tc.redstormrising-第29节

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ry　at　the　hands　of　Professor　Anton　Ziegler。　The　lieutenant　had　to　stay　in　the　emergency　room　with　the　registrar。
〃So　who　was　he？〃　the　young　doctor　asked。　The　policeman　gave　the　information　over。
〃A　German？〃
〃Does　that　seem　strange？〃　the　lieutenant　asked。
〃Well；　when　the　radio　call　came　in；　and　said　you　were　ing　also；　I　assumed　that　this　was；　well；　sensitive；　as　though　a　foreigner　were　injured。〃
〃The　auto　was　driven　by　a　Frenchwoman。〃
〃Ach；　that　explains　it。　I　thought　he　was　the　foreigner。〃
〃Why　so？〃
〃His　dental　work。　I　noticed　when　I　intubated　him。　He　has　a　number　of　cavities；　and　they've　been　repaired　with　stainless　steel…sloppy　work。〃
〃Perhaps　he　originally　es　from　the　East　Zone；〃　the　lieutenant　observed。　The　registrar　snorted。
No　German　ever　did　that　work！　A　carpenter　could　do　better。〃　The　doctor　filled　out　the　admission　form　rapidly。
〃What　are　you　telling　me？〃
〃He　has　poor　dental　work。　Strange。　He　is　very　fit。　Dressed　well。　Jewish。　But　he　has　miserable　dental　work。〃　The　doctor　sat　down。　〃We　see　many　strange　things；　of　course。〃
〃Where　are　his　personal　effects？〃　The　lieutenant　was　a　naturally　curious　type；　one　reason　he'd　bee　a　policeman　after　his　service　in　the　Bundeswehr。　The　doctor　walked　the　officer　to　a　room　where　the　personal　effects　were　inventoried　for　secure　storage　by　a　hospital　employee。
They　found　the　clothing　neatly　arranged；　with　the　jacket　and　shirt　separate　so　that　their　bloodstains　would　not　damage　anything　else。　Pocket　change；　a　set　of　keys；　and　a　large　envelope　were　set　aside　for　cataloging。　The　orderly　was　filling　out　a　form；　looking　up　to　list　exactly　what　had　e　in　with　the　patient。
The　policeman　lifted　the　manila　envelope。　It　had　been　mailed　from　Stuttgart　yesterday　evening。　A　ten…mark　stamp。　On　an　impulse　he　pulled　out　a　pocketknife　and　slit　the　top　of　the　envelope　open。　Neither　the　doctor　nor　the　orderly　objected。　This　was　a　police　officer；　after　all。
A　large　and　two　smaller　envelopes　were　inside。　He　opened　the　large　one　first　and　extracted　the　contents。　First　he　saw　a　diagram。　It　looked　ordinary　enough　until　he　saw　that　it　was　a　photocopy　of　a　German　Army　document　stamped　Geheim。　Secret。　Then　the　name：　Lammersdorf。　He　was　holding　a　map　of　a　NATO　munications　headquarters　not　thirty　kilometers　from　where　he　stood。　The　police　lieutenant　was　a　captain　in　the　German　Army　Reserves；　and　held　an　intelligence　billet。　Who　was　Siegfried　Baum？　He　opened　the　other　envelopes。　Next　he　went　to　a　phone。

ROTA；　SPAIN
The　transport　jet　arrived　right　on　time。　A　fair　breeze　greeted　them　from　the　sea　as　Toland　emerged　from　the　cargo　door。　A　pair　of　sailors　was　there　to　direct　the　arrivals。　Toland　was　pointed　to　a　helicopter　a　hundred　yards　away；　its　rotor　already　turning。　He　walked　quickly　toward　it；　along　with　four　other　men。　Five　minutes　later　he　was　airborne；　his　first　visit　to　Spain　having　lasted　exactly　eleven　minutes。　No　one　attempted　conversation。　Toland　looked　out　one　of　the　small　windows　available。　They　were　over　a　patch　of　blue　water；　evidently　flying　southwest。　