mreilly.icestation-第31节

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s　there　to　take　down　his　story。　Do　you　know　why？〃　
　〃Why？〃　
　〃Because　when　Shane　Schofield　landed　on　the　Wasp　after　being　extracted　from　that　farmhouse　in　Bosnia　by　a　team　of　United　States　Marines；　he　was　the　worst…looking　thing　you　have　ever　seen。　
　〃The　extraction　had　been　bloody。　Fierce　as　hell。　The　Serbs　hadn't　wanted　to　give　up　their　prized　American　pilot　and　they'd　fought　hard。　When　that　chopper　returned　and　hit　the　tarmac　on　the　Wasp；　it　had　four　seriously　wounded　Marines　on　board。　It　also　had　Shane　Schofield。　
　〃The　medics　and　the　doctors　and　the　support　crews　charged　out　and　got　everybody　off　the　chopper　as　fast　as　they　could。　There　was　blood　everywhere；　wounded　men　screaming。　Schofield　was　taken　away　on　a　gurney。　He　had　blood　pouring　out　of　both　of　his　eyes。　The　extraction　had　been　so　fast…so　intense…that　no　one　had　even　had　a　chance　to　put　gauze　patches　over　his　eyes。〃　
　Riley　paused。　Gant　just　stared。　
　〃What　happened　after　that？〃　she　asked。　
　〃Jack　Walsh　copped　shit　from　the　White　House　and　the　Pentagon。　They　hadn't　wanted　him　to　send　anyone　in　for　Schofield　because　Schofield　wasn't　supposed　to　be　there　in　the　first　place。　The　White　House　didn't　want　the　'political　damage'　that　would　follow　from　an　American　search…and…rescue　mission　for　a　downed　spy　plane。　Walsh　told　them　where　to　shove　it；　said　they　could　fire　him　if　they　wanted　to。〃　
　〃What　about　Scarecrow？　What　happened　to　him？〃　
　〃He　was　blinded。　His　eyes　had　been　ripped　to　shreds。　They　took　him　to　Johns　Hopkins　University　Hospital　in　Maryland。　It's　got　the　best　eye　surgery　unit　in　the　country；　or　so　they　tell　me。〃　
　〃And？〃　
　〃And　they　fixed　his　eyes。　Don't　ask　me　how；　'cause　I　don't　know　how。　Apparently；　the　razor　blade　cuts　were　fairly　shallow；　so　there　was　no　damage　to　his　retinas。　The　real　damage；　they　said；　was　to　the　outer　extremities　of　his　eyes…the　irises　and　the　pupils。　Purely　physical　defects；　they　said。　Defects　which　could　be　fixed。〃　Riley　shook　his　head。　〃I　don't　know　what　they　did…some　fancy　new　laser…fusing　procedure；　someone　told　me…but　they　did　it；　they　fixed　his　eyes。　Hell；　all　I　know　is　that　if　you　can　afford　it…and　in　Scarecrow's　case；　the　Corps　could…you　don't　need　glasses　these　days。　
　〃Of　course；　there　was　still　the　scarring　on　his　skin；　but　otherwise；　they　did　it。　Schofield　could　see　again。　Twenty…twenty。〃　Riley　paused。　〃There　was　only　one　hitch。〃　
　〃What　was　that？〃　
　〃The　Corps　wouldn't　let　him　fly　again；〃　Riley　said。　〃It's　standard　procedure　across　all　the　armed　forces：　once　you've　had　eye　trauma　of　any　kind；　you　can't　fly　a　military　airplane。　Hell；　if　you　wear　reading　glasses；　you're　not　allowed　to　fly　a　military　kite。〃　
　〃So　what　did　Scarecrow　do？〃　
　Riley　smiled。　〃He　decided　to　bee　a　line　animal；　a　ground　Marine。　He　was　already　an　officer　from　his　flying　days；　so　he　kept　his　mission。　But　that　was　all　he　kept。　He　had　to　start　all　over　again。　He　went　from　flight　status；　Lieutenant　mander；　to　ground　force；　Lieutenant　Second　Class；　in　an　instant。　
