tc.thebearandthedragon-第164部分

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f　movie　stars；　all　of　them；　of　course；　of　the　female　persuasion。　This　one　even　had　a　copy　of　the　movie　star's　Playboy　centerfold　from　1953　skillfully　painted　on　the　nose；　but　the　eyes　looking　down　from　the　stealthy　UAV　were　electronic　and　multi…spectrum　rather　than　china　blue。　Inside　the　fiberglass　nosecone；　a　directional　antenna　cross…linked　the　〃take〃　to　a　satellite；　which　then　distributed　it　to　many　places。　The　nearest　was　Zhigansk。　The　farthest　was　Fort　Belvoir；　Virginia；　within　spitting　distance　of　Washington；　D。C。；　and　that　one　sent　its　feed　via　fiberoptic　cable　to　any　number　of　classified　locations。　Unlike　most　spy　systems；　this　one　showed　real…time　movie…type　imagery。
　〃Looks　like　they're　getting　ready；　sir；〃　an　Army　staff　sergeant　observed　to　his　immediate　boss；　a　captain。　And　sure　enough；　you　could　see　soldiers　ramming　shells　into　the　breeches　of　their　field　pieces；　followed　by　the　smaller　cloth　bags　that　contained　the　propellant。　Then　the　breeches　were　slammed　shut；　and　the　guns　elevated。　The　30…30…class　blank　cartridges　were　inserted　into　the　firing　ports　of　the　breechblocks；　and　the　guns　were　fully　ready。　The　last　step　was　called　〃pulling　the　string；〃　and　was　fairly　accurate。　You　just　jerked　the　lanyard　rope　to　fire　the　blank　cartridge　and　that　ignited　the　powder　bags；　and　then　the　shell　went　north　at　high　speed。
　〃How　many　guns　total；　Sergeant？〃　the　captain　asked。
　〃A　whole　goddamned　pisspot　full；　sir。〃
　〃I　can　see　that。　What　about　a　number？〃　the　officer　asked。
　〃North　of　six　hundred；　and　that's　just　in　this　here　sector；　Cap'n。　Plus　four　hundred　mobile　rocket　launchers。〃
　〃We　spotted　air　assets　yet？〃
　〃No；　sir。　The　Chinese　aren't　nighttime　flyers　yet；　least　not　for　bombing。〃
　
　〃EAGLE　Seven　to　Zebra；　over；〃　the　AWACS　senior　controller　radioed　back　to　Zhigansk。
　〃Zebra　to　Seven；　reading　you　five…by…five；〃　the　major　running　the　ground　base　replied。
　〃We　got　bogies；　call　it　thirty…two　ing　north　out　of　Siping；　estimate　they're　Sierra…Uniform　Two…Sevens。〃
　〃Makes　sense；〃　the　major　on　the　ground　told　his　wing　mander。　〃Siping's　their　667th　Regiment。　That's　their　best　in　terms　of　aircraft；　and　stick…time。　That's　their　varsity；　Colonel。〃
　〃Who　do　we　have　to　meet　them？〃
　〃Our　Russian　friends　out　of　Nelkan。　Nearest　American　birds　are　well　north　and…〃
　〃…and　we　haven't　got　orders　to　engage　anybody　yet；〃　the　colonel　agreed。　〃Okay；　let's　get　the　Russians　alerted。〃
　〃EAGLE　Seven　to　Black　Falcon　Ten；　we　have　Chinese　fighters　three　hundred　kilometers　bearing　one…nine…six　your　position；　angels　thirty；　speed　five　hundred　knots。　They're　still　over　Chinese　territory；　but　not　for　much　longer。〃
　〃Understood；〃　the　Russian　captain　responded。　〃Give　me　a　vector。〃　〃Remend　intercept　vector　two…zero…zero；〃　the　American　controller　said。　His　spoken　Russian　was　pretty　good。　〃Maintain　current　speed　and　altitude。〃
　〃Roger。〃
　On　the　E…3B's　radar　displays；　the　Russian　Su…27s　turned　to　head　for　the　Chinese　Su…27s。　The　Russians　would　have　radar　contact　in　about　nine　minutes。
　
　〃Sir；　this　don't　look　real　nice；〃　another　major　in　Zhigansk　said　to　his　general。
　〃Then　it's　time　to　get　a　warning　out；〃　the　USAF　two…star　agreed。　He　lifted　a　phone　that　went　to　the　Russian　regional　mand　post。　There　hadn't　as　yet　been　time　to　get　a　proper　downlink　to　them。
　
　〃General；　a　call　from　the　American　technical　mission　at　Zhigansk；〃　Tolkunov　said。
