tc.redstormrising-第89节

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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　of　vodka。　〃But　the　medical　corpsman　who　collected　their　personal　effects　found　this。〃
The　major　pulled　the　rubberized　sheet　off　the　one　body　that　had　been　thrown　clear　when　the　vehicle　hit　the　rocks。　The　stab　wound　in　the　chest　was　unmistakable。
〃And　you　said　that　the　Icelanders　were　as　peaceful　as　sheep；　rade　General；〃　the　KGB　colonel　observed　sardonically。
The　major　continued；　〃It　is　difficult　to　reconstruct　exactly　what　happened。　There　was　a　farm　a　short　distance　away　whose　house　was　burned　to　the　ground。　We　found　two　bodies　in　the　wreckage。　Both　had　been　shot。〃
〃Who　were　they？〃　General　Andreyev　asked。
〃Impossible　to　identify　the　bodies。　The　only　way　we　knew　they　were　shot　was　the　bullet　hole　in　the　sternum；　so　that　was　likely　done　at　very　close　range。　I　had　one　of　our　surgeons　look　at　them。　A　man　and　a　woman；　probably　in　their　middle　years。　According　to　a　local　government　official；　the　farm　was　occupied　by　a　married　couple　with　one　daughter；　age〃…the　major　checked　his　notes…〃twenty。　The　daughter　has　not　been　found。〃
〃What　of　the　patrol？〃
〃They　were　southbound　on　the　coast　road　when　they　disappeared…〃
〃No　one　spotted　the　fires？〃　the　KGB　colonel　asked　sharply。
〃There　was　heavy　rain　that　night。　Both　the　burning　vehicle　and　the　farmhouse　were　below　the　horizon　for　the　neighboring　observation　patrols。　As　you　know；　the　road　conditions　here　have　upset　our　patrol　schedules；　and　the　mountains　interfere　with　radio　performance。　So　when　the　patrol　was　late　getting　in；　no　particular　note　was　made　of　it。　You　can't　see　the　vehicle　from　the　road；　and　as　a　result　they　were　not　spotted　until　the　helicopter　flew　over　it。〃
〃The　other　bodies；　how　did　they　die？〃　the　General　wanted　to　know。
〃When　the　vehicle　burned；　the　soldiers'　hand　grenades　cooked　off；　with　the　obvious　results。　Except　for　the　sergeant　here；　there　is　no　telling　how　they　died。　So　far　as　we　can　tell；　no　weapons　were　taken。　All　the　rifles　were　there；　but　some　items　are　unaccounted　for：　a　map　case　and　some　other　minor　things。　Possibly　they　were　blown　clear　of　the　vehicle　by　the　explosions　and　fell　into　the　sea；　but　I　doubt　this。〃
〃Conclusions？〃
〃rade　General；　there　is　not　a　great　deal　to　go　on；　but　I　surmise　that　the　patrol　visited　the　farmhouse；　'liberated'　this　bottle　of　vodka；　probably　shot　and　killed　the　two　people　who　lived　there；　and　burned　the　house。　The　daughter　is　missing。　We　are　searching　the　area　for　her　body。　At　some　time　after　this　happened；　the　patrol　was　surprised　and　killed　by　an　armed　party　which　then　tried　to　make　their　deaths　look　like　a　vehicle　accident。　We　should　assume　that　there　is　at　least　one　band　of　resistance　fighters　at　large。〃
〃I　disagree；〃　the　KGB　colonel　announced。　〃Not　all　the　enemy　troops　have　been　accounted　for。　I　think　that　your　'resistance　fighters'　are　probably　NATO　personnel　who　escaped　when　we　took　Keflavik。　They　ambushed　our　troops；　then　murdered　the　farm　people　in　the　hope　of　stirring　the　local　population　against　us。〃
General　Andreyev　shared　a　furtive　look　with　his　major　of　field　police。　It　had　been　a　KGB　lieutenant　manding　the　patrol。　The　chekisti　had　insisted　that　some　of　their　people　acpany　the　roving　patrols。　Just　what　he　needed；　the　General　thought。　Bad　enough　that　his　crack　paratroopers　were　consigned　to　garrison　duty…always　destructive　to　unit　morale　and　discipline…but　now　they　were　jailers；　too；　and　in　some　cases　manded　by　jailers。　So　the　arrogant　young　KGB　officer…he'd　never　met　a　humble　one…had　thought　to　have　himself　some　fun。　Where　was　the　daughter？　The　answer　to　this　mystery　certainly　lay　with　her。　But　the　mystery　wasn't　the　important　thing；　was　it？
〃I　think　we　should　interrogate　the　local　inhabitants　to　see　what　they　know；〃　the　KGB　officer　announced。
〃There　are　no　'local　inhabitants；'　rade；〃　the　major　answered。　〃Look　at　your　map。　This　is　an　isolated　farm。　The　nearest　neighbor　is　seven　kilometers　away。〃
〃But…〃
〃Who　killed　these　unfortunates；　and　why；　is　unimportant。　We　have　armed　enemies　out　there；〃　Andreyev　said。　〃This　is　a　military　matter；　not　something　for　our　colleagues　in　the　KGB。　I'll　have　a　helicopter　search　the　area　around　the　farm。　If　we　find　this　resistance　group；　or　whatever　it　is；　we　will　deal　with　it　as　with　any　band　of　armed　enemies。　You　may　interrogate　any　prisoners　we　manage　to　capture；　rade　Colonel。　Also；　for　the　moment　any　KGB　officer　who　acpanies　our　security　patrols　will　be　an　observer；　not　a　mander。　We　cannot　risk　your　men　in　bat　situations　for　which　they　have　not　been　fully　trained。　So。　Let　me　talk　to　my　operations　officer　to　see　how　we　will　handle　the　search。　rades；　you　did　well　to　bring　this　to　our　attention。　Dismissed。〃　The　chekist　wanted　to　stay；　but　KGB　or　not；　he　was　only　a　colonel；　and　the　General　was　exercising　his　legitimate　prerogatives　as　mander　on　the　scene。
