tc.redstormrising-第41部分

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art。
〃And　we　have　to　break　off　the　trail；〃　McCafferty　agreed。　〃But　that's　another　forty　miles。〃
〃Yeah。〃　The　navigator　nodded　agreement。　〃But　starting　five　miles　back；　this　gulf　starts　to　narrow　down　like　a　funnel；　and　for　a　submerged　sub；　it　eventually　closes　down　to　two；　then　only　one　safe　passage。　Jeez；　I　don't　know。〃　McCafferty　came　aft　again　to　examine　the　chart。
〃He　was　content　to　run　fifteen　knots　at　periscope　depth　all　this　way　down　from　Kola。　The　usable　depth　has　been　about　the　same　for　the　past　five　hours…just　bottomed　out　some…and　figures　to　be　the　same　for　another　hour　or　two　。　。　。　but　he　surfaces　anyway。　So；〃　McCafferty　said；　〃the　only　change　in　environmental　conditions　is　the　width　of　the　channel；　and　that's　still　over　twenty　miles　。　…　。〃　The　captain　mulled　this　over；　staring　down　at　the　chart。　The　sonar　room　called　yet　again。
〃Conn；　aye。　What　is　it；　chief？〃
〃New　contact；　sir；　bearing　one…nine…two。　Designate　target　Sierra…5。　Twin…screw　surface　ship；　diesel　engines。　They　just　came　on　all　at　once；　sir。　Sounds　like　a　Natya…class。　Bearing　changing　right　to　left　slowly；　seems　to　be　converging　with　the　boomer。　Blade　count　puts　her　speed　at　about　twelve　knots。〃
〃What's　the　boomer　doing？〃
〃Speed　and　bearing　are　unchanged；　skipper。　The　blow　has　ended。　She's　on　the　surface；　sir；　we're　starting　to　get　pounding　and　some　racing　on　her　screws…wait　a　minute　。　。　。　an　active　sonar　just　started　up；　we're　getting　reverbs；　bearing　seems　to　be　about　one…nine…zero；　probably　from　the　Natya。　It's　a　very　high　frequency　sonar；　above　aural　range　it　twenty…two…thousand　hertz。〃
An　icy　ball　suddenly　materialized　in　McCafferty's　stomach。
〃XO；　I'm　taking　the　conn。〃
〃Aye；　Captain；　you　have　the　conn。〃
〃Diving　officer：　get　her　up　to　sixty　feet；　high　as　you　can　without　broaching　her。　Observation！　Up　scope！〃　The　search　scope　came　up　and　McCafferty　met　it　as　he　had　before　and　quickly　checked　the　surface　of　the　sea　for　shadows。　〃Three　more　feet。　Okay；　still　nothing。　What's　the　ESM　reading？〃
〃Now　seven　active　radar　sources；　skipper。　Plot　out　about　the　same　as　before；　plus　the　new　one　at　one…nine…one；　another　India…band；　looks　like　another　Don…2。〃
McCafferty　turned　the　periscope　handle　to　twelve…power；　its　highest　setting。　The　Soviet　missile　submarine　was　sitting　extremely　high　in　the　water。
〃Joe；　tell　me　what　you　see。〃　McCafferty　asked；　wanting　a　quick　second　opinion。
〃That's　a　Delta…III；　all　right。　Looks　like　she's　blown　dry；　Cap'n；　they　e　out　pretty　far；　and　that　looks　like　about　three　or　four　feet　higher　than　they　usually　do。　He　just　used　up　a　lot　of　his　air　。　。　。　That　might　be　the　Natya's　mast　ahead　of　her；　hard　to　be　sure。〃
McCafferty　could　feel　that　his　own　Chicago　was　rolling。　His　hands　tingled　with　the　transmitted　wave…slaps　against　the　periscope。　The　seas　were　crashing　against　the　Delta；　too；　and　he　could　see　water　splashing　in　and　out　of　the　limber　holes　that　lined　the　boomer's　flanks。

