Chapter 24 Chapter Twenty-Four

At six o'clock on Monday morning, Susan from Milton Security called Blomkvist's T10. "Don't all of you sleep?" Blomkvist said sleepily. He glanced at Figolaura, who was out of bed and in jogging shorts, but not a T-shirt. "Sleep of course, just woken up by the night guard. The silent siren we installed at your house went off at three in the morning." "yes?" "I went to see it. It's a bit weird. Could you come to Milton this morning? The sooner the better." "This is serious," Armansky said. Just after eight o'clock, Armansky, Blomkvist, and Susan gathered in front of the TV in the Milton security conference room.Armansky also called in Frecklen (a retired detective from the Solna Police Department who is now Milton's operations team leader) and Bowman, a former police officer who had been involved in the Salander incident from the beginning.Everyone was thinking about the surveillance video that Susan just played.

"Here we see Jonas the Secret Policeman unlocking Michel's house at 3:17 and he has the key himself. You'll remember that the locksmiths Fallon and Morrison broke in a few weeks ago as backup .” Armansky nodded solemnly. "Jonas was in the house for about eight minutes. During this time, he did the following things. First, he took a small plastic bag from the kitchen. Then he unscrewed the back panel of the speakers in your living room. Put the bag in. It's important that he gets the bag from your kitchen." "That's Quinsum's bag," said Blomkvist. "I'll keep it for cheese and stuff."

"I'll do the same. The point is that it has your fingerprints on it, of course. Then he took a copy of the Swedish Morgan Post from the recycling bin in the foyer, tore off a page and put it on top of your closet." on the shelf. Same thing: your fingerprints on the newspaper." "I see," Blomkvist said. "I arrived at your house around five o'clock." Susan said, "I found a few things: there are nearly 180 grams of cocaine in the speaker now, and I took a little sample here." She placed a small evidence bag on the conference table. "What's in the closet?" asked Blomkvist.

"About 120,000 crowns in cash." After Armanski signaled Susan to turn off the TV, he turned to face Frecklen. "So Blomkvist is involved in the cocaine trade." Frecklen said kindly, "They're obviously starting to get a little worried about Blomkvist's current actions." "It's a counter move," Blomkvist said. "Counter what?" "They ran into Milton Security on patrol last night in Morgan Cowa." He told him what Figuelaura had told him about Jonas' trip to the printing house. "The little rascal is busy," said Portman.

"But why now?" “They were definitely nervous about what Millennium was going to print after the trial,” Flecklen said. “If Blomkvist was arrested for dealing cocaine, his credit would have plummeted.” Susan nodded.Blomkvist looked suspicious. "What are we going to do about it?" Armansky asked. "Should do nothing." Frecklen said: "The cards are all in our hands. We have solid evidence that Jonas came to your house to plant a frame. Continue to see what tricks they have to play. Anyway, we will prove your right soon." Innocent, and there will be more evidence of the 'team''s crimes. When these guys are brought to court, I really want to be a prosecutor."

"I don't know," Blomkvist said slowly, "the court is going to be the day after tomorrow, and the magazine will be on the shelves on Friday, the third day after the court. If they plan to frame me for dealing cocaine, I will There is absolutely no time to explain all this, I am afraid I will have to go to the detention center and miss the initial court hearing." "That's why you should stay hidden this week," Armansky said. "But... I have to go to TV4, and I have many other things to do, it will be very inconvenient..." "Why now?" Susan asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" Armansky asked. "They had three months to bring down Blomkvist, why wait now? No matter what happens, it won't stop the magazine from being published." Everyone was speechless for a while. "Maybe it's because they don't know what you're going to publish, Michel," Armanski said. "They have to assume you're thinking about something...but they probably think you only have Bjork's report, and they have no way of knowing." You're going to blow up the whole 'group'. If it's just for Björk's report, it's more than enough to discredit you. Whatever you reveal, you'll be wiped out once you're arrested and convicted. It's a big scandal. Famous Michael Boo Longkvist was arrested for drug dealing and sentenced to six to eight years."

"Can you copy the two tapes and bring them to me?" asked Blomkvist. "what are you going to do?" "Give one volume to Ai Kelinte. In addition, I will go to TV4 in three hours. I want to take it with me. If something goes wrong, I can hand it over to the TV station to play it at any time. This is safer." Figuolaura turned off the DVD player and put the remote on the table.They are now gathered in the temporary office in the Peace House Square. "Cocaine," Akelint said. "They're playing a very dirty game." Figolaura glanced thoughtfully at Blomkvist.

