tc.thebearandthedragon-第194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！


　〃rade　General；　for　the　answer　to　that　question；　I　suggest　you　consult　the　Iranians　and　the　Iraqis。　I'm　wondering　what　they　might　try　next；　but　thinking　exactly　like　an　American　is　a　skill　I　have　never　mastered。〃
　
　〃They're　moving；〃　Major　Tucker　reported　with　a　stretch　and　a　yawn。　〃Their　reconnaissance　element　just　started　rolling。　Your　people　have　pulled　way　back。　How　e？〃
　〃I　ordered　them　to　collect　rade　Gogol　before　the　Chinese　kill　him；〃　Colonel　Tolkunov　told　the　American。　〃You　look　tired。〃
　〃Hell；　what's　thirty…six　hours　in　the　same　chair？〃　A　helluva　sore　back；　that's　what　it　is；　Tucker　didn't　say。　Despite　the　hours；　he　was　having　the　time　of　his　life。　For　an　Air　Force　officer　who'd　flunked　out　of　pilot　training；　making　him　forever　an　〃unrated　weenie〃　in　Air　Force　parlance；　a　fourth…class　citizen　in　the　Air　Force　pecking　order…below　even　helicopter　pilots…he　was　earning　his　keep　more　and　better　than　he'd　ever　done。　He'd　probably　been　more　valuable　to　his　side　in　this　war　than　even　that　Colonel　Winters；　with　all　his　air…to…air　snuffs。　But　if　anyone　ever　said　such　a　thing　to　him；　he'd　have　to　aw…shucks　it　and　look　humbly　down　at　his　shoes。　Humble；　my　ass；　Tucker　thought。　He　was　proving　the　value　of　a　new　and　untested　asset；　and　doing　so　like　the　Red　Baron　in　his　red　Fokker　Trimotor。　The　Air　Force　was　not　a　service　whose　members　cultivated　humility；　but　his　lack　of　pilot's　wings　had　pelled　him　to　do　just　that　for　all　ten　of　his　years　of　uniformed　service。　The　next　generation　of　UAVs　would　have　weapons　attached；　and　maybe　even　be　able　to　go　air…to…air；　and　then；　maybe；　he'd　show　those　strutting　fighter　jock…itches　who　had　the　real　balls　in　this　man's　Air　Force。　Until　then；　he'd　just　have　to　be　content　gathering　information　that　helped　the　Russians　kill　Joe　Chink　and　all　his　brothers；　and　if　this　was　Nintendo　War；　then　little　Danny　Tucker　was　the　by…God　cock　of　the　by…God　walk　in　this　virtual　world。
　〃You　have　been　most　valuable　to　us；　Major　Tucker。〃　〃Thank　you；　sir。　Glad　to　help；〃　Tucker　replied　with　his　best　little…boy　smile。　Maybe　I'll　grow　me　a　good　mustache。　He　set　the　thought　aside　with　a　smile；　and　sipped　some　instant　coffee　from　a　MRE　pack…the　extra　caffeine　was　about　the　only　thing　keeping　him　up　at　the　moment。　But　the　puter　was　doing　most　of　the　work；　and　it　showed　the　Chinese　reconnaissance　tracks　moving　north。
　
　〃Son　of　a　bitch；〃　Captain　Aleksandrov　breathed。　He'd　heard　about　Gogol's　wolf　pelts　on　state　radio；　but　he　hadn't　seen　the　TV　coverage；　and　the　sight　took　his　breath　away。　Touching　one；　he　halfway　expected　it　to　be　cold　and　stiff　like　wire；　but；　no；　it　was　like　the　perfect　hair　of　a　perfect　blonde　。　。　。
　〃And　who　might　you　be？〃　The　old　man　was　holding　a　rifle　and　had　a　decidedly　gimlet　eye。
　〃I　am　Captain　Fedor　Il'ych　Aleksandrov；　and　I　imagine　you　are　Pavel　Petrovich　Gogol。〃
　A　nod　and　a　smile。　〃You　like　my　furs；　rade　Captain？〃
　〃They　are　unlike　anything　I　have　ever　seen。　We　have　to　take　these　with　us。〃
　〃Take？　Take　where？　I'm　not　going　anywhere；〃　Pasha　said。
　〃rade　Gogol；　I　have　my　orders…to　get　you　away　from　here。　Those　orders　e　from　Headquarters　Far　East　mand；　and　those　orders　will　be　obeyed；　Pavel　Petrovich。〃
　〃No　Chink　is　going　to　chase　me　off　my　land！〃　His　old　voice　thundered。
　〃No；　rade　Gogol；　but　soldiers　of　the　Russian　Army　will　not　leave　you　here　to　die。　So；　that　is　the　rifle　you　killed　Germans　with？〃
