tc.thebearandthedragon-第171部分

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out　the　Chinese　infantry。〃
　〃They　are　not　cowards；　rade　General。　They　take　fire　and　act　properly　under　it。　They　are　well…drilled。　My　position　and　the　one　next　to　us　took　down　at　least　two　hundred；　and　they　kept　ing。　Their　battle　drill　is　quite　good；　like　a　soccer　team。　If　you　do　this；　they　do　that；　almost　instantly。　For　certain；　they　call　in　artillery　fire　with　great　skill。〃
　〃They　had　the　batteries　already　lined　up；　Lieutenant；　lined　up　and　waiting；〃　Aliyev　told　the　junior　officer。　〃It　helps　if　you　are　following　a　prepared　script。　Anything　else？〃
　〃We　never　saw　a　tank。　They　had　us　taken　out　before　they　finished　their　bridges。　Their　infantry　looked　well…prepared；　well…trained；　even　eager　to　move　forward。　I　did　not　see　evidence　of　flexible　thinking；　but　I　did　not　see　much　of　anything；　and　as　you　say；　their　part　of　the　operation　was　preplanned；　and　thoroughly　rehearsed。〃
　〃Typically；　the　Chinese　tell　their　men　a　good　deal　about　their　planned　operations　beforehand。　They　don't　believe　in　secrecy　the　way　we　do；〃　Aliyev　said。　〃Perhaps　it　makes　for　radely　solidarity　on　the　battlefield。〃
　〃But　things　are　going　their　way；　Audrey。　The　measure　of　an　army　is　how　it　reacts　when　things　go　badly。　We　haven't　seen　that　yet；　however。〃　And　would　they　ever？　Bondarenko　wondered。　He　shook　his　head。　He　had　to　banish　that　sort　of　thinking　from　his　mind。　If　he　had　no　confidence；　how　could　his　men　have　it？　〃What　about　your　men；　Valeriy　Mikhailovich？　How　did　they　fight？〃
　〃We　fought；　rade　General；〃　Komanov　assured　the　senior　officer。　〃We　killed　two　hundred；　and　we　would　have　killed　many　more　with　a　little　artillery　support。〃
　〃Will　your　men　fight　some　more？〃　Aliyev　asked。
　〃Fuck；　yes！〃　Komanov　snarled　back。　〃Those　little　bastards　are　invading　our　country。　Give　us　the　right　weapons；　and　we'll　fucking　kill　them　all！〃
　〃Did　you　graduate　tank　school？〃
　Komanov　bobbed　his　head　like　a　cadet。　〃Yes；　rade　General；　eighth　in　my　class。〃
　〃Give　him　a　pany　with　BOYAR；〃　the　general　told　his　ops　officer。　〃They're　short　of　officers。〃
　
　Major　General　Marion　Diggs　was　in　the　third　train　out　of　Berlin；　it　wasn't　his　choosing；　just　the　way　things　worked　out。　He　was　thirty　minutes　behind　Angelo　Giusti's　cavalry　squadron。　The　Russians　were　running　their　trains　as　closely　together　as　safety　allowed；　and　probably　even　shading　that　somewhat。　What　was　working　was　that　the　Russian　national　train　system　was　fully　electrified；　which　meant　that　the　engines　accelerated　well　out　of　stations　and　out　of　the　slow　orders　caused　by　track　problems；　which　were　numerous。
　Diggs　had　grown　up　in　Chicago。　His　father　had　been　a　Pullman　porter　with　the　Atchison；　Topeka；　and　Santa　Fe　Railroad；　working　the　Super　Chief　between　Chicago　and　Los　Angeles　until　the　passenger　service　had　died　in　the　early　1970s；　then；　remarkably　enough；　he'd　changed　unions　to　bee　an　engineer。　Marion　remembered　riding　with　him　as　a　boy；　and　loving　the　feel　of　such　a　massive　piece　of　equipment　under　his　hands…and　so；　when　he'd　gone　to　West　Point；　he'd　decided　to　be　a　tanker；　and　better　yet；　a　cavalryman。　Now　he　owned　a　lot　of　heavy　equipment。
　It　was　his　first　time　in　Russia；　a　place　he　certainly　hadn't　expected　to　see　when　he'd　been　in　the　first　half　of　his　uniformed　career；　when　the　Russians　he'd　worried　about　seeing　had　been　mainly　from　First　Guards　Tank　and　Third　Shock　armies；　those　massive　formations　that　had　once　sat　in　East　Germany；　always　poised　to　take　a　nice　little　drive　to　Paris；　or　so　NATO　had　feared。
