mreilly.icestation-第89部分

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　〃I've　been　busy。　What　is　it？〃　
　〃Get　out　of　the　station。　Get　out　of　the　station　now。〃　
　〃I　can't　do　that　now；　Romeo；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　ran。　
　〃Scarecrow；　you　don't　understand。　Air　Force　just　called　us。　A　group　of　F…22s　just　shot　down　a　British　fighter　about　250　nautical　miles　out；　but　the　bogey　got　a　shot　off　before　it　was　hit。〃　Romeo　paused。　〃Scarecrow；　it's　heading　right　for　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　Satellite　scans　of　radiation　emissions　from　the　missile　indicate　that　it　is　nuclear。〃　
　Schofield　felt　a　chill　run　down　his　spine　as　he　ran。　He　came　to　the　fissure　in　the　wall　and　dropped　to　the　ground；　baseball…style；　and　slid　through　the　horizontal　fissure。　
　〃How　long？〃　he　asked　when　he　landed　inside　the　small　tunnel。　He　ignored　the　others　standing　around　him。　
　〃Two　hundred　and　forty…three　miles　at　400　miles　per　hour。　That　gives　you　thirty…seven　minutes　until　detonation。　But　that　was　nine　minutes　ago；　Scarecrow。　I've　been　trying　to　get　through　to　you；　but　you　haven't　been　responding。　You　have　twenty…eight　minutes　until　a　live　nuke　hits　that　ice　station。　Twenty…eight　minutes。〃　
　〃Swell；〃　Schofield　said；　looking　at　his　watch。　
　〃Scarecrow。　I'm　sorry；　but　I　can't　stay　here。　I've　got　to　get　my　men　to　a　safe　distance。　I'm　sorry；　but　you　're　on　your　own　now；　buddy。〃　
　
　
　
　Schofield　looked　at　his　watch。　
　It　was　10：32　p。m。　
　Twenty…eight　minutes。　The　nuclear　missile　would　hit　Wilkes　Ice　Station　at　11：00　P。M。　
　He　looked　up　at　the　group　around　him。　Sarah　Hensleigh；　Renshaw；　Kirsty；　and　Wendy。　And　Gant。　It　was　only　then　that　Schofield　realized　that　Gant　was　in　the　tunnel；　too；　sitting　down　on　the　icy　floor。　He　saw　the　ugly　red　stain　in　her　side　and　rushed　over　to　her。　
　〃Montana？〃　he　said。　
　She　nodded。　
　〃Where　is　he？〃　Schofield　asked。　
　〃He's　dead。　The　seals　got　him。　But　he　killed　Santa　Cruz　and　he　winged　me。〃　
　〃Are　you　OK？〃　
　〃No。〃　Gant　winced。　
　It　was　then　that　Schofield　saw　the　wound。　It　was　a　gut　shot；　to　the　side　of　Gant's　stomach。　The　bullet　must　have　sneaked　past　the　clasp　on　the　side　of　her　body　armor。　It　wasn't　a　nice　wound　to　have…a　gut　shot　was　a　slow　and　painful　way　to　die。　
　〃Hold　on；〃　he　said。　〃We'll　get　you　outta　here…〃　
　He　began　to　move　Gant；　but　as　he　did　so；　Gant　brushed　roughly　against　his　leg　and　dislodged　something　from　his　ankle　pocket。　
　It　was　a　silver　locket。　
　Sarah　Hensleigh's　silver　locket。　The　locket　that　she　had　given　to　Schofield　before　she　had　gone　down　to　the　cave。　
　The　locket　landed　face　down　on　the　icy　ground；　and　in　a　fleeting　instant；　Schofield　saw　the　writing　engraved　on　the　back　of　it：　
　
　To　Our　Daughter；　
　Sarah　Therese　Parkes　
　On　Your　Twenty…first　Birthday。　
