tc.patriotgames-第50部分

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　　　　〃Oh。　Very　well。　Stand　by。〃　The　desk　sergeant　in　Lymington　was　no　stranger　to　the　sea。　He　lifted　his　telephone　and　ran　his　finger　down　a　list　of　emergency　numbers　till　he　found　the　right　one。　Two　minutes　later　he　was　back　to　the　ferry。
　　　　〃We　have　a　tugboat　heading　towards　you　right　now。　Please　confirm　your　position　three　miles　south　of　Lisle　Court。〃　
　　　　〃That　is　correct；　but　we　are　drifting　northeast。　Our　radar　is　still　operating。　We　can　guide　the　tug　in。　For　Christ's　good　sake；　tell　him　to　hurry。　We　have　wounded　aboard。〃
　　　　The　Sergeant　bolted　upright　in　his　chair。　〃Say　again　　repeat　your　last。〃
　　　　The　Captain　explained　in　as　few　words　as　possible　now　that　help　was　en　route　to　his　ship。　Ashore；　the　Sergeant　called　his　superior；　then　the　local　superintendent。　Another　call　went　to　London。　Fifteen　minutes　later；　a　Royal　Navy　flight　crew　was　warming　up　a　Sea　King　rescue　helicopter　at　Gosport。　They　flew　first　to　the　naval　hospital　at　Portsmouth　to　pick　up　a　doctor　and　a　medical　orderly；　then　reversed　course　into　the　teeth　of　the　gale。　It　took　twenty　dreadful　minutes　to　find　her；　the　pilot　fighting　his　aircraft　through　the　buffering　winds　while　the　copilot　used　the　look…down　radar　to　pick　the　ferry's　profile　out　from　the　sea　return　on　the　scope。　That　was　the　easy　part。
　　　　He　had　to　give　his　aircraft　more　than　forty　knots　of　forward　speed　just　to　hold　her　steady　over　the　boat　　and　the　wind　never　stayed　the　same　for　more　than　a　few　seconds；　veering　a　few　degrees　in　direction；　changing　ten　knots　in　speed　as　he　struggled　with　the　controls　to　maintain　something　like　a　hover　over　her。　Aft；　the　crew　chief　wrapped　the　rescue　sling　around　the　doctor　first；　holding　him　at　the　open　door。　Over　the　inter；　the　pilot　told　the　chief　to　lower　away。　At　least　they　had　a　fairly　large　target。　Two　crewmen　waited　on　the　top　deck　of　the　ferry　to　receive　the　doctor。　They'd　never　done　it　before；　but　the　helicopter　crew　had；　dropping　him　rapidly　to　ten　feet　over　the　rocking　deck；　then　mote　easily　the　last　few　feet。　One　crewman　tackled　the　doctor　and　detached　the　collar。　The　medical　orderly　came　next；　cursing　fate　and　nature　all　the　way　down。　He　too　arrived　safely；　and　the　helicopter　shot　upward　to　get　away　from　the　dangerous　surface。　
　　　　〃Surgeon　Lieutenant　Dilk；　Doctor。〃
　　　　〃Wele。　I'm　afraid　my　practice　is　usually　limited　to　horses　and　dogs；〃　the　vet　replied　at　once。　〃One　sucking　chest；　the　other　three　are　belly　wounds。　One　died　　I　did　my　best；　but　〃　there　wasn't　much　else　to　say。　〃Fucking　murderers！〃
　　　　The　sound　of　a　diesel　horn　announced　the　arrival　of　the　tugboat。　Lieutenant　Dilk　didn't　bother　looking　while　the　Captain　and　crew　caught　the　messenger　line　and　hauled　in　a　lowing　wire。　Together；　the　doctors　administered　morphine　and　worked　to　stabilize　the　wounded。
　　　　The　helicopter　was　already　gone　southwest；　a　grimmer　purpose　to　their　second　mission　for　the　day。　Another　helicopter；　this　one　with　armed　Marines　aboard；　was　lifting　off　from　Gosport　while　the　first　searched　the　surface　with　radar　and　eyes　for　a　black　ten…meter　zodiac…type　rubber　boat。　Orders　had　e　from　the　Home　Office　with　record　speed；　and　for　once　they　were　orders　that　men　in　uniform　were　trained　and　equipped　to　handle：　Locate　and　destroy。
　　　　〃The　radar's　hopeless；〃　the　copilot　reported　over　the　inter。
　　　　The　pilot　nodded　agreement。　On　a　calm　day　they'd　have　a　good　chance　to　pick　the　rubber　boat　out；　but　the　return　from　the　confused　seas　and　the　flying　spray　made　radar　detection　impossible。
　　　　〃They　can't　have　gone　too　far；　and　visibility　isn't　all　that　bad　from　up　here。　We'll　do　a　quartering　search　and　eyeball　the　bastards。〃　
　　　　〃Where　do　we　start？〃
　　　　〃Off　the　Needles；　then　inward　to　Christchurch　Bay；　then　we'll　work　west　if　we　have　to。　We'll　catch　the　bastards　before　they　make　landfall　and　have　the　bootnecks　meet　them　on　the　beach。　You　heard　the　orders。〃
　　　　〃Indeed。〃　The　copilot　activated　his　tactical　navigation　display　to　set　up　the　search　pattern。　Ninety　minutes　later　it　was　plain　that　they'd　searched　in　the　wrong　place。　Surprised　　baffled　　the　helicopters　returned　to　Gosport　empty…handed。　The　pilot　went　into　the　ready　shack　and　found　two　very　senior　police　officers。　
