tc.redstormrising-第98节

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rtunately　the　book　allows　for　that　also。　You　have　performed　well；　Ivan　Mikhailovich。　You　are　now　a　major。　Don't　thank　me…you've　earned　it。〃

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃We　didn't　miss　'em　by　much。　If　we'd　seen　them　five　minutes　sooner；　we　could　have　taken　a　few　out。　As　it　was…〃　The　Tomcat　pilot　shrugged。
Toland　nodded。　The　fighters　had　orders　to　remain　outside　Soviet　radar　coverage。
〃You　know；　it's　a　funny　thing。　There　were　three　of　them　flying　a　nice　tight　formation。　I　had　them　on　my　TV　system　from　fifty　miles　away。　No　way　in　hell　they　could　tell　we　were　there。　If　we　had　better　range；　we　could　follow　them　all　the　way　home。　Like　that　game　the　Germans　played　on　us　once　upon　a　time…send　a　bird　right　behind　a　returning　raid　and　drop　a　few　bombs　right　after　they　landed。〃
〃We'd　never　get　anything　through　their　IFF；〃　Toland　replied。
〃True；　but　we'd　know　their　arrival　time　at　their　bases　to　within；　oh；　ten　minutes。　That's　gotta　be　useful　to　somebody。〃
mander　Toland　set　his　cup　down。　〃Yeah；　you're　right。〃　He　decided　he'd　put　that　idea　on　the　printer　to　mander；　Eastern　Atlantic。

LAMMERSDORF；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
There　was　no　mistaking　it。　NATO　lines　had　been　decisively　broken　south　of　Hannover。　Two　brigades　were　taken　from　the　perilously　thin　NATO　ground　reserve　and　sent　toward　Alfeld。　Unless　this　hole　was　plugged；　Hannover　would　be　lost；　and　with　it　all　of　Germany　east　of　the　Weser。　

