tc.redstormrising-第52节

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〃All　ahead　two…thirds；　aye。　Leveling　off　at　eight　hundred　feet。〃
〃We　can　start　breathing　again；　people；〃　McCafferty　said。　His　own　voice　was　not　as　even　as　he　would　have　preferred。　For　the　first　time；　he　noted　a　few　shaky　hands。　Just　like　a　car　wreck；　he　thought。　You　only　shake　after　you're　safe。　〃Left　fifteen　degrees　rudder。　e　left　to　two…eight…zero。〃　If　the　aircraft　dropped　again；　no　sense　in　traveling　in　a　straight　path。　But　they　should　be　fairly　safe　now。　The　whole　episode；　he　noted；　had　lasted　less　than　ten　minutes。
The　captain　walked　to　the　forward　bulkhead　and　rewound　the　videotape；　then　set　it　up　to　run。　It　showed　the　periscope　breaking　the　surface；　the　first　quick　search　。　。　。　then　the　smoke　marker。　Next　came　the　aircraft。　McCafferty　froze　the　frame。
The　plane　looked　like　a　Lockheed　P…3　Orion。
〃That's　one　of　ours！〃　the　duty　electrician　noted。　The　captain　stepped　forward　into　sonar。
〃The　fish　is　fading　aft；　Cap'n。　Probably　still　trying　to　kill　the　noisemaker。　I　think　when　it　hit　the　water　it　circled　in　the　wrong　direction；　away　from　us；　I　mean。〃
〃What's　it　sound　like？〃
〃A　lot　like　one　of　our　Mark…46s〃…the　leading　sonarman　shuddered…it　really　did　sound　like　a　forty…six！〃　He　rewound　his　own　tape　and　set　it　on　speaker。　The　screeeing　sound　of　the　twin…screw　fish　was　enough　to　raise　the　hairs　on　your　neck。　McCafferty　nodded　and　went　back　aft。
〃Okay；　that　might　have　been　a　Norwegian　P…3。　Then　again　it　might　have　been　a　Russian　May。　They　look　pretty　much　alike；　and　they　have　exactly　the　same　job。　Well　done；　people。　We're　going　to　clear　the　area。〃　The　captain　congratulated　himself　on　his　performance。　He'd　just　evaded　his　first　war　shot…dropped　by　a　friendly　aircraft！　But　he　had　evaded　it。　Not　all　the　luck　was　with　the　other　side。　Or　was　it？

USS　PHARRIS
Morris　was　catnapping　in　his　bridge　chair；　wondering　what　was　missing　from　his　life。　It　took　a　few　seconds　to　realize　that　he　wasn't　doing　any　paperwork；　his　normal　afternoon　pastime。　He　had　to　transmit　position　reports　every　four　hours；　contact　reports　when　he　had　any…he　hadn't　yet　…but　the　routine　paper…shuffling　that　ate　up　so　much　of　his　time　was　a　thing　of　the　past。　A　pity；　he　thought；　that　it　took　a　war　to　relieve　one　of　that！　He　could　almost　imagine　himself　starting　to　enjoy　it。
The　convoy　was　still　twenty　miles　to　his　southeast。　Pharris　was　the　outlying　sonar　picket。　Her　mission　was　to　detect；　localize；　and　engage　any　submarine　trying　to　close　the　convoy。　To　do　that；　the　frigate　was　alternately　dashing…〃sprinting〃…forward　at　maximum　speed；　then　drifting　briefly　at　slower　speed　to　allow　her　sonar　to　work　with　maximum　efficiency。　Had　the　convoy　proceeded　at　twenty　knots　on　a　straight　course；　it　would　have　been　nearly　impossible。　The　three　columns　of　merchantmen　were　zigzagging；　however；　making　life　a　little　easier　on　all　concerned。　Except　on　the　merchant　sailors；　for　whom　station…keeping　was　as　foreign　as　marching。
Morris　sipped　at　a　Coke。　It　was　a　warm　afternoon　and　he　preferred　his　caffeine　cold。
〃Signal　ing　in　from　Talbot；　sir；〃　the　junior　officer　of　the　deck　reported。
Morris　rose　and　walked　to　the　starboard　bridge　wing　with　his　binoculars。　He　prided　himself　on　being　able　to　read　Morse　almost　as　quickly　as　his　signalmen：　REPORT　ICELAND　ATTACKED　AND　NEUTRALIZED　BY　SOVIET　FORCES　X　EXPECT　MORE　SERIOUS　AIR　AND　SUB　THREAT　X。
〃More　good　news；　skipper；〃　the　OOD　mented。
〃Yeah。〃

