tc.thebearandthedragon-第123部分

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s　from　them。〃
　〃Nice　to　know　he's　normal　in　his　tastes；〃　the　FBI　agent　observed；　with　a　grunt。
　〃We　have　numerous　photos　of　him　now。　We've　put　an　electronic　tracker　on　his　cars；　and　we've　also　planted　a　bug　on　his　puter　keyboard。　That'll　allow　us　to　determine　his　encryption　password；　next　time　he　makes　use　of　it。〃
　〃But　he　hasn't　done　anything　incriminating　yet；〃　Reilly　said。　He　didn't　even　make　it　a　question。
　〃Not　under　our　observation；〃　Oleg　confirmed。
　〃Damn；　so；　he　was　really　trying　to　whack　Sergey　Golovko。　Hard　to　believe；　man。〃
　〃That　is　so；　but　we　cannot　deny　it。　And　on　Chinese　orders。〃
　〃That's　like　an　act　of　war；　buddy。　It's　a　big　fucking　deal。〃　Reilly　took　a　sip　of　his　vodka。
　〃So　it　is；　Mishka。　Rather　more　plex　than　any　case　I've　handled　this　year。〃　It　was；　Provalov　thought；　an　artful　understatement。　He'd　gladly　go　back　to　a　normal　homicide；　a　husband　killing　his　wife　for　fucking　a　neighbor；　or　the　other　way　around。　Such　things；　nasty　as　they　were；　were　far　less　nasty　than　this　one　was。
　〃How's　he　pick　the　girls　up；　Oleg？〃　Reilly　asked。
　〃He　doesn't　call　for　them　on　the　phone。　He　seems　to　go　to　a　good　restaurant　with　a　good　bar　and　wait　until　a　likely　prospect　appears　at　his　elbow。〃
　〃Hmm；　plant　a　girl　on　him？〃
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃
　〃I　mean　get　yourself　a　pretty　girl　who　does　this　sort　of　thing　for　a　living；　brief　her　on　what　she　ought　to　say；　and　set　her　in　front　of　him　like　a　nice　fly　on　your　fishhook。　If　he　picks　her　up；　maybe　she　can　get　him　to　talk。〃
　〃Have　you　ever　done　such　a　thing？〃
　〃We　got　a　wiseguy　that　way　in　Jersey　City　three　years　ago。　Liked　to　brag　in　front　of　women　how　tough　he　was；　and　the　guys　he　whacked；　that　sort　of　thing。　He's　in　Rahway　State　Prison　now　on　a　murder　rap。　Oleg；　a　lot　more　people　have　talked　their　way　into　prison　than　you'll　ever　catch　on　your　own。　Trust　me。　That's　how　it　is　for　us；　even。〃
　〃I　wonder　if　the　Sparrow　School　has　any　graduates　working。。。？〃　Provalov　mused。
　
　It　wasn't　fair　to　do　it　at　night；　but　nobody　had　ever　said　war　was　marked　by　fairness　in　its　execution。　Colonel　Boyle　was　in　his　mand　post　monitoring　the　operation　of　1st　Armored's　Aviation　Brigade。　It　was　mainly　his　Apaches；　though　some　Kiowa　Warriors　were　up；　too；　as　scouts　for　the　heavy　shooters。　The　target　was　a　German　heavy　battalion；　simulating　a　night's　laagering　after　a　day　on　the　offense。　In　fact；　they　were　pretending　to　be　Russians…it　was　a　NATO　scenario　that　went　back　thirty　years　to　the　introduction　of　the　first　Huey　Cobras；　back　in　the　1970s；　when　the　value　of　a　helicopter　gunship　had　first　been　noticed　in　Vietnam。　And　a　revelation　it　had　been。　Armed　for　the　first　time　in　1972　with　TOW　missiles；　they'd　proven　to　the　tanks　of　the　North　Vietnamese　just　how　fearsome　a　foe　a　missile…armed　chopper　could　be；　and　that　had　been　before　night…vision　systems　had　e　fully　on　line。　Now　the　Apache　turned　bat　operations　into　sport　shooting；　and　the　Germans　were　still　trying　to　figure　a　counter　for　it。　Even　their　own　night…vision　gear　didn't　pensate　for　the　huge　advantage　held　by　the　airborne　hunters。　One　idea　that　had　almost　worked　was　to　lay　a　thermal…insulating　blanket　over　the　tanks　so　as　to　deny　the　helicopters　the　heat　signature　by　which　they　hunted　their　motionless　prey；　but　the　problem　there　was　the　tank's　main　gun　tube；　which　had　proved　impractical　to　conceal；　and　the　blankets　had　never　really　worked　properly；　any　more　than　a　twin…bed　coverlet　could　be　stretched　over　a　king…size　bed。　And　so；　now；　the　Apaches'　laser…illumination　systems　were　〃painting〃　the　Leos　for　enough　seconds　to　guarantee　hits　from　the　Hellfire　missiles；　and　while　the　German　tanks　tried　to　shoot　back；　they　couldn't　seem　to　make　it　work。　And　now　the　yellow　〃I'm　dead〃　lights　were　blinking；　and　yet　another　tank　battalion　had　fallen　victim　to　yet　another　administrative　attack。
