tc.redstormrising-第44节

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Edwards　parked　his　jeep　in　an　officer's　slot　next　to　the　tower　and　decided　to　take　his　。38　with　him。　The　lot　was　not　fenced；　and　there　was　no　telling　if　someone　might　want　to　〃borrow〃　his　handgun。　The　base　was　crawling　with　a　pany　of　Marines　and　another　of　Air　Force　police；　all　looking　very　nasty　with　their　M…16　rifles　and　web　belts　festooned　with　grenades。　He　hoped　they'd　be　careful　with　those。　Late　the　next　day；　a　whole　Marine　Amphibious　Unit　was　due　to　arrive　to　beef　up　base　security；　something　that　should　have　been　done　a　week　earlier　but　had　been　delayed；　partly　because　of　the　Icelandic　sensitivity　regarding　large　numbers　of　armed　foreigners；　but　mainly　due　to　the　unreal　speed　with　which　this　crisis　had　developed。　He　trotted　up　the　outside　stairs　and　found　the　tower's　control　room　crowded　with　eight　people　rather　than　the　usual　five。
〃Hi；　Jerry；〃　he　said　to　the　boss；　Navy　lieutenant　Jerry　Simon。　The　Icelandic　civilian　controllers　who　usually　worked　here　were　nowhere　to　be　seen。　Well；　Edwards　thought；　there's　no　civilian　traffic　for　them　to　control。
〃Morning；　Mike；〃　was　the　response。　The　ongoing　joke　at　Keflavik。　It　was　0315　hours　local　time。　Morning。　The　sun　was　already　up；　glaring　in　at　them　from　the　northeast　through　roll…down　shades　inside　of　the　tilted　glass　windows。
〃Let's　have　an　attitude　check！〃　Edwards　said　as　he　walked　over　to　his　meteorological　instruments。
〃I　hate　this　fucking　place！〃　the　tower　crew　answered　at　once。
〃Let's　have　a　positive　attitude　check。〃
〃I　positively　hate　this　fucking　place！〃
〃Let's　have　a　negative　attitude　check。〃
〃I　don't　like　this　fucking　place！〃
〃Let's　have　a　short　attitude　check。〃
〃Fuckit！〃　Everyone　had　a　good　laugh。　They　needed　it。
〃Nice　to　see　that　we're　all　maintaining　our　equilibrium；〃　Edwards　observed。　The　short；　scrawny　officer　had　bee　instantly　popular　on　his　arrival　two　months　earlier。　A　native　of　Eastpoint；　Maine；　and　a　graduate　of　the　Air　Force　Academy；　his　glasses　prevented　him　from　flying。　His　diminutive　size…five…six　and　a　hundred　twenty　pounds…was　not　designed　to　mand　respect；　but　his　infectious　grin；　ready　supply　of　jokes；　and　recognized　expertise　at　making　sense　of　the　confused　North　Atlantic　weather　patterns　had　bined　to　make　him　an　acceptable　panion　for　anyone　at　Keflavik。　Everyone　thought　he　would　make　one　hell　of　a　TV　weatherman　one　day。
〃MAC　Flight　Five…Two…Zero；　roger。　Roll　her　out；　Big　Guy；　we　need　the　room；〃　said　a　tired　controller。　A　few　hundred　yards　away；　a　C…5A　Galaxy　cargo　plane　began　to　accelerate　down　runway　one…eight。　Edwards　took　a　pair　of　binoculars　to　watch。　It　was　hard　to　get　used　to　the　fact　that　something　so　monstrous　could　actually　fly。
〃Any　word　from　anywhere？〃　Simon　asked　Edwards。
〃Nope；　nothing　since　the　Norwegian　report。　Lots　of　activity　at　Kola。　You　know；　I　picked　a　hell　of　a　time　to　e　here　to　work；〃　Mike　replied。　He　went　back　to　checking　the　calibration　of　his　digital　barometer。
