tc.redstormrising-第179部分

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ition。　The　frigate　was　now　four　miles　from　the　helicopter。
〃Down　dome！〃　Another　minute's　wait。
〃Contact；　bearing　one…nine…seven。　Buoy　six　shows　contact　bearing　one…four…two。〃
〃Gotcha；　sucker！　Up　dome；　let's　go　get　him！〃
Ralston　worked　the　attack　system　as　O'Malley　moved　south　to　get　right　behind　the　target。　He　set　their　last　torpedo　for　a　search　depth　of　two　hundred　feet；　and　a　snake　course。
〃Down　dome！〃
〃Contact；　bearing　two…nine…eight。〃
〃Hammer！〃
Willy　punched　the　active　sonar　button。　〃Positive　contact；　bearing　two…nine…eight；　range　six　hundred。〃
〃Set！〃　Ralston　said　immediately；　and　the　pilot　jammed　his　thumb　on　the　red　release　button。　The　burnished　green　torpedo　dropped　into　the　water。
And　nothing　happened。
〃Skipper；　the　torp　didn't　activate…dead　torp；　sir。〃
There　wasn't　time　to　curse。　〃Romeo；　Hammer；　we　just　dropped　on　a　positive　contact…bad　torpedo；　negative　function　on　the　torp。〃
Morris　clenched　his　fist　on　the　radiotelephone　receiver。　He　gave　course　and　rudder　orders。　〃Hammer；　Romeo；　can　you　continue　to　track　the　target？〃
〃Affirmative；　he's　running　hard　on　course　two…two…zero…wait；　turning　north　。　。　。　seems　to　be　slowing　down　now。〃
Reuben　James　was　now　six　thousand　yards　from　the　submarine。　The　ships　were　on　converging　courses；　with　each　in　firing　range　of　the　other。
〃Crash　stop！〃　Morris　ordered。　In　seconds　the　entire　ship　was　vibrating　from　the　reverse　power。　The　frigate　slowed　to　five　knots　inside　a　minute；　and　Morris　ordered　a　speed　of　three　knots；　bare　steerageway。　〃Prairie/　Masker？〃
〃Operating；　sir；〃　the　ship　control　officer　confirmed。
Calloway　had　kept　out　of　the　way　with　his　mouth　shut…but　this　was　too　much。　〃Captain　Morris；　aren't　we　a　sitting　duck？〃
〃Yep。〃　Morris　nodded。　〃But　we　can　stop　faster　than　he　can。　His　sonar　should　just　be　ing　back　on　line…and　we're　not　making　enough　noise　to　hear。　Sonar　conditions　are　bad　for　everybody。　It's　a　gamble；〃　the　captain　admitted。　He　radioed　for　another　helicopter。　Illustrious　would　have　one　to　him　in　fifteen　minutes。
Morris　watched　O'Malley's　helicopter　on　radar。　The　Russian　sub　had　slowed　and　gone　deep　again。
〃Vampire；　vampire！〃　the　radar　technician　called。　〃Two　missiles　in　the　air…〃
〃Bravo　reports　her　helo　just　dropped　on　an　SSGN；　sir！〃　the　ASW　officer　sang　out。
〃This　is　getting　plicated；〃　Morris　observed　coolly。　〃Weapons　free。〃
〃Bravo　has　splashed　one　missile；　sir！　The　other　one's　heading　for　the　India！〃
Morris's　eyes　focused　on　the　main　display。　A　^　symbol　was　marching　toward　HMS　Illustrious…moving　very　fast。
〃Evaluate　vampire　as　SS…N…19…Bravo　evaluates　her　contact　as　Oscar…class。　She　reports　a　hit；　sir。〃　Four　helicopters　were　swarming　around　the　submarine　contact　symbol　now。
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　the　bastard's　right　underneath　us…bearing　just　reversed　on　us。〃
〃Sonar；　Yankee…search　on　bearing　one…one…three！〃　Morris　lifted　the　radiotelephone。　〃November；　turn　north　now！〃　he　ordered　the　Nassau。
〃India　is　hit；　sir。　The　vampire　scored　on　India　。　。　。　wait；　India　helo　reports　he　dropped　another　torp　on　the　contact！〃
Illustrious　would　have　to　look　out　after　herself；　Morris　thought。
〃Sonar　contact；　sir；　bearing　one…one…eight；　range　fifteen　hundred。〃　The　data　went　into　the　fire…control　director。　The　solution　light　blinked　on。
〃Set！〃
〃Shoot！〃　Morris　paused　for　a　moment。　〃Bridge；　bat：　all　ahead　flank！　e　right　to　zero…one…zero。〃
〃Bloody　hell；〃　observed　Mr。　Calloway。
On　the　frigate's　starboard　side；　the　triple　torpedo　tube　mount　swung　out　and　loosed　a　single　fish。　Below；　the　engineers　listened　to　their　engines　go　from　idle　to　maximum　power。　The　frigate　settled　at　the　stem　as　the　propeller　churned　the　water　to　foam。　The　powerful　jet　turbines　accelerated　the　ship　almost　like　an　automobile。
〃Romeo；　Hammer：　warning；　warning；　the　target　just　fired　a　fish　at　you！〃
〃Nixie？〃　Morris　asked。　The　ship　was　moving　too　fast　for　her　own　sonar　to　work。
〃One　in　the　water　and　another　ready　to　stream；　sir；〃　a　petty　officer　responded。
〃That's　it；　then；〃　Morris　said。　He　reached　into　his　pocket　for　a　cigarette；　looked　at　it；　then　tossed　the　whole　pack　into　a　waste　can。
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　this　contact　is　a　Type…Two　engine　plant。　I　evaluate　this　contact　as　a　Victor…class。　Now　at　full　speed；　turning　north。　Your　torp　is　pinging　the　target。　We've　lost　the　fish　he　sent　your　way。〃
〃Roger；　stick　with　the　sub；　Hammer。〃
〃Aren't　you　one　cool　bastard！〃　O'Malley　said　into　the　inter。　He　could　see　smoke　rising　from　HMS　Illustrious。　Idiot；　the　pilot　said　to　himself。　You　shouldn't　have　dropped　the　first　torp！　All　he　could　do　now　was　ping。
〃Skipper；　the　torp　just　went　to　continuous　ping。　It　seems　to　be　closing　the　target；　ping　interval　is　shortening。　Hull…popping　noise；　the　sub　is　changing　depth　again；　ing　up；　I　think。〃
O'Malley　saw　a　disturbance　in　the　water。　Suddenly　the　spherical　bow　of　the　Victor　came　through　the　surface…the　submarine　had　lost　depth　control　trying　to　evade　the　fish。　What　followed　a　moment　later　was　the　first　warhead　explosion　O'Malley　had　ever　really　seen。　The　submarine　was　sliding　back　down　when　a　plume　of　water　appeared　a　hundred　feet　from　where　the　bow　had　poked　up。
〃Romeo；　Hammer；　that　was　a　hit…I　saw　the　sunuvabitch！　Say　again；　that's　a　hit！〃
Morris　checked　with　his　sonar　officer。　They　hadn't　picked　up　the　Russian　torpedo's　homing　sonar。　It　had　missed。
Captain　Perrin　scarcely　believed　it。　The　Oscar　had　taken　three　torpedo　hits　so　far　and　still　there　were　no　breaking…up　noises。　But　the　machinery　noise　had　stopped；　and　he　had　the　submarine　on　his　active　sonar。　Battleaxe　closed　at　fifteen　knots　when　the　black　shape　appeared　amid　a　mass　of　bubbles　on　the　surface。　The　captain　ran　to　the　bridge　and　put　his　binoculars　on　the　Russian　ship。　The　sub　was　a　bare　mile　away。　A　man　appeared　atop　the　submarine's　sail；　waving　wildly。
〃Check　fire！　Check　fire！〃　he　screamed。　〃Ship　Control；　bring　us　alongside　quick　as　you　can！〃
He　didn't　believe　it。　The　Oscar　showed　a　pair　of　jagged　rents　on　her　upper　hull　and　floated　with　a　30…degree　list　from　the　ruptured　ballast　tanks。　Men　were　scrambling　out　of　the　sail　and　the　forward　deck　hatch。
〃Bravo；　Romeo。　We　just　killed　a　Victor…class　inshore。　Please　advise　your　situation；　over。〃
Perrin　lifted　the　phone。　〃Romeo；　we　have　a　wounded　Oscar　on　the　surface；　the　crew　is　abandoning　ship。　He　fired　two　missiles。　Our　Sea　Wolves　splashed　one。　The　other　hit　India　in　the　bows。　We　are　preparing　to　conduct　rescue　operations。　Tell　November　that　he　may　continue　his　promenade。　Over。〃
〃Way　to　go；　Bravo！　Out。〃　He　switched　channels。　〃November；　this　is　Romeo；　did　you　copy　Bravo's　last　transmission；　over？〃
〃Affirmative；　Romeo。　Let's　get　this　parade　to　the　beach。〃