　〃They　should　have　tried　putting　SAM　teams　outside　their　perimeter；〃　Colonel　Boyle　observed；　watching　the　puter　screen。　Instead；　the　German　colonel　had　tried　IR　lures；　which　the　Apache　gunners　had　learned　to　distinguish　from　the　real　thing。　Under　the　rules　of　the　scenario；　proper　tank　decoys　had　not　been　allowed。　They　were　a　little　harder　to　discriminate…the　American…made　ones　almost　exactly　replicated　the　visual　signature　of　an　M1　tank；　and　had　an　internal　heat　source　for　fooling　infrared　gear　at　night…and　fired　off　a　Hoffman　pyrotechnic　charge　to　simulate　a　return　shot　when　they　took　a　hit。　But　they　were　made　so　well　for　their　mission　that　they　could　not　be　mistaken　for　anything　other　than　what　they　were；　either　a　real　Ml　main　battle　tank；　and　hence　friendly；　or　a　decoy；　and　thus　not　really　useful　in　a　training　exercise；　all　in　all　a　case　of　battlefield　technology　being　too　good　for　a　training　exercise。
　〃Pegasus　Lead　to　Archangel；　over；〃　the　digital　radio　called。　With　the　new　radios；　it　was　no　longer　a　static…marred　crackle。
　〃Archangel　to　Pegasus；〃　Colonel　Boyle　answered。
　〃Sir；　we　are　Winchester　and　just　about　out　of　targets。　No　friendly　casualties。　Pegasus　is　RTB；　over。〃
　〃Roger；　Pegasus。　Looks　good　from　here。　Out。〃
　And　with　that；　the　Apache　battalion　of　attack　choppers　and　their　Kiowa　bird…dogs　turned　back　for　their　airfield　for　the　mission　debrief　and　post…game　beers。
　Boyle　looked　over　at　General　Diggs。　〃Sir；　I　don't　know　how　to　do　it　much　better　than　that。〃
　〃Our　hosts　are　going　to　be　pissed。〃
　〃The　Bundeswehr　isn't　what　it　used　to　be。　Their　political　leadership　thinks　peace　has　broken　out　all　the　way；　and　their　troopers　know　it。　They　could　have　put　some　of　their　own　choppers　up　to　run　interference；　but　my　boys　are　pretty　good　at　air…to…air…we　train　for　it；　and　my　pilots　really　like　the　idea　of　making　ace　on　their　own…but　their　chopper　drivers　aren't　getting　all　the　gas　they　need　for　operational　training。　Their　best　chopper　drivers　are　down　in　the　Balkans　doing　traffic　observation。〃
　Diggs　nodded　thoughtfully。　The　problems　of　the　Bundeswehr　were　not；　strictly　speaking；　his　problems。　〃Colonel；　that　was　well　done。　Please　convey　my　pleasure　to　your　people。　What's　next　for　you？〃
　〃General；　we　have　a　maintenance　stand…down　tomorrow；　and　two　days　later　we're　going　to　run　a　major　search…and…rescue　exercise　with　my　Blackhawks。　You're　wele　to　e　over　and　watch。〃
　〃I　just　might；　Colonel　Boyle。　You　done　good。　Be　seeing　you。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　The　colonel　saluted；　and　General　Diggs　walked　out　to　his。　HMMWV；　with　Colonel　Masterman　in　attendance。
　〃Well；　Duke？〃
　〃Like　I　told　you；　sir；　Boyle's　been　feeding　his　boys　and　girls　a　steady　diet　of　nails　and　human　babies。〃
　〃Well；　his　next　fitness　report's　going　to　get　him　a　star；　I　think。〃
　〃His　Apache　mander's　not　bad　either。〃
　〃That's　a　fact；〃　the　divisional　G…3　agreed。　〃Pegasus〃　was　his　call　sign；　and　he'd　kicked　some　serious　ass　this　night。
