按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
stood。 As the truck rolled out of the gates onto the road； a red…faced driver leaned out of his car's window； yelled； 〃What is it？ That's Harkley House； isn't it？〃
〃It was；〃 Roberts yelled back； offering what he hoped looked like a helpless shrug。 〃Gone； I'm afraid。 Burned down。〃
〃Good Lord！〃 The red…faced man was aghast。 〃Has the fire service been informed？〃
〃We're off to do that now；〃 Roberts answered。 〃Little good that'll do； though。 We've been in to have a look； but there's nothing left to see； I'm afraid。〃 They drove on。
A mile towards Paignton； a clattering fire engine came tearing from the other direction。 Layard drew dutifully in towards the side of the road to give the fire engine room。 He grinned tiredly； without humour。 〃Too late； my lads；〃 he mented under his breath。 〃Much too late…thank all that's merciful。〃
They dropped Trask off at the hospital in Torquay （with a story about an accident he'd suffered in a friends garden） and after seeing him fortable went back to the hotel HQ in Paignton to debrief。
Roberts enumerated their successes。 〃We got all three women； anyway。 But as for Bodescu himself； I have my doubts about him。 Serious doubts； and when we're finished here I'll pass them on to London； also to Darcy Clarke and our people up in Hartlepool。 These will be simply precautionary measures； of course； for even if we did miss Bodescu we've no way of knowing what he'll do next or where he'll go。 Anyway； Alec Kyle will be back in control shortly。 In fact it's queer he hasn't shown up yet。 Actually； I'm not looking forward to seeing him： he's going to be furious when he learns that Bodescu probably got out of that lot。〃
〃Bodescu and that other dog；〃 Harvey Newton put in； almost as an afterthought。 He shrugged。 〃Still； I reckon it was just a stray that got into。。。 the grounds 。 somehow？〃 He stopped； looked from face to face。 All were staring back at him in astonishment； almost disbelief。 It was the first they'd heard of it。
Roberts couldn't restrain himself from grabbing Newton's jacket front。 〃Tell it now！〃 he grated through clenched teeth。 〃Exactly as it happened； Harvey。〃 Newton； dazed； told it； concluding：
〃So while Gower was burning that。。。 that bloody thing which wasn't a dog not all of it； anyway…this other dog went by in the mist。 But I can't even swear that I saw it at all！ I mean； there was so much going on。 It could have been just the mist； or my imagination； or。。。 anything！ I thought it loped； but sort of upright in an impossible forward crouch。 And its head wasn't just the right shape。 It had to be my imagination； a curl of mist； something like that。 Imagination； yes…especially with Gower standing there burning that godawful dog！ Christ； I'll dream of dogs like that for the rest of my life！〃
Roberts released him violently； almost tossed him across the room。 The fat man wasn't just fat； he was heavy； too； and very strong。 He looked at Newton in disgust。 〃Idiot！〃 he rumbled。 He lit a cigarette； despite the fact that he already had one going。
〃I couldn't have done anything anyway！〃 Newton protested。 〃I'd shot my bolt； hadn't reloaded yet 。 。
〃Shot your bloody bolt？〃 Roberts glared。 Then he calmed himself。 〃I'd like to say it's not your fault；〃 he told Newton then。 〃And maybe it isn't your fault。 Maybe he was just too damned clever for us。〃
〃What now？〃 said Layard。 He felt a little sorry for Newton； tried to take attention away from him。
Roberts looked at Layard。 〃Now？ Well； when I've calmed down a little you and me will have to try and find the bastard； that's what now！〃
〃Find him？〃 Newton licked dry lips。 How？〃 He was confused； wasn't thinking clearly。
Roberts at once tapped the side of his head with huge white knuckles。 〃With this！〃 he shouted。 〃It's what I do。 I'm a 〃scryer〃； remember？〃 He glared again at Newton。 〃So what's your fucking talent？ Other than screwing things up； I mean。 。
Newton found a chair and fell into it。 〃I。。。 I saw him； and yet convinced myself that I hadn't seen him。 What the hell's wrong with me？ We went there to trap him…to trap anything ing out of that house…so why didn't I react more posit …； Jordan drew air sharply and made a conclusive； snapping sound with his fingers。 He gave a sharp nod； said； 〃Of course！〃
They all looked at him。
〃Of course！〃 he said again； spitting the words out。 〃He's talented too； remember？ Too bloody talented by a mile！
Harvey； he got to you。 Telepathically； I mean。 Hell； he got to me too！ Convinced us he wasn't there； that we couldn't see him。 And I really didn't see him； not a hair of him。 I was there； too； remember； when Simon was burning that thing。 But I saw nothing。 So don't feel too bad about it； Harvey…at least you actually saw the bastard！〃
〃You're right；〃 Roberts nodded after a moment。 〃You have to be。 So now we know for sure： Bodescu is loose； angry and…God； dangerous！ Yes； and he's more powerful； far more powerful； than anyone has yet given him credit for 。 。
Wednesday； 12。30 A。M。 middle…European time； the border crossing…point near Siret in Moldavia。
Krakovitch and Gulharov had shared the driving between them； though Carl Quint would have been only too happy to drive if they had let him。 At least that might have relieved some of his boredom。 Quint hadn't found the Romanian countryside along their route…railway depots standing forlorn and desolate as scarecrows； dingy industrial sites； fouled rivers and the like…especially romantic。 But even without him； and despite the often dilapidated condition of the roads； still the Russians had made fairly good time。 Or at least they'd made good time until they arrived here； but 〃here〃 was the middle of nowhere； and for some as yet unexplained reason they'd been held up 〃here〃 for the last four hours。
Earlier their route out of Bucharest had taken them through Buzau； Focsani and Bacau along the banks of the Siretul； and so into Moldavia。 In Roman they'd crossed the river； then continued up through Botosani where they'd paused to eat； and so into and through Siret。 Now； on the northern extreme of the town； the border crossing…point blocked their way； with Chernovtsy and the Prut some twenty miles to the north。 By now Krakovitch had planned on being through Chernovtsy and into Kolomyya under the old mountains the old Carpathians for the night； but。
〃But！〃 he raged now in the paraffin lamplight glare of the border post。 〃But； but； but！〃 He slammed his fist down on the counter…top which kept staff a little apart from travellers； he spoke； or shouted； in Russian so explosive that Quint and Gulharov winced and gritted their teeth where they sat in the car outside the wooden chalet…styled building。 The border post sat centrally between the ining and outgoing lanes； with barrier arms extending on both sides。 Uniformed guards manned sentry boxes； a Romanian for ining traffic； a Russian for outgoing。 The senior officer was； of course； Russian。 And right now he was under pressure from Felix Krakovitch。
〃Four hours！〃 Krakovitch raved。 〃Four bloody hours sitting here at the end of the world； waiting for you to make up your mind！ I've told you who I am and proved it。 Are my documents in order？〃
The round…faced； overweight Russia