tc.redstormrising-第165节

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ineer　applied　the　brakes　on　every　car；　but　he　needed　more　than　a　few　hundred　meters　to　halt　the　train。　He　peered　ahead　looking　for　the　problem…a　bad　signal；　he　hoped。
No！　A　track　was　loose　just　at　the　west　side　of　the　bridge。　The　engineer　shouted　a　warning　to　his　crew　and　cringed。　The　lootive　jumped　the　track　and　ground　sideways　to　a　halt。　This　could　not　prevent　the　three　engines　behind　it　and　eight　flatcars　from　surging　forward。　They　too　jumped　off　the　track；　and　only　the　bridge's　steel　framework　prevented　them　from　spilling　into　the　Yauza　River。　The　track　inspector　arrived　a　minute　later。　He　cursed　all　the　way　to　the　telephone　box。
〃We　need　two　big　wreckers　here！〃
〃How　bad？〃　the　dispatcher　asked。
〃Not　as　bad　as　the　one　last　August。　Twelve　hours；　perhaps　sixteen。〃
〃What　went　wrong？〃
〃All　the　traffic　on　this　bridge…what　do　you　think？〃
〃Anyone　hurt？〃
〃Don't　think　so…they　weren't　going　very　fast。〃
〃I'll　have　a　crew　out　there　in　ten　minutes。〃　The　dispatcher　looked　up　at　the　blackboard　list　of　arriving　trains。
〃Damn！　What　are　we　going　to　do　with　these？〃
〃We　can't　split　them　up；　it's　a　whole　Army　division　traveling　as　a　unit。　They　were　supposed　to　go　around　the　north　side。　We　can't　send　them　around　to　the　south　either。　Novodanilovskiy　Bridge　is　packed　solid　for　hours。〃
〃Reroute　them　into　Kursk　Station。　I'll　call　the　Rzhevskaya　dispatcher　and　see　if　he　can　get　us　a　routing　on　his　track。〃
The　trains　arrived　at　seven…thirty。　One　by　one　they　were　shunted　onto　the　sidings　at　Kursk　Station　and　stopped。　Many　of　the　troops　aboard　had　never　been　to　Moscow　before；　but　except　for　those　on　the　outermost　sidings；　all　they　could　see　were　the　trains　of　their　fellow　soldiers。
〃A　deliberate　attempt　to　sabotage　the　State　railroads！〃　the　KGB　colonel　said。
〃More　probably　it　was　worn　trackage；　rade；〃　the　Kazan　dispatcher　said。　〃But　you　are　correct　to　be　prudent。〃
〃Worn　trackage？〃　the　colonel　snarled。　He　knew　for　certain　that　it　had　been　a　different　cause。　〃I　think　perhaps　you　do　not　take　this　seriously　enough。〃
The　dispatcher's　blood　chilled　at　that　statement。　〃I　have　my　responsibilities；　too。　For　the　moment　that　means　clearing　the　wreckage　off　that　damned　bridge　and　getting　my　trains　rolling　again。　Now；　I　have　a　seven…train　unit　sitting　at　Kursk；　and　unless　I　can　get　them　moving　north〃
〃From　what　I　see　of　your　map；　moving　all　the　traffic　around　the　city's　northern　perimeter　depends　on　a　single　switch。〃
〃Well；　yes；　but　that's　the　responsibility　of　the　Rzhevskaya　dispatcher。〃
〃Has　it　ever　occurred　to　you　that　saboteurs　are　not　assigned　in　the　same　way　as　dispatchers？　Perhaps　the　same　man　could　operate　in　a　different　district！　Has　anyone　checked　that　switch？〃
〃I　don't　know。〃
〃Well；　find　out！　No；　no；　I　will　send　my　own　people　to　check　before　you　railroad　fools　wreck　anything　else。〃
〃But；　my　scheduling　。　。　。〃　The　dispatcher　was　a　proud　man；　but　he　knew　that　he　had　pressed　his　luck　too　far　already。
〃Wele　to　Moscow；〃　Alekseyev　said　genially。