29　…　Remedies

ALFELD；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
As　predicted；　the　bridge　lasted　less　than　an　hour。　In　that　time　Alekseyev　had　gotten　a　full　battalion　of　mechanized　infantry　across；　and　though　the　NATO　troops　launched　a　pair　of　vicious　counterattacks　on　his　bridgehead；　the　tanks　he'd　placed　on　the　east　bank　had　been　able　to　break　them　up　with　direct　fire。　Now　NATO　had　caught　its　breath；　and　was　assembling　artillery。　Heavy　guns　pounded　his　bridgehead　and　the　tanks　on　the　Soviet　side　of　the　river；　and　to　make　matters　worse；　the　assault　boats　had　been　held　up　by　incredible　traffic　snarls　on　the　road　between　Sack　and　Alfeld。　German　heavy　guns　were　littering　the　road　and　surrounding　land　with　artillery…deployed　mines；　each　powerful　enough　to　knock　the　tread　off　a　tank　or　the　wheel　off　a　truck。　Sappers　swept　the　roads　continuously；　using　heavy　machine　guns　to　detonate　the　mines；　but　every　one　took　time；　and　not　all　were　seen　before　they　exploded　under　a　heavily　loaded　vehicle。　The　loss　of　the　individual　trucks　and　tanks　was　bad　enough；　worse　still　were　the　traffic　tieups　that　resulted　from　each　disabled　vehicle。
Alekseyev's　headquarters　were　in　a　camera　shop　overlooking　the　river。　The　plate…glass　window　had　long　since　been　blown　away；　and　his　boots　crackled　with　every　step。　He　surveyed　the　far　bank　through　his　binoculars　and　anguished　for　his　men　as　they　tried　to　fight　back　at　the　men　and　tanks　on　the　hills　above　them。　A　few　kilometers　away；　every　mobile　gun　in　8th　Guards　Army　was　racing　forward　to　provide　fire　support　for　his　tank　division；　and　he　and　Sergetov　set　them　to　counterbattery　the　NATO　guns。
〃Enemy　aircraft！〃　a　lieutenant　shouted。
Alekseyev　craned　his　neck　and　saw　a　dot　to　the　south；　which　grew　rapidly　into　a　German　F…104　fighter。　Yellow　tracer　lines　reached　out　from　his　AA　guns　and　blotted　it　from　the　sky　before　it　could　release；　but　instantly　another　appeared；　this　one　firing　its　own　cannon　at　the　gun　vehicle　and　exploding　it。　Alekseyev　swore　as　the　single…engine　fighter　bored　in；　dropped　two　bombs　on　the　far　side　of　the　river；　and　streaked　away。　The　bombs　fell　slowly；　retarded　by　small　parachutes；　then；　twenty　meters　over　the　ground；　appeared　to　fill　the　air　with　fog…Alekseyev　dove　to　the　floor　of　the　shop　as　the　cloud　of　explosive　vapor　detonated　from　the　fuel…air…explosive　bombs。　The　shock　wave　was　fearful；　and　above　his　head　a　display　case　shattered；　dropping　broken　glass　all　over　him。
〃What　the　hell　was　that？〃　Sergetov　yelled；　deafened　by　the　blast；　then；　looking　up；　〃You're　hit；　rade　General！〃
Alekseyev　ran　his　hand　over　his　face。　It　came　away　red。　His　eyes　stung；　and　he　poured　the　contents　of　his　canteen　over　his　face　to　clear　them　of　the　blood。　Major　Sergetov　slapped　a　bandage　on　his　general's　forehead　with　only　one　hand；　Alekseyev　noticed。
〃What　happened　to　you？〃
〃I　fell　on　some　of　this　damned　glass！　Stay　still；　rade　General；　you're　bleeding　like　a　slaughtered　cow。〃　A　lieutenant　general　showed　up。　Alekseyev　recognized　him　as　Viktor　Beregovoy；　8th　Guards　Army's　second　in　mand。
〃rade　General；　you　have　orders　to　return　to　headquarters。　I　am　here　to　relieve　you。〃
〃The　hell　you　say！〃　Alekseyev　bellowed。
〃The　orders　e　from　mander…in…Chief　West；　rade。　I　am　a　general　of　tank　troops。　I　can　carry　on　here。　If　you　will　permit　me　to　say　so；　you　have　performed　brilliantly。　But　you　are　needed　elsewhere。〃
〃Not　until　I'm　finished！〃
〃rade　General；　if　you　want　this　crossing　to　succeed；　we　need　more　support　here。　Who　can　better　arrange　that　support；　you　or　I？〃　Beregovoy　asked　reasonably。
Alekseyev　let　out　a　long　angry　breath。　The　man　was　right…but　for　the　first　time　Pavel　Leonidovich　Alekseyev　had　led…really　led…men　in　bat；　and　he　had　done　well。　Alekseyev　knew　it…he　had　done　well！
〃There　is　no　time　to　argue。　You　have　your　task　and　I　have　mine；〃　the　man　said。
〃You　know　the　situation？〃
〃Fully。　There　is　a　vehicle　in　the　back　to　return　you　to　headquarters。〃
Alekseyev　held　the　bandage　to　his　head…Sergetov　hadn't　tied　it　properly…and　walked　out　the　back　of　the　shop。　Where　the　door　had　once　been；　he　found　a　gaping　hole。　A　BMD　infantry　carrier　was　there；　its　motor　running。　Alekseyev　got　in　and　found　a　medical　orderly　who　clucked　over　the　General　and　went　immediately　to　work。　As　the　carrier　pulled　off；　Alekseyev　listened　to　the　noise　of　bat　diminish。　It　was　the　saddest　sound　he　had　ever　heard。