It　had　started　six　weeks　before。　The　Soviet　Naval　and　Long…Range　Aviation　groups　based　at　a　half…dozen　airfields　around　Severomorsk　had　exercised　almost　continuously；　flying　attack…profile　missions　that　could　have　been　directed　at　nearly　anyone　or　anything。　Then　two　weeks　before；　the　activity　had　been　cut　way　back。　That　was　the　ominous　part：　first　they　drilled　all　their　flight　crews　to　perfection　and　then　they　went　to　a　standdown　maintenance　period　to　make　sure　that　every　bird　and　every　instrument　was　also　fully　operational　。　。　。　What　were　they　doing　now？　An　attack　against　Bodo　in　Norway？　Or　Iceland　maybe？　Another　exercise？　There　was　no　telling。
Edwards　lifted　a　clipboard　to　sign　off　for　having　checked　his　tower　instruments　that　day。　He　could　have　left　it　to　his　enlisted　technicians；　but　they　were　backstopping　the　aircraft　techs　with　the　fighter　squadron；　and　he　could　handle　it　for　them。　Besides；　it　gave　him　an　excuse　to　visit　the　tower　and…
〃Mr。　Simon；〃　the　senior　enlisted　controller　said　rapidly。　〃I　just　copied　a　Flash　from　Sentry　One：　Warning　Red。　Many　bandits　inbound；　sir。　Approaching　from　due　north　to　northeast…Sentry　Two　is　checking　in　。　。　。　they　got　'em；　too。　Jesus。　Sounds　like　forty　to　fifty　bandits；　sir。〃　Edwards　noted　that　the　inbounds　were　being　called　Bandits　instead　of　the　usual　Zombies。
〃Anything　friendly　ing　in？〃
〃Sir；　we　got　a　MAC　C…141　twenty　minutes　out；　eight　more　behind　it　at　five…minute　intervals；　all　inbound　from　Dover。〃
〃Tell　them　to　turn　back；　and　get　an　acknowledgment！　Keflavik　is　closed　to　all　inbounds　until　further　notice。〃　Simon　turned　to　his　telemunications　man。　〃Tell　Air…Ops　to　radio　SACLANT　that　we're　under　attack；　and　to　get　the　word　out。　I…〃
Klaxons；　erupted　all　around　them。　Below；　in　the　early…morning　shadows；　ground　crewmen　pulled　red…flagged　safety　pins　off　the　waiting　interceptors。　Edwards　saw　a　pilot　drain　a　Styrofoam　cup　and　begin　to　strap　himself　in　tight。　The　starter　carts　next　to　each　fighter　belched　black　smoke　as　they　generated　power　to　turn　the　engines。
〃Tower；　this　is　Hunter　Leader。　We're　scrambling。　Clear　those　runways；　boy！〃
Simon　took　the　microphone。　〃Roger；　Hunter　Leader；　the　runways　are　yours。　Scatter　Plan　Alpha。　Go　for　it！　Out。〃
Below；　canopies　were　ing　down；　chocks　were　pulled　away　from　wheels；　and　each　crew　chief　gave　his　pilot　a　smart　salute。　The　shriek　of　jet　engines　changed　to　a　roar　as　the　aircraft　started　to　roll　awkwardly　off　the　flight　line。
〃Where's　your　battle　station；　Mike？〃　Simon　asked。
〃The　met　building。〃　Edwards　nodded　and　headed　for　the　door。　〃'Luck；　guys。〃
Aboard　Sentry　Two；　the　radar　operators　watched　a　broad　semicircle　of　blips　converging　on　them。　Each　blip　had　〃BGR〃　painted　next　to　it；　plus　data　on　course；　altitude；　and　speed。　Each　blip　was　a　Tu…16　Badger　bomber　of　Soviet　Naval　Aviation。　There　were　twenty…four　of　them；　inbound　for　Keflavik　at　a　speed　of　six　hundred　knots。　They　had　approached　at　low　altitude　to　stay　below　the　E…3A's　radar　horizon；　and；　once　detected；　were　now　climbing　rapidly；　two　hundred　miles　away。　This　mission　profile　enabled　the　radar　operators　to　classify　them　instantly　as　hostile。　There　were　four　Eagles　on　bat　Air　Patrol；　two　of　them　with　operating　AWACS；　but　it　was　close　to　changeover　point　and　the　fighters　were　too　low　on　fuel　to　race　after　the　Badgers　on　afterburner。　They　were　directed　to　head　for　the　ining　Russian　bombers　at　six　hundred　knots；　and　could　not　yet　detect　the　Badgers　on　their　own　missile…targeting　radars。
