tc.redstormrising-第47节

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PENGUIN　8
The　Fucik　emerged　at　twenty　knots　from　the　smoke；　a　fifteen…foot　hole　in　the　ship's　side。　Smoke　poured　from　the　opening；　but　the　pilot　knew　at　once　that　the　damage　would　not　be　fatal。　He　could　see　hundreds　of　men　on　the　upper　deck；　some　of　them　already　running　toward　ladders　to　fight　the　fire　below。
〃Where　are　those　fighters？〃　the　pilot　asked。　The　tactical　coordinator　didn't　answer。　He　switched　his　radio　circuits。
〃Penguin　Eight；　this　is　Cobra　One。　I　got　two　birds。　Our　missiles　are　all　gone；　but　we　both　got　a　full　load　of　twenty…mike…mike。　I　can　give　you　two　passes；　then　we　gotta　bingo　to　Scotland。〃
〃That's　a　roge；　Cobra　Lead。　The　target　has　some　helos　spooling　up。　Watch　out　for　hand…held　SAMs。　I　seen　'em　fire　about　twenty　of　the　bastards。〃
〃Roger　that；　Penguin。　Any　further　word　of　Keflavik？〃
〃We're　gonna　have　to　find　a　new　home　for　a　while。〃
〃Roger；　copy。　Okay；　keep　clear；　we're　ing　in　from　up…sun；　on　the　deck。〃
The　Orion　continued　to　orbit　three　miles　out。　Her　pilot　didn't　see　the　fighters　until　they　started　firing。　The　two　Eagles　were　a　few　feet　apart；　perhaps　twenty　feet　over　the　water　as　their　noses　sparkled　with　the　flash　from　their　20mm　rotary　cannon。

MV　JULIUS　FUCIK
Nobody　aboard　saw　them　e　in。　A　moment　later；　the　water　around　the　Fucik's　side　turned　to　froth　from　short…failing　rounds；　then　her　main　deck　was　hidden　with　dust。　A　sudden　orange　fireball　announced　the　explosion　of　one　of　the　Russian　helicopters；　and　burning　jet　fuel　splattered　over　the　bridge；　narrowly　missing　the　General　and　captain。
〃What　was　that？〃　Kherov　gasped。
〃American　fighters。　They　came　in　very　low。　They　must　only　have　their　cannon；　else　they'd　have　bombed　us　already。　It　is　not　over　yet；　my　captain。〃
The　fighters　split；　passing　left　and　right　of　the　ship；　which　continued　to　move　at　twenty　knots　in　a　wide　circle。　No　SAMs　followed　the　Eagles　away；　and　both　turned；　re…formed；　and　closed　on　the　Fucik's　bow。　The　next　target　was　the　superstructure。　A　moment　later；　the　freighter's　bridge　was　peppered　with　several　hundred　rounds。　Every　window　was　blown　away；　and　most　of　the　bridge　crew　killed；　but　the　ship's　watertight　integrity　hadn't　been　damaged　a　whit。
Kherov　surveyed　the　carnage。　His　helmsman　had　been　blown　apart　by　a　half…dozen　exploding　bullets　and　every　man　present　on　the　bridge　was　dead。　It　took　a　second　for　him　to　overe　the　shock　and　notice　a　crippling　pain　in　his　own　abdomen；　his　dark　jacket　darkening　further　with　blood。
〃You　are　hit；　Captain。〃　Only　the　General　had　had　the　instinct　to　duck　behind　something　solid。　He　looked　at　the　eight　mutilated　bodies　in　the　pilothouse　and　wondered　once　again　why　he　was　so　lucky。
〃I　must　get　the　ship　to　port。　Go　aft。　Tell　the　first　officer　to　continue　landing　operations。　You；　rade　General；　supervise　the　fires　topside。　We　must　get　my　ship　to　port。〃
〃I　will　send　you　help。〃　The　General　ran　out　the　door　as　Kherov　went　to　the　wheel。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Stop；　hold　it　right　here！〃　Edwards　screamed。
