mreilly.icestation-第17部分

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le　of　the　station　and　lodged　itself　into　the　ice　wall　on　the　far　side。　
　Schofield　pressed　himself　flat　against　the　wall　of　the　alcove　as　a　hail　of　bullets　slammed　into　the　ice　next　to　him。　He　looked　at　the　alcove　around　him。　
　It　was　just　a　small　nook　sunk　into　the　wall；　designed；　it　seemed；　for　the　sole　purpose　of　housing　the　control　console　that　drove　the　enormous　winch；　which　raised　and　lowered　the　station's　diving　bell。　The　console　itself；　Schofield　saw；　was　little　more　than　a　series　of　levers；　dials；　and　buttons　arranged　on　a　panel。　
　In　front　of　the　console　sat　an　abnormally　large　steel…plated　chair。　Schofield　immediately　recognized　the　chair　as　a　pilot's　ejection　seat　from　an　F…14　fighter。　The　black　exhaust　marks　beneath　the　seat's　booster　and　the　sizable　dent　in　its　large　steel　headrest　told　Schofield　that　this　ejection　seat　had；　in　a　former　life；　been　used　for　its　given　purpose。　Someone　at　Wilkes　had　cleverly　mounted　the　enormous　seat　on　a　rotating　stand　and　then　bolted　the　whole　thing　down　to　the　floor；　turning　four　hundred　pounds　of　military　junk　into　heavy…duty　furniture。　
　Suddenly　a　new　barrage　of　automatic　gunfire　thundered　down　from　the　northwest　corner　of　A…deck　and　Gant　jumped　onto　the　ejection　seat　and　ducked　behind　the　headrest；　curling　her　small　frame　into　a　ball　so　that　she　was　pletely　covered　by　the　big　seat's　steel…lined　backplate。　
　The　burst　of　gunfire　lasted　a　full　ten　seconds　and　pummelled　the　rear　of　the　ejection　seat。　Gant　pressed　her　head　up　against　the　headrest；　keeping　her　eyes　shielded　from　the　onslaught　of　ricocheting　bullets。　
　As　she　did　so；　however；　some　movement　caught　her　eye。　
　It　was　off　to　her　left。　Down　to　her　left。　
　Down　in　the　pool　at　the　base　of　the　station。　Under　the　surface。　A　glistening　black…and…white　shape；　unbelievably　huge；　cruising　slowly；　ominously；　beneath　the　surface。　It　must　have　been　deeper　than　it　appeared；　because　the　high　dorsal　fin　wasn't　breaking　the　surface。　
　The　first　dark　shape　was　joined　by　a　second　shape；　then　a　third；　and　then　a　fourth。　The　lead　one　must　have　been　at　least　forty　feet　long。　The　others　were　smaller。　
　Females；　Gant　thought。　She　had　read　once　that　for　every　one　male　there　were　usually　eight　or　nine　females。　
　The　water　was　choppy　and　it　served　only　to　make　their　blurred　black…and…white　outlines　look　all　the　more　sinister。　The　leader　rolled　on　his　side　and　Gant　caught　a　side…on　glimpse　of　the　white　underbelly　and　the　wide　open　mouth　and　the　two　terrifying　rows　of　teeth　and　suddenly　the　picture　was　plete。　
　It　was　then　that　Gant　saw　the　two　juveniles；　swimming　behind　the　enormous　lead　male。　They　were　the　two　killers　she　had　seen　earlier；　before　the　battle　with　the　French　had　erupted；　the　two　killers　who　had　been　searching　for　Wendy。　
　Now　they　were　back。。。　and　they　had　brought　the　rest　of　the　pack　with　them。　
　The　full　pod　of　killer　whales　began　to　circle　the　pool　at　the　base　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station；　and　as　she　huddled　behind　the　headrest　of　the　ejection　seat　Gant　felt　a　new　sense　of　dread　begin　to　crawl　up　the　back　of　her　spine。　
　
　
　
　Hollywood　had　never　stood　a　chance。　
　The　shards　from　the　three　fragmentation　grenades　had　rained　down　on　him　with　terrifying　intensity…from　in　front　and　behind。　
　Book　could　only　watch　helplessly　as　his　young　partner…　on　the　floor；　on　his　knees…put　a　feeble　hand　over　his　face　and　then　fell　under　the　weight　of　the　hailstorm　of　metal　fragments。　
　The　scientist　who　had　been　trying　to　push　his　colleague　into　the　nearby　doorway　hadn't　been　fast　enough；　either。　Like　Hollywood；　he　was　now　unrecognizable。　The　wave　of　metal　shards　had　cut　him　down　where　he　stood。　And　while　Hollywood's　body　armor　had　been　effective　in　protecting　his　chest　and　shoulders　from　the　blast；　the　scientist　hadn't　been　so　lucky。　His　whole　body…unprotected　by　any　kind　of　armor…　was　a　hideous　bloodstained　mess。　
　No　exposed　tissue　could　have　survived　such　a　bombardment。　None　had。　The　storm　of　shards　had　ripped　every　inch　of　exposed　skin　from　the　two　men's　bodies。　
