demille.thegeneralsdaughter-第4部分

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　I　nodded。　〃Sometimes　I　think　the　infantry　was　better。　The　bad　guys　were　never　one　of　your　own。　This　crap　is　different。〃
　〃Bad　guys　are　bad　guys；〃　Kent　informed　me。　〃The　Army　is　the　Army。　Orders　are　orders。〃
　〃Yup。〃　And　therein　lies　the　essence　of　military　mentality。　Ours　is　not　to　reason　why；　and　there　is　no　excuse　for　failure。　This　works　pretty　well　in　bat　and　most　other　military…type　situations；　but　not　in　the　CID。　In　the　CID　you　must　actually　disobey　orders；　think　for　yourself；　ignore　the　brass；　and；　above　all；　discover　the　truth。　This　does　not　always　sit　well　in　the　military；　which　thinks　of　itself　as　a　big　family；　where　people　still　like　to　believe　that　〃all　the　brothers　are　valiant；　and　all　the　sisters　virtuous。〃
　As　though　reading　my　thoughts；　Colonel　Kent　said；　〃I　know　this　could　be　a　real　messy　case。　But　maybe　not。　Maybe　it　was　mitted　by　a　civilian。　Maybe　it　can　be　wrapped　up　right　away。〃
　〃Oh；　I'm　sure　it　can；　Bill。　And　you　and　I　will　get　letters　of　mendation　inserted　into　our　permanent　files；　and　General　Campbell　will　invite　us　for　cocktails。〃
　Kent　looked　very　troubled。　He　said；　〃Well；　my　ass　is　on　the　line　here；　frankly。　This　is　my　post；　my　beat。　You　can　beg　off　if　you　want　and　they'll　send　another　homicide　guy。　But　you　happen　to　be　here　and　you　happen　to　be　special　unit；　and　we've　worked　together　before；　and　I'd　like　your　name　next　to　mine　on　the　prelim　report。〃
　〃And　you　didn't　even　bring　me　a　cup　of　coffee。〃
　He　smiled　grimly。　〃Coffee？　Hell；　I　need　a　drink。〃　He　added；　〃You　can　get　some　rank　out　of　this。〃
　〃If　you　mean　a　reduction；　you're　probably　right。　If　you　mean　a　promotion；　I'm　topped　out。〃
　〃Sorry。　I　forgot。　Bad　system。〃
　I　asked　him；　〃Are　you　up　for　a　star？〃
　〃Maybe。〃　He　looked　a　bit　worried；　as　if　the　twinkling　general's　star　that　he'd　seen　in　his　dreams　just　blinked　out。
　I　asked；　〃Have　you　notified　the　local　CID　yet？〃
　〃No。〃
　〃Why　in　the　world　not？〃
　〃Well　。。。　this　is　not　going　to　be　handled　by　them；　anyway　。。。　I　mean；　Jesus；　this　is　the　post　mander's　daughter；　and　the　CID　mander　here；　Major　Bowes；　knew　her；　and　so　did　everyone　else　here；　so　we　need　to　show　the　general　that　we've　gotten　top　talent　from　Falls　Church…〃
　〃The　word　you're　looking　for　is　scapegoat。　But；　okay；　I'll　tell　my　boss　in　Falls　Church　that　this　is　best　handled　by　a　special　investigator；　but　I　don't　know　if　I'm　the　guy　who　wants　to　do　it。〃
　〃Let's　go　see　the　body；　then　you　can　decide。〃
　As　we　started　to　walk　to　his　car；　we　heard　the　post　cannon　boom…actually　a　recording　of　some　long…scrapped　artillery　piece…and　we　stopped　and　faced　the　direction　of　the　sound。　From　the　loudspeakers　mounted　on　the　empty　barracks　came　the　recorded　bugle　sound　of　reveille；　and　we　saluted；　two　solitary　men　standing　in　the　predawn　light；　reacting　to　a　lifetime　of　conditioning　and　centuries　of　military　custom　and　ceremony。
　The　ancient　bugle　call；　going　back　to　the　Crusades；　echoed　through　the　pany　streets　and　the　alleyways　between　the　barracks；　and　over　the　grassy　assembly　fields；　and　somewhere；　the　flags　were　being　raised。
　It's　been　years　since　I've　been　caught　outdoors　at　reveille；　but　I　sort　of　enjoy　the　pomp　and　ceremony　once　in　a　while；　the　munion　with　the　living　and　the　dead；　the　idea　that　there　is　something　bigger　and　more　important　than　I；　and　that　I　am　part　of　it。
　There　is　no　civilian　equivalent　of　this；　unless　watching　Good　Morning　America　has　bee　a　tradition；　and　though　I'm　on　the　periphery　of　Army　life；　I　don't　know　if　I'm　ready　yet　to　make　the　transition　to　civilian　life。　But　that　decision　might　already　be　in　the　making。　Sometimes　you　sense　when　the　last　act　has　begun。
　The　final　sounds　of　the　bugle　died　away；　and　Kent　and　I　continued　toward　his　car。　He　remarked　to　me；　〃Another　day　begins　at　Fort　Hadley；　but　one　of　its　soldiers　will　not　see　it。〃
　
　CHAPTER　THREE
　
　We　headed　south　in　Kent's　car　toward　the　far　reaches　of　the　military　reservation。　Colonel　Kent　began：　〃Captain　Ann　Campbell　and　Sergeant　Harold　St。　John　were　on　duty　at　Post　Headquarters。　She　was　duty　officer；　he　was　duty　sergeant。〃
