mreilly.icestation-第86部分

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ters　a　hundred　miles　behind　it。　
　〃All　right；　people；　target　has　been　acquired；〃　the　F…22　pilot　said。　〃I　repeat；　target　has　been　acquired。　It's　time　to　rock　and　roll。〃　
　
　Inside　Wilkes　Ice　Station；　Shane　Schofield　didn't　know　what　the　hell　to　do。　
　He　knew　he　couldn't　surrender　to　the　SEALs。　They　were　almost　certainly　ICG。　If　they　got　him；　they　would　kill　him。　
　He　considered　going　down　to　the　cave　and　hiding　down　there…and　if　necessary　holding　the　spaceship　for　ransom…　but　then　he　realized　that　it　was　no　longer　possible　to　get　down　to　the　cave　since　the　diving　bell　had　been　destroyed。　
　Schofield　led　Kirsty　and　Renshaw　out　of　the　radio　room　on　A…deck　and　down　the　rung…ladder　to　the　lower　decks。　
　〃What's　going　on？〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃We　just　got　screwed；〃　Schofield　said。　His　mind　was　racing。　Their　only　option　now；　he　figured；　was　to　hide　somewhere　inside　the　station　and　hold　out　until　the　SEALs　and　everyone　else　were　gone。。。。　
　And　then　what　are　you　gonna　do？　Schofield　asked　himself。　Walk　home？　
　If　you　stay　alive；　you　still　have　a　chance。　
　Schofield　slid　down　the　rung…ladder；　looked　down　at　the　pool　on　E…deck。　
　And　then　he　saw　something。　
　He　saw　Wendy；　lying　on　the　deck；　happily　dozing　off　to　sleep。　
　Wendy；　he　thought。　
　Something　about　Wendy。。。。　
　
　The　F…22　squadron　leader　spoke　into　his　helmet　mike；　〃Bigbird；　this　is　Blue　Leader。　Maintaining　stealth　mode。　Estimate　target　will　be　in　missile　range　in。。。　twenty　minutes。〃　
　Suddenly　it　hit　Schofield。　
　
　He　spun　to　face　Kirsty。　〃Kirsty；　how　long　can　Wendy　hold　her　breath　for？〃　
　Kirsty　shrugged。　〃Most　male　far　seals　can　hold　their　breath　for　about　an　hour。　But　Wendy's　a　girl；　and　a　lot　smaller；　so　she　can　only　hold　her　breath　for　about　forty　minutes。〃　
　〃Forty　minutes。。。；〃　Schofield　said；　doing　the　calculations　in　his　head。　
　〃What　are　you　thinking？〃　Renshaw　asked。　
　Schofield　said；　〃It　takes　us　roughly　two　hours　to　get　from　the　station　to　the　cave；　right。　One　hour　to　go　down　three　thousand　feet　in　the　diving　bell　and　then　another　hour　or　so　to　go　up　through　the　ice　tunnel。〃　
　〃Yeah；　so　。。。；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Schofield　turned　to　face　Renshaw。　〃When　Gant　and　the　others　were　approaching　the　ice　cavern；　Gant　said　the　strangest　thing。　She　said　that　they　had　a　visitor。　Wendy。　Gant　said　that　Wendy　was　swimming　with　them　as　they　made　their　way　up　the　ice　tunnel。〃　
　〃Uh…huh。〃　
　Schofield　said；　〃So；　even　if　Wendy　could　swim　twice　as　fast　as　we　can；　if　she　swam　all　the　way　down　and　then　all　the　way　back　up　the　ice　tunnel；　she'd　run　out　of　breath　before　she　got　to　the　cavern。〃　
　Renshaw　was　silent。　
　Schofield　said；　〃I　mean；　it'd　be　suicide　for　her　not　to　turn　back　after　she'd　swum　for　twenty　minutes　because　she'd　have　to　know　she　could　get　back　to　an　air　source…〃　
　Schofield　looked　from　Renshaw　to　Kirsty。　
　〃There's　another　way　into　that　ice　tunnel；〃　he　said。　〃A　shortcut。〃　
　
　
　
　〃SEAL　team；　this　is　Blue　Leader。　We　are　closing　in　on　the　target。　Estimate　target　will　be　in　missile　range　in　fifteen　minutes；〃　the　voice　of　the　squadron　leader　said　over　the　radio　of　the　SEAL　team's　hovercraft。　
　The　SEALs　sat　rigidly　in　their　places　in　the　cabin　of　their　hovercraft。　Not　a　trace　of　emotion　crossed　any　of　their　faces。　
　
　Down　on　E…deck　now；　Schofield　tossed　the　low…audibility　breathing　tanks　onto　the　deck。　Kirsty　was　already　putting　on　a　thermal…electric　wet　suit。　It　was　so　hopelessly　big　for　her　that　she　had　to　roll　up　the　sleeves　and　ankles　to　make　it　fit。　Renshaw…already　dressed　in　his　neoprene　bodysuit…just　went　straight　for　the　LABA　gear。　
　〃Here；　swallow　these；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　handed　a　blue　capsule　to　each　of　them。　They　were　N…67D　anti…nitrogen　capsules。　The　same　pills　that　Schofield　had　given　to　Gant　and　the　others　when　they　had　gone　down　to　the　cavern　earlier。　They　all　quickly　swallowed　the　pills。　
　Schofield　discarded　his　fatigues　and　put　his　body　armor　and　gunbelt　back　on　over　his　wet　suit。　As　he　went　through　the　pockets　of　his　fatigues　he　found；　among　other　things；　a　nitrogen　charge　and　Sarah　Hensleigh's　silver　locket。　He　transferred　both　items　to　pockets　in　his　wet　suit。　Then　he　quickly　began　to　put　on　one　of　the　scuba　tanks。　
