mreilly.icestation-第63部分

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　The　two　men　hung　there　for　a　full　minute；　halfway　down　the　sheer　vertical　cliff…face；　neither　one　of　them　daring　to　move。　
　〃You　still　there？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃Yeah；〃　Renshaw　said；　petrified。　
　〃All　right；　I'm　going　to　try　and　reel　us　up　now；〃　Schofield　said；　shifting　his　grip　on　his　launcher　slightly　so　that　he　could　press　down　on　the　black　button　that　reeled　in　the　rope　without　collapsing　the　grappling　hook。　
　Schofield　looked　up　at　the　cliff　edge　high　above　them。　It　must　have　been　at　least　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　away。　He　figured　they　must　be　hanging　at　the　full　length　of　his　Mag…hook's　rope…　
　It　was　then　that　Schofield　saw　him。　
　A　man。　Standing　up　on　the　cliff　top；　peering　out　over　the　edge；　looking　down　at　them。　
　Schofield　froze。　
　The　man　was　wearing　a　black　balaclava。　
　And　he　was　holding　a　machine　gun　in　his　hand。　
　〃Well？〃　Renshaw　said　from　down　near　Schofield's　feet。　〃What　are　you　waiting　for？〃　From　his　position；　Renshaw　wasn't　able　to　see　the　SAS　mando　up　on　the　cliff　top。　〃We're　not　going　up　any　more；〃　Schofield　said　flatly；　his　eyes　locked　on　the　black…clad　figure　at　the　top　of　the　cliff。　
　〃We're　not？〃　Renshaw　said。　〃What　are　you　talking　about？〃　
　The　SAS　mando　was　looking　directly　down　at　Schofield　now。　
　Schofield　swallowed。　Then　he　glanced　down　at　the　smashing　waves　a　hundred　and　fifty　feet　below　him。　When　he　looked　up　again；　the　SAS　mando　was　pulling　a　long；　glistening　knife　from　its　sheath。　The　mando　then　bent　down　over　the　Maghook's　rope　at　the　top　of　the　cliff。　
　〃Oh；　no；〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃Oh；　no；　what？〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃Are　you　ready　to　go　for　a　ride？〃　
　〃No；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Schofield　said；　〃Breathe　all　the　way　down；　and　then　at　the　last　second；　take　a　deep　breath。〃　That　was　what　they　told　you　when　you　jumped　out　of　a　moving　helicopter　into　water。　Schofield　figured　the　same　principle　applied　here。　
　Schofield　looked　up　again　at　the　SAS　mando　at　the　top　of　the　cliff。　He　was　about　to　cut　the　rope。　
　〃All　right；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Let's　cut　the　crap。　I'll　be　damned　if　I'm　gonna　wait　for　you　to　cut　my　rope。　Renshaw；　are　you　ready？　We're　going。〃　
　And　at　that　moment；　Schofield　pressed　down　twice　on　the　trigger　of　the　Maghook。　
　At　the　top　of　the　cliff　the　claws　of　the　grappling　hook　responded　immediately　and　collapsed　inward；　and　in　doing　so　they　lost　their　purchase　on　the　snow。　The　hook　slithered　out　over　the　edge　of　the　cliff；　past　the　bewildered　SAS　mando；　and　Schofield；　Renshaw；　and　the　Maghook　fell…　together…down　the　cliff　face　and　into　the　crashing　waves　of　the　Southern　Ocean　below。　
　
　
　
　In　the　silence　of　the　ice　cavern；　Libby　Gant　just　stared　at　the　semi…eaten　bodies　that　lay　draped　over　the　rocks　in　front　of　her。　
　Since　they　had　arrived　in　the　cavern　about　forty　minutes　ago；　the　others…Montana；　Santa　Cruz；　and　Sarah　Hensleigh…　had　barely　even　looked　at　the　bodies。　They　were　all　totally　engrossed　in　the　big　black　spacecraft　on　the　other　side　of　the　underground　cavern。　They　walked　around　it；　under　it；　peered　at　its　black　metal　wings；　tried　to　look　in　through　the　smoked…glass　canopy　of　its　cockpit。　
　After　Schofield　had　informed　Gant　of　the　impending　arrival　of　the　British　troops　and　his　own　plan　to　flee；　she　had　set　up　two　MP…5s　on　tripods；　facing　the　pool　at　the　end　of　the　cavern。　If　the　SAS　tried　to　enter　the　cavern；　she　would　pick　them　off　one　by　one　as　they　broke　the　surface。　
　That　had　been　half　an　hour　ago。　
　Even　if　the　SAS　had　arrived　at　Wilkes　Ice　Station　by　now；　it　would　still　take　them　another　hour　to　lower　someone　down　in　the　diving　bell　and　a　further　hour　to　swim　up　the　underwater　ice　tunnel　to　the　cavern。　
　It　was　a　waiting　game　now。　
　After　Gant　had　set　up　the　tripods；　Montana　and　Sarah　Hensleigh　had　gone　back　to　examining　the　spacecraft。　Santa　Cruz　had　stayed　with　Gant　a　while　longer；　but　soon　he；　too；　went　back　over　to　look　at　the　fantastic　black　ship。　
　Gant　stayed　with　the　guns。　
