rstacy.doomsdaywarrior-第11部分

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　seven　feet　wide。　Putting　down　his　binocs；　Rock　said。　〃The　town　was　probably　hit　with　artillery；　and　then　mopped　up　by　a　squad　of　mandos。〃　He　swept　the　area　again　with　his　electron　binoculars。　〃The　fires　are　out；　whatever　happened　occurred　at　least　a　day　ago。　Let's　go　down　and　see　if　we　can　find　out　why　they　hit　it；　and　look　for　survivors。〃
　Scheransky　volunteered；　〃Maybe　I　should　keep　the　sleds　here；　in　case　there's　land　mines；　they're　a　bit　hard　to　steer　in　exact　situations。　I　can　cover　for　you　here；　with　my　Dragunov　sniper　rifle；　pick　off　anyone　that　es　near　the　town。〃
　〃Okay；〃　Rock　said。　〃You　stay　with　the　dog　sleds。　The　rest　of　us　go　down　and　look　around。〃
　Scheransky　slid　the　sniper　rifle　out　of　his　sled's　blankets　and　covered　them；　peering　around　the　countryside　far　and　wide　through　the　telescopic　sight。　Then　he　left　the　rifle　sitting　on　top　of　the　blankets　of　his　sled。　He　unzipped　his　parka。　Crouching　behind　the　sled　he　took　out　a　small　black　box。　It　had　lots　of　buttons　on　it。　He　pressed　one。　The　box　sprung　to　life　with　a　dozen　blinking　lights。　He　seated　it　in　the　snow；　and　then　pulled　a　whip　antenna　up　to　a　height　of　three　feet。
　He　left　the　device　to　do　its　secret　work；　then　peered　over　the　sled　to　make　sure　no　one　had　turned　back　for　some　reason。　The　others　must　not　know。
　This　was　only　the　third　time　he'd　had　the　opportunity　to　set　up　the　device。　If　only　they　would　leave　him　alone　more；　he　could　acplish　his　job。
　Rockson　and　his　group　skiied　sullenly　into　the　pathetic　settlement's　ruins。　There　were　not　only　the　bodies　of　adults；　but　children's　half…eaten　corpses　too。　And　one　little　girl's　frozen　nude　body　had　deep　gashes　in　her　pelvic　area。　She　was　hanging　by　the　neck　from　a　pole；　swaying　in　the　cold　wind。　Her　anguished　blank　blue　eyes　stared　at　him　as　if　pleading　for　…
　〃McCaughlin；　cut　her　down　and　bury　her　under　some　rocks；〃　he　ordered。
　〃Bastards；〃　McCaughlin　muttered　as　he　worked。　〃Murdering　bastards。〃
　There　were　more　bodies　…　ravaged　women；　men　with　missing　testes；　atrocities　of　all　descriptions　throughout　the　town。　And　lots　of　tracks　of　wolves。
　But　what　attracted　the　Doomsday　Warrior's　attention　most　was　the　booted　footprints　of　men。　Soviet　murderers'　bootprints。
　〃What　could　they　have　done　this　for？〃　Danik　asked　softly　of　Detroit；　who　walked　alongside；　surveying　the　disaster　site。　〃What　did　they　want　of　these　poor　people？〃
　Rock　had　no　reply。
　The　tanning　shack　was　partly　standing。　The　team　headed　that　way。　Rock　told　Danik　to　stand　guard　outside　the　shack。　He　put　a　shotpistol　into　his　thin　long　hand。　〃Better　get　used　to　holding　this　baby。〃
　Entering　the　shack　with　Liberator　rifles　set　on　full　auto；　just　in　case；　the　search　team　found　a　man。　He　was　trussed　up　by　a　rope　on　the　one　unfallen　central　wood　beam。　He　was　still　alive；　and　he　moaned　when　he　saw　them。
　The　survivor　was　not　a　pretty　sight。　Rock　instinctively　shielded　Rona's　eyes；　then　withdrew　his　hand。　Who　was　he　kidding？　The　woman　had　been　in　the　middle　of　the　worst　action　a　dozen　times。　She　had　seen　as　bad；　and　worse。
　The　man　had　one　eye　half　pulled　from　its　bloody　socket；　his　lips　were　cracked　and　blue　from　the　cold。　He　wore　a　torn　fur　parka　lanced　with　a　hundred　bloody　holes…perhaps　the　short　jabs　of　a　Soviet　cavalry　bayonet；　sunk　deep　enough　to　make　the　man　talk　and　talk。　Torture。　His　one　good　eye　tracked　Rock　as　he　approached。
　〃I　don't　know；〃　the　agonized　man　pleaded。　〃Please；　kill　me；　don't　hurt　me　anymore。〃
　〃No　one's　gonna　hurt　you；〃　the　Doomsday　Warrior　said　softly。　He　gave　the　man　a　drink　from　his　canteen。
　He　was　about　to　cut　him　down；　when　he　saw　that　the　man　was　just　a　torn　mass　inside　his　clothing。　The　guts　of　the　man　had　been　pulled　out　of　a　hole　in　his　stomach。　Slippery　coils　of　intestines　pulsed　with　pain。　To　move　him　。　。　。
　〃The　Reds　did　this？〃
