璇玑之心刃·冷血悍将-第138章

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Kelly　ran　to　the　right；　his　carbine　held　high。　There　were　at　least　two　NVA　moving；　armed　and　angry　and　confused　enough　that　they　weren‘t　running　away　as　they　should。　The　first　chopper　overhead　was　an　illum　bird；　dropping　flares　that　Kelly　cursed；　because　the　darkness　was　his　best　friend　right　now。　He　spotted　and　hosed　down　one　of　the　NVA；　emptying　his　magazine　into　the　running　figure。　Moving　right　still；　he　switched　magazines；　circling　around；　hoping　to　find　the　other　one；　but　his　eyes　lingered　on　the　center　of　the　ville。　People　scurrying　around；　some　of　them　probably　hurt　by　his　grenade；　but　he　couldn‘t　worry　himself　about　that。　His　eyes　froze　on　the　victims　…　worse；　they　stayed　too　long　on　the　fire；　and　when　he　turned　away；　the　shape　of　it　stayed　in　his　eyes；　alternating　between　orange　and　blue　ghost　images　that　wrecked　his　night　vision。　He　could　hear　the　roar　of　a　Huey　flared　for　landing　close　to　the　ville；　and　that　was　loud　enough　to　mask　even　the　screams　of　the　villagers。　Kelly　hid　behind　the　wall　of　a　hooch；　eyes　looking　outward；　away　from　the　fire　as　he　tried　to　blink　them　clear。　At　least　one　more　unhurt　NVA　was　moving；　and　he　wouldn‘t　be　running　toward　the　sound　of　the　chopper；　Kelly　kept　heading　right；　more　slowly　now。　There　was　a　ten…meter　gap　from　this　hooch　to　the　next；　like　a　corridor　of　light　in　the　glow　of　the　fire。　He　looked　around　the　corner　before　making　the　run；　then　took　off　fast；　his　head　low　for　once。　His　eyes　caught　a　moving　shadow；　and　when　he　turned　to　look；　he　stumbled　over　something　and　went　down。
Dust　flew　up　around　him；　but　he　couldn‘t　find　the　source　of　the　noise　quickly　enough。　Kelly　rolled　left　to　avoid　the　shots；　but　that　took　him　towards　the　light。　He　half　stood　and　pushed　himself　backwards；　hitting　the　wall　of　a　hooch；　eyes　scanning　frantically　for　the　muzzle　flashes。　There！　He　brought　his　CAR…15　to　bear　and　fired　just　as　two　7。62　rounds　caught　him　in　the　chest。　The　impact　spun　him　around；　and　two　more　hits　destroyed　the　carbine　in　his　hands。　When　next　he　looked　up　he　was　on　his　back；　and　it　was　quiet　in　the　villе。　His　first　attempt　to　move　achieved　nothing　but　pain。　Then　the　muzzle　of　a　rifle　pressed　to　his　chest。　
‘Over　here。　Lieutenant！‘　Followed　by：　‘Medic！‘　
The　world　moved　as　they　dragged　him　closer　to　the　fire。　Kelly‘s　head　hung　limply　to　the　left；　watching　the　soldiers　sweep　through　the　ville；　two　of　them　disarming　and　examining　the　NVA。　
‘This　fucker‘s　alive；‘　one　of　them　said。
‘Oh；　yeah？‘　The　other　walked　over　from　the　body　of　the　eight…year…old；　touched　his　muzzle　to　the　NVA‘s　forehead；　and　fired　once。　
‘Fuck；　Harry！‘
‘Knock　that　shit　off！‘　the　Lieutenant　screamed。　
‘Look　at　what　they　done；　sir！‘　Harry　screamed　back；　falling　to　his　knees　to　vomit。
‘What‘s　your　problem？‘　the　medical　corpsman　asked　Kelly；　who　was。　quite　unable　to　reply。　‘Oh；　shit；‘　he　observed　further。　‘Ell…Tee；　this　must　be　the　guy　who　called　in！‘
One　more　face　appeared；　probably　the　Lieutenant　manding　the　Blue　Team；　and　the　oversized　patch　on　his　shoulder　was　that　of　the　1st　Cavalry　Division。
