tc.redstormrising-第123部分

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ry　part　of　himself　They　tried　to　wash　in　the　streams　when　they　could；　but　mostly　they　couldn't。　I　smell　like　a　goat；　Edwards　thought。　Whatever　a　goat　smells　like。　But　we　didn't　walk　this　far　to　do　something　as　stupid　as　that。
〃Sarge；　let's　secure　this　place。〃
〃You　got　it；　skipper。　Rodgers；　sack　out。　Garcia；　you　and　me　have　the　first　watch。　Four　hours。　You　take　that　little　knoll　over　there。　I'll　head　over　to　the　right。〃　Smith　stood　and　looked　down　at　Edwards。　〃Good　idea　that　we　all　get　some　rest　while　we　can；　skipper。〃
〃Sounds　great　to　me。　You　see　anything　important；　give　me　a　kick。〃　Smith　nodded　and　moved　about　a　hundred　yards。
Rodgers　was　already　half　asleep；　his　head　resting　on　his　folded　jacket。　The　private's　rifle　was　cradled　on　his　chest。
〃We　stay　here？〃　Vigdis　asked。
〃I'd　sure　like　to　go　see　your　uncle；　but　there　might　be　Russians　in　that　town。　How　do　you　feel？〃
〃Tired。〃
〃Tired　as　us？〃　he　asked　with　a　grin。
〃Yes；　tired　as　you；〃　she　admitted。　Vigdis　lay　back　next　to　Edwards。　She　was　filthy。　Her　woolen　sweater　was　torn　in　several　places；　and　her　boots　scuffed　beyond　repair。　〃What　will　happen　to　us　now？〃
〃I　don't　know。　They　wanted　us　here　for　a　reason；　though。〃
〃But　they　don't　tell　you　reason！〃　she　objected。
Now　there's　an　intelligent　observation；　Edwards　thought。
〃They　tell　you　and　you　not　tell　us？〃　Vigdis　asked。
〃No；　you　know　as　much　as　I　do。〃
〃Michael；　why　all　this　happen？　Why　do　the　Russians　e　here？〃
〃I　don't　know。〃
〃But　you　are　officer。　You　must　know。〃　Vigdis　propped　herself　up　on　her　elbows。　She　seemed　genuinely　astonished。　Edwards　smiled。　He　couldn't　blame　her　for　being　confused。　Iceland's　only　armed　force　was　its　police。　A　real…to…life　Peaceable　Kingdom；　the　country　had　no　military　to　speak　of　A　few　small　armed　ships　for　fishery　protection　and　the　police　were　all　the　country　had　ever　needed　to　maintain　security。　This　war　had　ruined　their　perfect　record。　For　a　thousand　years；　without　an　army　or　a　navy；　Iceland　had　never　been　attacked。　It　had　only　happened　now　because　they　were　in　the　way。　He　wondered　if　that　would　have　happened　if　NATO　hadn't　built　its　base　at　Keflavik。　Of　course　not！　You　idiot；　you've　seen　what　wonderful　folks　the　Russians　are！　NATO　base　or　not；　Iceland　was　in　their　way。　But　why　the　hell　had　all　this　happened？
〃Vigdis；　I'm　a　meteorologist…a　weatherman；　I　predict　the　weather　for　the　Air　Force。〃　That　only　made　her　more　confused。
〃Not　soldier？　Not；　ah；　Marine　soldier？〃
Mike　shook　his　head。　〃I'm　an　officer　in　the　U。S。　Air　Force；　yes；　but　I　am　not　really　a　soldier　like　the　sergeant。　I　have　a　different　job。〃
〃But　you　save　my　life。　You　are　soldier。〃
〃Yeah；　I　suppose　I　am…by　accident。〃
〃When　this　all　over；　what　will　you　do？〃　Her　eyes　held　a　great　deal　of　interest　now。
〃One　thing　at　a　time。〃　He　was　thinking　in　terms　of　hours；　not　days　or　weeks。　If　we　do　survive；　then　what？　Put　that　one　aside。　First　es　survival　You　think　about　〃after　the　war；〃　and　there　won't　be　any。　〃I'm　too　tired　to　think　about　that。　Let's　get　some　sleep。〃
She　fought　it。　He　knew　that　she　wanted　to　know　things　he　hadn't　consciously　considered；　but　she　was　more　fatigued　than　she'd　admitted；　and　ten　minutes　later　she　was　asleep。　She　snored。　Mike　hadn't　noticed　before。　This　was　no　china　doll。　She　had　strengths　and　weaknesses；　good　points　and　bad。　She　had　the　face　of　an　angel；　but　she'd　gotten　herself　pregnant…so　what！　Edwards　thought。　She's　braver　than　she's　beautiful。　She　saved　my　life　when　that　chopper　came　in　on　us。　A　man　could　do　far　worse。
Edwards　manded　himself　to　lie　down　and　sleep。　He　couldn't　think　about　this。　First　he　had　to　survive。

SCOTLAND
〃If　the　area　checks　out？〃　the　major　asked。　He　had　never　really　expected　Edwards　and　his　party　to　make　it　this　far；　not　with　eight　thousand　Russian　troops　on　the　island。　Every　time　he　thought　about　those　five　people　trekking　over　bare；　rocky　ground　and　Soviet　helicopters　circling　overhead；　his　skin　crawled。
〃Around　midnight；　I　think；〃　the　man　from　Special　Operations　Executive　said。　You　could　see　the　smile　crinkling　the　skin　around　his　eyepatch。　〃You　chaps　had　better　decorate　this　young　man。　I've　been　in　his　boots　myself　You　cannot　imagine　how　difficult　it　is　to　do　what　these　people　have　done。　And　having　a　bloody　Hind　helicopter　sit　right　on　top　of　them！　I've　always　said　it's　the　quiet　little　bastards　that　you　have　to　watch　out　for。〃
〃In　any　case；　it's　time　we　got　some　professionals　in　to　back　them　up；〃　pronounced　the　captain　of　Royal　Marines。
〃Make　sure　they　take　in　some　food；〃　suggested　the　USAF　major。

