mreilly.icestation-第14部分

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　His　jaw　dropped。　〃Oh；　shit…〃　
　〃What？〃　Riley　spun　around　just　in　time　to　see　a　second　grenade　bounce　around　the　corner　and　e　to　rest　five　feet　away　from　them。　
　Five　feet。　
　Out　in　the　open。　
　There　was　nowhere　to　go。　They　couldn't　get　clear。　Couldn't　run　down　the　corridor　and　get　away　in　ti…　
　Riley　launched　himself　forward。　Toward　the　grenade。　He　slid　along　the　frost…covered　floor；　feet　first；　soccer…style。　When　he　was　within　range　he　let　loose　with　a　powerful　kick　and　sent　the　grenade　skittling　back　down　the　north　tunnel；　back　toward　the　central　shaft。　
　As　Riley　kicked　the　grenade；　Hollywood　lunged　forward　and　grabbed　him　by　the　shoulder　plates　and　yanked　him　back　behind　the　corner。　
　The　grenade　detonated。　
　Another　deafening　explosion　boomed　out。　
　A　new　wave　of　metal　shards　blasted　out　from　the　corridor；　whipped　past　Riley　and　Hollywood；　and　slammed　into　the　wall　opposite　them。　
　Hollywood　turned　and　looked　at　Riley。　〃Fuck　my　Roman　sandals；　man；　this　is　some　serious　fucking　catastrophe。〃　
　Riley　was　already　up　on　his　feet。　〃e　on；　we're　not　staying　here。〃　
　He　looked　over　toward　the　other　side　of　the　north　tunnel　and　saw　Rebound　appear　at　the　opposite　corner。　With　him　were　Corporal　Georgio　〃Legs〃　Lane　and　Sergeant　Gena　〃Mother〃　Newman。　They　must　have　e　round　from　the　western　side　of　B…deck。　
　Riley　said；　〃All　right；　everyone；　listen　up。　As　far　as　I'm　concerned；　this　is　now　a　split　op。　If　we　cluster　and　get　cornered；　we're　all　gonna　be　turned　into　strawberry　fuckin'　do…nuts。　We　have　to　split　up。　Rebound；　Legs；　Mother；　you　head　back　west；　round　the　outer　tunnel。　Hollywood　and　I'll　go　east。　Once　we　figure　out　where　we　are　and　what　we　can　do　with　our　position；　then　we　can　figure　out　how　the　hell　we're　going　to　regroup　with　the　others　and　nail　these　fuckers。　You　all　OK　with　that？〃　
　There　were　no　objections。　Rebound　and　the　others　quickly　got　to　their　feet　and　hustled　off　down　the　opposite　ice　tunnel。　
　Riley　and　Hollywood　began　to　run　east；　following　the　curve　of　the　outer　tunnel。　
　As　he　ran；　Riley　said；　〃All　right；　what's　this？　B…deck；　right。　OK。　What's　on　B…deck？〃　
　〃I　don't…〃　Hollywood　cut　himself　off　as　they　cleared　the　bend　in　the　tunnel　and　saw　what　lay　ahead　of　them。　
　Both　men　stopped　instantly　and　immediately　felt　their　blood　run　cold。　
　
　
　
　Schofield　fired　up　into　the　central　shaft　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　with　his　Desert　Eagle。　
　He　and　Gant　were　down　on　C…deck；　inside　a　room　that　opened　out　onto　the　central　catwalk。　Schofield　stood　in　the　doorway；　gun　in　hand；　looking　out　across　the　central　shaft　and　up　at　A…deck。　
　Behind　him；　inside　whatever　room　this　was；　Gant　was　down　on　her　haunches；　shaking　off　her　dizziness。　She　had　taken　off　her　helmet；　revealing　a　short　crop　of　snow…white　blond　hair。　
　Gant　looked　curiously　at　her　helmet；　at　the　arrow　lodged　in　it。　She　shook　her　head　and　put　the　helmet　back　on；　arrow　and　all。　She　also　donned　her　anti…flash　glasses；　concealing　much　of　the　thin　line　of　dried　blood　that　ran　down　from　her　forehead　to　her　chin。　Then　she　grabbed　her　MP…5　determinedly　and　joined　Schofield　at　the　doorway。　
　〃You　OK？〃　Schofield　asked　over　his　shoulder　as　he　aimed　his　pistol　up　at　A…deck。　
　〃Yeah；　did　I　miss　anything？〃　
　〃Did　you　see　the　part　where　that　bunch　of　French　pricks　posing　as　scientists　decided　to　pull　guns　on　us？〃　Schofield　fired　off　another　round。　
　〃Yeah；　I　caught　that　part。〃　
　〃What　about　the　part　where　we　found　out　that　our　new　friends　had　six　more　guys　stashed　away　in　their　hovercraft？〃　
　〃No；　missed　that。〃　
　〃Well；　that's　the〃…he　fired　off　another　angry　round…　〃story　so　far。〃　
　Gant　looked　at　Schofield。　Behind　those　opaque　silver　glasses　was　a　seriously　pissed…off　individual。　
　In　fact；　Schofield　wasn't　really　angry　at　the　French　soldiers　per　se。　Sure；　at　first　he'd　been　annoyed　at　himself　for　not　picking　that　the　French　〃scientists〃　were　actually　soldiers。　But　then　they　had　got　to　Wilkes　first；　and　they　had　brought　with　them　two　genuine　scientists；　a　particularly　clever　ploy　that　had　been　enough　to　throw　Schofield　and　his　team　off　the　scent。　