USS　NIMITZ

〃How　did　they　do　it？〃　Chip　wondered　aloud。
〃How　don't　matter　a　damn；〃　Toland　replied。　〃We　gotta　get　this　to　the　boss。〃　He　made　a　quick　phone　call　and　left　for　flag　country。
He　almost　got　lost。　Nimitz　had　over　two　thousand　partments。　The　Admiral　lived　in　only　one　of　them；　and　Toland　had　only　been　there　once。　He　found　a　Marine　sentry　at　the　door。　The　carrier's　mander；　Captain　Svenson；　was　already　there。
〃Sir；　we　have　a　Flash　message　that　the　Soviets　have　attacked　and　neutralized　Iceland。　They　may　have　troops　there。〃
〃Do　they　have　aircraft　there？〃　Svenson　asked　at　once。
〃We　don't　know。　They're　trying　to　get　a　recon　bird　to　take　a　look；　probably　the　Brits；　but　we　won't　have　any　hard　information　for　at　least　six　hours。　The　last　friendly　satellite　pass　was　two　hours　ago；　and　we　won't　have　another　one　of　those　for　nine　hours。〃
〃Okay；　tell　me　what　you　have；〃　the　Admiral　ordered。
Toland　went　over　the　sketchy　data　that　had　e　in　the　dispatch　from　Norfolk。　〃From　what　we　know；　it　was　a　pretty　off…the…wall　plan；　but　it　seems　to　have　worked。〃
〃Nobody　ever　said　Ivan　was　dumb；〃　Svenson　mented　sourly。　〃What　about　our　orders？〃
〃Nothing　yet。〃
〃How　many　troops　on　Iceland？〃　the　Admiral　asked。
〃No　word　on　that；　sir。　The　P…3　crew　watched　two　relays　of　four　hovercraft。　At　a　hundred　men　per　load；　that's　eight　hundred　men；　at　least　a　battalion。　probably　more　like　a　regiment。　The　ship　is　large　enough　to　carry　the　equipment　load　for　a　full　brigade　and　then　some。　It's　in　one　of　Gorshkov's　books　that　this　sort　of　ship　is　uniquely　useful　for　landing　operations。〃
〃That's　too　much　for　a　MAU　to　take　on；　sir；〃　Svenson　said。　A　Marine　Amphibious　Unit　consisted　of　a　reinforced　battalion　of　troops。
〃With　three　carriers　backing　them　up？〃　Admiral　Baker　snorted；　then　adopted　a　more　thoughtful　pose。　〃You　could　be　right　at　that。　What　does　this　do　to　the　air　threat　to　us？〃
〃Iceland　had　a　squadron　of　F…15s　and　a　couple　AWACS　birds。　That's　a　lot　of　protection　for　us…gone。　We've　lost　raid　warning；　attrition；　and　raid…tracking　capabilities。〃　Svenson　didn't　like　this　at　all。　〃We　should　be　able　to　handle　their　Backfires　ourselves；　but　it　would　have　been　a　lot　easier　with　those　Eagles　running　interference。〃
Baker　sipped　at　his　coffee。　〃Our　orders　haven't　changed。〃
〃What　else　is　going　on　in　the　world？〃　Svenson　asked。
〃Norway　is　being　hit　hard；　but　no　details　yet。　Same　story　in　Germany。　The　Air　Force　is　supposed　to　have　gotten　a　heavy　hit　in　on　the　Soviets；　again　no　details。　It's　still　too　early　for　any　substantive　intel　assessments　of　what's　happening。〃
〃If　Ivan　was　able　to　suppress　the　Norwegians　and　fully　neutralize　Iceland；　the　air　threat　against　this　battle　group　has　at　least　doubled；〃　Svenson　said。　〃I　have　to　get　talking　with　my　air　group。〃
The　captain　left。　Admiral　Baker　was　silent　for　several　minutes。　Toland　had　to　stay　put。　He　hadn't　been　dismissed　yet。　〃They　just　hit　Keflavik？〃
〃Yes；　sir。〃
〃Find　out　what　else　is　there　and　get　back　to　me。〃
〃Yes；　sir。〃　As　Toland　walked　back　to　the　intelligence　shack；　he　pondered　what　he'd　told　his　wife：　The　carrier　is　the　best…protected　ship　in　the　fleet。　But　the　captain　was　worried。