　And　for　a　moment；　a　brief　moment；　Buck　Riley　could　do　nothing　but　stare　at　the　broken　body　of　his　fallen　friend。　
　
　On　the　other　side　of　B…deck；　Rebound　was　charging　around　the　curved　outer　tunnel；　gun　up。　
　Legs　Lane　and　Mother　Newman　ran　behind　him；　firing　desperately　back　at　the　three　shadows　ing　down　the　tunnel　after　them。　
　Legs　Lane　was　a　thirty…one…year…old　Corporal；　olive…skinned；　square…jawed；　Italian　in　both　looks　and　manner。　For　her　part；　Mother　Newman　was　the　second　of　the　two　women　in　Schofield's　unit…and　she　couldn't　have　been　more　different　from　Libby　Gant。　
　Whereas　Gant　was　twenty…six；　pact　and　had　a　short　crop　of　straight　blond　hair；　Mother　was　thirty…four；　six…foot…two；　and　had　a　fully　shaven　head。　She　weighed　in　at　nearly　two　hundred　pounds。　Her　call　sign；　Mother；　wasn't　supposed　to　mean　〃maternal　figure。〃　It　was　short　for　motherfucker。　
　Mother　spoke　into　her　helmet　mike：　〃Scarecrow。　This　is　your　Mother　speaking。　We　are　experiencing　heavy　fire　on　B…deck。　I　repeat。　We　are　experiencing　heavy　fire　on　B…deck。　We　have　enemy　troops　behind　us　and　frag　grenades　bouncing　all　over　the　fucking　place。　We　are　approaching　the　west　tunnel　and　are　going　to　head　for　the　central　shaft。　If　you　or　anyone　out　there　has　a　visual　on　the　shaft；　we'd　really　love　to　hear　about　it。〃　
　Schofield's　voice　came　over　their　helmet　inters：　〃Mother。　This　is　Scarecrow。　I　have　a　visual　on　the　central　shaft。　There　are　no　hostile　objects　out　on　the　catwalk。　We　spotted　five　on　your　level　before；　but　they're　all　in　the　tunnels　now。　
　〃I　can　also　confirm　five　more　hostiles　up　on　A…deck；　and　at　least　one　of　those　has　a　forty…mil　grenade　launcher。　If　you　have　to　break　out　onto　the　catwalks；　we'll　cover　you　from　below。　Montana；　Santa　Cruz？　You　out　there？〃　
　〃We're　here；〃　came　Montana's　voice。　
　〃You　still　on　A…deck？〃　
　〃Affirmative　that。〃　
　〃You　still　pinned　down？〃　
　〃We're　working　on　it。〃　
　〃Just　keep　doing　what　you're　doing。　Draw　their　fire。　We　're　gonna　have　three　of　our　people　stepping　out　into　the　open　on　B…deck　in　about　ten　seconds。〃　
　〃No　problem；　Scarecrow。〃　
　Mother　said；　〃Thanks；　Scarecrow。　We're　moving　into　the　western　tunnel　now。　ing　to　the　central　shaft。〃　
　
　In　the　alcove　on　C…deck；　Schofield　keyed　his　helmet　mike　again。　〃Book！　Book！　e　in！〃　
　There　was　no　reply。　
　〃Jesus；　Book。　Where　are　you？〃　
　
　Inside　the　women's　shower　room　on　B…deck；　Sarah　Hensleigh　snapped　around　at　the　sound　of　a　door　being　kicked　in。　
　For　one　terrifying　instant；　she　thought　the　French　soldiers　were　storming　the　women's　shower　room。　But　they　weren't。　The　sound　had　e　from　the　next　room；　the　men's　shower　room。　
　The　French　were　in　the　next　room！　
　With　Sarah　inside　the　women's　shower　block　were　Kirsty；　Abby　Sinclair；　and　a　geologist　named　Warren　Conlon。　When　Buck　Riley　had　ordered　them　back　to　their　rooms；　the　four　of　them　had　immediately　scrambled　in　here。　They　had　only　just　made　it；　with　Conlon　just　managing　to　squeeze　in　through　the　door　frame　and　jam　the　door　shut　a　split　second　before　the　fragmentation　grenades　had　gone　off　in　the　tunnel　outside。　
　The　women's　shower　block　was　situated　in　between　the　outer　tunnel　and　the　central　shaft；　in　the　northeastern　corner　of　B…deck。　It　had　three　doors：　one　leading　to　the　north　tunnel；　one　leading　to　the　outer　tunnel；　and　one　leading　to　the　men's　shower　room　next　door。　
　More　sounds　echoed　out　from　the　men's　shower　room。　
　The　sounds　of　French　soldiers　kicking　open　cubicle　doors；　looking　for　anyone　who　had　attempted　to　hide　in　the　cubicles。　
　Sarah　pulled　Kirsty　toward　the　door　that　led　to　the　north　tunnel。　〃e　on；　honey；　keep　moving。〃　
　Sarah　looked　back　over　her　shoulder。　
　Beyond　the　row　of　six　shower　recesses　she　could　see　the　top　quarter　of　the　door　that　led　to　the　men's　shower　room。　
　It　was　still　closed。　
　The　French　soldiers　would　be　ing　through　that　door　any　second　now。　
　Sarah　reached　the　door　leading　out　to　the　north　tunnel　and　grabbed　the　handle。　
　She　hesitated。　There　was　no　way　of　knowing　what　lay　on　the　other　side。　
　〃Sarah！　What　are　you　doing？　e　on；〃　Warren　Conlon　said　in　a　desperate；　hissing　whisper。　Tall　and　thin；　he　was　a　timid　man；　nervous　at　the　best