mac.thepearlharbormurders-第36部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　He　didn't　think　anything　of　it…the　Navy　was　obviously　having　some　sort　of　battle　practice；　and　he　was　mildly　annoyed　that　no　one　on　Kimmel's　team　had　warned　him　about　it。。。　unless　they　had　told　him；　and　he'd　forgotten　it。
　But　the　explosions　seemed　to　build；　grow　nearer；　and　that　got　the　general's　curiosity　up。　He　wandered　out　onto　his　lanai…the　very　porch　where　the　evening　before　an　FBI　agent　had　told　him　about　a　possible　coded　message…and　he　could　see　smoke　to　the　west；　a　lot　of　it。。。　and　black。
　Shrugging；　he　was　heading　back　in　to　have　some　coffee　before　he　left　for　the　golf　course；　when　he　heard　a　loud　knock　at　the　front　door。　His　wife　was　not　up　yet；　so　he　went　to　answer　it　quickly；　in　case　she　had　somehow　managed　to　sleep　through　the　Navy's　infernal　racket。
　Wooch　Fielder；　in　blue　sport　shirt　and　blue　slacks；　was　standing　on　the　front　porch。　Fielder　had　the　startled　expression　of　a　deer　perked　by　the　sound　of　a　hunter；　and　his　face　was　fish…belly　white。
　〃What's　wrong；　Wooch？　Am　I　late？〃　The　general　looked　at　his　wristwatch。　〃Didn't　think　we　were　playing　till…〃
　〃Sir；　we're　under　attack…it's　the　real　thing。〃
　More　explosions。
　The　general　leaned　out　the　door；　asked；　〃What's　going　on　out　there？〃
　〃Bicknell　says　he　saw　two　battleships　sunk。〃
　〃Why；　that's　ridiculous。。。。〃
　〃Sir；　both　Hickam　and　Wheeler　have　phoned…　they've　been　hit。〃
　Short　drew　in　a　sharp　breath；　then；　crisply；　he　said；　〃Put　into　effect　Alert　Number　Three。　Everybody　to　battle　position。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Do　it；　Wooch…I'll　be　right　with　you。〃
　And　he　shut　the　door；　reeling；　knowing　that　if　the　Japs　would　mount　a　damn…fool　sneak　air　raid；　they　might　even　risk　landing　troops；　there　was　no　telling　how　seriously　this　attack　might　develop。
　General　Short　knew　only　one　thing　for　certain：　he　had　to　get　out　of　these　damn　golf　togs。
　Don　and　Jerry　Morton's　mother；　terrified　by　the　explosions　around　them；　stopped　the　car；　and　led　her　boys　into　a　sugarcane　field；　where　they　all　sat　with　hands　on　their　ears；　heads　between　their　knees。
　Now　and　then；　Don's　mother　would　ask　either　him　or　Jerry　to　peek　up　and　see　if　the　airplanes　swooping　overhead　were　American。
　And；　for　the　next　two　hours；　they　never　were。　Shivering；　Don　wondered　if　his　stepfather　was　okay　on　Ford　Island。
　（He　was　not：　the　boys'　stepfather　had　been　among　the　first　to　die　today；　hit　by　a　bomb　on　the　Ford　Island　seaplane　ramp。）
　The　U。S。　Pacific　Fleet　was　a　family　of　sorts…big；　and　yet　small　enough　that　most　men　knew　anyone　else　in　their　specialized　line　of　work；　a　man　might　enlist　and　stay　on　one　ship　until　retirement；　twenty　or　thirty　years　later。　Officers　had　ties；　as　well；　often　going　back　to　Annapolis　days。　Admiral　Kimmel　knew　thousands　of　his　men　by　sight；　and　hundreds　by　name；　and　dozens　were　his　personal　Mends。
　From　his　office　window　at　fleet　HQ；　Kimmel　could　do　little　more　than　stand　and　watch　his　ships。。。　and　his　men。。。　die…the　admiral　helplessly　bearing　the　thunder　of　exploding　bombs；　and　the　anvil　clangs　of　torpedoes　ravaging　his　ships；　bleeding　rolling　clouds　of　smoke。
　His　people　tried　to　establish　munications　with　the　areas　under　attack；　and　sent　messages　to　ships　at　sea；　advising　them　of　what　was　happening　at　Pearl。　They　could　hear　explosions　and　see　waterspouts　and；　of　course；　the　funnels　of　black　smoke。
　〃I　must　say；〃　Kimmel　said　quietly　to　the　officers　around　him；　〃it's　a　beautifully　executed　military　maneuver　。。。　leaving　aside　the　unspeakable　treachery　of　it。〃
　As　he　stood　there；　a　bullet　came　crashing　through　the　window　and　struck　him　on　the　chest…leaving　a　sooty　splotch　on　his　otherwise　immaculate　white　uniform。　He　bent　to　pick　up　what　turned　out　to　be　a　spent　。50…caliber　machine…gun　slug。
　Softly；　he　said；　〃I　wish　it　had　killed　me…that　would've　been　merciful。〃
　Then　he　reached　up　and；　with　both　hands；　tore　loose　the　four…star　boards　on　bis　shoulders；　he　went　into　his　office　and　came　back　wearing　two…star　boards；　having　demoted　himself。
