A siren? The police? The brown limousine... A siren? The police? The brown limousine shot
forward, skirting the flaming wreck of the Jackal’s van and disappeared into the dark streets as a
patrol car raced out of the opposing darkness, its siren screaming, the tires screeching as it skidded
to a stop only yards from the flames of the demolished vehicleNothing made sense! thought Jason
Where before there had been five patrol cars, only one had returnedWhy? And even that question
was superfluousCarlos had mounted a strategy employing not one but seven, conceivably eight,
decoys, all expendable, all led to their terrible death by the consummate self-protectorThe Jackal
had sprung himself from the trap that had been reversed by his hated quarry, Delta, the product of
Medusa, a creation of American intelligenceOnce again, the assassin had outthought him, but he
had not killed himThere would be another day, another night
“Bernardine!” screamed the Deuxième official who less than thirty minutes ago had officially
disowned his colleagueLeaping out of the patrol car, the man shouted again“Bernardine! Where
are you? My God, where are you? I came back, old friend, for I could not leave you! My
wholesale tiffany God,
you were right, I see that now for myself! Oh, Christ, tell me you’re alive! Answer me!”
“Another is dead,” came the reply from Bernardine as his gaunt figure walked slowly, with
difficulty, out of the storefront two hundred feet north of Bourne“I tried to tell you but you would
not listen—”
“I was perhaps too hasty!” roared the official, running to the old man and embracing him as the
others in the patrol car, their arms crossed in front of their faces, surrounded the burning van but at
a considerable distance“I’ve radioed for our people to return!” added the official“You must
believe me, old friend, I came back because I couldn’t leave you in anger, not my old comradeI
had no idea that pig from the newspaper actually assaulted you, struck youHe told me and I threw
him out! I came back for you, you see that, don’t you? But, my God, I never expected anything
like this!”
“It’s horrible,” said the Deuxième veteran, while cautiously, his eyes straying rapidly up and
down the boulevard, he surveyed the areaHe specifically noted the many frightened, intense faces
in the windows of the three stone buildingsThe scenario had blown apart with the
black gucci bags van’s explosion
and the disappearance of the brown limousineThe minions were without their leader and filled
with anxiety“It’s not entirely your error alone—my old comrade,” he continued, a note of apology
in his voice“I had the wrong building
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
273
“Ah ha,” cried the Deuxième associate, relishing a minor triumph of self-vindication“The
wrong building? That is indeed a mistake of consequence, eh, Fran?ois?”
“The consequences might have been far less tragic had you not abandoned me so hastily, as you
so aptly phrased itInstead of listening to a man with my vast experience, you ordered me out of
your car only to have me witness the horror moments after you fled
“We followed your orders! We searched the building—the wrong building!”
“Had you remained, if only for a brief conference, this might have been avoided and a friend
might be aliveI shall have to include that judgment in my report—”
“Please, old friend,” broke in the associate“Let us reason together for the good of the Bureau—
” The interruption now came with the shrill appearance of a fire truckBernardine held up his hand
and led his protesting former
chanel pearl necklace comrade across the boulevard, ostensibly to get out of the way of the
firemen, more purposefully to be within earshot of Jason Bourne“When our people arrive,” went
on the associate of the Deuxième, his voice rising with authority, “we shall empty the buildings and
detain every resident for thorough interrogation!”
“My God,” exclaimed Bernardine, “don’t add asininity to incompetence!”
“What?”
“The limousine, the brown limousine—surely you saw itThe driver said it raced away
“That’s all he told you?”
“Well, the truck was in flames and there was so much confusion radioing for personnel—”
“Look at the shattered glass!” commanded Fran?ois, pointing at the storefronts away from the
recess where Bourne was hiding“Look at the pits on the pavement and in the streetGun fire, my
old comradeThose involved escaped believing they had killed me! Say nothing, do nothing
Leave these people alone
“You are incomprehensible—”
“And you are a foolIf for any reason whatsoever there is the slightest possibility that even one
of those killers is ordered to return here, there can be no impediments
“Now you are inscrutable
“Not at all,” protested Bernardine as the
chanel classic bags firemen hosed down the flames of the van, their efforts
augmented by giant extinguishers“Send your people into each building, inquiring if everything is
all right, explaining that the authorities have determined the terrible events on the boulevard were
criminally orientedThe crisis has passed; there is no further alarm
“But is that true?”
“It’s what we want them to believe An ambulance stormed into the street followed by two
additional patrol cars, all the sirens at maximum volumeFrom the rue d’Alésia, apartment dwellers
had gathered at both corners, many in hastily pulled—on street attire—trousers and undershirts—
while others were in night clothes—frayed bathrobes and worn slippersNoting that the Jackal’s
van was now a smoldering mass of twisted steel and shattered glass, Bernardine continued: “Give
the crowds time to satisfy their morbid viewing, then send men to disperse themIn an hour or so,
when the rubble is under control and the bodies carted away, proclaim loudly to your police
detachment that the emergency is over, ordering all but one man back to the precinctThat man is
to remain here on duty until the debris is cleared from the
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