　〃Did　they　know　each　other？〃
　Kent　shrugged。　〃Maybe　in　passing。　They　don't　work　together。　He's　in　the　motor　pool。　She's　an　instructor　at　the　Special　Operations　School。　They　just　came　down　on　orders　and　wound　up　together。〃
　〃What　does　she　teach？〃
　〃Psy…ops。〃　He　added；　〃She's　got…she　had　a　master's　in　psychology。〃
　〃Still　has。〃　There's　always　a　question　of　tenses　when　referring　to　the　recently　dead。　I　asked　Kent；　〃Do　instructors　usually　pull　that　sort　of　duty？〃
　〃No；　not　usually。　But　Ann　Campbell　put　her　name　on　several　duty　rosters　she　didn't　have　to　be　on。〃　He　added；　〃She　tried　to　set　an　example。　General's　daughter。〃
　〃I　see。〃　The　Army　runs　duty　rosters　for　officers；　nonmissioned　officers；　and　enlisted　men　and　women。　These　are　pletely　random　lists；　ensuring　that　as　nearly　as　possible　everyone　gets　his　or　her　chance　at　some　sort　of　crap　duty。　There　was　a　time　when　female　personnel　were　not　on　all　lists；　such　as　guard　duty；　but　times　change。　What　doesn't　change　is　that　young　ladies　walking　around　alone　at　night　are　at　some　risk。　The　hearts　of　evil　men　remain　the　same；　the　pulsion　to　stick　it　in　the　most　available　vagina　supersedes　Army　regulations。　I　asked；　〃And　she　was　armed？〃
　〃Sure。　Had　her　sidearm。〃
　〃Go　on。〃
　〃Well；　at　about　0100　hours；　Campbell　says　to　St。　John　that　she　is　going　to　take　the　jeep　and　check　the　guard　posts…〃
　〃Why？　Isn't　that　something　the　sergeant　of　the　guard　or　the　officer　of　the　guard　should　do？　The　duty　officer　should　stay　with　the　phones。〃
　Kent　replied；　〃St。　John　said　the　officer　of　the　guard　was　some　young　lieutenant；　still　pissing　water　from　West　Point。　And　Campbell；　as　I've　indicated；　is　gung　ho　and　she　wants　to　go　out　there　and　check　things　for　herself。　She　knew　the　sign　and　countersign；　so　off　she　goes。〃　Kent　turned　onto　Rifle　Range　Road。　He　continued；　〃At　about　0300　hours；　St。　John　says　he　got　a　little　concerned…〃
　〃Why　concerned？〃
　〃I　don't　know　。。。　You　know；　it's　a　woman　and…well；　maybe　he　was　annoyed　because　he　thought　she　was　goofing　off　somewhere　and　maybe　he　wanted　to　go　to　the　latrine　and　didn't　want　to　leave　the　phones。〃
　〃How　old　is　this　guy？〃　I　asked。
　〃Fifty　something。　Married。　Good　record。〃
　〃Where　is　he　now？〃
　〃Back　at　the　provost　building　catching　some　cot　time。　I　told　him　to　stay　put。〃
　We　had　passed　rifle　ranges　one；　two；　three；　and　four；　all　of　which　lie　to　the　right　of　the　road；　huge　expanses　of　flat；　open　terrain；　backed　by　a　continuous　earthen　berm。　I　hadn't　been　out　here　in　over　twenty　years；　but　I　remembered　the　place。
　Colonel　Kent　continued；　〃So　St。　John　calls　the　guardhouse；　but　Captain　Campbell　is　not　there。　He　asks　the　sergeant　of　the　guard　to　call　the　guard　posts　and　see　if　Campbell　has　e　by。　The　sergeant　of　the　guard　calls　back　a　while　later　and　reports　negative。　So　St。　John　asks　the　sergeant　of　the　guard　to　send　a　responsible　person　to　headquarters　to　watch　the　phones；　and　when　one　of　the　guards　shows　up；　St。　John　gets　in　his　POV　and　heads　out。　He　starts　checking　the　posts　in　order…NCO　Club；　Officers'　Club；　and　so　on…but　not　one　of　the　guards　has　seen　Captain　Campbell。　So；　at　about　0400　hours；　he　goes　out　toward　the　last　guard　post；　which　is　an　ammo　storage　shed；　and　on　the　way；　at　rifle　range　six；　he　sees　her　jeep　。。。　in　fact；　there　it　is。〃
　Up　ahead；　off　to　the　right　on　the　narrow　road；　was　the　humvee；　which　we　old　guys　still　refer　to　as　a　jeep；　in　which；　presumably；　Ann　Campbell　had　driven　to　her　rendezvous　with　death；　if　you　will。　Near　the　humvee　was　someone's　POV…a　red　Mustang。　I　asked　Kent；　〃Where　is　the　guard　post　and　the　guard？〃
　〃The　ammo　shed　is　another　klick　up　the　road。　The　guard；　a　PFC　Robbins；　heard　nothing；　but　saw　headlights。〃
　〃You　questioned　him？〃
　〃Her。　Mary　Robbins。〃　Kent　smiled　for　the　first　time。　〃PFC　is　a　gender…neutral　term；　Paul。〃
　〃Thank　you。　Where　is　PFC　Robbins　now？〃
　〃On　a　cot　in　the　provost　building。〃
　〃Crowded　in　there。　But　good　thinking。〃
　Kent　stopped　the　car　near　the　humvee　and　the　red　Mustang。　It　was　nearly　light　now；　and　I　could　see　the　six　MPs…four　men；　two　women…standing　at　various　spots　around　the　area。　All　of　the　rifle　ranges　had　open　bleacher　seats　of