tc.redstormrising-第77节

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of　the　Americans　knew　a　word　of　Russian。　They　had　no　chance　at　all。　Garcia　stabbed　from　the　side；　sticking　his　knife　pletely　through　one　neck；　then　the　other。　Both　men　fell。　It　was　over　quickly。　The　private　and　the　lieutenant　went　into　the　kitchen　to　wash　their　hands。
〃Okay；　we　load　them　back　into　the　four…by…four　and　drive　it　back　to　the　main　road。　We'll　see　if　we　can　fake　an　accident　and　torch　the　vehicle。　Get　some　liquor　bottles。　We'll　make　it　look　like　they　were　drinking。〃
〃They　were；　sir。〃　Rodgers　held　up　a　bottle　of　clear　liquor。
Edwards　gave　the　bottle　a　brief　look；　but　shook　off　the　thought。　〃Figures。　If　I　guess　right；　these　guys　were　the　crossroads　guards　from　the　main　highway…or　maybe　just　a　patrol。　I　don't　think　they　can　guard　every　crossroads　on　this　island。　If　we're　just　a　little　lucky；　maybe　their　bosses'll　never　figure　out　we　were　involved　in　this。〃　A　long　shot；　he　thought；　but　what　the　hell？
〃Skipper；〃　Smith　said。　〃If　you　want　to　do　that；　we　gotta…〃
〃I　know。　You　and　Rodgers　stay　here　and　get　ready。　If　you　see　anything　else　we　can　use；　pack　it　up。　When　we　get　back；　we'll　have　to　haul　ass。〃
Edwards　and　Garcia　loaded　all　the　bodies　into　the　back　of　the　truck；　careful　to　sort　through　the　battle　gear。　They　unloaded　waterproof　parkas　whose　camouflage　pattern　was　almost　identical　with　their　own　and　a　few　other　items　that　wouldn't　be　missed；　then　drove　off　quickly　down　the　road。
Luck　was　with　them。　There　was　no　permanent　guard　post　at　the　crossroads；　perhaps　because　the　farm　road　led　nowhere。　The　Russians　had　probably　been　a　patrol　team；　and　had　chosen　the　farm　for　a　little　informal　R&R。　Two　hundred　yards　down　the　coastal　highway　the　road　paralleled　a　steep　cliff。　They　halted　the　vehicle　there　and　manhandled　the　bodies　into　the　seats。　Garcia　emptied　a　jerrican　of　gasoline　into　the　back　and　the　two　men　pushed　it　toward　the　edge　with　the　rear　hatch　open。　Garcia　tossed　a　Russian　grenade　into　the　back　as　it　went　over　the　edge。　Neither　man　wanted　to　admire　their　handiwork。　They　ran　back　the　half　mile　to　the　farmhouse。　Everything　was　ready。
〃We　have　to　bum　the　house；　Miss　Vigdis；〃　Smith　was　explaining。　〃If　we　don't；　the　Russians'll　know　for　sure　what　happened　here。　Your　mom　and　dad　are　dead；　ma'am；　but　I'm　sure　they'd　want　you　to　stay　alive；　Okay？〃
She　was　still　too　much　in　shock　to　offer　more　than　token　resistance。　Rodgers　and　Smith　had　cleaned　off　the　bodies；　and　moved　them　upstairs　to　their　own　bedroom。　It　would　have　been　better　to　bury　them；　but　there　just　wasn't　time。
〃Let's　get　moving；　people；〃　Edwards　ordered。　They　should　have　been　moving　already。　Somebody　had　to　be　ing　to　investigate　the　burning　truck；　and　if　they　used　a　chopper　。　。　。　〃Garcia；　you　watch　the　lady。　Smith　has　the　rear。　Rodgers；　take　the　point。　We　have　to　put　six　miles　between　us　and　this　place　in　the　next　three　hours。〃
Smith　waited　ten　minutes　before　tossing　his　grenade　into　the　house。　The　kerosene　he'd　spread　on　the　first　floor　went　up　at　once。

USS　CHICAGO