　What　really　made　him　angry；　however；　was　that　he'd　lost　the　initiative　in　this　battle。　
　The　French　had　caught　Schofield　and　his　team　off　guard；　taken　them　by　surprise；　and　now　they　were　dictating　the　terms　of　this　fight。　That　was　what　really　made　Schofield　pissed。　
　He　tried　desperately　to　fight　his　anger。　He　couldn't　allow　himself　to　be　angry。　He　couldn't　afford　to　feel　that　way。　
　Whenever　he　found　himself　beginning　to　feel　angry　or　upset；　Schofield　always　remembered　a　seminar　he'd　attended　in　London　in　late　1996　given　by　the　legendary　British　mander　Brigadier　General　Trevor　J。　Barnaby。　
　A　burly　man；　with　piercing　dark　eyes；　a　fully　shaven　head；　and　a　severe　black　goatee；　Trevor　Barnaby　was　the　head　of　the　SAS…had　been　since　1979…and　was　widely　regarded　as　the　most　brilliant　front…line　military　tactician　in　the　world。　His　strategic　ability　with　regard　to　small　incursionary　forces　was　extraordinary。　When　it　was　executed　by　the　finest　elite　military　unit　in　the　world；　the　SAS；　it　was　invincible。　He　was　the　pride　and　joy　of　the　British　military　establishment；　and　he　had　never　failed　on　a　mission　yet。　
　In　November　1996；　as　part　of　a　USA…UK　〃knowledge　share　agreement〃　it　was　decided　that　Barnaby　would　give　a　two…day　seminar　on　covert　incursionary　warfare　to　the　most　promising　American　officers。　In　return；　the　United　States　would　instruct　British　artillery　units　on　the　use　of　mobile　Patriot　II　missile　batteries。　One　of　the　officers　chosen　to　attend　Trevor　Barnaby's　seminar　was　Lieutenant　Shane　M。　Schofield；　USMC。　
　Barnaby　had　had　a　cocky；　hard…edged　lecture　style　that　Schofield　had　liked…a　rapid…fire　series　of　questions　and　answers　that　had　proceeded　in　a　simple；　logical　progression。　
　〃In　any　bat　exchange；〃　Barnaby　had　said；　〃be　it　a　world　war　or　an　isolated　two　unit　standoff；　the　first　question　you　always　ask　yourself　is　this：　what　is　your　opponent's　objective？　What　does　he　want？　Unless　you　know　the　answer　to　that　question；　you'll　never　be　able　to　ask　yourself　the　second　question：　how　is　he　going　to　get　it？　
　〃And　I'll　tell　you　right　now；　ladies　and　gentlemen；　the　second　question　is　of　far　greater　importance　to　you　than　the　first。　Why？　Because　what　he　wants　is　unimportant　insofar　as　strategy　is　concerned。　What　he　wants　is　an　object；　that's　all。　The　worldwide　spread　of　munism。　A　strategic　foothold　on　foreign　territory。　The　ark　of　the　covenant。　Who　cares？　Knowing　of　it　means　nothing；　in　and　of　itself。　How　he　plans　to　get　it；　on　the　other　hand；　means　everything。　Because　that　is　action。　And　action　can　be　stopped。　
　〃So；　once　you　have　answered　this　second　question；　then　you　can　proceed　to　question　number　three：　what　are　you　going　to　do　to　stop　him？〃　
　When　he　had　been　speaking　about　mand　and　leadership；　Barnaby　had　repeatedly　stressed　the　need　for　cool…headed　reason。　An　angry　mander；　he'd　said；　acting　under　the　influence　of　rage　or　frustration；　will　almost　certainly　get　his　unit　killed。　
　〃As　a　leader；〃　Barnaby　had　said；　〃you　simply　cannot　afford　to　get　angry　or　upset。〃　
　Recognizing　that　no　manding　officer　was　immune　from　feeling　angry　or　frustrated；　Barnaby　had　offered　his　three…step　tactical　analysis　as　a　diversion　from　such　feelings。　〃Whenever　you　feel　yourself　succumbing　to　angry　feelings；　go　through　the　three…step　analysis。　Get　your　mind　off　the　anger　and　get　it　back　on　the　job　at　hand。　Soon；　you'll　forget　about　what　pissed　you　off　and　you'll　start　doing　what　you're　paid　for。〃　
　And　as　he　stood　there　in　the　doorway　on　C…deck；　in　the　freezing…cold；　ice…covered　world　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station；　Shane　Schofield　could　almost　hear　Trevor　Barnaby　speaking　inside　his　head。　
　OK；　then。　
　What　is　their　objective？　
　They　want　the　spaceship。　
　How　are　they　going　to　get　it？　
　They're　going　to　kill　everybody　here；　grab　the　spaceship；　and　somehow　get　it　off　the　continent　before　anybody　even　knows　it　existed。　
　All　right。　But　there　was　a　problem　with　that　analysis。　What　was　it…？　
　Schofield　thought　for　a　moment。　And　then　it　hit　him。　
　The　French　had　arrived　quickly。　
　So　quickly；　in　fact；　that　they　had　arrived　at　Wilkes　before　the　United　States　had　be