tc.thebearandthedragon-第175部分

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oises　and　put　them　in　a　safe　place　so　the　tanks　wouldn't　squish　'em　and　piss　off　the　tree…huggers。　I　suppose　they're　still　in　there　making　little　turtles；　but　the　damned　things　screw　so　slow　they　must　fall　asleep　doing　it。〃
　〃I　have　told　that　story　many　times；　Marion。〃　Then　the　Russian　turned　serious。　〃I　am　glad　to　see　you。　I　will　be　more　glad　to　see　your　division。〃
　〃How　bad　is　it？〃
　〃It　is　not　good。　e。〃　They　walked　over　to　the　big　wall　map。　〃These　are　their　positions　as　of　thirty　minutes　ago。〃
　〃How　are　you　keeping　track　of　them？〃
　〃We　now　have　your　Dark　Star　invisible　drones；　and　I　have　a　smart　young　captain　on　the　ground　watching　them　as　well。〃
　〃That　far　。　。　。〃　Diggs　said。　Colonel　Masterman　was　right　beside　him　now。　〃Duke？〃　Then　he　looked　at　his　Russian　host。　〃This　is　Colonel　Masterman；　my　G…3。　His　last　job　was　as　a　squadron　mander　in　the　Tenth　Cav。〃
　〃Buffalo　Soldier；　yes？〃
　〃Yes；　sir；〃　Masterman　confirmed　with　a　nod；　but　his　eyes　didn't　leave　the　map。　〃Ambitious　bastards；　aren't　they？〃
　〃Their　first　objective　will　be　here；〃　Colonel　Aliyev　said；　using　a　pointer。　〃This　is　the　Gogol　Gold　Strike。〃
　〃Well；　hell；　if　you're　gonna　steal　something；　might　as　well　be　a　gold　mine；　right？〃　Duke　asked　rhetorically。　〃What　do　you　have　to　stop　them　with？〃
　〃Two…Six…Five　Motor　Rifle　is　here。〃　Aliyev　pointed。
　〃Full　strength？〃
　〃Not　quite；　but　we've　been　training　them　up。　We　have　four　more　motor…rifle　divisions　en　route。　The　first　arrives　at　Chita　tomorrow　noon。〃　Aliyev's　voice　was　a　little　too　optimistic　for　the　situation。　He　didn't　want　to　show　weakness　to　Americans。
　〃That's　still　a　long　way　to　move；〃　Masterman　observed。　He　looked　over　at　his　boss。
　〃What　are　you　planning；　Gennady？〃
　〃I　want　to　take　the　four　Russian　divisions　north　to　link　up　with　the　265th；　and　stop　them　about　here。　Then；　perhaps；　we　will　use　your　forces　to　cross　east　through　here　and　cut　them　off。〃
　Now　it　wasn't　the　Chinese　who　were　being　ambitious；　both　Diggs　and　Masterman　thought。　Moving　First　Infantry　Division　（Mechanized）　from　Fort　Riley；　Kansas；　to　Fort　Carson；　Colorado；　would　have　been　about　the　same　distance；　but　it　would　have　been　on　flat　ground　and　against　no　opposition。　Here　that　task　would　involve　a　lot　of　hills　and　serious　resistance。　Those　factors　did　make　a　difference；　the　American　officers　thought。
　〃No　serious　contact　yet？〃
　Bondarenko　shook　his　head。　〃No；　I'm　keeping　my　mechanized　forces　well　away　from　them。　The　Chinese　are　advancing　against　no　opposition。〃
　〃You　want　'em　to　fall　asleep；　get　sloppy？〃　Masterman　asked。
　〃Da；　better　that　they　should　get　overconfident。〃
　The　American　colonel　nodded。　That　made　good　sense；　and　as　always；　war　was　as　much　a　psychological　game　as　a　physical　one。　〃If　we　jump　off　the　trains　at　Chita；　it's　still　a　long…approach　march　to　where　you　want　us；　General。〃
　〃What　about　fuel？〃　Colonel　Douglas　asked。
　〃That　is　the　one　thing　we　have　plenty　of；〃　answered　Colonel　Aliyev。　〃The　blue　spots　on　the　map；　fuel　storage…it　is　the　same　as　your　Number　Two　Diesel。〃
　〃How　much？〃　Douglas　asked。
　〃At　each　fuel　depot；　one　billion　two　hundred　fifty　million　liters。〃
　〃Shit！〃　Douglas　observed。　〃That　much？〃
　Aliyev　explained；　〃The　fuel　depots　were　established　to　support　a　large　mobile　force　in　a　border　conflict。　They　were　built　in　the　time　of　Nikita　Sergeyevich　Khrushchev。　Huge　concrete…and…steel　storage　tanks；　all　underground；　well　hidden。〃
