tc.redstormrising-第125节

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The　last　Backfire　bomber　circled　Umbozero…South；　waiting　to　land。　The　pilot　checked　his　fuel。　About　thirty　minutes　left；　there　was　not　that　much　of　a　hurry。　For　security　reasons　the　three　regiments　were　divided　among　four　airfields　clustered　south　of　the　mining　city　of　Kirovsk。　The　tall　hills　around　the　town　held　powerful　radars　and　mobile　SAM　batteries　to　stave　off　a　NATO　air　attack。　Most　of　the　smelters　were　still　operating；　the　pilot　saw；　the　smoke　rising　from　the　many　tall　chimneys。
〃Sea　Eagle　Two…Six；　you　are　cleared　to　land；〃　the　tower　said　finally。
〃Who　will　it　be　tonight；　Volodya？〃
〃Twenty　degrees　of　flaps。　Air　speed　two　hundred。　Landing　gear　is　down　and　locked。　Irina　Petrovna；　I　think。　The　tall；　skinny　one　at　the　telephone　exchange。〃
〃What's　that？〃　the　pilot　asked。　A　small　white　object　suddenly　appeared　over　the　runway　in　front　of　him。
The　first　of　twelve　Tomahawk　missiles　assigned　to　Umbozero…South　cut　across　the　runway　at　a　shallow　angle；　then　the　blunt　nose　cover　sprang　off　the　airframe；　and　several　hundred　small　bomblets　began　to　sprinkle　over　the　area。　Seventeen　Backfires　were　already　on　the　ground。　Ten　were　being　refueled　from　trucks　in　the　open；　the　others　were　armed　and　ready　for　another　mission；　dispersed　in　concrete　revetments。　Each　bomblet　was　the　equivalent　of　a　mortar　shell。　The　Tomahawk　dropped　its　plete　load；　then　climbed　straight　up；　stalled；　and　crashed　back　to　earth；　adding　its　own　fuel　load　to　the　destruction。　A　ready…force　Backfire　went　first。　Two　bomblets　fell　on　its　wing　and　the　bomber　fireballed　into　the　sky。
The　pilot　of　Two…Six　advanced　his　throttles　and　climbed　out　of　the　landing　pattern；　watching　in　horror　as　ten　bombers　exploded　before　his　eyes　and　telltale　puffs　of　smoke　told　him　of　less　serious　damage　to　many　others。　In　two　minutes；　it　was　over。　Crash　trucks　raced　like　toys　along　the　concrete　as　men　played　fire　hoses　on　the　burning　trucks　and　aircraft。　The　pilot　headed　north　for　his　alternate　field　and　saw　smoke　rising　there　also。
〃Fifteen　minutes'　fuel。　You'd　better　find　us　a　place　fast；〃　Volodya　warned。　They　turned　left　for　Kirovsk…South　and　the　same　story　was　repeated。　The　attack　had　been　timed　for　the　missiles　to　hit　all　four　targets　simultaneously。
〃Afrikanda；　this　is　Sea　Eagle　Two…Six。　We　are　low　on　fuel　and　need　to　land　immediately。　Can　you　take　us？〃
〃Affirmative；　Two…Six。　Runway　is　clear。　Wind　is　two…six…five　at　twenty。〃
〃Very　well；　we're　ing　in。　Out。〃　The　pilot　turned。　〃What　the　hell　was　that？〃　he　asked　Volodya。

