tc.redstormrising-第43节

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〃How　long　till　we　clear　the　channel？〃　Morris　asked。
〃We'll　be　at　the　sea　buoy　in　ninety　minutes。〃
〃Okay；　tell　the　bosun's　mate　of　the　watch　to　be　ready　to　stream　the　tail　and　the　Nixie〃…the　towed…array　sonar　and　the　Nixie　torpedo　decoy…〃at　twenty…three　forty…five。　I'm　going　to　take　a　nap。　Wake　me　at　twentythree　thirty。　Anything　happens；　call　me。〃
〃Aye　aye；　sir。〃
A　trio　of　P…3C　Orion　antisubmarine　aircraft　swept　the　area　ahead　of　them。　The　only　hazard　was　that　of　normal　navigation；　and　suddenly　the　prospect　of　grazing　the　bottom　or　smashing　an　errant　buoy　looked　like　a　minor　affair。　He'd　need　his　sleep　now；　Morris　knew；　and　he　would　not　be　at　all　surprised　to　find　a　submarine　waiting　right　on　the　continental　shelf　in　three　hours。　He'd　want　to　be　rested　for　that　eventuality。

SUNNYVALE；　CALIFORNIA
What　was　holding　Washington　up？　the　colonel　asked　himself　All　he　needed　was　a　simple　yes　or　no。　He　checked　his　boards。　Three　KH…type　photoreconnaissance　satellites　were　currently　in　orbit；　plus　nine　electronic　surveillance　birds。　That　was　his　low…level　〃constellation。〃　He　didn't　fear　for　his　higher…flying　navigation　and　munications　satellites；　but　the　twelve　in　low　earth　orbit；　especially　the　KHs；　were　valuable　and　vulnerable。　Two　of　them　had　Russian　killersats　in　close　proximity；　and　one　of　his　birds　was　now　approaching　Soviet　territory；　with　another　only　forty　minutes　behind。　The　third　Key…Hole　bird　didn't　have　a　satellite　assigned　yet；　but　the　last　pass　over　Leninsk　showed　another　F…type　booster　being　fueled　on　the　pad。
〃Take　another　look　at　the　trailer；〃　he　ordered。
A　technician　made　the　requisite　mands；　and　half　a　world　away；　the　satellite　fired　its　attitude　control　thrusters　and　pivoted　in　space　to　allow　its　cameras　to　search　for　the　Russian　killer　satellite。　It　had　held　position　fifty　miles　behind；　and　nine　miles　below　the　American　satellite；　but　now　was　。　。　。　gone。
〃They　moved　it。　They　moved　it　in　the　last　half　hour。〃　He　lifted　the　phone　to　tell　CINC…NORAD　that　he　was　moving　the　satellite　on　his　own　authority。　Too　late。　As　the　satellite　turned　again　to　point　its　cameras　at　the　ground；　a　cylindrical　mass　covered　a　sizable　percentage　of　the　earth's　face…there　was　a　flash　and　the　TV　screen　went　blank。　Just　like　that。
〃Chris；　you　have　those　maneuver　mands　set　up？〃
〃Yes；　sir；〃　the　captain　answered；　still　staring　at　the　screen。
〃Execute　them　right　now！〃
The　captain　called　up　the　mand　sequence　on　his　puter　console　and　punched　Enter。　The　colonel's　phone　rang　as　the　satellites'　onboard　rocket　motors　made　subtle　changes　in　their　orbital　paths。
〃Argus　Control；〃　the　colonel　answered。
〃This　is　CINC…NORAD。　What　the　hell　happened？〃
〃That　Russian　killersat　closed　and　detonated。　We　have　no　signal　from　the　KH…11；　sir。　I　must　assume　they　have　successfully　negated　the　bird。　I've　just　ordered　the　other　two　Key…Holes　to　make　a　hundred…foot…persecond　delta…V。　Tell　Washington　they　waited　too　long；　sir。〃

