九味书屋 > 文学经管电子书 > tc.redstormrising >

第23部分

tc.redstormrising-第23部分

小说: tc.redstormrising 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!



 per hour。 The tanks moved northwest at that speed until they reached Highway 187; where miraculously they joined up with another Soviet unit and; dropping back to their normal speed of twenty kilometers per hour; resumed their progress west toward the exercise area。

NORFOLK; VIRGINIA
It was impressive。 As they watched the Moscow television news program; a whole regiment of tanks advanced across a flat landscape。 Their objective turned to a horizontal fountain of dirt as an artillery barrage pounded the simulated enemy positions。 Fighter…bombers streaked across the sky and helicopters performed their own death…dance。 The voice…over mentary proclaimed the readiness of the Soviet Army to meet any foreign threat。 It certainly looked that way。
The next five…minute segment concerned the Vienna arms talks。 There was the usual plaint about how the United States was fighting over certain aspects of the clearly generous original Soviet proposal; but the speaker went on to say that real progress was being made despite American intransigence; and that a prehensive agreement was possible by the end of summer。 Toland was puzzled by the nature of the Soviet description of the negotiations。 He'd never paid much attention to this sort of rhetoric before; and found the good…guy/bad…guy descriptions curious。
〃Pretty normal stuff;〃 Lowe responded to the question。 〃You'll know the deal is close to being struck when the beefs start disappearing。 Then they talk about how enlightened our President is for a class enemy。 They can get real euphoric around signing time。 Really; this stuff is pretty mild。 Think about it。 What sort of language do they usually use about us?〃
〃The exercise look normal?〃
〃It's normal; all right。 Ever think about how much fun it is to face a hundred tanks? You did notice that they all carry five…inch guns? Then think about the artillery support they get。 Then think about the aircraft。 The Russians are real believers in this bined…arms stuff。 When they e at you; they e with the whole inventory。 They have this set piece stuff down cold。〃
〃How do we counter it?〃
〃You take the initiative。 You let the other guy get all set to fight his battle his way; son; you might as well bag it。〃
〃Same story at sea。〃
〃Yeah。〃

KIEV; THE UKRAINE
Alekseyev atypically poured himself a cup of tea at the er table before approaching his mander's desk。 When he walked over; his grin was a meter wide。
〃rade General; Progress goes well!〃
〃So I can see; Pavel Leonidovich。〃
〃I would never have believed it。 The improvement in our officer corps is extraordinary。 The deadwood is being disposed of; and those men whom we've moved up to new posts are eager and capable。〃
〃So; shooting those four colonels has worked?〃 CINC…Southwest noted sardonically。 He'd run the first two days of the exercise from his mand headquarters and yearned to get into the field where the real action was。 But that was not a theater mander's job。 Alekseyev was his best set of eyes for what was really happening。
〃A hard choice; but a good one。 The results speak for themselves。〃 The edge came off the younger man's enthusiasm。 His conscience still remembered that。 The problem with hard decisions; he learned; was not making them; but learning to live with the consequences; however necessary。 He set the thought aside yet again。 〃With two more weeks of intensive exercises; the Red Army will be ready。 We can do it。 We can defeat NATO。〃
〃We don't have to fight NATO; Pasha。〃
〃Then Allah help the Arabs!〃 Alekseyev said。
〃Allah help us。 West gets another of our tank divisions。〃 The General held up a dispatch。 〃The one you were with today; in fact。 I wonder how he has been doing?〃
〃My spies tell me; quite well。〃
〃And you have joined the KGB; Pasha?〃
〃A classmate of mine is on CINC…West staff。 They; too; have adopted a policy for eliminating inpetents。 I have seen the benefits。 A new man in a posting has much better incentive to do his job properly than one for whom it has bee routine。〃
〃Except at the top; of course。〃
〃mander…in…Chief West is one man I never expected to defend; but everything I've been told leads me to believe he's getting his forces ready in the same way as we。〃
〃Things must indeed be improved if you are this magnanimous。〃
〃They are; rade。 Another tank division lost to Germany。 Well; he needs it more than we。 I tell you; we will sweep the Arabs aside like dirt on a smooth tile floor。 In truth we always could。 There are not so many of them; and if these Arabs are like the Libyans I saw three years ago…these have no mountains to hide in。 This is not Afghanistan。 Our mission is to conquer; not to pacify。 This we can do。 I estimate two weeks。 The only problem I foresee is the destruction of the oil fields。 They can use scorched earth as a defense just as we have; and that will be difficult for us to prevent; even with paratroops。 Still and all; our objective is achievable。 Our men will be ready。〃