"I thought it best to keep you all updated." He shrugged. "I don't think it's right," Figuelaura said. "It's reckless. Someone didn't think things through. They must know you're not going to give in and get you thrown in jail for drug dealing." Kumla Prison." "I agree," said Blomkvist. "Even if you are sentenced, the public will likely believe what you say, and your colleagues at Millennium will not remain silent." "Also, it's costing them a lot," says Aiklint: "They have enough budget to make 120,000 kronor without blinking an eye, plus cocaine and it's going to cost you nothing. "

"I know, but it's not a bad plan." Blomkvist said, "They plan to send Salander back to the mental hospital, and I disappear under the cloud of suspicion. They also decided that all attention will be on national security." bureau, not 'team'." "But how are they going to convince the narcotics squad to search your house? I mean, it would be very difficult for the police to kick down a star reporter's door just by relying on anonymous reporting. And if it is to be effective, it must be done within forty-eight hours." You are under suspicion."

"Honestly, don't really know what they have planned," Blomkvist said. He felt exhausted and just wished this would be over soon.He stood up. "Where are you going?" Figuelaura said. "I want to know your schedule for the next few days." "I'm going to a TV4 meeting at noon. I'm going to Samir's Pot and Erica to eat lamb stew at six o'clock, and discuss the content of the press release carefully. The rest of the afternoon and evening will be at the magazine office, I think." As soon as Figolaura heard Erica's name, her eyes narrowed slightly. "I want you to stay in touch during the day. It's best to stay in close contact until the trial." "Maybe I should move in with you for a few days," Blomkvist joked, laughing. Figuelaura immediately lowered his face, and at the same time gave Aiklint a sidelong glance. "Figerola is right." Aiklint said, "I think it's best for you not to show up for the time being." "You mind your own business," Blomkvist said. "I'll mind mine, too." The host of TV4's "She" program couldn't hide his excitement when he saw the video tape brought by Blomkvist. Blomkvist also found it interesting to see her so happy.For a week, they worked desperately every day to sort out the materials of the "group" for broadcasting. TV4's program producers and news editors are sure that this will be a very precious exclusive news.The production process is kept secret, with only a handful of people involved.Blomkvist insisted that the story be the headline on the evening news on the third day of the trial, and they agreed, deciding to do a one-hour special. Blomkvist handed her many pictures, but nothing could compare to a moving picture for the TV station.She was overjoyed when he showed her a videotape of an identifiable police officer sneaking cocaine into his home, in perfect clarity. "Great telecast," she said. "Image: NSA smuggling cocaine into reporters' homes." "Not the NSA . . . the 'team,'" Blomkvist corrected. "Don't confuse the two." "Come on, Jonas is from the NSA," she retorted. "True, but really he should be considered an insider. Lines need to be drawn." "Understood. It's the 'team' here, not the NSA. Can you explain, Michel, why you keep getting involved in such a big deal? You're right, it's going to be stronger than Wenners The incident is bigger." "That's what I'm capable of. Surprisingly, this story also starts with Wennerstrom, the espionage scandal of the sixties." Erica called at four to say she was in a meeting with the Newspaper Guild to share her thoughts on the Swedish Morgan Post's planned layoffs, which had caused a great deal of turmoil at the paper since her resignation.I'm afraid she won't be in time for dinner at half past six. Jonas helped move Clinton from his wheelchair to a sofa bed in the room that served as Clinton's command center at the "team's" headquarters on Cannon Road.He has been in kidney dialysis all morning, and he just came back, feeling old and extremely tired.He's hardly slept a wink for the past few days, wishing it was all over soon.When Newstrom appeared, he sat up on the bed, trying to make himself comfortable. Concentrating, Clinton asked, "Are you ready?" "I just went to see Brother Nisid." Neustrom said, "It takes fifty thousand crowns." "We can afford it," Clinton said. God, if only I could be younger again. He turned his head and looked at