mreilly.icestation-第76部分

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　Snake　came　at　him　with　a　flurry　of　kicks　and　punches。　Schofield　parried　each　blow　with　his　cuffed　hands　and　the　two　men　parted　and　began　to　circle　each　other　like　a　pair　of　big　cats。　
　Schofield's　mind　raced。　Snake　would　want　to　get　him　onto　the　floor。　While　he　remained　on　his　feet；　he　would　be　OK…　because　even　with　his　hands　cuffed；　he　could　still　parry　any　blow　Snake　threw　at　him。　But　if　they　both　went　to　the　ground；　it　would　be　all　over。　Snake　would　have　him　in　no　time。　
　Got　to　stay　off　the　ground。。。。　
　Got　to　stay　off　the　ground。。。。　
　The　two　Marines　circled　each　other…on　either　side　of　the　black　drilling　apparatus　in　the　center　of　the　room。　
　Suddenly　Snake　grabbed　a　length　of　steel　from　the　floor　and　swung　it　hard　at　Schofield。　Schofield　ducked；　too　late；　and　took　a　glancing　blow　to　the　left　side　of　his　head。　He　saw　stars　for　a　second　and　lost　his　balance。　
　Snake　was　on　him　in　an　instant；　launching　himself　across　the　room；　tackling　Schofield　hard；　driving　him　back　against　the　wall。　
　Schofield's　back　slammed　into　a　power　switch　on　the　wall　and　instantly；　across　the　room；　the　vertical　plunger　on　the　drilling　machine　suddenly　whirred　to　life　and　began　to　spin　rapidly。　It　emitted　a　shrill；　roaring　sound　like　that　of　a　buzz…saw。　
　Snake　threw　Schofield　to　the　ground。　
　No！　
　Schofield　hit　the　ground　hard　and　rolled　immediately…　
　…only　to　find　himself　lying　face…to…face　with　Jean　Petard。　
　Or；　at　least；　what　was　left　of　Petard's　face　after　it　had　been　ripped　to　shreds　by　the　blast　of　the　Claymore　mines。　
　And　then　at　that　moment…in　that　fleeting　moment…Schofield　caught　a　glimpse　of　something　inside　Petard's　jacket。　
　A　crossbow。　
　Schofield　reached　desperately　for　the　crossbow　with　his　cuffed　hands。　He　got　his　hands　around　the　grip；　got　ahold　of　it；　and…　
　…then　Snake　crash…tackled　him；　and　both　men　slid　across　the　floor　and　slammed　into　the　drilling　machine　in　the　center　of　the　room。　The　sound　of　the　spinning　plunger　roared　in　their　ears。　
　Schofield　lay　on　his　back；　on　the　floor。　Snake　knelt　astride　him。　
　And　in　a　sudden　instant；　Schofield　saw　that　he　still　had　the　crossbow　in　his　hands。　He　blinked。　He　must　have　kept　hold　of　it　when　Snake　had　crash…tackled　him。　
　It　was　then　that　Snake　hit　Schofield　with　a　pulverizing　blow。　
　Schofield　heard　his　nose　crack　and　saw　the　blood　explode　outward　from　his　face。　His　head　slammed　back　against　the　floor。　Hard。　
　The　world　spun　and　for　a　fleeting　instant　Schofield　blacked　out。　Suddenly　he　felt　a　wave　of　panic…if　he　blacked　out　pletely；　that　would　be　the　end　of　it。　Snake　would　kill　him　where　he　lay。　
　Schofield　opened　his　eyes　again；　and　the　first　thing　he　saw　was　the　spinning　plunger　of　the　drilling　machine　hovering　three　feet　above　his　head！　
　It　was　right　over　the　top　of　him！　
　He　saw　the　leading　edge　of　the　spinning　cylinder…the　sharply　serrated　leading　edge；　the　edge　that　was　designed　to　cut　down　through　solid　ice。　
　And　then　suddenly　he　saw　Snake　move　in　front　of　the　plunger；　his　face　contorted　with　anger；　and　then　he　saw　Snake's　fist　e　rushing　down　at　his　face。　
　Schofield　tried　to　raise　his　hands　in　his　defense　but　they　were　still　cuffed　together；　pinned　underneath　Snake's　body。　He　couldn't　get　them　up…　
　The　blow　hit　home。　
　The　world　became　a　blur。　Schofield　struggled　desperately　to　see　through　the　haze。　
　He　saw　Snake　draw　his　hand　back　again；　preparing　for　what　would　no　doubt　be　the　final　blow。　
　And　then　Schofield　saw　something　off　to　the　right。　
　The　switch　on　the　wall　that　had　started　the　drilling　machine。　He　saw　three　big　round　buttons　on　the　switch　panel。　
　Black；　red　and　green。　
　And　then；　with　startling　clarity；　the　words　on　the　black　button　suddenly　came　into　focus。　
　LOWER　DRILL。　
　Schofield　looked　up　at　Snake；　saw　the　rapidly　spinning　plunger　right　above　his　head。　
　There　was　no　way　Schofield　could　shoot　Snake　with　the　crossbow；　but　if　he　could　just　angle　his　hands　slightly；　he　might　be　able　to。。。　
　〃Snake；　you　know　what？〃　
　〃What？〃　
　〃I　never　liked　you。〃　
