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〃Some of us are overachievers。 。。。 Hold it！ I've got pany！〃
Below on the bottom of the staircase a small pact black man appeared； his dark eyes bulging； staring up at the agent； a gun in his hand。 The CIA man spun behind the edge of the wall as four successive gunshots shattered the corridor。 Lunging across the open space； his revolver ripped from its holster； the agent fired twice； but once was enough。 His assailant fell to the floor of the soiled lobby。
〃I caught a ricochet in my leg！〃 cried the agent。 〃But he's down…deep dead or not I can't tell。 Sweep up the vehicle and get us both out。 Pronto。〃
〃On its way。 Stay put！〃
It was shortly past eight o'clock the next morning when Alex Conklin limped into Peter Holland's office。 The guards at the CIA gates were impressed with his immediate access to the director。
〃Anything？〃 asked the DCI； looking up from the papers on his desk。
〃Nothing；〃 answered the retired field officer angrily； heading for the couch against the wall rather than a chair。 〃Not a goddamned thing。 Jesus； what a fucked…up day and it hasn't even begun！ Casset and Valentino are down in the cellars sending out queries all over the Paris sewers but so far nothing。 。。。 Christ； look at the scenario and find me a thread！ Swayne； Armbruster； DeSole…our mute son of a bitch； the mole。 Then for God's sake； Teagarten with Bourne's calling card； when we know damned well it's a trap for Jason set by the Jackal。 But there's no logic anywhere that ties Carlos to Teagarten and by extension to Medusa。 Nothing makes sense； Peter。 We've lost the spine…everything's gone off the wire！〃
〃Calm down；〃 said Holland gently。
〃How the hell can I？ Bourne's disappeared…I mean really disappeared； if he isn't dead。 And there's no trace of Marie； no word from her； and then we learn that Bernardine was killed in a shoot…out only hours ago on the Rivoli…Christ； shot in broad daylight！ And that means Jason was there…he had to be there！〃
〃But since none of the dead or wounded fits his description； we can assume he got away； can't we？〃
〃We can hope； yes。〃
〃You asked for a thread；〃 mused the DCI。 〃I'm not sure I can actually provide one； but I can give you something like it。
〃New York？〃 Conklin sat forward on the couch。 〃The answering machine？ That DeFazio hood in Brooklyn Heights？〃
〃We'll get to New York； to all of that…them。 Right now let's concentrate on that thread of yours； that spine you mentioned。〃
〃I'm not the slowest kid on the block； but where is it？〃
Holland leaned back in his chair； gazing first at the papers on his desk and then up at Alex。 〃Seventy…two hours ago； when you decided to e clean with me about everything； you said that the idea behind Bourne's strategy was to persuade the Jackal and this latter…day Medusa to join forces； with Bourne as the mon target； one feeding the other。 Wasn't that basically the premise？ Both sides wanted him killed。 Carlos had two reasons…revenge and the fact that he believes Bourne could identify him； the Medusans because Bourne had pieced together so much about them？〃
〃That was the premise； yes；〃 agreed Conklin； nodding。 〃It's why I dug around and made those phone calls； never expecting to find what I did。 Jesus； a global cartel born twenty years ago in Saigon； peopled by some of the biggest fish in and out of the government and the military。 It was the kind of pay dirt I didn't want and wasn't looking for。 I thought I might dig up maybe ten or twelve hotshot millionaires with post…Saigon bank accounts that couldn't bear scrutiny； but not this； not this Medusa。〃
〃To put it as simply as possible；〃 continued Holland； frowning； his eyes again straying down to the papers in front of him； then up at Alex。 〃Once the connection was made between Medusa and Carlos； word would be passed to the Jackal that there was a man Medusa wanted eliminated； and cost was no object。 So far； yes？〃
〃The key here was the caliber and the status of those reaching Carlos；〃 explained Conklin。 〃They had to be as close to bona fide Olympians as we could find； the kind of clients the Jackal doesn't get and never got。〃
〃Then the name of the target is revealed…say； in a way such as 'John Smith； once known years ago as Jason Bourne'…and the Jackal is hooked。 Bourne； the one man he wants dead above all others。〃
〃Yes。 That's why the Medusans reaching Carlos had to be so solid； so above questioning that Carlos accepts them and dismisses any sort of a trap。〃
〃Because；〃 added the CIA's director； 〃Jason Bourne came out of Saigon's Medusa…a fact known to Carlos…but he never shared in the riches of the later； postwar Medusa。 That's the background scenario； isn't it？〃
〃The logic's as clean as it can be。 For three years he was used and damn near killed in a black operation； and along the way he supposedly discovered that more than a few undistinguished Saigon pricks were driving Jaguars and were sailing yachts and pulling down six…figure retainers while he went on a government pension。 That could try the patience of John the Baptist； to say nothing of Barabbas。〃
〃It's a terrific libretto；〃 allowed Holland； a slow smile breaking across his face。 〃I can hear the tenors soaring in triumph and the Machiavellian bassos slinking offstage in defeat。 。。。 Don't scowl at me； Alex； I mean it！ It's really ingenious。 It's so inevitable it became a self…fulfilling prophecy。〃
〃What the hell are you talking about？〃
〃Your Bourne was right from the beginning。 It all took place the way he saw it； but not in any way he could have imagined。 Because it was inevitable； somewhere there had to be a cross…pollinator。〃
〃Please e down from Mars and explain to an earthling； Peter。〃
〃Medusa's using the Jackal！ Now。 Teagarten's assassination proves it unless you want to concede that Bourne actually blew up that car outside of Brussels。〃
〃Of course not。〃
〃Then Carlos's name had to surface for someone in Medusa who already knew about Jason Bourne。 It couldn't be otherwise。 You didn't mention either one to Armbruster； or Swayne； or Atkinson in London； did you？〃
〃Again； of course not。 The time wasn't right； we weren't ready to pull those triggers。〃
〃Who's left？〃 asked Holland。
Alex stared at the DCI。 〃Good Lord；〃 he said softly。 〃DeSole？〃
〃Yes； DeSole； the grossly underpaid specialist who plained amusingly but incessantly that there was no way a man could properly educate his children and grandchildren on government pay。 He was brought in on everything we discussed； starting with your assault on us in the conference room。〃
〃He certainly was； but that was limited to Bourne and the Jackal。 There was no mention of Armbruster or Swayne； no Teagarten or Atkinson…the new Medusa wasn't even in the picture。 Hell； Peter； you didn't know about it until seventy…two hours ago。〃
〃Yes； but DeSole did because he'd sold out； he was part of it。 He had to have been alerted。 '。。。 Watch it。 We've been penetrated。 Some maniac says he's going to expose us； blow us apart。' 。。。 You told me yourself that panic buttons were punched from the Trade mission to Pentagon Procurements to the embassy in London。〃
〃They were punched；〃 agreed Conklin。 〃So hard that two of them had to be taken out along with Teagart