Jason could almost hear Swayne commanding his...
Jason could almost hear Swayne
commanding his groundskeepers to “police the area!”
Bourne glanced over at the cart by the Doberman; the driver was playfully pushing the dog
away, about to close the shielded panelOnly seconds now! What? How?
He saw the outlines of a tree limb on the ground; a rotted branch had fallen from the pine above
himHe crossed quickly to it and crouched, yanking it out of the dirt and debris and dragged it
toward the paved asphaltTo lay it across the drive might appear too obvious a trap, but partially
on the road—an intrusion on the pervasive neatness—would be offensive to the eye, the task of
removing it better done now than later in the event the general drove out and saw it upon his return
The men in Swayne’s compound were either soldiers or ex-soldiers still under military authority;
they would try to avoid reprimands, especially over the inconsequentialThe odds were on Jason’s
sideHe gripped the base of the limb, swung it chanel ceramic watches around and pushed it roughly five feet into the drive
He heard the panel of the cart slam shut; the vehicle rolled forward, gathering speed as Bourne
raced back into the darkness of the pine tree
The driver steered the vehicle around the dirt curve into the driveAs rapidly as he had
accelerated, he slowed down, his single headlight beam picking up the new obstruction protruding
on the roadHe approached it cautiously, at minimum speed, as if he were unsure of what it was;
then he realized what it was and rushed forwardWithout hesitation, he opened his side door, the
tall Plexiglas shield swinging forward as he stepped out on the drive and walked around the front of
the cart
“Big Rex, you’re one bad dog, buddy,” said the driver in a half-loud, very Southern voice
“What’d you drag out of there, you dumb bastard? The brass-plated asshole would shave your coat
for messing up his eestate! Rex? Rex, you come here, you fuckin’ hound!” The man grabbed the
limb and chanel earings pulled it off the road under the pine tree into the shadows“Rex, you hear me! You
humpin’ knotholes, you horny stud?”
“Stay completely still and put your arms out in front of you,” said Jason Bourne, walking into
view
“Holy shit! Who are you?”
“Someone who doesn’t give a damn whether you live or die,” replied the intruder calmly
“You got a gun! I can see it!”
“So do youYours is in your holsterMine’s in my hand and it’s pointed at your head
“The dog! Where the hell’s the dawg?”
“Indisposed
“What?”
“He looks like a good dogHe could be anything a trainer wanted him to beYou don’t blame
the animal, you blame the human who taught it
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
96
“What are you talkin’ about?”
“I guess the bottom line is that I’d rather kill the man than the animal, do I make myself clear?”
“Nothin’s clear! I jest know this man don’t want to get killed
“Then let’s talk, shall we?”
“I got words, but only one life, mister
“Lower your right arm chanel purse white and take out your gun—by the fingers, mister The guard did so, holding
the weapon by his thumb and forefinger“Lob it toward me, please
“What the hell’s this all about?” cried the guard, pleadingI was sent here to get it
“I’ll give you what I got if you let me get out of hereI don’t want nothin’ more to do with this
place! I figured it was comin’ someday, I told Barbie Jo, you ask her! I told her someday people’d
be comin’ around asking questionsBut not this way, not your way! Not with guns aimed at our
heads
“I assume Barbie Jo is your wife
“Then let’s start with why ‘people’ would come out here asking questionsMy superiors want to
knowDon’t worry, you won’t be involved, nobody’s interested in youYou’re just a security
guard
“That’s all I am, mister!” interrupted the frightened man“Then why did you tell Barbie Jo what
you did? That people would someday come out here asking questions
“Hell, I’m not sureJest so many crazy things, y’know?”
“No, I don’t new chanel bags knowLike what?”
“Well, like the brass-plated screamer, the generalHe’s a big wheel, right? He’s got Pentagon
cars and drivers and even helicopters whenever he wants ’em, right? He owns this place, right?”
“So?”
“So that big mick of a sergeant—a lousy master sergeant—orders him around like he wasn’t
toilet-trained, y’know what I mean? And that big-titty wife of his he’s got a thing goin’ with the
hulk and she don’t give a damn who knows itIt’s all crazy, y’see what I mean?”
“I see a domestic mess, but I’m not sure it’s anybody’s businessWhy would people come out
here and ask questions?”
“Why are you out here, man? You figured there was a meetin’ tonight, didn’t you?”
“A meeting?”
“Them fancy limousines with the chauffeurs and the big shots, right? Well, you picked the
wrong nightThe dogs are out and they’re never let out when there’s a meetin’
Bourne paused, then spoke as he approached the guard“We’ll continue this in the cart,” he said
with chloe bags paddington authorit