LANGLEY　AIR　FORCE　BASE；　VIRGINIA
There　was　nothing　like　a　Distinguished　Flying　Cross　to　make　a　person　happy　about　flying；　and　she　wondered　if　she　might　be　the　first　female　Air　Force　pilot　to　have　one。　If　not；　Major　Nakamura　decided；　what　the　hell？　She　had　a　gun…camera　videotape　of　all　three　of　her　Badgers；　and　a　Navy　pilot　she'd　met　in　Brittany　before　catching　a　flight　Stateside　had　called　her　one　damned　fine　pilot；　for　an　Air　Force　puke。　After　which　she　had　reminded　him　that　if　the　dumbass　Navy　pilots　had　listened　to　her；　maybe　their　air　base　wouldn't　be　in　a　body　and　fender　shop。　Game；　set；　and　match；　she　grinned；　to　Major　Amelia　Nakamura；　USAF。
All　the　F…l5s　that　could　be　ferried　across　the　Atlantic　had　been　ferried；　and　now　she　had　another　job。　Only　four　of　the　48th　Fighter　Interceptor　Squadron's　Eagles　were　still　at　Langley。　The　rest　were　scattered　up　and　down　the　East　Coast；　including　the　two　pilots　who　were　qualified　for　the　ASAT　antisatellite　missiles。　As　soon　as　she'd　heard　that；　she　had　made　a　phone　call　and　informed　Space　mand　that　she　was　the　Eagle　driver　who　had　worked　out　the　ASAT　flight　profile；　and　why　take　a　bat　pilot　off　the　line　when　she　could　handle　the　mission　very　well；　thank　you。
She　checked　to　make　sure　the　ugly　missile　was　properly　attached　to　the　airframe。　It　had　been　taken　out　of　secure　storage　and　reexamined　by　a　team　of　experts。　Buns　shook　her　head。　There　had　only　been　one　real　test　of　the　system　before　a　moratorium　had　been　slapped　on　the　project。　A　successful　test；　to　be　sure；　but　only　one。　She　hoped　it　would　work。　The　Navy　really　needed　help　from　the　Air　Force　pukes。　Besides；　that　A…6　driver　was　cute。
The　major　finished　her　walkaround；　taking　her　time…her　target　wasn't　over　the　Indian　Ocean　yet…then　strapped　herself　into　her　Eagle；　ran　her　eyes　and　hands　over　the　gauges　and　handles；　adjusted　the　seat；　and　finally　input　the　numbers　painted　on　the　wall　of　the　aircraft　shelter　into　the　aircraft's　inertial　navigation　system　so　that　the　fighter　would　know　where　it　was。　Finished；　she　began　to　fire　up　her　engines。　Her　flight　helmet　protected　her　from　the　shriek　of　the　two　Pratt　and　Whitney　engines。　The　needles　on　her　engine　gauges　rotated　into　proper　position。　Below　her；　the　crew　chief　gave　the　aircraft　a　careful　examination；　then　waved　to　her　to　taxi　the　aircraft　into　the　open。　Six　people　were　out　there；　standing　behind　the　red　warning　line　to　protect　their　ears　from　the　noise。　Always　nice　to　have　an　audience；　she　thought；　ignoring　them。
〃Eagle　One…Zero…Four　ready　to　taxi；〃　she　told　the　tower。
〃One…Zero…Four；　roger。　You　are　cleared　to　taxi；〃　the　tower　controller　replied。　〃Wind　is　　two…five…three　at　twelve　knots。〃
〃Roger　that；　One…Zero…Four　is　rolling。〃
Buns　brought　her　canopy　down。　The　crew　chief　snapped　to　attention　and　gave　the　major　a　perfect　salute。　Nakamura　answered　it　with　panache；　advanced　her　throttles　slightly；　and　the　Eagle　fighter　moved　off　to　the　runway　like　a　crippled　stork。　A　minute　later；　she　was　in　the　air；　a　silky　smooth　feeling　of　pure　power　enveloping　her　as　she　pointed　her　Eagle　at　the　sky。
Kosmos　1801　was　just　pleting　its　southbound　leg；　bending　around　the　Straits　of　Magellan　to　head　north　over　the　Atlantic。　The　orbital　pass　would　take　it　two　hundred　miles　off　the　American　coast。　At　the　ground…control　station；　technicians　prepared　to　switch　on　the　powerful　sea…surveillance　radar。　They　were　sure　an　American　carrier　battle　group　was　at　sea；　but　had　been　unable　to　locate　it。　Three　regiments　of　Backf