mreilly.icestation-第74部分

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　She　opened　it。　
　It　appeared　to　be　a　diary　of　some　sort。　
　Gant　read　an　entry　near　the　beginning：　
　
　2　June　1978　
　Things　are　going　well。　But　it's　so　cold！！　I　can't　believe　they　brought　us　all　the　way　down　here　to　build　a　fucking　attack　plane！　The　weather　outside　is　terrible。　Blizzard　conditions。　Thankfully；　our　hangar　is　built　below　the　surface；　so　we　stay　out　of　the　weather。　The　sad　irony　is；　we　need　the　cold。　The　system's　plutonium　core　maintains　its　grade　for　longer　in　the　colder　temperatures。。。。　
　
　Gant　jumped　ahead　to　a　page　not　far　from　the　end　of　the　diary。　
　
　15　February　1980　
　No　one's　ing。　I'm　sure　of　it　now。　Bill　Holden　died　yesterday；　and　we　had　to　cut　Pat　Anderson's　hands　off；　they　were　so　frostbitten。　
　It's　been　two　months　now　since　the　quake　hit；　and　I've　given　up　all　hope　of　rescue。　Someone　said　Old　Man　Niemeyer　was　supposed　to　be　ing　down　here　in　December；　but　he　hasn't　showed。　
　When　I　go　to　sleep　at　night；　I　wonder　if　anyone　but　Niemeyer　knows　we're　here。　
　
　Gant　flipped　back　some　pages；　looking　for　something。　She　found　what　she　was　looking　for　around　the　middle　of　the　diary。　
　
　20　December　1979　
　I　don't　know　where　I　am。　We　were　hit　by　an　earthquake　yesterday；　the　biggest　motherfucking　earthquake　you　have　ever　seen。　It　was　as　if　the　earth　opened　up　and　just　swallowed　us　whole。　
　I　was　down　in　the　hangar　when　it　happened；　working　on　the　bird。　First　the　ground　began　to　shake　and　then　suddenly　this　massive　wall　of　ice　just　thrust　up　out　of　the　ground　and　ripped　the　hangar　in　half。　And　then　we　just　seemed　to　fall。　Fall　and　fall。　Massive　chunks　of　the　ice　shelf　（each　one　the　size　of　a　building；　I　estimated）　caved　in　on　either　side　of　us　as　we　were　sucked　down　into　the　earth…I　saw　them　make　enormous　dents　in　the　roof　of　the　hangar。　BOOM！　BOOM！　BOOM！　The　quake　must　have　ripped　an　enormous　hole　underneath　the　station　and　we　just　fell　down　into　it。　
　We　just　kept　going　down。　Down　and　down。　Shaking　and　falling。　One　of　the　big　robot　arms　fell　on　Doug　Myers；　crushed　him　to　death。。。。　
　
　Gant　was　stunned。　
　This　〃hangar〃　had　been　an　ice　station。　An　ice　station　that　had　been　set　up　in　the　utmost　secrecy　to　build　a　plane　of　some　sort…a　plane；　Gant　noticed；　that　used　plutonium。　But　this　station；　it　seemed；　had　originally　been　up　on　the　surface…or；　rather；　buried　just　underneath　the　surface　like　Wilkes　Ice　Station…until　an　earthquake　had　hit　it　and　sucked　it　underground。　
　Gant　flicked　to　the　very　last　page　of　the　diary。　
　
　17　March　1980　
　I　am　the　last　one　alive。　All　of　my　colleagues　are　dead。　It　has　been　almost　three　months　now　since　the　quake　hit；　and　I　know　no　one　is　ing。　My　left　hand　is　frostbitten　and　gangrenous。　I　cannot　feel　my　feet　anymore。　
　I　cannot　go　on。　I　am　going　to　strip　myself　naked　and　lie　down　in　the　ice。　It　should　only　take　a　few　minutes。　If　anyone　should　read　this　in　the　future；　know　that　my　name　was　Simon　Wayne　Daniels。　I　was　an　aviation　electronics　specialist　for　Entertech　Ltd。　My　wife；　Lily；　lives　in　Palmdale；　although　I　don't　know　if　she'll　be　there　when　you　read　this。　Please　find　her　and　tell　her　that　I　loved　her　and　tell　her　that　I'm　so　sorry　I　couldn't　tell　her　where　I　went。　
　It　is　so　very　cold。　
　
　Gant　looked　at　the　naked　body　on　the　floor　at　her　feet。　
　Simon　Wayne　Daniels。　
　She　felt　a　pang　of　sadness　for　him。　He　had　died　here；　alone。　Buried　alive　in　this　cold；　icy　tomb。　
　And　then　all　of　a　sudden　Santa　Cruz's　voice　exploded　across　her　helmet　inter；　shattering　her　thoughts：　〃Montana！　Fox！　Get　out　here！　Get　out　here　now！　I　have　a　visual　on　enemy　divers！　I　repeat！　Enemy　divers　are　about　to　e　up　inside　the　cavern！〃　
　
　
　
　The　team　of　SAS　divers　made　their　way　up　the　underwater　ice　tunnel　with　the　aid　of　sea　sleds。　There　were　eight　of　them；　and　by　virtue　of　their　twin…propeller　sea　sleds　they　moved　quickly　through　the　water。　All　of　them　wore　black。　
　〃Base。　This　is　Dive　Team。　e　in；〃　the　lead　diver　said　into　his　helmet　municator。　
　〃Dive　Team；　this　is　Base；〃　Barnaby's　voice　came　in　over　the　inter。　〃Report。〃　