〃ESM　board　says　that　signal　strengths　are　approaching　detection　values；〃　the　technician　warned。
〃His　periscopes　are　both　up；〃　McCafferty　said；　knowing　that　his　scope　had　already　been　up　too　long。　He　squeezed　the　trigger　to　double　the　magnification。　It　cost　optical　detail；　but　the　picture　zoomed　in　on　the　Delta's　conning　tower。　〃The　control　station　atop　his　sail　is　fully　manned。　Everyone　has　glasses　。　。　。　not　looking　aft；　though。　Down　scope。　Diving　officer；　take　her　down　ten　feet。　Nice　work；　planesmen。　Let's　see　that　tape；　Joe。〃　The　picture　returned　to　the　TV　monitor　in　a　few　seconds。
They　were　two　thousand　yards　behind　the　Delta。　Beyond　her　by　about　half　a　mile　was　a　spherical　radar　dome；　probably　the　Natya；　rolling　noticeably　with　the　beam　seas。　To　house　her　sixteen　SS…18　missiles；　the　Russian　sub　had　a　sloped　turtleneck；　and　from　directly　aft　it　looked　like　a　highway　ramp。　An　ungainly　design；　the　Delta；　but　she　had　to　survive　only　long　enough　to　launch　her　missiles；　and　the　Americans　had　no　doubt　that　her　missiles　worked　just　fine。
〃Look　at　that；　they　blew　her　so　high　half　her　screws　are　clear；〃　the　XO　pointed。
〃Navigator；　how　far　to　shallow　water？〃
〃Along　this　channel；　a　minimum　of　twenty…four　fathoms　for　ten　miles。〃
Why　did　the　Delta　surface　this　far　out？
McCafferty　lifted　the　phone。　〃Sonar；　tell　me　about　the　Natya。〃
〃Skipper；　he's　pinging　away　like　mad。　Not　toward　us；　but　we're　getting　lots　of　reflections　and　reverberations　off　the　bottom。〃
The　Natya　was　a　specialized　mine…hunter　。　。　。　also　used；　to　be　sure；　as　an　escort　for　submarines　in　and　out　of　safe　areas。　But　her　minehunting　VHF　sonar　was　operating　。　。　。　dear　God！
〃Left　full　rudder！〃　McCafferty　shouted。
〃Left　full　rudder；　aye！〃　The　helmsman　would　have　hit　the　overhead　but　for　the　seatbelt。　He　instantly　snapped　his　wheel　to　port。　〃Sir；　my　rudder　is　left　full！〃
〃Minefield；〃　the　navigator　breathed。　Heads　all　over　the　room　turned　around。
〃That's　a　good　bet。〃　McCafferty　nodded　grimly。　〃How　far　are　we　from　the　point　where　the　boomer　rendezvoused　with　the　Natya？〃
The　navigator　examined　the　plot　closely。　〃Stopped　about　four　hundred　yards　short　of　it；　sir。〃
〃All　stop。〃
〃All　stop；　aye。〃　The　helmsman　dialed　the　annunciator　handle。　〃Engine　room　answers　all　stop；　sir。　Passing　left　through　one…eight…zero；　sir。〃
〃Very　well。　We　ought　to　be　safe　enough　here。　You　have　to　figure　the　Delta'd　rendezvous　with　the　sweeper　a　few　miles　clear　of　the　field；　right？　Anybody　here　think　Ivan　would　gamble　with　a　boomer？〃　It　was　a　rhetorical　question。　Nobody　ever　gambled　with　boomers。
Everyone　in　the　control　room　took　a　deep　breath　at　the　same　moment。　The　Chicago　slowed　rapidly；　her　turn　taking　her　broadside　to　her　previous　course。
〃Rudder　amidships。〃　McCafferty　ordered　one…third　speed　and　lifted　the　phone　for　sonar。　〃The　boomer　doing　anything　different？〃
〃No；　sir。　Bearing　is　still　constant　at　one…nine…zero。　Speed　still　fifteen　knots。　We　can　still　hear　the　Natya　pinging；　nearing　one…eight…six；　and　her　blade　count　is　now　about　fifteen　knots；　too。〃
〃Navigator；　start　figuring　a　way　for　us　to　get　out　of　here。　We　want　to　keep　well　clear　of　all　those　patrol　boats　and　report　this　news　in　as　quick　as　we　can。〃
〃Aye。　Three…five…eight　looks　pretty　good　for　the　moment；　sir。〃　The　navigator　had　been　updating　that　course　continuously　for　two　hours。
〃Sir；　if　Ivan　really　has　laid　out　a　minefield；　part　of　it's　in　international　waters；〃　the　exec　noted。　〃Cute。〃
〃Yeah。　Of　course；　to　them　it's　territorial　waters；　so　anybody　bumps　into　a　mine；　it's　just　too　damned　bad…〃
〃And　maybe　an　international　incident？〃　Joe　observed。
〃But　why　did　they　ping　at　all？〃；　the　munications　officer　asked。　〃If　they　got　a　clear　channel　they　can　navigate　visually。〃
〃What　if　there's　no　channel　at　all？〃　the　exec　answered。　〃What　if　they　set　ground　mines；　and　moored　mines　strung；　say；　at　a　uniform　depth　of　fifty　feet。　You　have　to　figure　they'd　be　a　little　nervous　that　a　mine　or　two　might　have　too　long　a　mooring　cable。　So　they're　playing　it　safe；　just　like　we'd　do。　What's　all　that　tell　you？〃
〃Nobody　can　trail　their　boomers　without　surfacing the　lieutenant　understood。
〃And　we　sure　as　hell　aren't　going　to　do　that。　Nobody　ever　said　that　Ivan　was　dumb。　They　got　a　perfect　system　here。　They're　putting　all　their　missile　boats　where　we　can't　get　at　them；〃　McCafferty　went　on。　〃Even　SUBROC　can't　make　it　from　where　we　are　into　the　White　Sea。　Final　point；　if　they　have　to　scatter　the　boats；　they　don't　have　to　screw　around　in　a　single　channel；　they　can　all　surface；　spread　out；　and　run　for　daylight。
〃What　this　means；　gentlemen；　is　that　instead　of　detailing　an　attack　boat　to　guard　every　boomer　against　somebody　like　us；　they　can　put　all　the　missile　boats　into　one　nice；　safe　basket　and　release　their　attack　boats　to　other　missions。　Let's　get　the　hell　out　of　here。〃

NORTH　ATLANTIC
〃Ship　in　view；　this　is　U。S。　Navy　aircraft　on　your　port　beam。　Please　identify；　over。〃　Captain　Kherov　handed　the　bridge…to…bridge　phone　to　a　Red　Army　major。
〃Navy；　this　is　the　Doctor　Lykes。　How　are　y'all？〃　Kherov　spoke　halting　English。　The　major's　Mississippi　accent　might　as　well　have　been　Kurdish　for　all　he　understood　of　it。　They　could　barely　make　out　the　haze…gray　patrol　aircraft　that　was　now　circling　their　ship…circling；　they　noted；　at　a　five…mile　distance　and　certainly　inspecting　t