tc.redstormrising-第164节

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e　knew　that　he　had　just　seen　the　door　to　hell　cracked　open。
〃Major；〃　he　said　casually　as　they　entered　the　staff　car；　〃since　we're　in　Moscow；　perhaps　you　would　like　to　visit　your　father　the　Minister　before　we　return　to　the　front？〃
〃That　is　very　kind　of　you；　rade　General。〃
〃You　have　earned　it；　rade　Major。　Besides；　I　want　figures　on　our　oil　supply。〃
The　driver　would　report　what　he'd　heard；　of　course。
〃They　want　me　to　use　nuclear　weapons　at　the　front！〃　Alekseyev　whispered　as　soon　as　the　Minister's　door　was　closed。
〃Yes；　I　was　afraid　of　that。〃
〃They　must　be　stopped！　There　is　no　predicting　what　catastrophe　this　could　bring　about。〃
〃The　Defense　Minister　says　that　a　tactical　nuclear　environment　could　easily　be　controlled。〃
〃He's　talking　like　one　of　those　NATO　idiots！　There　is　no　wall　between　a　tactical　and　a　strategic　nuclear　exchange；　just　a　fuzzy　line　in　the　imagination　of　the　amateurs　and　academics　who　advise　their　political　leaders。　The　only　thing　that　would　then　stand　between　us　and　a　nuclear　holocaust…our　survival　would　be　at　the　mercy　of　whichever　NATO　leader　is　the　least　stable。〃
〃What　did　you　tell　them？〃　the　Minister　asked。　Had　Alekseyev　retained　his　wits　enough　to　say　the　right　thing？
〃I　must　be　alive　to　stop　them…I　told　them　it's　a　wonderful　ideal〃　The　General　sat　down。　〃I　also　told　them　that　I　must　have　tactical　control　of　the　weapons。　I　think　they　will　agree　to　that。　I'll　make　sure　those　weapons　are　never　used。　I　have　just　the　man　on　my　staff　to　do　that；　too。〃
〃You　agree　then　that　the　Defense　Council　must　be　stopped？〃
〃Yes。〃　The　General　looked　down　at　the　floor；　then　back　up。　〃Otherwise…I　don't　know。　It　is　possible　that　their　plan　might　start　something　that　no　one　could　stop。　If　we　die；　we　die　in　a　good　cause。〃
〃How　do　we　stop　them？〃
〃When　does　the　Politburo　meet？〃
〃Every　day　now。　We　usually　meet　at　nine…thirty。〃
〃Whom　can　we　trust？〃
〃Kosov　is　with　us。　There　will　be　a　few　others；　Politburo　members；　but　I　do　not　know　whom　I　can　approach。〃
Wonderful…our　only　certain　ally　is　the　KGB！
〃I　need　some　time。〃
〃Perhaps　this　will　help。〃　Sergetov　handed　over　a　file　he'd　gotten　from　Kosov。　〃Here　is　a　list　of　officers　in　your　mand　who　are　suspected　of　political　unreliability。〃
Alekseyev　scanned　the　list。　He　recognized　the　names　of　three　men　who　had　served　with　distinction　in　battalion　and　regimental　mands　。　。　。　one　good　staff　officer　and　one　terrible　one。　Even　when　my　men　fight　a　war　for　the　Motherland；　they　are　under　suspicion！
〃I'm　supposed　to　formulate　my　attack　plan　before　I　return　to　the　front。　I　will　be　at　Army　Headquarters。〃
〃Good　luck；　Pavel　Leonidovich。〃
〃And　to　you；　Mikhail　Eduardovich。〃　The　General　watched　father　and　son　embrace。　He　wondered　what　his　own　father　would　think　of　this。　To　whom　do　I　turn　for　guidance？