Major　Arkady　Semyonovich　Sorokin　was　short；　like　most　paratroop　officers。　A　handsome　young　man　with　light　brown　hair；　his　blue　eyes　burned　for　a　reason　that　Alekseyev　understood　better　than　the　major　did。　He　limped　slightly　from　two　bullets　he'd　taken　in　the　leg　during　the　initial　assault　on　the　Keflavik　air　base　on　Iceland。　On　his　breast　was　the　ribbon　of　the　Order　of　the　Red　Banner；　earned　for　leading　his　pany　into　enemy　fire。　Sorokin　and　most　of　the　early　casualties　had　been　flown　out　for　medical　treatment。　He　and　they　were　now　awaiting　new　assignment　since　their　division　had　been　captured　on　Iceland。
〃How　may　I　serve　the　General？〃　Sorokin　asked。
〃I　need　a　new　aide；　and　I　prefer　officers　with　bat　experience。　More　than　that；　Arkady　Semyonovich；　I　will　need　you　to　perform　a　delicate　task。　But　before　we　discuss　that；　there　is　something　I　need　to　explain　to　you。　Please　sit　down。　Your　leg？〃
〃The　doctors　advised　me　not　to　run　on　it　for　another　week。　They　were　right。　I　tried　to　do　my　ten　kilometers　yesterday　and　pulled　up　lame　after　only　two。〃　He　didn't　smile。　Alekseyev　imagined　that　the　boy　hadn't　smiled　at　all　since　May。　The　General　explained　to　him　for　the　first　time　why　this　was　true。　Five　minutes　later；　Sorokin's　hand　was　opening　and　closing　beside　the　arm　of　the　leather　chair；　about　where　his　pistol　holster　would　be　if　he'd　been　standing。
〃Major；　the　essence　of　a　soldier　is　discipline；〃　Alekseyev　concluded。　〃I　have　brought　you　here　for　a　reason；　but　I　must　know　that　you　will　carry　out　your　orders　exactly。　I　will　understand　if　you　cannot。〃

There　was　no　emotion　on　his　face　at　all；　but　the　hand　relaxed。　〃Yes；　rade　General；　and　I　thank　you　from　my　soul　for　bringing　me　here。　It　will　be　exactly　as　you　say。〃
〃e；　then。　We　have　work　to　do。〃
The　General's　car　was　already　waiting。　Alekseyev　and　Sorokin　drove　to　the　inner　ring　road　around　central　Moscow　that　changes　its　name　every　few　kilometers。　It　is　called　Chkalova　where　it　passes　the　Star　Theater　toward　the　Kursk　Railroad　Station。
The　mander　of　the　77th　Motor…Rifle　Division　was　dozing。　He　had　a　new　deputy　mander；　a　brigadier　from　the　front　to　replace　the　overaged　colonel　who　had　held　the　post。　They　had　talked　for　ten　hours　on　NATO　tactics；　and　now　the　Generals　were　taking　advantage　of　their　unexpectedly　extended　stop　in　Moscow　to　get　some　sleep。
〃What　the　hell　is　this！〃
The　77th's　mander　opened　his　eyes　to　see　a　four…star　general　staring　down　at　him。　He　jumped　to　attention　like　a　cadet。
〃Good　morning；　rade　General！〃
〃And　good　morning　to　you！　What　the　hell　is　a　division　of　the　Soviet　Army　doing　asleep　on　a　Goddamned　railroad　siding　while　men　are　dying　in　Germany！〃　Alekseyev　nearly　screamed　at　the　man。
〃We…we　can't　make　the　trains　move；　there　is　some　problem　with　the　tracks。〃
〃There　is　a　problem　with　the　tracks？　You　have　your　vehicles；　don't　you？〃
〃The　train　goes　to　Kiev　Station；　where　we　switch　lootives　for　the　trip　to　Poland。〃
〃I'll　arrange　transport　for　you。　We　don't　have　time；〃　Alekseyev　explained　as　though　to　a　wayward　child；　〃to　have　a　fighting　division　sit　on　its　ass。　If　the　train　can't　move；　you　can！　Roll　your　vehicles　off　the　flatcars；　we'll　take　you　through　Moscow；　and　you　can　get　to　Kiev　Station　yourself。　Now　rub　the　sleep　out　of　your　eyes　and　get　this　division　rolling　before　I　find　someone　else　who　can！〃
