tc.redstormrising-第119节

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〃I　did　the　right　thing。〃　He　held　both　of　her　hands　now。　What　do　I　say　now？　Darling；　if　we　ever　get　out　of　this　alive　。　。　。　that　sounds　like　a　bad　movie。　Edwards　hadn't　been　sixteen　in　a　long　time；　but　now　all　the　awkwardness　that　had　poisoned　his　adolescence　came　back　to　him。　Mike　hadn't　exactly　been　the　makeout　king　of　Eastpoint　High　School。　〃Vigdis；　I'm　not　any　good　at　this。　It　was　different　with　Sandy。　She　understood　me。　I　don't　know　how　to　talk　to　girls；　hell；　I'm　not　that　good　talking　to　people。　I　do　weather　maps；　and　play　with　puters；　but　I　usually　have　to　have　a　few　beers　in　me　before　I　get　the　nerve　to　say…〃
〃I　know　you　love　me；　Michael。〃　Her　eyes　sparkled　when　she　revealed　the　secret。
〃Well；　yes。〃
She　handed　him　the　soap。　〃Your　time　to　wash。　I　will　not　look　too　much。〃

F（tm）LZIEHAUSEN；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
Major　Sergetov　handed　over　his　notes。　The　Leine　had　been　forced　at　a　second　place…Gronau；　fifteen　kilometers　north　of　Alfeld…and　now　six　divisions　were　involved　in　the　drive　on　Hameln　and　others　were　attempting　to　widen　the　breach。　Still　they　were　handicapped。　There　were　relatively　few　roads　in　this　part　of　Germany；　and　those　routes　they　controlled　were　still　suffering　from　air　and　artillery　attacks　that　bled　reinforcement　columns　long　before　they　could　be　mitted　to　battle。
What　had　begun　with　three　motor…rifle　divisions　attempting　to　forge　an　opening　for　one　tank　division　had　now　bee　the　focus　of　two　plete　Soviet　armies。　Where　they　had　attacked　into　a　pair　of　depleted　German　brigades；　now　they　faced　a　hodgepodge　of　units　from　nearly　all　NATO　members。　Alekseyev　anguished　over　lost　chances。　What　if　divisional　artillery　hadn't　dropped　multiple　rocket　fire　on　the　bridges？　Could　he　have　reached　the　Weser　in　a　day　as　he　had　thought？　That　is　in　the　past；　Pasha　told　himself。　He　looked　over　the　information　on　fuel　availability。
〃One　month？〃
〃At　current　operational　tempos；　yes；〃　Sergetov　said　grimly。　〃And　to　do　this　we　have　crippled　the　whole　national　economy。　My　father　asks　if　we　can　reduce　expenditures　at　the　front…〃
〃Certainly；〃　the　General　exploded。　〃We　can　lose　the　war！　That　ought　to　save　his　precious　fuel！''
〃rade　General；　you　requested　that　I　provide　you　with　accurate　information。　I　have　done　this。　My　father　was　also　able　to　give　me　this。〃　The　younger　man　took　a　document　from　his　coat　pocket。　Ten　pages　thick；　it　was　a　KGB　intelligence　assessment　marked　POLITBURO　EYES　ONLY。　〃It　makes　very　interesting　reading。　My　father　asks　me　to　point　out　the　risk　he　has　taken　in　giving　you　this　document。〃
The　General　was　a　fast　reader　and　ordinarily　not　a　man　given　to　displays　of　emotion。　The　West　German　government　had　established　direct　contact　with　the　Soviets　through　the　embassies　both　maintained　in　India。　The　preliminary　discussion　had　been　an　inquiry　into　the　possibility　of　a　negotiated　settlement。　The　KGB's　assessment　was　that　the　inquiry　reflected　the　fragmentation　of　NATO　politically；　and　possibly　a　grave　supply　situation　on　the　other　side　of　the　battle　line。　There　followed　two　pages　of　graphs　and　claims　of　damage　to　NATO　shipping；　plus　analysis　of　NATO's　munitions　expenditures　to　date。　The　KGB　calculated　that　NATO　supplies　were　down　to　the　two…week　mark　now；　despite　all　the　shipping　that　had　arrived　to　date。　Neither　side　had　produced　enough　consumable　ordnance　and　fuel　to　sustain　its　forces。
