tc.redstormrising-第136节

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t　landing　on　the　flat　deck。
〃My　story　is　supposed　to　be　about　the　convoy；〃　Calloway　sniffed。
〃Well；　they're　making　port　right　about　now。　End　of　story。〃　The　pilot　turned　with　a　wide　grin。　〃Hell；　you　made　me　famous；　didn't　you？〃
〃You　bloody　aviators　are　all　the　same！〃　the　Reuters　correspondent　snapped　angrily。　〃The　captain　won't　even　tell　me　where　we're　going。〃
〃You　don't　know？〃　O'Malley　asked　in　surprise。
〃Well；　where　are　we　going？〃
〃North。〃

LE　HAVRE；　FRANCE
The　port　had　been　cleared　in　expectation　of　the　convoy。　The　merchantmen　were　brought　past　several　wrecks　of　ships　that　had　died　from　Soviet　mines；　some　laid　before　the　war；　others　dropped　from　aircraft。　The　port　had　also　been　bombed　six　times　by　long…range　fighter…bombers；　each　time　at　a　murderous　price　from　French　air　defense　forces。
The　first　ships　in　were　the　big　Ro/Ros；　the　roll…on/roll…off　container　ships。　Eight　of　them　together　carried　a　full　armored　division；　and　these　were　taken　quickly　to　the　Bassin　Theophile　Ducrocq。　One　by　one；　the　ships　lowered　their　curved　stern　ramps　to　the　dock　and　the　tanks　began　to　roll　off。　They　met　a　continuous　taxi…rank　of　low…loader　tractor…trailers；　each　of　which　would　carry　a　tank　or　other　armored　fighting　vehicle　to　the　front　lines。　Loaded；　they　rolled　off　one　by　one　to　the　assembly　point　at　the　Renault　facility　adjacent　to　the　port。　It　would　take　hours　to　unload　the　division；　but　it　had　been　decided　nevertheless　to　move　everything　in　a　body　to　the　fighting　front；　less　than　five　hundred　kilometers　away。
After　what　had　seemed　an　endless；　tense　voyage；　arrival　was　a　culture　shock　for　the　American　troops；　many　of　them　National　Guardsmen　who　rarely　went　overseas。　The　dock　workers　and　traffic　police　were　too　exhausted　from　weeks　of　frantic　work　to　show　any　human　emotion；　but　ordinary　people　who　had　learned；　despite　heavy　security；　that　reinforcing　troops　were　landing　came　out；　first　in　small　groups；　soon　in　small　mobs；　to　watch　the　new　arrivals。　The　American　troops　were　not　allowed　to　leave　their　pany　areas。　After　some　informal　negotiations；　it　was　decided　small　delegations　would　be　allowed　to　meet　briefly　with　some　of　the　troops。　The　security　risk　was　minor…the　telephone　lines　in　and　out　of　all　NATO　ports　were　under　tight　control…and　there　was　an　unexpected　result　to　this　exercise　in　simple　courtesy。　Like　their　fathers　and　grandfathers；　the　arriving　troops　saw　that　Europe　was　worth　fighting　for。　The　people　who　were　often　seen　merely　as　threats　to　American　jobs　had　faces　and　hopes　and　dreams；　all　of　which　were　in　danger。　They　were　not　fighting　for　a　principle；　or　a　political　decision；　or　a　treaty　made　of　paper。　They　were　here　for　these　people　and　others　not　the　least　different　from　those　they'd　left　at　home。
It　took　two　hours　longer　than　they'd　hoped。　Some　vehicles　were　broken　down；　but　the　port　and　police　officials　had　organized　the　assembly　points　with　skill。　The　division　moved　off　in　the　early　afternoon　at　a　steady　fifty　kilometers　per　hour；　driving　down　a　multilane　highway　cleared　for　its　path。　Every　few　yards；　someone　stood　to　wave　while　the　troops　made　final　checks　on　their　gear。　The　easy　part　of　their　journey　was　about　to　end。