　〃They　must　be；〃　Mitch　Turner　observed。　〃I've　never　been　briefed　on　them。〃
　〃So；　we　evaded　even　your　satellite　photos；　yes？〃　That　pleased　the　Russian。　〃Each　depot　is　manned　by　a　force　of　twenty　engineers；　with　ample　electric　pumps。〃
　〃I　like　the　locations；〃　Masterman　said。　〃What's　this　unit　here？〃
　〃That　is　BOYAR；　a　reserve　mechanized　force。　The　men　have　just　been　called　up。　Their　weapons　are　from　a　hidden　equipment…storage　bunker。　It's　a　short　division；　old　equipment…T…55s　and　such…but　serviceable。　We're　keeping　that　force　hidden；〃　Aliyev　said。
　The　American　G…3　arched　his　eyebrows。　Maybe　they　were　out…manned；　but　they　weren't　dumb。　That　BOYAR　force　was　in　a　particularly　interesting　place。。。　if　Ivan　could　make　proper　use　of　it。　Their　overall　operational　concept　looked　good…theoretically。　A　lot　of　soldiers　could　e　up　with　good　ideas。　The　problem　was　executing　them。　Did　the　Russians　have　the　ability　to　do　that？　Russia's　military　theorists　were　as　good　as　any　the　world　had　ever　seen…good　enough　that　the　United　States　Army　regularly　stole　their　ideas。　The　problem　was　that　the　U。S。　Army　could　apply　those　theories　to　a　real　battlefield；　and　the　Russians　could　not。
　〃How　are　your　people　handling　this？〃　Masterman　asked。
　〃Our　soldiers；　you　mean？〃　Aliyev　asked。　〃The　Russian　soldier　knows　how　to　fight；〃　he　assured　his　American　counterpart。
　〃Hey；　Colonel；　I　am　not　questioning　their　guts；〃　Duke　assured　his　host。　〃How's　their　spirit；　for　one　thing？〃
　Bondarenko　handled　that　one：　〃Yesterday　I　had　to　face　one　of　my　young　officers；　Komanov；　from　the　border　defenses。　He　was　furious　that　we　were　unable　to　give　him　the　support　he　needed　to　defeat　the　Chinese。　And　I　was　ashamed；〃　the　general　admitted　to　his　guests。　〃My　men　have　the　spirit。　Their　training　is　lacking…I　just　got　here　a　few　months　ago；　and　my　changes　have　barely　begun　to　take　effect。　But；　you　will　see；　the　Russian　soldier　has　always　risen　to　the　occasion；　and　he　will　today…if　we　here　are　worthy　of　him。〃
　Masterman　didn't　share　a　look　with　his　boss。　Diggs　had　spoken　well　of　this　Russian　general；　and　Diggs　was　both　a　good　operational　soldier　and　a　good　judge　of　men。　But　the　Russian　had　just　admitted　that　his　men　weren't　trained　up　as　well　as　they　ought　to　be。　The　good　news　was　that　on　the　battlefield；　men　learned　the　soldier's　trade　rapidly。　The　bad　news　was　that　the　battlefield　was　the　most　brutal　Darwinian　environment　on　the　face　of　the　planet。　Some　men　would　learn；　but　others　would　die　in　the　process；　and　the　Russians　didn't　have　all　that　many　they　could　afford　to　lose。　This　wasn't　1941；　and　they　weren't　fighting　with　half　their　population　base　this　time　around。
　〃You're　going　to　want　us　to　move　out　fast　when　the　trains　drop　us　off　at　Chita？〃　Tony　Welch　asked。　He　was　the　divisional　chief　of　staff。
　〃Yes；〃　Aliyev　confirmed。
　〃Okay；　well；　then　I　need　to　get　down　there　and　look　over　the　facilities。　What　about　fuel　for　our　choppers？〃
　〃Our　air　force　bases　have　fuel　storage　similar　to　the　diesel　depots；〃　Aliyev　told　him。　〃Your　word　is　infrastructure；　yes？　That　is　the　one　thing　we　have　much　of。　When　will　they　arrive？〃
　〃The　Air　Force　is　still　working　that　out。　They're　going　to　fly　our　aviation　brigade　in。　Apaches　first。　Dick　Boyle's　chomping　at　the　bit。〃
　〃We　will　be　very　pleased　to　see　your　attack　helicopters。　We　have　all　too　few　of　our　own；　and　our　air　force　is　also　slow　delivering　them。〃