〃What　now；　Lieutenant？〃　the　sergeant　demanded。　He　stopped　the　jeep　by　the　BOQ　parking　lot。
〃Let's　get　my　car。　This　jeep's　too　friggin'　conspicuous。〃　The　lieutenant　jumped　out　of　the　jeep；　pulling　his　car　keys　from　his　pants　pocket。　The　Marines　just　looked　at　each　other　for　a　moment　before　running　after　him。
His　car　was　a　ten…year…old　Volvo　that　he'd　purchased　from　a　departing　officer　a　few　months　before。　It　had　seen　rugged　service　on　Iceland's　mainly　unpaved　roads；　and　it　showed。　〃Well；　get　in！〃
〃Sir；　what　the　hell　are　we　doing；　exactly？〃
〃Look；　Sarge；　we　gotta　clear　the　area。　What　if　Ivan's　got　helicopters？　What　do　you　suppose　a　jeep　looks　like　from　the　air？〃
〃Oh；　okay。〃　The　sergeant　nodded。　〃But　what　are　we　doing；　sir？〃
〃We'll　drive　at　least　as　far　as　Hafnarfjordur；　ditch　the　car；　and　start　walking　back　into　the　boonies。　Soon　as　we　get　to　a　safe　place；　we'll　radio　in。　That's　a　satellite　radio　I　got。　We　have　to　let　Washington　know　what's　happening　here。　That　means　we　gotta　be　able　to　see　what　Ivan's　got　ing　in。　Our　people　are　gonna　at　least　try　to　take　this　rock　back。　Our　mission；　Sergeant；　is　to　stay　alive；　report　in；　and　maybe　make　that　easier。〃　Edwards　hadn't　thought　this　out　until　a　few　moments　before　he　said　it。　Would　they　try　to　take　Iceland　back？　Would　they　be　able　to　try？　What　else　was　going　wrong　all　over　the　friggin'　world？　Did　any　of　this　make　sense？　He　decided　it　didn't　have　to　make　sense。　One　thing　at　a　time；　he　told　himself。　He　for　damned　sure　didn't　want　to　be　a　prisoner　of　the　Russians；　and　maybe　if　they　could　radio　some　information　in　they　could　get　even　for　what　had　happened　to　Keflavik。
Edwards　started　up　the　car　and　drove　east　up　Highway　41。　Where　to　ditch　the　car？　There　was　a　shopping　center　at　Hafnarfjordur　。　。　。　and　Iceland's　only　Kentucky　Fried　Chicken　outlet。　What　better　place　to　ditch　a　car　than　that？　The　young　lieutenant　smiled　in　spite　of　himself　They　were　alive；　and　they　had　the　most　dangerous　weapon　known　to　man…a　radio。　He'd　work　out　the　problems　as　they　arose。　His　mission；　he　decided；　was　to　stay　alive　and　report　in。　After　they　did　that；　someone　else　could　tell　them　what　to　do。　One　thing　at　a　time；　he　repeated　to　himself；　and　pray　to　God　somebody　knows　what　the　hell　is　going　on　。

PENGUIN　8
〃Looks　like　the　fire's　under　control；〃　the　copilot　mented　sourly。
〃Yeah；　how　do　think　they　managed　that？　Shit；　that　boat　should've　gone　up　like…but　it　didn't。〃　As　they　watched；　a　second　load　of　troops　was　dispatched　on　the　four　hovercraft。　The　pilot　hadn't　thought　of　having　the　two　available　Eagle　fighters…now　heading　for　Englandshoot　them　up　instead　of　this　huge　black　ship。　Some　fucking　officer　you　are；　he　told　himself。　Penguin　8　carried　eighty　sonobuoys；　four　Mk…46　ASW　torpedoes；　and　some　other　high…technology　weapons…none　of　which　were　of　the　least　use　against　a　simple　large　target　like　this　merchie。　Unless　he　wanted　to　play　kamikaze　。　。　。　the　pilot　shook　his　head。
〃If　you　want　to　head　for　Scotland；　we　got　another　thirty　minutes　of　fuel；〃　the　flight　engineer　advised。
〃Okay；　let's　take　a　last　look　at　Keflavik。　I'm　going　up　to　six　thousand。　Oughta　keep　us　out　of　SAM　range。〃
