tc.redstormrising-第88节

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illed　three　German　tanks　before　missiles　began　to　drop　them　from　the　sky　yet　again。　Suddenly　it　became　too　much。　As　Mackall　watched；　the　Soviet　force　wheeled　and　retreated　toward　the　hills；　with　the　Germans　in　pursuit。　The　counterattack　was　pressed　to　the　limit；　and　Mackall　knew　that　nobody　did　that　as　well　as　the　Krauts。　By　the　time　he　had　orders　to　move；　the　initial　defense　position　was　back　in　friendly　hands。　The　battle　had　lasted　barely　over　an　hour。　Two　Soviet　motor…rifle　divisions　had　now　been　decimated　on　the　road　to　Bieben。
The　crewmen　opened　their　hatches　to　let　fresh　air　into　the　stiffing　turret。　Fifteen　empty　cases　rattled　about　on　the　floor。　The　fire…control　puter　was　out　again；　but　Woody　had　killed　another　four　tanks；　two　of　them　belonging　to　Soviet　officers。　The　troop　mander　came　over　to　him　in　a　jeep。
〃Three　tanks　damaged；〃　Mackall　reported。　〃Have　to　drag　them　clear　for　repairs。〃　His　face　split　into　a　wide　grin：　〃They　ain't　never　gonna　take　this　town　away　from　us！〃
〃Those　Bundeswehr　regulars　made　the　difference。〃　The　lieutenant　nodded。　〃Okay；　start　getting　your　people　reloaded。〃
〃Oh；　yeah。　Last　time　I　came　back　five　rounds　short。〃
〃They're　thinning　out　the　ammo　issue。　It's　not　getting　across　to　us　as　quick　as　we　thought。〃
Mackall　thought　that　one　over　and　didn't　like　what　he　came　up　with。　〃Have　somebody　tell　those　Navy　pukes　that　we　can　stop　these　bastards　if　they　get　their　shit　together！〃

USS　PHARRIS
Morris　had　never　seen　Hampton　Roads　so　crowded。　At　least　sixty　merchantmen　were　swinging　at　anchor；　with　a　beefed…up　escort　force　preparing　to　take　them　to　sea。　Saratoga　was　in　also；　her　mainmast　gone　and　a　replacement　being　fabricated　on　the　quay　while　repairs　were　under　way　for　less　visible　damage　from　her　near…miss。　Numerous　aircraft　circled　overhead；　and　several　ships　had　their　search　radars　on　lest　a　Soviet　submarine　sneak　close　inshore　and　launch　cruise　missiles　into　the　mass　of　shipping。
Pharris　was　tied　to　the　fueling　pier；　taking　on　fuel　oil　for　her　boilers　and　jet　fuel　for　her　helicopter。　The　single　ASROC　she'd　expended　had　already　been　replaced；　as　had　the　six　chaff　rockets。　Aside　from　that；　the　only　thing　that　needed　to　be　taken　aboard　was　food。　Ed　Morris　handed　his　patrol　report　to　a　messenger　who　would　deliver　it　to　his　squadron　mander。　He　would　have　gone　himself；　but　there　was　no　time。　They　were　scheduled　to　sail　in　another　twelve　hours。　This　was　another　twenty…knot　convoy；　bound　for　the　French　ports　of　LeHavre　and　Brest　with　heavy　equipment　and　munitions。