Newstrom and Jonas in turn. "No conscience trouble?" he asked. Both shook their heads. "When?" Clinton asked. "Within twenty-four hours," Neustrom said. "It's hard to say where Blomkvist will spend the night, but if they had to, they'd do it outside the Millennium offices." "Tonight, maybe in two hours," Jonas said. "Really?" "Erica called him not long ago. They will have dinner at Samir's Pot, which is near Bellman Road." "Erica..." Clinton hesitated. "Please, she shouldn't..." Newstrom said. "That's not a big deal," Jonas said. Both Clinton and Newstrom stared at him. "We agreed that Blomkvist was the biggest threat, and that he would publish bad news in the next issue of Millennium. We couldn't stop the magazine, so we had to destroy his credibility. If he appeared in a seemingly A death in a typical mafia fight, and then the police seize drugs and cash from his home, and investigators draw a certain conclusion. They don’t start looking into a conspiracy with the secret police.” "Go on," Clinton said. "Erica is actually Blomkvist's mistress." Jonas said forcefully. "She was unfaithful to her husband. If she died too, it would be more suspicious." Clinton and Newstrom exchanged glances.Jonas was a natural and quick learner when it came to making smoke screens.But Clinton and Newstrom suddenly felt anxious.Jonas is too indifferent to life and death, which is not a good sign, and extreme measures cannot be used just because the opportunity arises.Killing is not a matter of convenience, and should not be resorted to unless there is no other choice. Clinton shook his head. Collateral damage, he thought to himself.Suddenly disgusted with the whole operation. After dedicating his life to his country, he's sitting here like a bunch of savage mercenaries.Zarachenko is necessary.Björk... regrettable, but Gulbeau was right: Björk would surrender.Blomkvist... maybe also necessary.But Erica might just be an innocent bystander. He fixed his eyes on Jonas, secretly hoping that the young man wouldn't turn into a psychopath. "How much does Brother Nisid know?" "Nothing, I mean about us. They only saw me, I took another identity, they couldn't track it down. They thought the killing was related to the drug trade." "What will they do after the assassination?" "Leave Sweden immediately," Neustrom said. "Just like after Björk. If the murder investigation doesn't come to fruition, they'll be able to come back very carefully in a few weeks." "In what way?" "Sicilian style. Go to Blomkvist, shoot him full of bullets in the magazine, and walk away." "Where are the weapons?" "They have automatic guns, don't know what kind." "They mustn't shoot the restaurant..." "You can rest assured. They are not impulsive people and know what to do. But if Erica is sitting at the same table..." collateral damage. "Listen well," Clinton said, "it's important not to let Wadenshey hear the news, especially if Erica was also killed. He's already stressed to the brink of collapse, and when the matter is over, I'm afraid he will have to let him know." He retired." Newstrom nodded. "That means when we hear the news that Blomkvist was shot, we have to put on a show. We have to hold an emergency meeting, and we have to show shock at the development of the situation. It is possible to speculate on the mastermind behind the scenes, but in the police Never mention drugs until evidence is found." Blomkvist said goodbye to the "She" host just before five o'clock.They spent the afternoon filling gaps in the material, and then Blomkvist went to get his makeup done and filmed a long talk show. He was asked a question but couldn't give a coherent answer and had to retake it several times. How could the civil servants of the Swedish government go so far as to kill people? Blomkvist had thought about it long before the "She" host asked the question. The "team" must have seen Zarachenko as an unacceptable threat, but the answer was still unsatisfactory.And he was still dissatisfied with his final answer: "The only reasonable explanation I can give is that over the years the 'group' developed into an out-and-out cult, into something like the Knutbys, or Reverend Jim Jones. They make their own laws, The concept of right and wrong is not important anymore. And because of these laws, they think they are independent from normal society." "Sounds like a mental illness, doesn't it?" "This description cannot be said to be incorrect." Blomkvist took the subway to Slusen.It was still