　〃Yes；　many；　many　Germans；〃　Gogol　confirmed。
　〃Then　e　with　us；　and　maybe　you　can　kill　some　yellow　invaders。〃
　〃Who　exactly　are　you？〃
　〃Reconnaissance　pany　mander；　Two…Six…Five　Motor　Rifle　Division。　We've　been　playing　hide…and…seek　with　the　Chinks　for　four　long　days；　and　now　we're　ready　to　do　some　real　fighting。　Join　us；　Pavel　Petrovich。　You　can　probably　teach　us　a　few　things　we　need　to　know。〃　The　young　handsome　captain　spoke　in　his　most　reasonable　and　respectful　tones；　for　this　old　warrior　truly　deserved　it。　The　tone　turned　the　trick。
　〃You　promise　me　I　will　get　to　take　one　shot？〃
　〃My　word　as　a　Russian　officer；　rade；〃　Aleksandrov　pledged；　with　a　bob　of　his　head。
　〃Then　I　e。〃　Gogol　was　already　dressed　for　it…the　heat　in　his　cabin　was　turned　off。　He　shouldered　his　old　rifle　and　an　ammunition　pack　containing　forty　rounds…he'd　never　gone　into　the　field　with　more　than　that…and　walked　to　the　door。　〃Help　me　with　my　wolves；　boy；　will　you？〃
　〃Gladly；　Grandfather。〃　Then　Aleksandrov　found　out　how　heavy　they　were。　But　he　and　Buikov　managed　to　toss　them　inside　their　BRM；　and　the　driver　headed　off。
　〃Where　are　they？〃
　〃About　ten　kilometers　back。　We've　been　in　visual　contact　with　them　for　days；　but　they've　pulled　us　back。　Away　from　them。〃
　〃Why？〃
　〃To　save　you；　you　old　fool；〃　Buikov　observed　with　a　laugh。　〃And　to　save　these　pelts。　These　are　too　good　to　drape　over　the　body　of　some　Chinese　strumpet！〃
　〃I　think；　Pasha…I　am　not　sure；〃　the　captain　said；　〃but　I　think　it's　time　for　our　Chinese　guests　to　get　a　proper　Russian　wele。〃
　〃Captain；　look！〃　the　driver　called。
　Aleksandrov　lifted　his　head　out　the　big　top　hatch　and　looked　forward。　A　senior　officer　was　waving　to　him　to　e　forward　more　quickly。　Three　minutes　later；　they　halted　alongside　him。
　〃You　are　Aleksandrov？〃
　〃Yes；　rade　General！〃　the　young　man　confirmed　to　the　senior　officer。
　〃I　am　General　Sinyavskiy。　You've　done　well；　boy。　e　out　here　and　talk　to　me；〃　he　ordered　in　a　gruff　voice　that　was　not；　however；　unkind。
　Aleksandrov　had　only　once　seen　his　senior　mander；　and　then　only　at　a　distance。　He　was　not　a　large　man；　but　you　didn't　want　him　as　a　physical　enemy　in　a　small　room。　He　was　chewing　on　a　cigar　that　had　gone　out　seemingly　hours　before；　and　his　blue　eyes　blazed。
　〃Who　is　this？〃　Sinyavskiy　demanded。　Then　his　face　changed。　〃Are　you　the　famous　Pasha？〃　he　asked　more　respectfully。
　〃Senior　Sergeant　Gogol　of　the　Iron　and　Steel　Division；〃　the　old　man　said　with　great　dignity；　and　a　salute　which　Sinyavskiy　returned　crisply。
　〃I　understand　you　killed　some　Germans　in　your　day。　How　many；　Sergeant？〃
　〃Count　for　yourself；　rade　General；〃　Gogol　said；　handing　his　rifle　over。
　〃Damn；〃　the　general　observed；　looking　at　the　notches；　like　those　on　the　pistol　of　some　American　cowboy。　〃I　believe　you　really　did　it。　But　bat　is　a　young　man's　game；　Pavel　Petrovich。　Let　me　get　you　to　a　place　of　safety。〃
　Gogol　shook　his　head。　〃This　captain　promised　me　one　shot；　or　I　would　not　have　left　my　home。〃
　〃Is　that　a　fact？〃　The　manding　general　of　265th　Motor　Rifle　looked　around。　〃Captain　Aleksandrov；　very　well；　we'll　give　our　old　rade　his　one　shot。〃　He　pointed　to　a　place　on　the　map　before　him。　〃This　should　be　a　good　spot　for　you。　And　when　you　can；　get　him　the　hell　away　from　there；〃　Sinyavskiy　told　the　young　man。　〃Head　back　this　way　to　our　lines。　They'll　be　expecting　you。　Boy；　you've　done　a　fine　job　shadowing　them　all　the　way　up。　Your　reward　will　be　to　see　how　we　greet　the　bastards。〃