　　　　〃Well？〃
　　　　〃We　searched　from　the　Needles　to　Poole　Bay　　we　didn't　miss　a　thing。〃　The　pilot　traced　his　flight　path　on　the　chart。　〃That　type　of　boat　can　make　perhaps　twenty　knots　in　these　sea　conditions　　at　most；　and　then　only　with　an　expert　crew。　We　should　not　have　missed　them。〃　The　pilot　sipped　at　a　mug　of　tea。　He　stared　at　the　chart　and　shook　his　head　in　disbelief。　〃No　way　we　could　have　missed　them！　Not　with　two　machines　up。〃
　　　　〃What　if　they　went　seaward；　what　if　they　went　south？〃　
　　　　〃But　where？　Even　if　they　carried　enough　fuel　to　cross　the　Channel；　which　I　doubt；　only　a　madman　would　try　it。　There　will　be　twenty…foot　seas　out　there；　and　the　gale　is　still　freshening。　Suicide；〃　the　pilot　concluded。
　　　　〃Well；　we　know　that　they're　not　madmen；　they're　too　damned　smart　for　that。　No　way　they　could　have　gotten　past　you；　made　landfall　before　you　caught　up　with　them？〃　
　　　　〃Not　a　chance。　None。〃　The　flyer　was　emphatic。　
　　　　〃Then　where　the　hell　are　they？〃　
　　　　〃I'm　sorry；　sir；　but　I　haven't　a　clue。　Perhaps　they　sank。〃　
　　　　〃Do　you　believe　that？〃　the　cop　demanded。　
　　　　〃No；　sir。〃　
　　　　mander　James　Owens　turned　away。　He　looked　out　the　windows。　The　pilot　was　right；　the　storm　was　worsening。　The　phone　rang。
　　　　〃For　you；　sir。〃　A　petty　officer　held　it　up。
　　　　〃Owens。　Yes？〃　His　face　changed　from　sadness　to　rage　and　back。　〃Thank　you。　Please　keep　us　posted。　That　was　the　hospital。　Another　of　the　wounded　died。　Sergeant　Highland's　in　surgery　now。　One　of　the　bullets　hit　his　spine。　That's　a　total　of　nine　dead；　I　believe。　Gentlemen；　is　there　anything　you　can　suggest　to　us？　I'd　be　quite　willing　to　hire　a　gypsy　fortune　teller　at　the　moment。〃　
　　　　〃Perhaps　they　made　south　from　the　Needles；　then　curved　east　and　made　landfall　on　the　Isle　of　Wight。〃　
　　　　Owens　shook　his　head。　〃We　have　people　there。　Nothing。〃　
　　　　〃Then　they　might　have　rendezvoused　with　a　ship。　There　is　the　usual　amount　of　traffic　in　the　Channel。〃　
　　　　〃Any　way　to　check　that？〃
　　　　The　pilot　shook　his　head。　〃No。　There's　a　ship…traffic…control　radar　at　Dover　Strait；　but　not　here。　We　can't　board　every　ship；　can　we？〃
　　　　〃Very　well。　Gentlemen；　thank　you　for　your　efforts；　particularly　getting　your　surgeon　out　as　quickly　as　you　did。　I　was　told　that　this　action　saved　several　lives。〃　mander　Owens　walked　out　of　the　building。　Those　left　behind　marveled　at　his　self…control。　Outside；　the　senior　detective　looked　up　into　the　leaden　sky　and　swore　a　mental　curse　at　fortune；　but　he　was　too　consumed　by　anger　to　show　what　he　felt。　Owens　was　a　man　accustomed　to　concealing　what　he　thought　and　felt。　Emotions；　he　often　lectured　his　men；　had　no　place　in　police　work。　Of　course　that　was　false；　and　like　many　cops　Owens　only　succeeded　in　turning　his　rage　inward。　That　accounted　for　the　packet　of　antacid　pills　always　in　his　coat　pocket；　and　the　quiet　spells　at　home　that　his　wife　had　learned　to　live　with。　He　reached　in　his　shirt　pocket　for　a　cigarette　that　wasn't　there；　then　snorted　to　himself　　how　did　you　ever　break　that　habit；　Jimmy？　He　stood　alone　in　the　parking　lot　for　a　moment；　as　though　the　cold　rain　would　dampen　his　anger。　But　it　only　gave　him　a　chill；　and　he　couldn't　afford　that。　He'd　have　to　answer　for　this；　answer　to　the　missioner　of　the　Metropolitan　Police；　answer　to　the　Home　Office。　Someone　　not　me；　thank　God　　would　also　have　to　answer　to　the　Crown。
　　　　That　thought　hammered　home。　He　had　failed　them。　He'd　failed　them　twice。　He　had　failed　to　detect　and　prevent　the　original　attack　on　The　Mall；　and　only　the　incredible　luck　of　that　Yank's　intervention　had　saved　the　day。　Then；　when　everything　had　subsequently　gone　right；　this　failure。　Nothing　like　this　had　ever　happened　before。　Owens　was　responsible。　It　had　all　happened　on　his　watch。　He　had　personally　set　up　the　transport　scheme。　The　method　was　of　his　choosing。　He　had　established　the　security　procedures。　Picked　the　day。　Picked　the　routes。　Picked　the　men；　all　dead　now；　except　for　Bob　Highland。
　　　　How　did　they　know？　Owens　demanded　of　himself。　They　knew　when；　they　knew　where。　How　did　they　know？　Well；　he　tol