tc.thebearandthedragon-第201部分

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　〃It's　just　what　you　see。　They're　talking　about　fueling　their　intercontinental　missiles。　At　least　two　of　them　are　aimed　at　Washington。〃
　〃Great。　Now　what？〃
　〃I　just　tasked　a　KH…11　to　give　their　launch　sites　a　close　look。　There's　two　of　them；　Jack。　The　one　we　need　to　look　at　is　Xuanhua。　That's　at　about　forty　degrees；　thirty…eight　minutes　north；　one　hundred　fifteen　degrees；　six　minutes　east。　Twelve　silos　with　CCC…4　missiles　inside。　This　is　one　of　the　newer　ones；　and　it　replaced　older　sites　that　stored　the　missiles　in　caves　or　tunnels。　Straight；　vertical；　in…the…ground　silos。　The　entire　missile　field　is　about　six　miles　by　six　miles。　The　silos　are　well　separated　so　that　a　single　nuclear　impact　can't　take　out　any　two　missiles；〃　MP　explained；　manifestly　looking　at　overheads　of　the　place　as　she　spoke。
　〃How　serious　is　this？〃
　A　new　voice　came　on　the　line。　〃Jack；　it's　Ed。　We　have　to　take　this　one　seriously。　The　naval　bombardment　on　their　coast　might　have　set　them　off。　The　damned　fools　think　we　might　be　attempting　a　no…shit　invasion。〃
　〃What？　What　with？〃　the　President　demanded。
　〃They　can　be　very　insular　thinkers；　Jack；　and　they're　not　always　logical　by　our　rules；〃　Ed　Foley　told　him。
　〃Great。　Okay。　You　two　e　on　down　here。　Bring　your　best　China　guy　with　you。〃
　〃On　the　way；〃　the　DCI　replied。
　Ryan　hung　up　and　looked　at　Joe　Hilton。　〃Wake　everybody　up。　The　Chinese　may　be　going　squirrelly　on　us。〃
　
　The　drive　up　the　Potomac　River　hadn't　been　easy。　Captain　Blandy　hadn't　wanted　to　wait　for　a　river　pilot　to　help　guide　him　up　the　river…naval　officers　tend　to　be　overly　proud　when　it　es　to　navigating　their　ships…and　that　had　made　it　quite　tense　for　the　bridge　watch。　Rarely　was　the　channel　more　than　a　few　hundred　yards　wide；　and　cruisers　are　deepwater　ships；　not　riverboats。　Once　they　came　within　a　few　yards　of　a　mudbank；　but　the　navigator　got　them　clear　of　it　with　a　timely　rudder　order。　The　ship's　radar　was　up　and　running…people　were　actually　afraid　to　turn　off　the　billboard　system　because　it；　like　most　mechanical　contrivances；　preferred　operation　to　idleness；　and　switching　it　off　might　have　broken　something。　As　it　was；　the　RF　energy　radiating　from　the　four　huge　billboard　transmitters　on　Gettysburg's　superstructure　had　played　hell　with　numerous　television　sets　on　the　way　northwest；　but　that　couldn't　be　helped；　and　probably　nobody　noticed　the　cruiser　in　the　river　anyway；　not　at　this　time　of　night。　Finally；　Gettysburg　glided　to　a　halt　within　sight　of　the　Woodrow　Wilson　bridge；　and　had　to　wait　for　traffic　to　be　halted　on　the　D。C。　Beltway。　This　resulted　in　the　usual　road　rage；　but　at　this　time　of　night　there　weren't　that　many　people　to　be　outraged；　though　one　or　two　did　honk　their　horns　when　the　ship　passed　through　the　open　drawbridge　span。　Perhaps　they　were　New　Yorkers；　Captain　Blandy　thought。　From　there　it　was　another　turn　to　starboard　into　the　Anacostia　River；　through　another　drawbridge；　this　one　named　for　John　Philip　Sousa…acpanied　by　more　surprised　looks　from　the　few　drivers　out…and　then　a　gentle　docking　alongside　the　pier　that　was　also　home　to　USS　Barry；　a　retired　destroyer　relegated　to　museum　status。