They　were　aboard　a　Sea　King　antisubmarine　helicopter。　The　crew　chief　was　also　a　sonar　operator；　and　he　was　fiddling　with　his　gear；　evidently　running　some　sort　of　test。　The　interior　walls　of　the　aircraft　were　bare。　Aft　was　the　sonobuoy　storage；　and　the　dipping　sonar　transducer　was　caged　in　its　partment　in　the　floor。　For　all　that；　the　aircraft　was　crowded；　most　of　its　space　occupied　by　weapon　and　sensor　instrumentation。　They'd　been　in　the　air　for　half　an　hour　when　the　helo　started　circling。　Two　minutes　later；　they　landed　on　USS　NIMITZ。
The　flight　deck　was　hot；　noisy；　and　stank　of　jet　fuel。　A　deck　crewman　motioned　them　toward　a　ladder　which　led　down　to　the　catwalk　surrounding　the　deck；　and　into　a　passageway　beneath　it。　Here　they　encountered　air　conditioning　and　relative　quiet；　sheltered　from　the　flight　operations　going　on　overhead。
〃Lieutenant　mander　Toland？〃　a　yeoman　called　out。
〃Here。〃
〃Please　e　with　me；　sir。〃
Toland　followed　the　sailor　through　the　rabbit　warren　of　partments　below　the　flight　deck；　and　was　finally　pointed　to　an　open　door。
〃You　must　be　Toland；〃　observed　a　somewhat　frazzled　officer。
〃Must　be…unless　the　time　zone　changes　did　something。〃
〃You　want　the　good　news　or　the　bad　news？〃
〃Bad。〃
〃Okay；　you'll　have　to　hot…bunk。　Not　enough　berths　for　all　of　us　intel　types。　Shouldn't　matter　much；　though。　I　haven't　slept　for　three　days…one　of　the　reasons　you're　here。　The　good　news　is　that　you　just　got　another　half　a　stripe。　Wele　aboard；　mander。　I'm　Chip　Bennett。〃　The　officer　handed　Toland　a　telex　sheet。　〃Looks　as　though　CINCLANT　likes　you。　Nice　to　have　friends　in　high　places。〃
The　message　announced　tersely　that　Lieutenant　mander　Robert　A。　Toland；　III；　USNR；　had　been　〃frocked〃　as　a　mander；　USNR；　which　gave　him　the　right　to　wear　the　three　gold　stripes　of　a　mander；　but　not　to　collect　a　mander's　pay　just　yet。　It　was　like　a　kiss　from　one's　sister。　Well；　he　reflected；　maybe　a　cousin。
〃I　guess　it's　a　step　in　the　right　direction。　What　am　I　going　to　be　doing　here？〃
〃Theoretically　you're　supposed　to　assist　me；　but　we're　so　friggin'　overwhelmed　with　information　at　the　moment　that　we're　divvying　the　territory　up　some。　I'm　going　to　let　you　handle　the　morning　and　evening　briefs　to　the　battle　group　mander。　We　do　that　at　0700　and　2000。　Rear　Admiral　Samuel　B。　Baker；　Jr。　Son　of　a　B。　He's　an　ex…nuc。　Likes　it　quick　and　clean；　with　footnotes　and　sources　on　the　writeup　to　read　afterwards。　He　almost　never　sleeps。　Your　battle　station　will　be　in　the　CIC　with　the　group　tactical　warfare　officer。〃　Walker　rubbed　his　eyes。　〃So　what　the　hell　is　happening　in　this　crazy　world？〃
〃What's　it　look　like？〃　Toland　answered。
〃Yeah。　Something　new　just　came　in。　The　space　shuttle　Atlantis　was　pulled　off　the　pad　at　Kennedy　today；　supposedly　for　a　puter　glitch；　right？　Three　newspapers　just　broke　a　story　that　she　was　taken　down　for　payload　replacement。　They　were　supposed　to　loft　three　or　four　mercial　munications　birds。　Instead；　the　payload　is　reconnaissance　satellites。〃
〃I　guess　people　are　starting　to　take　this　seriously。〃

AACHEN；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
