mreilly.icestation-第77部分

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f　the　enormous　seals　plowed　into　him　from　behind　and　drove　him　under。　Gant　saw　the　animal's　glistening　wet　back　rise　above　the　water　for　an　instant　before　it　submerged　on　top　of　the　British　soldier。　
　A　couple　of　SAS　divers　made　it　to　land。　But　the　seals　just　followed　them　right　out　of　the　water。　One　diver　was　on　his　hands　and　knees；　clawing　his　way　across　the　ice；　trying　desperately　to　get　away　from　the　water's　edge；　when　a　giant　seven…ton　seal　launched　itself　out　of　the　pool　right　behind　him。　
　The　massive　creature　landed　on　the　ice　a　bare　two　feet　behind　him；　and　the　earth　shook　beneath　its　weight。　The　big　seal　then　lumbered　forward　and　clamped　its　jaws　shut　around　the　SAS　man's　legs。　Bones　crunched。　The　man　screamed。　
　And　then；　before　he　even　knew　what　was　happening；　the　big　seal　began　to　eat　him。　
　Roughly；　with　great　slashing　bites。　The　high…pitched　tearing　sound　of　flesh　being　ripped　from　bone　filled　the　cavern。　
　Gant　stared　at　the　scene　in　silent　awe。　
　The　SAS　men　were　screaming。　The　seals　were　barking。　Several　of　mem　began　eating　their　victims　while　they　were　still　alive。　
　Gant　just　stared　at　the　seals。　They　were　huge。　At　least　as　big　as　killer　whales。　And　they　had　bulbous　round　snouts　that　she　had　seen　in　a　book　once。　
　Elephant　seals。　
　Gant　noticed　that　there　were　two　smaller　seals　in　the　group。　These　two　smaller　animals　had　peculiar　teeth…strange　elongated　lower　canines　that　rose　up　from　their　lower　jaws　and　over　their　upper　lips；　like　a　pair　of　inverted　tusks。　The　larger　seals；　she　saw；　did　not　have　these　tusks。　
　Gant　tried　to　recall　everything　she　knew　about　elephant　seals。　Like　killer　whales；　elephant　seals　lived　in　large　groups　made　up　of　one　dominant　male；　known　as　the　bull　or　beach…master；　and　a　harem　of　eight　or　nine　females；　or　cows；　which　were　all　smaller　than　the　bull。　
　Gant　felt　a　chill　as　she　saw　the　sex　of　one　of　the　big　seals　in　front　of　her。　
　These　were　the　females　of　the　group。　
　The　two　smaller　seals　that　she　saw　were　their　pups。　Male　pups；　Gant　noticed。　
　Gant　wondered　where　the　bull　was。　He　would　almost　certainly　be　larger　than　these　females。　But　if　the　females　were　this　big；　how　big　would　he　be？　
　More　questions　flitted　through　her　mind。　
　Why　did　they　attack？　Elephant　seals；　Gant　knew；　could　be　exceptionally　aggressive；　especially　when　their　territory　was　under　threat。　
　And　why　now？　Why　had　Gant　and　her　team　been　allowed　to　pass　safely　through　the　ice　tunnel　only　several　hours　before；　while　the　SAS　had　been　subjected　to　so　violent　an　attack　now？　
　There　came　a　sudden　final　scream　from　the　pool　followed　by　a　splash　and　Gant　looked　out　from　behind　her　boulder。　
　There　was　a　long；　cold　silence。　The　only　sound　was　that　of　waves　lapping　against　the　edge　of　the　pool。　
　All　of　the　SAS　divers　were　dead。　Most　of　the　seals　were　up　inside　the　cavern　now；　bent　over　the　spoils　of　their　victory…the　bodies　of　the　dead　SAS　mandos。　It　was　then　that　Gant　heard　a　nauseating　crunch　and　she　turned　round　to　see　that　the　elephant　seals　had　begun　to　feed　en　masse。　
　This　battle　was　well　and　truly　over。　
　
　
　
　Schofield　stood　on　the　pool　deck　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　with　his　hands　cuffed　in　front　of　him。　One　of　the　SAS　mandos　was　busy　tying　the　grappling　hook　of　Book's　Maghook　around　his　ankles。　Schofield　looked　off　to　his　left　and　saw　the　high　black　fin　of　a　killer　whale　slice　through　the　murky　red　water　of　the　pool。　
　〃Dive　Team；　report；〃　an　SAS　radio　operator　said　into　his　portable　unit　nearby。　〃I　repeat。　Dive　Team；　e　in。〃　
　〃Any　word？〃　Barnaby　said。　
　〃There's　no　response；　sir。　The　last　thing　they　said　was　that　they　were　about　to　surface　inside　the　cavern。〃　
　Barnaby　gave　Schofield　a　look。　〃Keep　trying；〃　he　said　to　the　radio　operator。　Then　he　turned　to　Schofield。　〃Your　men　down　in　that　cave　must　have　put　up　quite　a　fight。〃　
　〃They　do　that；〃　Schofield　said。　
　〃So；〃　Barnaby　said。　〃Any　last　requests　from　the　condemned　man？　A　blindfold？　Cigarette？　Shot　of　brandy？〃　
　At　first；　Schofield　said　nothing；　he　just　looked　down　at　his　handcuffed　wrists　in　front　of　him。　