　〃This　is　General　Bondarenko。〃
　〃Hello；　this　is　Major　General　Gus　Wallace。　I　just　set　up　the　reconnaissance　shop　here。　We　just　put　up　a　stealthy　recon…drone　over　the　Russian　Chinese　border　at。　。　。〃　He　read　off　the　coordinates。　〃We　show　people　getting　ready　to　fire　some　artillery　at　you；　General。〃
　〃How　much？〃　Bondarenko　asked。
　〃Most　I've　ever　seen；　upwards　of　a　thousand　guns　total。　I　hope　your　people　are　hunkered　down；　buddy。　The　whole　damned　world's　about　to　land　on　'em。〃
　〃What　can　you　do　to　help　us？〃　Bondarenko　asked。
　〃My　orders　are　not　to　take　action　until　they　start　shooting；〃　the　American　replied。　〃When　that　happens；　I　can　start　putting　fighters　up；　but　not　much　in　the　way　of　bombs。　We　hardly　have　any　to　drop；〃　Wallace　reported。　〃I　have　an　AWACS　up　now；　supporting　your　fighters　in　the　Chulman　area；　but　that's　all　for　now。　We　have　a　C…130　ferrying　you　a　downlink　tomorrow　so　that　we　can　get　you　some　intelligence　directly。　Anyway；　be　warned；　General；　it　looks　here　as　though　the　Chinese　are　going　to　launch　their　attack　momentarily。〃
　〃Thank　you；　General　Wallace。〃　Bondarenko　hung　up　and　looked　at　his　staff。　〃He　says　it's　going　to　start　at　any　moment。〃
　
　And　so　it　did。　Lieutenant　Komanov　saw　it　first。　The　line　of　hills　his　men　called　Rice　Ridge　was　suddenly　backlit　by　yellow　flame　that　could　only　be　the　muzzle　flashes　of　numerous　field　guns。　Then　came　the　upward…flying　meteor　shapes　of　artillery　rockets。
　〃Here　it　es；〃　he　told　his　men。　Unsurprisingly；　he　kept　his　head　up　so　that　he　could　see。　His　head；　he　reasoned；　was　a　small　target。　Before　the　shells　landed；　he　felt　the　impact　of　their　firing；　the　rumble　came　through　the　ground　like　a　distant　earthquake；　causing　his　loader　to　mutter；　〃Oh；　shit；〃　probably　the　universal　observation　of　men　in　their　situation。
　〃Get　me　regiment；〃　Komanov　ordered。
　〃Yes；　Lieutenant；〃　the　voice　answered。
　〃We　are　under　attack；　rade　Colonel；　massive　artillery　fire　to　the　south。　Guns　and　rockets　car　ing　our…〃
　Then　the　first　impacts　came；　mainly　near　the　river；　well　to　his　south。　The　exploding　shells　were　not　bright；　but　like　little　sparks　of　light　that　fountained　dirt　upward；　followed　by　the　noise。　That　did　sound　like　an　earthquake。　Komanov　had　heard　artillery　fire　before；　and　seen　what　the　shells　do　at　the　far　end；　but　this　was　as　different　from　that　as　an　exploding　oil　tank　was　from　a　cigarette　lighter。
　〃rade　Colonel；　our　country　is　at　war；〃　Post　Five　six　Alfa　reported　to　mand。　〃I　can't　see　enemy　troop　movement　yet；　but　they're　ing。〃
　〃Do　you　have　any　targets？〃　regiment　asked。
　〃No；　none　at　this　time。〃　He　looked　down　into　the　bunker。　His　various　positions　could　just　give　a　direction　to　a　target；　and　when　another　confirmed　it　and　called　in　its　own　vector；　they'd　have　a　pre…plotted　artillery　target　for　the　batteries　in　the　rear…
　…but　those　were　being　hit　already。　The　Chinese　rockets　were　targeted　well　behind　him；　and　that's　what　their　targets　had　to　be。　He　turned　his　head　to　see　the　flashes　and　hear　the　booms　from　ten　kilometers　back。
　