　But　no　more；　now　that　Russia　was　part　of　NATO；　an　idea　that　was　like　something　from　a　bad　science…fiction　movie。　There　was　no　denying　it；　however。　Looking　out　the　windows　of　the　train　car；　he　could　see　the　onion…topped　spires　of　Russian　Orthodox　churches；　ones　that　Stalin　had　evidently　failed　to　tear　down。　The　railyards　were　pretty　familiar。　Never　the　most　artistic　examples　of　architecture　or　city　planning；　they　looked　the　same　as　the　dreary　yards　leading　into　Chicago　or　any　other　American　city。　No；　only　the　train　yards　that　you　built　under　your　Christmas　tree　every　year　were　pretty。　But　they　didn't　have　any　Christmas　trees　in　evidence　here。　The　train　rolled　to　a　stop；　probably　waiting　for　a　signal　to　proceed…
　…but　no；　this　looked　to　be　some　sort　of　military　terminal。　Russian　tanks　were　in　evidence　off　to　the　right；　and　a　lot　of　sloped　concrete　ramps…the　Russians　had　probably　built　this　place　to　ship　their　own　tracked　vehicles　west；　he　judged。
　〃General？〃　a　voice　called。
　〃Yo！〃
　〃Somebody　here　to　see　you；　sir；〃　the　same　voice　announced。
　Diggs　stood　and　walked　back　to　the　sound。　It　was　one　of　his　junior　staff　officers；　a　new　one　fresh　from　Leavenworth；　and　behind　him　was　a　Russian　general　officer。
　〃You　are　Diggs？〃　the　Russian　asked　in　fair　English。
　〃That's　right。〃
　〃e　with　me　please。〃　The　Russian　walked　out　onto　the　platform。　The　air　was　fresh；　but　they　were　under　low；　gray　clouds　this　morning。
　〃You　going　to　tell　me　how　things　are　going　out　east？〃　Diggs　asked。
　〃We　wish　to　fly　you　and　some　of　your　staff　to　Chabarsovil　so　that　you　can　see　for　yourself。〃
　That　made　good　sense；　Diggs　thought。　〃How　many？〃
　〃Six；　plus　you。〃
　〃Okay。〃　The　general　nodded　and　reached　for　the　captain　who'd　summoned　him　from　his　seat。　〃I　want　Colonels　Masterman；　Douglas；　Welch；　Turner；　Major　Hurst；　and　Lieutenant　Colonel　Garvey。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃　The　boy　disappeared。
　〃How　soon？〃
　〃The　transport　is　waiting　for　you　now。〃
　One　of　theirs；　Diggs　thought。　He'd　never　flown　on　a　Russian　aircraft　before。　How　safe　would　it　be？　How　safe　would　it　be　to　fly　into　a　war　zone？　Well；　the　Army　didn't　pay　him　to　stay　in　safe　places。
　〃Who　are　you？〃
　〃Nosenko；　Valentin　Nosenko；　general　major；　Stavka。〃
　〃How　bad　is　it？〃
　〃It　is　not　good；　General　Diggs。　Our　main　problem　will　be　getting　reinforcements　to　the　theater　of　action。　But　they　have　rivers　to　cross。　The　difficulties；　as　you　Americans　say；　should　even　out。〃
　Diggs's　main　worry　was　supply。　His　tanks　and　Bradleys　all　had　basic　ammo　loads　already　aboard；　and　two　and　a　half　additional　such　loads　for　each　vehicle　were　on　supply　trucks　sitting　on　other　trains　like　this　one。　After　that；　things　got　a　little　worrisome；　especially　for　artillery。　But　the　biggest　worry　of　all　was　diesel　fuel。　He　had　enough　to　move　his　division　maybe　three　or　four　hundred　miles。　That　was　a　good　long　way　in　a　straight　line；　but　wars　never　allowed　troops　to　travel　in　straight　lines。　That　translated　to　maybe　two　hundred　miles　of　actual　travel　at　best；　and　that　was　not　an　impressive　number　at　all。　Then　there　was　the　question　of　jet　fuel　for　his　organic　aircraft。　So；　his　head　logistician；　Colonel　Ted　Douglas；　was　the　first　guy　he　needed；　after　Master　man；　his　operations　brain。　The　officers　started　showing　up。
　〃What　gives；　sir？〃　Masterman　asked。