Sentry　One　off　Cape　Fontur　reported　something　worse。　Her　blips　were　supersonic　Tu…22M　Backfires；　ing　in　slowly　enough　to　indicate　that　they　were　heavily　loaded　with　external　ordnance。　The　Eagles　here　also　moved　off　to　intercept。　A　hundred　miles　behind　them；　the　two　F…15s　kept　on　point　defense　over　Reykjavik　had　just　been　topped　off　from　an　orbiting　tanker　and　were　charging　northeast　at　a　thousand　knots　while　the　remainder　of　the　squadron　was　even　now　leaving　the　ground。　The　radar　picture　from　both　AWACS　aircraft　was　being　transmitted　by　digital　link　to　Keflavik's　fighter…ops　center　so　that　ground　personnel　could　monitor　the　action。　Now　that　the　fighters　were　rotating　off　the　ground；　the　crews　for　every　other　aircraft　at　the　air　station　worked　frantically　to　ready　their　birds　for　flight。
They　had　practiced　this　task　eight　times　in　the　past　month。　Some　flight　crews　had　been　sleeping　with　their　aircraft。　Others　were　summoned　from　their　quarters；　no　more　than　four　hundred　yards　away。　Those　aircraft　just　back　from　patrol　had　their　fuel　tanks　topped　off；　and　were　preflighted　by　the　ground　crews。　Marine　and　Air　Force　guards　not　already　at　their　posts　rushed　to　them。　It　was　just　as　well　that　the　attack　had　e　at　this　hour。　There　was　only　a　handful　of　civilians　about；　and　civilian　air　traffic　was　at　its　lowest。　On　the　other　hand；　the　men　at　Keflavik　had　been　on　double　duty　for　a　week　now；　and　they　were　tired。　Things　which　might　have　been　done　in　five　minutes　now　took　seven　or　eight。
Edwards　was　back　in　his　meteorological　office；　wearing　his　field　jacket；　flak　jacket；　and　〃fritz〃　style　helmet。　His　emergency　duty　station…he　could　not　think　of　his　office　as　a　〃battle〃　station…was　his　assigned　post。　As　if　someone　might　need　an　especially　deadly　weather　chart　with　which　to　attack　an　ining　bomber！　The　service　had　to　have　a　plan　for　everything；　Edwards　knew。　There　had　to　be　a　plan。　It　didn't　have　to　make　sense。　He　went　downstairs　to　Air…Ops。
〃I　got　breakaway　on　Bandit　Eight；　one…two　birds　launched。　The　machine　says　they're　AS…4s；〃　a　Sentry　controller　reported。　The　senior　officer　got　on　the　radio　for　Keflavik。

MV　JULIUS　FUCIK
Twenty　miles　southwest　of　Keflavik；　the　〃Doctor　Lykes〃　was　also　a　beehive　of　activity。　As　each　Soviet　bomber　squadron　launched　its　air…to…ground　missiles；　its　mander　transmitted　a　predetermined　codeword　that　the　Fucik　copied。　Her　time　had　e。
〃Rudder　left；〃　Captain　Kherov　ordered。　〃Bring　his　bow　into　the　wind。〃
A　full　regiment　of　airborne　infantry；　many　of　them　seasick　from　two　weeks　aboard　the　huge　barge…carrier；　was　at　work　testing　and　loading　weapons。　The　Fucik's　augmented　crew　was　stripping　the　falsework　from　the　aftermost　four　〃barges；〃　revealing　each　in　fact　to　be　a　Lebed…type　assault　hovercraft。　The　six…man　crew　of　each　removed　the　covers　over　the　air　intakes　that　led　to　the　engines　they　had　tended　with　loving　care　for　a　mo