tc.redstormrising-第16节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


e　satellites　were　used　to　evaluate　Soviet　grain　crops；　but　that　happened　later　in　the　year。　The　Russians　knew　it　also；　since　it　had　been　in　the　open　press　for　over　a　decade；　explaining　why　there　was　a　team　of　agronomists　in　the　U。S。　Department　of　Agriculture　with　Special　Intelligence…partmented　security　clearance。
〃Kind　of　late　in　the　season　to　do　that；　isn't　it？　I　mean；　will　it　do　any　good　to　give　'em　this　land　this　time　of　year？〃
〃I　got　these　a　week　ago。　I　think　they're　a　little　older　than　that。　This　is　about　the　time　most　of　their　farms　start　planting。　It　stays　cold　there　quite　a　long　time；　remember；　but　the　high　latitudes　make　up　for　it　with　longer　summer　days。　Assume　that　this　is　a　nationwide　move　on　their　part。　Evaluate　that　for　me；　Bob。〃　The　colonel's　eyes　narrowed　briefly。
〃Smart　move　on　their　part；　obviously。　It　could　solve　a　lot　of　their　food　supply　problems；　particularly　for…truck…farm。　stuff；　I　guess；　tomatoes；　onions；　that　sort　of　thing。〃
〃Maybe。　You　might　also　note　that　this　sort　of　farming　is　manpower　intensive　but　not　machinery…intensive。　What　about　the　demographic　aspect　of　the　move？〃
Toland　blinked。　There　was　a　tendency　in　the　U。S。　Navy　to　assume　that　since　they　made　their　living　by　charging　into　machine…gun　fire；　Marines　were　dumb。　〃Most　of　the　kokolzniki　are　relatively　old　folks。　The　median　age　is　in　the　late　forties；　early　fifties。　So　most　of　the　private　plots　are　managed　by　the　older　people；　while　the　mechanized　work；　like　driving　the　bines　and　trucks…〃
〃Which　pays　a　hell　of　a　lot　better。〃
〃…is　done　by　the　younger　workers。　You're　telling　me　that　this　way　they　can　increase　some　food　production　without　the　younger　men。。。of　military　service　age。〃
〃One　way　to　look　at　it；〃　Lowe　said。　〃Politically　it's　dynamite。　You　can't　take　away　things　people　already　have。　Back　in　the　early　sixties；　a　rumor…wasn't　even　true…got　started　to　the　effect　that　Khrushchev　was　going　to　reduce　or　eliminate　the　private　plots　those　poor　bastards　get。　There　was　hell　to　pay！　I　was　in　the　language　school　at　Monterey　then；　and　I　remember　the　Russian　papers　that　came　through　the　language　school。　They　spent　weeks　denying　the　story。　Those　private　plots　are　the　most　productive　sector　of　their　agricultural　system。　Less　than　two　percent　of　their　arable　land；　it　produces　about　half　of　their　fruit　and　potatoes；　more　than　a　third　of　their　eggs；　vegetables；　and　meat。　Hell；　it's　the　only　part　of　the　damned　agricultural　system　that　works。　The　bigshots　over　there　have　known　for　years　that　by　doing　this　they　could　solve　their　food　shortage　problems；　and　still　they　haven't　done　it　for　political　reasons。　They　couldn't　run　the　risk　of　State　sponsorship　for　a　whole　new　generation　of　kulaks。　Until　now。　But　it　appears　they've　done　it　without　making　a　formal　announcement。　And　it　just　so　happens　that　they're　increasing　their　military　readiness　at　the　same　time。　I　never　believe　in　coincidences；　even　when　I'm　a　dumb　line　officer　running　across　a　beach。〃