The　contact　was　a　lot　better　now。　They　had　classified　one　ship　as　a　Kashin…class　missile　destroyer；　and　her　propeller…blade　count　indicated　a　speed　of　twenty…one　knots。　The　leading　elements　of　the　Soviet　formation　were　now　thirty…seven　miles　away。　There　seemed　to　be　two　groups；　the　leading　formation　fanned　out　and　screening　the　second。　McCafferty　ordered　the　ESM　mast　raised。　It　showed　lots　of　activity；　but　he　expected　that。
〃Up　scope。〃　The　quartermaster　worked　the　operating　ring；　then　snapped　the　handles　into　place　and　stepped　back。　McCafferty　swept　the　horizon　quickly。　After　ten　seconds；　he　flipped　the　handles　up；　and　the　periscope　was　instantly　lowered　back　into　its　well。
〃It's　going　to　be　a　busy　day；　troops；〃　the　captain　said；　he　always　let　the　attack　center　crew　know　as　much　of　what　was　going　on　as　possible。　The　more　they　knew；　the　better　they　could　do　their　jobs。　〃I　saw　a　pair　of　Bear…Fs；　one　due　north；　the　other　west。　Both　a　good　way　off；　but　you　can　bet　they're　dropping　sonobuoys。　XO；　take　her　back　down　to　five　hundred　feet；　speed　five　knots。　We'll　let　them　e　to　us。〃
〃Conn；　sonar。〃
〃Conn；　aye；〃　McCafferty　answered。
〃We　got　some　pingers；　active　sonobuoys　to　the　northwest。　We　count　six　of　them；　all　very　faint。〃　The　sonar　chief　read　off　the　bearings　to　the　signal　sources。　〃Still　no　active　sonar　signals　ing　from　the　target　formation；　sir。〃
〃Very　well。〃　McCafferty　returned　the　mike　to　its　holder。　Chicago's　depth　was　changing　quickly；　as　they　dove　at　a　fifteen…degree　angle。　He　watched　the　bathythermograph　readout。　At　two　hundred　twenty　feet　the　water　temperature　began　to　drop　rapidly；　changing　twelve　degrees　inside　of　seventy　feet。　Good；　a　strong　layer　to　hide　under；　and　cold　water　deep　to　allow　good　sonar　performance　for　his　own　sensors。
Two　hours　before　he　had　removed　a　torpedo　from　one　of　his　tubes　and　replaced　it　with　a　Harpoon　missile。　It　gave　him　only　one　torpedo　ready　for　instant　use　if　he　found　a　submarine　target；　but　a　salvo　of　three　missiles　available　to　fling　at　surface　ships；　plus　his　Tomahawks。　He　could　fire　either　now；　and　expect　hits；　but　McCafferty　didn't　want　to　fire　at　just　anything。　There　was　no　sense　wasting　a　missile　on　a　small　patrol　craft　when　there　was　a　cruiser　and　a　carrier　out　there　waiting　for　him。　He　wanted　to　identify　specific　targets　first。　It　wouldn't　be　easy；　but　he　knew　that　easy　things　didn't　have　to　be　done　by　the　688…class　subs。　He　went　forward　into　sonar。
The　chief　caught　him　out　the　er　of　his　eye。　〃Skipper；　I　may　have　a　bearing　to　Kirov。　I　just　copied　six　pings　from　a　low…frequency　sonar。　I　think　that's　him；　bearing　zero…three…nine。　Trying　to　isolate　his　engine　signature　now。　And　if…okay；　some　more　sonobuoys　are　dropping　to　the　right。〃　The　display　showed　new　points　of　light　well　to　the　right　of　the　first　string；　and　a　sizable　gap　between　the　two。
〃Think　he's　dropping　them　in　chevrons；　Chief？〃　McCafferty　asked。　He　got　a　smile　and　a　nod　for　an　answer。　If　the　Soviets　were　deploying　their　sonobuoys　in　angled　lines　left　and　right　of　the　formation；　that　could　mean　that　their　ships　were　heading　right　for　Chicago。　The　submarine　would　not　have　to　maneuver　at　all　to　intercept　them。　She　could　stay　as　quiet　as　an　open　grave。
