@@@@@ “This is a waste of time,” continued Jason
@@@@@
“This is a waste of time,” continued Jason Bourne, the pleasantness gone from his voice and his
face Armbruster repeated the statement in a hoarse whisper,
snapping his head up to look at the front of his house, to the windows and the door
“You’ll be far worse unless we talk,” added Jason, following the chairman’s eyes“Shall it be up
there? In your house?”
“No!” cried Armbruster“She yaps all the time and wants to know everything about everybody,
then blabs all over town exaggerating everything
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
73
“I assume you’re talking about your wife
“All of ’em! They don’t know when to keep their traps shut
“It sounds like they’re starved for conversationI’ve got a car down the blockAre you up to a drive?”
“I damn well better beWe’ll stop at the drugstore down the streetThey’ve got my prescription
on fileWho the hell are you?”
“I told you,” answered Bourne
“Oh, Jesus!” whispered Albert Armbruster
The pharmacist complied rapidly, and Jason quickly drove to a neighborhood bar he had chosen
an hour before should one be necessaryIt was dark and full of shadows, the booths deep, the
banquettes high, isolating those meeting one another from curious glancesThe ambience was
important, for it was vital that he stare into the eyes of the chairman when he asked questions, his
own eyes ice-cold, demanding Delta was back, Cain had returned; Jason Bourne was
in full command, David Webb forgotten
“We have to cover ourselves,” said the Cobra quietly after their drinks arrived“In terms of
damage control that means we have to know how much harm each of us could do under the
Amytals
“What the hell does that mean?” asked Armbruster swallowing most of his gin and tonic while
wincing and holding his stomach
“Drugs, chemicals, truth serums
“What?”
“This isn’t your normal ball game,” said Bourne, remembering Conklin’s words“We’ve got to
cover all of the bases because there aren’t any constitutional rights in this series
“So who are you?” The chairman of the Federal Trade Commission belched and brought his
glass briefly to his lips, his hand tremblin