　A　moment　later；　there　was　a　fountaining　explosion　skyward。　One　of　the　first　flight　of　Chinese　rockets　had　gotten　lucky　and　hit　one　of　the　artillery　positions　in　the　rear。　Bad　news　for　that　gun　crew；　Komanov　thought。　The　first　casualties　in　this　war。　There　would　be　many　more　。。。　perhaps　including　himself。　Surprisingly；　that　thought　was　a　distant　one。　Someone　was　attacking　his　country。　It　wasn't　a　supposition　or　a　possibility　anymore。　He　could　see　it；　and　feel　it。　This　was　his　country　they　were　attacking。　He'd　grown　up　in　this　land。　His　parents　lived　here。　His　grandfather　had　fought　the　Germans　here。　His　grandfather's　two　brothers　had；　too；　and　both　had　died　for　their　country；　one　west　of　Kiev　and　the　other　at　Stalingrad。　And　now　these　Chink　bastards　were　attacking　his　country；　too？　More　than　that；　they　were　attacking　him；　Senior　Lieutenant　Valeriy　Mikhailovich　Komanov。　These　foreigners　were　trying　to　kill　him；　his　men；　and　trying　to　steal　part　of　his　country。
　Well；　fuck　that！　he　thought。
　〃Load　HE！〃　he　told　his　loader。
　〃Loaded！〃　the　private　announced。　They　all　heard　the　breech　clang　shut。
　〃No　target；　rade　Lieutenant；〃　the　gunner　observed。
　〃There　will　be；　soon　enough。〃
　〃Post　Five　Nine；　this　is　Five　six　Alfa。　What　can　you　see？〃
　〃We　just　spotted　a　boat；　a　rubber　boat；　ing　out　of　the　trees　on　the　south　bank。。。　more；　more；　more；　many　of　them；　maybe　a　hundred；　maybe　more。〃
　〃Regiment；　this　is　Fifty…six　Alfa；　fire　mission！〃　Komanov　called　over　the　phone。
　
　The　gunners　ten　kilometers　back　were　at　their　guns；　despite　the　falling　Chinese　shells　and　rockets　that　had　already　claimed　three　of　the　fifteen　gun　crews。　The　fire　mission　was　called　in；　and　the　preset　concentration　dialed　in　from　range　books　so　old　they　might　as　well　have　been　engraved　in　marble。　In　each　case；　the　high…explosive　projectile　was　rammed　into　the　breech；　followed　by　the　propellant　charge；　and　the　gun　cranked　up　and　trained　to　the　proper　elevation　and　azimuth；　and　the　lanyards　pulled；　and　the　first　Russian　counterstrokes　in　the　war　just　begun　were　fired。
　Unknown　to　them；　fifteen　kilometers　away　a　fire…finder　radar　was　trained　on　their　positions。　The　millimeter…wave　radar　tracked　the　shells　in　flight　and　a　puter　plotted　their　launch　points。　The　Chinese　knew　that　the　Russians　had　guns　covering　the　border；　and　knew　roughly　where　they　would　be…the　performance　of　the　guns　told　that　tale…but　not　exactly　where；　because　of　the　skillful　Russian　efforts　at　camouflage。　In　this　case；　those　efforts　didn't　matter　too　greatly。　The　calculated　position　of　six　Russian　howitzers　was　instantly　radioed　to　rocket　launchers　that　were　dedicated　counter…battery　weapons。　One　Type…83　launcher　was　detailed　to　each　target；　and　each　of　them　held　four　monster　273…mm　rockets；　each　with　a　payload　of　150　kilograms　of　submunitions；　in　this　case　eighty　hand　grenade…sized　bomblets。　The　first　rocket　launched　three　minutes　after　the　first　Russian　counter…fire　salvo；　and　required　less　than　two　minutes　of　flight　time　from　its　firing　point　ten　kilometers　inside　Chinese　territory。　Of　the　first　six　fired；　five　destroyed　their　targets；　and　then　others；　and　the　Russian　gunfire　died　in　less　than　five　minutes。
　
　〃Why　did　it　stop？〃　Komanov　asked。　He'd　seen　a　few　rounds　hit　among　the　Chinese　infantry　just　getting　out　of　their　boats　on　the　Russian　side　of　the　river。　But　the　shriek　of　shells　overhead　passing　south　had　just　stopped　after　a　few　minutes。　〃Regiment；　this　is　Five　six　Alfa；　why　has　our　fire　stopped？〃
　〃Our　guns　were　taking　counter…battery　fire　from　the　Chinese。　They're　trying　to　get　set　back　up　now；〃　was　the　encouraging　reply。　〃What　is　your　situation？〃
　〃Position　Five…Zero　has　taken　a　little　fire；　but　not　much。　Mainly　they're　hitting　the　reverse　slope　of　the　southern　ridge。〃　That　was　where　the　fake　bunkers　were；　and　the　concrete　lur