HILL　152；　ICELAND
They　were　almost　thinking　of　it　as　home。　The　position　was　at　least　easily　defensible。　No　one　could　approach　Hill　152　without　being　seen；　and　that　meant　crossing　a　lava　field；　then　climbing　up　a　steep；　bare　slope。　Garcia　found　a　small　lake　a　kilometer　away；　evidently　filled　with　water　from　the　winter　snows　that　had　only　lately　melted。　Sergeant　Smith　observed　that　it　would　have　made　a　good　mixer　for　bourbon；　if　they　had　any　bourbon。
They　were　hungry；　but　all　had　four　days　of　rations　along；　and　they　feasted　on　such　delicacies　as　canned　lima　beans　and　ham。　Edwards　learned　a　new　and　indelicate　name　for　this　item。
〃Anybody　here　know　how　to　cook　a　sheep？〃　Rodgers　asked。　Several　miles　south　of　them　was　a　large　herd　of　the　animals。
〃Cook　with　what？〃　Edwards　asked。
〃Oh。〃　Rodgers　looked　around。　There　wasn't　a　tree　in　sight。　〃How　e　there　ain't　no　trees？〃
〃Rodgers　only　been　here　a　month；〃　Smith　explained。　〃Prive；　you　ain't　never　seen　a　windy　day　till　you　been　here　in　the　winter。　The　only　way　a　tree　can　grow　here　is　if　you　set　her　in　concrete。　I　seen　wind　strong　enough　to　blow　a　deuce…and…a…half　right　off　the　road。〃
〃Airplanes。〃　Garcia　had　the　binoculars。　He　pointed　northeast。　〃Lots。〃
Edwards　took　the　field　glasses。　They　were　just　dots；　but　they　grew　rapidly　into　shapes。　〃I　count　six；　big　ones；　look　like　C…141s　。　。　。　that　makes　them　IL…76s；　I　think。　Maybe　some　fighters；　too。　Sergeant；　get　a　pad　and　a　pencil…we　have　to　do　a　count。〃
It　lasted　for　hours。　The　fighters　landed　first；　rolling　off　to　the　refueling　area　at　once；　then　taxiing　to　one　of　the　shorter　runways。　One　aircraft　came　in　every　three　minutes；　and　Edwards　couldn't　help　be　impressed。　The　IL…76；　code…named　the　Candid　by　the　NATO　countries；　was　an　awkward；　ungainly　design；　like　its　American　counterpart。　The　pilots　landed；　stopped；　and　rolled　their　aircraft　onto　the　taxiway　off　the　main　north…south　runway　as　though　they　had　practiced　for　months…as　Edwards　rather　suspected　they　had。　They　unloaded　at　the　airport　terminal　building；　then　rolled　to　the　refueling　area　and　took　off；　coordinating　neatly　with　the　landing　aircraft。　Those　lifting　off　came　very　close　to　their　hill；　close　enough　that　Edwards　was　able　to　copy　down　a　few　fail　numbers。　When　the　count　reached　fifty；　he　set　up　his　radio。
〃This　is　Edwards　transmitting　from　Hill　152。　Do　you　copy；　over。〃
〃Roger；　copy；〃　the　voice　came　back　at　once。　〃From　now　on；　your　code　name　is　Beagle。　We　are　Doghouse。　Continue　your　report。〃
〃Roger；　Doghouse。　We　have　a　Soviet　airlift　in　progress。　We　have　counted　fifty…five…zero…Soviet　transport　aircraft；　India…Lima…Seven…Six　type。　They　are　ing　into　Reykjavik；　unloading；　and　rolling　back　out　to　the　northeast。〃
〃Beagle；　are　you　sure；　repea