tc.redstormrising-第31节

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　and　bolted　them　rapidly　into　place。
Winches　pulled　the　barge　forward　into　the　third；　lowermost；　cargo　deck　of　the　Seabee…for　Seagoing　Barge　Carner…ship。　As　soon　as　the　trolleys　were　over　their　painted　marks；　the　watertight　door　closed　and　lights　came　on　to　allow　the　crew　to　secure　the　barge　firmly　in　place。　Neatly　done；　the　first　officer　thought。　The　whole　loading　process　had　been　pleted　in　only　eleven　hours；　almost　a　record。　He　supervised　the　process　of　securing　the　after…portion　of　the　ship　for　sea。
〃The　last　barge　will　be　fully　secured　in　thirty　minutes；〃　the　bosun　reported　to　the　first　officer；　who　forwarded　the　information　to　the　bridge。
Captain　Kherov　switched　buttons　on　his　phone　to　talk　to　the　engineering　spaces。　〃You　will　be　ready　to　answer　bells　in　thirty　minutes。〃
〃Very　well。　Thirty　minutes。〃　The　engineer　hung　up。
On　the　bridge；　the　captain　turned　to　his　most　senior　passenger；　a　general　of　paratroops　wearing　the　blue　jacket　of　a　ship's　officer。　〃How　are　your　men？〃
〃Some　are　seasick　already。〃　General　Andreyev　laughed。　They　had　been　brought　aboard　inside　the　sealed　barges…except　for　the　General；　of　course…along　with　tons　of　military　cargo。　〃Thank　you　for　allowing　my　men　to　walk　around　the　lower　decks。〃
〃I　run　a　ship；　not　a　prison。　Just　so　they　don't　tamper　with　anything。〃
〃They've　been　told；〃　Andreyev　assured　him。
〃Good。　We　will　have　plenty　of　work　for　them　to　do　in　a　few　days。〃
〃You　know；　this　is　my　first　trip　aboard　ship。〃
〃Really？　Fear　not；　rade　General。　It　is　much　safer；　and　much　more　fortable；　than　flying　in　an　aircraft…and　then　jumping　out　of　it！〃　The　captain　laughed。　〃He　is　a　big　ship　and　he　rides　very　well　even　with　so　light　a　load。〃
〃Light　load？〃　the　General　asked。　〃This　is　more　than　half　of　my　division's　equipment　you　have　aboard。〃
〃We　can　carry　well　over　thirty…five　thousand　metric　tons　of　cargo。　Your　equipment　is　bulky；　but　not　that　heavy。〃　This　was　a　new　thought　for　the　General；　who　usually　had　to　calculate　in　terms　of　moving　equipment　by　air。
Below；　over　a　thousand　men　of　the　234th　Guards　Air　Assault　Regiment　were　milling　about　under　the　control　of　their　officers　and　NCOs。　Except　for　brief　periods　at　night；　they'd　be　stuck　down　there　until　the　Fucik　cleared　the　English　Channel。　They　tolerated　it　surprisingly　well。　Even　when　crammed　with　barges　and　equipment；　the　cavernous　cargo　spaces　were　far　larger　than　the　military　transport　aircraft　they　were　accustomed　to。　The　ship's　crew　was　rigging　planks　from　one　barge　top　to　another　so　that　there　would　be　more　room　for　them　to　use　for　sleeping；　and　to　get　the　soldiers　off　the　oily　workspaces　that　the　crew　needed　to　patrol。　Soon；　the　regimental　officers　were　to　be　briefed　on　shipboard　systems；　with　special　attention　to　the　firefighting　systems。　A　strict　no…smoking　rule　was　being　enforced；　but　the　professional　seamen　took　no　chances。　The　crewmen　were　surprised　at　the　humble　demeanor　of　the　swaggering　paratroopers。　Even　elite　troops；　they　learned；　could　be　cowed　by　exposure　to　a　new　environment。　It　was　a　pleasant　observation　for　the　merchant　seamen。