‘Lieutenant；　looks　all　clear；　sweeping　the　perimeter　again　now！‘　an　older　voice　called。　
‘All　dead？‘　
‘That‘s　affirm；　sir！‘
‘Who　the　hell　are　you？‘　the　Lieutenant　said；　looking　back　down。　‘Crazy　fucking　Marines！‘
‘Navy！‘　Kelly　gasped；　spraying　a　little　blood　on　the　medic。
‘What？‘　Nurse　O‘Toole　asked。
Kelly‘s　eyes　opened　wide。　His　right　arm　moved　rapidly　across　his　chest　as　his　head　swiveled　to　survey　the　room。　Sandy　O‘Toole　was　in　the　corner；　reading　a　book　under　a　single　light。
‘What　are　you　doing　here？‘
‘Listening　to　your　nightmare；‘　she　answered。　‘Second　time。　You　know；　you　really　ought　to　…‘
‘Yeah；　I　know。‘
C10
　　　　CHAPTER　10
Pathology
‘Your　gun‘s　in　the　back　of　the　car；‘　Sergeant　Douglas　told　him。　‘Unloaded。　Keep　it　that　way　from　now　on。‘
‘What　about　Pam？‘　Kelly　asked　from　his　wheelchair。
‘We‘ve　got　some　leads；‘　Douglas　replied；　not　troubling　himself　to　conceal　the　lie。
And　that　said　it　all；　Kelly　thought。　Someone　had　leaked　it　to　the　papers　that　Pam　had　an　arrest　record　for　prostitution；　and　with　that　revelation；　the　case　had　lost　its　immediacy。
Sam　brought　the　Scout　up　to　the　Wolfe　Street　entrance　himself。　The　bodywork　was　all　fixed；　and　there　was　a　new　window　on　the　driver‘s　side。　Kelly　got　out　of　the　wheelchair　and　gave　the　Scout　a　long　look。　The　door…frame　and　adjacent　pillar　had　broken　up　the　ining　shot　column　and　saved　his　life。　Bad　aim　on　someone‘s　part；　really；　after　a　careful　and　effective　stalk　…　helped　by　the　fact　that　he　hadn‘t　troubled　himself　to　check　his　mirrors；　Kelly　told　himself　behind　a　blank　expression。　How　had　he　managed　to　forget　that？　he　asked　himself　for　the　thousandth　time。　Such　a　simple　thing；　something　he‘d　stressed　for　every　new　arrival　in　3rd　SOG：　always　check　your　back；　because　there　might　be　somebody　hunting　you。　Simple　thing　to　remember；　wasn‘t　it？
But　that　was　history。　And　history　could　not　be　changed。
‘Back　to　your　island；　John？‘　Rosen　asked。
Kelly　nodded。　‘Yeah。　I　have　work　waiting；　and　I　have　to　get　myself　back　into　shape。‘
‘I　want　to　see　you　back　here　in；　oh；　two　weeks；　for　a　follow…up。‘
‘Yes；　sir。　I‘ll　be　back；‘　Kelly　promised。　He　thanked　Sandy　O‘Toole　for　her　care；　and　was　rewarded　with　a　smile。　She‘d　almost　bee　a　friend　in　the　preceding　eighteen　days。　Almost？　Perhaps　she　already　was；　if　only　he　would　allow　himself　to　think　in　such　terms。　Kelly　got　into　his　car　and　fixed　the　seat　belt　in　place。　Goodbyes　had　never　been　his　strong　suit。　He　nodded　and　smiled　at　them　and　drove　off；　turning　right　towards　Mulberry　Street；　alone　for　the　first　time　since　his　arrival　at　the　hospital。
Finally。　Next　to　him；　on　the　passenger　seat　where　he‘d　last　seen　Pam　alive；　was　a　manila　envelope　marked　Patient　Records/Bills　in　Sam　Rosen‘s　coarse　handwriting。