　The　line　handlers　on　the　pier；　Captain　Blandy　saw；　were　mainly　civilians。　Wasn't　that　a　hell　of　a　thing？
　The　〃evolution〃…that；　Gregory　had　learned；　was　what　the　Navy　called　parking　a　boat…had　been　interesting　but　unremarkable　to　observe；　though　the　skipper　looked　quite　relieved　to　have　it　all　behind　him。
　〃Finished　with　engines；〃　the　CO　told　the　engine　room；　and　let　out　a　long　breath；　shared；　Gregory　could　see；　by　the　entire　bridge　crew。
　〃Captain？〃　the　retired　Army　officer　asked。
　〃Yes？〃
　〃What　is　this　all　about；　exactly？〃
　〃Well；　isn't　it　kinda　obvious？〃　Blandy　responded。　〃We　have　a　shooting　war　with　the　Chinese。　They　have　ICBMs；　and　I　suppose　the　SecDef　wants　to　be　able　to　shoot　them　down　if　they　loft　one　at　Washington。　SACLANT　is　also　sending　an　Aegis　to　New　York；　and　I'd　bet　Pacific　Fleet　has　some　looking　out　for　Los　Angeles　and　San　Francisco。　Probably　Seattle；　too。　There's　a　lot　of　ships　there　anyway；　and　a　good　weapons　locker。　Do　you　have　spare　copies　of　your　software？〃
　〃Sure。〃
　〃Well；　we'll　have　a　phone　line　from　the　dock　in　a　few　minutes。　We'll　see　if　there's　a　way　for　you　to　upload　it　to　other　interested　parties。〃
　〃Oh；〃　Dr。　Gregory　observed　quietly。　He　really　should　have　thought　that　one　all　the　way　through。
　
　This　is　RED　WOLF　FOUR。　I　have　visual　contact　with　the　Chinese　advance　guard；〃　the　regimental　mander　called　on　the　radio。　〃About　ten　kilometers　south　of　us。〃
　〃Very　well；〃　Sinyavskiy　replied。　Just　where　Bondarenko　and　his　American　helpers　said　they　were。　Good。　There　were　two　other　general　officers　in　his　mand　post；　the　CGs　of　201st　and　80th　Motor　Rifle　divisions；　and　the　mander　of　the　34th　was　supposed　to　be　on　his　way　as　well；　though　94th　had　turned　and　reoriented　itself　to　attack　east　from　a　point　about　thirty　kilometers　to　the　south。
　Sinyavskiy　took　the　old；　sodden　cigar　from　his　mouth　and　tossed　it　out　into　the　grass；　pulling　another　from　his　tunic　pocket　and　lighting　it。　It　was　a　Cuban　cigar；　and　superb　in　its　mildness。　His　artillery　mander　was　on　the　other　side　of　the　map　table…just　a　couple　of　planks　on　sawhorses；　which　was　perfect　for　the　moment。　Close　by　were　holes　dug　should　the　Chinese　send　some　artillery　fire　their　way；　and　most　important　of　all；　the　wires　which　led　to　his　munications　station；　set　a　full　kilometer　to　the　west…that　was　the　first　thing　the　Chinese　would　try　to　shoot　at；　because　they'd　expect　him　to　be　there。　In　fact　the　only　humans　present　were　four　officers　and　seven　sergeants；　in　armored　personnel　carriers　dug　into　the　ground　for　safety。　It　was　their　job　to　repair　anything　the　Chinese　might　manage　to　break。
　〃So；　rades；　they　e　right　into　our　parlor；　eh？〃　he　said　for　those　around　him。　Sinyavskiy　had　been　a　soldier　for　twenty…six　years。　Oddly；　he　was　not　the　son　of　a　soldier。　His　father　was　an　instructor　in　geology　at　Moscow　State　University；　but　ever　since　the　first　war　movie　he'd　seen；　this　was　the　profession　he'd　craved　to　join。　He'd　done　all　the　work；　attended　all　the　schools；　studied　history　with　the　manic　attention　mon　in　the　Russian　army；　and　the　Red　Army　before　it。　