They　were　over　the　coast　in　two　minutes。　A　Lebed　was　approaching　the　SOSUS　and　SIGINT　station　opposite　Hafnir。　They　could　just　make　out　some　movement　on　the　ground；　and　a　wisp　of　smoke　ing　from　the　building。　The　pilot　didn't　know　much　about　the　SIGINT　activities；　but　SOSUS；　the　oceanic　Sonar　Surveillance　System；　was　the　principal　means　of　detecting　targets　for　the　P…3C　Orion　crews　to　pounce　on。　This　station　covered　the　gaps　from　Greenland　to　Iceland；　and　from　Iceland　to　the　Faroe　Islands。　The　main　picketline　needed　to　keep　Russian　subs　out　of　the　trade　routes　was　about　to　go　permanently　off　the　air。　Great。
They　were　over　Keflavik　a　minute　after　that。　Seven　or　eight　aircraft　had　not　gotten　off　the　ground。　All　were　burning。　The　pilot　examined　the　runways　through　binoculars　and　was　horrified　to　see　that　it　was　uncratered。
〃Tacco；　you　got　a　Sentry　on　the　line？〃
〃You　can　talk　to　one　right　now；　Flight。　Go　right　ahead；　you　got　Sentry　Two。〃
〃Sentry　Two；　this　is　Penguin　8；　do　you　read；　over？〃
〃Roger；　Penguin　8；　this　is　the　senior　controller。　We　show　you　over　Keflavik。　What's　it　look　like？〃
〃I　count　eight　birds　on　the　ground；　all　broke　and　burning。　The　missiles　did　not；　repeat　not；　crater　the　airfield。〃
〃You　sure　about　that；　Eight？〃
〃Affirmative。　A　whole　lot　of　blast　damage；　but　I　don't　see　any　holes　in　the　ground。　The　in…close　fuel　tanks　appear　undamaged；　and　nothing　at　all　seems　to　have　hit　the　tank　farm　at　Hakotstangar。　We　left　our　friends　a　whole　shitload　of　jet　fuel　and　an　airfield。　The　base…let's　see。　Tower's　still　standing。　Lots　of　smoke　and　fire　around　Air/Ops　。　。　。　base　looks　pretty　badly　beat…up；　but　those　runways　are　sure　as　hell　usable。　Over。〃
〃How　about　the　ship　you　shot　at？〃
〃One　solid　hit；　I　eyeballed　the　missile　in；　and　two　of　your　'15s　strafed　his　ass；　but　it　ain't　enough。　She'll　probably　make　port。　I'd　guess　she'll　try　to　e　into　Reykjavik；　maybe　Hafnarfjordur；　to　unload。　She's　gotta　be　carrying　a　lot　of　stuff。　It's　a　forty…thousand…ton　ship。　She　can　make　port　in　two　or　three　hours　unless　we　can　whistle　up　something　to　take　her　out。〃
〃Don't　count　on　it。　What's　your　fuel　state？〃
〃We　gotta　head　for　Stornoway　right　now。　My　camera　guys　have　shot　pictures　of　the　area；　and　that　ship。　About　all　we　can　do。〃
〃Okay；　Penguin　8。　Go　find　yourself　a　place　to　land。　We're　leaving　in　a　few　minutes；　too。　'Luck。　Out。〃

HAFNARFJORDUR；　ICELAND
Edwards　parked　the　car　in　the　shopping　center。　There　had　been　some　people　outside　along　the　drivein；　mainly　looking　west　toward　Keflavik。　Awakened　by　the　noise　a　few　miles　away　and　wondering　what　was　happening。　Just　like　us；　Edwards　thought。　Fortunately；　there　seemed　to　be　no　one　about　right　here　yet。　He　locked　the　car　and　pocketed　the　keys　without　thinking　about　it。
〃Where　to；　Lieutenant？〃　Sergeant　Smith　asked。
〃Sergeant；　let's　straighten　a　few　things　out。　You're　the　groundpounder。　You　got　any　ideas；　I　want　to　know　about　'em；　okay？〃
〃Well；　sir；　I'd　say　we　oughta　head　straight　east　for　a　while；　to　get　away　from　the　roads；　like；　and　find　you　a　place　to　play　with　that　radio。　An'　do　it　quick。〃
Edwards　looked　around。　There　was　no　one　on　the　streets　here　ye