　〃Duke；〃　Diggs　said；　〃get　on　the　horn　to　the　Air　Force。　We　need　some　choppers　right　the　hell　now；　just　so　we　can　get　around　and　see　what　we　need　to　see。〃
　〃Roger；〃　Masterman　replied。
　〃Let　me　get　a　satellite　radio　set　up；〃　Lieutenant　Colonel　Garvey　said；　heading　for　the　door。
　
　Ingrid　Bergman　was　heading　south　now。　General　Wallace　wanted　a　better　idea　for　the　Chinese　logistical　tail；　and　now　he　was　getting　it。　The　People's　Republic　of　China　was　in　many　ways　like　America　had　been　at　the　turn　of　the　previous　century。　Things　moved　mainly　by　rail。　There　were　no　major　highways　as　Americans　understood　them；　but　a　lot　of　railroads。　Those　were　efficient　for　moving　large　quantities　of　anything　over　medium…to…long　distances；　but　they　were　also　inflexible；　and　hard　to　repair…especially　the　bridges…and　most　of　all　the　tunnels；　and　so　that　was　what　he　and　his　targeting　people　were　looking　at。　The　problem　was　that　they　had　few　bombs　to　drop。　None　of　his　attack　assets…mainly　F…15E　Strike　EAGLEs　at　the　moment…had　flown　over　with　bombs　on　their　wings；　and　he　had　barely　enough　air…to…mud　munitions　for　an　eight…ship　strike　mission。　It　was　like　going　to　a　dance　and　finding　no　girls　there。　The　music　was　fine；　and　so　was　the　fruit　punch；　but　there　really　wasn't　anything　to　do。　Perversely；　his　…15E　crews　didn't　mind。　They　got　to　play　fighter　plane；　and　all　such　people　prefer　shooting　other　airplanes　down　to　dropping　bombs　on　mud　soldiers。　It　just　came　with　the　territory。　The　one　thing　he　had　going　now　was　that　his　scarf…and…goggles　troops　were　playing　hell　with　the　PRC　air　force；　with　over　seventy　confirmed　kills　already　for　not　a　single　air…to…air　loss。　The　advantage　of　having　E…3B　AWACS　aircraft　was　so　decisive　that　the　enemy　might　as　well　have　been　flying　World　War　I　Fokkers；　and　the　Russians　were　learning　rapidly　how　to　make　use　of　E…3B　support。　Their　fighters　were　good　aerodynamic　platforms；　just　lacking　in　legs。　The　Russians　had　never　built　a　fighter　with　fuel　capacity　for　more　than　about　one　hour？　flight　time。　Nor　had　they　ever　learned　how　to　do　midair　refueling；　as　the　Americans　had。　And　so　the　Russian　MiG　and　Sukhoi　fighters　could　go　up；　take　their　instructions　from　the　AWACS；　and　participate　in　one　engagement；　but　then　they　had　to　return　to　base　for　gas。　Half　of　the　kills　his　EAGLE　drivers　had　collected　so　far　were　of　Chinese　fighters　that　had　broken　off　their　fights　to　RTB　for　gas　as　well。　It　wasn't　fair；　but　Wallace；　like　all　Air　Force　fighter　types；　could　hardly　have　cared　less　about　being　fair　in　bat。
　But　Wallace　was　fighting　a　defensive　war　to　this　point。　He　was　successfully　defending　Russian　airspace。　He　was　not　taking　out　Chinese　targets；　not　even　attacking　the　Chinese　troops　on　the　ground　in　Siberia。　So；　though　his　fighters　were　having　a　fine；　successful　war；　they　just　weren't　acplishing　anything　important。　To　that　end；　he　lifted　his　satellite　link　to　America。
　〃We　ain't　got　no　bombs；　General；〃　he　told　Mickey　Moore。
　〃Well；　your　fellow　Air　Scouts　are　maxed　out　on　taskings；　and　Mary　Diggs　is　screaming　to　get　some　trash　haulers　to　get　him　his　chopper　brigade　moved　to　where　he　needs　it。〃
　〃Sir；　this　is　real　simple。　If　you　want　us　to　kill　some　Chinese　targets；　we　have　to　have　bombs。　I　hope　I'm　not　going　too　fast　for　you；〃　Wallace　added。
　〃Go　easy；　Gus；〃　Moore　warned。
　〃Well；　sir；　maybe　it　just　looks　a　little　different　in　Washington；　but　where　I'm　sitting　right　now；　I　have　missions；　but　not　the