　〃And　he　went　back　to　school。　Back　to　the　Basic　School　at　Quantico。　And　he　did　every　course　they　had。　He　did　tactical　weapons　training。　He　did　strategic　planning。　Small　arms；　scout/sniper。　You　name　it；　he　did　it。　He　did　it　all。　Apparently；　he　said　he　wanted　to　be　like　those　men　who'd　e　in　and　got　him　out　of　Bosnia。　What　they'd　done　for　him　he　wanted　to　be　able　to　do。〃　
　Riley　shrugged。　〃As　you　can　probably　imagine；　it　didn't　take　long　for　him　to　get　noticed。　He　was　too　clever　to　stay　a　Second　Lieutenant　for　long。　After　a　few　months；　they　upped　him　to　Full　Lieutenant；　and　before　long；　they　offered　him　a　Recon　Unit。　He　took　it。　That　was　almost　two　years　ago　now。〃　
　Gant　had　never　known。　She　had　been　selected　for　Schofield's　Recon　Unit　only　a　year　ago；　and　it　had　never　occurred　to　her　to　wonder　how　Schofield　himself　had　bee　the　team's　mander。　That　sort　of　thing　was　officer　stuff；　and　Gant　wasn't　an　officer。　She　was　enlisted；　and　enlisted　troops　know　only　what　they　are　told　to　know。　Things　like　the　choice　of　team　mander　are　left　to　the　higher…ups。　
　〃I've　been　in　his　team　ever　since；〃　Riley　said　proudly。　
　Gant　knew　what　he　meant。　Riley　respected　Schofield；　trusted　his　judgment；　trusted　his　appraisal　of　any　given　situation。　Schofield　was　Riley's　mander　and　Riley　would　follow　him　into　hell。　
　Gant　would；　too。　Ever　since　she　had　been　in　Schofield's　Recon　team；　she　had　liked　him。　She　respected　him　as　a　leader。　
　He　was　firm　but　fair；　and　he　didn't　mince　words。　And　he　had　never　treated　her　any　differently　from　any　of　the　men　in　the　unit。　
　〃You　like　him；　don't　you？〃　Riley　said　softly。　
　〃I　trust　him；〃　Gant　said。　
　There　was　a　short　silence。　
　Gant　sighed。　〃I'm　twenty…six　years　old；　Book。　Did　you　know　that？〃　
　〃No。〃　
　〃Twenty…six　years　old。　God；〃　Gant　said；　lost　in　thought。　She　turned　to　Book。　〃Did　you　know　I　was　married　once？〃　
　〃No；　I　didn't。〃　
　〃Got　married　at　the　ripe　old　age　of　nineteen；　I　did。　Married　the　sweetest　man　you'd　ever　meet；　the　catch　of　the　town。　He　was　a　new　teacher　at　the　local　high　school；　just　arrived　from　New　York；　taught　English。　Gentle　guy；　quiet。　I　was　pregnant　by　the　time　I　was　twenty。〃　
　Book　just　watched　Gant　silently　as　she　spoke。　
　〃And　then　one　day；〃　Gant　said；　〃when　I　was　two　and　a　half　months　pregnant　I　arrived　home　early　to　find　him　doing　it　doggy…style　on　the　living　room　floor　with　a　seventeen…year…old　cheerleader　who'd　e　round　for　tutoring。〃　
　Book　winced　inwardly。　
　〃I　miscarried　three　weeks　later；〃　Gant　said。　〃I　don't　know　what　caused　it。　Stress；　anxiety；　who　knows。　I　hated　men　after　my　husband　did　that　to　me。　Hated　them。　That　was　when　I　enlisted　in　the　Corps。　Hate　makes　you　a　good　soldier；　you　know。　Makes　you　plant　every　single　shot　right　in　the　middle　of　the　other　guy's　head。　I　couldn't　bring　myself　to　trust　a　man　after　what　my　husband　did。　And　then　I　met　him。〃　
　Gant　was　staring　off　into　space。　Her　eyes　were　beginning　to　fill　with　water。　
　〃You　know；　when　I　was　accepted　into　this　unit；　the　selection　mittee　put　on　this　big　celebration　lunch　at　Pearl。　It　was　beautiful；　one　of　those　great　Hawaiian　BBQ　lunches…　out　on　the　beach；　in　the　sun。　He　was　there。　He　was　wearing　this　horrible　blue　Hawaiian　shirt　and；　of　course；　those　silver　sunglasses。　