　There　were　three　tanks　in　all；　all　of　them　filled　with　four　hours'　worth　of　a　saturated　helium…oxygen　mix：　98％　helium；　2％　oxygen。　They　got　Gant　to　prepare　before　she　had　gone　down　to　the　cave　earlier。　
　As　he　put　his　own　LABA　gear　on；　Renshaw　helped　Kirsty　get　into　hers。　
　Schofield　got　his　tanks　on　first。　When　he　was　ready；　he　immediately　began　searching　the　deck　around　him　for　something　heavy…something　very　heavy…since　they　would　need　a　good　weight　to　take　them　down　fast　
　He　found　what　he　was　looking　for。　
　A　length　of　the　B…deck　catwalk　that　had　fallen　down　to　E…deck　back　when　the　whole　of　B…deck　had　gone　up　in　flames　earlier。　The　length　of　metal　catwalk　was　about　ten　feet　long　and　made　of　solid　steel。　It　even　had　a　section　of　its　handrail　still　attached　to　it。　
　When　Renshaw　was　also　ready；　Schofield　got　him　to　help　drag　it　to　the　edge　of　the　pool。　The　big　length　of　metal　catwalk　screeched　loudly　as　they　dragged　it　across　the　deck。　
　As　they　worked；　Wendy　hopped　up　and　down　beside　them；　like　a　dog　begging　to　go　for　a　walk。　
　〃Is　Wendy　ing　with　us？〃　Kirsty　asked。　
　Schofield　said；　〃I　hope　so。　I　was　hoping　she　would　show　us　the　way。〃　
　At　that；　Kirsty　leaped　to　her　feet　and　hurried　over　to　the　wall　by　the　side　of　the　pool。　She　grabbed　a　harness　from　a　hook　and　brought　it　back　to　the　edge　of　the　pool。　Then　she　began　to　strap　the　harness　around　Wendy's　midsection。　
　〃What's　that？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃Don't　worry。　It'll　help。〃　
　〃Fine；　whatever。　Just　stay　close；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　and　Renshaw　positioned　the　length　of　catwalk　on　the　edge　of　the　deck；　so　that　it　was　all…but…ready　to　fall　off。　
　〃All　right；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Everybody　in　the　water。〃　
　The　three　of　them　jumped　into　the　water　and　swam　back　underneath　the　length　of　catwalk。　Wendy　happily　leaped　into　the　water　after　them。　
　〃All　right；　get　a　grip　on　the　catwalk；〃　Schofield's　voice　said　over　their　underwater　headsets。　
　They　all　grabbed　hold　of　the　length　of　catwalk。　They　looked　like　a　set　of　Olympic　swimmers　preparing　to　swim　a　backstroke　race。　
　Schofield　placed　his　hand　over　Kirsty's　to　make　sure　she　didn't　lose　her　hold　on　the　catwalk　as　it　sank　through　the　water。　
　〃OK；　Mr。　Renshaw；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Pull！〃　
　At　that　moment；　Schofield　and　Renshaw　heaved　on　the　catwalk；　and　suddenly　the　length　of　heavy　metal　tipped　off　the　edge　of　the　deck　and　fell　into　the　water　with　a　massive　splash。　
　
　The　metal　catwalk　sank　through　the　water　fast。　
　The　three　small　figures　of　Schofield；　Renshaw；　and　Kirsty　clung　grimly　to　it　as　it　fell。　They　were　all　pointing　downward；　their　feet　flailing　above　them。　Wendy　swam　quickly　down　through　the　water　behind　them。　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　depth　gauge　on　his　wrist。　
　Ten　feet。　
　Twenty　feet。　
　Thirty　feet。　
　Down　they　went；　falling　fast；　through　the　magnificent　white　underwater　world。　
　As　they　fell；　Schofield　tried　to　keep　one　eye　on　the　white　ice　wall　to　his　left。　He　searched　for　a　hole　in　it；　searched　for　the　entrance　to　the　shortcut　tunnel　that　led　to　the　underwater　ice　tunnel。　
　They　hit　a　hundred　feet。　Without　the　pills；　the　nitrogen　in　their　blood　would　have　killed　them　by　now。　
　Two　hundred　feet。　
　Three　hundred。　
　They　flew　downward　through　the　water。　It　became　darker；　harder　to　see。　
　Four　hundred；　five　hundred。　
　They　were　falling　so　quickly。　
　Six　hundred。　Seven　hundred。　
　Eight…　
　And　then　suddenly　Schofield　saw　it。　
　〃All　right；　let　go！〃　he　yelled。　
　The　others　immediately　let　go　of　the　falling　metal　catwalk。　
　They　hovered　in　the　water　as　the　catwalk　disappeared　into　the　gloom　beneath　them。　
　Schofield　swam　over　to　the　ice　wall。　
　A　large；　round　hole　had　been　burrowed　into　it。　It　looked　like　a　tunnel　of　some　sort；　a　tunnel　that　descended　into　aiky　darkness。　
　Wendy　swam　up　alongside　Schofield　and　disappeared　inside　the　dark　tunnel。　She　popped　out　again　several　seconds　later。　
　Schofield　hesitated。　
　Renshaw　must　have　seen　the　doubt　in　his　eyes。　〃What　choice　do　we　have？〃　he　sai