USS　CHICAGO
〃munications　is　gone；　fire…control　is　gone；　fairwater　planes　gone。　We　stopped　the　leaks。　Engines　are　okay；　we　can　steam；〃　the　skipper　of　　Providence　said　over　the　gertrude。
〃Very　well。　Stand　by。〃　Boston　was　also　alongside。　〃Todd；　this　is　Danny。　What　do　you　think？〃
〃She　won't　make　it　out　alone。　I　suggest　we　send　the　rest　back　out。　You　and　me　escort　her。〃
〃Agreed。　You　follow　'em　out。　We'll　try　to　clear　datum　as　quick　as　we　can。〃
〃Good　luck；　Danny。〃　Boston　raised　her　radio　whip　and　made　a　quick　transmission。　A　minute　later　USS　Chicago's　sonar　showed　the　noise　of　the　other　submarines　racing　north。
〃Providence；　remend　you　e　to　course　zero…one…five　and　go　as　fast　as　you　can。　We'll　cover　your　tail。　Boston　will　rendezvous　later　and　we'll　both　escort　you　to　the　pack。〃
〃You　can't　risk　it；　we　can…〃
〃Move　your　fucking　boat！〃　McCafferty　shouted　into　the　microphone。　He　was　exactly　three　months　senior　in　rank　to　his　counterpart　on　Providence。　Presently　the　wounded　submarine　dived　and　headed　northeast　at　fifteen　knots。　Her　damaged　sail　structure　sounded　like　a　junk　wagon　in　the　waterflow；　but　there　was　nothing　they　could　do　about　it。　If　the　submarines　were　to　have　any　chance　of　survival；　they　had　to　put　as　much　distance　between　themselves　and　the　firing　point　as　they　could。

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
Mikhail　Sergetov　looked　around　at　a　group　of　men　still　pale　at　what　might　have　been。
〃rade　Defense　Minister；〃　the　General　Secretary　said。　〃Can　you　tell　us　what　has　happened？〃
〃It　would　seem　that　submarines　launched　a　number　of　cruise　missiles　at　some　of　our　northern　airfields。　Their　aim　was　evidently　to　destroy　a　number　of　our　Backfire　bombers。　How　successful　they　were　I　do　not　yet　know。〃
〃Where　did　they　launch　their　missiles　from？〃　Pyotr　Bromkovskiy　asked。
〃East　of　Murmansk；　less　than　thirty　kilometers　from　our　coast。　A　frigate　saw　and　reported　the　launch；　then　went　off　the　air。　We　have　aircraft　searching　for　him　now。〃
〃How　the　hell　did　he　get　there！　If　that　submarine　had　launched　ballistic　missiles　at　us；〃　Bromkovskiy　demanded；　〃how　much　warning　would　we　have　had？〃
〃Six　to　seven　minutes。〃
〃Wonderful！　We　cannot　react　that　fast。　How　can　you　let　them　get　so　close！〃
〃They　won't　get　out；　Petya；　I　promise　you　that！〃　the　Defense　Minister　replied　heatedly。
The　General　Secretary　leaned　forward。　〃You　will　see　to　it　that　this　can　never　happen　again！〃
〃While　we　are　all　here；　rades；〃　Sergetov　spoke　up。　〃Can　the　rade　Defense　Minister　review　overnight　developments　on　the　German　Front？〃
〃NATO　forces　are　strained　to　the　breaking　point。　As　the　KGB　has　told　us；　their　supplies　are　critically　low；　and　with　the　diplomatic　developments　of　the　past　few　days；　I　think　we　may　safely　assume　that　NATO　is　on　the　verge　of　political　disintegration。　All　we　have　to　do　is　keep　the　pressure　on；　and　they　must　collapse！〃
〃But　we　are　running　out　of　fuel　also！〃　Bromkovskiy　said。　〃The　offer　the　Germans　have　given　us　is　a　reasonable　one。〃
〃No。〃　The　Foreign　Minister　shook　his　head　emphatically。　〃This　gives　us　nothing。〃
〃It　gives　us　peace；　rade；〃　Bromkovskiy　said　quietly。　〃If　we　continue…consider；　my　friends；　consider　what　we　were　all　thinking　a　few　hours　ago　when　the　rocket　warning　came　in。〃
For　the　first　time；　Sergetov　realized；　the　old　man　had　made　a　point　they　all　agreed　with。　After　weeks　and　months　of　promises　and　plans　and　assurances　on　how　things　could　be　kept　under　control；　that　one　false　alarm　had　forced　them　to　look　at　what　lay　over　the　edge　of　the　abyss。　For　ten　minutes　they　feared　that　control　had　been　lost；　and　all　the　Defense　Minister's　bluster　could　not　make　them　forget　that。
After　a　moment　of　consideration；　the　General　Secretary　spoke。　〃Our　representatives　are　meeting　with　the　Germans　in　a　few　hours。　The　Foreign　Minister　will　report　to　us　tomorrow　on　the　substance　of　their　new　offer。〃
On　that　note　the　session　ended。　Sergetov　tucked　his　notes　in　his　leather　briefcase；　left　the　room　alone；　and　walked　downstairs　to　his　official　car。　A　junior　aide　held　the　door　open　when　a　voice　called。
〃Mikhail　Eduardovich；　may　I　ride　with　you？　My　car　has　broken　down。〃　It　was　Boris　Kosov；　chairman　of　the　mittee　for　State　Security；　the　KGB。

