tc.redstormrising-第30节

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KIEV；　THE　UKRAINE
〃Captain　Ivan　Mikhailovich　Sergetov　reporting　as　ordered；　rade　General。〃
〃Be　seated；　rade　Captain。〃　The　resemblance　to　his　father　was　remarkable；　Alekseyev　thought。　Short　and　stocky。　The　same　proud　eyes；　the　same　intelligence。　Another　young　man　on　his　way　up。　〃Your　father　tells　me　that　you　are　an　honor　student　in　Middle　East　languages。〃
〃This　is　correct；　rade　General。〃
〃Have　you　also　studied　the　people　who　speak　them？〃
〃That　is　an　integral　part　of　the　curriculum；　rade。〃　The　younger　Sergetov　smiled。　〃We've　even　had　to　read　through　the　Koran。　It　is　the　only　book　most　of　them　have　ever　read；　and　therefore　an　important　factor　in　understanding　the　savages。〃
〃You　do　not　like　the　Arabs；　then？〃
〃Not　particularly。　But　out　country　must　do　business　with　them。　I　get　along　with　them　well　enough。　My　class　will　occasionally　meet　with　diplomats　from　politically　acceptable　countries　to　practice　our　language　skills。　Mainly　Libya；　and　occasionally　people　from　Yemen　and　Syria。〃
〃You　have　three　years　in　tanks。　Can　we　defeat　the　Arabs　in　battle？〃
〃The　Israelis　have　done　so　with　ease；　and　they　don't　have　a　fraction　of　our　resources。　The　Arab　soldier　is　an　illiterate　peasant；　poorly　trained　and　led　by　inpetent　officers。〃
A　young　man　with　all　the　answers。　And　perhaps　you　will　explain　Afghanistan　to　me？　Alekseyev　thought。　〃rade　Captain；　you　will　be　attached　to　my　personal　staff　for　the　forthing　operation　against　the　Persian　Gulf　states。　I　will　lean　on　you　for　linguistic　work；　and　to　support　our　intelligence　estimates。　I　understand　that　you　are　training　to　be　a　diplomat。　That　is　useful　to　me。　I　always　like　to　have　a　second　opinion　of　the　intelligence　data　that　KGB　and　GRU　send　us。　Not　that　I　distrust　our　rades　in　the　intelligence　arms；　you　understand。　I　simply　like　to　have　someone　who　thinks　'Army'　to　review　the　data。　The　fact　that　you've　served　in　tanks　is　doubly　valuable　to　me。　One　more　question。　How　are　the　reservists　reacting　to　the　mobilization？〃
〃With　enthusiasm；　of　course；〃　the　captain　replied。
〃Ivan　Mikhailovich；　I　presume　your　father　told　you　about　me。　I　listen　attentively　to　the　words　of　our　Party；　but　soldiers　preparing　for　battle　need　to　know　the　unvarnished　truth　so　that　we　can　bring　about　the　Party's　wishes。〃
Captain　Sergetov　noted　how　carefully　that　had　been　phrased。　〃Our　people　are　angry；　rade　General。　They　are　enraged　over　the　incident　in　the　Kremlin；　the　murder　of　the　children。　I　think　'enthusiasm'　is　not　a　great　exaggeration。〃
〃And　you；　Ivan　Mikhailovich？〃
〃rade　General；　my　father　told　me　that　you　would　ask　this　question。　He　told　me　to　assure　you　that　he　had　no　prior　knowledge　of　it；　and　that　the　important　thing　is　to　safeguard　our　country　so　that　similar　tragedies　will　never　again　be　necessary。〃
Alekseyev　did　not　reply　at　once。　He　was　chilled　by　the　knowledge　that　Sergetov　had　read　his　mind　three　days　before；　and　dumbfounded　that　he　had　confided　so　enormous　a　secret　to　his　son。　But　it　was　good　to　know　that　he　had　not　misread　the　Politburo　man。　He　was　a　man　to　be　trusted。　Perhaps　his　son　also？　Mikhail　Eduardovich　evidently　thought　so。