〃They　seem　to　be　alternating　them　above　and　below　the　layer；　sir。　A　pretty　fair　gap　between　them；　too。〃　The　chief　lit　a　cigarette　without　averting　his　eyes　from　the　screen。　The　ashtray　next　to　him　was　crammed　with　butts。
〃We'll　plot　that　one　out。　Good　work；　Barney。〃　The　captain　patted　his　sonar　chief　on　the　shoulder　and　went　back　to　the　attack　center。　The　firecontrol　tracking　party　was　already　plotting　the　new　contacts。　It　looked　like　an　interval　of　just　over　two　miles　between　the　sonobuoys。　If　the　Soviets　were　alternating　them　above　and　below　the　layer；　there　was　a　good　chance　he　could　sneak　between　a　pair。　The　other　question　was　the　presence　of　passive　buoys；　whose　presence　he　could　not　detect。
McCafferty　stood　at　the　periscope　pedestal；　watching　his　men　at　work　as　they　entered　data　into　the　fire…control　puters；　backed　up　by　other　men　with　paper　plots　and　hand…held　calculators。　The　weapons…control　panel　was　lit　up　by　indicators　showing　ready。　The　submarine　was　at　battle　stations。
〃Take　her　up　to　two　hundred　feet；　we'll　listen　above　the　layer　for　a　few　minutes。〃　The　maneuver　paid　off　at　once。
〃I　got　direct…path　to　the　targets；〃　the　sonar　chief　announced。　They　could　now　detect　and　track　sound　energy　radiating　directly　from　the　Soviet　ships；　without　depending　on　the　on…again；　off…again　convergence　zones。
McCafferty　manded　himself　to　relax。　He'd　soon　have　work　enough。
〃Captain；　we're　about　due　for　another　sonobuoy　drop。　They've　been　averaging　about　every　fifteen　minutes；　and　this　one　might　be　close。〃
〃Getting　that　Horse…Jaw　sonar　again；　sir；〃　sonar　warned。　〃Bearing　three…two…zero　at　this　time。　Signal　weak。　Classify　this　contact　as　the　cruiser　Kirov。　Stand　by…another　one。　We　have　a　medium　frequency　active　sonar　bearing　three…three…one；　maneuvering　left…to…right。　We　classify　this　contact　as　a　Kresta…II　ASW　cruiser。〃
〃I　think　he's　right；〃　the　plotting　officer　said。　〃Bearing　three…two…zero　is　close　to　our　bearings　for　a　pair　of　screen　ships；　but　far　enough　off　that　it's　probably　a　different　contact。　Three…three…one　is　consistent　with　the　center　screen　ship。　It　figures。　The　Kresta　will　be　the　screen　mander；　with　the　flagship　a　ways　behind　him。　Need　some　time　to　work　out　the　ranges；　though。〃
The　captain　ordered　his　submarine　to　stay　above　the　layer；　able　to　duck　beneath　it　in　seconds。　The　tactical　display　was　evolving　now。　He　had　a　workable　bearing　on　Kirov。　Almost　good　enough　to　shoot　on；　though　he　still　needed　range　data。　There　seemed　to　be　a　pair　of　escorts　between　him　and　the　cruiser；　and　unless　he　had　a　proper　range　estimate；　any　missile　he　launched　at　the　Soviet　flagship　might　attack　a　destroyer　or　frigate　by　mistake。　In　the　interim；　the　solution　on　the　attack　director　set　the　Harpoons　to　fly　straight　for　what　he　believed　to　be　the　battle　cruiser　Kirov。
Chicago　began　to　zigzag　left　and　right　of　her　course　track。　As　the　submarine　changed　her　position；　the　bearing　to　her　sonar　contacts　changed　also。　The　tracking　party　could　use　the　submarine's　own　course　deviation　as　a　baseline　to　pute　ranges　to　the　various　contacts。　A　straightforwar