按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
er since his first doubts about Operation …666 until now； when it occupied all his mental eyes could see。 Like a moth drawn to a light； he kept circling in closer and closer； and all he could really hope was that the light was not a flame that would kill him。
〃Here； Papa！〃 Svetlana said； recognizing their stop； taking his hand； and dragging him forward to the sliding doors。 A minute later； she jumped on the moving steps of the escalator； excited by that ride as well。 His child was like an American adult…or how Russians supposed them to be； always seeing opportunities and possibilities and the fun to be had； instead of the dangers and threats that careful； sober Soviet citizens saw everywhere。 But if Americans were so foolish； why were Soviets always trying…and failing…to catch up with them？ Was America really right where the USSR was so often wrong？ It was a deeper question that he'd scarcely considered。 All he knew of America was the obvious propaganda he saw every night on television or read about in the official State newspapers。 He knew that had to be wrong； but his knowledge was unbalanced； since he did not really know true information。 And so his leap to the West was fundamentally a leap of faith。 If his country was so wrong； then the alternative superpower had to be right。 It was a big； long； and dangerous leap； he thought； walking down the sidewalk and holding his little girl's hand。 He told himself that he ought to be more fearful。
But it was too late to be frightened； and turning back would have been as harmful to him as going forward。 Above everything else； it was a question of who would destroy him…his country or himself…if he failed to carry out his mission。 And on the other side； would America reward him for trying to do what he deemed the right thing？ It seemed that he was like Lenin and the other revolutionary heroes： He saw something that was objectively wrong； and he was going to try to prevent it。 Why？ Because he had to。 He had to trust that his country's enemies would see right and wrong as he did。 Would they？ While the American President had denounced his nation as the focus of all the evil in the world； his country said much the same thing of America。 Who was right？ Who was wrong？ But it was his country and his employer that was conspiring to murder an innocent man； and that was as far as he could see into the right/wrong question。
As Oleg and Svetlana turned left to go into their apartment building； he recognized one final time that his course was set。 He could not change it； but could only toss the dice and wait to see how they came up。
And where would his daughter grow up？ That also rested on the flying dice。
It happened first in York； the largest city in northern England。 Fire…safety engineers tell everyone who will listen that the least important thing about fires is what causes them to start； because they always start for the same reasons。 In this case； it was the one that firefighters most hate to discover。 Owen Williams； after a friendly night at his favorite pub； The Brown Lion； managed to down six pints of dark beer； which； added to a lengthy and tiring day working his job as a carpenter； had made him rather sleepy by the time he got to his third…floor flat； but that didn't stop him from switching on the TV in his bedroom and lighting a final cigarette of the day。 His head propped up on a plumped pillow； he took a few puffs before fading out from the alcohol and the day's hard work。 When that happened； his hand relaxed； and the cigarette fell onto the bedclothes。 There it smoldered for about ten minutes before the white cotton sheets started to burn。 Since Williams was unmarried…his wife had divorced him a year before…there was no one nearby to take note of the acrid； evil smell； and gradually the smoke wafted up to the ceiling as the low…level fire progressively consumed the bedclothes and then the mattress。
People rarely die from fire； and neither did Owen Williams。 Instead； he started breathing in the smoke。 Smoke…engineers often use the term 〃fire gas〃…mainly consists of hot air； carbon monoxide； and soot particles； which are unburned material from the fire's fuel。 Of these； the carbon monoxide is often the deadliest ponent； since it forms a bond with the red blood cells。 This bond is actually stronger than the bond that hemoglobin forms with the free oxygen that the blood conveys to the various parts of the human body。 The overall effect on the human consciousness is rather like that of alcohol…euphoria； like being pleasantly drunk； followed by unconsciousness and； if it goes too far； as in this case； death from oxygen starvation of the brain。 And so； with a fire all around him； Owen Williams never woke； only fell deeper and deeper into a sleep that took him peacefully into eternity at the age of thirty…two years。
It wasn't until three hours later that a shift worker who lived on the same floor came home from work and noticed a smell in the third…floor corridor that lit up his internal alarm lights。 He pounded on the door； and； getting no response； ran to his own flat and dialed 999。
There was a firehouse only six blocks away； and there； as with any other such house in the world； the firefighters rolled out of their military…style single beds； pulled on their boots and their turn…out coats； slid down the brass rail to the apparatus floor； punched the button to lift the automatic doors； and raced out on the street in their Dennis pumper； followed by a ladder truck。 The drivers both knew the streets as well as any taxi driver and arrived at the apartment building less than ten minutes after their bells had chimed them awake。 The pumper crew halted their vehicle； and two men dragged the draft hoses to the corner fire hydrant； charging the line in a skillful and well…practiced drill。 The ladder men； whose primary job was search and rescue； raced inside to find that the concerned citizen who'd called in the alarm had already pounded on every door on the third floor and gotten his neighbors awake and out of their apartments。 He pointed the lead fireman to the correct door； and that burly individual knocked it down with two powerful swings of his axe。 He was greeted by a dense cloud of black smoke； the smell of which got past his air mask and immediately announced 〃mattress〃 to his experienced mind。 This was followed by a quick prayer that they'd gotten here in time； and then instant dread that they had not。 Everything； including the time of day； was against them in the dark； early morning。 He ran into the back bedroom； smashed out the windows with his steel axe to vent the smoke outside； and then turned to see what he'd seen thirty or more times before…a human form； nearly hidden by the smoke and not moving。 By then； two more of his colleagues were in the room。 They dragged Owen Williams out into the corridor。
〃Oh； shit！〃 one of them observed。 The senior paramedic on the crew put an oxygen mask on the colorless face and started hitting the button to force pure oxygen into the lungs； and a second man began pounding on the victim's chest to get his heart restarted while； behind them； the enginemen snaked a two…and…a…half…inch hose into the flat and started spraying water。
All in all； it was a textbook exercise。 The fire was snuffed out in less than three minutes。 Soon thereafter； the smoke had largely cleared； and the firemen took off their protective air masks。 But； out in the corridor； Owen Williams showed not a flicker of life。 The rule was that nobody was dead until a physician said so； and so they carried the body like a large and heavy limp rag to the white ambulance sitting on the street。 The paramedic crew had their own battle drill； and they followed it to the letter； first putting the body on their gurney； then checking his eyes； then his airway…it was clear…and using their ventilator to get more oxygen into him； plus more CPR to get the heart moving。 The peripheral burns would have to wait。 The first thing to be done was to get the heart beating and lungs breathing； as the driver pulled out onto the darkened streets for Queen Victoria Hospital； just more than a mile away。
But by the time they got there； the paramedics in the back knew that it was just