General　Andreyev　took　the　report　from　the　observation　post　himself　before　handing　the　radiophone　to　his　operations　officer。　The　American　landing　ships　were　now　five　kilometers　from　Akranes　lighthouse。　They'd　proceed　probably　to　the　old　whaling　station　in　Hvalfj〃rdur　to　wait　their　chance。
〃We　will　resist　to　the　end；〃　the　KGB　colonel　said。　〃We'll　show　them　how　Soviet　soldiers　can　fight！〃
〃I　admire　your　spirit；　rade　Colonel。〃　He　walked　over　to　the　corner　and　picked　up　a　rifle。　〃Here；　you　may　take　this　to　the　front　yourself。〃
〃But…〃
〃Lieutenant　Gasporenko；　get　the　colonel　a　driver。　He's　going　to　the　front　to　show　the　Americans　how　Soviet　soldiers　fight。〃　Andreyev　watched　with　dark　amusement。　The　chekist　could　not　back　down。　After　he　was　gone；　the　General　summoned　his　divisional　munications　officer。　All　long…range　radio　transmitters　except　for　two　would　be　destroyed。　Andreyev　knew　he　could　not　surrender　yet。　His　troopers　would　have　to　pay　a　bill　in　blood　first；　and　the　General　would　suffer　for　every　drop。　But　he　knew　it　would　soon　reach　a　point　at　which　further　resistance　was　futile；　and　he　would　not　sacrifice　his　men　for　nothing。

ALFELD；　FEDERAL　REPUBLIC　OF　GERMANY
It　was　over　for　a　while。　The　second　attack　had　nearly　done　it；　Mackall　thought。　The　Russians　had　run　their　tanks　flat…out　and　gotten　to　within　fifty　yards　of　the　American　positions；　close　enough　that　their　old；　obsolete　cannon　had　destroyed　half　of　the　troop's　tanks。　But　that　attack　had　faltered　on　the　brink　of　success；　and　the　third　attack　at　dusk　was　a　halfhearted　affair　executed　by　men　too　tired　to　advance　into　the　kill　zone。　He　coul