mreilly.icestation-第40节

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　〃Call　me　if　you　need　anything；〃　Schofield　said。　
　Mother　gave　him　a　wicked　grin。　〃Oh；　I　know　what　I　need；　baby；〃　she　said。　
　Schofield　shook　his　head。　〃You　never　quit；　do　you？〃　
　Mother　smiled。　〃You　know　what？〃　she　said　coyly。　〃I　don't　think　you　realize　it　when　someone　has　their　eye　on　you；　honey。〃　
　Schofield　raised　an　eyebrow。　〃Does　someone　have　their　eye　on　me？〃　
　〃Oh；　yes；　Scarecrow。　Oh；　yes。〃　
　Schofield　shook　his　head；　smiled。　〃Good…bye；　Mother。〃　
　〃Good…bye；　Scarecrow。〃　
　Schofield　left　the　storeroom　and　Mother　sank　back　against　the　wall。　
　When　Schofield　was　gone；　she　closed　her　eyes　and　said　softly　to　herself；　〃Does　someone　have　their　eye　on　you？　Oh；　Scarecrow。　Scarecrow。　If　only　you　could　see　the　way　she　looks　at　you。〃　
　
　
　
　Schofield　stepped　out　onto　the　pool　deck。　
　The　whole　station　was　deserted。　The　cavernous　shaft　was　silent。　Schofield　stared　at　the　pool；　at　the　stationary　cable　that　stretched　down　into　it。　
　〃Scarecrow；　this　is　Fox；〃　Gant's　voice　said　over　his　earpiece。　〃Are　you　still　up　there？〃　
　〃I'm　still　here；　where　are　you？〃　
　〃Dive　time　is　fifty…five　minutes。　We　are　proceeding　up　the　ice　tunnel。〃　
　〃Any　sign　of　trouble？〃　
　〃Nothing　yet…whoa；　wait　a　minute：　who's　this？〃　
　〃What　is　it；　Fox？〃　Schofield　said；　alarmed。　
　〃No。　It's　nothing；〃　Gant's　voice　said。　〃It's　all　right。　Scarecrow；　if　that　little　girl's　up　there　with　you；　you　might　want　to　tell　her　that　her　friend　is　down　here。〃　
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　
　〃That　fur　seal；　Wendy；　She　just　joined　us　in　the　tunnel。　Must　have　followed　us　down　here。〃　
　Schofield　pictured　Gant　and　the　others　swimming　up　the　underwater　ice　tunnel；　covered　in　their　mechanical　breathing　apparatus；　while　beside　them　Wendy　swam　happily；　not　needing　any　such　equipment。　
　〃How　far　have　you　got　to　go？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃Hard　to　say。　We've　been　going　extra　slow；　just　to　be　careful。　I'd　say　it'll　be　another　five　minutes　or　so。〃　
　〃Keep　me　posted；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Oh；　and；　Fox。　Use　caution。〃　
　〃You　got　it。　Scarecrow。　Fox；　out。〃　
　The　radio　clicked　off。　Schofield　stared　at　the　water　in　the　pool。　It　was　still　stained　red。　At　the　moment；　it　was　calm；　glassy。　He　took　a　step　forward；　toward　it。　
　Something　crunched　beneath　his　feet。　
　He　froze；　looked　down　at　his　boots；　bent　down。　
　On　the　metal　deck　beneath　his　feet　lay　some　broken　shards　of　glass。　White　frosted　glass。　
　Schofield　frowned　at　the　glass。　
　And　then；　with　frightening　suddenness；　a　voice　cut　across　his　helmet　inter：　〃Scarecrow；　this　is　Snake。　I'm　on　B…deck。　I　just　checked　Renshaw's　room。　There　was　no　answer　when　I　banged　on　his　door；　so　I　busted　it　open。　Sir；　there　was　no　one　in　there。　Renshaw　is　gone。　I　repeat；　Renshaw　is　gone。〃　
　Schofield　felt　a　chill　run　down　his　spine。　
　Renshaw　wasn't　in　his　room。　
　He　was　somewhere　inside　the　station。　