　The　man　nodded　slightly。　〃They　…　they　wanted　information　on　…　on　…　some　modern…dressed　stranger　they　picked　up　on　their　instruments。　They　said　they　knew　he　was　near　here。　One　of　their　automatic　overflight　drones　…　Midnight　Marauders　…　detected　him。　That　was　about　…　few　days　ago。。。　Thought　he　might　be　a　Free　…　Freefighter；　'cause　he　was　dressed　…　different　then　us　simple　folk。　I　…　we　…　told　them　we　didn't　see　…　didn't　know。。。　they　shot　our　children　one　by　one；　trying　to　find　out　…　but　God；　we　didn't　…〃
　Rockson　knew　injuries　…　when　they　were　hopeless；　when　they　weren't。　This　was　hopeless。　The　man　had　minutes。　His　trussed　hands　were　blue　swollen　dead　things；　the　circulation　out　of　them　for　hours。　The　man's　lips　trembled；　spoke　these　words：　〃Please；　please。。。　kill　me。　Kill　me　…〃
　Rockson　lifted　his　shotpistol　and　dispatched　the　man　from　his　agony。　〃Well　bury　him　too　…　alongside　the　little　girl；〃　Rockson　said。　〃We　can't　stop　to　collect　all　the　bones　in　this　town；　but　we　will　bury　the　two　of　them　as　a　token　of　respect　for　all　the　people　martyred　here。〃
　On　the　way　to　the　pile　of　rocks　at　the　edge　of　town　that　would　serve　as　the　burial　site；　the　Freefighters　came　upon　two　dead　Russians。　Their　faces　were　eaten　away　by　the　wolves；　but　their　uniforms　of　cheap　brown　synthetic　material　hadn't　proved　as　tasty。　〃A　lieutenant　and　a　sergeant；〃　Rock　noted；　pointing　to　the　stripes　on　their　sleeves。　〃There's　a　bullet　hole　in　each　of　their　heads　…　big　caliber。〃
　The　Sov's　guns　were　out。　Tokarev　ten…shot　pistols。　Fired。
　Behind　the　rocks　the　Freefighters　found　the　American　shooters　body。　A　mountain　man　with　a　blunder…buss　single…shot　moose　gun。　He　was　intact；　the　wolves　had　been　busy　on　the　Sovs。
　〃We'll　bury　this　brave　and　good　man　too。　He　deserves　it。〃
　As　they　returned　to　Scheransky；　who　had　been　watching　them　with　the　binoculars　as　they　made　their　grim　rounds；　Danik　asked　about　the　shot　in　the　shed。　Rockson　told　him　they　had　found　a　man　in　pain；　but　alive。　Beyond　help。
　〃Did　you　find　out　why　the　Reds　did　this？〃　Danik　asked。　〃I　know　from　the　tapes　I　studied　in　Century　City　that　a　munity　like　this　is　usually　left　alone。。。〃
　Rockson　saw　no　point　in　telling　Danik　that　he　was　the　unwitting　cause　of　this　atrocity。　〃No；　we　don't　know　why　the　Reds　did　this；〃　Rock　said　flatly。　〃We　have　to　move　on。〃
　It　was　always　their　intention　to　save　the　precious　food　supply　the　carried　for　themselves　and　hunt　food　for　the　wolf…dog　teams。　But　they'd　seen　no　game；　not　even　any　tracks；　since　setting　out。　Now；　when　they　did　see　tracks；　it　was　that　of　a　small　rabbit。
　The　tracks　were　hours　old；　Rock　saw　when　he　stopped　to　examine　them。　〃No　sense　in　going　after　the　little　thing；　it　would　hardly　sate　the　teams　anyway。　Let's　push　on；〃　Rock　said。　〃I　don't　like　the　looks　of　those　clouds。〃　He　pointed　up　to　the　south。
　〃More　acid　snow？〃　Rona　asked。
　〃No；　but　nevertheless　it's　sure　to　be　a　bad　storm。〃
　Indeed　in　a　matter　of　minutes　a　wind　started　rising　and　soon　became　a　howling　enemy。　The　wind…driven　snow；　though　of　the　ordinary　variety；　took　their　breaths　away。　It　was　ing　directly　from　the　south；　so　the　choice　was　either　to　take　a　different　tack　or　fight　it。　Rockson　promised；　ordering　the　team　to　turn　southwest　and　keep　moving。
　The　temperature　dropped　rapidly。　Rock　glanced　at　the　thermometer　reading　on　his　watch　…　seventy　below。　He　saw　Danik　falter　and　let　go　of　his　rope　and　fall。　Rock　stopped　the　sleds。　McCaughlin　raced　over　and　helped　Rock　put　the　man　on　his　sled；　covering　him　with　everything　available。
　〃What's　wrong　with　him？〃　McCaughlin　asked；　shouting　into　the　wind。
　〃I　think　he's　still　a　bit　weak　from　his　ordeal　getting　to　Century　City。　All　the　vitamin　shots　in　the　world　can't　make　up　for　a　frozen　trek　like　that。　The　Edenites　never　had　to　endure　much　in　the　way　of　low　temperatures。　We've　got　to　find　shelter。〃　Rock　replied。
　To　make　things　worse；　in　another　ten　minutes　of　slow　travel；　the　dogs　abandoned　their　fanned…out　position　at　the　end　of　the　nylon　rope　traces　and　tangled　themselves　into　immobility。　They　began　howling　and　biting　at　the　strong　rope。　〃We've　got　to　untangle　them；　find　shelter。〃　Rock　implored。
　It　took　twenty　minutes　of　bone…chilling　work　for　all　of　them　to　untangle　the　dogs　…　and　they　had　to　take　off　their　mittens　to　straighten　out　the　traces。　They　were　well　on　their　way　to　having　frostbitten　fingers　by　the　time　they　got　moving　again。　Danik