tc.redstormrising-第178部分

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The　General　remembered　his　own　time　aboard　ship；　how　vulnerable　he'd　felt；　how　dangerous　it　had　been。　A　distant　part　of　his　consciousness　felt　sympathy　for　the　American　Marines。　But　gallantry　was　a　luxury　the　General　could　not　afford。　His　paratroopers　were　heavily　engaged；　and　he　didn't　need　more　enemy　troops　and　heavy　equipment…of　course！
His　division　was　deployed　to　keep　the　Americans　away　from　the　Reykjavik/Keflavik　area　as　long　as　possible。　His　original　orders　remained　operative：　deny　the　Keflavik　Air　Base　to　NATO。　That　he　could　do；　though　it　would　mean　the　probable　annihilation　of　his　elite　troopers。　His　problem　was　that　Reykjavik　airport　would　be　equally　useful　to　the　enemy；　and　one　light　division　wasn't　enough　to　cover　both　places。
So　now　the　Americans　trailed　their　coats　in　plain　view　of　his　observers　…a　full　regiment　of　troops　plus　heavy　weapons　and　helicopters　that　they　could　land　anywhere　they　wished。　If　he　redeployed　to　meet　this　threat；　he　risked　disaster　when　he　disengaged　his　forward　units。　If　he　moved　his　reserves；　they　would　be　in　the　open　where　naval　guns　and　aircraft　could　massacre　them。　This　unit　was　being　moved；　not　to　join　the　others　deployed　against　his　airborne　infantrymen；　but　to　exploit　a　weakness　within　minutes　instead　of　hours。　Once　in　place；　the　landing　ships　could　wait　for　relative　darkness　or　a　storm　and　race　unseen　across　the　water　to　landbound　troops。　How　could　he　deploy　his　own　forces　to　deal　with　that？　His　radars　were　finished；　he　had　a　single　remaining　SAM　launcher；　and　the　battleships　had　systematically　exterminated　most　of　his　artillery。
〃How　many　submarines　out　there？〃
〃I　don't　know；　rade　General。〃

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
Morris　watched　the　sonar　plot。　The　sonobuoy　contact　had　faded　off　after　a　few　minutes。　A　school　of　herring；　perhaps。　The　ocean　waters　abounded　with　fish；　and　enough　of　them　on　active　sonar　looked　like　a　sub。　His　own　sonar　was　virtually　useless　as　his　ship　struggled　just　to　keep　up　with　the　'phibs。　A　possible　submarine　to　seaward…every　sub　contact　was　a　possible　cruise…missile　sub…was　all　the　modore　needed　to　go　to　full　speed。
O'Malley　was　dipping　his　sonar　now；　trying　to　reacquire　the　lost　contact。　He　was　the　only　one　who　could　keep　up　with　things。
〃Romeo；　this　is　Bravo。　Be　advised　we　are　prosecuting　a　possible　missile　carrying　submarine。〃　Doug　Perrin　had　to　assume　the　worst　case。
〃Roger　that；　Bravo。〃　According　to　the　data…link　picture；　three　helicopters　were　backing　Battleaxe　up；　and　the　British　frigate　had　interposed　herself　on　the　line　from　the　contact　to　the　amphibious　ships。　Be　careful；　Doug。
〃Contact！〃　Willy　said。　〃I　have　an　active　sonar　contact　bearing　three…zero…three；　range　two　three　hundred。〃
O'Malley　didn't　have　to　look　at　his　tactical　display。　The　submarine　was　between　him　and　the　'phibs。
〃Up　dome！〃　The　pilot　hovered　while　the　sonar　transducer　was　winched　in。　The　contact　was　alerted　now。　That　made　it　harder。　〃Romeo；　Hammer；　we　have　a　possible　contact　here。〃
〃Roger；　understood。〃　Morris　was　looking　at　the　display。　He　ordered　the　frigate　to　close　at　flank　speed。　Not　a　smart　tactic；　he　had　no　choice　but　to　pounce　on　the　contact　before　it　got　within　range　of　the　'phibs。　〃Signal　Nassau　we're　working　a　possible　contact。〃
〃Down　dome！〃　O'Malley　ordered。　〃Drop　it　to　four　hundred　and　hammer！〃
Willy　activated　the　sonar　as　soon　as　the　proper　depth　was　reached。　He　got　a　screenful　of　echoes。　The　transducer　was　so　close　to　the　rocky　bottom　that　nearly　twenty　rocky　spires　showed　up。　A　swiftly　running　tide　didn't　help　matters。　Flow　noise　around　the　rocks　gave　numerous　false　readings　on　the　passive　plot　also。
〃Sir；　I　got　a　whole　lot　of　nothing　here。〃
〃I　can　feel　him；　Willy。　The　last　time　we　pinged；　I　bet　we　had　him　at　periscope　depth　and　he　ducked　down　deep　while　we　came　over。〃
〃That　fast？〃　Ralston　asked。
〃'That　fast。〃
〃Skipper；　one　of　these　things　might　be　moving　a　little。〃
O'Malley　keyed　his　radio　and　got　permission　to　launch　from　Morris。　Ralston　set　the　torpedo　for　circular　search；　and　the　pilot　dropped　it　into　he　sea。　The　pilot　keyed　the　sonar　into　his　headphones。　He　heard　the　whine　of　the　torpedo's　propellers；　then　the　high…frequency　ping　of　its　homing　sonar。　It　continued　to　circle　for　five　minutes；　then　switched　over　to　continuous　pinging…and　exploded。
