@@@@@Soon the contract between us will be
@@@@@Soon the contract between
us will be void
“Why is that?”
“You will have no further obligations to me, and I accept thatYou’ve been good to us and I’ve
saved a little and my wants are fewFrankly, knowing what’s facing me, I’m feeling terribly
tired—”
“You insufferable ingrate!” whispered the voice behind the confessional screen“After all I’ve
done, all I’ve promised you!”
“I beg your pardon?”
“Would you die for me?”
“Of course, that’s our contract
“Then, conversely, you will live for me!”
“If that’s what you want, naturally I willI simply wanted you to know that soon I would no
longer be a burden to you
“Do not presume, never with me!” The anger erupted in a hollow cough, a cough that seemed to
confirm the rumor that had spread through the dark streets of ParisThe Jackal himself was ill,
perhaps deathly ill
“You are our life, our respectWhy should I do that?”
“You just didNevertheless, I have an assignment for you that will ease your woman’s
departure for both of youYou will have a holiday in a lovely part of the world, the two of you
togetherYou will pick up the papers and the money at the usual place
“Where are we going, if I may ask?”
“To the Caribbean island of MontserratYour instructions will be delivered to you there at the
Blackburne AirportFollow them preciselyAgain, if I may ask, what is my objective?”
“To find and befriend a mother and two children
“Then what?”
“Kill them
Brendan Prefontaine, former federal judge of the first circuit court of Massachusetts, walked out
of the Boston Five Bank on School Street with fifteen thousand dollars in his pocketIt was a heady
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
58
experience for a man who had lived an impecunious existence for the past thirty yearsSince his
release from prison he rarely had more than fifty dollars on his personThis was a very special day
Yet it was more than very specialIt was also very disturbing because he had never thought for
an instant that Randolph Gates would pay him a sum anywhere near the amount he had deman