ICELAND
It　was　four　in　the　morning　when　they　reached　the　top；　only　to　find　that　this　mountain　had　a　number　of　〃tops。〃　The　Russians　had　the　highest　one；　three　miles　away。　Edwards's　group　had　a　choice　of　two　subsidiary　peaks；　each　a　few　hundred　feet　lower　than　the　adjacent　thousand…meter　summit。　They　picked　the　higher　of　the　two；　overlooking　the　small　fishing　port　of　Stykkisholmur；　almost　due　north；　and　the　large　rock…filled　bay　that　the　map　called　Hvammsfj〃rdur。
〃Looks　like　a　fine　observation　point；　Leftenant　Edwards；〃　Nichols　judged。
〃That's　good；　Sarge；　'cause　I　am　not　going　another　foot。〃　Edwards　already　had　his　binoculars　on　the　eastern　peak。　〃I　don't　see　any　movement。〃
〃They're　there；〃　Nichols　said。
〃Yeah；〃　Smith　agreed。　〃Sure　as　hell。〃
Edwards　slid　down　from　the　crestline　and　unpacked　his　radio。
〃Doghouse；　this　is　Beagle；　and　we　are　where　you　want　us；　over。〃
〃Give　me　your　exact　position。〃
Edwards　opened　his　map　and　read　off　the　coordinates。　〃We　believe　there's　a　Russian　observation　post　on　the　next　peak　over。　They're　about　five　klicks　away；　according　to　this　map。　We're　well　concealed　here　and　we　have　food　and　water　for　two　days。　We　can　see　the　roads　leading　into　Stykkisholmur。　Matter　of　fact；　it's　nice　and　clear　now；　and　we　can　see　all　the　way　to　Keflavik。　We　can't　pick　anything　out；　but　we　can　see　the　peninsula。〃
〃Very　well。　I　want　you　to　look　north　and　tell　us　what　you　see　in　detail。〃

Edwards　handed　the　radio　antenna　to　Smith；　then　turned　and　put　his　field　glasses　on　the　town。
〃Okay。　The　land　is　pretty　flat；　but　higher　than　the　water；　on　a　shelf；　like。　The　town　is　fairly　small；　maybe　eight　square　blocks。　There　are　some　little　fishing　boats　tied　up　to　the　docks　。　。　。　I　count　nine　of　them。　The　harbor　north　and　east　of　the　port　is　wall…to…wall　rocks　that　go　on　for　miles。　I　do　not　see　any　armored　vehicles；　no　obvious　signs　of　Russian　troops…wait。　I　do　see　two　four…by…fours　parked　in　the　middle　of　the　street；　like；　but　nobody　around　'em。　The　sun's　still　low；　and　there's　lots　of　shadows。　Nothing　moving　on　the　roads。　I　guess　that's　about　it。〃
〃Very　well；　Beagle。　Good　report。　Let　us　know　if　you　see　any　Soviet　personnel　at　all。　Even　one；　we　want　to　know　about　him。　Stay　put。〃
〃Somebody　ing　to　get　us？〃
〃Beagle；　I　don't　know　what　you're　talking　about。〃