　As　she　sat　there　on　the　cold；　icy　floor　of　the　cavern；　she　gazed　at　the　dismembered　bodies　on　the　far　side　of　the　pool。　
　The　amount　of　damage　that　had　been　done　to　the　bodies　had　stunned　her。　Heads　and　limbs　missing；　whole　sections　of　flesh　literally　chewed　to　the　bone；　the　whole　scene　itself　soaked　in　blood。　
　What　on　earth　could　have　done　it？　Gant　thought。　
　As　she　thought　about　the　bodies；　her　gaze　wandered　over　to　the　pool。　She　saw　the　round　holes　in　the　ice　walls　above　it…the　enormous　ten…foot　holes。　They　were　identical　to　the　ones　she　had　seen　in　the　underwater　ice　tunnel　on　the　way　here。　
　Gant　had　a　strange　feeling　about　those　holes；　about　the　bodies；　about　the　cave　itself。　It　was　almost　as　if　the　cave　were　some　kind　of…　
　〃This　is　absolutely　incredible；〃　Sarah　Hensleigh　said　as　she　came　over　and　stood　beside　Gant。　Hensleigh　hurriedly　brushed　a　strand　of　long　dark　hair　from　her　face。　She　was　practically　brimming　with　excitement　at　the　discovery　of　the　spaceship。　
　〃It　has　no　markings　on　it　whatsoever；〃　she　said。　〃The　whole　ship　is　pletely　and　utterly　black。〃　
　Gant　didn't　care　much　for　Sarah　Hensleigh　right　now。　In　fact；　she　didn't　care　much　for　the　spaceship　either。　
　In　fact；　the　more　she　thought　about　it…about　the　spaceship　and　the　cavern　and　the　half…eaten　bodies　and　the　SAS　up　in　the　station…Gant　couldn't　help　but　think　that　there　was　no　way　in　the　world　that　she　would　ever　be　leaving　Wilkes　Ice　Station　alive。　
　
　The　SAS　team's　entry　into　Wilkes　Ice　Station　was　fast　and　fluid…professional。　
　Black…clad　men　charged　into　the　station　with　their　guns　up。　They　fanned　out　quickly；　moved　in　pairs。　They　opened　every　door；　checked　every　room。　
　〃A…deck；　clear！〃　one　voice　yelled。　
　〃B…deck；　clear！〃　another　voice　yelled。　
　Trevor　Barnaby　strode　out　onto　the　A…deck　catwalk　and　surveyed　the　abandoned　station　like　a　newly　crowned　king　looking　out　over　his　domain。　He　looked　down　upon　the　station　with　a　cold；　even　gaze。　A　thin　smile　creased　his　face。　
　The　SAS　troops　made　their　way　down　to　E…deck；　where　they　found　Snake　and　the　two　French　scientists　handcuffed　to　tihe　pole。　Two　SAS　mandos　covered　them　while　more　black…clad　troops　poured　down　the　rung…ladders　and　disappeared　inside　the　tunnels　of　E…deck。　
　Four　SAS　mandos　raced　into　the　south　tunnel。　Two　took　the　doors　to　the　left。　Two　took　the　doors　to　the　right　
　The　two　on　the　right　came　to　the　first　door；　kicked　it　in；　looked　inside。　
　A　storeroom。　Battered　wooden　shelves。　Some　scuba…diving　tanks　on　the　floor。　
　But　empty。　
　They　moved　down　the　corridor；　guns　up。　It　was　then　that　one　of　them　saw　the　dumbwaiter；　saw　the　two　stainless…steel　doors　glistening　in　the　cold　white　light　of　the　tunnel。　
　With　a　short　whistle；　the　lead　SAS　man　caught　the　attention　of　the　other　two　mandos　in　the　tunnel。　He　pointed　with　two　fingers　at　the　dumbwaiter。　The　other　two　men　understood　instantly。　They　positioned　themselves　on　either　side　of　the　dumbwaiter　while　the　leader　and　the　fourth　SAS　mando　aimed　their　guns　at　the　stainless…steel　doors。　
　The　leader　nodded　quickly　and　the　two　men　on　either　side　of　the　dumbwaiter　instantly　yanked　it　open；　and　the　leader　let　rip　with　a　sudden　burst　of　gunfire。　
　The　bare　walls　of　the　empty　dumbwaiter　were　ripped　to　shreds。　
　
　Mother　squeezed　her　eyes　shut　as　the　SAS　mando's　gunfire　roared　loudly　less　than　a　foot　above　her　head。　
　She　was　sitting　in　plete　darkness；　at　the　base　of　the　dumbwaiter's　miniature　elevator　shaft；　curled　up　in　a　tight　ball；　in　the　crawl　space　underneath　the　dumbwaiter。　
　The　dumbwaiter　shuddered　and　shook　under　the　weight　of　the　SAS　mando's　gunfire。　Its　walls　blew　out；　and　jagged；　splintered　holes　appeared　all　over　it。　Dust　and　wood　shavings　showered　down　on　Mother；　but　she　just　kept　her　eyes　firmly　shut。　
　And　then　at　that　moment；　as　the　gunfire　echoed　loudly　in　her　ears；　a　jarring　thought　hit　Mother。　
　They　could　fire　their　guns　safely　inside　the　station　again。。。。　
　The　amount　of　flammable　gas　in　the　station's　atmosphere　must　have　dissipated…　
　And　then　abruptly　the　gunfire　ceased　and　the　doors　of　the　dumbwaiter　closed　and　all　of　a　sudden　there　was　silence　again；　and　for　the　first　time　in　three　whole　minutes　Mother　let　out　a　breath。　
　
　
　
　Schofield　and　Renshaw　plummet