‘God；‘　Kelly　breathed；　heading　west。　He　wasn‘t　just　watching　traffic　now。　The　cityscape　was　forever　transformed　for　John　Kelly。　The　streets　were　a　curious　mixture　of　activity　and　vacancy；　and　his　eyes　swept　around　in　a　habit　he‘d　allowed　himself　to　forget；　zeroing　in　on　people　whose　inactivity　seemed　to　display　a　purpose。　It　would　take　time；　he　told　himself；　to　distinguish　the　sheep　from　the　goats。　The　city　traffic　was　light；　and　in　any　case；　people　didn‘t　linger　on　these　streets。　Kelly　looked　left　and　right　to　see　that　the　other　drivers‘　eyes　were　locked　forward；　shutting　out　what　lay　around　them；　just　as　he　had　once　done；　stopping　uneasily　for　red　lights　they　couldn‘t　fortably　run　and　hitting　the　gas　hard　when　the　lights　changed。　Hoping　that　they　could　leave　it　all　behind；　that　the　problems　here　would　stay　here　and　never　move　outward　to　where　the　good　people　lived。　In　that　sense　it　was　a　reversal　of　Vietnam；　wasn‘t　it？　There　the　bad　things　were　out　in　the　boonies；　and　you　wanted　to　keep　them　from　moving　in。　Kelly　realized　that　he‘d　e　home　to　see　the　same　kind　of　lunacy　and　the　same　kind　of　failure　in　a　very　different　kind　of　place。　And　he‘d　been　as　guilty　and　as　foolish　as　everyone　else。
The　Scout　turned　left；　heading　south　past　another　hospital；　a　large　white　one。　Business　district；　banks　and　offices；　courthouse；　city　hall；　a　good　part　of　town　where　good　people　came　in　daylight；　leaving　quickly　at　night；　all　together　because　there　was　safety　in　their　hurried　numbers。　Well…policed；　because　without　these　people　and　their　merce；　the　city　would　surely　die。　Or　something　like　that。　Maybe　it　wasn‘t　a　question　of　life　or　death　at　all；　but　merely　of　speed。
Only　a　mile　and　a　half；　Kelly　wondered。　That　much？　He‘d　have　to　check　a　map。　A　dangerously　short　distance　in　any　case　between　these　people　and　what　they　feared。　Stopped　at　an　intersection；　he　could　see　a　long　way；　because　city　streets；　like　firebreaks；　offered　long　and　narrow　views。　The　light　changed　and　he　moved　on。　
Springer　was　in　her　accustomed　place；　twenty　minutes　later。　Kelly　assembled　his　things　and　went　aboard。　Ten　minutes　after　that；　the　diesels　were　chugging　away；　the　air　conditioning　was　on；　and　he　was　back　in　his　little　white　bubble　of　civilization；　ready　to　cast　off。　Off　of　pain　medications　and　feeling　the　need　for　a　beer　and　some　relaxation　…　just　the　symbolic　return　to　normality　…　he　nevertheless　left　the　alcohol　alone。　His　left　shoulder　was　distressingly　stiff　despite　his　having　been　able　to　use　it；　after　a　fashion；　for　almost　a　week。　He　walked　around　the　main　salon；　swinging　his　arms　in　wide　circles；　and　wincing　from　the　pain　on　the　left　side；　before　heading　topside　to　cast　off。　Murdock　came　out　to　watch；　but　said　nothing　from　the　door　into　his　office。　Kelly‘s　experience　had　made　the　papers；　though　not　the　involvement　with　Раm；　which　somehow　the　reporters　had　failed　to　connect。　The　fuel　tanks　were　topped　off；　and　all　the　boat‘s　systems　appeared　to　be　operating；　but　there　was　no　bill　for　whatever　the　yard　had　done。
Kelly‘s　line…handling　was　awkward　as　his　left　arm　refused　to　do　the　things　his　mind　manded　in　the　usual　timely　fashion。　Finally；　the　lines　were　slipped；　and　Springer　headed　out。　After　clearing　the　yacht　basin；　Kelly　settled　into　the　salon　control　station；　steering　a　straight　course　out　to　the　Bay　in　the　fort　of　the　air　conditioning　and　the　security　of　the