tc.redstormrising-第123节

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The　TAO　looked　up。　〃For　your　information；　Captain；　Ivan　fired　a　quarter　of　his　missiles　at　us。　So　far　as　I　can　tell；　the　Tomcats　got　about　six；　and　Bunker　Hill　got　most　of　the　rest　。　。　but　we　show　one　frigate　hit；　and　three　merchies。　The　fighters　are　returning。〃　He　kept　his　voice　neutral。　〃They　report　zero　kills　on　the　Backfire　force。〃
〃Damn！〃　Morris　said。　The　trap　had　failed…and　he　didn't　know　why。
He　had　no　idea　that　Stornoway　considered　it　a　success。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
The　key　to　the　operation；　as　with　all　military　operations；　was　munications；　and　not　enough　time　had　been　spent　setting　the　lines　up　on　this　one　to　suit　Toland。　The　America's　radar　aircraft　tracked　the　Backfires　all　the　way　off　the　scope。　The　data　from　the　aircraft　was　linked　to　the　carrier；　thence　by　satellite　to　Norfolk；　and　by　satellite　again　to　Northwood。　His　data　came　by　land　line　from　Royal　Navy　headquarters。　The　most　important　NATO　mission　of　the　war　depended　on　transistors　and　telephone　wire　more　than　the　weapons　that　were　to　be　employed。
〃Okay；　their　last　course　was　zero…two…nine；　speed　six　hundred　ten　knots。〃
〃That　puts　them　over　Iceland's　north　coast　in　two　hours；　seventeen　minutes。　How　much　time　did　they　have　on　burner？〃　mander　Winters　asked。
〃About　five；　according　to　America。　〃　Toland　frowned。　This　was　pretty　thin　intelligence　information。
〃Any　way　you　cut　it；　their　fuel　reserves　are　thinned　down　some　。　。　。　Okay。　Three　aircraft；　eighty　miles　apart。〃　He　looked　over　at　the　newest　satellite　weather　photo。　〃Good　visibility。　We'll　spot　'em。　Whoever　does；　follows…the　other　planes　e　right　back　home。〃
〃Good　luck；　mander。〃

NORTH　ATLANTIC
The　three　Tomcats　climbed　slowly　to　altitude　on　a　course　northwest　from　Stornoway；　and　at　thirty…five　thousand　feet　linked　up　with　their　tankers。　Several　hundred　miles　away　the　Backfire　crews　did　much　the　same　thing。　The　presence　of　American　fighters　over　the　convoy　in　large　numbers　had　e　as　a　rude　shock；　but　time　and　distance　had　been　in　their　favor；　and　they'd　managed　to　escape　without　loss　this　time。　The　crew　of　each　aircraft　talked　among　themselves；　their　emotions　released　by　the　climax　of　yet　another　dangerous　mission。　They　discussed　the　claims　they'd　make　on　returning　to　Kirovsk；　based　on　a　straightforward　mathematical　formula。　One　missile　in　three　was　judged　to　have　hit　a　target；　even　accounting　for　enemy　SAM　fire。　Today　SAM　opposition　had　been　light…though　none　had　lingered　to　evaluate　it　properly。　By　consensus　they　would　claim　sixteen　ship　kills；　and　claim　both　the　outside　sonar　pickets　that　their　rades　in　submarines　were　having　such　a　bad　time　with。　The　flight　crews　relaxed　and　sipped　tea　from　thermos　jugs　as　they　contemplated　their　next　visit　to　the　eighty…ship　convoy。　The　Tomcats　separated　as　they　spotted　the　mountains　of　Iceland。　No　radio　signals　were　passed；　the　flyers　exchanged　hand　signals　before　breaking　off　on　their　patrol　stations。　They　knew　the　radars　couldn't　reach　them　there。　mander　Winters　checked　his　watch。　The　Backfires　should　be　here　in　about　thirty　minutes。