9 … A Final Look

NORFOLK; VIRGINIA
〃There's something to be said for instant traditions; Chuck。〃 This was their fourth Russian movie via satellite。 Toland handed over the bowl of popcorn。 〃It'll be a pity to lose you back to the Corps。〃
〃Bite your tongue! Sixteen…hundred hours Tuesday; Colonel Charles DeWinter Lowe goes back into the Marine business。 I'll leave the paper shuffling to you squids。〃
Toland laughed。 〃And you won't miss the evening movie?〃
〃Maybe a little。〃 Half a mile away a satellite receiver was tracking a Soviet munications satellite。 They'd been pirating signals off this satellite and two of her sisters for weeks now; to keep tabs on the Soviet TV news; and also to catch the evening movie。 Both men admired the work of Sergey Eisenstein。
And Alexander Nevsky was his masterwork。
Toland popped open a can of Coke。 〃I wonder how Ivan would react to a John Ford Western? Somehow I get the feeling that rade Eisenstein might have been exposed to one or two。〃
〃Yeah; the Duke would have fit in pretty good here。 Or better yet; Errol Flynn。 You heading home tonight?〃
〃Right after the movie。 God; a four…day weekend off。 Can I stand the strain?〃
The titles showed a new frame; different from the one on his personal tape of the movie back home。 The original soundtrack dialogue had been retained and cleaned up somewhat; but the music had been redone by the Moscow State Symphony and chorus。 They did true justice to Prokofiev's evocative score。
The film began with a view of the Russian 。 。 。 steppes? Toland wondered。 Or was that supposed to be the southern part of the country? Anyway; it showed rolling grassland littered with bones and weapons from an old battle against the Mongols。 The Yellow Peril; still a Russian bugaboo。 The Soviet Union had absorbed a lot of Mongols…but now the Chinese had nuclear weapons and the world's largest army。
〃The print is terrific;〃 Lowe observed。
〃Hell of a lot better than my tape;〃 Toland agreed。 A pair of VHS machines was recording this; though the Navy wasn't supplying the tapes。 Each officer had bought one himself。 SACLANT's Inspector General had an evil reputation。
All this happened pretty close to the Baltic coast; Toland reminded himself。 The introduction of the main character was made through a song as he was evidently out directing some men with a fishing net。 A good socialist introduction; the officers agreed: the hero out doing manual labor。 A brief verbal confrontation with the Mongols; then a musing about which danger to Russian integrity was greater; the German or the Mongol。
〃Jesus; you know they still think that way?〃 Toland chuckled。
〃The more things change 。 。 。〃 Lowe popped open his own Coke。
〃I kinda wonder about this guy; though。 When he went back into the water after the net; he ran like a girl; what with his arms flying all over。〃
〃You should try running in knee…deep water;〃 the Marine growled。
And the scene shifted to the German Danger。
〃A bunch of out…of…work knights; just like the crusades。 Hell; just like Indian movies from the thirties。 Chopping people up; throwing babies into the fire。〃
〃You suppose they really did things like that?〃
〃Ever hear of a place called Auschwitz; Bob?〃 Lowe inquired。 〃You know; in the civilized twentieth century?〃
〃Those guys didn't bring a bishop with them。〃
〃T

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的