Three　tugs　pulled　on　lines　hanging　from　the　ship's　side；　drawing　her　slowly　away　from　her　dock。　Two　others　joined　as　soon　as　she　was　clear；　pushing　the　bow　around　to　face　out　to　sea　from　the　Leningrad　terminal。　The　General　watched　the　ship's　captain　control　the　procedure；　as　he　raced　from　one　bridge　wing　to　another　with　a　junior　officer　in　tow；　often　giving　rudder　orders　as　he　passed。　Captain　Kherov　was　nearly　sixty；　and　more　than　two…thirds　of　his　life　had　been　spent　at　sea。
〃Rudder　amidships！〃　he　called。　〃Ahead　slow。〃
The　helmsman　acplished　both　mands　in　under　a　second；　the　General　saw。　Not　bad；　he　thought；　remembering　the　surly　ments　he'd　heard　from　time　to　time　about　merchant　seamen。　The　captain　rejoined　him。
〃Ah；　that's　the　hardest　part　behind　us。〃
〃But　you　had　help　for　that；〃　the　General　observed。
〃Some　help！　Damned　tugboats　are　run　by　drunks。　They　damage　ships　all　the　time　here。〃　The　captain　walked　over　to　the　chart。　Good：　a　deep　straight　channel　all　the　way　to　the　Baltic。　He　could　relax　a　bit。　The　captain　walked　over　to　his　bridge　chair　and　settled　in。　〃Tea！〃
A　steward　appeared　at　once　with　a　tray　of　cups。
〃There　is　no　liquor　aboard？〃　Andreyev　was　surprised。
〃Not　unless　your　men　brought　it；　rade　General。　I　do　not　tolerate　alcohol　on　my　ship。〃
〃That　is　true　enough。〃　The　first　officer　joined　them。　〃All　secure　aft。　The　special　sea　detail　is　set。　Lookouts　posted。　The　deck　inspection　is　under　way。〃
〃Deck　inspection？〃
〃We　normally　check　at　the　turn　of　every　watch　for　open　hatches；　rade　General；〃　the　first　officer　explained。　〃With　your　men　aboard；　we　will　check　every　hour。〃
〃You　do　not　trust　my　men？〃　The　General　was　mildly　offended。
〃Would　you　trust　one　of　us　aboard　one　of　your　airplanes？〃　the　captain　replied。
〃You　are　right；　of　course。　Please　excuse　me。〃　Andreyev　knew　a　professional　when　he　saw　one。　〃Can　you　spare　a　few　men　to　teach　my　junior　officers　and　sergeants　what　they　need　to　know？〃
The　first　officer　pulled　a　set　of　papers　from　his　pocket。　〃The　classes　begin　in　three　hours。　In　two　weeks；　your　men　will　be　proper　seamen。〃
〃We　are　particularly　worried　about　damage　control；〃　the　captain　said。
〃That　concerns　you？〃
〃Of　course。　We　stand　into　danger；　rade　General。　I　would　also　like　to　see　what　your　men　can　do　for　ship　defense。〃
The　General　hadn't　thought　of　that。　The　operation　had　been　thrown　together　too　quickly　for　his　liking；　without　the　chance　to　train　his　men　in　their　shipboard　duties。　Security　considerations。　Well；　no　operation　was　ever　fully　planned；　was　it？　〃I'll　have　my　antiair　mander　meet　with　you　as　soon　as　you　are　ready。〃　He　paused。　〃What　sort　of　damage　can　this　ship　absorb　and　still　survive？〃
〃He　is　not　a　warship；　rade　General。〃　Kherov　smiled　cryptically。　〃However；　you　will　note　that　nearly　all　of　our　cargo　is　on　steel　barges。　Those　barges　have　double　steel　walls；　with　a　meter　of　space　between　them；　which　may　even　be　better　than　the　partmentalization　on　a　warship。　With　luck；　we　will　not　have　to　learn。　Fire　is　what　concerns　me　most。　The　majority　of　ships　lost　in　battle　die　from　fire。　If　we　can　set　up　an　effective　firefighting　drill；　we　may　well　be　able　to　survive　at　least　one；　perhaps　as　many　as　three　missile　hits。〃