18　…　Polar　Glory

KIEV；　THE　UKRAINE
It　had　been　decided　that　all　Soviet　theater　and　front　manders　would　be　briefed　on　developments　in　Germany。　Alekseyev　and　his　superior　knew　why：　if　anyone　were　to　be　relieved　from　his　mand；　the　new　man　would　have　to　know　the　situation。　They　listened　to　the　intelligence　report　with　fascination。　Neither　of　them　had　expected　many　of　the　Spetznaz　attacks　to　fare　well；　but　it　seemed　that　some　had　been　successful；　especially　those　in　the　German　ports。　Then　the　operational　intelligence　brief　got　to　the　bridges　on　the　Elbe。
〃Why　weren't　we　warned　about　this？〃　CINC…Southwest　demanded。
〃rade　General；〃　the　Air　Force　officer　responded。　〃Our　information　was　that　this　Stealth　aircraft　was　a　prototype；　not　yet　in　regular　service。　Somehow　the　Americans　have　managed　to　construct　a　number　of　them；　at　least　part　of　a　squadron。　They　used　it　to　eliminate　our　airborne　radar　coverage；　thus　paving　the　way　for　a　massive　penetration　raid　against　our　airfields　and　lines　of　supply；　plus　a　well…planned　air　battle　against　our　all…weather　fighter　aircraft。　Their　mission　was　successful；　but　not　decisively　so。〃
〃Oh；　and　the　mander　of　Air　Forces　West　was　arrested　for　successfully　repelling　it；　eh？〃　Alekseyev　snarled。　〃How　many　aircraft　did　we　lose？〃
〃I　am　not　authorized　to　reveal　that；　rade　General。〃
〃Can　you　tell　us　of　the　bridges；　then！〃
〃Most　of　the　bridges　on　the　Elbe　have　been　damaged　to　some　extent　or　another；　plus　attacks　on　the　bridging　units　stationed　near　them　for　tactical　replacement。〃
〃The　fucking　maniac…he　had　his　bridging　units　right　next　to　the　primary　targets！〃　Southwest　looked　up　at　the　ceiling　as　though　expecting　an　air　attack　right　there　in　Kiev。
〃That　is　where　the　roads　are；　rade　General；〃　the　intelligence　officer　said　quietly。　Alekseyev　waved　him　out　of　the　room。
〃Not　a　good　start；　Pasha。〃　Already　a　general　had　been　arrested。　His　replacement　had　not　yet　been　named。
Alekseyev　nodded　agreement；　then　checked　his　watch。　〃The　tanks　will　cross　the　border　in　thirty　minutes；　and　we　have　a　few　surprises　in　store　for　them。　Only　half　of　their　reinforcements　are　in　place。　They　still　have　not　achieved　the　psychological　degree　of　preparedness　that　our　men　have。　Our　first　blow　will　hurt　them。　If　our　friend　in　Berlin　has　made　his　deployments　properly。〃

