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！
〃Thank you； Lieutenant。 I don't expect to be too long… assuming I'm not interrupted。〃
〃Understood； sir。〃 He handed Smith a cell phone。 〃Just dial three…zero…nine when you're through； sir。 I'll e and get you。〃
Smith settled himself in front of the monitor； activated the puter； and fed in the floppy he'd brought with him。 Within seconds； he had overridden all the security blocks and had the entire Houston NASA network at his fingertips。
The information on Adam Treloar that Smith had received from the other federal agencies was merely a starting point。 Smith had traveled to Houston to begin tracking Treloar where he had lived and worked。 He needed the internal and external phone logs； interoffice E…mail； anything that resembled a trail… electronic or otherwise。 There he would learn how Treloar had lived； whom he'd spoken with and met； how often； where； for how long。 He would peel back the traitor's life like a stalk of celery； searching for that one anomaly； coincidence； or pattern that would be the first link in the chain leading to Treloar's coconspirators。
Smith tapped a few keys and began at what seemed like a logical point： who knew that Treloar had been to Russia？ Hidden in these wafer…thin chips and fiber optics might be instructions… and names to go with them。
When Dylan Reed arrived at his office； he had no way of knowing that Smith had already begun his search。 So intent was he on the morning's crowded agenda that he almost ignored the ping from his puter； signaling an alert。 Absently； he punched in a sequence of numbers； his mind still on the first meeting of the day。 The name that popped up on the screen got his immediate attention： Adam Treloar。
Someone's snooping！
Reed's hand flew to the phone。 Seconds later； he was listening as the security duty officer explained Smith's presence in the Records Room。
Reed strained to remain calm。 〃No； it's fine；〃 he told the officer。 〃Please tell Colonel Reeves that our visitor is not to be disturbed。〃
Our visitor！ An intruder！
Reed took a moment to steady himself。 What the hell was Smith doing here？ Word out of Washington was that the police were treating Treloar's death as just another mugging； albeit with unintended consequences。 Even the newscasts found the story mundane； a development that had pleased Reed； Bauer； and Richardson。
Reed slammed his palm against the leather blotter on his desk。 Damn Smith！ He recalled how frightened； almost terrified； Treloar had been of Smith。 Now； the same iciclelike fingers that had danced up and down Treloar's spine had turned themselves on him。
Reed took a deep breath。 Bauer had been right to suggest that Reed flag all files relating to Treloar； in case someone came looking。
And someone has。。。
The more Reed thought about it； the less surprised he was that Smith was the intruder。 Smith had a reputation for tenacity that made an already dangerous man potentially lethal。 Reed made sure that his nerves were settled before he dialed General Richardson at the Pentagon。
〃This is Reed。 That potential problem we talked about？ It's real。〃 He paused。 〃Hear me out； but I think you'll agree： we have to activate the solution。〃
CHAPTER NINETEEN
A Secret Service sedan was waiting for Jon Smith when he stepped out of Ronald Reagan National Airport。 Halfway to Camp David； the call he had been expecting came through。
〃Peter； how are you？〃
〃Still in Venice。 I have some interesting news for you。〃
Without going into the details of his interrogation of Dionetti； Peter Howell told Smith about the Swiss connection… Herr Weizsel at the Offenbach Bank in Zurich。
〃Would you like me to have a chat with the Swiss gnome； Jon？〃
〃Better hold off on that until I get back to you。 What about Dionetti？ We don't want him sounding any alarms。〃
〃He won't be doing that；〃 Howell assured him。 〃He has a severe case of food poisoning and is expected to be in the hospital for at least a week。 Plus he knows that I have all his financial records and can ruin him with one phone call。〃
Howell didn't think it necessary to delve into details。
〃I'll stay put until I hear from you；〃 Howell said。 〃If necessary； I can be in Zurich in two hours。〃
〃I'll keep you posted。〃
The driver dropped Smith off at Rosebud； where Klein was waiting for him。
〃Good to have you back； Jon。〃
〃Yes； sir。 Thank you。 Any word on the smallpox？〃
Klein shook his head。 〃But have a look at this。〃 He passed Smith a rolled…up sheet of paper。
The ink sketch contained some of Beria's features but wasn't precise enough to clearly define the assassin。 Beria's appearance was nondescript to begin with… a major advantage for a hired killer。 The posite reflected a man who could have been just about anyone。 It would be sheer； blind luck if law enforcement stumbled across him… which was precisely what Klein wanted Beria's handlers to believe。 With a few cosmetic changes to his appearance； Beria was perfectly safe： his controllers would continue to believe that his usefulness outweighed his potential liability。
Rolling up the sheet； Smith tapped it against his palm。 He thought that Klein was taking an enormous risk： by denying law enforcement access to the true likeness of Beria； he was effectively limiting the hunt。 But on the other end of the scale was a collateral benefit： when the posite hit the street and Beria's controllers saw it； they would not be spooked。 Investigation of Treloar's death would be expected。 That an eyewitness had provided police with a general description would not be seen as suspicious。 Smith did not think that the controllers would bee careless； but they would remain relaxed； presuming no immediate threat to their long…range plans。
〃How'd it go in Houston？〃 Klein asked。
〃Treloar was damn careful；〃 Smith said。 〃Whatever contacts he made； he was meticulous in covering up his tracks。〃
〃Nonetheless you acplished your primary mission。〃
〃I've chummed the waters； sir。 Whoever was running Treloar knows I'm snooping。〃 He paused。 〃Is the president going along with your remendation about the vaccine； sir？〃
〃He's been talking to the drug panies；〃 Mein replied。 〃They're ing onboard。〃
Given the circumstances； it was vital that the major pharmaceutical panies realign their production facilities in order to produce as much smallpox vaccine as possible in as short a time as possible。 Even if the stolen smallpox was genetically altered； the current vaccine might prove at least partially effective。 But to manufacture the necessary amount would mean stopping the flow of other products。 The losses incurred would be staggering； as would those related to manufacturing the vaccine。 That the president had already agreed to underwrite the panies' losses was only half the battle。 The panies would want to know why the vaccine was needed so urgently； and where such a large outbreak had occurred。 Since it was impossible to hold back such information… it would inevitably find its way to the media… the location of the alleged epidemic had to be remote； yet fairly populated。
〃We decided to use the Indonesian archipelago；〃 Klein said。 〃The internal chaos in that region has pretty much closed off all ining and ou