too early to go to Samir's Cauldron. He stood in Sodermalm Square for a while, still feeling worried, but on the other hand, life suddenly got back on track.It wasn't until Erica returned to work at the magazine that he realized how much he missed her.And she hadn't sparked any infighting when she'd donned the shirt again, and Marlene had happily returned to her job as editorial secretary, feeling—to use her own words—almost ecstatic that life was back to normal. Erica's return to work also made everyone realize how unbelievable the shortage of staff has been in the past three months.Erica had to return to Millennium at full speed, and with the help of Marlene, she was finally able to deal with some of the organizational problems that had built up over time. Blomkvist decides to buy an evening paper, and then kills the time for coffee at Java on Horns Road before meeting Erica. Attorney Ransid Gustafson of the Attorney General's Office studied the group carefully after placing his reading glasses on the conference table.She is fifty-eight years old, has a plump, wrinkled face, and short gray hair. She has been a prosecutor for twenty-five years, and has been in the attorney general's office since the early 1990s. Just three weeks ago, she was called without warning to the Chief Superintendent's office to meet Superintendent Ecklint, head of the Constitutional Security Unit.She was busy wrapping up a routine or two that day in order to leave for a six-week, unencumbered holiday at her cottage on Khusaro Island.Unexpectedly, before leaving, he is assigned to investigate a group of civil servants known as the "group", so the vacation plan has to be postponed.She was told that the case would be the main focus for the rest of the time, and that she would be free to organize her own action team and make the necessary decisions. "This could be one of the most sensational criminal investigations Sweden has ever seen," the attorney general told her. She began to feel that the chief was right. She was more and more amazed as Aiklint briefed the whole situation and the investigation he had made at the Prime Minister's order.Aikelint's investigation is not over yet, but he believes enough evidence has been gathered to send the case to prosecutors. Gustafson first reviewed all the data presented by Aiklint.As the scope of the crime begins to emerge, she learns that every decision she makes will one day be scrutinized by historians and their readers alike.Since then, she has struggled with these many crimes every waking moment.The case was unique in Swedish legal history, with at least three decades of criminal activity to be traced, so she recognized that it required a very special operations team.She thought of anti-Mafia investigators in the Italian government in the 1970s and 1980s, who had to work almost entirely underground in order to survive.She knew why Aiklint himself had to go undercover, because he didn't know whom to trust. The first step she took was to bring in three colleagues from the Attorney General's office, all selected people she had known for many years.This was followed by the hiring of a well-known historian who had assisted the Crime Prevention Commission in its analysis of the growing responsibility and power of the secret police over the decades.She also formally appointed Officer Figueraura as head of the investigation. So far, the investigative work against the "team" has taken on a constitutional form, and it is no different from other investigative work by the police, except that it is carried out under extremely confidential conditions. Prosecutor Gustafson has formally but very secretly questioned many, many people over the past fortnight, accompanied by Aiklint and Figerola, detectives Boblanski, Maudy, Anderson with Holmber.As for the people who were summoned, Blomkvist, Marlene, Kertesz, Christ, Attorney Annika, Armanski, and Susan, the prosecutor even visited Salander's former guardian Panglan in person. Millennium staffers do not, on principle, answer questions that might reveal the identity of a source, but otherwise all readily provided detailed answers, sometimes with supporting documentation. Prosecutor Gustafson was extremely displeased with the fact that Millennium's timeline, in which arrests had to be ordered by a certain date, was being pursued.She knew that ideally, there would be months of preparation before reaching the current stage of the investigation, but she had no