Outside the Salle des Etats, Bezu Fache was fuming as Louvre warden Grouard explained howSophie and Langdon had disarmed him. Why didn't you just shoot the blessed painting!
"Captain?" Lieutenant Collet loped toward them from the direction of the command post. "Captain,I just heard. They located Agent Neveu's car.""Did she make the embassy?""No. Train station. Bought two tickets. Train just left."Fache waved off warden Grouard and led Collet to a nearby alcove, addressing him in hushedtones. "What was the destination?""Lyon.""Probably a decoy." Fache exhaled, formulating a plan. "Okay, alert the next station, have the trainstopped and searched, just in case. Leave her car where it is and put plainclothes on watch in casethey try to come back to it. Send men to search the streets around the station in case they fled onfoot. Are buses running from the station?""Not at this hour, sir. Only the taxi queue.""Good. Question the drivers. See if they saw anything. Then contact the taxi company dispatcherwith descriptions. I'm calling Interpol."Collet looked surprised. "You're putting this on the wire?"Fache regretted the potential embarrassment, but he saw no other choice.
Close the net fast, and close it tight.
The first hour was critical. Fugitives were predictable the first hour after escape. They alwaysneeded the same thing. Travel. Lodging. Cash. The Holy Trinity. Interpol had the power to makeall three disappear in the blink of an eye. By broadcast-faxing photos of Langdon and Sophie toParis travel authorities, hotels, and banks, Interpol would leave no options—no way to leave thecity, no place to hide, and no way to withdraw cash without being recognized. Usually, fugitivespanicked on the street and did something stupid. Stole a car. Robbed a store. Used a bank card indesperation. Whatever mistake they committed, they quickly made their whereabouts known tolocal authorities.
"Only Langdon, right?" Collet said. "You're not flagging Sophie Neveu. She's our own agent.""Of course I'm flagging her!" Fache snapped. "What good is flagging Langdon if she can do all hisdirty work? I plan to run Neveu's employment file—friends, family, personal contacts—anyone shemight turn to for help. I don't know what she thinks she's doing out there, but it's going to cost herone hell of a lot more than her job!""Do you want me on the phones or in the field?""Field. Get over to the train station and coordinate the team. You've got the reins, but don't make amove without talking to me.""Yes, sir." Collet ran out.
Fache felt rigid as he stood in the alcove. Outside the window, the glass pyramid shone, itsreflection rippling in the windswept pools. They slipped through my fingers. He told himself torelax.
Even a trained field agent would be lucky to withstand the pressure that Interpol was about toapply.
A female cryptologist and a schoolteacher?
They wouldn't last till dawn.
贝祖。法希站在国家展厅外，火冒三丈地听着卢浮宫保安人员讲述他被索菲和兰登夺去手枪的经过。你为什么不冲着那宝贝的油画开一枪呢！
"警长。"科莱中尉从指挥部方向小跑了过来。"警长，我刚得到消息，他们找到了奈芙警官的车。""她进入大使馆了吗？"
"没有。在火车站发现的。他们买了两张票，那列火车刚刚开走。"
法希挥手示意保安人员格鲁阿尔离开，把科莱拉到附近一个墙角边，小声地问："目的地是哪里？"
"利立。"
"可能是个骗局。"法希吁了口气，想了个主意。"好吧，通知下一站，将火车拦下搜查，以防他们真上了火车。把他们的车留在原地，并派便衣监视，以防他们回头用车。派人搜查火车站附近的街道，以防他们步行逃跑。有从火车站开出的公共汽车吗？"
"这会儿没有，先生。只有出租车在排队接客。"
"好。去盘问司机，看看他们是否能提供些线索。然后，和出租车公司的调度取得联系，向他们解释情况。我现在打电话给国际刑警组织。"科莱一脸惊异："你要通报这件事吗？"
法希对这可能造成的尴尬也表示遗憾，但他别无选择。
收网要快，收网要紧。
追捕的第一个小时是很关键的。逃犯在逃跑后一小时内的行动是可以预测的。他们都有"交通、旅馆、现金"这三位一体的需要。国际刑警组织有能力在眨眼间使这些化为泡影。他们可以向巴黎的交管部门、饭店、银行传送索菲和兰登的照片，布下天罗地网，让他们无法离开这个城市，无处藏身，也无法顺利地提取现金。通常，惊恐的逃犯会做出些傻事，比如说偷汽车、抢商店或在绝望之中铤而走险使用银行卡。无论他们犯什么样的错误，都会向当地的警署暴露他们的行踪。
"只通缉兰登，是吗？"科莱说。"你不会通缉索菲。奈芙吧，她是我们自己人。"
"当然要通缉她！"法希打了个响指。"如果她能帮助兰登做所有的坏事，光通缉兰登有什么用？我要查看一下奈芙的人事档案，查找一下她可能求助的亲朋好友。我不知道她在干什么，但她的所作所为将不止让她丢了饭碗。""你想让我接听电话，还是出去？"
"出去。去火车站与警队合作。你有发布指令的权力，但事先要向我汇报。"
"是，先生。"科莱跑了出去。
法希站在墙角，浑身僵硬。窗外闪闪发光的玻璃金字塔倒映在微风拂过的水面。他们从我的指缝中溜走了。他告诫自己要放松。
即使是一个训练有素的干警也难以承受国际刑警组织即将施加的压力。
一个女密码破译员和一个教师？
他们坚持不到天亮。