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Which was why he wanted to drive there now; not wait until his arrival corresponded more closely to the time of rendezvous。 If the images that came to his mind were not pletely distorted; it was an enormous cemetery。 Where precisely within those acres of graves and statuary was the meeting ground? He would get there by 1:00; leaving a half hour to walk up and down the paths looking for a pair of headlights or a signal。 Other things would e to him。
The lift door scraped open。 The floor was three…quarters filled with cars; deserted otherwise。 Jason tried to recall where he had parked the Renault; it was in a far corner; he remembered that; but was it on the right or the left? He started tentatively to the left; the lift had been on his left when he had driven the car up several days ago。 He stopped; logic abruptly orienting him。 The lift had been on his left when he had entered; not after he had parked the car; it had been diagonally to his right then。 He turned; his movement rapid; his thoughts on a road between Chevreuse and Rambouillet
Whether it was the sudden; unexpected reversal of direction or an inexperienced surveillance; Bourne neither knew or cared to dwell upon。 Whichever; the moment saved his life; of that he was certain。 A man's head ducked below the bonnet of a car in the second aisle on his right; that man had been watching him。 An experienced surveillance would have stood up; holding a ring of keys he had presumably picked up from the floor; or checked a windscreen wiper then walked away。 The one thing he would not do was what this man did; risk being seen by ducking out of sight。
Jason maintained his pace; his thoughts concerned with this new development Who was this man? How had he been found? And then both answers were so clear; so obvious he felt like a fool。 The clerk at the Auberge du Coin!
Carlos had been thorough … as he was always thorough …every detail of failure examined。 And one of those details was a clerk on duty during a failure。 Such a man bore scrutiny; then questioning; it would not be difficult。 The show of a knife or a gun would be more than sufficient Information would pour from the night clerk's trembling lips; and Carlos's army ordered to spread throughout the city; each district divided into sectors; hunting for a specific black Renault。 A painstaking search; but not impossible; made easier by a driver who had not bothered to switch licence plates。 For how many unbroken hours had the garage been watched? How many men were there? Inside; outside? How soon would others arrive? Would Carlos arrive?
The questions were secondary。 He had to get out。 He could do without the car; perhaps; but the resulting dependency on unknown arrangements might cripple him; he needed transportation and he needed it now。 No taxi would drive a stranger to a cemetery on the outskirts of Rambouillet at one o'clock in the morning; and it was no time to rely on the possibility of stealing a car in the streets。
He stopped; taking cigarettes and matches from his pockets; then; striking a match; he cupped his hands and angled his head to protect the flame。 In the corner of his eye; he could see a shadow … square…shaped; stocky; the man had once more lowered himself; now behind the boot of a nearer car。
Jason dropped to a crouch; spun to his left; and lunged out of the aisle between two adjacent cars; breaking his fall with the palms of his hands; the manoeuvre made in silence。 He crawled around the rear wheels of the vehicle on his right; arms and legs working rapidly; quietly down the narrow alley of cars; a spider scurrying across a web。 He was behind the man now; he crept forward towards the aisle and got to his knees; inching his face along smooth metal; and peered beyond a headlight。 The heavy…set man was in full view; standing erect。 He was evidently bewildered; for he moved hesitantly closer towards the Renault; his body low again; squinting to see beyond the windscreen。 What he saw frightened him further; there was nothing; no one。 He gasped; the audible intake of breath a prelude to running。 He had been tricked; he knew it and was not about to wait around for the consequences … which told Bourne something else。 The man had been briefed on the driver of the Renault; the danger explained。 He began to race towards the exit ramp。
Now。 Jason sprang up and ran straight ahead across the aisle; between the cars to the second aisle; catching up with the running man; hurling himself at the man's back and throwing him to the concrete floor。 He hammer…locked the man's thick neck; crashing the outsized skull into the pavement; the fingers of his left hand pressed into the man's eye sockets。
'You have exactly five seconds to tell me who's outside;' he said in French; remembering the grimacing face of another Frenchman in a lift in Zurich。 There had been men outside then; men who wanted to kill him then; on the Bahnhofstrasse。 'Tell me! Now!'
'A man; one man; that's all!'
Bourne relocked the neck; digging his fingers deeper into the eyes。 'Where?'
'In a car;' spat out the man。 'Parked across the street。 My God; you're choking me! You're blinding me!'
'Not yet。 You'll know it when and if I do both。 What kind of car?'
'Foreign。 I don't know。 Italian; I think。 Or American。 I don't know。 Please! My eyes!'
'Colour!'
'Dark! Green; blue; very dark。 Oh my God!'
'You're Carlos's man; aren't you?〃
'Who?'
Jason yanked again; pressed again。 'You heard me! You're from Carlos!'
'I don't know any Carlos。 We call a man; there is a number。 That's all we do。'
'Has he been called?' The man did not reply; Bourne dug his lingers deeper。 'Tell me!'
'Yes。 I had to。'
'When?'
'A few minutes ago。 The coin telephone on the second ramp。 My Cod I I can't see。'
'Yes; you can。 Get up!' Jason released the man; pulling him to his feet。 'Get over to the car。 Quickly!' Bourne pushed the man back between the stationary vehicles to the Renault's aisle。 The man turned; protesting; helpless。 'You heard me。 Hurry!' shouted Jason。
'I'm only earning a few francs。〃
'Now you can drive for it。' Bourne shoved him again towards the Renault。
Moments later the small black vehicle careened down an exit ramp towards a glass booth with a single attendant and the cash register。 Jason was in the back seat; his gun pressed against the man's bruised neck。 Bourne shoved a note and his dated ticket out of the window; the attendant took both。
'Drive!' said Bourne。 'Do exactly what I told you to do!'
The man pressed the accelerator and the Renault sped out through the exit。 The man made a screeching U…turn in the street; ing to a sudden stop in front of a dark green American Chevrolet A car door opened behind them; running footsteps followed。
'Jules! Qu'est…ce que c'est que ca? Vous conduisez?' A figure loomed in the open window。
Bourne raised his automatic; pointing the barrel at the man's face。 'Take two steps back;' he said in French。 'No more; just two。 And then stand still。' He tapped the head of the man named Jules。 'Get out。 Slowly。'
'We were only to follow you!' protested Jules; stepping out into the street。 'Follow you and report your whereabouts!'
'You'll do better than that;