　〃I　remember　that　at　one　point　during　the　lunch　everybody　else　was　talking；　but　he　wasn't。　I　watched　him。　He　just　seemed　to　bow　his　head　and　go　into　this　inner　world。　He　seemed　so　lonely；　so　alone。　He　caught　me　looking　and　we　talked　about　something　inane；　something　about　what　a　great　place　Pearl　Harbor　was　and　what　our　favourite　holiday　spots　were。　
　〃But　my　heart　had　already　gone　out　to　him。　I　don't　know　what　he　was　thinking　about　that　day；　but　whatever　it　was；　he　was　thinking　hard　about　it。　My　guess　is　it　was　a　woman；　a　woman　he　couldn't　have。　
　〃Book；　if　a　man　ever　thought　about　me　the　way　he　was　thinking　about　her。。。〃　Gant　shook　her　head。　〃I　would　just　。。。　Oh；　I　don't　know。　It　was　just　so　intense。　It　was　like　。。。　like　nothing　I　have　ever　seen。〃　
　Book　didn't　say　anything。　He　just　stared　at　Gant。　
　Gant　seemed　to　sense　his　eyes　on　her　and　she　blinked　twice　and　the　water　in　her　eyes　disappeared。　
　〃Sorry；〃　she　said。　〃Can't　go　showing　my　emotions　now；　can　I。　If　I　start　doing　that；　people'll　start　calling　me　Dorothy　again。〃　
　〃You　should　tell　him　how　you　feel　about　him；〃　Book　said　gently。　
　〃Yeah；　right〃　Gant　said。　〃Like　I'd　do　that。　They'd　kick　me　out　of　the　unit　before　I　could　say；　'That's　why　you　can't　have　women　in　frontline　units。'　Book；　I'd　rather　be　close　to　him　and　not　be　able　to　touch　him　than　be　far　away　and　still　not　be　able　to　touch　him。〃　
　Book　looked　hard　at　Gant　for　a　moment；　as　if　he　was　appraising　her。　Then　he　smiled　warmly。　〃You're　all　right。。。　Dorothy；　you　know　that。　You're　all　right。〃　
　Gant　snuffed　a　laugh。　〃Thanks。〃　
　She　bowed　her　head　and　shook　it　sadly。　Then　suddenly　she　looked　up　at　Book。　
　〃I　have　one　more　question；〃　she　said。　
　〃What？〃　
　Gant　cocked　her　head。　〃How　is　it　that　you　know　all　that　stuff　about　him？　All　the　stuff　about　Bosnia　and　the　farmhouse　and　his　eyes　and　all　that？〃　
　Riley　smiled　sadly。　
　Then　he　said；　〃I　was　on　the　team　that　got　him　out。〃　
　
　
　
　〃Any　sort　of　paleontology　is　a　waiting　game；〃　Sarah　Hensleigh　said　as　she　trudged　through　the　snow　next　to　Schofield　toward　the　outer　perimeter　of　the　station。　〃But　now　with　the　new　technology；　you　just　set　the　puter；　walk　away；　and　do　something　else。　Then　you　e　back　later　and　see　if　the　puter　has　found　anything。〃　
　The　new　technology；　Sarah　had　been　saying；　was　a　longwave　sonic　pulse　that　the　paleontologists　at　Wilkes　shot　down　into　the　ice　to　detect　fossilized　bones。　Unlike　digging；　it　located　fossils　without　damaging　them。　
　Schofield　said；　〃So　what　do　you　do　while　you　wait　for　the　sonic　pulse　to　find　your　next　fossil？〃　
　〃I'm　not　just　a　paleontologist；　you　know；〃　Sarah　said；　smiling；　feigning　offense。　〃I　was　a　marine　biologist　before　I　took　up　paleontology。　And　before　all　this　happened；　I　was　working　with　Ben　Austin　in　the　Bio　Lab　on　B…deck。　He　was　doing　work　on　a　new　antivenom　for　Enhydrina　schistosa。〃　
　Schofield　nodded。　〃Sea　snake。〃　
　Sarah　looked　at　him；　surprised。　〃Very　good；　Lieutenant。〃　
　〃Yeah；　well；　I'm　not　just　a　g