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Good　afternoon；　I　am　Major　General　William　Emerson。　This　is　Colonel　Lowe。　He　will　act　as　interpreter。
〃General　Major　Andreyev。　I　speak　English。〃
〃Do　you　propose　a　surrender？〃　Emerson　asked。
〃I　propose　that　we　negotiate；〃　Andreyev　answered。
〃I　require　that　your　forces　cease　hostilities　at　once　and　surrender　their　weapons。〃
〃And　what　will　bee　of　my　troops？〃
〃They　will　be　interned　as　prisoners　of　war。　Your　wounded　will　receive　proper　medical　attention　and　your　men　will　be　treated　in　accordance　with　the　usual　international　conventions。〃
〃How　do　I　know　you　speak　truly？〃
〃You　do　not。〃
Andreyev　noted　the　blunt；　honest　answer。　But　what　choice　do　I　have？
〃I　propose　a　cease…fire〃…he　checked　his　watch…〃at　fifteen　hours。〃
〃Agreed。〃

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
〃How　long？〃　SACEUR　asked。
〃Three　days。　We'll　be　able　to　attack　with　four　divisions。〃
What's　left　off　our　divisions；　SACEUR　thought。　We've　stopped　then　all　right；　but　what　do　we　have　to　drive　them　back　with？
They　did　have　confidence。　NATO　had　begun　the　war　with　an　advantage　only　in　its　technology；　which　was　even　more　pronounced　now。　The　Russian　stocks　of　new　tanks　and　guns　had　been　ravaged；　and　the　divisions　ing　into　the　line　now　had　twenty…year…old　castoffs。　They　still　had　numbers；　though；　and　any　offensive　SACEUR　planned　would　have　to　be　carefully　planned　and　executed。　Only　in　the　air　did　he　have　an　important　advantage；　and　air　power　had　never　won　a　war。　The　Germans　were　pushing　hard　for　a　counterstrike。　Too　much　of　their　land；　and　too　many　of　their　citizens；　were　on　the　wrong　side　of　the　line。　Already　the　Bundeswehr　was　probing　aggressively　on　several　fronts；　but　they'd　have　to　wait。　The　German　Army　was　not　strong　enough　to　push　forward　alone。　They'd　taken　too　many　losses　in　their　prime　role　of　stopping　the　Soviet　advance。

KAZAN；　R。S。F。S。R。
The　youngsters　were　too　excited　to　sleep。　The　older　men　were　too　worried　to　sleep。　Conditions　didn't　help。　The　men　of　the　77th　Motor…Rifle　Division　were　crammed　into　passenger　cars；　and　while　all　had　seats；　it　was　at　the　cost　of　rubbing　against　their　rades　even　as　they　breathed。　The　troop　trains　moved　along　at　a　speed　of　a　hundred　kilometers　per　hour。　The　tracks　were　set　in　the　Russian　way；　with　the　rail　segments　ending　together　instead　of　offset；　so；　instead　of　the　clickity…click　familiar　to　Western　riders；　the　men　of　this　C　division　heard　only　a　series　of　thuds。　It　tested　nerves　already　raw。
The　interval　between　the　jarring　sounds　slowed。　A　few　soldiers　looked　out　to　see　that　their　train　was　stopping　at　Kazan。　The　officers　were　surprised。　They　weren't　supposed　to　stop　until　they　got　to　Moscow。　The　mystery　was　soon　solved。　No　sooner　had　the　twenty…car　train　stopped　than　new　men　filed　into　the　carriages。
〃Attention；〃　called　one　loud　voice。　〃bat　soldiers　arriving！〃
Though　they　had　been　issued　new　uniforms；　their　boots　showed　the　weeks　of　abuse。　Their　swagger　marked　them　as　veterans。　About　twenty　got　onto　each　passenger　car；　and　rapidly　secured　fortable　seating　for　themselves。　Those　displaced　would　have　to　stand。　There　were　officers；　too；　and　they　found　their　counterparts。　The　officers　of　the　77th　began　to　get　firsthand　information　of　NATO　doctrine　and　tactics；　what　worked　and　what　didn't　work；　all　the　lessons　paid　for　in　blood　by　the　soldiers　who　did　not　join　the　division　at　Kazan。　The　enlisted　men　got　no　such　lessons。　They　watched　men　who　were　able　to　sleep　even　as　they　rode　to　the　fighting　front。