Morris　had　been　given　the　fleet　intelligence　report。　If　anything；　matters　had　gotten　worse。　Twenty　NATO　submarines　were　now　staked　out　in　the　G…I…UK　gap；　trying　to　make　up　for　the　loss　of　the　SOSUS　line。　They　reported　killing　a　sizable　number　of　Soviet　submarines；　but　they　also　reported　that　some　had　gotten　through；　and　for　each　known　leaker；　Morris　was　sure　that　there　were　four　or　five　unknowns。　The　first　convoy　had　gotten　virtually　a　free　ride。　Those　few　Soviet　submarines　in　the　Atlantic　at　the　time　had　been　spread　thin；　and　were　forced　to　race　noisily　to　their　convoy　targets。　No　longer。　About　sixty　were　thought　to　be　in　the　Atlantic　now；　at　least　half　of　them　nuclear…powered。　Morris　thought　over　the　numbers；　what　the　Soviet　inventory　was；　how　many　kills　NATO　claimed；　and　wondered　if　sixty　was　an　optimistic　assessment。
Then　there　were　the　Backfires。　The　convoy　would　be　taking　a　southerly　routing；　adding　two　full　days　to　the　crossing　time　but　forcing　the　Soviet　bombers　to　stretch　to　the　limit　of　their　fuel。　Also；　thirty　minutes　before　each　satellite　pass；　the　convoy　would　reverse　course　to　a　westerly　heading　in　the　hope　that　the　Soviets　would　then　vector　their　bombers　and　submarines　to　the　wrong　point。　A　pair　of　carrier　battle　groups　was　at　sea　and　would　offer　support　if　possible。　Clearly　they　wanted　to　spring　a　trap　on　the　Backfires。　The　carrier　groups　would　be　steaming　an　evasive　path；　trying　to　avoid　satellite　detection　entirely。　Morris　knew　this　was　possible；　an　exercise　in　geometry；　but　it　placed　serious　limits　on　the　carriers'　freedom　of　action…and　having　the　carrier　groups　at　sea　would　take　up　some　of　the　antisubmarine　patrol　aircraft　that　the　convoys　depended　on。　A　promise；　but　then　all　life；　and　certainly　any　war　operation；　was　a　collection　of　promises。　Morris　lit　an　unfiltered　cigarette。　He'd　broken　the　habit　years　before；　but　halfway　through　the　outbound　leg　of　his　first　war　cruise　he'd　found　himself　at　the　ship's　store　purchasing　a　carton　of　tax…free　〃at　sea〃　smokes。　The　added　hazard　to　his　health；　he　judged；　was　no　more　than　incidental。　Already　nine　destroyers　and　frigates　had　been　sunk；　two　with　all　hands。

