tc.redstormrising-第116部分

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its　lined　the　corridor　north　and　south　of　this　road；　and　the　road　itself　constantly　swept　to　rid　it　of　the　remotely　deployed　mines　that　NATO　was　using　in　large　numbers　for　the　first　time。
〃Twentieth　Tanks　has　taken　a　serious　mauling；〃　the　General　breathed。　His　troops。　It　might　have　been　a　quick　breakthrough…should　have　been　but　for　NATO　aircraft。
〃The　two　reinforcing　divisions　will　plete　the　maneuver；〃　Sergetov　predicted　confidently。
Alekseyev　thought　him　right。　Unless　something　else　went　wrong。

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
Morris　sat　across　the　deck　from　NAVSURFLANT：　mander；　Naval　Surface　Forces；　U。S。　Atlantic　Fleet。　A　three…star　admiral；　held　spent　his　whole　career　in　what　he　liked　to　call　〃the　real　Navy；〃　frigates；　destroyers；　and　cruisers。　The　small　gray　ships　lacked　the　glamour　of　aviation　and　the　mystery　of　the　submarines；　but　right　now　they　were　the　key　to　getting　the　convoys　across　the　Atlantic。
〃Ivan's　changed　tactics　on　us…a　hell　of　a　lot　faster　than　we　thought　he　was　able　to。　They're　going　for　the　escorts。　The　attack　on　your　frigate　was　deliberate；　you　didn't　just　stumble　across　him。　He　was　probably　laying　for　you。〃
〃They're　trying　to　roll　back　the　escorts？〃
〃Yes；　but　with　particular　attention　to　the　ships　with　tails。　We've　hurt　their　submarine　force…not　enough；　but　we　have　hurt　them。　The　towed…array　pickets　have　worked　out　very　well。　Ivan　picked　up　on　that　and　he's　trying　to　take　them　out。　He's　looking　for　the　SURTASS　ships；　too；　but　that's　a　harder　proposition。　We've　killed　three　submarines　that　tried　to　move　in　on　them。〃
Morris　nodded。　The　Surface　Towed…Array　Sonar　Ships　were　modified　tuna　clippers　that　trailed　enormous　passive　sonar　cables。　There　weren't　enough　of　them　to　provide　coverage　for　more　than　half　the　convoy　routes；　but　they　fed　good　information　into　ASW　headquarters　in　Norfolk。　〃Why　don't　they　send　Backfires　after　the　ships？〃
〃We've　wondered　about　that；　too。　Evidently　the　Russians　don't　think　they're　worth　the　diversion　of　that　much　effort。　Besides；　we've　got　a　lot　more　electronic　capability　built　into　them　than　anyone　thought。　They're　not　easy　to　locate　on　radar。〃　The　Admiral　went　no　further　than　that；　but　Morris　wondered　if　stealth　technology…which　the　Navy　had　been　working　on　for　years…had　been　applied　to　the　SURTASS　force。　If　the　Russians　were　limiting　their　effort　to　locate　and　kill　the　tuna　boats　with　submarines；　he　thought；　so　much　the　better。
〃I'm　putting　you　in　for　a　decoration；　Ed。　You　did　very　well。　I've　only　got　three　skippers　who've　done　better；　and　one　of　them　was　killed　yesterday。　So　how　bad　was　your　damage？〃
〃She　may　be　a　total　loss；　sir。　It　was　a　Victor。　We　took　one　hit　in　the　bow。　The　keel　let　go；　and…the　bow　tore　off；　sir。　We　lost　everything　forward　of　the　ASROC　launcher。　Lots　of　shook　damage；　but　most　of　it's　already　fixed。　Before　she'll　sail　again；　we　have　to　build　her　a　new　bow。〃　The　Admiral　nodded。　He'd　already　seen　the　casualty　reports。
〃You　did　well　to　save　her；　Ed。　Damned　well。　Pharris　doesn't　need　you　for　the　moment。　I　want　you　here　with　my　operations　people。　We　have　to　change　tactics；　too。　I　want　you　to　look　over　what　intelligence　and　operational　information　we　have　and　feed　me　some　ideas。〃
〃For　starters；　we　might　stop　those　damned　Backfires。〃
〃That's　being　worked　on。〃　The　reply　held　both　confidence　and　skepticism。

