tc.thebearandthedragon-第191部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　〃Reload　ADCAP　into　Tube　Two；　and　a　Harpoon　into　Tube　One。〃
　〃Aye；　Cap'n；〃　the　Weapons　Officer　acknowledged。
　〃Where's　that　frigate？〃　he　asked　the　lead　sonarman。
　〃Here；　sir；　Luda…class；　an　old　clunker；　steam…powered；　bearing　two…one…six；　tooling　along　at　about　fourteen　knots；　by　blade　count。〃
　〃Time　on　Unit　Two；〃　the　skipper　called。
　〃Minute　twenty　seconds　to　impact；　sir。〃　The　captain　looked　at　the　display。　If　Sierra…Eleven　had　sonarmen　on　duty；　they　weren't　paying　much　attention　to　the　world　around　them。　That　would　change　shortly。
　〃Okay；　go　active　in　thirty　seconds。〃
　〃Aye；　aye。〃
　On　the　sonar　display；　the　torpedo　was　dead　on　the　tone　line　from　406。　It　seemed　a　shame　to　kill　a　submarine　when　you　didn't　even　know　its　name　。。。
　〃Going　active　on　Unit　Two；〃　Weps　called。
　〃There　it　is；　sir；〃　the　sonarman　said；　pointing　to　a　different　part　of　the　screen。　The　ultrasonic　sonar　lit　up　a　new　line；　and　fifteen　seconds　later…
　…〃Sierra…Eleven　just　kicked　the　gas；　sir；　look　here；　cavitation　and　blade　count　is　going　up；　starting　a　turn　to　starboard　。　。　。　ain't　gonna　matter；　sir；〃　the　sonarman　knew　from　the　display。　You　couldn't　outmaneuver　a　…48。
　〃What　about…Twelve？〃
　〃He's　heard　it；　too；　Cap'n。　Increasing　speed　and…〃　The　sonarman　flipped　his　headphones　off。　〃Yeow！　That　hurt。〃　He　shook　his　head　hard。　〃Unit　impact　on　Sierra…Eleven；　sir。〃
　The　captain　picked　up　a　spare　set　of　headphones　and　plugged　them　in。　The　sea　was　still　rumbling。　The　target's　engine　sounds　had　stopped　almost　at　once…the　visual　display　confirmed　that；　though　the　sixty…hertz　line　showed　her　generators　were　still…no；　they　stopped；　too。　He　heard　and　saw　the　sound　of　blowing　air。　Whoever　he　was；　he　was　trying　to　blow　ballast　and　head　for　the　roof；　but　without　engine　power　。　。　。　no；　not　much　of　a　chance　of　that；　was　there？　Then　he　shifted　his　eyes　to　the　visual　track　of　Sierra…Twelve。　The　fast…attack　had　been　a　little　more　awake；　and　was　turning　radically　to　port；　and　really　kicking　on　the　power。　His　plant　noise　was　way　up；　as　was　his　blade　count　。　。　。　and　he　was　blowing　ballast　tanks；　too　。　。　。　why？
　〃Time　on　Unit　One？〃　the　captain　called。
　〃Thirty　seconds　for　original　plot；　probably　a　little　longer　now。〃
　Not　much　longer；　the　skipper　thought。　The　ADCAP　was　motoring　along　on　the　sunny　side　of　sixty　knots　this　close　to　the　surface　。　。　。　Weps　went　active　on　it；　and　the　fish　was　immediately　in　acquisition。　A　well…trained　crew　would　have　fired　off　a　torpedo　of　their　own；　just　to　scare　their　attacker　off；　and　maybe　escape　if　the　first　fish　missed…not　much　of　a　play；　but　it　cost　you　nothing　to　do　it；　and　maybe　got　you　the　satisfaction　of　having　pany　arrive　in　hell　right　after　you　knocked　on　the　door　。　。　。　but　they　didn't　even　get　a　decoy　off。　They　must　have　all　been　asleep　。　。　。　certainly　not　very　awake　。　。　。　not　very　alert　。　。　。　didn't　they　know　there　was　a　war　going　on　。　。　。　？　Twenty…five　seconds　later；　they　found　out　the　hard　way；　when　another　splotch　appeared　on　the　sonar　display。
　Well；　he　thought；　two　for　two。　That　was　pretty　easy。　He　stepped　back　into　the　attack　center　and　lifted　a　microphone。　〃Now　hear　this。　This　is　the　captain　speaking。　We　just　launched　two　fish　on　a　pair　of　Chim　submarines。　We　won't　be　seeing　either　one　of　them　anymore。　Well　done　to　everybody。　That　is　all。〃　Then　he　looked　over　at　his　munications　officer：　〃Prepare　a　dispatch　to　CINCLANT。　'Four　Zero　six　destroyed　at　。。。　Twenty…Two…Fifty…Six　Zulu　along　with　escorting　SSN。　Now　engaging　Frigate。'　Send　that　off　when　we　get　to　antenna　depth。〃