〃Explosion　sounded　funny；　sir；〃　Willy　said。
〃Hammer；　Romeo…report。〃
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　I　think　we　just　killed　a　rock。〃　O'Malley　paused。
〃Romeo；　there's　a　sub　here；　but　I　can't　prove　it　just　yet。〃
〃What　makes　you　think　that；　Hammer？〃
〃Because　it's　one　damned　fine　place　to　hide；　Romeo。〃
〃Concur。〃　Morris　had　learned　to　trust　O'Malley's　hunches。　He　called　up　the　amphibious　mander　on　Nassau。　〃November；　this　is　Romeo；　we　have　a　possible　contact。　Remend　you　maneuver　north　while　we　prosecute。〃
〃Negative；　Romeo；〃　the　modore　replied　at　once。　〃India　is　working　a　probable；　repeat　probable　contact　that's　acting　like　a　missile　boat。
We're　heading　for　our　objective　at　max　speed。　Get　him　for　us；　Romeo。〃
〃Roger。　Out。〃　Morris　set　the　phone　back　in　place。　He　looked　at　his　tactical　action　officer。　〃Continue　to　close　the　datum　point。〃
〃Isn't　this　dangerous；　rushing　after　a　submarine　contact？〃　Calloway　asked。　〃Don't　you　have　your　helicopter　to　keep　them　at　arm's　length？〃
〃You're　learning；　Mr。　Calloway。　It's　dangerous；　all　right。　I　think　they　mentioned　that　the　job　could　get　that　way　when　I　was　at　Annapolis　。　。　。　〃
Both　her　jet　turbines　were　running　flat…out；　and　the　frigate's　knife…edge　bow　sliced　through　the　water　at　over　thirty　knots。　The　torque　from　her　single　screw　gave　the　ship　a　four…degree　list　to　port　as　she　raced　to　close　the　submarine。
〃This　is　getting　nasty。〃　O'Malley　could　see　the　frigate's　mast　clearly　now；　the　distinctive　crosstrees　well　above　the　horizon　as　he　covered　fifty　feet　over　the　water。　〃Talk　to　me；　Willy！〃
〃Lots　of　bottom　echoes；　sir。　The　bottom　must　look　like　a　city；　all　these　damned　things　sticking　up。　We　got　eddies…we　got　too　many　things　here；　sir。　Sonar　conditions　suck！〃
〃Go　passive。〃　The　pilot　reached　up　and　flipped　the　switch　to　listen　in。
Willy　was　right。　Too　much　flow　noise。　Think！　he　told　himself　The　pilot　looked　at　his　tactical　display。　The　amphibs　were　a　scant　ten　miles　away。　He　couldn't　hear　them　on　his　sonar；　but　there　was　about　a　30…percent　chance　that　a　submarine　could。　If　we　had　him　at　antenna　depth　before；　he　probably　has　a　fair　idea　where　they　are　。　。　。　but　not　good　enough　to　shoot。
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　can　you　warn　the　'phibs　off？　Over。〃
〃Negative；　Hammer。　They　are　running　away　from　a　probable　contact　to　seaward。〃
〃Great！〃　O'Malley　growled　over　the　inter。　〃Prepare　to　raise　dome；　Willy。〃　A　minute　later　they　were　heading　west。
〃This　sub…driver's　got　real　balls；〃　the　pilot　said。　〃He's　got　brains；　too　O'Malley　keyed　his　radio。
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　put　November's　course　track　on　your　tactical　display　and　transmit　to　my　gadget。〃
It　took　a　minute。　O'Malley　blessed　the　unknown　engineer　who'd　built　this　feature　into　the　Seahawk's　tactical　puter。　The　pilot　drew　an　imaginary　line　from　their　only　contact　on　the　sub　and　Nassau's　projected　course。　Figure　the　sub　is　going　at　twenty…　to　twenty…five　knots　。　。　。　The　pilot　reached　down　and　stabbed　his　finger　on　the　glass　tube。
〃That's　where　the　bastard　is！〃
〃How　do　you　know？〃　Ralston　asked。　O'Malley　already　had　the　Seahawk　heading　that　way。
〃'Cause　if　I　was　him；　that's　where　I'd　be！　Willy；　next　time　we　dip；　keep　the　dome　at　exactly　one　hundred　feet。　Tell　you　one　other　thing；　Mr。　Ralston…this　guy　thinks　he's　beat　us。〃　Nobody　beats　the　Hammer！　O'Malley　circled　over　the　spot　he'd　selected　and　brought　the　Seahawk　into　hover。
〃Down　dome；　Willy。　Passive　search　only。〃
〃One　hundred　feet；　listening；　skipper。〃　Seconds　stretched　out　into　minutes　while　the　pilot　worked　his　controls　to　keep　the　helicopter　stationary。　〃Possible　contact　bearing　one…six…two。〃
〃Go　active？〃　Ralston　asked。
〃Not　yet。〃
〃Bearing　is　changing　slowly；　now　one…five…nine。〃
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　we　have　a　possible　submarine　contact。〃　The　helicopter's　onboard　puter　transmitted　the　data　to　Reuben　James。　Morris　altered　course　to　bear　down　on　the　contact。　O'Malley　raised　his　sonar　dome　and　deployed　a　sonobuoy　to　mark　the　position　and　hold　the　contact　while　he　moved　to　another　position。　The　frigate　w