　〃Base；　time　is　now　1956　hours。　Dive　time　since　leaving　the　diving　bell　is　fifty…four　minutes。　We　have　a　visual　on　the　surface。　We　are　ing　up　to　the　cavern。〃　
　〃Dive　Team；　be　aware。　We　have　Intel　that　there　are　four　hostile　agents　inside　that　cavern　waiting　for　you。　I　repeat；　there　are　four　hostile　agents　inside　the　cavern　waiting　for　you。　Use　appropriate　action。〃　
　〃Copy；　Base。　We　will。　Dive　Team　out。〃　
　
　Gant　and　Montana　came　sprinting　back　into　the　main　cavern。　
　They　came　up　alongside　Santa　Cruz；　who　was　manning　the　tripod…mounted　MP…5s。　He　pointed　down　into　the　pool。　
　Several　ominous　black　shadows　could　be　seen　rising　up　through　the　clear　aqua…colored　water。。　
　The　three　Marines　took　up　positions　behind　various　boulders；　MP…5s　in　their　hands。　Montana　told　Sarah　Hensleigh　to　stay　behind　him　and　stay　down。　
　〃Don't　be　impatient；〃　Montana's　voice　said　over　their　helmet　inters。　〃Wait　for　them　to　breach　the　surface。　It's　no　use　firing　into　the　water。〃　
　〃Got　it；〃　Gant　said　as　she　saw　the　first　shadow　rise　steadily　through　the　water　toward　the　surface。　
　A　diver。　On　a　sea　sled。　
　He　came　closer　and　closer；　up　and　up；　until　strangely；　just　below　the　surface；　he　stopped。　
　Gant　frowned。　
　The　diver　had　just　stopped　there；　about　a　foot　below　the　surface。　
　What　was　he　doing…　
　And　then　suddenly　the　diver's　hand　shot　up　out　of　the　water　and　Gant　saw　the　object　in　his　hand　instantly。　
　〃Nitrogen　charge！〃　she　yelled。　'Take　cover！〃　
　The　diver　tossed　the　nitrogen　charge　and　it　bounced　onto　the　hard；　icy　floor　of　the　cavern。　Gant　and　the　other　Marines　all　ducked　behind　their　boulders。　
　The　nitrogen　charge　exploded。　
　Supercooled　liquid　nitrogen　splattered　everything　in　sight。　The　gooey　blue　poxy　smacked　against　the　boulders　the　Marines　were　hiding　behind；　splattered　against　the　walls　of　the　cavern。　Some　of　it　even　hit　the　big　black　ship　standing　in　the　middle　of　the　enormous　cave。　
　It　was　the　perfect　diversion。。　
　Because　no　sooner　had　the　nitrogen　charge　gone　off　than　the　first　SAS　mando　was　charging　out　of　the　water　with　his　gun　pressed　to　his　shoulder　and　his　finger　jamming　down　on　the　trigger。　
　
　
　
　The　diving　bell　was　almost　at　the　surface　now。　It　continued　its　slow　rise　upward。　
　After　Schofield　had　seen　Barnaby　feed　Book　Riley　to　the　killer　whales；　his　anger　had　bee　intense。　He　wanted　to　kill　Barnaby。　He　wanted　to　rip　his　heart　out　and　serve　it　up　to　him　on　a…　
　Schofield　untied　the　length　of　cable　wrapped　around　his　waist　and　ripped　the　two　bulky　sixties　wet　suits　off　his　body。　Then　he　grabbed　his　MP…5　and　chambered　a　round。　If　he　didn't　kill　Barnaby；　then　he　was　damn　well　going　to　take　out　as　many　of　them　as　he　could。　
　As　he　readied　his　gun；　Schofield　saw　a　small　Samsonite　carry　case　on　one　of　the　shelves　of　the　diving　bell。　He　opened　it。　And　saw　a　row　of　blue　nitrogen　charges　sitting　in　a　cushioned　interior；　like　eggs　in　an　egg　box。　
　The　SAS　must　have　left　them　here　when　they　went　down　to　the　cave；　he　thought　as　he　grabbed　one　of　the　nitrogen　charges　and　put　it　in　his　pocket。　
　Schofield　looked　outside。　The　killer　whales；　it　seemed；　had　disappeared　for　the　moment。　For　a　brief　instant；　he　wondered　where　they　had　gone。　
　〃What　are　you　doing？〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃You'll　see；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　stepped　around　the　circular　pool　at　the　base　of　the　diving　bell。　
　〃You're　going　out　there？〃　Renshaw　said　in　disbelief。　〃You're　leaving　me　here？〃　
　〃You'll　be　OK。〃　Schofield　tossed　Renshaw　his　Desert　Eagle　pistol。　〃If　they　e　for　you；　use　that。〃　
　Renshaw　caught　the　gun。　Schofield　didn't　even　notice。　He　just　turned　around　and；　without　even　a　second　glance　back　at　Renshaw；　stepped　off　the　metal　deck　of　the　diving　bell　and　dropped　into　the　water。　
　
　The　water　was　near　freezing；　but　Schofield　didn't　care。　
　He　kept　hold　of　the　diving　bell　and　climbed　up　one　of　its　exterior　pipes；　pulled　himself　up　onto　its　spherical　roof。　
　They　were　almost　up　at　the　station　now。　
　And　as　soon　as　they　got　there；　Schofield　thought；　as　soon　as　they　broke　the　surface；　he　was　going　to　let　rip　with　the　most　devastating　burst　of　gunfire　the　SAS　had　ever　seen…　aim