　Schofield　was　about　to　move；　about　to　go　and　find　the　others；　when　he　heard　a　soft　puncturelike　sound；　followed　by　a　faint　whistling　through　the　air。　There　came　a　sudden　thwacking　noise；　and　Schofield　immediately　felt　a　stinging；　burning　sensation　on　the　back　of　his　neck　and　then；　to　his　horror；　he　suddenly　realized　that　the　thwacking　noise　had　been　the　sound　of　something　impacting　against　his　neck　at　extremely　high　speed。　
　Schofield's　knees　buckled。　He　suddenly　felt　very　weak。　
　He　immediately　put　his　hand　to　his　neck　and　then　held　it　out　in　front　of　his　face。　
　His　hand　was　slicked　with　blood。　
　Blackness　slowly　overcame　him　and　Schofield　dropped　to　his　knees。　The　world　darkened　around　him；　and　as　his　cheek　thudded　down　against　the　ice…cold　steel　of　the　deck　Shane　Schofield　had　a　single　terrifying　thought。　
　He　had　just　been　shot　in　the　throat。　
　And　then　suddenly　the　thought　vanished　and　the　world　went　pletely　and　utterly　black。　
　Shane　Schofield's　heart。。。　
　。。。　had　stopped。　
　
　
　FOURTH　INCURSION　
　16　June　1510　hours　
　
　Libby　Gant　swam　up　the　steep　underwater　ice　tunnel。　
　It　was　quiet　here；　she　thought；　peaceful。　The　whole　world　was　tinted　pale　blue。　
　As　she　swam；　Gant　could　hear　nothing　but　the　soft；　rhythmic　hiss　of　her　low…audibility　breathing　gear。　There　were　no　other　sounds…no　whistling　noises；　no　whale　song；　no　nothing。　
　Gant　stared　out　through　her　full…face　diving　mask。　In　the　glare　of　her　halogen　dive　lantern　the　icy　walls　of　the　tunnel　glowed　a　ghostly　blue…on…white。　The　other　divers…Montana；　Santa　Cruz；　and　the　scientist　woman；　Sarah　Hensleigh…　swam　alongside　her　in　silence。　
　All　of　a　sudden　the　ice　tunnel　began　to　widen　dramatically　and　Gant　saw　several　large　round　holes　set　into　the　walls　on　either　side　of　her。　
　They　were　larger　than　she　had　expected　them　to　be…easily　ten　feet　in　diameter。　And　they　were　round；　perfectly　round。　Gant　counted　eight　such　holes　and　wondered　what　kind　of　animal　could　possibly　have　made　them。　
　And　then；　abruptly；　she　forgot　about　the　holes　set　into　the　ice　walls。　Something　else　had　seized　her　attention。　
　The　surface。　
　
　Gant　keyed　her　inter。　〃Scarecrow。　This　is　Fox；〃　she　said。　〃Scarecrow。　This　is　Fox。　Scarecrow；　are　you　out　there？〃　
　There　was　no　reply。　
　〃Scarecrow；　I　repeat；　this　is　Fox。　e　in。〃　
　Still　no　reply。　
　That　was　strange；　Gant　thought。　Why　would　Scarecrow　not　answer　her？　She　had　spoken　to　him　only　a　few　minutes　ago。　
　Suddenly　a　voice　crackled　over　her　earpiece。　
　It　wasn't　Schofield。　
　〃Fox；　this　is　Rebound！〃　He　seemed　to　be　shouting　above　some　wind。　He　must　have　been　outside　the　station。　〃I　read　you。　What's　up？〃　
　〃We're　approaching　the　surface　now；〃　Gant　said。　〃Where's　Scarecrow？〃　she　added　a　little　too　quickly。　
　〃He's　inside　the　station　somewhere。　Down　with　Mother；　I　think。　Must　have　taken　his　helmet　off　or　something。〃　
　Gant　said；　〃Well；　it　might　be　a　good　idea　to　go　find　him　and　tell　him　what's　going　on　down　here。　We're　about　to　surface　inside　the　cavern。〃　
　〃Got　it；　Fox。〃　
　Gant　clicked　off　her　radio　and　resumed　her　swim　upward。　
　The　water's　surface　looked　strange　from　below。　
　It　was　glassy。　Still。　It　looked　like　a　warped　glass　lens　of　some　sort；　pletely　distorting　the　image　of　whatever　it　was　that　lay　beyond　it。　