Lowe's　uniform　blouse　hung　in　the　er。　Toland　sipped　at　his　coffee　and　surveyed　its　four　rows　of　decorations。　There　were　three　repeat　pips　on　his　Vietnam　service　ribbon。　And　a　Navy　Cross。　Dressed　in　the　olive…green　sweater　affected　by　Marine　officers；　Lowe　was　not　a　big　man；　and　his　Midwest　accent　gave　evidence　of　a　relaxed；　almost　bored　outlook　on　life。　But　his　brown　eyes　said　something　else　entirely。　Colonel　Lowe　was　thinking　along　Toland's　lines　already；　and　he　was　not　the　least　happy　about　it。
〃Chuck；　if　they　are　really　preparing　for　some　action…action　on　a　large　scale；　they　just　can't　mess　with　a　few　colonels。　Something　else　will　start　showing　up。　They'll　have　to　do　some　work　at　the　bottom；　too。〃
〃Yeah；　that's　the　next　thing　we　have　to　look　for。　I　sent　a　request　into　DIA　yesterday。　From　now　on；　when　Red　Star　es　out；　the　attach？　in　Moscow　will　send　a　photo…facsimile　to　us　via　satellite。　If　they　start　doing　that；　it'll　sure　as　hell　turn　up　in　Kraznaya　Zvesda。　Bob；　I　think　you've　opened　a　very　interesting　can　of　worms；　and　you're　not　going　to　be　alone　examining　it。〃
Toland　finished　his　coffee。　The　Soviets　had　taken　an　entire　class　of　fleet　ballistic　missile　submarines　out　of　service。　They　were　conducting　arms　talks　in　Vienna。　They　were　buying　grain　from　America　and　Canada　under　surprisingly　favorable　terms；　even　allowing　American　hulls　to　handle　20　percent　of　the　cargo。　How　did　this　jibe　with　the　signs　he　had　seen？　Logically　it　didn't；　except　in　one　specific　case…and　that　wasn't　possible。　Was　it？

SHPOLA；　THE　UKRAINE
The　crashing　sound　of　the　125mm　tank　gun　was　enough　to　strip　the　hair　off　your　head；　Alekseyev　thought；　but　after　five　hours　of　running　this　exercise；　it　came　through　his　ear　protectors　as　a　dull　ringing　sound。　This　morning　the　ground　had　been　covered　with　grass　and　dotted　with　new　saplings；　but　now　it　was　a　uniform　wasteland　of　mud；　marked　only　with　the　tread　marks　of　T…80　main　battle　tanks　and　BMP　armored　infantry　fighting　vehicles。　Three　times　the　regiment　had　run　this　exercise；　simulating　a　frontal　assault　of　tanks　and　mounted　infantry　against　an　enemy　of　equal　strength。　Ninety　mobile　guns　had　supplied　fire　support；　along　with　a　battery　of　rocket　launchers。　Three　times。
Alekseyev　turned；　removing　his　helmet　and　earmuffs　to　look　at　the　regimental　mander。　〃A　Guards　regiment；　eh；　rade　Colonel？　Elite　soldiers　of　the　Red　Army？　These　tit…sucking　children　couldn't　guard　a　Turkish　whorehouse；　much　less　do　anything　worthwhile　inside　of　it！　And　what　have　you　been　doing　for　the　past　four　years　manding　this　rolling　circus；　rade　Colonel？　You　have　learned　to　kill　your　whole　mand　three　times！　Your　artillery　observers　are　not　located　properly。　Your　tanks　and　infantry　carriers　still　can't　coordinate　their　movements；　and　your　tank　gunners　can't　find　targets　three　meters　high！　If　that　had　been　a　NATO　force　holding　that　ridge；　you　and　your　mand　would　be　dead！〃　Alekseyev　examined　the　colonel's　face。　His　demeanor　was　changing　from　red…fear　to　white…anger。　Good。　〃The　loss　of　these　people　is　no　great　penalty　for　the　State；　but　that　is　valuable　equipment；　burning　valuable　fuel；　shooting　valuable　ordnance；　and　taking　up　my　valuable　time！　rade　Colonel；　I　must　leave　you　now。　First　I　will　throw　up。　Then　I　will　fly　to　my　mand　post。　I　will　be　back。　When　I　e　back；　we　will　run　this　exercise　again。　Your　men　will　perform　properly；　rade　Colonel；　or　you　will　spend　the　rest　of　your　miserable　life　counting　trees！〃
