tc.redstormrising-第51节

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ay；　but　it　might　take　awhile。　Nobody's　decided　what　to　do　about　you　either。　For　right　now；　you're　on　your　own。〃
〃No　shit；〃　Edwards　replied；　looking　at　his　men。
〃Okay；　Edwards。　Use　your　head；　avoid　contact　with　the　enemy。　If　I　read　this　right；　you're　the　only　friendly　we　have　there　right　now。　It　figures　they'll　want　you　to　keep　the　reports　ing　in。　Observe　and　report。　Conserve　the　battery　power　you　have。　Play　it　nice　and　cool；　guy。　Help　will　be　ing；　but　it　might　take　awhile。　Just　hang　in　there。　You　can　listen　for　us　on　the　hour；　on　even　hours。　You　got　a　good　watch？〃　In　the　meantime；　the　munications　officer　thought；　we'll　try　to　figure　a　way　to　find　out　if　you're　really　who　you　say；　and　that　you　haven't　got　a　Russian　pistol　at　your　head。
〃Roger；　it's　set　to　Zulu　time。　We'll　be　listening。　Out。〃
〃More　tanks；〃　Smith　said。　〃Jeez；　that　ship　sure　is　a　busy　place！〃

HAFNARFJORDUR；　ICELAND
The　General　would　not　have　believed　how　well　things　were　going。　When　he　had　seen　the　Harpoon　ing；　he　was　sure　that　his　mission　would　be　a　failure。　Already　a　third　of　his　vehicles　had　rolled　off　the　ship　and　were　en　route　to　their　destinations。　Next；　he　wanted　the　rest　of　his　division　flown　in。　After　that　came　more　helicopters。　For　the　present；　all　around　him　were　a　hundred　thousand　Icelanders　whose　friendship　he　did　not　expect。　A　few　hardy　souls　were　watching　him　from　the　opposite　side　of　the　harbor；　and　he'd　already　sent　a　squad　of　men　to　get　rid　of　them。　How　many　people　were　making　telephone　calls？　Was　the　telephone…satellite　relay　base　still　intact？　Might　they　be　calling　the　United　States　to　tell　what　was　happening　in　Iceland？　So　many　things　to　worry　about。
〃General；　the　airlift　is　under　way。　The　first　aircraft　took　off　ten　minutes　ago　with　a　fighter　escort。　They　should　begin　to　arrive　in　four　hours；〃　his　munications　officer　reported。
〃Four　hours。〃　The　General　looked　up　from　the　ship's　bridge　into　a　clear　blue　sky。　How　long　before　the　Americans　reacted　and　threw　a　squadron　of　fighter…bombers　at　him？　He　pointed　to　his　operations　officer。
〃We　have　too　many　vehicles　sitting　on　the　quay。　As　soon　as　a　platoon…sized　grouping　is　together；　move　them　off　to　their　objectives。　There　is　no　time　to　wait　for　pany　groups。　What　about　Reykjavik　airport？〃
〃We　have　one　pany　of　infantrymen　in　place；　with　another　twenty　minutes　away。　No　opposition。　The　civilian　air　controllers　and　the　airport　maintenance　people　are　all　under　guard。　A　patrol　going　through　Reykjavik　reports　little　activity　on　the　streets。　Our　embassy　personnel　report　that　a　government　radio　broadcast　told　people　to　remain　in　their　homes；　and　for　the　most　part　they　seem　to　be　doing　this。〃
〃Tell　the　patrol　to　seize　the　main　telephone　exchange。　Leave　the　radio　and　television　stations　alone；　but　get　the　telephone　exchange！〃　He　turned　as　a　squad　of　paratroopers　arrived　at　the　crowd　on　the　far　side　of　the　harbor。　He　estimated　perhaps　thirty　people　there。　The　eight　soldiers　approached　quickly　after　dismounting　from　their　truck；　rifles　at　the　ready。　One　man　walked　up　to　the　soldiers；　waving　his　arms　wildly。　He　was　shot　down。　The　rest　of　the　crowd　ran。