〃rade　Captain；　these　are　things　to　be　forgotten。　We　have　enough　to　occupy　us　already。　You　will　work　down　the　hall　in　room　twenty…two。　There　is　work　waiting　for　you。　Dismissed。〃

BONN；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
〃It's　all　a　sham；〃　Weber　reported　to　the　Chancellor　four　hours　later。　The　helicopter　he'd　flown　to　Bonn　hadn't　even　left　the　ground　yet。　〃The　whole　bomb…plot　business　is　all　a　cruel　and　deliberate　sham。〃
〃We　know　that；　Colonel；〃　the　Chancellor　replied　testily。　He'd　been　awake　for　two　days　straight　now；　trying　to　e　to　grips　with　the　sudden　German…Russian　crisis。
〃Herr　Kanzler；　the　man　we　now　have　in　the　hospital　is　Major　Andre　Ilych　Chernyavin。　He　entered　the　country　over　the　Czech　border　two　weeks　ago　with　a　separate　set　of　false　papers。　He　is　an　officer　in　the　Soviet　Spetznaz　forces；　their　elite　Sturmtruppen。　He　was　badly　injured　in　an　auto　accident…the　fool　stepped　right　in　front　of　an　automobile　without　looking…and　was　carrying　a　plete　diagram　for　the　NATO　munications　base　at　Lammersdorf。　The　station's　security　posts　were　just　relocated　a　month　ago。　This　document　is　only　two　weeks　old。　He　also　has　the　watch　schedule　and　a　roster　of　watch　officers…and　that　is　only　three　days　old！　He　and　a　team　of　ten　men　came　over　the　Czech　border；　and　only　just　got　their　operational　orders。　His　current　orders　are　to　attack　the　base　exactly　at　midnight；　the　day　after　receipt　of　his　alert　signal。　There　is　also　a　cancellation　signal　should　plans　change。　We　have　them　both。〃
〃He　came　into　Germany　long　before…〃　The　Chancellor　was　surprised　in　spite　of　himself。　The　entire　affair　was　so　unreal。
〃Exactly。　It　all　fits；　Herr　Kanzler。　For　whatever　reason；　Ivan　is　ing　to　attack　Germany。　Everything　to　this　point　was　a　sham；　all　designed　to　put　us　to　sleep。　Here　is　a　full　transcript　of　our　interview　with　Chernyavin。　He　has　knowledge　of　four　other　Spetznaz　operations；　all　of　them　consistent　with　a　full…scale　assault　across　our　borders。　He　is　now　at　our　military　hospital　in　Koblenz　under　heavy　guard。　We　also　have　a　videotape　of　his　admission。〃
〃What　of　the　chance　that　this　is　all　some　sort　of　Russian　provocation？　Why　weren't　these　documents　brought　over　when　they　crossed　the　border？〃
〃The　reconstruction　of　the　Lammersdorf　installation　meant　that　they　needed　correct　information。　As　you　know；　we've　been　upgrading　the　security　measures　at　our　NATO　munications　stations　since　last　summer；　and　our　Russian　friends　must　have　been　updating　their　assault　plans　as　well。　The　fact　that　they　have　these　documents　at　all…just　days　old；　some　of　them…is　most　frightening。　As　for　how　we　happened　to　get　hold　of　this　man…〃　Weber　explained　the　circumstances　of　the　accident。　〃We　have　every　reason　to　believe　that　it　was　a　genuine　accident；　not　a　provocation。　The　driver；　a　Madame　Anne…Marie　LeCourte；　is　a　fashion　agent　…she　sells　dresses　for　some　Paris　designer　or　other；　not　a　likely　cover　for　a　Soviet　spy。　And　why　do　such　a　thing？　Do　they　expect　us　to　launch　an　attack　into　the　DDR　based　on　this？　First　they　accuse　us　of　bombing　the　Kremlin；　then　try　to　provoke　us？　It's　not　logical。　What　we　have　here　is　a　man　whose　mission　is　to　prepare　the　way　for　a　Soviet　invasion　of　Germany　by　paralyzing　NATO　munication　links　immediately　before　hostilities　mence。〃