〃Such　a　beautiful　island；〃　the　Backfire　pilot　observed　to　his　copilot。
〃Pretty　to　took　at；　living　there　I　am　not　so　certain　about。　I　wonder　if　the　women　are　as　pretty　as　I　have　heard？　One　day　we　must　have　'mechanical　difficulties。'　Then　we　could　land　there　and　find　out。〃
〃We　must　get　you　married；　Volodya。〃
The　copilot　laughed。　〃So　many　tears　would　be　shed！　How　can　I　deny　myself　to　the　women　of　the　world？〃
The　pilot　punched　up　his　radio。　〃Keflavik；　this　is　Sea　Eagle　Two…Six；　status　check。〃
〃Sea　Eagle；　we　show　no　contacts　except　for　your　group。　Count　is　correct。　IFF　transponders　show　normal。〃
〃Acknowledged。　Out。〃　The　pilot　switched　off。　〃So；　Volodya；　our　friends　are　still　there。　Lonely　place。〃
〃If　there　are　women　about；　and　you　are　kulturny；　you　need　never　be　lonely。〃　Another　voice　came　over　the　inter。
〃Will　somebody　shut　that　horny　bastard　up！''　the　navigator　suggested。
〃Studying　to　be　a　political　officer？〃　the　copilot　inquired。　〃How　long　to　home？〃
〃Two　hours　twenty…five　minutes。〃
The　Backfire　continued　northeast　at　six　hundred　knots　as　it　passed　over　the　desolate　center　of　the　island。
〃Tallyho！〃　the　pilot　said　quietly。　〃One　o'clock　and　low。〃　The　Tomcat's　onboard　television　system　showed　the　distinctive　shape　of　the　Russian　bomber。　Say　what　you　want　about　the　Russians；　Winters　thought；　they　do　build　'em　pretty。
He　turned　the　aircraft；　which　took　his　nose…mounted　camera　off　the　target；　but　his　back…seat　officer　put　his　binoculars　on　the　Backfire　and　soon　spotted　two　more　flying　in　a　loose　formation。　As　expected；　their　course　was　northeast；　and　they　were　cruising　at　about　thirty　thousand　feet。　Winters　looked　for　a　big　cloud　to　hide　in　and　found　one。　Visibility　dropped　to　a　few　yards。　There　could　be　another　Backfire　out　there；　Winters　thought；　and　maybe　he　likes　flying　in　clouds；　too。　That　could　really　ruin　this　mission。
He　ran　out　of　cloud　a　moment　later；　banked　his　fighter　hard；　and　ducked　back　inside；　his　mind　puting　time　and　distance。　The　Backfires　should　all　be　past　now。　He　pulled　back　on　his　stick　and　popped　out　of　the　cloud　top。
〃There　they　be；〃　the　back…seater　said　first。　〃Heads　up！　I　see　more　of　；em　at　three　o'clock。〃
The　pilot　vanished　back　into　the　cloud　for　another　ten　minutes。　Finally：　〃Nothing　to　the　south　of　us。　They　should　all　be　past　by　now；　don't　you　think？〃
〃Yeah；　let's　go　looking。〃
One　terrifying　minute　later；　Winters　was　wondering　if　he　hadn't　let　them　get　too　far　ahead；　as　his　TV　system　swept　across　the　sky　and　found　nothing。　Patience；　he　told　himself；　and　increased　his　speed　to　six　hundred　ninety　knots。　Five　minutes　later；　a　dot　appeared　on　his　screen。　It　grew　to　three　dots。　He　estimated　he　was　forty　miles　behind　the　Backfires；　and　with　the　sun　at　his　back；　there　was　no　way　they　could　spot　him。　His　backseater　made　a　check　of　the　radar　warning　receiver　and　the　air　behind　them　for　additional　aircraft；　a　procedure　repeated　three　times　a　minute。　If　an　American　fighter　could　be　out　here；　why　not　a　Russian？