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Perfect　weather；〃　First　Lieutenant　Mike　Edwards　pronounced；　looking　up　from　the　chart　just　off　the　facsimile　machine。　〃We　have　this　strong　cold　front　due　in　from　Canada　in　twenty　to　twenty…four　hours。　That'll　bring　a　lot　of　rain　with　it；　maybe　an　inch　worth；　but　for　all　of　today　we　have　clear　skies…less　than　two…tenths　high　clouds…and　no　precip。　Surface　winds　west　to　southwest　at　fifteen　to　twenty　knots。　And　lots　of　'shine'〃　he　concluded　with　a　grin。　The　sun　had　risen　for　the　last　time　nearly　five　weeks　before；　and　wouldn't　truly　set　for　another　five。　They　were　so　close　to　the　North　Pole　here　in　Iceland　that　in　summer　the　sun　wandered　in　a　lazy　circle　around　the　azure　sky；　dipping　fractionally　below　the　northwestern　horizon　but　never　truly　setting。　It　was　something　that　took　getting　used　to。
〃Fighter　weather；〃　agreed　Lieutenant　Colonel　Bill　Jeffers；　mander　of　the　57th　Fighter　Interceptor　squadron；　the　〃Black　Knights；〃　most　of　whose　F…15　Eagle　interceptors　were　sitting　in　the　open　a　bare　hundred　yards　away。　The　pilots　were　in　those　fighters；　waiting。　They'd　been　waiting　for　ninety　minutes　now。　Two　hours　before；　they'd　been　warned　of　a　large　number　of　Soviet　aircraft　taking　off　from　their　tactical　air　bases　on　the　Kola　Peninsula；　destination　unknown。
Keflavik　was　always　a　busy　place；　but　for　the　last　week　it　had　been　a　madhouse。　The　airport　was　a　bination　Navy　and　Air　Force　base　and　a　busy　international　airport　at　which　many　airliners　stopped　to　refuel。
The　past　week　had　seen　this　traffic　supplemented　by　grim　tactical　fighters　transiting　from　the　United　States　and　Canada　to　Europe；　cargo　aircraft　transporting　overloads　of　critical　equipment；　and　airliners　returning　to　America　crowded　with　pale　tourists　and　dependents　of　the　military　men　who　were　now　on　the　battle　line。　The　same　had　happened　to　Keflavik。　Three　thousand　wives　and　children　had　been　evacuated。　The　base　facility　was　cleared　for　action。　If　the　Soviets　kicked　off　the　war　that　seemed　to　be　springing　from　the　ground　like　a　new　volcano；　Keflavik　was　as　ready　as　it　could　be。
〃With　your　permission；　Colonel；　I　want　to　check　a　few　things　at　the　tower。　This　forecast　is　pretty　solid；　for　the　next　twelve　hours　anyway。〃
〃Jet　stream？〃　Colonel　Jeffers　looked　up　from　the　yard…square　chart　of　isobars　and　wind…trees。
〃Same　place　it's　been　all　week；　sir；　no　sign　at　all　of　a　change。〃
〃Okay；　go　ahead。〃
Edwards　put　on　his　cap　and　walked　out　the　door。　He　wore　a　thin　blue　officer's　jacket　over　his　Marine…style　fatigues；　pleased　that　the　Air　Force　was　still　pretty　casual　about　dress　codes。　His　jeep　held　the　rest　of　his　〃battle　gear；〃　a　。38　revolver　and　pistol　belt；　and　the　field　jacket　that　went　with　the　camouflage　gear　everybody　had　been　issued　three　days　before。　They'd　thought　of　everything；　Edwards　reflected　as　he　started　up　the　jeep　for　the　quarter…mile　drive　to　the　tower。　Even　the　flak　jacket。
Keflavik　had　to　get　hit；　Edwards　reminded　himself。　Everybody　knew　it；　prepared　for　it；　and　then　tried　not　to　think　about　it。　This　most　isolated　of　all　NATO　outposts　on　the　western　coast　of　Iceland　was　the　barred　gate　to　the　North　Atlantic。　If　Ivan　wanted　to　fight　a　naval　war；　Iceland　had　to　be　neutralized。　From　Keflavik's　four　runways　flew　eighteen　Eagle　interceptors；　nine　sub…hunting　P…3C　Orions；　and　deadliest　of　all；　three　E…3A　AWACS　birds；　the　eyes　of　the　fighters。　Two　were　operating　now；　one　was　circling　twenty　miles　northeast　of　Cape　Fontur；　the　other　directly　over　Ritstain；　150　miles　north　of　Keflavik。　This　was　most　unusual。　With　only　three　AWACS　birds　available；　keeping　one　constantly　in　the　air　was　difficult　enough。　The　mander　of　the　Iceland　defense　forces　was　taking　all　of　this　very　seriously。　Edwards　shrugged。　If　there　really　were　Backfires　bearing　down　on　them；　there　was　nothing　else　for　him　to　do。　He　was　the　brand…new　squadron　meteorological　officer；　and　he'd　just　given　his　weather　report。
Edwards　parked　his　jeep　in　an　officer's　slot　next　to　the　tower　and　decided　to　take　his　。38　with　him。　The　lot　was