The Bourne Identity Chapter 19 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • We're in Manhattan now, with Major Gordon Webb, who has just flown from Zurich to New York. (Webb is the guy Bourne rescued from North Vietnam during Operation Medusa.)
  • There's various super-secret spy burbling, but the upshot is that Webb's going to Treadstone, which he's never seen before.
  • Treadstone! It's disguised as a residential home in New York. Webb meets David Abbott and Elliot Stevens, an aide to the President.
  • There's more spy explication,during which everyone explains how clever and sneaky they are.
  • They explain that, as Marie thought, Carlos planted the story about her, but Treadstone added the bits about the bank to send a message to Bourne.
  • There are hints that Treadstone thinks Bourne is betraying them, though they don't want to believe it.
  • It's revealed that Bourne isn't really an assassin. He's a U.S. intelligence agent in deep cover used to smoke out Carlos.
  • It's also revealed that Bourne has been undercover for three years, and that he had surgery, and that he is super cool and super dedicated and awesome.
  • But now Treadstone doesn't know what's up with Bourne and is worried he's turned. (But he hasn't turned. He's just got amnesia. Why didn't they all read the first 300 pages of the book? Stupid spies…)