mreilly.icestation-第68节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
Schofield tried to raise his hands in his defense but they were still cuffed together； pinned underneath Snake's body。 He couldn't get them up…
The blow hit home。
The world became a blur。 Schofield struggled desperately to see through the haze。
He saw Snake draw his hand back again； preparing for what would no doubt be the final blow。
And then Schofield saw something off to the right。
The switch on the wall that had started the drilling machine。 He saw three big round buttons on the switch panel。
Black； red and green。
And then； with startling clarity； the words on the black button suddenly came into focus。
LOWER DRILL。
Schofield looked up at Snake； saw the rapidly spinning plunger right above his head。
There was no way Schofield could shoot Snake with the crossbow； but if he could just angle his hands slightly； he might be able to。。。
〃Snake； you know what？〃
〃What？〃
〃I never liked you。〃
And with that Schofield raised his cuffed hands slightly； aimed his crossbow at the big black button on the wall； and fired。
The arrow covered the distance in a millisecond and。。。 。。。 hit the big black button right in its center…pinning it to the wall behind it…just as Schofield thrust his head clear of the drilling machine and the plunger； spinning at phenomenal speed； came rushing down into the back of Snake's head。
Schofield heard the sickening crunch of breaking bone as Snake's whole body was yanked violently downward…headfirst…by the weight of the plunger and then suddenly； grotesquely； the plunger； its shrill buzzing filling the room； carved right through Snake's head and a flood of thick red…and…gray ooze poured out from his skull and then with a final sprack！ the plunger popped out through the other side of Snake's head and continued on its way down into the ice hole beneath it。
Still somewhat dazed from the fight； Schofield rose to his knees。 He turned away from the hideous sight of Snake's body pinned underneath the blood…spattered drilling machine and quickly put the crossbow in his thigh pocket。 Then he spun and began looking about himself for any kind of weapon he could use…
His eyes fell instantly on the body of Jean Petard； lying on the floor nearby。
Still breathing hard； Schofield crawled over to it； knelt beside it。 He began rifling through the dead Frenchman's pockets。
After a few seconds； he pulled a grenade out from one of Petard's pockets。 It had writing on it： M8A3…STN。
Schofield knew what it was instantly。
A stun grenade。 A flasher。
Like the one the French mandos had used earlier that morning。 Schofield put the stun grenade into his breast pocket
The door to the drilling room burst open。 Schofield instantly fell back to the floor； tried to look tired； wounded。
Two SAS mandos stormed into the drilling room with their guns up。 Trevor Barnaby strode in behind them。
Barnaby winced when he saw Snake's body lying flat on the floor； face…down； with its head positioned underneath the large black drilling apparatus…plete with a gaping red hole right through the middle of it
〃Oh； Scarecrow；〃 Barnaby said。 〃Did you have to do that to him？〃
Schofield was still breathing hard； and he had tiny flecks of blood splattered all over his face。 He didn't say anything。
Barnaby shook his head。 He almost seemed disappointed that Schofield hadn't been killed by Snake。
〃Get him out of here；〃 Barnaby said quietly to the two SAS men behind him。 〃Mr。 Nero。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃String him up。〃
Down in the cave； another battle was under way。
No sooner had the first SAS diver stepped out of the water than a second SAS man was up and standing in the shallows behind him。
The first SAS mando stormed out of the water； firing hard。 The second man followed him up； sloshing through the knee…deep water with his gun up when suddenly…whump！… he was violently yanked beneath the surface of the water。
The first mando…up on dry land and oblivious to the fate that had befallen his partner…snapped to his right and drew a bead on Montana； just as Gant bobbed up from behind her boulder and took him out from the left。
Gant turned； saw more SAS mandos surfacing in the pool with their sea sleds。
Then suddenly something else caught her eye。
Movement。
A large black object just slid out from one of the wide ten…foot holes in the ice wall above the pool and dropped smoothly into the water。
Gant's jaw dropped。
It was an animal of some sort。
But it was so huge。 It looked like 。。。 like a seal。 A great； big； enormous seal。