　〃What's　next？〃
　〃Sir；　in　three　days　we　have　a　big　SimNet　exercise　against　the　Big　Red　One　at　Fort　Riley。　Our　boys　are　pretty　hot　for　it。〃
　〃Divisional　readiness？〃　Diggs　asked。
　〃We're　pushing　ninety…five　percent；　General。　Not　much　slack　left　to　take　up。　I　mean；　sir；　to　go　any　farther；　we　gotta　take　the　troops　out　to　Fort　Irwin　or　maybe　the　Negev　Training　Area。　Are　we　as　good　as　the　Tenth　Cav　or　the　Eleventh？　No；　we　don't　get　to　play　in　the　field　as　much　as　they　do。〃　And；　he　didn't　have　to　add；　no　division　in　any　army　in　the　world　got　the　money　to　train　that　hard。　〃But　given　the　limitations　we　have　to　live　with；　there's　not　a　whole　lot　more　we　can　do。　I　figure　we　play　hard　on　SimNet　to　keep　the　kids　interested；　but　we're　just　about　as　far　as　we　can　go；　sir。〃
　〃I　think　you're　right；　Duke。　You　know；　sometimes　I　kinda　wish　the　Cold　War　could　e　back…for　training　purposes；　anyway。　The　Germans　won't　let　us　play　the　way　we　used　to　back　then；　and　that's　what　we　need　to　take　the　next　step。〃
　〃Unless　somebody　springs　for　the　tickets　to　fly　a　brigade　out　to　California。〃　Masterman　nodded。
　〃That　ain't　gonna　happen；　Duke；〃　Diggs　told　his　operations　officer。　And　more　was　the　pity。　First　Tanks'　troops　were　almost　ready　to　give　the　Blackhorse　a　run　for　their　money。　Close　enough；　Diggs　thought；　that　he'd　pay　to　watch。　〃How's　a　beer　grab　you；　Colonel？〃
　〃If　the　General　is　buying；　I　will　gladly　assist　him　in　spending　his　money；〃　Duke　Masterman　said　graciously；　as　their　sergeant　driver　pulled　up　to　the　kazerne's　O…Club。
　
　〃Good　morning；　rade　General；〃　Gogol　said；　pulling　himself　to　attention。
　Bondarenko　had　felt　guilt　at　ing　to　see　this　old　soldier　so　early　in　the　morning；　but　he'd　heard　the　day　before　that　the　ancient　warrior　was　not　one　to　waste　daylight。　And　so　he　wasn't；　the　general　saw。
　〃You　kill　wolves；〃　Gennady　Iosifovich　observed；　seeing　the　gleaming　pelts　hanging　on　the　wall　of　this　rough　cabin。
　〃And　bear；　but　when　you　gild　the　pelts；　they　grow　too　heavy；〃　the　old　man　agreed；　fetching　tea　for　his　guests。
　〃These　are　amazing；〃　Colonel　Aliyev　said；　touching　one　of　the　remaining　wolf　pelts。　Most　had　been　carried　off。
　〃It's　an　amusement　for　an　old　hunter；〃　Gogol　said；　lighting　a　cigarette。
　General　Bondarenko　looked　at　his　rifles；　the　new　Austrian…made　one；　and　the　old　Russian　Ml891　Mosin…Nagant　sniper　rifle。
　〃How　many　with　this　one？〃　Bondarenko　asked。

　〃Wolves；　bears？〃
　〃Germans；〃　the　general　clarified；　with　coldness　in　his　voice。
　〃I　stopped　counting　at　thirty；　rade　General。　That　was　before　Kiev。　There　were　many　more　after　that。　I　see　we　share　a　decoration；〃　Gogol　observed；　pointing　to　his　visitor's　gold　star；　for　Hero　of　the　Soviet　Union；　which　he'd　won　in　Afghanistan。　Gogol　had　two；　one　from　Ukraine　and　the　other　in　Germany。
　〃You　have　the　look　of　a　soldier；　Pavel　Petrovich；　and　a　good　one。〃　Bondarenko　sipped　his　tea；　served　properly；　a　clear　glass　in　a　metal…was　it　silver？…holder。
　〃I　served　in　my　time。　First　at　Stalingrad；　then　on　the　long　walk　to　Berlin。〃
　I　bet　you　did　walk　all　the　way；　too；　the　general　thought。　He'd　met　his　share　of　Great　Patriotic　War　veterans；　now　mostly　dead。　This　wizened　old　bastard　had　stared　death　in　the　face　and　spat　at　it；　trained　to　do　so；　probably；　by　his　life　in　these　woods。　He'd　grown　up　with　bears　and　wolves　as　enemies…as　nasty　as　the　German　fascists　had　been；　at　least　they　didn't　eat　you…and　so　had　been　accustomed　to　wagering　his　life　on　his　eye　and　his　nerve。　The