　And　then　he　saw　it。　
　Suddenly　he　looked　up。　
　〃A　cigarette；〃　he　said　quickly；　swallowing。　〃Please。〃　
　〃Mr。　Nero。　A　cigarette　for　the　Lieutenant。〃　
　Nero　stepped　forward；　offered　a　pack　of　cigarettes　to　Schofield。　Schofield　took　one　with　his　cuffed　hands；　raised　it　to　his　mouth。　Nero　lit　it。　Schofield　took　a　deep　draw　and　hoped　to　hell　that　nobody　saw　his　face　turn　green。　He　had　never　smoked　in　his　life。　
　〃All　right；〃　Barnaby　said。　'That's　enough。　Gentlemen；　hoist　him　up。　Scarecrow；　it　was　a　pleasure　knowing　you。〃　
　
　Schofield　swung；　upside…down；　out　over　the　pool。　His　dog　tags　hung　loosely　off　his　chin；　glistening　silver　in　the　white　artificial　light　of　the　station。　The　water　beneath　him　was　stained　an　ugly　shade　of　red。　
　Book's　blood。　
　Schofield　looked　up　at　the　diving　bell　in　the　center　of　the　pool；　saw　Renshaw's　face　in　one　of　the　portholes…saw　a　single　terrified　eye　peering　out　at　him。　
　Schofield　just　hung　there；　three　feet　above　the　hideous　red　water。　He　calmly　held　the　cigarette　to　his　mouth；　took　another　puff。　
　The　SAS　soldiers　must　have　thought　it　a　vain　act　of　bravado…but　while　the　cigarette　dangled　from　Schofield's　mouth　they　never　saw　what　he　was　doing　with　his　hands。　
　Barnaby　offered　Schofield　a　salute。　〃Rule　Britannia；　Scarecrow。〃　
　〃Fuck　Britannia；〃　Schofield　replied。　
　〃Mr。　Nero；〃　Barnaby　said。　〃Lower　away。〃　
　
　Over　by　the　rung…ladder；　Nero　pressed　a　button　on　the　Maghook's　launcher。　The　launcher　itself　was　still　wedged　in　between　two　rungs　of　the　ladder　while　its　rope　was　stretched　taut　over　the　retractable　bridge　up　on　C…deck；　creating　the　same　pulleylike　mechanism　that　had　been　used　to　lower　Book　into　the　water。　
　The　Maghook's　rope　began　to　play　out。　
　
　Schofield　began　to　descend　toward　the　water。　
　His　hands　were　still　cuffed　in　front　of　him。　He　held　the　cigarette　between　the　fingers　of　his　right　hand。　
　His　head　entered　the　murky　red　water　first。　Then　his　shoulders。　Then　his　chest；　his　stomach；　his　elbows　。。。　
　But　then；　just　as　Schofield's　wrists　were　about　to　go　under；　Schofield　quickly　twisted　the　cigarette　in　his　fingers　and　pointed　it　toward　the　loop　of　magnesium　detonator　cord　that　he　had　now　looped　around　the　chain　link　of　his　handcuffs。　
　Schofield　had　seen　the　detonator　cord　when　he　had　been　standing　on　the　deck　only　moments　before。　He　had　forgotten　that　he'd　tied　a　loop　of　it　around　his　wrist　back　in　Little　America　IV。　The　SAS；　when　they　had　frisked　him　and　relieved　him　of　all　his　weapons　earlier；　must　have　missed　it；　too。　
　The　burning　tip　of　the　cigarette　touched　the　detonator　cord　a　split　second　before　Schofield's　wrists　disappeared　below　the　surface。　
　
　The　detonator　cord　ignited　instantly；　just　as　Schofield's　wrists　disappeared　into　the　inky　red　water。　
　It　burned　bright　white；　even　under　the　water；　and　cut　through　the　chain　link　of　Schofield's　handcuffs　like　a　knife　through　butter。　Suddenly　his　hands　broke　apart；　free。　
　At　that　moment；　a　pair　of　jaws　burst　through　the　red　haze　around　his　head　and　Schofield　saw　the　enormous　eye　of　a　killer　whale　looking　right　at　him。　And　then　suddenly　it　disappeared　back　into　the　haze　and　was　gone。　
　Schofield's　heart　was　racing。　He　couldn't　see　a　thing。　The　water　around　him　was　impenetrable。　Just　a　murky　cloud　of　red。　
　And　then　suddenly　a　series　of　bizarre…sounding　clicks　began　to　echo　through　the　water　around　him。　
　Click…click。　
　Click…click。　
　Schofield　frowned。　What　was　it？　The　killers？　
　And　then　it　hit　him。　
　Sonar。　
　Shit！　
　The　killer　whales　were　using　sonar　clicks　to　find　him　in　the　murky　water。　Many　whales　were　known　to　use　sonar…　sperm　whales；　blue　whales；　killers。　The　principle　was　simple：　the　whale　made　a　loud　click　with　its　tongue；　the　click　traveled　through　the　water；　bounced　off　any　object　in　the　water；　and　returned　to　the　whale…revealing　to　it　the　object's　location。　Sonar　units　on　man…made　submarines　operated　on　the　same　principle。　
　Schofield　was　desperately　searching　the　cloudy　red　haze　around　him…searching　for　the　whales…when　suddenly　one　of　them　exploded　out　of　the　haze　and　rushed　toward　him。　
　Schofield　screamed　und