THE　WINDWARD　PASSAGE
To　the　east　was　Haiti　on　the　island　of　Hispaniola。　To　the　west　was　Cuba。　Blacked　out；　radar　systems　fully　energized　but　placed　on　standby；　the　ships　sailed　in　battle　formation；　escorted　by　destroyers　and　frigates。　Missiles　were　hung　on　launchers　and　trained　out　to　port；　while　the　launch　controllers　sweated　in　their　air…conditioned　battle　stations。
They　didn't　expect　trouble。　Castro　had　gotten　word　to　the　American　government　that　he　had　had　no　part　in　this；　and　was　angered　that　the　Soviets　had　not　informed　him　of　their　plans。　It　was　diplomatically　important；　however；　that　the　American　fleet　traverse　the　passage　in　darkness　so　that　the　Cubans　could　say　truthfully　that　they　had　seen　nothing。　As　a　sign　of　good　faith；　Castro　had　also　alerted　the　Americans　to　the　presence　of　a　Soviet　submarine　in　the　Florida　Straits。　To　be　used　as　a　vassal　was　one　thing；　to　have　his　country　used　as　a　base　for　a　war　without　being　informed　was　too　much。
The　sailors　didn't　know　all　of　this；　just　that　no　serious　opposition　was　expected。　They　took　it　with　a　grain　of　salt；　as　they　did　all　intelligence　reports。　Their　helicopters　had　laid　a　string　of　sonobuoys；　and　their　ESM　radar　receivers　listened　for　the　pulsing　signal　of　a　Soviet…made　radar。　Aloft；　lookouts　trained　clumsy　starlight　scopes　around　the　sky；　searching　for　aircraft　that　might　be　hunting　them　visually…which　would　not　be　hard。　At　twenty…five　knots；　every　ship　left　a　foaming　wake　that　seemed　to　fluoresce　like　neon　in　the　darkness。
Maalox　didn't　work　anymore；　one　frigate　captain　grumbled　to　himself。　He　sat　in　the　mand　chair　in　his　ship's　bat　Information　Center。　To　his　left　was　the　chart　table；　in　front　of　him　（he　faced　aft）　the　young　tactical　action　officer　stood　over　his　plotting　scope。　The　Cubans　were　known　to　have　surface…to…surface　missile　batteries　arrayed　on　their　coastline　like　the　fortresses　of　old。　At　any　moment　the　ships　might　detect　a　swarm　of　ining　vampires。　Forward；　his　single…arm　missile　launcher　was　loaded　and　trained　out；　as　were　his　three…inch　gun　and　CIWS　topside。　The　coffee　was　a　mistake；　but　he　had　to　stay　alert。　The　price　was　a　stabbing　pain　in　his　upper　abdomen。　Maybe　I　should　talk　to　the　corpsman；　he　thought；　and　shrugged　it　off。　There　wasn't　time　for　that。　He'd　been　working　around　the　clock　for　three　months　to　get　his　ship　ready　for　action；　racing　through　the　acceptance　trials　and　conducting　continuous　workups；　working　his　men　and　ship　hard；　but　working　himself　hardest　of　all。　He　was　too　proud　to　admit　that　he'd　pushed　too　hard；　even　to　himself。
It　came　just　as　he　finished　his　third　cup　of　coffee。　For　all　the　warnings；　it　was　a　pain　as　severe　and　surprising　as　a　thrown　knife。　The　captain　doubled　over　and　vomited　on　the　tiled　deck　of　CIC。　A　sailor　mopped　it　up　at　once；　and　it　was　too　dark　to　see　that　there'd　been　blood　on　the　tile。　He　couldn't　leave　his　post；　despite　the　pains；　despite　the　sudden　chill　from　the　blood　loss。　The　captain　made　a　mental　note　to　keep　off　the　coffee　for　a　few　hours。　Maybe　he'd　see　the　corpsman　when　he　got　the　chance。　If　he　got　the　chance。　There'd　be　a　three　day　layover　in　Norfolk。　He　could　rest　a　little　then。　He　knew　he　needed　rest。　The　fatigue　that　had　been　building　for　days　hammered　at　him。　The　captain　shook　his　head。　Throwing　up　was　supposed　to　make　you　feel　better。

VIRGINIA　BEACH；　VIRGINIA
Morris　found　his　home　empty。　At　his　suggestion；　his　wife　was　gone　home　to　Kansas　to　stay　with　her　family。　No　sense　having　you　and　the　kids　home　worrying　about　me；　he'd　told　her。　He　regretted　it　now。　Morris　needed　the　pany；　needed　a　hug；　needed　to　see　his　kids。　Within　a　minute　of　opening　the　door；　he　was　on　the　phone。　His　wife　already　knew　what　had　happened　to　his　ship；　but　had　withheld　it　from　the　kids。　It　took　two　minutes　to　assure　her　that　he　was　indeed　all　right；　at　home；　and　uninjured。　Then　came　the　kids；　and　finally　the　knowledge　that　they　couldn't　arrange　a　flight　home。　All　the　airliners　were　either　ferrying　men　and　supplies　overseas　or　booked　solid　until　mid…August。　Ed　saw　no　sense　in　having　his　family　drive　all　the　way　from　Salinas　to　Kansas　City　to　wait　on　standby。　Good…byes　were　hard。
What　came　next　was　harder。　mander　Edward　Morris　donned　his　whites　and　from　his　wallet　took　a　list　of　family　calls　he　had　to　make。　They'd　all　been　officially　notified；　but　another　of　the　duties　that　came　with　mand　was　to　make　the　trips　himself。　The　widow　of　his　executive　officer　lived　only　half　a　mile　away。　A　good　man　with　a　barbecue；　the　XO；　Morris　remembered。　How　many　weekends　had　he　spent　in　their　backyard　watching　steaks　sizzle　over　charcoal？　What　would　he　tell　her　now？　What　would　he　tell　the　rest　of　the　widows？　What　would　he　tell　the　kids？
Moms　walked　to　his　car　and　was　mocked　by　the　license　plate；　FF…1094。　Not　every　man　got　to　carry　his　failure　around　with　him。　Most　were　fortunate　enough　to　leave　it　behind。　As　he　started　the　engine；　Morris　wondered　if　he'd　ever　be　a