Bourne 7 – The Bourne Deception

double-quick time. She gave her assistant the address of the health club. -And Tommy, not a word of this to anyone outside the detail, is that clear? Good.

She tucked away her phone, said to Bamber, — Neither am I.

— Good. He sighed in relief. Then, turning to Moira, he smiled bleakly.

— You‘re not wrong about Steve and me, and Noah knew neither of us could survive if the true nature of our relationship was made public.

Moira felt the breath rush out of her. -You called him Noah. Do you mean to tell us you know him?

— In a way, I work for him. That‘s the other, more important, reason he couldn‘t touch me. You see, I created a custom software program for him. It‘s still got some minor bugs and I‘m the only one who can work them out.

— Funny, Hart said, — you don‘t look like a tech geek.

— Yeah, well, Steve used to say that was one of my charms. I never looked anything like what I really am.

— What does this software program do? Moira said.

— It‘s a highly sophisticated statistical analysis program that can take into account millions of factors. What he‘s doing with it I don‘t know. He made sure I was locked out of that side of it, that was part of our agreement, the reason I asked for and got a higher fee.

— But you said you‘re working on fixes.

— That‘s right, Bamber said, nodding, — but it‘s necessary that I work on a clean copy of the program. When I‘m finished I electronically transfer it to Noah‘s laptop. What happens after that is anyone‘s guess.

— Let‘s hear your guess, Moira said.

He sighed again. -Okay, here‘s my best shot. The level of complexity of the program makes it almost a sure bet that he‘s using it on a real-world basis.

— Translation, please.

— There are lab scenarios and real-world scenarios, Bamber said. -As you can imagine, anything that tries to figure out what would happen during certain real-life situations has to be incredibly complex because of all the factors involved.

— Millions of factors.

He nodded. -Which my program provides.

A possibility hit Moira between the eyes and for a moment she sat back, dazzled. Then she said, — Have you given this program a name?

— In fact, I did. Bamber seemed a bit embarrassed. -It‘s a private joke between Steve and me. His use of the present tense brought the news of his friend and lover‘s death back to him, and he stopped, put his head down, moaning low in his throat, — Jesus, Jesus, Steve.

Moira waited a moment, then cleared her throat. -Mr. Bamber, we‘re truly sorry for your loss. I knew Undersecretary Stevenson, I did business with him. He always helped me, even if it meant going out on a limb.

Bamber‘s head came up, his eyes red-rimmed. -Yeah, that was Steve, all right.

— The name you gave the program you created for Noah Perlis?

— Oh, that. It‘s nothing, as I said, a joke because Steve and I both like-

liked-Javier-

— Bardem, Moira said.

Bamber looked surprised. -Yes, how did you know?

And Moira thought, Pinprickbardem.

16

THE MUSEO TAURINO was located inside the Maestranza corrida, and this was where Bourne told Tracy to take him. They had just enough time to change direction within the crowd before the officers entered the throng in the vestibule. Two of them headed directly for the bullring itself. From their positions on either side of the glass doors, the remaining pair began to scan the crowd for their suspect.

The museum was closed today, the interior door shuttered. Bourne, leaning against the door, used a paper clip Tracy found at the bottom of her handbag to pick the lock, and they slipped inside, closing the door behind them. The stuffed heads of all the great bulls killed in this corrida stared down at them with glass eyes. They passed glass cases containing the splendid costumes worn by the famous matadors going back to the seventeenth century, when Maestranza was built. The entire history of the corrida was on display in these musty rooms.

Bourne was uninterested in any of the flamboyant displays; he was looking for the utility closet. It was in the rear of the museum, beside a littleused room. Inside, he had Tracy dig out cleaning fluid, which he had her apply to the wound down his back. The searing pain took his breath away and, with it, a full sense of consciousness.

He awoke to Tracy‘s grip on his shoulder. She was shaking him, which made his head hurt even more.

— Wake up! she said urgently. -You‘re in worse shape than you let on. I‘ve got to get you out of here.

He nodded; the words were hazy, but the gist hit home. Together they staggered back through the museum to the separate entrance that led out onto the street around the circle from the bullring‘s main entrance. Tracy unlocked the door and poked her head outside. When she nodded, he emerged into the semi-darkness.

She must have used her cell to call for a taxi because the next thing he knew she was maneuvering him into a backseat, leaning forward as she slid in beside him to give an address to the driver.