〃But　to　do　such　a　thing…even　if　such　an　attack　is　planned。
〃The　Soviets　are　intoxicated　with　'special　operations'　groups；　a　lesson　from　Afghanistan。　These　men　are　highly　trained；　very　dangerous。　And　it's　a　cunning　plan。　The　Jewish　identification；　for　example。　The　bastards　play　on　our　sensitivity　with　the　Jews；　no？　If　he　is　stopped　by　a　police　officer；　he　can　make　a　casual　remark　about　how　Germans　treat　Jews；　and　what　would　a　young　policeman　do；　eh？　Probably　apologize　and　send　him　on　his　way。〃　Weber　smiled　grimly。　That　had　been　a　carefully　thought…out　touch。　He　had　to　admire　it。　〃What　they　could　not　allow　for　was　the　unexpected。　We've　been　lucky。　We　should　now　make　use　of　this　luck。　Herr　Kanzler；　this　data　must　go　to　NATO　high　mand　immediately。　For　the　moment　we　have　their　safe　house　under　observation。　We　may　wish　to　assault　it。　GSG…9　is　ready　for　the　mission；　but　perhaps　it　should　be　a　NATO　operation。〃
〃I　must　meet　with　my　cabinet　first。　Then　I　will　speak　with　the　President　of　the　United　States　on　the　telephone　and　the　other　NATO　chiefs　of　government。〃
〃Forgive　me；　Chancellor；　but　there　is　no　time　for　that。　With　your　permission；　within　the　hour　I　will　give　a　copy　of　the　videotape　to　the　CIA　liaison　officer；　and　also　to　the　British　and　French。　The　Russians　are　going　to　attack　us。　Better　to　alert　the　intelligence　services　first；　which　will　lay　the　groundwork　for　your　talk　with　the　President　and　others。　We　must　move　at　once；　Herr　Kanzler。　This　is　a　life…and…death　situation。〃
The　Chancellor　stared　down　at　his　desk。　〃Agreed；　Colonel。　What　do　you　propose　to　do　with　this　Chernyavin？〃
Weber　had　already　moved　on　that　score。　〃He　died　of　injuries　sustained　in　the　auto　accident。　It　will　appear　on　the　television　news　this　evening；　and　in　the　newspapers。　Of　course　he　will　be　made　available　to　our　allies　for　further　interrogation。　I　am　certain　the　CIA　and　others　will　wish　to　see　him　before　midnight。〃
The　Chancellor　of　the　German　Federal　Republic　stared　out　the　windows　of　his　Bonn　office。　He　remembered　his　armed　service　forty　years　before：　a　frightened　teenager　with　a　helmet　that　nearly　covered　his　eyes。　〃It's　happening　again。〃　How　many　will　die　this　time？
〃Ja。〃　Dear　God；　what　will　it　be　like？

LENINGRAD；　R。S。F。S。R。
The　captain　looked　out　over　the　port　side　of　his　ship　from　the　bridge　wing。　Tugs　pushed　the　last　barge　onto　the　aft　elevator；　then　backed　away。　The　elevator　rose　a　few　meters；　and　the　barge　settled　into　place　on　the　trolleys　already　set　on　the　fore…and…aft　tracks。　JULIUS　FUCIK's　first　officer　supervised　the　loading　process　from　the　winch…control　station　aft；　municating　by　portable　radio　to　other　men　scattered　about　the　afterpart　of　the　ship。　The　elevator　matched　levels　with　that　of　the　third　cargo　deck；　and　the　access　door　opened　to　expose　the　vast　cargo　deck。　Crewmen　strung　cables　onto　the　trolleys　and　bolted　them　rapidly　into　place。
Winches　pulled　the　barge　forwar