　〃Behind　the　reconnaissance　element　is　a　large　force。〃
　〃I　know。　I've　been　watching　them　on　TV　for　a　day　and　a　half；　but　our　American　friends　have　cut　off　their　supplies。　And　we　will　stop　them；　and　we　will　stop　them　right　here。〃
　Aleksandrov　checked　the　map　reference。　It　looked　like　a　good　spot　with　a　good　field　of　fire；　and　best　of　all；　an　excellent　route　to　run　away　on。　〃How　long？〃　he　asked。
　〃Two　hours；　I　should　think。　Their　main　body　is　catching　up　with　the　screen。　Your　first　job　is　to　make　their　screen　vehicles　disappear。〃
　〃Yes；　rade　General；　that　we　can　do　for　you！〃　the　captain　responded　with　enthusiasm。
　
　Sunrise　found　Marion　Diggs　in　a　strangely　bizarre　environment。　Physically；　the　surroundings　reminded　him　of　Fort　Carson；　Colorado；　with　its　rolling　hills　and　patchy　pine　woods；　but　it　was　unlike　America　in　its　lack　of　paved　roads　or　civilization；　and　that　explained　why　the　Chinese　had　invaded　here。　With　little　civilian　population　out　here；　there　was　no　infrastructure　or　population　base　to　provide　for　the　area's　defense；　and　that　had　made　things　a　lot　easier　for　John　Chinaman。　Diggs　didn't　mind　it；　either。　It　was　like　his　experience　in　the　Persian　Gulf…no　nonbatants　to　get　in　the　way…and　that　was　good。
　But　there　were　a　lot　of　Chinese　to　get　in　the　way。　Mike　Francisco's　First　Brigade　had　debauched　into　the　main　logistics　area　for　the　Chinese　advance。　The　ground　was　carpeted　with　trucks　and　soldiers；　but　while　most　of　them　were　armed；　few　were　organized　into　cohesive　tactical　units；　and　that　made　all　the　difference。　Colonel　Miguel　Francisco's　brigade　of　four　battalions　had　been　organized　for　bat　with　the　infantry　and　tank　battalions　integrated　into　unified　battalion　task　groups　of　mixed　tanks　and　Bradleys；　and　these　were　sweeping　across　the　ground　like　a　harvesting　machine　in　Kansas　in　August。　If　it　was　painted　green；　it　was　shot。
　The　monstrous　Abrams　main…battle　tanks　moved　over　the　rolling　ground　like　creatures　from　Jurassic　Park…alien；　evil；　and　unstoppable；　their　gun　turrets　traversing　left　and　right…but　without　firing　their　main　guns。　The　real　work　was　being　done　by　the　tank　manders　and　their　M2　。50　machine　guns；　which　could　turn　any　truck　into　an　immobile　collection　of　steel　and　canvas。　Just　a　short　burst　into　the　engine　made　sure　that　the　pistons　would　never　move　again；　and　the　cargo　in　the　back　would　remain　where　it　was；　for　inspection　by　intelligence　officers；　or　destruction　by　explosives…carrying　engineer　troops　who　came　behind　the　tanks　in　their　HMMWVs。　Some　resistance　was　offered　by　the　Chinese　soldiers；　but　only　by　the　dumb　ones；　and　never　for　long。　Even　those　with　man…portable　anti…tank　weapons　rarely　got　close　enough　to　use　them；　and　those　few　who　popped　up　from　Wolfholes　only　scratched　the　paint　on　the　tanks；　and　usually　paid　for　their　foolishness　with　their　lives。　At　one　point；　a　battalion　of　infantry　did　launch　a　deliberate　attack；　supported　by　mortars　that　forced　the　tank　and　Bradley　crews　to　button　up　and　reply　with　organized　fire。　Five　minutes　of　155…mm　fire　and　a　remorseless　advance　by　the　Bradleys；　spitting　fire　from　their　chain　guns　and　through　the　firing　ports　for　the　mounted　infantry　inside；　made　them　look　like　fire…breathing　dragons；　and　these　dragons　were　not　a　sign　of　good　luck　for　the　Chinese　soldiers。　That　battalion　evaporated　in　twenty　minutes；　along　with　its　dedicated　but　doomed　mander。
　In