tc.redstormrising-第108节

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〃Bout　time；〃　Smith　said。　He　was　down　to　his　last　five　cigarettes　and　stared　at　one　now；　deciding　whether　or　not　to　reduce　his　supply　to　four。　As　Edwards　watched；　he　opened　his　lighter　to　poison　himself　again。
〃We　go　to　Hvammsfjordur？〃　Vigdis　asked。　〃Why？〃
〃Somebody　wants　to　know　what's　there；〃　Edwards　said。　He　unfolded　the　tactical　map。　It　showed　the　entrance　to　the　bay　to　be　crammed　with　rocks。　It　took　him　a　moment　to　realize　that　while　the　land　elevations　were　in　meters；　the　depth　curves　on　the　map　were　in　fathoms　。　。　。

KEFLAVIK
〃How　many？〃
The　fighter　regiment　mander　was　lowered　gently　from　the　helicopter；　his　arm　tied　across　his　chest。　Ejecting　from　his　disintegrating　aircraft；　the　colonel　had　dislocated　his　shoulder；　and　then　his　parachute　had　landed　him　on　a　mountainside；　giving　him　a　sprained　ankle　plus　several　facial　cuts。　It　had　taken　eleven　hours　to　find　him。　On　the　whole；　the　colonel　considered　himself　lucky　for　a　fool　who　had　allowed　his　mand　to　be　ambushed　by　a　superior　force。
〃Five　aircraft　are　mission　capable；〃　he　was　told。　〃Of　the　damaged　ones；　we　can　repair　two。〃
The　colonel　swore；　angered　in　spite　of　the　morphine　that　coursed　through　his　veins。　〃My　men？〃
〃We've　found　six；　including　you。　Two　are　uninjured　and　can　still　fly。　The　rest　are　in　the　hospital。〃
Another　helicopter　landed　close　by。　The　paratroop　general　got　out　and　came　over。
〃Good　to　see　you　alive。〃
〃Thank　you；　rade　General。　You　are　continuing　the　search？〃
〃Yes。　I　have　detailed　two　helicopters　to　the　task。　What　happened？〃
〃The　Americans　staged　a　raid　with　heavy　bombers。　We　never　saw　them；　but　we　could　tell　from　the　jamming。　They　had　fighters　mixed　in　with　them。　The　bombers　fled　when　we　approached。〃　The　Air　Force　colonel　tried　to　put　the　best　face　on　it；　and　the　General　did　not　press　him。　This　was　an　exposed　post；　and　such　things　were　expected。　The　MiGs　could　hardly　have　ignored　the　American　raid。　There　was　no　point　in　punishing　this　man。
The　General　had　already　radioed　for　more　fighters；　though　he　didn't　expect　any。　The　plan　said　they　would　not　be　necessary；　but　the　plan　had　also　said　his　division　had　to　hold　the　island　unsupported　for　only　two　weeks。　By　that　time　Germany　was　supposed　to　be　fully　defeated；　and　the　land　war　in　Europe　mainly　over。　He　received　reports　from　the　front　that　were　mere　embellishments　of　the　news　on　Radio　Moscow。　The　Red　Army　was　driving　on　the　Rhein…and　they'd　been　driving　on　the　Rhein　since　the　first　day　of　the　damned　war！　The　names　of　the　cities　under　daily　attack　were　strangely　left　out。　His　intelligence　chief　was　risking　his　life　by　listening　in　on　Western　radio　broadcasts…the　KGB　regarded　it　as　a　disloyal　act…in　order　to　get　an　idea　of　how　the　fighting　was　going。　If　Western　reports　were　true…he　didn't　really　believe　them　either…the　campaign　in　Germany　was　a　bloody　mess。　Until　that　was　over；　he　was　vulnerable。
Would　NATO　try　to　invade？　His　operations　officer　said　it　was　impossible　unless　the　Americans　were　able　to　destroy　the　long…range　bombers　flying　out　of　Kirovsk　first；　and　the　whole　point　of　seizing　Iceland　had　been　to　prevent　the　American　carriers　from　moving　to　a　position　from　which　they　could　do　just　that。　On　paper；　then；　the　General　expected　only　increased　air　attacks；　and　he　had　surface…to…air　missiles　to　defend　against　those。　But　he　hadn't　bee　a　divisional　mander　by　merely　shuffling　papers。

