atlantis.found-第108部分

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　　　　　In　front　of　the　control　center；　at　almost　the　same　moment；　Cleary　found　himself　facing　the　same　type　of　ice　wall　and　blistering　fire　that　Garnet　was　experiencing。　Vulnerable　to　the　heavy　fire；　the　lead　man　on　the　left　flank　of　the　Delta　Force　caught　bullets　in　a　knee　and　thigh　and　he　went　down。　Moving　flat　on　his　stomach；　Sharpsburg　grabbed　the　wounded　man　by　his　boots　and　pulled　him　around　the　corner　of　the　building。
　　　　　Cleary　ducked　below　a　stairway　leading　into　a　small　storehouse。　Shards　of　ice　rained　down　on　his　shoulders　as　a　stream　of　shells　burst　into　the　icicles　hanging　from　the　roof　above　him。　Then　a　shot　struck　his　body　armor　square…on　above　his　heart；　sending　him　staggering　backward；　alive　but　with　a　pain　in　his　chest　as　if　someone　were　pounding　it　with　a　sledgehammer。　Sergeant　Carlos　Mendoza；　who　was　the　best　shot　of　the　team；　lined　up　the　crosshairs　through　the　scope　of　his　Eradicator　on　the　Wolf　security　guard　who'd　shot　Cleary　and　squeezed　the　trigger。　A　black　figure　jerked　up　from　the　crest　of　the　barricade　before　falling　back　and　disappearing。　The　sergeant　then　selected　his　next　target　and　fired　away。
　　　　　More　bullets　slammed　into　the　roof　above　Cleary；　scattering　ice　slivers　in　a　hundred　different　directions。　He　saw　too　late　that　Wolf's　security　force　was　prepared　and　waiting　for　them。　The　fortifications　had　been　designed　and　constructed　for　just　such　an　attack。　He　painfully　discovered　that　the　lack　of　proper　intelligence　was　killing　them。　He　also　began　to　perceive　that　his　attacking　force　was　badly　outnumbered　by　the　defenders。
　　　　　Cleary　cursed　himself　for　relying　on　untested　information。　He　cursed　the　Pentagon　and　the　Central　Intelligence　Agency；　who'd　estimated　the　Wolf　security　force　at　no　more　than　twenty　to　twenty…five　men。　He　cursed　his　lack　of　intuition；　and　in　the　heat　of　the　moment　he　cursed　himself　for　making　the　biggest　mistake　in　his　military　life。　He　had　badly　underestimated　his　enemy。
　　　　　〃Tin　Man！〃　he　shouted　into　his　microphone。　〃Report　your　situation！〃
　　　　　〃I　count　sixty　or　more　hostiles　blocking　the　road　in　front　of　us；〃　Garnet's　voice　replied　in　a　monotone；　as　steady　as　if　he　were　describing　cows　in　a　pasture。　〃We　are　under　heavy　fire。〃
　　　　　〃Can　you　force　the　issue　and　secure　the　power　plant？〃
　　　　　〃We　are　unable　to　advance　due　to　extremely　accurate　fire。　These　are　not　your　garden…variety　security　people　we're　facing。　They　know　what　they're　doing。　Can　you　send　a　team　to　relieve　the　pressure；　Wizard？　If　we　could　band　together　in　a　flanking　movement；　I　think　we　can　take　the　barricade。〃
　　　　　〃Negative；　Tin　Man；〃　replied　Cleary。　He　well　knew　that　the　Recons　were　the　elite　of　the　Marine　Corps。　If　they　couldn't　advance；　nobody　could。　〃We're　also　halted　by　heavy　fire　from　at　least　eighty　hostiles　and　cannot　send　support。　I　repeat；　I　cannot　spare　men　to　support　you。　Extricate　as　best　you　can　and　link　up　with　Lion。〃
　　　　　〃Understood；　Wizard。　Withdrawing　now。〃
　　　　　With　his　Marines　open　and　exposed；　Garnet　was　frustrated　to　learn　that　he　could　expect　no　support；　but　had　to　retreat　and　find　Cleary　and　Sharpsburg's　Delta　Force　team　through　the　maze　of　roads　running　through　the　facility。　He　wasted　no　time　in　considering　going　against　orders　and　continuing　the　assault。　Charging　a　barricade　manned　by　three　times　his　force　across　an　open　road　was　suicidal　and　would　acplish　nothing　but　the　massacre　of　his　mand。　He　was　left　with　no　choice　but　to　begin　an　orderly　withdrawal；　carrying　out　their　wounded　as　they　withdrew　from　the　murderous　fire。
　　　　　Having　advanced　halfway　around　the　control　center；　Jacobs　and　his　SEALS　were　jolted　by　the　thunder　of　conflict　and　the　shocking　reports　from　Cleary　and　Garnet。　He　urged　his　men　forward　in　hopes　of　securing　the　control　center　from　the　rear　and　removing　the　heat　from　teams　Tin　Man　and　Lion。　The　SEALs　were　only　a　hundred　yards　from　the　control　center　building　when　two　armored　Sno…cats　turned　the　corner　ahead　and　opened　fire　on　them。