choice, Blomkvist was very tough. "Millennium" is not bound by the government's laws and regulations, and he planned to publish the report on the third day after Salander's trial, so Gustafson had to adjust his work as a last resort, and attack at the same time, so as not to Let those suspects have the opportunity to disappear together with the evidence.Blomkvist found unexpected support from Aiklint and Figerola, and prosecutors found some clear merit in Blomkvist's plan.As a prosecutor, she could just use the full focus of the media as the backstop she needed to expedite prosecutions.In addition, the entire process will proceed extremely quickly, leaving no time for the contents of this complex investigation to leak into the corridors of government agencies and be noticed by the "team". "Blomkvist's highest priority is the rehabilitation of Salander. Arresting team members is just a by-product," Figolaura said. Salander's court date was scheduled for Wednesday, with two days left.Monday's meeting is mainly to review the latest data and assign tasks again. There were thirteen people present.From the Attorney General's Office, Gustafson brought two of her closest colleagues; from the Constitutional Protection Group, Inspector Figerola and his subordinates Stephen and Berend.Ai Kelinte, the head of the Constitutional Protection Group, attended the hearing. But Gustafson believes that such an important matter, for the sake of credibility, cannot be limited to the NSA.So she also called in Boblanski and his regular police officers, including Maud, Holmber, and Anderson, who, after all, had been investigating the Salander case since Easter and knew all the details like the back of their hands.In addition, Gustafsson also approached Prosecutor Eva and Officer Erlander of the Gothenburg Police Department, because the investigation of the "team" was directly related to the investigation of Zarachenko's murder. Holmber and Modi could hardly hide their unease when Figuelaura mentioned that former Prime Minister Fielding might testify in court. Over the course of five hours, they went through the individuals identified as active members of the "cell" and proceeded to list crimes that could be linked to the Cannon Road apartment.Nine more people were later identified as being linked to the "group", although they never visited Cannon Road.They primarily worked for the NSA on Kings Island, but had met with several activists from the "group." "It's too early to tell how wide the conspiracy was. We don't know the circumstances under which these people met with Waddenshire or anyone else. They could be insiders, or they might think they were doing internal controls or something like that. work. So the extent of their involvement is uncertain and will have to wait for an opportunity to interrogate them to get answers. Also, these are just the people we observed in the weeks since we started doing surveillance, there may be more we haven't yet knew." "But the Secretary-General and the Budget Director..." "We have to assume they are 'group' people." At 6 p.m. on Monday, Gustafson gave everyone an hour to eat and eat before continuing the meeting. As everyone got up and started walking, Figuelaura's colleague at the Constitutional Safeguards Action Group, Jesper Thomas, pulled her aside to report on the results of the previous hours of surveillance. "Clinton was on dialysis almost all day, and didn't return to Cannon Road until three o'clock. Only the movement of Newstrom was worth noting, but not sure what he was doing." "Let's hear it," Figuelaura said. "At half past one, he drove to the Central Station to meet the two people. They walked to the Sheraton together and went to the bar to drink coffee. The meeting lasted about 20 minutes, and then Newstrom returned to Cannon Road." "Okay, who are those two?" "New faces. Both are in their thirties and seem to be of Eastern European origin. It's a pity that they got lost after entering the subway." "Understood." Figuelaura said wearily. "Here are the pictures." Thomas said, handing her a series of pictures taken during the follow-up. She glanced at the zoomed-in photos of the two unfamiliar faces. "Thanks." After she finished speaking, she put the photo on the conference table, picked up her handbag and prepared to eat something. Anderson, who happened to be standing aside, bent down to take a closer look at the photo. "Damn it!" he cursed. "Are the Nisid brothers also involved?" Figuelaura