　〃Yes；　sir。〃
　〃Tracking　party；　we　have　a　frigate　bearing　two…one…six。　Let's　get　a　track　on　him　so　we　can　Harpoon　his　ass。〃
　〃Aye；　sir；〃　said　the　lieutenant　manning　the　tracking　plot。
　
　It　was　approaching　six　in　the　evening　in　Washington；　where　everybody　who　was　somebody　was　watching　TV；　but　not　the　mercial　kind。　The　Dark　Star　feeds　were　going　up　on　encrypted　satellite　links；　and　being　distributed　around　Washington　over　dedicated　military　fiber…optic　lines。　One　of　those；　of　course；　led　to　the　White　House　Situation　Room。
　〃Holy　God；〃　Ryan　said。　〃It's　like　some　kind　of　fucking　video　game。　How　long　have　we　had　this　capability？〃
　〃It's　pretty　new；　Jack；　and　yeah；〃　the　Vice　President　agreed；　〃it　is　kind　of　obscene…but；　well；　it's　just　what　the　operators　see。　I　mean；　the　times　I　splashed　airplanes；　I　got　to　see　it；　just　I　was　in　a　G…suit　with　a　TOMCAT　strapped　to　my　back。　Somehow　this　feels　dirtier；　man。　Like　watching　a　guy　and　a　gal　go　at　it；　and　not　in　training　films…〃
　〃What？〃
　〃That's　what　you　call　porno　flicks　on　the　boats；　Jack；　'training　films。'　But　this　is　like　peeking　in　a　window　on　a　guy's　wedding　night；　and　he　doesn't　know　about　it。。。　feels　kinda　dirty。〃
　〃The　people　will　like　it；〃　Arnie　van　Damm　predicted。　〃The　average　guy　out　there；　especially　kids；　to　them　it'll　be　like　a　movie。〃
　〃Maybe　so；　Arnie；　but　it's　a　snuff　film。　Real　lives　being　snuffed　out；　and　in　large　numbers。　That　division　CP　Diggs　got　with　his　MLRS　rockets…I　mean；　Jesus　Christ。　It　was　like　an　act　of　an　angry　pagan　god；　like　the　meteor　that　got　the　dinosaurs；　like　a　murderer　wasting　a　kid　in　a　schoolyard；〃　Robby　said；　searching　for　just　how　dirty　it　felt　to　him。　But　it　was　business；　not　personal；　for　what　little　consolation　that　might　be　to　the　families　of　the　departed。
　
　〃Getting　some　radio　traffic；〃　Tolkunov　told　General　Bondarenko。　The　intelligence　officer　had　half　a　dozen　electronic…intelligence　groups　out；　listening　in　on　the　frequencies　used　by　the　PLA。　They　usually　spoke　in　coded　phrases　which　were　difficult　to　figure　out；　especially　since　the　words　changed　on　a　day…to…day　basis；　along　with　identifying　names　for　the　units　and　personalities　involved。
　But　the　security　measures　tended　to　fall　by　the　wayside　when　an　emergency　happened；　and　senior　officers　wanted　hard　information　in　a　hurry。　In　this　case；　Bondarenko　had　watched　the　take　from　Grace　Kelly　and　felt　little　pity　for　the　victims；　wishing　only　that　he'd　been　the　one　inflicting　the　casualties；　because　it　was　his　country　the　Chinks　had　invaded。
　〃The　American　artillery　doctrine　is　impressive；　isn't　it？〃　Colonel　Tolkunov　observed。
　〃They've　always　had　good　artillery。　But　so　do　we；　as　this　Peng　fellow　will　discover　in　a　few　hours；〃　CINC…FAR　EAST　replied。　〃What　do　you　think　he'll　do？〃
　〃It　depends　on　what　he　finds　out；〃　the　G…2　replied。　〃The　information　that　gets　to　him　will　probably　be　fairly　confusing；　and　it　will　concern　him；　but　less　than　his　own　mission。〃
　And　that　made　sense；　Gennady　Iosifovich　had　to　agree。　Generals　tended　to　think　in　terms　of　the　missions　assigned　to　them；　leaving　the　missions　of　others　to　those　others；　trusting　them　to　do　the　jobs　assigned　to　them。　It　was　the　only　way　an　army　could　function；　really。　Otherwise　you'd　be　so　worried　about　what　was　happening　around　you　that　you'd　never　get　your　own　work　done；　and　the　entire　thing　would　quickly　grind　to　a　halt。　It　was　called　tunnel　vision　when　it　didn't　work；　and　good　teamwork　when　it　did。
