign ships probing around their waters.If the missing jet had been a large airliner, it might have been dealt with aggressively, but it was a commercial jet with only two crew members and a reported three passengers on board, one of whom was also infected with the deadly virus. Infectious diseases are not that important.Without flight information, it is useless to say more.A report of an engine failure could mean a problem with the fuel, or poor maintenance enough!Maintenance contractors objected. I'm just talking in theory.Representatives of the Gulfstream aircraft pointed out that it was either due to some kind of error by the pilot or some other reason.Without hard data, there is nothing we can do. The pilot had 4,000 hours of flying experience, and the co-pilot had more than 2,000 hours.This is the fifth time this representative has said this this afternoon. They are all thinking the same thing.Aircraft manufacturers have some of the best safety records to prove themselves.For large airlines, the choice of large passenger aircraft manufacturers is relatively small, and safety is equally important to both parties, but it is even more so for commercial jet manufacturers, because their competition is more intense.Without a definitive explanation for even the rare accidents that occur, buyers will be impressed and all they remember is a missing jet and missing passengers. Maintenance contractors likewise do not want to be involved in a fatal accident.With so many airports and commercial aircraft in Switzerland, a bad record can of course cost a maintainer a lot of business, not to mention trouble for breaking Switzerland's strict civil aviation laws. The company would at least suffer a reputational loss, but its ego would not allow it to be held liable without genuine cause. There was no real reason for anyone in the room to be held responsible because there were no flight data recorders.They looked at each other around the table, all thinking the same thing: even the best people make mistakes, but few people are