〃Siegfried　Baum〃　awoke　six　hours　later　to　see　three　men　wearing　surgical　garb。　The　effect　of　the　anesthesia　still　heavy　on　him；　his　eyes　could　not　focus　properly。
〃How　are　you　feeling？〃　one　asked。　In　Russian。
〃What　happened　to　me？〃　The　major　answered　in　Russian。
Ach　so。　〃You　were　struck　by　a　car　and　you　are　now　in　a　military　hospital；〃　the　man　lied。　They　were　still　in　Aachen；　near　the　German…Belgian　frontier。
〃What　。　。　。　I　was　just　ing　out　to…〃　The　major's　voice　was　that　of　a　drunken　man；　but　it　stopped　abruptly。　His　eyes　tried　to　focus　properly。
〃It　is　all　finished　for　you；　my　friend。〃　Now　the　speaker　switched　to　German。　〃We　know　you　are　a　Soviet　officer；　and　you　were　found　in　possession　of　classified　government　documents。　Tell　me；　what　is　your　interest　in　Lammersdorf？〃
〃I　have　nothing　to　say；〃　replied　〃Baum〃　in　German。
〃A　little　late　for　that；〃　the　interrogator　chided；　switching　back　to　Russian。　〃But　we'll　make　it　easy　for　you。　The　surgeon　tells　us　that　it　is　now　safe　to　try　a　new；　ah；　medication　for　you；　and　you　will　tell　us　everything　you　know。　Be　serious。　No　one　can　resist　this　form　of　questioning。　You　might　also　wish　to　consider　your　position；〃　the　man　said　more　harshly。　〃You　are　an　officer　in　the　army　of　a　foreign　government；　here　in　the　Federal　Republic　illegally；　traveling　with　false　papers；　and　in　possession　of　secret　documents。　At　the　least；　we　can　imprison　you　for　life。　But；　given　what　your　government　is　doing　at　the　moment；　we　are　not　concerned　with　'least'　measures。　If　you　cooperate　you　will　live；　and　probably　be　exchanged　back　to　the　Soviet　Union　at　a　later　date　for　a　German　agent。　We　will　even　say　that　we　got　all　our　information　due　to　the　use　of　drugs；　no　harm　could　possibly　e　to　you　from　this。　If　you　do　not　cooperate；　you　will　die　of　injuries　received　in　a　motor　accident。〃
〃I　have　a　family；〃　Major　Andre　Chernyavin　said　quietly；　trying　to　remember　his　duty。　The　bination　of　fear　and　drug…induced　haze　made　a　hash　of　his　emotions。　He　couldn't　tell　there　was　a　vial　of　sodium　pentothol　dripping　into　his　IV　line；　and　already　impairing　his　higher　brain　functions。　Soon　he　would　be　unable　to　consider　the　long…term　consequences　of　his　action。　Only　the　here　and　now　would　matter。
〃They　will　e　to　no　harm；〃　Colonel　Weber　promised。　An　Army　officer　assigned　to　the　Bundesnachrichtendienst；　he　had　interrogated　many　Soviet　agents。　〃Do　you　think　they　punish　the　family　of　every　spy　we　catch？　Soon　no　one　would　ever　e　here　to　spy　on　us　at　all。〃　Weber　allowed　his　voice　to　soften。　The　drugs　were　beginning　to　take　effect；　and　as　the　stranger's　mind　became　hazy　he　would　be　gentle；　cajoling　the　information　from　him。　The　funny　part；　he　mused；　was　that　he'd　been　instructed　on　how　to　do　this　by　a　psychiatrist。　Despite　the　many　movies　about　brutal　German　interrogators；　he　hadn't　had　the　least　training　in　a　forceful　extraction　of　information。　Too　bad；　he　thought。　If　there　was　ever　a　time　I　need　it；　it　is　now。　Most　of　the　colonel's　family　lived　outside　Kulmbach；　only　a　few　kilometers　from　the　border。

KIEV；　THE　UKRAINE
〃Captain　Ivan　Mikhailovich　Sergetov　reporting　as　ordered；　rade　General。〃
〃Be　seated；　rade　Captain。〃　The　resem