ICELAND
Edwards　had　learned　to　hate　the　rust…colored　contour　lines　on　his　maps。　Each　one　announced　a　change　of　twenty　meters。　He　tried　to　work　it　out　in　his　head；　but　got　no　further　than　sixty…five…point…six　feet　for　every　one　of　the　Goddamned　red…brown　lines。　Sometimes　the　lines　were　spread　apart　by　as　much　as　an　eighth　of　an　inch。　Other　times　they　were　packed　together　tightly　enough　that　the　lieutenant　half　expected　to　find　a　sheer　wall。　He　remembered　the　one　visit　he'd　had　to　Washington；　D。C。；　and　the　time　he　and　his　father　had　scornfully　walked　past　the　tourists　lined　up　to　wait　for　an　elevator　ride　to　the　top　of　the　Washington　Monument；　preferring　to　walk　the　five　hundred　feet　up　the　square…spiral　staircase　to　the　observation　deck。　They'd　arrived　at　the　top　tired　but　proud。　He　was　now　making　that　same　climb　about　every　ninety　minutes；　except　this　time　there　were　no　smooth；　even　steps；　and　no　elevator　awaited　them　at　the　top　for　a　more　relaxing　trip　down　。　。　。　and　no　taxi　to　the　hotel。
They　climbed　ten　contour　lines…two　hundred　meters；　or　six　hundred　fifty…six　feet…three　hours　after　breaking　camp；　crossing；　the　map　said；　from　the　Skorradalshreppur　second…order　administrative　division　to　the　Lundarreykjadashreppur　second…order　administrative　division。　There　was　no　green　highway　sign　to　announce　this；　the　Icelanders　being　bright　enough　to　know　that　anyone　who　traveled　out　here　lived　here　and　needed　no　directions。　They　were　rewarded　with　two　kilometers　of　fairly　level　terrain　as　they　walked　between　a　pair　of　marshes。　It　was　littered　with　rock　and　ash　from　what　seemed　to　be　an　extinct　volcano　about　four　miles　away。
〃Take　a　break；〃　Edwards　said。　He　sat　down　next　to　a　three…foot　rock　so　that　he'd　have　something　to　lean　against；　and　was　surprised　when　Vigdis　came　over。　She　sat　down　three　feet　away；　facing　him。
〃How　are　you　today？〃　he　asked。　There　was　life　in　her　eyes　now；　Mike　saw。　Perhaps　the　demons　that　had　awakened　her　the　previous　day　were　now　gone？　No；　he　thought；　they'd　never　be　pletely　gone…but　you　had　to　be　alive　to　have　nightmares；　and　they　would　probably　fade　in　time。　With　time　you　could　recover　from　anything；　except　murder。
〃I　have　not　thanked　you　for　my　life。〃
〃We　could　not　stand　by　and　let　them　kill　you；〃　he　said；　wondering　if　it　was　a　lie。　If　the　Russians　had　simply　killed　all　three　people　in　the　house；　would　he　have　attacked　them　or　would　he　have　waited　and　simply　looted　the　house　after　they'd　left？　It　was　a　time　for　the　truth。
〃I　didn't　do　it　for　you；　not　only　for　you。〃
〃I　do　not　understand。〃
Edwards　took　his　wallet　from　a　back　pocket　and　opened　it　to　a　five…year…old　photograph。　〃That's　Sandy；　Sandra　Miller。　We　grew　up　on　the　same　block；　all　the　way　through　school。　Maybe　we　would　have　gotten　married　someday；〃　he　said　quietly。　And　maybe　not；　he　admitted　to　himself。　People　change。　〃I　went　to　the　Air　Force　Academy；　she　went　to　the　University　of　Connecticut　in　Hartford。　October　of　her　second　year；　she　disappeared。　She　was　raped　and　murdered。　They　found　her　a　week　later　in　a　ditch。　The　guy　who　did　it…they　never　proved　he　killed　Sandy；　but　he　raped　two　other　girls　at　the　school…well；　he's　in　a　mental　hospital　now。　They　said　he　was　crazy；　wasn't　really　responsible。　So　someday　the　docs'll　say　he's　cured；　and　they'll　let　him　out；　and　Sandy'll　still　be　dead。〃　Edwards　looked　down　at　the　rocks。
〃I　couldn't　do　anything　about　that。　I'm　not　a　cop；　I　was　two　thousand　miles　away。　But　not　this　time。〃　His　voice　showed　no　emotion　at　all。　〃This　time　was　different。〃
〃You　love　Sandy？〃　Vigdis　asked。
How　to　answer　that　one？　Mike　wondered。　It　sure　did　seem　like　that；　five　years　ago；　didn't　it？　But　would　it　have　worked　out？　You　haven't　exactly　been　celibate　these　last　few　years；　have　you？　But　it　hasn't　been　the　same；　either；　has　it？　He　looked　at　the　photograph　taken　three　days　before　Sandy　had　been　killed。　It　had　arrived　in　his　box　at　Colorado　Springs　after　her　death；　though　he　hadn't　known　it　at　the　time。　Her　dark；　shoulder　length　hair；　the　tilt　of　the　head；　the　impish　smile　that　went　with　an　infectious　laugh　。　。　。　all　gone。
〃Yes。〃　There　was　emotion　in　his　voice　now。
〃You　do　for　her　then；　yes？〃
〃Yes；〃　Edwards　lied。　I　did　it　for　me。
〃I　do　not　know　your　name。〃
〃Mike；　Michael。　Edwards。〃
〃You　do　this　for　me；　Michael。　Thank　you　for　my　life。〃　There　were　the　first　beginnings　of　a　smile。　She　placed　her　hand　on　his。　It　was　soft　and　warm。

27　…　Casualties

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃At　First　we　thought　that　they　simply　drove　off　the　cliff　road。　We　found　this　in　the　vehicle。〃　The　major　of　field　police　held　up　the　top　of　a　broken　bottle