stopped immediately. "Who are you talking about?" "These two are bad guys to the bone," Anderson said. "Nisid brothers Tommy and Milo." "You fought them?" "Of course. A pair of brothers from Hudinger, Serbs. They were watched a few times when they were in their twenties. I was in the anti-crime team. Milo is more dangerous because he has been wanted for a year or so because of serious injuries. .I thought they went back to Serbia to go into politics or something." "Politics?" "Yeah. They went to Yugoslavia in the early '90s to help cleanse the population, working for a Mafia leader named Akon who ran some kind of secret fascist militia. They were famous gunmen." "The shooter?" "Killers. They fly between Belgrade and Stockholm and have an uncle who owns a restaurant in Malm, so it seems like they work there occasionally. Our reports show they were involved in at least two murders, both of so-called 'cigarettes' war' incidents, but have not been able to bring them to justice." Figolaura stared at the photo silently, his face turned pale in an instant.She turned to stare at Ai Kelinte. "Blomkvist," she yelled, panic in her voice. "They didn't just want to involve him in a scandal, they wanted to kill him. After the incident, the police will find the cocaine during the investigation and make their own conclusions." Ai Kelinte also stared at her. "He should have met Erica at Samir's Cauldron." After finishing speaking, Figolaura turned around and grabbed Anderson's shoulder and asked, "Have you brought a gun?" "Bring..." "follow me." Figuelaura rushed out of the conference room.Three doors down was her office, and she ran in and took a gun from a desk drawer, then left the office door open and unlocked against the rules as she ran to the elevator.Anderson hesitated. "Go ahead," Boblanski told him. "Maudie, you go too." Blomkvist arrived at the dining room at six twenty.Erica also just arrived and found a table by the bar, not far from the door.He kisses her on the cheek.Both ordered lamb stew and strong beer from the waiter. "How about the 'She' girl?" Erica asked. "Cool, as usual." Erica smiled and said, "If you're not careful, you'll be fascinated by her. Just imagine, there are women who can resist the charm of the famous Blomkvist." "Actually, there are quite a few women who haven't fallen in love with me over the years." Blomkvist said, "How are you doing today?" "It's a waste of effort. But I've been invited to the PR club to debate the whole Swedish Morgan Post thing. That will be my last contribution." "great." "It's a huge relief to be back on Millennium." "You don't even know how good it is to have you back. I'm still overjoyed." "It's fun to come back to work again." "Ok." "I am very happy." "I have to go to the bathroom," Blomkvist said, standing up. He nearly collided with a man who had just walked through the door.Blomkvist noticed that the other person looked a bit Eastern European, and was looking at him.Then he saw the submachine gun. As they were passing through Knights Island, Aiklint called to say that neither Blomkvist nor Erica answered their phones.It was probably turned off during the meal. Figuelaura cursed, and drove past Sodermalm Square at a speed of nearly eighty kilometers per hour.She honked the horn all the way, and when she came to Horns Road, she made a sharp turn, and Anderson was pressed against the door.He pulled out his gun to check the magazine, and Maud did the same in the backseat. "We've got to call for backup," Anderson said. "Brother Nisid is no joke." Figueraura gritted his teeth. "That's what we do," she said. "Me and Maud went straight into the dining room, hoping they were still sitting in there. Anderson, you know these two, so stay outside and watch." "it is good." "If all goes well, we will take Blomkvist and Erica out and get into the car directly, and take them to Kings Island. If we suspect that the situation is different, we will stay in the restaurant and ask for support." "Okay," Maud replied. As we approached the dining room, the police radio under the dashboard crackled. "Attention all units. There was a shooting on Tawas Street, Sodermalm District. The location is Samir's Pot Restaurant." Figuelaura suddenly felt a throbbing pain in his heart. Erica frowned when she saw Blomkvist bump into a man as he walked through the door to the men's room.She saw the man staring at Blomkvist with a surprised expression, and wondered if it was someone she knew. Then she saw the