LANGLEY　AIR　FORCE　BASE；　VIRGINIA
〃So；　what's　the　problem？〃　Nakamura　asked。
〃There　are　irregularities　in　some　of　the　rocket　motor　casings；〃　the　engineer　explained。
〃'Irregularities；　meaning　they　go　boom？〃
〃Possibly；〃　the　engineer　admitted。
〃Super；〃　said　Major　Nakamura。　〃I'm　supposed　to　carry　that　monster　seventeen　miles　straight　the　hell　up　and　then　find　out　who　goes　into　orbit；　me　or　it！〃
〃When　this　sort　of　rocket　explodes；　it　doesn't　do　much。　It　just　breaks　into　a　couple　of　pieces　that　burn　out　by　themselves。〃
〃I　imagine　from　seventeen　miles　off　it　doesn't　look　like　much…what　about　when　the　sucker　ignites　twenty　feet　from　my　F…15？〃　A　long　way　to　skydive；　Buns　thought。
〃I'm　sorry；　Major。　This　rocket　motor　is　nearly　ten　years　old。　Nobody　checked　our　spec　sheet　on　proper　storage　after　it　was　mated　with　the　ASAT　warhead。　We've　checked　it　out　with　X　rays　and　ultrasound。　I　think　it's　okay；　but　I　might　be　wrong；〃　the　man　from　Lockheed　said。　Of　the　six　remaining　ASAT　missiles；　three　had　been　decertified　by　the　man　for　cracks　in　the　solid…fuel　propellant。　The　other　three　were　question　marks。　〃You　want　the　truth　or　you　want　a　song　and　dance？〃
〃You　gotta　fly　it；　Major；〃　the　deputy　mander　of　Tactical　Air　mand　said。　〃It's　your　decision。〃
〃Can　we　rig　it　so　the　bird　doesn't　ignite　until　I'm　clear？〃
〃How　long　will　you　need？〃　the　engineer　asked。　Buns　thought　about　her　speed　and　maneuverability　at　that　altitude。
〃Say　ten　or　fifteen　seconds。〃
〃I'll　have　to　make　a　small　change　in　the　programming　software；　but　that　shouldn't　be　much　of　a　problem。　We'll　have　to　make　sure　that　the　missile　will　retain　enough　forward　velocity　to　keep　its　launch　attitude；　though。　You　sure　that's　enough　time？〃
〃No。　We'll　have　to　check　that　out　on　the　simulator；　too。　How　long　we　got？〃
〃Minimum　two　days；　maximum　six　days。　Depends　on　the　Navy；〃　replied　the　General。
〃Great。〃

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃Here's　some　good　news；〃　Toland　announced。　〃An　Air　Force　F…15　Eagle　fighter　was　flying　over　a　fast　convoy　north　of　the　Azores。　Two　Bears　came　looking　for　the　ships　and　the　Eagle　got　'em　both。　That　makes　three　in　the　past　four　days。　The　Backfire　raid　appears　to　have　aborted。〃
〃What's　their　position？〃　the　group　captain　asked。
Toland　ran　his　hand　along　the　chart；　checking　latitude　and　longitude　against　the　numbers　on　the　dispatch　form。　〃Looks　like　right　about　here；　and　that　datum　is　twenty　minutes　old。〃
〃That　puts　them　over　Iceland　in　just　under　two　hours。〃
〃What　about　tankers？〃　the　Navy　fighter　mander　asked。
〃Not　on　such　short　notice。〃
〃We　can　stretch　that　far　with　two　fighters；　using　another　two　for　buddy　stores；　but　it　only　gives　them　about　twenty　minutes　on　station；　under　five　on　burner；　and　a　ten…minute　reserve　when　they　get　back　here。〃　The　fighter　boss　whistled。　〃Close。　Too　close。　We　have　to　wave　off　on　this。〃
A　phone　rang。　The　British　base　mander　grabbed。
〃Group　Captain　Mallory。　Yes　。　。　。　very　well；　scramble。〃　He　hung　up。　Klaxons　went　off　at　the　ready　shack　half　a　mile　away。　Fighter　pilots　raced　to　their　aircraft。　〃Ivan's　settled　the　argument　in　any　case；　mander。　Your　radar　aircraft　report　heavy　jamming　activity　inbound　from　the　north。〃
The　mander　raced　out　the　door　and　jumped　into　a　jeep。

NORFOLK；　VIRGINIA
The　drive　from　SACLANT　headquarters　took　ten　minutes。　The　Marines　at　the　main　gate　were　checking　everyone　and　everything　carefully；　even　a　Chevy　with　a　three…star　flag。　They　drove　to　the　waterfront　amid　an　unending　flurry　of　activity。　Trains　rolled　down　the　tracks　set　in　the　streets；　repair　shops　and　testing　facilities　worked　around　the　clock。　Even　the　McDonald's　on　the　road　immediately　outside　was　working　a　twenty…four…hour　day；　feeding　hamburgers　and　fries　to　the　men　who　took　a　few　min