〃My　father　feels　that　this　data　on　the　Germans　is　particularly　significant。〃
〃Potentially　so；〃　Alekseyev　said　cautiously。　〃They　will　not　slacken　their　fighting　while　their　political　leadership　works　to　achieve　an　acceptable　settlement；　but　if　we　can　make　them　an　acceptable　offer　and　remove　the　Germans　from　NATO；　then　our　objective　is　achieved；　and　we　can　seize　the　Persian　Gulf　at　leisure。　What　offer　are　we　making　to　the　Germans？〃
〃That　has　not　yet　been　decided。　They　have　asked　for　our　withdrawal　to　prewar　lines；　with　final　terms　to　be　negotiated　on　a　more　formal　basis　under　international　supervision。　Their　withdrawal　from　NATO　is　to　be　contingent　upon　the　terms　of　the　final　treaty。〃
〃Not　acceptable。　It　gives　us　nothing。　Why　are　they　negotiating　at　all；　I　wonder？〃
〃Evidently　there　has　been　considerable　turmoil　in　their　government　over　the　dislocation　of　civilians；　and　destruction　of　economic　assets。〃
〃Ah。〃　The　economic　damage　to　Germany　was　not　something　in　which　Alekseyev　had　the　slightest　interest；　but　the　German　government　was　watching　the　work　of　two　generations　being　dismantled　by　Soviet　explosives。　〃But　why　hadn't　they　told　us　this？〃
〃The　Politburo　feels　that　news　of　a　possible　negotiated　settlement　would　discourage　further　pressure　on　the　Germans。〃
〃Idiots。　This　sort　of　thing　tells　us　what　to　attack！〃
〃That　is　what　my　father　said。　He　wants　your　opinion　on　all　this。〃
〃Tell　the　Minister　that　I　see　no　indication　at　all　of　weakening　NATO　resolve　on　the　battle　line。　German　morale　in　particular　is　still　high。　They　resist　everywhere。〃
〃Their　government　could　be　doing　this　without　the　knowledge　of　their　own　army。　If　they　are　deceiving　their　NATO　allies；　why　not　their　high　mand　also？〃　Sergetov　suggested。　After　all；　it　worked　that　way　in　his　country　。　。　。
〃A　possibility；　Ivan　Mikhailovich。　There　is　another　one；　as　well。〃　Alekseyev　turned　back　to　the　papers。　〃That　this　is　all　a　sham。〃

NEW　YORK
The　briefing　was　conducted　by　a　captain。　As　he　spoke；　the　escort　manders　and　their　senior　officers　leafed　through　the　briefing　documents　like　high　school　students　at　a　Shakespeare　play。
〃Outlying　sonar　pickets　will　be　positioned　along　the　threat　axis　here。〃　The　captain　moved　his　pointer　across　the　viewgraph。　The　frigates　Reuben　James　and　Battleaxe　were　to　be　almost　thirty　miles　from　the　rest　of　the　formation。　That　put　them　outside　SAM　coverage　from　the　other　ships。　They　had　their　own　surface…to…air　missiles；　but　they　would　be　pletely　on　their　own。　〃We　will　have　SURTASS　support　for　most　of　the　trip。　The　ships　are　repositioning　themselves　now。　We　can　expect　Soviet　submarine　and　air　attacks。
