octave2029

@@@@@ ?You might at least say, ?Outstanding, old chap ? ?Hey, you?re the guy who went to college over there, not me ?Some of us are overachieversHold it! I?ve got company!? Below on the bottom of the staircase a small compact black man appeared, his dark eyes bulging, staring up at the agent, a gun in his handThe CIA man spun behind the edge of the wall as four successive gunshots shattered the corridorLunging across the open space, his revolver ripped from its holster, the agent fired twice, but once was enoughHis assailant fell to the floor of the soiled lobby ?I caught a ricochet in my leg!? cried the agent?But he?s down?deep dead or not I can?t tell Sweep up the vehicle and get us both outStay put!? It was shortly past eight o?clock the next morning when Alex Conklin limped into Peter Holland?s officeThe guards at the CIA gates were impressed with his immediate access to the director ?Anything?? asked the DCI, looking up from the papers on his desk ?Nothing,? answered the retired field officer angrily, heading for the couch against the wall rather than a chair?Not a goddamned thingJesus, what a fucked-up day and it hasn?t even begun! Casset and Valentino are down in the cellars sending out queries all over the Paris sewers but so far nothingChrist, look at the scenario and find me a thread! Swayne, Armbruster, DeSole?our mute son of a bitch, the moleThen for God?s sake, Teagarten with Bourne?s calling card, when we know damned well it?s a trap for Jason set by the JackalBut there?s no logic anywhere that ties Carlos to Teagarten and by extension to MedusaNothing makes sense, PeterWe?ve lost the spine?everything?s gone off the wire!? ?Calm down,? said Holland gently ?How the hell can I? Bourne?s disappeared-I mean really disappeared, if he isn?t deadAnd there?s no trace of Marie, no word from her, and then we learn that Bernardine was killed in a shoot-out only hours ago on the Rivoli?Christ, shot in broad daylight! And that means Jason was there?he had to be there!? ?But since none of the dead or wounded fits his description, we can assume he got away, can?t we?? ?We can hope, yes ?You asked for a thread,? mused the DCI?I?m not sure I can actually provide one, but I can give you something like i