The　General　shouted　a　curse。　〃Find　out　who　did　that！〃

USS　CHICAGO
McCafferty　returned　to　the　attack　center　after　a　brief　visit　to　his　private　head。　Coffee　would　always　keep　you　awake；　he　thought；　either　through　the　caffeine　or　the　disfort　of　an　always…full　bladder。　Things　were　already　not　going　well。　Whatever　genius　had　decided　to　order　the　American　submarines　out　of　the　Barents　Sea　in　the　hope　of　avoiding　an　〃incident〃　had　neatly　gotten　them　out　of　the　way。　Just　in　time　for　the　war　to　start；　the　captain　grumbled；　forgetting　that　the　idea　hadn't　seemed　all　that　bad　at　the　time。
Had　they　stuck　to　the　plan；　he　might　already　have　put　a　dent　in　the　Soviet　Navy。　Instead；　someone　had　panicked　over　the　new　Soviet　missile　sub　dispositions；　and　so　far　as　he　could　tell；　the　result　was　that　no　one　had　acplished　much　of　anything。　The　Soviet　subs　that　had　e　storming　out　of　the　Kola　Fjord　had　not　e　south　into　the　Norwegian　Sea　as　expected。　His　long…range　sonar　reported　possible　submarine　noises　far　to　his　north；　heading　west　before　fading　out。　So；　he　thought；　Ivan's　sending　his　boats　down　the　Denmark　Strait？　The　SOSUS　line　between　Iceland　and　Greenland　could　make　that　idea　a　costly　one。
USS　CHICAGO　was　steaming　at　five　hundred　feet　just　north　of　the　69'　parallel；　about　a　hundred　miles　west　of　Norway's　rocky　coastline。　The　Norwegians'　collection　of　diesel　boats　was　inside　of　him；　guarding　their　own　coast。　McCafferty　understood　that；　but　didn't　like　it。
So　far　nothing　had　gone　right；　and　McCafferty　was　worried。　That　was　expected；　and　he　could　suppress　it。　He　could　fall　back　on　his　training。　He　knew　what　his　submarine　could　do；　and　had　a　pretty　good　idea　of　what　the　Russian　subs　were　capable　of。　He　had　the　superior　capabilities；　but　some　Russian　could　always　get　lucky。　This　was　war。　A　different　sort　of　environment；　not　one　judged　by　umpires　and　rule　books。　Mistakes　now　were　not　a　matter　of　a　written　critique　from　his　squadron　mander。　And　so　far　luck　seemed　to　be　on　the　other　side。
He　looked　around　at　his　men。　They　had　to　be　thinking　the　same　thoughts；　he　was　sure；　but　they　all　depended　on　him。　The　crewmen　of　his　submarine　were　essentially　the　physical　extensions　of　his　own　mind。　He　was　the　central　control　for　the　entire　corporate　entity　known　as　USS　CHICAGO；　and　for　the　first　time　the　awesome　responsibility　struck　him。　If　he　messed　up；　all　these　men　would　die。　And　he；　too；　would　die…with　the　knowledge　that　he　had　failed　them。
You　can't　think　like　this；　the　captain　told　himself。　It　will　eat　you　up。　Better　to　have　a　bat　situation　where　I　can　limit　my　thinking　to　the　immediate。　He　checked　the　clock。　Good。
〃Take　her　up　to　periscope　depth；〃　he　ordered。　〃It's　time　to　check　for　orders；　and　we'll　try　an　ESM　sweep　to　see　what's　happening。〃
Not　a　simple　procedure；　that。　The　submarine　came　up　slowly；　cautiously；　turning　to　allow　her　sonar　to　make　certain　that　there　was　not　a　ship　around。
〃Raise　the　ESM。〃
An　electronics　technician　pressed　the　button　to　raise　the　mast　for　his　broad…band　receiver。　The　board　lit　up　instantly。