willing to admit it, and no one is willing to admit it unless they have to.Government representatives reviewed the paperwork and expressed satisfaction that the paperwork was correct.There was nothing they could do but talk to the engine builder and try to get a sample of the fuel.The former is easy, but the latter is not.Until the end, they still made no progress.There could be a loss of one or two Gulfstream jets in the sale, while maintenance contractors are subject to further government scrutiny.As for the company, it will buy a new jet.To show its loyalty, the company may buy another Gulfstream business jet and have it serviced by the same maintenance contractor.That would please everyone, even the Swiss government. Being a mobile inspector paid more than a field operator, and it was a lot more fun than sitting at a desk all day, but O'Day was still dissatisfied with spending many hours a day reading reports written by operators or their secretaries.Although many low-level operators double-checked the data for inconsistencies, he still had to do the same work, and kept carefully annotating it with a pencil in his yellow notebook. Director Rui's summary report.奧戴堅決認為，真正的幹員是不使用打字機的那大概是他在匡蒂科的指導人員說過的話。他提早結束了會議，並覺得自己不需要再待在辦公室裡。調查真是到了山窮水盡的地步，所謂新的情報都是些審訊，而且所證實的每每都是些早已被許多文件揭露和證實過的情報。 我一直很討厭這個部分。Assistant Secretary Tony.卡魯索說道。當美國律師擁有他所需要的一切證據時，也就是他該進行定罪的時候，然而，身為一個律師，永遠也不可能得到足夠的證據似乎給一個惡棍定罪的最佳途徑就是讓陪審團煩得要死。 連一點相悖的資料都沒有。這次贏定了，東尼。他們倆是多年老友。該是讓我得到些新訊息而且令我感到激動的時候了。 Good luck.梅根好嗎？ 在一家新的托兒所，今天是頭一天。名字叫大腳印，在里奇高速公路旁。 同一個！卡魯索說，我就猜會是如此。 ah? 雷恩的孩子噢，那些北解殺手攻擊那裡時，你還沒回到這裡呢。 她沒有那裡的所長沒跟我說過，我猜她不會說，對不對？ 我們的同行對此有點過於謹慎。我想密勤局會告訴她什麼可以講和什麼不可以講。 大概還有一、兩個幹員連指帶畫地幫助她吧。奧戴想了一會兒說。對街的便利商店有一個新來的職員奧戴想起早上買咖啡時怎麼會有那麼清秀的小伙子在一大清早就出現在店裡。嗯，明天他要看看那個傢伙有沒有帶武器。 有點小題大作，卡魯索同意道，但有什麼關係呢，知道自己的孩子所待的地方有人保護也不算什麼壞事。 你說得對，東尼。奧戴站起來，不管怎樣，我要去把她接回來。 總部的爛規定，一天八個小時。這位華盛頓外勤處的助理局長抱怨道。 你是想成為大人物的人，唐．安東尼奧。 下班總是讓人心情舒暢，連路上的空氣都彷彿比上班時新鮮。他離開辦公大樓向自己的卡車走去，注意到它既沒被偷也沒被人動過這就是車子濺滿泥漿的好處。他脫下夾克奧戴很少穿外套迅速穿上他那件已有十年歷史的海軍飛行皮夾克，雖然有點破但穿起來很舒服；接著他把領帶也摘了下來。十分鐘後，他沿路聽著C＆W廣播電台開上了通往安娜波里斯的五十號橋，正好避開了政府人員下班的尖峰時間。