tc.redstormrising-第67节

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around。　We've　seen　soldiers　boarding　the　little　twin…prop　birds。　I've　counted　four　flights　today。　We　have　not　seen　a　Russian　chopper　since　yesterday。〃
〃How's　Reykjavik　city　look？〃　Doghouse　asked。
〃It's　hard　to　see　into　the　streets。　We　can　look　down　a　valley　towards　the　airport；　but　we　can　only　see　down　a　few　streets。　One　armored　vehicle　is　visible　in　there　parked；　like；　at　an　intersection。　Troops　are　just　hanging　around；　like　cops　or　something　at　every　intersection　we　can　see。　If　I　had　to　guess；　I'd　say　most　of　their　troops　are　around　Reykjavik　and　Keflavik。　Not　many　civilians　around；　and　almost　no　civilian　traffic。　There's　a　lot　of　movement　on　the　main　roads；　both　along　the　coast　to　our　west；　and　also　east　on　Route　1。　It's　all　back…and…forth　traffic；　like　they're　patrolling。　We've　counted　a　total　of　fifty…some　trips；　split　about　even　on　the　two　highways。　One　other　thing。　We　saw　some　Russians　using　a　civilian　vehicle。　We　haven't　seen　a　jeep　yet；　except　a　few　of　ours　on　the　airport　grounds。　The　Russians　have　jeeps…their　kind；　I　mean…right？　I　think　they've　mandeered　the　people's　four…by…fours。　That's　practically　the　national　vehicle　here；　and　a　lot　of　them　are　moving　around　on　the　roads。〃
〃Any　more　ining　transport　flights？〃
〃Five。　We　have　clear　skies；　and　we　can　watch　them　going　in　towards　Keflavik。　Four　were　IL…76s；　and　the　other　one　looked　kind　of　like　a　C…130。　I　don't　know　the　designation　for　that　one。〃
〃Are　the　fighters　flying？〃
〃We　saw　one　take　off　two　hours　ago。　I'd　say　they　have　a　patrol　up；　and　have　fighters　here　and　Keflavik　both。　That's　a　guess；　but　I'll　bet　money　on　it。　I'd　also　say　the　fighters　we're　looking　at　can　roll　off　in　less　than　five　minutes。　Looks　a　lot　like　a　hot…pad　alert　status。〃
〃Okay；　copy　that；　Beagle。　How　is　your　situation？〃
〃We're　pretty　well　concealed；　and　the　sarge　has　two　escape　routes　scouted。　We　haven't　seen　the　Russians　beat　any　bushes　yet。　Mostly　they　seem　to　be　hanging　in　populated　areas　and　on　the　roads。　If　they　start　heading　this　way；　we'll　be　bugging　out。〃
〃Exactly　right；　Beagle。　We　will　probably　be　ordering　you　off　that　hill　soon　anyway。　You're　doing　good；　boy。　Hang　in　there。　Out。〃

SCOTLAND
〃The　kid's　doing　all　right；〃　the　major　said。　He　was　in　an　awkward　position…an　American　officer　in　a　NATO　munications　post　run　by　Brit　intelligence　types　who　were　evenly　split　on　Edwards's　reliability。
〃I'd　say　he's　doing　bloody　marvelously；〃　nodded　the　senior　Brit。　He'd　lost　an　eye；　quite　some　time　ago　by　the　look　of　it；　but　was　still　one　tough　looking　bastard；　the　major　thought。　〃Notice　how　he　discriminates　between　what　his　observations　and　opinions　are。〃
〃Weather　forecaster；〃　snorted　another。　〃We　must　get　some　professionals　in　there。　How　quickly　can　we　whistle　some　up？〃
〃Perhaps　by　tomorrow。　The　Navy　wants　to　put　them　in　by　submarine；　though；　and　I　agree。　A　bit　dicey　for　a　parachute　infiltration；　you　know。　Iceland's　covered　with　rocks；　the　place　is　made　to　break　ankles　and　legs。　Then　there's　the　Soviet　fighters。　No　hurry　on　putting　troops　there；　is　it？　We've　got　to　reduce　their　air　assets　first　and　generally　make　life　as　difficult　for　them　as　we　can。〃
〃That　starts　tonight；〃　the　major　said。　〃Nordic　Hammer　Phase　Two　will　hit　around　the　local　sunset　time。〃
〃Hope　it　works　better　than　Phase　One　did；　old　boy。〃