man step back and drop a bag on the ground.At first she didn't make sense of what she was seeing, and she just sat there motionless as he aimed what looked like a gun at Blomkvist. Blomkvist reacted without thinking.He swung his left hand to grab the barrel and twisted it up toward the ceiling, and for a split second the muzzle flashed past his eyes. The sound of submachine guns firing was deafening in the small space.Milo Nisid fired seventeen shots, and the plaster and lamp glass from his head fell on Blomkvist.At one point, he looked his attacker in the eyes. Then Milo took a step back and yanked the gun on him.Blomkvist was careless and missed the barrel of the gun, and he knew immediately that he was in danger.Instinctively, instead of crouching or taking cover, he lunged at his attacker.It was only later that he realized that if he had ducked or backed away, he would have been shot instantly.He grabbed the barrel of the submachine gun again, and pushed the opponent to the wall with all his strength. At this time, he heard six or seven gunshots again, and he desperately pulled the gun, turning the muzzle to the floor. When the second burst of gunfire rang out, Erica instinctively took cover, but accidentally tripped and hit her head on a chair.She lay on the floor and looked up, and there were three holes in the wall behind the seat just now. She turned her head in shock and saw Blomkvist wrestling with the man by the door.He was already on his knees, clutching the gun tightly with both hands, trying to wrest it from the opponent.She saw her assailant struggle to get free, pounding fists down Blomkvist's face and temples again and again. Figolaura came to the opposite side of Samir's Pot, braked suddenly, opened the car door, and ran towards the restaurant across the street.Noticing the car parked in front of the restaurant, she quickly grabbed the light pistol and pulled the safety. She saw one of the Nisid brothers sitting in the driver's seat and pointed a gun at his face through the window. "Police, hands up," she hissed. Tommy Nisid held up his hands. "Get out of the car and lie face down on the sidewalk," she growled.Then he turned his head to look at Anderson and Modi beside him, and said, "The restaurant." Maud thought of her own children.Before the support arrived and the exact situation was not known, they drew their guns and rushed into the building, which completely violated the dogma of the police. As she was thinking, more gunshots came from the dining room. Seeing that Milo was going to keep firing, Blomkvist jammed his middle finger between the trigger and the guard.He heard glass shatter behind him and felt searing pain as his attacker squeezed his fingers repeatedly.As long as his fingers remained in place, the gun would not fire.But Milo beat him on the side of the head repeatedly with his fists, and he suddenly realized that the forty-five-year-old himself was no longer suitable for this kind of thing. It had to end, he thought. This was the first rational thought that came to him after he discovered the man with the submachine gun. He gritted his teeth and pushed his finger further into the space behind the trigger. Then he rallied vigorously, bumped the killer's body with his shoulder, and then barely pulled back to stand firm.He let go of the gun with his right hand, putting his elbow up to protect the face, and Milo hit him in the armpit and ribs instead.For a moment, their eyes met again. In the next second, Blomkvist felt the killer being pulled away, and after the last sharp pain in his fingers, he saw Anderson's huge figure.The police officer almost grabbed Milo by the neck and lifted him up, before hitting his head against the wall next to the door.Milo collapsed to the ground. "Get down! We're the police, don't move," he heard Maud shout. As soon as he turned his head, he saw her straddling her feet and holding a gun in both hands, observing the chaotic scene.Finally she pointed the gun at the ceiling and looked at Blomkvist. "Are you hurt?" she asked. Blomkvist looked at her, only to feel dizzy.His eyebrows and nose were bleeding. "I seem to have broken a finger," he said before sitting down on the ground. Less than a minute after Figuelaura led Tommy to the sidewalk at gunpoint, the Sodermalm Armed Response Team arrived to support him.After she showed her ID, she handed over the prisoner to the police and ran into the restaurant.She stopped at the gate to assess the situation. Blomkvist