At that moment； another massive seal emerged from a second hole in the ice wall。 And then another。 And another。 They just slid out from their holes and splashed down into the pool； raining down on the team of SAS divers from every side。
Gant just watched them with her mouth wide open。
The pool was a broiling froth now； choppy and frothy。 Suddenly another SAS diver went under； replaced by a slick of his own blood。 And then abruptly the man next to him fell forward in the water as one of the enormous seals plowed into him from behind and drove him under。 Gant saw the animal's glistening wet back rise above the water for an instant before it submerged on top of the British soldier。
A couple of SAS divers made it to land。 But the seals just followed them right out of the water。 One diver was on his hands and knees； clawing his way across the ice； trying desperately to get away from the water's edge； when a giant seven…ton seal launched itself out of the pool right behind him。
The massive creature landed on the ice a bare two feet behind him； and the earth shook beneath its weight。 The big seal then lumbered forward and clamped its jaws shut around the SAS man's legs。 Bones crunched。 The man screamed。
And then； before he even knew what was happening； the big seal began to eat him。
Roughly； with great slashing bites。 The high…pitched tearing sound of flesh being ripped from bone filled the cavern。
Gant stared at the scene in silent awe。
The SAS men were screaming。 The seals were barking。 Several of mem began eating their victims while they were still alive。
Gant just stared at the seals。 They were huge。 At least as big as killer whales。 And they had bulbous round snouts that she had seen in a book once。
Elephant seals。
Gant noticed that there were two smaller seals in the group。 These two smaller animals had peculiar teeth…strange elongated lower canines that rose up from their lower jaws and over their upper lips； like a pair of inverted tusks。 The larger seals； she saw； did not have these tusks。
Gant tried to recall everything she knew about elephant seals。 Like killer whales； elephant seals lived in large groups made up of one dominant male； known as the bull or beach…master； and a harem of eight or nine females； or cows； which were all smaller than the bull。
Gant felt a chill as she saw the sex of one of the big seals in front of her。
These were the females of the group。
The two smaller seals that she saw were their pups。 Male pups； Gant noticed。
Gant wondered where the bull was。 He would almost certainly be larger than these females。 But if the females were this big； how big would he be？
More questions flitted through her mind。
Why did they attack？ Elephant seals； Gant knew； could be exceptionally aggressive； especially when their territory was under threat。
And why now？ Why had Gant and her team been allowed to pass safely through the ice tunnel only several hours before； while the SAS had been subjected to so violent an attack now？
There came a sudden final scream from the pool followed by a splash and Gant looked out from behind her boulder。
There was a long； cold silence。 The only sound was that of waves lapping against the edge of the pool。
All of the SAS divers were dead。 Most of the seals were up inside the cavern now； bent over the spoils of their victory…the bodies of the dead SAS mandos。 It was then that Gant heard a nauseating crunch and she turned round to see that the elephant seals had begun to feed en masse。
This battle was well and truly over。
Schofield stood on the pool deck of Wilkes Ice Station with his hands cuffed in front of him。 One of the SAS mandos was busy tying the grappling hook of Book's Maghook around his ankles。 Schofield looked off to his left and saw the high black fin of a killer whale slice through the murky red water of the pool。
〃Dive Team； report；〃 an SAS radio operator said into his portable unit nearby。 〃I repeat。 Dive Team； e in。〃
〃Any word？〃 Barnaby said。
〃There's no response； sir。 The last thing they said was that they were about to surface inside the cavern。〃
Barnaby gave Schofield a look。 〃Keep trying；〃 he said to the radio operator。 Then he turned to Schofield。 〃Your men down in that cave must have put up quite a fight。〃
〃They do that；〃 Schofield said。
〃So；〃 Barnaby said。 〃Any last requests from the condemned man？ A blindfold？ Cigarette？ Shot of brandy？〃
At first； Schofield said nothing； he just looked down at his handcuffed wrists in front of him。
And then he saw it。
Suddenly he looked up。
〃A cigarett