　〃What　about　the　American　deep　strikes？〃
　〃Those　Stealth　aircraft　are　amazing。　The　Chinese　rail　system　is　plete　disrupted。　Our　guests　will　soon　be　running　short　of　fuel。〃
　〃Pity；〃　Bondarenko　observed。　The　Americans　were　efficient　warriors；　and　their　doctrine　of　deep…strike；　which　the　Russian　military　had　scarcely　considered；　could　be　damned　effective　if　you　brought　it　off；　and　if　your　enemy　couldn't　adapt　to　it。　Whether　the　Chinese　could　adapt　was　something　they'd　have　to　see　about。　〃But　they　still　have　sixteen　mechanized　divisions　for　us　to　deal　with。〃
　〃That　is　so；　rade　General；〃　Tolkunov　agreed。
　
　〃FALCON　THREE　to　FALCON　LEADER；　I　see　me　a　SAM　track。　It's　a　Holiday；〃　the　pilot　reported。　〃Hilltop　two　miles　west　of　the　CLOVERLEAF…wait；　there's　a　Duck　there；　too。〃
　〃Anything　else？〃　FALCON　LEAD　asked。　This　captain　manded　the　Apaches　tasked　to　SAM　suppression。
　〃Some　light　flak；　mainly　two…five　mike…mike　set　up　around　the　SAMs。　Request　permission　to　fire；　over。〃
　〃Stand　by；〃　FALCON　LEAD　replied。　〃EAGLE　LEAD；　this　is　FALCON　LEAD；　over。〃
　〃EAGLE　LEAD　copies；　FALCON；〃　Boyle　replied　from　his　Blackhawk。
　〃We　have　SAM　tracks　in　view。　Permission　to　engage；　over。〃
　Boyle　thought　fast。　His　Apaches　now　had　the　tank　laager　in　sight　and　surrounded　on　three　sides。　Okay；　Falcon　was　approaching　the　hill　overlooking　the　laager；　code…named　CLOVERLEAF。　Well；　it　was　about　time。
　〃Permission　granted。　Engage　the　SAMs。　Out。〃
　〃Roger；　engaging。　FALCON　THREE；　this　is　LEAD。　Take　'em　out。〃
　〃Take　your　shot；　Billy；〃　the　pilot　told　his　gunner。
　〃Hellfire；　now！〃　The　gunner　in　the　front　seat　triggered　off　his　first　missile。　The　seven…inch…wide　missile　leaped　off　its　launch…rail　with　a　flare　of　yellow　light；　and　immediately　tracked　on　the　laser　dot。　Through　his　thermal　viewer；　he　saw　a　dismounted　crewman　looking　that　way；　and　he　immediately　pointed　toward　the　helicopter。　He　was　yelling　to　get　someone's　attention；　and　the　race　was　between　the　inbound　missile　and　human　reaction　time。　The　missile　had　to　win。　He　got　the　attention　of　someone；　maybe　his　sergeant　or　lieutenant；　who　then　looked　in　the　direction　he　was　pointing。　You　could　tell　by　the　way　he　cocked　his　head　that　he　didn't　see　anything　at　first；　while　the　first　one　was　jerking　his　arm　like　a　fishing　pole；　and　the　second　one　saw　it；　but　by　that　time　there　was　nothing　for　him　to　do　but　throw　himself　to　the　ground；　and　even　that　was　a　waste　of　energy。　The　Hellfire　hit　the　base　of　the　launcher　assembly　and　exploded；　killing　everything　within　a　ten…meter　circle。
　〃Tough　luck；　Joe。〃　Then　the　gunner　switched　over　to　the　other　one；　the　Holiday　launcher。　This　crew　had　been　alerted　by　the　sound；　and　he　could　see　them　scurrying　to　light　up　their　weapon。　They'd　just　about　gotten　to　their　places　when　the　Duck　launcher　blew　up。
　Next　came　the　flak。　There　were　six　gun　mounts；　equally　divided　between　25…　and　35…mm　twin　gun　sets；　and　those　could　be　nasty。　The　Apache　closed　in。　The　gunner　selected　his　own　20…mm　cannon　and　walked　it　across　every　site。　The　impacts　looked　like　flashbulbs；　and　the　guns　were　knocked　over；　some　with　exploding　ammo　boxes。
　〃EAGLE　LEAD；　FALCON　THREE；　this　hilltop　is　cleaned　oft。　We're　circling　to　make　sure。　No　coverage　over　the　CLOVERLEAF　now。　It's　wide　open。〃