　At　the　Japanese　Consulate；　Jardine　and　Sterling…with　Burroughs　and　Hully　tagging　after…searched　the　pound。　General　Consul　Kita　was　along；　as　well；　a　bored　fat　man　in　his　pajamas；　and　when　Jardine　came　to　a　locked　door；　toward　the　rear　of　the　main　building；　he　demanded　that　Kita　open　it。　〃I　have　no　key；〃　Kita　said；　unflappable。
　The　acrid　smell　of　smoke　was　leaching　out　from　around　the　door。
　〃They're　burning　papers　again；〃　Sterling　said。　〃Kita；　tell　them　to　open　up！〃
　Sighing；　seemingly　blase；　Kita　began　to　knock；　but　no　one　answered；　Burroughs　yanked　the　man　aside；　and　Sterling　crashed　his　shoulder　into　the　wood；　several　times；　until　the　door　finally　splintered　open。
　Four　Japanese　men　in　sport　shirts　and　slacks　were　standing　around　a　washtub　in　which　they　had　been　burning　papers　and　codebooks。　Around　them　in　the　small　nondescript　room　were　file　cabinets　whose　drawers　yawned　open。
　Hully　snatched　a　brown；　accordion…style　folder　out　of　one　of　the　men's　hands；　before　he　could　dump　its　contents　into　the　tub　of　flames。　Jardine　hopped　into　the　tub　and　stamped　out　the　fire；　like　he　was　mashing　grapes　into　wine。
　Sterling　had　Burroughs　train　his　gun　on　the　four　men　while　the　FBI　agent　patted　them　down　for　weapons…　they　had　none。　One　of　the　men　was　the　Consulate's　treasurer…they　were　all　officials　of　the　consulate。
　〃Look　at　this；〃　Hully　said；　holding　up　a　sheet　of　typing　paper　taken　from　the　brown　folder。　The　white　sheet　bore　a　detailed　sketch　of　ship　locations　at　Pearl　Harbor。
　〃Where's　Morimura？〃　Burroughs　demanded　of　their　prisoners。
　〃Or　should　we　say　'Yoshikawa'？〃　Sterling　said。　〃Where　is　he？〃
　None　of　them　replied。
　But　Kita；　suddenly　helpful；　volunteered；　〃He　had　a　golf　match　this　morning。〃
　Sterling　glanced　at　Burroughs。　〃Well；　he's　not　in　the　building。〃
　〃Nor　is　his　driver；〃　Kita　said。
　Jardine　took　charge　of　Kita　and　the　others；　and　Sterling；　Burroughs　and　Hully　checked　out　the　Consulate's　garage：　the　Lincoln　was　gone。
　〃So　we　head　for　the　golf　course；〃　Sterling　said。
　〃He　won't　be　there；〃　Burroughs　said。　〃He's　in　hiding。〃
　〃Where　the　hell
　Burroughs　twitched　a　smile；　Hully　was　nodding　as　his　father　said；　〃I　think　I　know。〃
　And…under　a　sky　momentarily　quiet；　but　still　thick　with　black　smoke…they　dashed　out　to　the　black　Ford　just　as　three　more　carloads　of　uniformed　police；　heavily　armed；　were　forming　a　cordon　around　the　consulate。
　
　
　
　FIFTEEN
　Retaliation
　
　In　less　than　half　an　hour；　in　a　peacetime　attack　unparalleled　in　the　modem　world；　Japan　had　delivered　the　worst　Naval　defeat　in　American　history。
　Thick　black　smoke　draped　Pearl　Harbor；　where　all　seven　battleships　moored　at　Ford　Island　had　suffered　damage；　all　hit　by　one　or　more　bombs。　In　the　overturned　hull　of　the　Oklahoma；　most　of　the　crew　remained　imprisoned；　while　others　were　trapped　in　the　capsized　Utah；　rescue　efforts　in　either　case　were　hampered　by　continual　strafing；　until　the　silver　planes　of　the　Rising　Sun　finished　their　runs。
　In　the　lull　that　followed　the　first　wave　of　attack　planes；　the　Americans　worked　frantically　to　prepare　in　the　event　of　another　blow…and　one　was　ing：　a　second　wave　of　169　fighters　and　bombers　crossed　the　northern　coast　of　Oahu　at　8：40　a。m。
　Fifty…four　high…level　bombers　and　thirty…one　fighters　streaked　toward　Hickam　Field　and　Kaneohe　Naval　Air　Station　and　other　bases；　seeking　more　American　planes　on　the　ground　to　blow　up；　often　strafing　civilian　vehicles　and　residential　areas；　apparently　just　for　the　sheer　hell　of　it。　Eighty…one　dive　bombers　prowled　for　any　surviving　warships　in　the　harbor；　with　ships　awaiting　repairs　being　additional　targets…like　the　flagship　Pennsylvania；　and　the　destroyers　Downes　and　Cassin；　all　in　Dry　Dock　#1。
　During　this　second　attack；　however；　the　Japanese　pilots　met　stronger　American　resistance；　and　had　to　deal　with　billowing　black　smoke；　a　cover　of　their　own　raid's　creation；　obscuring　their　targets。　The　mander　of　the　second　wave　of　fighters；　encountering　fiercer　ground　fire　than　he'd　anticipated；　wound　up　crashing　his　Zero　into　a　flaming　hangar；　and　efforts　to　sink　the　fleeing　battleship　Nevada；　to　seal　off　the　harbor　with　a　mass　of　steel；　proved　unsuccessful。
　Small　victories；　in　so　large　a　defeat。
　With　the　exception　of　t