〃To　deal　with　the　air　threat；　the　carriers　Independence　and　America　will　be　supporting　the　convoy。　The　new　Aegis　cruiser　Bunker　Hill；　as　you　may　have　noticed；　will　be　traveling　in　the　convoy。　Also；　the　Air　Force　will　be　taking　out　the　Russian　radar…ocean…reconnaissance　satellite　on　its　next　pass；　about　twelve　hundred　hours　zulu　tomorrow。〃
〃All　right！〃　a　destroyer　captain　observed。
〃Gentlemen；　we　are　delivering　a　total　load　of　over　two　million　tons　of　equipment；　plus　a　plete　armored　division　made　up　of　reserve　and　National　Guard　formations。　Not　counting　the　materiel　reinforcements；　this　is　enough　supplies　to　keep　NATO　in　action　for　three　weeks。　This　one　goes　through。
〃Any　questions？　No？　Then；　good　luck。〃
The　theater　emptied；　the　officers　filing　past　the　armed　guards　onto　the　sunny　street。
〃Jerry？〃　Morris　said　quietly。
〃Yes；　Captain？〃　The　pilot　donned　his　aviator's　sunglasses。
〃About　last　night…〃
〃Captain；　last　night　we　both　had　too　much　to　drink；　and　to　tell　you　the　truth；　I　don't　remember　all　that　much。　Maybe　six　months　from　now　we　can　decide　what　happened。　You　sleep　well？〃
〃Almost　twelve　hours。　My　alarm　clock　didn't　go　off。〃
〃Maybe　you　should　get　a　new　one。〃　They　walked　past　the　bar　both　had　visited　the　night　before。　The　captain　and　the　pilot　gave　it　a　look；　then　laughed。
〃Once　more　into　the　breach；　dear　friends！〃　Doug　Perrin　joined　them。
〃Just　don't　give　us　any　of　this　laying　your　ship　alongside　the　enemy　crap；〃　O'Malley　suggested。　〃That　'away　boarders'　shit　is　dangerous。〃
〃Your　job　is　to　keep　the　bastards　away　from　us；　Jerr…O。　Up　to　it？〃
〃He'd　better　be；〃　Morris　observed　lightly。　〃I'd　hate　to　think　he's　all　talk！〃
〃We　got　a　real　nice　bunch　here；〃　the　pilot　observed　angrily。　〃Jeez；　I　fly　up　all　on　my　own；　find　a　damned　submarine；　give　it　to　Doug　here；　and　do　I　get　any　respect？〃
〃That's　the　problem　with　aviators。　You　don't　tell　them　how　great　they　are　every　five　minutes；　they　go　and　get　depressed　on　you；〃　Morris　said　with　a　smile。　He　was　a　different　person　from　the　one　who　had　mumbled　through　dinner　last　night。　〃Anything　you　need　that　we　might　have；　Doug？〃
〃Perhaps　we　might　exchange　some　foodstuffs？〃
〃No　problem。　Send　your　supply　officer　over。　I'm　sure　we　can　negotiate　something。〃　Morris　checked　his　watch。　〃We　don't　sail　for　another　three　hours。　Let's　have　a　sandwich　and　talk　over　a　few　things。　I　got　an　idea　for　spoofing　those　Backfires　that　I　want　to　try　out　on　you　。　。　。〃
Three　hours　later；　a　pair　of　Moran　harbor　tugs　eased　the　frigates　away　from　the　pier。　Reuben　James　moved　slowly；　her　turbine　engines　pushing　her　through　the　polluted　water　at　a　gentle　six　knots。　O'Malley　watched　from　the　right　seat　of　his　helicopter；　on　alert　for　a　possible　Russian　sub　near　the　entrance　to　the　harbor；　though　four　Orion　patrol　aircraft　were　vigorously　sanitizing　the　area。　Probably　the　Victor　they　had　killed　two　days　before　had　been　detailed　to　trail　and　report　on　the　convoy；　first　to　direct　a　Backfire　raid；　then　to　close　and　launch　her　own　attack。　The　trailer　was　dead；　but　that　did　not　mean　that　the　sailing　was　a　secret。　New　York　was　a　city　of　eight　million；　and　surely　one　of　them　was　standing　at　his　window　with　a　pair　of　binoculars；　cataloging　the　ship　types　and　numbers。　He　or　she　would　make　an　innocent　telephone　call；　and　the　data　would　b