FASLANE；　SCOTLAND
Chicago　was　alongside　the　pier；　loading　torpedoes　and　missiles　for　her　next　mission。　Half　her　crew　was　ashore　stretching　their　legs　and　buying　drinks　for　the　crew　of　Torbay。
Their　boat　had　acquired　quite　a　reputation　for　her　work　in　the　Barents　Sea；　enough　so　that　they'd　be　heading　back　as　soon　as　she　was　ready；　to　escort　the　carrier　battle　groups　now　in　the　Norwegian　Sea；　heading　for　the　Soviet　bases　on　the　Kola　Peninsula。
McCafferty　sat　alone　in　his　stateroom；　wondering　why　a　mission　that　had　ended　in　disaster　was　considered　successful；　hoping　that　he　wouldn't　be　sent　out　again…but　knowing　that　he　would　。　。　。

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
〃Good　news；　rade　General！〃　A　colonel　stuck　his　head　in　the　office　Alekseyev　had　taken　for　himself。　〃Your　people　were　able　to　join　up　with　the　77th　at　Kazan。〃
〃Thank　you。〃　Alekseyev's　head　went　back　to　his　maps　when　the　colonel　withdrew。
〃It's　amazing。〃
〃What's　that；　Vanya？〃
〃The　men　you　selected　for　the　77th；　the　paperwork；　the　orders…they　went　through　just　like　that！〃
〃A　routine　transfer　of　personnel…why　shouldn't　it　go　through？〃　the　General　asked。　〃The　Politburo　approved　the　procedure。〃
〃But　this　is　the　only　group　of　men　flown　out。〃
〃They　had　the　farthest　to　go。〃　Alekseyev　held　up　a　message　form　he'd　just　filled　out。　Captain…no；　now　he　was　Major　Arkady　Semyonovich　Sorokin　of　the　76th　Guards　Airborne　Division　was　ordered　to　report　to　Moscow　immediately。　He　would　fly　also。　A　pity　he　could　not　have　the　captain　bring　some　of　his　men　along；　but　they　were　where　no　Soviet　general　could　reach。
〃So；　Mikhail　Eduardovich；　what　does　General　Alekseyev　plan？〃
Sergetov　handed　over　some　notes。　Kosov　leafed　through　the　pages　in　a　few　minutes。
〃If　be　succeeds；　at　least　an　Order　of　Lenin　from　us；　yes？〃　That　general　is　overly　smart。　Too　bad　for　him。
〃We　are　far　from　that　point。　What　about　the　timing？　We　depend　on　you　to　set　the　stage。〃
〃I　have　a　colonel　who　specializes　in　this　sort　of　thing。〃
〃I'm　sure。〃
〃One　other　thing　we　should　do；〃　Kosov　said。　He　explained　for　several　minutes　before　taking　his　leave。　Sergetov　shredded　the　notes　he　had　from　Alekseyev　and　had　Vitaly　bum　them。
The　trouble　light　and　buzzer　caught　the　dispatcher's　attention　at　once。　Something　was　wrong　with　the　trackage　on　the　Elektrozavodskaya　Bridge；　three　kilometers　east　of　Kazan　Station。
〃Get　an　inspector　out　there。〃
〃There's　a　train　half　a　kilometer　away；〃　his　assistant　warned。
〃Tell　it　to　stop　at　once！〃　The　dispatcher　flipped　the　switch　controlling　the　tower　signal。
The　deputy　dispatcher　lifted　his　radiotelephone。　〃Train　eleven　ninety…one；　this　is　Kazan　Central　Dispatch。　Trouble　on　the　bridge　ahead；　stop　immediately！〃
〃I　see　the　signal！　Stopping　now；〃　the　engineer　replied。　〃We　won't　make　it！〃
And　he　couldn't。　Eleven　ninety…one　was　a　hundred…car　unit；　flatcars　loaded　with　armored　vehicles　and　boxcars　loaded　with　munitions。　Sparks　flew　in　the　pre…dawn　light　as　the　engineer　applied　the　brakes　on　every　car；　but　he　needed　more　than　a　few　hundred　meters　to　halt　the　trai