　
　Schofield　froze　when　he　saw　the　engraving。　He　quickly　pulled　out　his　printed　copy　of　Andrew　Trent's　e…mail。　He　scanned　the　list　of　ICG　informers。　And　he　found　it。　
　PARKES。　SARAH　T。　USD　PLNTLGST　
　
　Schofield　snapped　up　to　look　at　Sarah　Hensleigh。　〃What's　your　maiden　name；　Sarah？〃　he　asked。　
　Snick…snick。　
　Schofield　heard　the　sound　of　the　gun　cocking　before　he　saw　it　emerge　from　behind　Sarah　Hensleigh's　back。　
　
　Sarah　Hensleigh　held　the　pistol　out　at　arm's　length；　pointed　it　at　Schofield's　head。　With　her　spare　hand；　she　pulled　Santa　Cruz's　helmet　headset　out　from　behind　her　and　adjusted　the　channel　dial　on　the　belt　clip。　She　spoke　into　the　headset。　
　〃SEAL　team；　this　is　Hensleigh。　e　in。〃　
　There　was　no　reply。　Hensleigh　frowned。　
　〃SEAL　team；　this　is　Hensleigh。　e　in。〃　
　〃There's　no　one　up　there；　Sarah；〃　Schofield　said；　cradling　Gant　in　his　arms。　〃They've　evacuated　the　station。　They're　gone。　There's　a　cruise　missile　on　its　way　here　right　now　and　it's　nuclear；　Sarah。　Those　SEALs　are　long　gone。　We　have　to　get　out　of　here；　too。〃　
　Suddenly　Schofield　heard　a　voice　e　over　Sarah's　headset。　〃Hensleigh；　this　is　SEAL　mander　Riggs。　Report。〃　
　Schofield　cringed；　looked　at　his　watch。　
　10：35　p。m。　Twenty…five　minutes　to　go。　
　He　wasn't　to　know　that　the　SEALs　up　in　the　station　had　switched　over　to　a　closed…circuit　channel　to　launch　their　attack　on　Wilkes。　He　wasn't　to　know　that　they　didn't　know　about　the　nuclear　missile　ing　toward　the　station。　
　Hensleigh　said；　〃SEAL　mander。　I　have　the　Marine　leader　down　here　with　me　in　the　cavern。　I　have　him　under　forced　arrest。〃　
　〃We'll　be　down　there　soon；　Hensleigh。　You　have　authority　to　kill　him　if　you　have　to。　SEAL　team　out。〃　
　〃Sarah；　what　are　you　doing？〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃Shut　up；〃　Hensleigh　said；　swinging　the　gun　round　so　that　its　cold　barrel　touched　Renshaw's　nose。　〃Get　over　there；〃　she　said；　waving　Renshaw　and　Kirsty　to　Schofield's　side　of　the　tunnel。　Schofield　noticed　that　Sarah　Hensleigh　held　the　gun　with　confidence　and　authority。　She　had　used　guns　before。　
　Schofield　said；　〃Where　are　you　from；　Sarah？　Army　or　Navy？〃　
　Sarah　looked　at　him　for　a　moment。　Then　she　said；　〃Army。〃　
　〃What　section？〃　
　〃I　was　at　the　CDC　in　Atlanta　for　a　while。　Then　I　did　some　work　for　the　Chem　Weapons　Division。　And　then；　wouldn't　you　know　it；　I　suddenly　felt　the　urge　to　teach。〃　
　〃Were　you　ICG　before　or　after　you　went　to　teach　at　the　university？〃　
　〃Before；〃　Hensleigh　said。　〃Long　before。　Hell；　Lieutenant；　the　ICG　sent　me　to　teach　at　USC。　They　asked　me　to　retire　from　the　Army；　gave　me　a　lifetime　pension；　and　sent　me　off　to　the　university。〃　
　〃Why？〃　
