@@@@@When she stopped, Jason continued: “What is
@@@@@When she stopped, Jason continued: “What is this place, MrsSwayne?”
“Hold it,” the master sergeant again interrupted, but his objection was not shouted now; instead,
it was a plea, a strong man’s pleaHe looked at the general’s wife and then back at Jason“Listen,
Bourne or Delta or whoever you are, Rachel’s rightYou could be our way out—there’s nothing
left for us over here—so what have you got to offer?”
“For what?”
“Say we tell you what we know about this place and I tell you where you can start looking for
a lot moreHow can you help us? How can we get out of here and back to the Pac Islands without
being hassled, our names and faces all over the papers?”
“That’s a tall order, Sergeant
“Goddamn it, she didn’t kill him—we didn’t kill him, you said so yourself!”
“Agreed, and I couldn’t care less whether you did or not, whether you were responsible or not
I’ve got other priorities
“Like getting ‘caught up with some old comrades’ or whatever the hell it was?”
“That’s right, I’m owed
“I still can’t figure you—”
“You don’t have to
“You were dead!” broke in the perplexed Flannagan, the words rushing out“Delta One from the
illegals was Bourne, and Bourne was dead and Langley proved it to us! But you’re not dead—”
“I was taken, Sergeant! That’s all you have to know—that and the fact that I’m working alone
I’ve got a few debts I can call in, but I’m strictly soloI need information and I need it quickly!”
Flannagan shook his head in bewildermentmaybe I can help you there,” he said
quietly, tentatively, “better than anyone else wouldI was given a special assignment, so I had to
learn things, things someone like me wouldn’t normally be told
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
103
“That sounds like the opening notes of a con song, SergeantWhat was your special
assignment?”
“NursemaidTwo years ago Norman began to fall apartI controlled him, and if I couldn’t I was
given a number to call in New York
“Said number being part of the help you can give me
“That and a few license-plate ID’s I wrote down just in case—”
“In case,” completed Bourne, “someone decided your nursemaid’s services were no longer
required
“Something like thatThose pricks never liked us—Norman didn’t see it but I di