NORTH　ATLANTIC
〃What　the　hell　happened？〃　The　captain　looked　up　to　see　a　tube　stuck　in　his　arm。　The　last　thing　he　remembered　was　being　on　the　bridge　halfway　through　the　afternoon　watch。　Now　the　porthole　on　the　starboard　side　of　his　stateroom　was　covered。　Darkened　ship：　it　was　night　outside。
〃You　passed　out；　Captain；〃　the　chief　hospital　corpsman　said。　〃Don't…〃
The　captain　tried　to　rise。　His　head　made　it　about　eighteen　inches　off　the　pillow　when　his　strength　gave　way。
〃You　have　to　rest。　You　got　internal　bleeding；　skipper。　You　threw　up　blood　last　night。　I　think　it's　a　perforated　ulcer。　You　scared　the　hell　outa　me　last　night。　Why　didn't　you　e　see　me？〃　The　chief　held　up　a　bottle　of　Maalox　tablets。　People　gotta　be　so　damned　smart　about　everything。　〃Your　blood　pressure's　down　twenty　points　and　you　durned　near　went　into　shock　on　me。　This　ain't　no　bellyache　you　got；　Captain。　You　might　have　to　have　surgery。　There's　a　helo　on　the　way　out　now　to　medevac　you　to　the　beach。〃
〃I　can't　leave　the　ship；
〃Doc's　orders；　Captain。　If　you　die　on　me　I　lose　my　perfect　record。　I'm　sorry；　sir；　but　unless　you　get　real　medical　attention　real　quick；　you　could　be　in　real　trouble。　You're　heading　for　the　beach。〃

32　…　New　Names；　New　Faces

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
〃Good　morning；　Ed。〃　mander；　Naval　Surface　Forces；　U。S。　Atlantic　Fleet　was　seated　behind　a　desk　covered　with　dispatches　that　seemed　to　be　organized　into　piles。　Morning…half　an　hour　after　midnight。　Morris　hadn't　left　Norfolk　since　arriving　at　dawn　on　the　previous　day。　If　he　went　home；　he'd　have　to　sleep　again　。。。
〃Morning；　sir。　What　can　I　do　for　you？〃　Morris　didn't　want　to　sit　down。
〃You　want　to　go　back　out？〃　NAVSURFLANT　asked　bluntly。
〃Who　with？〃
〃Reuben　James's　skipper　came　down　with　a　bleeding　ulcer。　They　flew　him　in　this　morning。　She　arrives　in　another　hour　with　the　'phibs　from　PACFLT。　I'm　assigning　her　to　convoy　duty。　We　have　a　big　one　assembling　in　New　York　harbor。　Eighty　ships；　all　big；　all　fast；　loaded　with　heavy　equipment　for　Germany。　It　sails　in　four　days　with　a　heavy　U。S。/　U。K。　escort；　plus　carrier　support。　Reuben　James　will　be　in　port　long　enough　to　refuel　and　reprovision。　She　sails　for　New　York　this　evening　in　pany　with　HMS　Battleaxe。　If　you're　up　to　it；　I　want　you　to　take　her。〃
The　Vice　Admiral　eyed　Morris　closely。　〃She's　yours　if　you　want　her。　You　up　to　it？〃
〃My　personal　gear's　still　aboard　Pharris。〃　Morris　temporized。　Did　he　really　want　to　go　back　out？
〃Packed　up　and　on　the　way　down；　Ed。〃
There　were　plenty　of　men　who　could　do　it；　Morris　thought。　The　operations　staff　he'd　been　working　with　since　he　arrived　in　Norfolk　was　full　of　people　who'd　leap　at　this。　Go　back　to　sea　and　put　it　on　the　line　again…or　drive　back　every　night　to　an　empty　home　and　nightmares？
〃If　you　want　me；　I'll　take　her。〃

