tc.redstormrising-第69节

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GRAFARHOLT；　ICELAND
Two　Backfires　ran　short　of　fuel　and　decided　to　land　at　Keflavik。　Behind　them　was　the　damaged　Bear。　It　circled　Reykjavik　waiting　for　the　Backfires　to　clear　the　runway。　Edwards　reported　it　in　as　a　propeller　aircraft　with　a　damaged　engine。　The　sun　was　low　over　the　northwestern　horizon；　and　the　Bear　gleamed　yellow　against　the　cobalt…blue　sky。
〃Stay　on　the　air；　Beagle；〃　Doghouse　ordered。　Three　minutes　later；　Edwards　saw　why。
This　time　there　was　no　standoff　jamming　to　warn　the　Soviets。　Eight　FB…111s　swept　in　over　the　rocks；　southwest　from　the　island's　rocky　center。　They　skimmed　down　the　bottom　of　Selja　Valley　in　elements　of　two；　their　green　and　gray　camouflage　making　them　almost　invisible　to　the　fighters　circling　overhead。　The　lead　pair　turned　due　west；　with　another　pair　half　a　mile　behind　it。　The　remaining　four　went　south　around　Mt。　Hus。
〃Holy　shit。〃　Smith　saw　them　first；　two　fast…moving　tail　fins　to　the　south。　Just　as　Edwards　found　them；　the　lead　aircraft　popped　up　and　launched　a　pair　of　TV…guided　bombs。　The　wingman　did　the　same；　and　both　attackers　turned　north。　The　four　bombs　homed　in　on　the　transformer　station　below　them；　and　all　landed　within　the　fence　perimeter。　As　though　a　single　switch　had　been　thrown；　every　light　in　view　went　out。　The　second　pair　of　Aardvarks　roared　low　over　Highway　1；　blazing　over　the　rooftops　of　Reykjavik　to　line　up　on　their　target。　The　leader　lofted　his　own　smart…bombs；　and　his　wingman　broke　left　for　the　airport　tankfarm　on　the　waterfront。　Moments　later；　the　control　tower　exploded；　along　with　a　hangar；　and　Rockeye　cluster…bombs　blew　the　fuel　tanks　apart。　Caught　by　surprise；　the　Russian　gun　and　missile　crews　fired　too　late。
The　defense　troops　at　Keflavik　were　surprised；　too；　first　by　the　sudden　loss　of　electrical　power；　then　by　the　bombers；　which　arrived　only　a　minute　later。　Here；　too；　the　control　tower　and　hangars　were　the　primary　targets；　and　most　came　apart　under　the　impact　of　two…thousand…pound　bombs。　The　second　team　found　two　parked　Backfires　and　a　missilelaunch　vehicle　for　their　Rockeyes　to　hit；　and　sprinkled　more　softballsized　bomblets　over　the　runways　and　taxiways。　Meanwhile；　the　FB…111s　continued　west　on　afterburner；　with　gunfire　and　missiles　chasing　them…and　fighters。　Six　Fulcrums　dove　for　the　retreating　Varks；　whose　protective　jammers　filled　the　sky　with　electronic　noise。
Free　of　their　ordnance　loads；　the　American　bombers　blazed　away　at　seven　hundred　knots；　a　scant　hundred　feet　over　the　wavetops；　but　the　Soviet　fighter　mander　would　not　turn　away　from　this　one。　He'd　seen　what　they　had　done　to　Keflavik；　and　he　was　furious　at　having　been　caught　unaware　despite　having　his　fighters　aloft。　The　Fulcrums　had　a　slight　speed　advantage　and　closed　the　gap　slowly。　They　were　over　a　hundred　miles　offshore　when　their　missile　radars　burned　through　the　Americans'　jamming。　Two　fighters　immediately　launched　missiles；　and　the　American　aircraft　jinked　up；　then　down　to　lose　them。　One　FB…111　took　a　hit　and　cartwheeled　into　the　sea；　and　the　Soviets　were　preparing　a　second　volley　when　their　threat　receivers　came　on。