　And　with　that　Schofield　raised　his　cuffed　hands　slightly；　aimed　his　crossbow　at　the　big　black　button　on　the　wall；　and　fired。　
　The　arrow　covered　the　distance　in　a　millisecond　and。。。　。。。　hit　the　big　black　button　right　in　its　center…pinning　it　to　the　wall　behind　it…just　as　Schofield　thrust　his　head　clear　of　the　drilling　machine　and　the　plunger；　spinning　at　phenomenal　speed；　came　rushing　down　into　the　back　of　Snake's　head。　
　Schofield　heard　the　sickening　crunch　of　breaking　bone　as　Snake's　whole　body　was　yanked　violently　downward…headfirst…by　the　weight　of　the　plunger　and　then　suddenly；　grotesquely；　the　plunger；　its　shrill　buzzing　filling　the　room；　carved　right　through　Snake's　head　and　a　flood　of　thick　red…and…gray　ooze　poured　out　from　his　skull　and　then　with　a　final　sprack！　the　plunger　popped　out　through　the　other　side　of　Snake's　head　and　continued　on　its　way　down　into　the　ice　hole　beneath　it。　
　
　Still　somewhat　dazed　from　the　fight；　Schofield　rose　to　his　knees。　He　turned　away　from　the　hideous　sight　of　Snake's　body　pinned　underneath　the　blood…spattered　drilling　machine　and　quickly　put　the　crossbow　in　his　thigh　pocket。　Then　he　spun　and　began　looking　about　himself　for　any　kind　of　weapon　he　could　use…　
　His　eyes　fell　instantly　on　the　body　of　Jean　Petard；　lying　on　the　floor　nearby。　
　Still　breathing　hard；　Schofield　crawled　over　to　it；　knelt　beside　it。　He　began　rifling　through　the　dead　Frenchman's　pockets。　
　After　a　few　seconds；　he　pulled　a　grenade　out　from　one　of　Petard's　pockets。　It　had　writing　on　it：　M8A3…STN。　
　Schofield　knew　what　it　was　instantly。　
　A　stun　grenade。　A　flasher。　
　Like　the　one　the　French　mandos　had　used　earlier　that　morning。　Schofield　put　the　stun　grenade　into　his　breast　pocket　
　The　door　to　the　drilling　room　burst　open。　Schofield　instantly　fell　back　to　the　floor；　tried　to　look　tired；　wounded。　
　Two　SAS　mandos　stormed　into　the　drilling　room　with　their　guns　up。　Trevor　Barnaby　strode　in　behind　them。　
　Barnaby　winced　when　he　saw　Snake's　body　lying　flat　on　the　floor；　face…down；　with　its　head　positioned　underneath　the　large　black　drilling　apparatus…plete　with　a　gaping　red　hole　right　through　the　middle　of　it　
　〃Oh；　Scarecrow；〃　Barnaby　said。　〃Did　you　have　to　do　that　to　him？〃　
　Schofield　was　still　breathing　hard；　and　he　had　tiny　flecks　of　blood　splattered　all　over　his　face。　He　didn't　say　anything。　
　Barnaby　shook　his　head。　He　almost　seemed　disappointed　that　Schofield　hadn't　been　killed　by　Snake。　
　〃Get　him　out　of　here；〃　Barnaby　said　quietly　to　the　two　SAS　men　behind　him。　〃Mr。　Nero。〃　
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　
　〃String　him　up。〃　
　
　
　
　Down　in　the　cave；　another　battle　was　under　way。　
　No　sooner　had　the　first　SAS　diver　stepped　out　of　the　water　than　a　second　SAS　man　was　up　and　standing　in　the　shallows　behind　him。　
　The　first　SAS　mando　stormed　out　of　the　water；　firing　hard。　The　second　man　followed　him　up；　sloshing　through　the　knee…deep　water　with　his　gun　up　when　suddenly…whump！…　he　was　violently　yanked　beneath　the　surface　of　the　water。　
　The　first　mando…up　on　dry　land　and　oblivious　to　the　fate　that　had　befallen　his　partner…snapped　to　his　right　and　drew　a　bead　on　Montana；　just　as　Gant　bobbed　up　from　behind　her　boulder　and　took　him　out　from　the　left。　
　Gant　turned；　saw　more　SAS　mandos　surfacing　in　the　pool　with　their　sea　sleds。　
　Then　suddenly　something　else　caught　her　eye。　
　Movement。　
　A　large　black　object　just　slid　out　from　one　of　the　wide　ten…foot　holes　in　the　ice　wall　above　the　pool　and　dropped　smoothly　into　the　water。　
　Gant's　jaw　dropped。　
　It　was　an　animal　of　some　sort。　
　But　it　was　so　huge。　It　looked　like　。。。　like　a　seal。　A　great；　big；　enormous　seal。　
　At　that　moment；　another　massive　seal　emerged　from　a　second　hole　in　the　ice　wall。　And　then　another。　And　another。　They　just　slid　out　from　their　holes　and　splashed　down　into　the　pool；　raining　down　on　the　team　of　SAS　divers　from　every　side。　
　Gant　just　watched　them　with　her　mouth　wide　open。　
　The　pool　was　a　broiling　froth　now；　choppy　and　frothy。　Suddenly　another　SAS　diver　went　under；　replaced　by　a　slick　of　his　own　blood。　And　then　abruptly　the　man　next　to　him　fell　forward　in　the　water　as　one　of　the　enormous　seals　plowed　into　h