Alekseyev　stomped　off；　not　even　acknowledging　the　colonel's　salute。　His　adjutant；　a　full　colonel　of　tank　troops；　held　open　the　door　and　got　in　behind　his　boss。
〃Shaping　up　rather　well；　eh？〃　Alekseyev　asked。
〃Not　well　enough；　but　there　has　been　progress；〃　the　colonel　allowed。　〃They　have　only　another　six　weeks　before　they　have　to　start　moving　west。〃
It　was　the　wrong　thing　to　say。　Alekseyev　had　spent　two　weeks　chivvying　this　division　toward　bat　readiness；　only　to　learn　the　day　before　that　it　had　been　allocated　to　Germany　instead　of　toward　his　own　as…yet　inplete　plan　to　descend　into　Iraq　and　Iran。　Already　four　divisions…all　of　his　elite　Guards　tank　units…had　been　taken　away；　and　each　change　in　CINC…Southwest's　order　of　battle　forced　him　to　restructure　his　own　plan　for　the　Gulf　An　endless　circle。　He　was　being　forced　to　select　less…ready　units；　forcing　Alekseyev　to　devote　more　time　to　unit　training　and　less　time　to　the　plan　that　had　to　be　pleted　in　another　two　weeks。
〃Those　men　are　going　to　have　a　very　busy　six　weeks。　What　about　the　mander？〃　the　colonel　asked。
Alekseyev　shrugged。　〃He's　been　in　this　job　too　long。　Forty…five　is　too　old　for　this　kind　of　mand；　and　he　reads　his　fucking　parade　manuals　too　much　instead　of　going　out　in　the　field。　But　a　good　man。　Too　good　to　be　sent　counting　trees。〃　Alekseyev　chuckled　heavily。　It　was　a　Russian　saying　that　dated　back　to　the　czars。　People　exiled　to　Siberia　were　said　to　have　nothing　to　do　but　count　trees。　Another　of　the　things　Lenin　had　changed。　Now　people　in　the　Gulag　had　plenty　to　do。　〃The　last　two　times　they　did　well　enough　to　succeed；　I　think。　This　regiment　will　be　ready；　along　with　the　whole　division。〃

USS　PHARRIS
〃Bridge；　sonar：　we　have　a　contact　bearing　zero…nine…four！〃　announced　a　voice　on　the　bulkhead…mounted　speaker。　mander　Morris　turned　in　his　elevated　swivel　chair　to　watch　his　officer　of　the　deck　respond。
The　OOD　trained　his　binoculars　to　the　direction　of　the　contact。　There　was　nothing　there：　〃Bearing　is　clear。〃
Morris　got　up　from　his　chair。　〃Set　Condition　I…AS。〃
〃Aye　aye。　Battle　Stations；〃　the　OOD　acknowledged　the　order。　The　boatswain's…mate…of…the…watch　walked　to　the　announcing　system；　and　blew　a　three…note　whistle　on　his　bosun's　pipe　into　the　speaker。　〃General　Quarters；　General　Quarters；　all　hands　man　your　battle　stations　for　anti…submarine　warfare。〃　The　alarm　gong　came　next；　and　a　quiet　forenoon　watch　ended。
Morris　went　aft；　down　the　ladder　to　the　bat　Information　Center；　or　CIC。　His　executive　officer　would　take　the　conn　at　the　bridge；　allowing　the　captain　to　control　the　ship's　weapons　and　sensors　from　her　tactical　nerve　center。　All　over　the　ship；　men　were　running　to　stations。　Watertight　doors　and　hatches　were　dropped　into　place　and　dogged　down　to　give　the　ship　full　watertight　integrity。　Damage…control　parties　donned　emergency　equipment。　It　took　just　over　four