But he had money, a great deal of money, along... But he had money, a great deal of money, along with five driver’s licenses from five
different statesIn Jason Bourne’s lexicon these were weapons, especially the moneyMo went to
the urinal—long overdue—and then to the door; he pulled it back several inches to observe the
blondeSuddenly, the door swung violently back several feet and Panov crashed into the wall
“Hey, sorry, pal!” cried a short heavyset man, who grabbed the psychiatrist by the shoulders as
Mo grabbed his face“You okay, buddy?”
“Oh, certainly
“The hell you are, you got a nosebleed! C’mon over here by the towels,” ordered the T-shirted
trucker, one sleeve rolled up to hold a pack of cigarettes“C’mon, put your head back while I get
some cold water on
dolce purse your schnozLoosen up and lean against the wallThere, that’s better; we’ll
stop this sucker in a moment or two The short man reached up and gently pressed the wet paper
towels across Panov’s face while holding the back of his neck, and every few seconds checking the
flow of blood from Mo’s nostrils“There y’are, buddy, it’s damned near stoppedJust breathe
through your mouth, deep breaths, you got me? Head tilted, okay?”
“Thank you,” said Panov, holding the towels and amazed that a nosebleed could be stopped so
quickly
“Don’t thank me, I bashed you one by mistake,” answered the trucker, relieving himself“Feel
better now?” he asked, zipping up his trousers And against the advice of his dear deceased mother, Mo
chanel clearance decided to take advantage
of the moment and forgo righteousness“But I should explain that it was my mistake, not yours
“Waddaya mean?” asked the trucker, washing his hands
“Frankly, I was hiding behind the door looking at a woman I’m trying to get away from—if that
makes sense to you
Robert Ludlum ?? THE BOURNE ULTIMATUM
232
Panov’s personal medic laughed as he dried his hands“Whose sense wouldn’t it make? It’s the
story of mankind, pal! They getcha in their clutches and whammo, they whine and you don’t know
what to do, they scream and you’re at their feetNow me, I got it differentI married a real
Eur’pean, you know? She don’t speak so good English, but she’s gratefulGreat with the kids,
great with me, and I still
gucci watches for women get excited when I see herNot like these fuckin’ princesses over here
“That’s an extremely interesting, even visceral, statement,” said the psychiatrist
“It’s who?”
“NothingI still want to get out of here without her seeing me leaveI have some money—”
“Hold the money, who is she?”
Both men went to the door and Panov pulled it back a few inches“She’s the one over there, the
blonde’ who keeps looking in this direction and at the front doorShe’s getting very agitated—”
“Holy shit,” interrupted the short trucker“That’s the Bronk’s wife! She’s way off course
“Off course? The Bronk?”
“He trucks the eastern routes, not theseWhat the hell is she doing here?”
“I think she’s trying to avoid him
“Yeah,” agreed Mo’s
prada logo companion“I heard she’s been messing around and don’t charge no
money
“Do you know her?”
“Hell, yeahI been to a couple of their barbecuesHe makes a hell of a sauce
“I have to get out of hereAs I told you, I have some money—”
“So you told me and we’ll discuss it later
“Where?”
“In my truckIt’s a red semi with white stripes, like the flagIt’s parked out front, on the right
Get around the cab and stay out of sight
“She’ll see me leaveI’m goin’ over and give her a big surpriseI’ll tell her all the CBs are hummin’
and the Bronk is headin’ south to the Carolinas—at least that’s what I heard
“How can I ever repay you?”
“Probably with some of that money you keep talkin’ aboutThe Bronk’s
an animal and I’m a born-again
black chanel quilted Christi