今天的交通特別順暢，他正好在整點新聞之前開入大腳印托兒所的停車場，這次他到處看了一下有沒有官方的車在這裡。密勤局在這方面相當聰明；跟聯邦調查局一樣，他們的車牌都是隨機跳號的，他們甚至已經學會不開那種漆成中性色調的明顯便宜貨，也就是那種沒標牌的警車。儘管如此，他還是認出了兩輛。他把車緊停在其中一輛的旁邊，並往車窗裡看看車子的無線電設備，從而證實了他的猜測。做完這些後，他想知道自己偽裝得怎麼樣，並決定看看他們的能力如何；隨後又想到，如果他們很稱職的話，早就應該透過他今天早上交給戴基特老師的文件檢查了他的身分，或許可能更早以前就查過了。聯邦調查局和密勤局之間的競爭相當激烈；實際上，前者是由密勤局的少數幹員開始起家的。但是聯邦調查局卻發展得更加壯大，並不斷在犯罪調查方面累積更多的合作經驗。這並不是說密勤局不好，只是正如卡魯索所說的它太過於謹慎了。不過他們大概可以是這世界上最優秀的保姆。 他拉上夾克的拉鏈走過停車場，看到一個身材魁梧的傢伙就站在門內。他需要偷偷摸摸的嗎？奧戴從他面前走過。到了裡面之後，再來就是檢查看看衣服的不同和有無耳機。是的，有兩個穿長罩衫的女幹員，其外衣底下可能是九公釐口徑的自動手槍。 dad!梅根跳起來大聲道。站在她身邊的是一個年齡和長相都與她相仿的孩子。奧戴向前走去，然後彎下腰去看女兒今天所畫的圖畫。 sorry.透過夾克，他感覺到有一隻手正輕輕地按著他的手槍。 妳知道我是誰。他說著，但沒轉身。 oh!I do know.這時奧戴聽出了那個聲音。他轉過身去看著安德麗．普萊斯。 妳被降職了？他站起身看著她的臉，夾雜在孩子們中間的那兩個女幹員也同樣緊緊地盯著他，注意著他皮夾克下面凸起的地方。她們不得不那樣做，因為皮衣的體積是最適合藏槍了。 搜查。替所有孩子們查看一下所做的安排。she explained. 她叫凱蒂。梅根介紹她的新朋友，這是我爸爸。 妳好，凱蒂。他再次彎下腰與那個小女孩握手，隨後站起身問：她是？ 小沙坑，美國第一家庭的孩子。普萊斯證實道。 對面還有一個？公務第一。 兩個，輪流換班。 She looks like her mother.帕特指著凱蒂．rennes.出於禮貌，他掏出證件並拋給離他最近的女幹員瑪塞拉．hilton. 你想考驗一下我們，是嗎？普萊斯問道。 妳在門口的人知道進來的我是誰，他看起來像是有在街頭站過崗的經驗。 他是唐．羅素，他的確有，但是 但是這樣就太過於小心翼翼了。奧戴督察表示同意，是，我承認我是想看看你們有多謹慎。嘿，我的小女兒也在這裡，我猜這裡現在已經成為攻擊的目標了。該死，他在心裡暗罵了一句。 那我們通過了嗎？ 有一個在對面，這裡我能看出三個。我敢說你們在附近一百碼的範圍內一定還有三個以上的同伴。要我找出他們嗎？ 那就請你努力找吧，我們把他們藏得很好。她沒有指出屋內還有一個他沒發現的人。 我想也是，普萊斯幹員。奧戴同意道，他仔細地打量四周以搜尋蛛絲馬跡。那裡有兩部電視攝影機，應該是剛裝上不久的，這正好解釋了為什麼空氣中會有些微的油漆味，也同樣說明了牆上為何沒有一點小手印的痕跡。安裝的電線使這棟房子看起來有點像彈珠機。我必須承認，你們相當細心。very good.he said finally. 墜機一案有進展嗎？ 帕特搖搖頭說：沒什麼。我們今天在華盛頓外勤處檢討了另外一些審訊。只是疑點太小，沒有多大的價值。不過，加拿大騎警正在幫我們做這件苦差事。還有小日本也是，我想他們已經跟與佐藤有關的每一個人都談過了，從佐藤的幼稚園老師開始，甚至連他逢場作戲的空姐，他們也都找去談話了。一切都在掌握之中，普萊斯。 叫我安德麗就好了。she replied. 那也請妳叫我帕特吧。They looked at each other and smiled. 你用的是什麼武器？ 史密斯一○七六，比你們那種九公釐口徑的小玩意要強得多。他帶著一些優越感說道。奧戴相信它不僅能在靶上打個大洞，必要時對付人也毫不含糊。密勤局有它自己的武器政策，但他確信聯邦調查局在這方面更高明。She is not to be outdone. 幫我們個忙好嗎？你下次進來時，請把證件給在前面的幹員看一下。並不一定每次都是同一個人。她甚至沒有要求他把槍留在卡車裡。哼，職業性的禮貌。 那麼，他好嗎？ 劍客？ 丹摩瑞局長很固執，他們經常意見不合。我和丹也是。 這是一項苦差事，但是你知道摩瑞是對的。我遇過更差勁的人；他實際上比看起來聰明。 我在他身邊工作的時候，他就比較善於接受別人的意見。 不止那些，他還善於提出問題。這時一個孩子叫了起來，他們同時轉過身去並以同樣的方式掃視了一下整個房間，然後又轉回來看著正在欣賞彼此的圖畫的兩個女孩。看起來，你的孩子跟我們的孩子相處得不錯。 我們的，帕特心想。在門口的那個大塊頭，她說他叫羅素，也是個幹員，他可能是這個衛隊小組的護衛長，他絕對是一個非常有經驗的幹員。他們挑選了兩個年輕的女幹員負責裡面的任務，以便跟孩子們相處。