Four　American　Phantoms　were　waiting　in　ambush　for　them。　In　a　moment　eight　Sparrow　missiles　were　diving　toward　the　Fulcrums。　Now　it　was　time　for　the　Soviets　to　run。　The　MiG…29s　wheeled　and　ran　back　for　Iceland　on　afterburner。　One　was　felled　by　a　missile；　and　another　damaged。　The　battle　had　lasted　all　of　five　minutes。
〃Doghouse；　this　is　Beagle。　The　electrical　station　is　gone！　The　Varks　knocked　it　flat；　guy。　One　hell　of　a　fire　at　the　southwest　edge　of　the　airport；　and　looks　like　the　tower　got　chopped　in　half。　Two　hangars　look　shot　up。　I　see　two；　maybe　three　burning　aircraft；　civilian　types。　The　fighters　got　off　half　an　hour　ago。　Damn；　that　tank　farm　is　burning　like　a　sonuvagun！　Lots　of　people　running　around　on　the　ground　below　us。〃　As　Edwards　watched；　a　dozen　vehicles　with　headlights　blazing　ran　back　and　forth　over　the　roads　below　him。　Two　stopped　a　kilometer　away　and　dismounted　troops。　〃Doghouse；　I　think　it's　time　for　us　to　leave　this　hill。〃
〃That's　a　roger；　Beagle。　Head　northeast　towards　Hill　482。　We'll　expect　to　hear　from　you　in　ten　hours。　Get　moving；　boy！　Out。〃
〃Time　to　leave；　sir。〃　Smith　tossed　the　lieutenant　his　pack　and　motioned　for　the　privates　to　move。　〃Looks　like　we　can　score　one　for　the　good　guys。〃

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
The　MiGs　landed　on　the　still　undamaged　runway　one…eight；　the　base's　longest。　They　had　barely　stopped　rolling　when　ground　crews　began　the　process　of　turning　them　around　for　further　bat　operations。　The　colonel　was　surprised　to　see　the　base　mander　still　alive。
〃How　many　did　you　get；　rade　Colonel？〃
〃Only　one；　and　they　got　one　of　mine。　Didn't　you　get　anything　on　radar？〃　the　colonel　demanded。
〃Not　a　thing。　They　hit　Reykjavik　first。　Two　groups　of　aircraft；　they　came　in　from　the　north。　The　bastards　must　have　flown　between　the　rocks；〃　the　major　snarled。　He　pointed　to　the　big　mobile　radar　that　sat　in　the　open　between　two　runways。　〃They　missed　it　pletely。　Amazing。〃
〃We　must　move　it。　Someplace　high；　very　high。　We'll　never　get　an　airborne　radar；　and　unless　we　improve　radar　warning；　this　low…level　business　will　eat　us　up。　Find　a　good　hilltop。　How　badly　are　our　facilities　damaged？〃
〃Many　small　holes　in　the　runways　from　these　bomblets。　We'll　have　them　all　patched　in　two　hours。　The　loss　of　the　tower　will　hinder　our　ability　to　operate　large　numbers　of　aircraft。　When　we　lost　electrical　power；　we　lost　the　ability　to　move　fuel　through　our　pipeline；　probably　lost　the　local　telephone　service。〃　He　shrugged。　〃We　can　make　adjustments；　but　it's　a　major　inconvenience。　Too　much　work；　too　few　men。　We　must　disperse　the　fighters；　and　we　must　make　alternate　arrangements　for　fueling。　The　next　target　will　be　the　fuel　dumps。〃
〃Did　you　expect　this　to　be　easy；　rade？〃　The　colonel　looked　over　at　the　blazing　pyres　that　only　thirty　minutes　before　had　been　a　pair　of　Tu22M　Backfires。　The　damaged　Bear　was　just　touching　down。　〃Their　timing　was　too　good。　They　caught　us　when　half　my　fighters　were　escorting　a　bomber　force　off　the　north　coast。　Luck；　perhaps；　but　I　do　not　believe　in　luck。　I　want　ground　troops　to　check　for　enemy　infiltrators　around　all　the　airports。　And　I　want　better　security　arrangements。　I…what　the　hell　is　that？〃