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃So　how　are　things　going　up　here？〃　Toland　asked　his　Royal　Air　Force　counterpart。　Right　before　boarding　the　flight　he'd　sent　the　telegram　to　Marty：　I'M　ALL　RIGHT。　ON　THE　BEACH　FOR　A　WHILE。　LOVE。　He　hoped　that　would　reassure　her。　Probably　the　news　of　the　carrier　battle　was　already　in　the　papers。
〃Could　be　better。　We've　lost　eight　Tornados　trying　to　assist　the　Norwegians。　We're　about　down　to　a　bare　minimum　for　local　defense；　and　Ivan's　begun　to　attack　our　northern　radar　installations。　Sorry　about　what　happened　to　your　aircraft　carrier；　but　I　must　say　we're　very　happy　indeed　to　have　you　chaps　with　us　for　a　bit。〃
Nimitz's　interceptors　and　radar　birds　were　split　among　three　RAF　bases。　The　maintenance　crews　were　still　arriving　by　transport　aircraft；　and　some　hitch　had　developed　with　the　missiles；　but　the　F…14s　each　carried　a　full　load　for　one　engagement；　and　they　could　use　RAF　Sparrows　to　reload。　Operating　off　a　land　base；　the　fighter　could　carry　a　larger　load　of　fuel　and　ordnance；　packing　a　heavier　punch　than　off　a　ship。　The　fighter　crews　were　in　a　foul　humor。　Having　used　their　aircraft　and　precious　missiles　to　kill　drones；　they　had　returned　to　the　formation　to　see　the　fearful　results　of　the　mistake。　The　total　loss　of　life　was　still　uncertain；　but　scarcely　two　hundred　men　had　escaped　from　Saipan；　and　only　a　thousand　from　Foch。　In　terms　of　casualties　this　had　been　the　bloodiest　defeat　in　the　history　of　the　United　States　Navy；　with　thousands　of　men　gone　and　not　a　single　kill　to　offset　the　losses。　Only　the　French　had　scored　against　the　Backfires；　succeeding　with　twenty…year…old　Crusaders　where　the　vaunted　Tomcats　had　failed。
Toland　sat　in　on　their　first　briefing；　conducted　by　the　RAF。　The　fighter　pilots　were　absolutely　silent。　He　had　trouble　gauging　their　mood。　No　jokes。　No　whispered　remarks。　No　smiles。　They　knew　that　the　error　had　not　been　theirs；　that　it　was　not　their　fault　at　all；　but　that　didn't　seem　to　matter。　They　were　shaken　by　what　had　happened　to　their　ship。
As　was　he。　Toland's　mind　kept　ing　back　to　the　image　of　the　four…inch…thick　flight　deck　steel　bent　into　the　sky　like　cellophane；　a　blackened　cavern　below　it　where　the　hangar　deck　used　to　be。　The　rows　of　bags…crewmen　who　had　died　aboard　the　world's　most　powerful　warship　。　。　。
〃mander　Toland？〃　An　airman　tapped　him　on　the　shoulder。　〃Would　you　e　with　me；　please？〃　The　two　men　walked　to　the　operations　room。　Bob　noted　instantly　that　a　new　raid　was　being　plotted。　The　operations　officer；　a　flight　lieutenant；　motioned　for　Toland　to　join　him。
〃One　regiment；　perhaps　less。　One　of　your　EP…3s　is　snooping　up　there　and　caught　their　radio　chatter　while　they　were　refueling　north　of　Iceland。　They'll　be　going　for　one　of　these　convoys；　we　think。〃
〃You　want　the　Tomcats　to　ambush　them　on　the　way　home？　The　timing's　going　to　be　tricky。〃
〃Extremely。　Another　plication。　They　will　use　Iceland　as　a　navigational　check　and　a　secure　assembly　point。　We　know　Ivan　has　fighters　there；　and　now　it's　reported　that　he　has　fighters　operating　from　these　two　airfields　on　Iceland。〃
〃Is　the　source　for　this　something　called　Beagle？〃
〃Ah；　you've　heard　about　that　one。　Yes。〃
〃What　kind　of　fighters？〃
〃Twin　tails；　is　what　your　chap　reported。　Could　be　MiG…25s；　…29s；　or　…31s。〃
〃Fulcrums；〃　Toland　said。　〃The　others　are　interceptors。　Didn't　the　B…52s　get　a　look　at　them？〃　The　briefing　he'd　just　left　had　gone　over　the　Air　Force　mission　against　Keflavik。　More　good　news　to　cheer　the　troops　up。
〃Evidently　not　a　good　one；　and　superficially　they　are　quite　similar。　I　agree　they're　probably　Fulcrums；　and　the　sensible　thing　for　Ivan　to　do　is　have　the　fighters　establish　a　safe　corridor　for　his　bombers。〃
〃They　might　have　to　tank　ing　back　。　。　。　go　for　the　tankers？〃
〃We've　thought　of　that。　But　they　have　a　million　square　miles　of　ocean　to　use。〃　The　area　on　the　chart　was　obvious。　〃The　timing　for　that　will　be　damned　near　impossible；　but　we　think　it　would　be　worth　the　effort　some　time　in　the　future。　For　the　moment　our　primary　concern　is　air　defense。　After　that；　we　think　Ivan　may　be　planning　an　amphibious　operation　for　Norway。　If　his　surface　fleet　sorties；　it's　our　job　to　hammer　it。〃