他們做得還不錯，但沒他厲害。然而，我們的就足以說明一切，就像一群獅子圍著牠們的幼獅一樣，或者只有一隻幼獅。奧戴心想，如果是自己會怎麼做呢？這種工作很無聊，就只是像那樣站崗，但你不能讓自己覺得無聊，因為那將會是一場抗爭。他曾經接過不少嚴密監督的任務，但這種任務更不簡單。儘管如此，警察的眼睛還是能看出他們與房內其他幼稚園老師之間的不同。 安德麗，看起來妳的人知道他們的任務。怎麼那麼多人？ 我知道我們派了太多的人手。普萊斯歪著頭說，我們還在斟酌。我們的國會山莊被撞得亂七八糟，你知道嗎？不會再這樣了，只要在我的管轄任期內，只要我還帶領總統衛隊一天，就不會再有這種事情發生。如果新聞界對此大肆渲染的話，那真是他媽的混蛋！她的話說得甚至像個真正的警察。 小姐，我不覺得怎麼樣。好了，在妳的許可之下，我該回家做乳酪和通心粉了。他低頭看去，梅根差不多已完成了她的傑作。這兩個小女孩的長相不太容易區分，至少不仔細看是這樣的。這雖是杞人憂天，但也是密勤局的人之所以會在這裡的原因。 你們在哪裡練？他沒有必要說練什麼。 在一棟舊的郵政大樓，那裡有一個射擊場，離白宮很近。每個星期都去。她告訴他，那裡的每個幹員都相當厲害，像唐就是一等一的高手。 真的。奧戴的眼睛一亮，以後就會知道了。 是你的地方還是我的地方？普萊斯問道，眼裡閃爍著欣喜的神情。 總統先生，葛洛佛科先生在三線。那是直撥電話。Saji.尼古拉耶維奇又要開始賣弄了。 雷恩按下按鍵。喂，薩吉嗎？ Iran. I know.the president said. 知道多少？那個俄羅斯人問道，他早就收拾好行李準備回家了。 我們將在十天左右的時間內得到確切的消息。 跟我的情報一樣。我會提供合作。 這就快要成為習慣了，雷恩心想，但總會有些要先考慮的事。我會和愛德華．弗利討論一下。when will you be home 明天。 到時候再跟我聯絡。雷恩很驚訝自己竟能這麼有效率地跟以前的敵人講話，這位總統笑著想。雷恩從辦公桌上站起身走進祕書的房間。在下一個會見之前，來一些點心吧 你好，總統先生。普萊斯說，有時間嗎？ 雷恩示意讓她進來，此時他的第二祕書正在打電話給食勤組。What's up? 只是想告訴你，我看過對你的孩子所做的防衛安排了。非常嚴密。如果這樣做是為了要讓總統高興的話，他並沒有表現出來，安德麗心想；但那是可以理解的。嘿，我們為你的孩子安排了夠多的保鑣。這是什麼樣的世界！兩分鐘後，她和拉曼交談。拉曼在早上五點就來到了白宮，現在則正和安德麗交接。但跟平常一樣，沒什麼好報告的今天是白宮平靜的一天。 這位年輕的幹員走向他的汽車並驅車駛過大院，先給守衛看了他的通行證，然後等著鐵門打開那兩扇門被一根九吋長的方樁固定住，看起來非常牢固，足以阻擋傾卸卡車的闖入。出門後他通過了賓夕法尼亞大道的水泥路障這條大道直到最近才對外開放然後轉向西朝喬治城方向開去，他在那裡有一套閣樓公寓，但這次他並不直接回家，而是開到威斯康辛大道上，在右轉後把車停了下來。 真是意想不到，那個男人竟會是一個地毯商人。許多美國人都認為伊朗人不是恐怖分子、地毯商人就是粗魯的醫生。他離開波斯（編註：一九三五年改稱為伊朗）但是大多數的美國人都無法把波斯地毯和伊朗聯想在一起，彷彿那根本就是兩個不同的國家已經十五年多了。牆上掛著他兒子的照片，每當有人問起這照片，他總是告訴他們，他兒子在兩伊戰爭中被打死了，這是真的。他還會告訴那些感興趣的人，他憎恨他的祖國，但這一點就不是真的。他是一個隨時待命的墊伏幹員，而且從不與任何人聯繫，他甚至要透過第三者來與德黑蘭聯繫。他不屬於任何組織，既不示威遊行，也不公開發表言論，除了經營一份正當的生意之外，什麼都不做像拉曼一樣，他甚至也不到清真寺做禮拜。實際上，他從未見過拉曼，所以當拉曼從正門走進來時，他的注意力還只是集中在拉曼想要的手工地毯上。在確定商店裡沒有其他人之後，拉曼徑直向櫃台走去。 牆上的照片看起來像你，是你兒子嗎？ Yes.他帶著一種從未離他而去的傷感回答道，他在那場戰爭中被打死了。 在那場戰爭中，很多人都失去了兒子。他是個信仰宗教的孩子嗎？ 現在還有什麼關係嗎？商人問道，用力地眨著眼睛。 那一向都是很重要的。拉曼以完全漫不經心的口吻說道。 兩人邊說邊走到近一點的兩疊地毯前，商人掀起地毯的一角。 我已準備就緒，但我需要時間上的指示。拉曼沒有代號，而他剛更換的暗號也只有三個人知道。商人什麼都不知道，他只是將剛從另外一個人那裡聽來的九個字複述給拉曼，然後等待答覆，再把答覆傳回去。 填個顧客資料卡好嗎？ 拉曼所登記的是一個真的名字和地址，這個名字是他從電話簿中挑出來的，其電話號碼正好與他自己的電話號碼只差一個數字。商人從第四位數字上所做的記號就可以知道，在什麼位置上進行一加三得到四，從而得出完整的電話號碼。這是一種極為高明的諜報技術，是二十多年前由一位以色列人教給他在伊朗國家安全情報署的指導官，他至今不忘。