　〃They　wanted　to　know　what　was　going　on　there。　In　particular；　they　wanted　to　know　about　ice　core　research…they　wanted　to　know　about　the　chemical　gases　people　like　Brian　Hensleigh　were　finding　buried　in　the　ice。　Gases　from　highly　toxic　environments　that　disappeared　hundreds　of　millions　of　years　ago。　Carbon　monoxide　variants；　pure　chlorine　gas　molecules。　The　ICG　wanted　to　know　about　it…they　can　find　uses　for　that　sort　of　thing。　So　I　got　into　the　field；　and　I　got　to　know　Brian　Hensleigh。〃　
　Renshaw　said；　〃You　married　him　to　get　information　out　of　him？〃　
　Over　in　the　corner　of　the　tunnel；　Kirsty　watched　this　conversation　with　almost　stunned　interest。　
　〃I　got　what　I　wanted；〃　Sarah　Hensleigh　said。　〃So　did　Brian。〃　
　〃Did　you　kill　him？〃　Renshaw　asked。　〃The　car　accident？〃　
　〃No；〃　Hensleigh　said。　〃I　didn't。　ICG　wasn't　involved　in　that　at　all。　It　was　exactly　that；　an　accident。　Call　it　whatever　you　want；　destiny；　fate。　It　just　happened。〃　
　〃Did　you　kill　Bernie　Olson？〃　Schofield　asked　quickly。　
　Sarah　paused　before　she　answered　that　
　〃Yes；〃　she　said。　〃I　did。〃　
　〃Oh；　you　fucking　bitch；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃Bernie　Olson　was　a　liar　and　a　thief；〃　Hensleigh　said。　〃He　was　going　to　publish　Renshaw's　findings　before　Renshaw　did。　I　didn't　really　care　about　that。　But　then　when　Renshaw　struck　metal　fifteen　hundred　feet　down；　Olson　told　me　he　was　going　to　publish　that；　too。　And　I　just　couldn't　allow　that　to　happen。　Not　without　the　ICG　knowing　about　it　first〃　
　〃Not　without　the　ICG　knowing　about　it　first；〃　Schofield　repeated　bitterly。　
　〃It's　our　job　to　know　everything　first。〃　
　〃So　you　killed　him；〃　Schofield　said。　〃With　sea　snake　venom。　And　you　made　it　look　like　Renshaw　did　it。〃　
　Sarah　Hensleigh　looked　at　Renshaw。　〃I'm　sorry；　James；　but　you　were　far　too　easy　a　target。　You　and　Bernie　fought　all　the　time。　And　when　you　fought　that　night；　it　was　just　too　good　an　opportunity　to　miss。〃　
　Schofield　looked　at　his　watch。　〃Sarah；　listen。　I　know　you　don't　believe　me；　but　we　have　to　get　out　of　here。　There　is　a　nuclear　missile…〃　
　〃There　is　no　missile；〃　Hensleigh　snapped。　〃If　there　were；　the　SEALs　wouldn't　be　here。〃　
　Schofield　glanced　at　his　watch　again。　
　10：36　p。m。　
　Shit；　he　thought。　It　was　so　frustrating。　They　were　stuck　here；　at　the　mercy　of　Sarah　Hensleigh。　And　she　was　just　going　to　wait　here　until　the　nuke　arrived　and　killed　them　all。　
　It　was　at　that　moment　that　Schofield's　watch　flicked　over　to　10：37　p。m。　
　
　Schofield　hadn't　known　about　the　eighteen　Tritonal　80/20　charges　that　Trevor　Barnaby　had　laid　in　a　semicircle　around　Wilkes　Ice　Station　with　the　intention　of　creating　an　iceberg。　
　Hadn't　known　that　exactly　two　hours　ago…at　8：37　p。m。…　when　Barnaby　had　been　inside　the　diving　bell　alone；　Barnaby　had　set　a　timer　to　detonate　the　Tritonal　charges　in　two　hours'　time。　
　The　eighteen　Tritonal　charges　exploded　as　one　and　the　blast　was　absolutely　devas