It　never　failed　to　amaze　the　General　what　a　little　screaming　could　do。　Alekseyev　watched　the　division　mander　scream　at　his　regimental　manders；　who　went　off　to　scream　at　their　battalion　manders。　In　ten　minutes　the　screaming　was　done　at　the　squad　level。　Ten　minutes　after　that；　the　tie…down　chains　were　being　stripped　off　the　BTR…60　infantry　carriers　and　the　first　of　them　rolled　off　the　back　of　the　train　for　assembly　in　Korskogo　Square　in　front　of　the　station。　The　infantrymen　mounted　their　vehicles；　looking　very　dangerous　in　battle　dress；　their　weapons　in　their　hands。
〃You　got　your　new　munications　officers？〃　Alekseyev　asked。
〃Yes；　they　have　pletely　replaced　my　own　people；〃　the　division　mander　nodded。
〃Good。　We've　learned　the　hard　way　about　munications　security　at　the　front。　Your　new　men　will　serve　you　well。　And　the　new　riflemen？〃
〃One　pany　of　veterans　in　each　regiment；　plus　others　spread　individually　throughout　the　rifle　panies。〃　The　mander　was　also　pleased　to　have　some　new　bat　officers　to　replace　a　few　of　his　less…well…regarded　subordinates。　Alekseyev　had　clearly　sent　him　good　ones。
〃Good；　get　your　division　formed　up　in　columns　of　regiments。　Let's　show　the　people　something；　rade。　Show　them　what　a　Soviet　Army　division　is　supposed　to　look　like。　They　need　it。〃
〃How　do　we　proceed　through　the　city？〃
〃I　have　gotten　some　KGB　border　guards　for　traffic　control。　Keep　your　people　in　proper　order；　I　don't　want　anyone　to　get　lost！〃
A　major　came　running　up。　〃Ready　to　move　in　twenty　minutes。〃
〃Fifteen！〃　the　mander　insisted。
〃Very　good；〃　Alekseyev　observed。　〃General；　I　will　acpany　you。　I　want　to　see　how　familiar　your　men　are　with　their　equipment。〃
Mikhail　Sergetov　arrived　early　for　the　Politburo　meeting；　as　was　his　habit。　The　usual　plement　of　Kremlin　guards　was　about；　one　pany　of　infantry　with　light　arms。　They　were　from　the　Taman　Guards　division；　ceremonial　troops　with　minimal　weapons　training…a　praetorial　guard　without　teeth；　like　many　ceremonial　units　they　practiced　parading　and　boot…shining　and　looking　like　soldiers；　though　at　Alabino　they　did　have　a　full　divisional　set　of　tanks　and　guns。　The　real　Kremlin　guardians　were　the　KGB　border　guards　and　the　division　of　MVD　troops　garrisoned　outside　Moscow。　It　was　typical　of　the　Soviet　system　that　there　would　be　three　armed　formations　loyal　to　three　separate　ministries。　The　Taman　division　had　the　best　weapons　but　the　least　training。　The　KGB　had　the　best　training　but　only　light　weapons。　The　MVD；　which　answered　to　the　Ministry　of　the　Interior；　was　also　short　on　weapons　and　trained　mainly　as　a　paramilitary　police　force；　but　they　were　posed　of　Tartars；　troops　of　known　ferocity　and　antipathy　toward　the　ethnic　Russian　people。　The　relationship　among　the　three　was　more　than　merely　plex。
〃Mikhail　Eduardovich？〃
〃Ah。〃　It　was　the　Agriculture　Minister。　〃Good　morning；　Filip　Moiseyevich。〃
〃I　am　worried；〃　the　man　said　quietly。
〃About　what？〃
〃I　fear　they…the　Defense　Council…may　be　thinking　about　atomic　weapons。