The　General　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃My　men　will　be　available　to　you　whenever　you　wish。〃
〃As　soon　as　we　clear　the　Channel。〃　The　captain　got　up　and　checked　the　chart　again。　〃Sorry　that　we　cannot　offer　you　a　pleasure　cruise。　Perhaps　the　return　trip。〃
The　General　lifted　his　tea。　〃I　will　toast　that；　rades。　My　men　are　at　your　disposal　until　the　time　es。　Success！〃
〃Yes。　Success！〃　Captain　Kherov　lifted　his　cup　also；　almost　wishing　for　a　glass　of　vodka　to　toast　their　enterprise　properly。　He　was　ready。　Not　since　his　youth　in　Navy　minesweepers　had　he　had　the　chance　to　serve　the　State　directly；　and　he　was　determined　to　see　this　mission　through。

KOBLENZ；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
〃Good　evening；　Major。〃　In　a　guarded　wing　of　the　military　hospital；　the　chief　of　CIA's　Bonn　Station　sat　down　with　his　British　and　French　counterparts　and　a　pair　of　translators。　〃Shall　we　talk　about　Lammersdorf？〃　Unbeknownst　to　the　Germans；　the　British　had　a　file　on　Major　Chernyavin's　activities　in　Afghanistan；　including　a　poor　but　recognizable　photograph　of　the　man　remembered　by　the　Mudjahaddin　as　the　Devil　of　the　Kandahar。　General　Jean…Pierre　de　Ville　of　the　French　DGSE　handled　the　questioning；　since　he　spoke　the　best　Russian。　By　this　time　Chernyavin　was　a　broken　man。　His　only　attempt　at　resistance　was　killed　by　listening　to　a　tape　of　his　drug…induced　confession。　A　dead　man　to　his　own　countrymen；　the　major　repeated　what　these　men　already　knew　but　had　to　hear　for　themselves。　Three　hours　later；　Flash…priority　dispatches　went　to　three　Western　capitals；　and　representatives　of　the　three　security　services　prepared　briefing　papers　for　their　counterparts　in　the　other　NATO　countries。

14　…　Gas

WANDLITZ；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
SCENARIO　6
Spring…summer　weather　patterns　（moderate　humidity　and　temperatures；　rain　probability　35％　per　day）；　westerly　and　southwesterly　winds　of　10　to　30　km/hr　at　ground　level；　indexed　for　altitude；　use　of　highly　persistent　agents　against　munications　nexi；　POMCUS　sites；　airfields；　supply；　and　nuclear　weapon　storage　facilities　（normal　puted　delivery　error　rate；　see　Appendix　F　of　Annex　1）。　The　chief　of　the　munist　Party　of　the　German　Democratic　Republic　read　on　to　the　bottom　of　the　abstract；　despite　the　acid　churning　in　his　stomach：
As　with　Scenarios　1；　3；　4；　and　5；　any　warning　of　over　15　minutes　will　ensure　virtually　plete　MOPP…4　protection　of　alerted　bat　and　support　personnel。　The　problem　of　civilian　casualties　remains；　since　over　a　hundred　targets　of　the　categories　cited　above　are　near　major　population　centers。　Biodegradation　of　persistent　agents　such　as　GD　（the　expected　Soviet　agent　of　choice；　for　an　analysis　of　Soviet　literature　on　this　topic；　see　Appendix　C　of　Annex　2）　will　be　slowed　by　generally　mild　temperatures　and　weather…reduced　sunlight　photochemical　action。　This　will　allow　the　agents　in　aerosol　form　to　drift　on　wind　currents。　Given　minimum　source　concentrations　of　2　milligrams　per　cubic　meter；　predicted　vertical　temperature　gradients；　and　cloud…width　inputs；　we　see