and Erica sat side by side, the former's face was bloodied and seemed to be in shock, while the latter let out a big breath.He is not dead.At this moment Erika put her arm around Blomkvist's shoulder, and she couldn't help frowning, or at least her face was livid. Maud came and knelt down beside them, inspecting the wound on Blomkvist's hand.Anderson is handcuffing Milo, who looks like he's been hit by a truck.Then she saw a Swedish Army M45 submachine gun lying on the ground. Figuelaura raised his head and found that the restaurant staff and customers were all terrified. In addition, the porcelain was broken on the floor, the tables and chairs were tilted, and there were devastation after the bullets.She smelled gunpowder, but found no casualties in the restaurant.That's when officers from the Armed Response Team began pouring into the restaurant armed with guns.She reached out to touch Anderson's shoulder.He stood up. "You said Milo is a wanted criminal?" "Yes. Aggravated assault. A street fight in Hallendar about a year ago." "Okay, let's do this then," Figolaura said. "I'll take Blomkvist and Erika away as soon as possible, and you stay. It happened that you and Maud came here for dinner, because you stayed Sweeping gang so recognized Milo, and when you tried to arrest him, he pulled out his weapon and started shooting. So you took him out." Anderson showed a look of incomparable surprise. "It doesn't make sense, there are witnesses." “证人们会说有人在打架还开枪。只要能撑到明天晚报出来不被识破就行了。就说尼西德兄弟被捕纯粹是碰巧被你认出来。” 安德森环顾四下的凌乱场面，终于点头答应。 费格劳拉挤过街上成群的警察，将布隆维斯特和爱莉卡安置在她车子后座，然后回头找反应小组的组长低声交谈了半分钟。她指指布隆维斯特和爱莉卡此时已坐上的车辆，组长有些困惑，但最后还是点了头。她开到辛肯斯达姆，停下车，转头看着后座乘客。 “你伤得有多严重？” “我被打了好几拳，牙齿都还在，不过中指受伤了。” “我送你到圣约兰挂急诊。” “这是怎么回事？”爱莉卡问道：“你又是谁呢？” “抱歉。”布隆维斯特说：“爱莉卡，这位是莫妮卡·费格劳拉警官，是国安局的干员。费格劳拉，这位是爱莉卡·贝叶。” “我已经猜到了。”费格劳拉声音平平地回答，却仍忍不住偷瞄爱莉卡一眼。 “我和费格劳拉是在调查过程中认识的，她是代表国安局和我接触的人。” “原来如此。”爱莉卡说完全身开始发抖，像是忽然才感觉到惊吓。 费格劳拉狠狠地瞪着爱莉卡。 “发生什么事了？”布隆维斯特问。 “我们误解了可卡因的原因。”费格劳拉解释道：“我们以为他们栽赃给你是为了制造丑闻，现在才知道他们想杀你，到时候警方搜索你的住处时自然会发现可卡因。” “什么可卡因？”爱莉卡问。 布隆维斯特暂时闭上双眼。 “带我到圣约兰去吧。”他说。 “被捕了？”克林顿咆哮道，同时感觉到一种轻微的压力，仿佛有蝴蝶在心脏四周飞舞。 “我们觉得没关系。”纽斯壮说：“好像纯粹是运气不佳。” “运气不佳？” “米洛因为以前的一桩伤害案件被通缉，他走进萨米尔之锅刚好被一个扫黑组的警员认出来，想要逮捕他。米洛一紧张就开枪企图逃命。” “那布隆维斯特呢？” “没有涉及他，甚至不知道他当时在不在餐厅里。” “怎么可能发生这种鸟事！”克林顿说：“尼西德兄弟都知道些什么？” “关于我们吗？什么也不知道。他们以为暗杀毕约克和布隆维斯特都是因为毒品交易。” “但他们知道布隆维斯特是目标吗？” “当然，但他们不太可能主动泄漏被雇杀人的事，就算到了地方法院也还是会守口如瓶。他们除了持有非法枪械还八成会因为拒捕去坐牢。” “真是成事不足败事有余的笨蛋！”克林顿骂道。 “唉，他们真的搞砸了。我们暂时只能放布隆维斯特一马，不过并没有造成真正的伤害。” 苏珊与米尔顿安保贴身护卫组的两名彪形大汉，在十一点来到国王岛接布隆维斯特和爱莉卡。 “你还真会到处乱跑。”苏珊说。 “抱歉。”爱莉卡闷闷不乐地说。 开车前往圣约兰途中，爱莉卡始终处于惊吓状态。她忽然领悟到自己和布隆维斯特是从鬼门关前转了一圈回来。 布隆维斯特在急诊室待了一个钟头，照头部的X光，包扎脸部。左手中指用夹板固定住，末端的指关节瘀伤严重，指甲恐怕保不住。出人意料的是伤势之所以如此严重，是因为安德森赶来援救时一把将米洛拉开，当时布隆维斯特的中指还卡在冲锋枪的扳机护环里，立刻啪一声折断。虽然疼痛万分，却没有生命危险。 一直到两个小时后，来到国安局宪法保障组向包柏蓝斯基警官与古斯塔夫森检察官报告时，布隆维斯特才真正感到惊恐。他开始浑身发抖、精疲力竭，问题回答到一半还几乎睡着。于是大伙便闲聊了一阵。 “我们不知道他们有何计划，也不清楚麦可是不是唯一的设定目标，”费格劳拉说：“或者爱莉卡也应该会死。我们不知道他们会不会再试一次，或者有没有其他《千禧年》员工也被锁定。为什么不杀死莎兰德呢？她毕竟是真正对'小组'构成威胁的人。” “麦可包扎伤口的时候，我已经打电话给杂志社的同事。”爱莉卡说：“杂志出刊前，每个人都会非常低调，办公室也不再派人驻守。” 艾柯林特第一个反应就是派人贴身保护布隆维斯特和爱莉卡，但仔细一想，他和费格劳拉都认为联系国安局贴身护卫组恐怕不是明智之举。爱莉卡主动婉拒警方保护，也替他们解决了难题。她打电话给阿曼斯基解释整件事的经过，因此当晚稍晚，苏珊才会被叫来值班。 布隆维斯特和爱莉卡被安置在一栋安全藏身房的顶楼，房屋地点位于刚过皇后岛通往易克略岛的路上。这是一栋宽敞的三十年代别墅，俯瞰梅拉伦湖，有一个令人难忘的花园、一些附属建筑和广大的土地。这是米尔顿安保的产业，但玛蒂娜·薛格兰住在这里。她是他们多年的同事汉斯·薛格兰的遗孀，汉斯则是在十五年前出任务时意外丧生，葬礼结束后，阿曼斯基找薛格兰太太恳谈了一番，随后便聘请她担任此地的总管。她免费住在一楼侧厅，并将顶楼随时准备好接待客人，因为每年总有几次，米尔顿安保会临时需要为一些担心自身安全的人——不管理由是真的或是想象的——寻找藏身之处。 费格劳拉也一起去了。她一屁股坐到厨房的椅子上，让薛格兰太太为她倒咖啡，此时爱莉卡和布隆维斯特在楼上放行李，苏珊则忙着检查房屋四周的警报器与电子监视设备。 “浴室外面的柜子抽屉里有牙刷之类的东西。”薛格兰太太朝楼上喊道。 苏珊和米尔顿的保镖睡在楼下房间。 “我四点被吵醒后就一直忙个没完。”苏珊说：“你们可以排个轮值表，不过至少先让我睡到五点。” “你就睡一整晚吧，这个交给我们。”一名保镖说。 “谢啦。”苏珊说完直接就上床了。 费格劳拉心不在焉地听着保镖们开启院子里的移动侦测器，并抽签决定谁先值班。输的那人自己做了三明治，到厨房旁边的房间看电视。费格劳拉细细端详那些绘有花卉图案的咖啡杯。她也是一早醒来就忙个不停，现在觉得疲惫不堪，正打算开车回家时，爱莉卡下楼来给自己倒了一杯咖啡，然后坐到费格劳拉对面。 “麦可头一沾枕就睡得不省人事了。” “肾上腺素消退的缘故。”费格劳拉说。 “现在该怎么办？” “你们得保持几天的低调，不管结果如何，一个星期之内都会结束。你现在感觉如何？” “还好，还有点心惊，这种事不会天天发生。我刚刚打了电话给我先生，解释我不回家的原因。” "Oh." “我先生是……” “我知道他是谁。” silence.费格劳拉揉着眼睛打呵欠。 “我得回家睡个觉。”她说。 “拜托，别再装了，就去和麦可睡吧。”爱莉卡说。 费格劳拉望着她。 “有这么明显吗？”她问道。 Erica nodded. “是不是麦可说了什么……” “他什么也没说。他对于女性友人的事向来很会保密，不过有时候又可以一目了然。而你看我的眼神明显充满敌意。你们两个之间显然有不可告人的事。” “因为我老板。”费格劳拉说。 “跟他有什么关系？” “要是他知道我和麦可……肯定会大发雷霆。” "I understand." 又是沉默。 “我不知道你们俩之间是怎么回事，但我不是你的情敌。”爱莉卡说。 "Isn't it?" “我偶尔会和麦可上床，但我没嫁给他。” “我听说你们俩交情特殊。我们在沙港的时候，他跟我说过你的事。” “这么说你去过沙港？看来他的确认真了。” “别取笑我。” “费格劳拉，我希望你和麦可……我会尽量不妨碍你们。” “如果你办不到呢？” Erica shrugged. “他前妻发现麦可跟我的事之后，整个人抓狂，把他给轰了出来。那是我的错。只要麦可还是单身，我就不会内疚。但我答应自己一旦他有认真交往的对象，我就会保持距离。” “我不知道自己敢不敢相信他。” “麦可是个很特别的人。你爱他吗？” “应该吧。” “那好，只是不要太快告诉他。好了，上床去吧。” 费格劳拉思考了一会儿才上楼去，脱下衣服爬到布隆维斯特身边。他喃喃不知说了什么，接着便伸手抱住她的腰。 爱莉卡在厨房独坐许久，内心感到非常不快乐。