The　pilot　watched　the　numbers　click　off　on　his　inertial　navigation　system；　kept　an　eye　on　fuel；　and　watched　forward　for　any　change　in　the　Russian　bomber　formation。　It　was　both　exciting　and　boring。　He　knew　the　significance　of　what　he　was　doing；　but　the　actual　doing　was　no　more　thrilling　than　driving　a　747　from　New　York　to　L。A。　For　over　an　hour　they　flew；　covering　the　seven　hundred　miles　between　Iceland　and　the　Norwegian　coast。
〃Here's　where　it　gets　cute；〃　the　back…seater　said。　〃Air…search　radar　ahead；　looks　like　Andoya。　Still　over　a　hundred　miles　away；　they'll　probably　have　us　in　two　or　three　minutes。〃
〃That's　nice。〃　Where　there　was　air…search　radar；　there　would　be　fighters。　〃Got　their　position　worked　out？〃
〃Yep。〃
〃Start　transmitting。〃　Winters　turned　the　aircraft　and　headed　back　out　to　sea。
Two　hundred　miles　away；　a　circling　British　Nimrod　receipted　the　signal　and　retransmitted　to　a　munications　satellite。

NORTHWOOD；　ENGLAND
Admiral　Beattie　was　trying　to　remain　calm；　but　it　didn't　e　easily　to　a　man　whose　nerves　had　been　stretched　and　abused　by　crisis　after　crisis　since　the　war　began。　Doolittle　was　his　baby。　For　the　past　two　hours；　he'd　waited　for　word　from　the　Tomcat。　Two　had　returned　without　sighting　the　Russians。　One　had　not。　Was　it　tracking　them　as　planned　or　had　it　merely　fallen　into　the　sea？
The　printer　in　the　corner　of　the　munications　room　began　to　make　the　screening　sound　that　the　Admiral　had　learned　to　hate：　EYEBALLS　REPORTS　HARES　AT　69/20N；　15/45E　AT　1543z　COURSE　021　SPEED　580　KTS　ALT　30。
Beattie　tore　the　page　off　and　handed　it　to　his　air…operations　officer。　〃That　puts　them　on　the　ground　in　thirty…seven　minutes。　Assuming　it's　the　last　group；　and　a　fifteen…minute　spread；　the　first　bombers　will　be　landing　in　twenty…two　minutes。〃
〃Fifteen　minutes　from　now；　then？〃
〃Yes；　Admiral。〃
〃Get　the　order　out！〃
In　thirty　seconds　half　a　dozen　separate　satellite　channels　began　transmitting　the　same　message。

USS　CHICAGO
The　three　American　submarines　had　lain　on　the　bottom　of　the　Barents　Sea　near　the　Russian　coastline…so　near；　it　was　only　one　hundred　seventy…four　feet　of　water…for　what　seemed　like　half　a　lifetime；　before　finally　receiving　the　signal　to　move　south。　McCafferty　smiled　with　relief。　The　three　British　submarines；　including　HMS　Torbay；　had　already　done　their　job。　They　had　sneaked　up　on　a　Russian　frigate　and　four　patrol　boats　patrolling　the　Russian/Norwegian　coastline　and　attacked　with　torpedoes。　The　Russians　could　only　assume　a　major　effort　was　under　way　to　penetrate　their　patrol　barrier；　and　had　sent　their　antisub　patrol　force　west　to　meet　it。
Leaving　the　way　clear　for　USS　Chicago　and　her　mates。　He　hoped。
As　they　closed　in；　his　electronics　technicians　plotted　and　replotted　their　bearings。　They　had　to　be　in　exactly　the　right　place　when　they　fired　their　missiles。
〃How　long　before　we　shoot？〃　the　XO　asked。
〃They'll　let　us　know；〃　McCafferty　said。
And　then；　with　the　chatter　of　the　message　from　Northwood；　they　did　know。
They　would　launch　at　1602　Zulu　Time。
〃Up　scope。〃　McCafferty　spun　the　instrument　around。　A　rainstorm　overhead　drove　four…foot　waves。
〃Looks　clear　to　me；〃　the　XO　said；　watching　the　TV　display。
The　captain　slapped　the　handles　up　on　the　scope。　It　headed　down　into　its　well。