FOLZIEHAUSEN；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
The　northern　horizon　flashed　with　artillery　fire　that　backlit　the　trees。　The　sky　was　never　free　of　the　thunder。　The　drive　to　the　divisional　mand　post　was　a　mere　fifteen　kilometers　from　Alfeld。　Three　vicious　air　attacks　and　twenty　separate　artillery　barrages　had　converted　the　morning　drive　into　a　nightmare　lasting　into　dusk　and　beyond。
The　forward　headquarters　of　20th　Tanks　was　now　the　mand　post　for　the　entire　drive　toward　Hameln。　Lieutenant　General　Beregovoy；　who　had　relieved　Alekseyev；　now　wore　the　hats　of　mander　20th　Tanks　and　operational　maneuver　group　mander　The　OMG　concept　had　been　one　of　the　most　precious　Soviet　pre…war　ideas。　The　〃daring　thrust〃　would　open　a　corridor　into　the　enemy's　rear；　and　the　operational…maneuver　group　would　exploit　it；　racing　into　the　corridor　to　seize　important　economic　or　political　targets。　Alekseyev　stood　with　his　back　against　an　armored　vehicle；　looking　north　at　the　flashing　outline　of　a　forest。　Another　thing　that　hasn't　gone　according　to　plan；　he　thought。　As　if　we　expected　NATO　to　cooperate　with　our　plans！
There　was　a　yellow　flash　overhead。　Alekseyev　blinked　his　eyes　clear　and　watched　the　fireball　turn　to　a　et　that　fell　to　the　earth；　landing　several　kilometers　away。　Ours　or　theirs？　he　wondered。　Another　promising　young　life　snuffed　out　by　a　missile。　Now　we　kill　our　young　men　with　robots。　Who　said　mankind　was　not　using　his　technology　to　worthwhile　ends？
He　had　prepared　his　whole　life　for　this。　Four　years　in　officer　school。　The　difficult　initiation　as　a　junior　officer；　promotion　to　mand　a　pany。　Three　more　years　at　Frunze　Military　Academy　in　Moscow　after　he'd　been　recognized　as　a　rising　star。　Then　mand　of　a　battalion。　Back　to　Moscow　to　the　Voroshilov　Academy　of　the　General　Staff。　Top　man　in　his　class。　mand　of　a　regiment；　then　a　division。　All　for　this？
A　field　hospital　was　in　the　trees　five　hundred　meters　away；　and　the　wind　carried　the　shrieks　of　the　wounded　to　the　mand　post。　Not　like　that　in　the　movies　he'd　watched　as　a　child…and　still　watched。　The　wounded　were　supposed　to　suffer　in　quiet；　determined　dignity；　puffing　on　cigarettes　proffered　by　the　kindly；　hardworking　medics；　waiting　their　turn　for　the　courageous；　hardworking　surgeons　and　the　pretty；　dedicated　nurses。　A　fucking　lie；　all　of　it　a　monstrous　fucking　lie；　he　told　himself　The　profession　for　which　he　had　prepared　his　life　was　organized　murder。　He　sent　boys　with　pimples　on　their　faces　into　a　landscape　rained　on　with　steel　and　watered　with　blood。　The　burns　were　the　worst。　The　tank　crews　who　escaped　from　their　brewed…up　vehicles　with　their　clothes　alight…they　never　stopped　screaming。　Those　killed　by　shock　or　the　pistol　of　a　merciful　officer　were　only　replaced　by　more。　The　lucky　ones　who　reached　the　casualty…clearing　stations　found　medics　too　busy　to　offer　cigarettes；　and　doctors　who　were　dropping　from　fatigue。
His　brilliant　tactical　success　at　Alfeld　had　led　nowhere　yet；　and　he　wondered　in　his　soul　if　it　ever　would；　if　he　had　cast　young　lives　away　for　nothing　more　than　words　in　books　written　by　men　who　did　their　best　to　forget　the　horrors　they　ha