USS　PHARRIS
〃Raid　warning；　skipper；〃　the　executive　officer　said。　〃There's　about　twenty…five　Backfires　downbound；　target　unknown。〃
〃Well；　they　won't　be　going　after　the　carrier　group；　not　with　twenty…five　aircraft　now　that　they're　under　NATO　fighter　cover。　Where　are　they　now？〃
〃Probably　over　Iceland。　Three　to　five　hours　off。　We're　not　the　biggest　convoy　in　range；　but　we　are　the　most　exposed。〃
〃On　the　other　hand；　if　they　go　for　all　those　independents　out　there；　they　can　hunt　undefended　ships　in　open　ocean。　But　I　wouldn't。　Our　ships　are　carrying　war　materiel　。　。　。〃　The　convoy　had　only　five　SAM…equipped　ships。　A　ripe　target。

GRAFARHOLT；　ICELAND
〃Contrails；　Doghouse；　we　have　contrails　overhead；　looks　like　twenty　or　so。　Passing　overhead　right　now。〃
〃Can　you　get　an　ID？〃
〃Negative。　Large　aircraft　with　no　engines　visible　on　the　wings；　but　I　can't　be　sure　of　the　type。　They're　pretty　high；　heading　south。　Can't　gauge　the　speed；　either…no　sonic　booms；　though　if　they　were　busting　Mach　1；　we　should　have　heard　it　by　now。〃
〃Repeat　your　count；〃　Doghouse　ordered。
〃I　count　twenty…one　sets　of　contrails；　two…one　sets；　heading　about　one…eight…zero。　All　the　fighters　at　Reykjavik　lifted　off　and　went　north　about　thirty　minutes　before　they　passed　overhead。　They　still　haven't　landed　back　here　yet；　but　we　do　not　know　where　they　are。　The　bombers　do　not　appear　to　be　escorted。　Nothing　else　new　to　report。〃
〃Roger；　Beagle。　Let　us　know　when　the　fighters　land。　Might　be　nice　to　get　a　feel　for　their　cycle　time。　Out。〃　The　major　turned　to　his　sergeant。　〃Get　that　one　out　in　the　printer　right　now。　Confirm　the　one…regiment　Backfire　raid　downbound；　over　Reykjavik　right　now；　estimated　course　one…eight…zero。　Possibly　with　fighter　escort　。　。　。　yeah；　better　put　that　in；　too。〃
The　NATO　munications　center　was　about　the　only　thing　w