An　hour　later；　a　Mi…24　attack　helicopter　lifted　off　to　check　the　area　around　the　burned　farm。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃Again？〃　Toland　asked。
〃Not　a　bank　holiday；　mander；〃　the　group　captain　replied。　〃Two　regiments　of　Backfires　departed　their　bases　twenty　minutes　ago。　If　we　want　to　catch　their　tankers；　we　must　move　smartly。〃

Within　minutes；　two　EA…6B　Prowlers；　designed　to　find　and　jam　enemy　radar　and　radio　signals；　were　climbing　to　altitude　on　a　northwest　heading。　Known　with　backhanded　affection　as　the　Queer；　the　EA…6B's　most　striking　characteristic　was　its　canopies；　inlaid　with　real　gold　to　protect　sensitive　onboard　instruments　against　electromagnetic　radiation。　As　the　planes　climbed；　their　pilots　and　electronics　officers　were　already　working　in　their　gilt　cages。
Two　hours　later　they　spotted　their　prey；　radioed　back　the　signal　bearings…and　four　Tomcats　rolled　down　the　runway　of　Stornoway。
NORWEGIAN　SEA
Cruising　at　an　altitude　of　thirty…six　thousand　feet　the　Tomcats　flew　racetrack…shaped　patterns　north　and　south　of　the　predicted　course　for　the　Soviet　tankers。　Their　powerful　search/missile…guidance　radars　were　shut　down。　Instead；　they　swept　the　skies　with　a　built…in　TV　camera　that　could　identify　aircraft　as　far　as　forty　miles　away。　Conditions　were　ideal；　a　clear　sky　with　only　a　few　high　cirrus　clouds；　the　fighters　left　no　contrails　that　might　warn　another　aircraft　of　their　presence。　The　pilots　curved　their　fighters　around　the　sky；　their　eyes　shifting　out　to　check　the　horizon；　then　in　to　check　engine　instruments；　a　cycle　repeated　every　ten　seconds。
〃Well；　lookie　here　。　。　。〃　the　squadron　mander　said　to　his　weapons　operator。　The　flight　officer　in　the　Tomcat's　back　seat　centered　the　TV　camera　on　the　aircraft。
〃Looks　like　a　Badger　to　me。〃
〃I　don't　suppose　he's　alone。　Let's　wait。〃
〃Roge。〃
The　bomber　was　over　forty　miles　off。　Soon　two　more　appeared；　along　with　something　smaller。
〃That's　a　fighter。　So；　they　have　fighter　escorts　this　far　out；　eh？　I　count　a　total　of　。　。　。　six　targets。〃　The　weapons　operator　tightened　up　his　shoulder　straps；　then　activated　his　missile　controls。　〃All　weapons　armed　and　ready。　Fighters　first？〃
〃Fighters　first；　light　'em　up；〃　the　pilot　agreed。　He　toggled　up　his　radio。　〃Two；　this　is　Lead；　we　have　four　tankers　and　a　pair　of　fighters　on　a　course　of　about　zero…eight…five；　forty　miles　west　of　my　position。　We　are　engaging　now。　e　on　in。　Over。〃
〃Roger　that。　On　the　way；　Lead。　Out。〃　Two　brought　his　interceptor　into　a　tight　turn　and　advanced　his　throttles　to　the　stops。
The　leader's　radar　activated。　They　now　had　two　fighters　and　four　tankers　identified。　The　first　two　Phoenixes　would　be　targeted　on　the　fighters。
〃Shoot！〃
The　two　missiles　dropped　clear　of　their　shackle　points　and　ignited；　leading　the　Tomcat　to　the　targets。
The　Russian　tankers　had　detected　the　fighter's　AWG…9　radar　and　were　already　trying　to　evade。　Their　escorting　fighters　went　to　full　power　and　activated　their　own　missile…guidance　radars；　only　to　find　that　they　were　still　outside　missile　range　to　the　attacking　fighters。　Both　switched　on　their　jamming　pods　and　began　to　jink　their　aircraft　up　and　down　as　they　closed　in　hope　of　launching　their　own　missiles。　They　couldn't　run　away；　there　wasn't　enough　fuel　for　that；　and　their　mission　was　to　keep　the　fighters　off　the　tankers。
The　Phoenix　missiles　burned　through　the　air　at　Mach　5；　closing　the　distance　to　their　targets　in　just　under　a　minute。　One　Soviet　pilot　never　saw　the　missile；　and　was　blotted　from　the　sky　in　a　ball　of　red　and　black。　The　other　did；　and　threw　his　stick　over；　a　second　before　the　missile　exploded。　It　nearly　missed；　but　fragments　tore　into　the　fighter's　port　wing。　The　pilot　struggled　to　regain　control　as　he　fell　from　the　sky。
Behind　the　fighters；　the　tankers　split　up；　two　heading　north；　the　other　pair　south。　The　lead　Tomcat　took　the　northern　pair　and　killed　both　with　his　remaining　two　Phoenixes。　His　wingman　racing　up　from　the　north　fired　two　missiles；　hitting　with　one；　and　missing　with　the　other；　as　the　missile　was　confused　by　the　Badger's　jamming　gear。　The　Tomcat　continued　to　close；　and　fired　another　missile。　By　this　time　he　was　close　enough　to　track　the　bird　visually。　The　AIM…54　missile　ran　straight　and　true；　exploding　only　ten　feet　from　the　Badger's　tail。　Hot　fragments　ripped　into　the　conv