coonanbernard

@@@@@?I was a black cabdriver in Washington, manI?ve been here beforeIt ain?t fatal, boy, I gotta slug in the upper chest ?I?ll get a doctor right away?our friend Ivan, incidentally?but if you can, tell me what happened while I move you to the floor and look at the damage Jason slowly, carefully lowered the old man off the chair and onto the throw rug beneath the bay windowHe tore off Cactus?s shirt; the bullet had gone through the flesh of the left shoulderWith short, swift movements Bourne ripped the shirt into strips and tightly wrapped a primitive bandage around his friend?s chest and between the underarm and the shoulder?It?s not much,? said Jason, ?but it?ll hold you for a while ?He?s out there, Br?er!? Cactus coughed weakly, lying back on the floor?He?s got a big mother ?fifty-seven magnum with a silencer; he pinned me through the window, then smashed it and climbed inside ?Easy! Don?t talk, never mind?? ?I gottaThe brothers out there, they ain?t got no hardwareI played deep dead and he was in a hurry?oh, was he in a hurry! Look over there, will ya?? Jason swung his Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM 134 head in the direction of Cactus?s gestureA dozen or so books had been yanked out of a shelf on the side wall and strewn on the floorThe old man continued, his voice growing weaker?He went over to the bookcase like in a panic, until he found what he wanted then to the door, that ?fiftyseven ready for bear, if you follow meI figured it was you he was after, that he?d seen you through the window go out to the other room, and I tell ya, I was workin? my right knee like a runnin? muskrat ?cause I found that alarm button an hour ago and knew I had to stop him?? ?Easy!? ?I gotta tell you I couldn?t move my hands ?cause he?d see me, but my knee hit that sucker and the siren damn near blew me out of the chairThe honky bastard fell apartHe slammed the door, locked it, and beat his way out of here back through the window Cactus?s neck arched back, the pain and the exhaustion overtaking him?He?s out there, Br?er Rabbit?? ?That?s enough!? ordered Bourne as he cautiously reached up, snapping off the desk lamp, leaving the dim light from the hallway through the shattered door as the only illumination?I?m calling Alex; he can send the doctor?? Suddenly, from somewhere outside, there was a high-pitched scream, a roar of shock and anguish Jason knew only too wellSo did Cactus, who whispered, his eyes shut tight: ?He got on