USS　INDEPENDENCE
Toland　stood　in　the　bat　Information　Center；　watching　the　displays。　Submarines　concerned　him　the　most。　Eight　allied　subs　were　in　the　Denmark　Strait；　west　of　Iceland；　forming　a　barrier　that　few　submarines　would　be　able　to　pass。　They　were　supported　by　Navy　Orions　operating　out　of　Sondrestrom；　Greenland；　something　impossible　until　the　Russian　fighters　at　Keflavik　had　been　whittled　down。　That　closed　off　one　possible　avenue　of　access　to　Strike　Fleet　Atlantic。　More　submarines　formed　a　line　parallel　to　the　fleet's　line　of　advance；　and　those　were　supported　by　the　carrier…borne　S…3A　Vikings　that　operated　continuously　off　the　flight　decks。
The　Pentagon　had　leaked　to　the　press　that　this　Marine　division　was　enroute　to　Germany；　where　the　battle　hung　in　the　balance。　In　fact；　the　tight　formation　of　amphibs　was　twenty　miles　from　his　carrier　on　a　course　of　zero…three…nine；　four　hundred　miles　from　its　real　objective。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃We're　not　heading　north　any　longer；〃　Calloway　said。　Dinner　was　being　served　in　the　wardroom。　The　officers　were　plowing　through　the　last　fresh　lettuce　aboard。
〃I　believe　you're　right；〃　O'Malley　agreed。　〃I　think　we're　heading　west　now。〃
〃You　might　as　well　tell　me　what　the　devil　we're　up　to。　I've　been　shut　off　from　your　satellite　transmitters。〃
〃We're　screening　the　Nimitz　battle　group；　except　that　when　you're　motoring　along　at　twenty…five　knots；　it's　not　all　that　easy。〃　O'Malley　didn't　like　this。　They　were　running　a　risk。　It　was　part　of　war；　but　the　pilot　didn't　like　any　part　of　war。　Especially　risks。　They　pay　me　to　do　it；　not　to　like　it
〃The　escort　is　mostly　British；　isn't　it？〃
〃Yeah；　so？〃
〃That's　a　story　I　can　use　to　tell　the　people　at　home　how　important…〃
〃Look；　Mr。　Calloway；　let's　say　you　file　your　story；　and　it　got　published　in　the　local　papers。　Then　let's　say　a　Soviet　agent　reads　the　story　and　passes　it　along　to…〃
〃How　would　he　do　that？　The　government　has　undoubtedly　put　severe　restrictions　on　all　forms　of　munication。〃
〃Ivan　has　lots　of　munications　satellites；　same　as　us。　We　have　two　satellite　transmitters　on　this　dinky　little　frigate。　You've　seen　'em。　How　expensive　do　they　look？　Think　maybe　you　could　have　one　in　your　backyard；　inside　a　bush　maybe？　Besides；　the　whole　group　is　blacked　out。　Total　EMCON。　Nobody　is　transmitting　anything　at　the　moment。〃
Morris　arrived　and　took　his　seat　at　the　head　of　the　table。
〃Captain；　where　are　we　going？〃　Calloway　asked。
〃I　just　found　out。　Sorry　I　can't　tell　you。　Battleaxe　and　we　will　continue　to　work　together　for　a　while　as　stem　guard　for　the　Nimitz　group。　We　are　now　designated　'Mike　Force。'〃
〃We　getting　any　more　help？〃　O'Malley　asked。
〃Bunker　Hill　is　heading　this　way。　She　had　to　reload　her　magazines　and　join　up　with　HMS　Illustrious。　They'll　operate　in　close　when　they　catch　up。　We're　going　to　outside　picket　again。　We　start　doing　real　ASW　work　in　another　four　hours。　Still　going　to　be　a　bastard　trying　to　keep　up　with　the　carrier；　though。〃

USS　CHICAGO
There　were　three　contacts。　All　arrived　within　ten　minutes。　Two　were　ahead　of　Chicago；　left　and　right　of　her　bow。　The　third　was　on　her　port　beam。　Somehow；　McCafferty　realized；　the　Russians　knew　of　the　submarines　they　had　killed。　Probably　some　sort　of　radio　buoy；　he　was　sure。　That　meant　all　that　his　tactical　successes　had　really　acplished　was　to　draw　more　dangers　in　on　the　trio　of　American　submarines。
〃Conn；　sonar。　We　have　some　sonobuoy　signals　at　two…six…six。　Count　three　buoys…four；　make　it　four。〃
More　Bears？　McCafferty　wondered。　A　cooperative　hunt？
〃Skipper；　you　better　e　forward；〃　the　sonar　chief　called。
〃What's　happening？〃　The　waterfall　display　screen　was　suddenly　crowded。
〃Sir；　we　have　three　lines　on　sonobuoys　forming　up　right　now。　Gotta　be　at　least　three　aircraft　up　there。　This　one's　fairly　close；　looks