〃Numerous　electronic　sources；　sir。　Three　J…band　search　sets；　lots　of　other　stuff。　Lots　of　VHF　and　UHF　chatter。　The　recorders　are　going。〃
That　figures；　McCafferty　thought。　The　odds　against　having　anyone　here　after　us　are　pretty　low；　though。　〃Up　scope。〃
The　captain　angled　the　search…scope　lens　upward　to　scan　the　sky　for　a　nearby　aircraft　and　made　a　quick　turn　around　the　horizon。　He　noticed　something　odd；　and　had　to　angle　down　the　lens　to　see　what　it　was。
There　was　a　green　smoke　marker　not　two　hundred　yards　away。　McCafferty　cringed　and　spun　the　instrument　back　around。　A　multiengine　aircraft　was　ing　out　of　the　haze…directly　in　at　them。
The　captain　reached　up　and　spun　the　periscope　wheel；　lowering　the　instrument。　〃Take　her　down！　All　ahead　flank！　Make　your　depth　eight　hundred　feet！〃　Where　the　hell　did　he　e　from？
The　submarine's　engines　fairly　exploded　into　action。　A　flurry　of　orders　had　the　helmsmen　push　their　controls　to　the　stops。
〃Torpedo　in　the　water；　starboard　side！''　a　sonarman　screamed。
McCafferty　reacted　at　once。　〃Left　full　rudder！〃
〃Left　full　rudder；　aye！〃　The　speed　log　was　at　ten　knots　and　rising　quickly。　They　passed　below　one　hundred　feet。
〃Torpedo　bearing　one…seven…five　relative。　It's　pinging。　Doesn't　have　us　yet。〃
〃Fire　off　a　noisemaker。〃
Seventy　feet　aft　of　the　control　room；　a　five…inch　canister　was　ejected　from　a　launcher。　It　immediately　started　making　all　kinds　of　noise　for　the　torpedo　to　home　in　on。
〃Noisemaker　away！〃
〃Right　fifteen　degrees　rudder。〃　McCafferty　was　calmer　now。　He'd　played　this　game　before。　〃e　to　new　course　one…one…zero。　Sonar；　I　want　true　bearings　on　that　torpedo。〃
〃Aye。　Torpedo　bearing　two…zero…six；　ing　port…to…starboard。〃
Chicago　passed　through　two　hundred　feet。　The　boat　had　a　twenty…degree　down　angle。　The　planesmen　and　most　of　the　technicians　had　seatbelts　to　hold　them　in　place。　The　officers　and　a　few　others　who　had　to　circulate　around　grasped　at　rails　and　stanchions　to　keep　from　falling。
〃Conn；　Sonar。　The　torpedo　seems　to　be　following　a　circular　path。　Now　traveling　starboard…to…port；　bearing　one…seven…five。　Still　pinging；　but　I　don't　think　it　has　us。〃
〃Very　well。　Keep　those　reports　ing。〃　McCafferty　climbed　aft　to　the　plot。　〃Looks　like　he　made　a　bad　drop。〃
〃Could　be；〃　the　navigator　agreed。　〃But　how　in　hell…〃
〃Had　to　be　a　MAD　pass。　The　magnetic　anomaly　detector。　Was　the　tape　running？　I　didn't　have　him　long　enough　for　an　ID。〃　He　checked　the　plot。　They　were　now　a　mile　and　a　half　from　where　they'd　been　when　the　torpedo　was　dropped。　〃Sonar；　tell　me　about　the　fish。〃
〃Bearing　one…nine…zero；　dead　aft。　Still　circling；　seems　to　be　going　down　a　little。　I　think　maybe　the　noisemaker　drew　him　in　and　he's　trying　to　hit　it。〃
〃All　ahead　two…thirds。〃　Time　to　slow　down；　McCafferty　thought。　They'd　cleared　the　initial　datum　point；　and　the　aircraft's　crew　would　need　a　few　minutes　to　evaluate　their　attack　before　beginning　a　new　search。　In　that　time　they'd　be　two　or　three　miles　away；　below　the　layer；　and　making　little　noise。
〃All　ahead　two…thirds；　aye。　Leveling　off　at　eight　hundred　feet。〃
〃We　can　start　breathing　again；　people；〃　McCa