　〃We're　flying　east　to　see　what's　going　on。〃
　〃Okay；　let　me　make　sure　we　have　some　munications　gear。〃　Masterman　disappeared　again。　He　left　the　train　car；　along　with　two　enlisted　men　humping　satellite　radio　equipment。
　〃Good　call；　Duke；〃　LTC　Garvey　observed。　He　was　munications　and　electronic　intelligence　for　First　Tanks。
　〃Gentlemen；　this　is　General　Nosenko　from　Stavka。　He's　taking　us　east；　I　gather？〃
　〃Correct；　I　am　an　intelligence　officer　for　Stavka。　This　way；　please。〃　He　led　them　off；　to　where　four　cars　were　waiting。　The　drive　to　a　military　airport　took　twenty　minutes。
　〃How　are　your　people　taking　this？〃　Diggs　asked。
　〃The　civilians；　you　mean？　Too　soon　to　tell。　Much　disbelief；　but　some　anger。　Anger　is　good；〃　Nosenko　said。　〃Anger　gives　courage　and　determination。〃
　If　the　Russians　were　talking　about　anger　and　determination；　the　situation　must　be　pretty　bad；　Diggs　thought；　looking　out　at　the　streets　of　the　Moscow　suburbs。
　〃What　are　you　moving　east　ahead　of　us？〃
　〃So　far；　four　motor…rifle　divisions；〃　Nosenko　answered。　〃Those　are　our　best…prepared　formations。　We　are　assembling　other　forces。〃
　〃I've　been　out　of　touch。　What　else　is　NATO　sending？　Anything？〃　Diggs　asked　next。
　〃A　British　brigade　is　forming　up　now；　the　men　based　at　Hohne。　We　hope　to　have　them　on　the　way　here　in　two　days。〃
　〃No　way　we'd　go　into　action　without　at　least　the　Brits　to　back　us　up；〃　Diggs　said。　〃Good；　they're　equipped　about　the　same　way　we　are。〃　And　better　yet；　they　trained　according　to　the　same　doctrine。　Hohne；　he　thought；　their　22nd　Brigade　from　Haig　Barracks；　Brigadier　Sam　Turner。　Drank　whiskey　like　it　was　Perrier；　but　a　good　thinker　and　a　superior　tactician。　And　his　brigade　was　all　trained　up　from　some　fun　and　games　down　at　Grafenwohr。　〃What　about　Germans？〃
　〃That's　a　political　question；〃　Nosenko　admitted。
　〃Tell　your　politicians　that　Hitler's　dead；　Valentin。　The　Germans　are　pretty　good　to　have　on　your　side。　Trust　me；　buddy。　We　play　with　them　all　the　time。　They're　down　a　little　from　ten　years　ago；　but　the　German　soldier　ain't　no　dummy；　and　neither　are　his　officers。　Their　reconnaissance　units　are　particularly　good。〃
　〃Yes；　but　that　is　a　political　question；〃　Nosenko　repeated。　And　that；　Diggs　knew；　was　that；　at　least　for　now。
　The　aircraft　waiting　was　an　II…86；　known　to　NATO　as　the　Camber；　manifestly　the　Russian　copy　of　Lockheed's　C…141　Starlifter。　This　one　had　Aeroflot　mercial　markings；　but　retained　the　gun　position　in　the　tail　that　the　Russians　liked　to　keep　on　all　their　tactical　aircraft。　Diggs　didn't　object　to　it　at　the　moment。　They'd　scarcely　had　the　chance　to　sit　down　and　strap　in　when　the　aircraft　started　rolling。
　〃In　a　hurry；　Valentin？〃
　〃Why　wait；　General　Diggs？　There's　a　war　on；〃　he　reminded　his　guest。
　〃Okay；　what　do　we　know？〃
　Nosenko　opened　the　map　case　he'd　been　carrying　and　laid　out　a　large　sheet　on　the　floor　as　the　aircraft　lifted　off。　It　was　of　the　Chinese…Russian　border　on　the　Amur　River；　with　markings　already　penciled　on。　The　American　officers　all　leaned　over　to　look。
　〃They　came　in　here；　and　drove　across　the　river　。。。〃
　
　〃How　fast　are　they　moving？〃　Bondarenko　asked。　〃I　have　a　reconnaissance　pany　ahead　of　them。　They　report　in　every　fifteen　minutes；〃　Colonel　Tolkunov　replied。　〃They　are　moving　in　a　deliberate　manner。　Their　reconnaissance　screen　is　posed　of　WZ…501　tracked　APCs；　heavy　on　radios；　light　on　weapons。　They　are　on　the　whole　not　very　enterprising；　however。　As　I　said；　deliberate。　They　move　by　le