　Gant　swam　toward　it。　The　others　rose　slowly　in　the　water　beside　her。　
　They　all　broke　the　surface　together。　
　
　In　an　instant；　the　world　around　Gant　changed　and　she　found　herself　treading　water　in　the　center　of　an　enormous　pool　situated　at　one　end　of　a　massive　underground　cavern。　She　saw　Montana　and　Santa　Cruz　hovering　in　the　water　beside　her；　with　Sarah　Hensleigh　behind　them。　
　The　cavern　was　absolutely　huge。　Its　ceiling　was　easily　a　hundred　feet　high；　and　its　walls　stretched　so　far　into　the　distance　that　the　farthest　reaches　of　the　cavern　were　cloaked　in　darkness；　evading　the　fiarsh　luminescent　glare　of　the　Marines'　high…powered　halogen　lanterns。　
　And　then　Gant　saw　it。　
　〃I'll　be　damned　。。。；〃　she　heard　Santa　Cruz　say。　
　For　a　full　minute；　Gant　could　do　nothing　but　stare。　Slowly；　she　began　to　make　her　wav　toward　the　edge　of　the　pool。　When　she　finally　stepped　up　onto　solid　ground；　she　was　totally　entranced。　She　couldn't　take　her　eyes　off　it。　
　It　looked　like　nothing　she　had　ever　seen　before。　Like　something　out　of　a　movie。　The　mere　sight　of　it　took　her　breath　away。　
　It　was　a　ship　of　some　sort。　
　A　black　ship…pletely　black　from　nose　to　tail…about　the　same　size　as　a　fighter　jet。　Gant　saw　that　its　two　enormous　tail　fins　were　embedded　in　the　ice　wall　behind　it。　It　looked　as　if　they　had　been　consumed　by　the　ice　as　it　had　crept　slowly　forward　through　the　ages。　
　The　huge　black　spacecraft　just　stood　there…in　stark　contrast　to　the　cold　white　cavern　around　it…standing　high　on　three　powerful…looking　hydraulic　landing　struts。　
　It　looked　fantastic；　otherworldly。　
　And　it　looked　mean。　
　Black　and　pointed；　sleek　and　sharp；　to　Gant　it　looked　like　a　huge　praying　mantis。　Its　two　black　wings　swooped　down　on　either　side　of　its　fuselage　so　that　it　looked　like　a　bird　in　flight　with　its　wings　at　the　lowest　extremity。　
　The　most　striking　feature　of　all；　however；　was　the　nose。　
　The　ship　had　a　hooked　nose；　a　nose　that　pointed　sharply　downward；　like　the　nose　on　the　Concorde。　The　cockpit…a　rectangular　reinforced　tinted…glass　canopy…was　situated　right　above　the　hooked　nose。　
　A　huge　praying　mantis；　Gant　thought。　The　sleekest；　fastest…biggest…praying　mantis　that　anyone　has　ever　seen。　
　Gant　realized　that　the　others　were　also　out　of　the　water　now；　standing　beside　her　on　the　frost…covered　floor　of　the　cavem；　also　staring　up　at　the　magnificent　spacecraft。　
　Gant　looked　at　her　panions'　faces。　
　Santa　Cruz's　mouth　hung　open。　
　Montana's　eyes　were　wide。　
　Sarah　Hensleigh's　reaction；　however；　struck　Gant　as　strange。　Hensleigh's　eyes　had　narrowed　and　she　stared　at　the　spacecraft　in　an　unusual　way。　Despite　herself；　Gant　felt　a　sudden　chill。　Sarah　Hensleigh's　eyes　glowed　with　what　looked　dangerously　like　ambition。　
　Gant　shook　the　thought　off。　and　with　the　initial　spell　of　the　spacecraft　broken；　her　eyes　began　to　take　in　the　rest　of　the　gigantic　cavern。　
　It　took　all　of　ten　seconds　for　her　to　see　them。　
　She　froze　instantly。　
　〃Oh；　God　。。。；〃　she　said；　her　voice　low。　〃Oh；　God。。。。〃　
　There　were　nine　of　them。　
　Bodies。　
　Human　bodies；　although　at