　　　　　Jacobs　watched　helplessly　as　two　of　his　men　were　cut　down。　Madder　than　hell；　he　held　the　trigger　on　his　Eradicator　rifle　until　the　final　round　ejected　from　the　clip；　then　his　sergeant　grabbed　him　by　the　collar　of　his　parka　and　pushed　him　behind　a　trash　bin　before　a　barrage　of　counterfire　could　strike　him。　A　volley　of　fragmentation　missiles　from　the　SEAL　team　temporarily　halted　the　Sno…cats；　but　they　began　to　e　on　again。
　　　　　The　SEALs　fought　tenaciously　as　they　executed　their　withdrawal　up　the　road；　using　whatever　cover　they　could　find。　Then；　unexpectedly；　two　more　Sno…cats　suddenly　appeared　at　their　rear　and　unleashed　a　torrent　of　fire。　Jacobs　felt　a　knot　form　in　his　stomach。　He　and　his　team　had　nowhere　to　go　except　into　a　narrow　side　alleyway。　He　prayed　they　were　not　being　forced　into　an　ambush；　but　the　alley　looked　clear　for　at　least　seventy　yards。
　　　　　As　he　ran　after　his　men；　hoping　they　could　reach　cover　before　the　Sno…cats　turned　the　corner　of　the　alley　and　achieved　a　field　of　unobstructed　fire；　he　reported　to　Cleary。　〃Wizard；　this　is　Scarecrow。　We　are　under　attack　by　four　armored　Sno…cats。〃
　　　　　〃Scarecrow；　do　they　carry　heavy　weapons？〃
　　　　　〃None　that　show。　I　make　four　hostiles　with　automatic　weapons　in　each　vehicle。　Our　fragmentation　missiles　have　little　effect　on　them。〃
　　　　　Cleary　crawled　under　a　stairway；　using　it　as　a　shield；　and　studied　his　map　of　the　mining　facility。　〃Give　me　your　location；　Scarecrow。〃
　　　　　〃We　are　moving　down　a　narrow　road　toward　the　sea　behind　what　looks　like　a　row　of　maintenance　shops　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　from　the　control　center。〃
　　　　　〃Scarecrow；　go　another　fifty　yards；　then　bend　a　right　turn　and　advance　between　a　series　of　fuel　storage　tanks。　That　should　bring　you　close　to　the　front　of　the　control　center　from　a　side　road；　where　you　can　flank　the　hostiles　pinning　us　down。〃
　　　　　〃Roger　that；　Wizard。　On　our　way。〃　Then；　as　an　afterthought；　Jacobs　asked；　〃What　have　we　got　for　defense　against　the　armored　Sno…cats？〃
　　　　　〃Tin　Man　has　two　LAWs。〃
　　　　　〃We'll　need　four。〃
　　　　　〃The　man　carrying　the　other　two　went　missing　during　the　jump。〃
　　　　　〃Tin　Man　is　at　the　power　station；〃　Jacobs　said；　frustrated。　〃He's　not　facing　the　armored　cats；　we　are。〃
　　　　　〃I　ordered　him　to　withdraw　from　his　objective　because　of　overwhelming　concentrated　fire。　He　should　be　converging　with　Lion　shortly。〃
　　　　　〃Tell　him　to　load　up；　because　four　of　those　nasty　vehicles　will　be　right　on　our　tail　when　we　step　into　your　front　yard。〃
　　　　　Jacobs　and　the　SEALS　soon　circled　the　fuel　storage　tanks　without　encountering　organized　gunfire。　Frequently　glancing　at　his　map　of　the　facility；　he　led　his　men　around　a　long　wall　that　appeared　to　end　near　the　front　of　the　control　center。　It　seemed　like　perfect　cover；　as　they　rushed　to　outflank　the　security　guards　behind　the　barrier　who　were　blasting　hell　out　of　Sharpsburg　and　his　Delta　Force。　Hardly　had　the　SEALs　e　within　fifty　yards　of　the　end　of　the　wall　when　a　blaze　of　concentrated　fire　struck　them　from　the　rear。
　　　　　Unknown　to　them；　a　group　of　security　guards　had　rushed　through　an　underground　tunnel　and　appeared　from　a　building　behind；　a　tactic　that　was　happening　with　increasing　frequency。　Jacobs　saw　that　it　was　virtually　impossible　to　continue　on　his　flanking　maneuver；　so　he　took　his　men　along　the　path　of　least　resistance　and　led　them　down　a　street　strangely　free　of　hostile　gunfire。
　　　　　Only　eighty　yards　away；　Cleary　lay　flat　and　peered　through　his　binoculars；　searching　for　a　weak　spot　in　the　barricade　blocking　the　entrance　to　the　control　center。　He　found　none　and　realized　that；　like　Garnet's；　his　position　was　rapidly　being　untenable；　yet　he　was　determined　to　make　an　assault　on　the　control　center　as　soon　as　he　was　reinforced　by　the　Marine　Recon　Team；　and　the　SEALs　had　begun　their　flanking　attack　on　the　barricade。
　　　　　But　down　deep；　doubts　were　starting　to　form　as　to　whether　he　could　still　pull　the　coals　of　final　victory　out　of　the　fire。
　
　
　　　　　The　security　guards　were　waging　war　with　a　vengeance。　In　their　minds；　they　were　fighting　not　only　for　their　own　lives　but　for　the　lives　of　their　families　who　were　waiting　on　board　the　Ulrich　Wolf。　Hugo　himself　was　in　the　thick　of　the　fighting　in　front　of　the　control　center