36　…　Shootout　at　31　West！

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
〃Shall　we　take　a　drive　today；　Mikhail　Eduardovich？　Perhaps　we　can　talk？〃　Sergetov's　blood　chilled；　though　he　did　not　let　it　show。　Was　it　possible　for　the　Chief　of　the　KGB　not　to　look　sinister？　he　wondered。　From　Leningrad；　like　Sergetov；　Kosov　was　a　short；　rotund　man　who　had　taken　over　the　KGB　after　running　the　Central　mittee's　shadowy　〃General　Department。〃　He　had　a　jolly　laugh　when　he　wanted　to；　and　in　another　guise　could　be　the　personification　of　Grandfather　Frost；　the　State's　acceptable　version　of　Santa　Claus。　But　he　was　not　in　another　guise　now。
〃Certainly；　Boris　Georgiyevich；〃　Sergetov　said；　and　pointed　at　his　driver。　〃You　may　speak　freely。　Vitaly　is　a　good　man。〃
〃I　know　it；〃　Kosov　replied。　〃He's　worked　for　us　the　last　ten　years。〃　Sergetov　only　had　to　watch　the　back　of　his　driver's　neck　to　know　that　Kosov　spoke　the　truth。
〃So　what　shall　we　talk　about？〃
The　Director　of　the　KGB　reached　into　his　briefcase　and　came　out　with　a　device　about　the　size　of　a　paperback　book。　He　flipped　a　switch　and　it　gave　off　an　unpleasant　buzz。〃
〃A　clever　new　device　made　in　the　Netherlands；　he　explained。　〃It　gives　off　a　noise　that　renders　most　microphones　useless。　Something　to　do　with　harmonics；　my　people　tell　me。〃　Then　his　manner　changed　abruptly。
〃Mikhail　Eduardovich；　do　you　know　the　significance　of　the　American　attack　on　our　airfields？〃
〃A　troublesome　development　to　be　sure；　but…〃
〃I　thought　not。　Several　NATO　convoys　are　at　sea。　A　major　one　left　New　York　several　days　ago。　It　carries　two　million　tons　of　essential　war　materiel；　plus　a　plete　American　division；　to　Europe。　In　destroying　a　number　of　our　bombers；　NATO　has　significantly　reduced　our　ability　to　deal　with　the　convoys。　They　have　also　cleared　the　way　for　direct　attacks　against　Soviet　soil。〃
〃But　Iceland…〃
〃Has　been　neutralized。〃　Kosov　explained　what　had　happened　to　the　Soviet　fighters　at　Keflavik。
〃You're　telling　me　the　war　goes　badly？　Then　why　is　Germany　making　overtures　for　peace？〃
〃Yes；　that　is　a　very　good　question。〃
〃If　you　have　suspicions；　rade　Director；　you　should　not　bring　them　to　me！〃
〃I　will　tell　you　a　story。　Back　in　January　when　I　had　my　bypass　surgery；　day…today　control　of　KGB　passed　to　the　First　Deputy　Chairman；　Josef　Larionov。　Have　you　met　little　Josef？〃　Kosov　asked。
〃No；　he　never　took　your　place　at　Politburo　meetings…what　about　the　Defense　Council？〃　Sergetov's　head　snapped　around。　〃They　did　not　consult　you？　You　were　recovering　then。〃
〃An　exaggeration。　I　was　quite　ill　for　two　weeks；　but　naturally　this　information　was　kept　quiet。　It　took　another　month　b