A　Rockeye　bomblet　lay　on　the　concrete　not　twenty　feet　from　them。　The　major　took　a　plastic　flag　from　his　jeep　and　set　it　near　the　bomb。
〃The　Americans　set　some　for　delayed　detonation。　My　men　are　already　searching　for　them。　Be　at　ease；　rade；　all　your　fighters　have　landed　safely。　Your　dispersal　areas　are　clear。〃
The　colonel　drew　back　a　few　feet。　〃What　do　you　do　with　them？〃
〃We've　already　practiced　this。　We'll　use　a　specially　fitted　bulldozer　to　push　them　off　the　concrete。　Some　will　explode；　some　won't。　Those　that　do　not　go　off　of　their　own　accord　will　be　detonated　by　a　marksman　with　a　rifle。〃
〃The　tower？〃
〃Three　men　were　on　duty。　Good　men。〃　The　major　shrugged　again。　〃You　must　excuse　me。　I　have　work　to　do。〃
The　colonel　took　a　last　look　at　the　bomblet　before　walking　toward　his　fighters。　He'd　underestimated　the　major。

ICELAND
〃There's　a　light　on　our　hill；〃　Garcia　said。　Everyone　dropped　to　the　ground。　Edwards　got　next　to　the　sergeant。
〃Some　bastard　just　lit　a　cigarette；〃　Smith　observed　sourly。　He'd　finished　his　last　one　several　hours　before　and　was　going　through　withdrawal　symptoms。　〃Now　you　see　why　we're　carrying　our　trash　with　us？〃
〃They're　looking　for　us？〃　Edwards　asked。
〃Figures。　That　attack　was　pretty　cute。　They'll　wonder　if　the　airedales　had　any　help。　I'm　surprised　they　didn't　do　it　sooner。　Guess　they　were　pretty　busy　with　other　stuff。〃
〃Think　they　can　see　us？〃　Edwards　didn't　like　that　idea。
〃From　two　miles？　Pretty　dark　for　that；　and　if　they're　smoking；　they're　being　pretty　casual。　Relax；　Lieutenant。　It　isn't　all　that　easy　to　find　four　guys。　Lots　of　hills　to　check　out　on　this　rock。　We　want　to　be　careful　where　we　walk。　Keep　off　the　ridges；　like。　Even　if　they　got　low…light　gear；　we　won't　be　easy　to　see　if　we　keep　to　the　valleys。　Let's　move　it　out；　troops；　and　keep　low。〃

USS　PHARRIS
One　last　merchant　was　burning。　Her　crew　had　abandoned　ship　two　hours　before；　but　still　she　burned　on　the　western　horizon。　More　deaths；　Morris　thought。　Only　about　half　of　the　crews　had　been　saved；　and　there　wasn't　time　for　a　more　careful　search。　The　convoy　had　sailed　without　a　designated　rescue　ship。　The　helicopters　had　pulled　many　out　of　the　water；　but　most　of　them　were　still　needed　to　hunt　submarines。　He　held　a　dispatch　saying　that　Orions　out　of　Lajes　had　prosecuted　and　probably　killed　an　Echo…class　missile　submarine　in　their　path。　Some　good　news；　but　intelligence　reported　indications　of　two　more。
The　loss　of　Iceland　was　a　disaster　whose　dimensions　were　only　now　being　apparent。　The　Soviet　bombers　had　a　clear　lane　to　reach　into　the　trade　route。　Their　submarines　were　racing　through　the　Denmark　Strait　even　as　the　NATO　navies　were　trying　to　position　their　submarines　to　reform　the　barrier　they　had　lost…the　barrier　upon　which　the　convoys　depended。　The　Air　Force　and　Navy　would　soon　try　to　rearrange　fighter　coverage　to　harass　the　Backfires；　but　those　measures　were　an　stopgaps。　Until　Iceland　was　fully　neutralized；　or　better　yet　retaken；　the　Third　Battle　of　the　North　Atlantic　hung　in　an　uneven　ba