This　would　be　his　Battle　of　the　Kursk　Bulge；　remembering　the　battle　where　Vatutin　and　Rokossovskiy　had　smashed　Hitler's　last　attempt　to　retake　the　offensive　in　Russia…where　his　mother　country　had　begun　the　long　march　that　had　ended　at　the　Reich　Chancellery　in　Berlin。　There；　too；　the　Red　Army　had　been　the　recipient　of　brilliant　intelligence　information；　letting　them　know　the　time；　place；　and　character　of　the　German　attack；　and　so　allowing　them　to　prepare　so　well　that　even　the　best　of　the　German　field　manders；　Erich　von　Manstein；　could　do　no　more　than　break　his　teeth　on　the　Russian　steel。
　And　so　it　will　be　here；　Sinyavskiy　promised　himself。　The　only　unsatisfactory　part　was　that　he　was　stuck　here　in　this　camouflaged　tent　instead　of　in　the　line　with　his　men；　but；　no；　he　wasn't　a　captain　anymore；　and　his　place　was　here；　to　fight　the　battle　on　a　goddamned　printed　map。
　〃RED　WOLF；　you　will　mence　firing　when　the　advance　guard　gets　to　within　eight　hundred　meters。〃
　〃Eight　hundred　meters；　rade　General；〃　the　mander　of　his　tank　regiment　acknowledged。　〃I　can　see　them　quite　clearly　now。〃
　〃What　exactly　can　you　see？〃
　〃It　appears　to　be　a　battalion…strength　formation；　principally　Type　90　tanks；　some　Type　98s　but　not　too　many　of　those；　spread　out　as　though　they　went　to　sub…unit　manders。　Numerous　tracked　personnel　carriers。　I　do　not　see　any　artillery…spotting　vehicles；　however。　What　do　we　know　of　their　artillery？〃
　〃It's　rolling；　not　set　up　for　firing。　We're　watching　them；〃　Sinyavskiy　assured　him。
　〃Excellent。　They　are　now　two　kilometers　off　by　my　range　finder。〃
　〃Stand　by。〃
　〃I　will　do　that；　mand。〃
　〃I　hate　waiting；〃　Sinyavskiy　mented　to　the　officers　around　him。　They　all　nodded；　having　the　same　prejudice。　He　hadn't　seen　Afghanistan　in　his　younger　years；　having　served　mainly　in　1st　and　2nd　Guards　lank　armies　in　Germany　back　then；　preparing　to　fight　against　NATO；　an　event　which　blessedly　had　never　taken　place。　This　was　his　very　first　experience　with　real　bat；　and　it　hadn't　really　started　yet；　and　he　was　ready　for　it　to　start。
　
　〃Okay；　if　they　light　those　missiles　up；　what　can　we　do　about　it？〃　Ryan　asked。
　〃If　they　launch　'em；　there's　not　a　goddamned　thing　but　run　for　cover；〃　Secretary　Bretano　said。
　〃That's　good　for　us。　We'll　all　get　away。　What　about　the　people　who　live　in　Washington；　New　York；　and　all　the　other　supposed　targets？〃　POTUS　asked。
　〃I've　ordered　some　Aegis　cruisers　to　the　likely　targets　that　are　near　the　water；〃　thunder　went　on。　〃I　had　one　of　my　people　from　TRW　look　at　the　possibility　of　upgrading　the　missile　systems　to　see　if　they　might　do　an　intercept。　He's　done　the　theoretical　work；　and　he　says　it　looks　good　on　the　simulators；　but　that's　a　ways　from　a　practical　test；　of　course。　It's　better　than　nothing；　though。〃
　〃Okay；　where　are　the　ships？〃
　〃There's　one　here　now；〃　Bretano　answered。
　〃Oh？　When　did　that　happen？〃　Robby　Jackson　asked。
　〃Less　than　an　hour　ago。　Gettysburg。　There's　another　one　going　to　New　York…and　San　Francisco　and　Los　Angeles。　Also　Seattle；　though　that's　not　really　a　target　as　far　as　we　know。　The　software　upgrade　is　going　out　to　them　to　get　their　missiles　reprogrammed。〃
　〃Okay；　that's　something。　What　about　taking　those　missiles　out；　before　they　can　launch？〃　Ryan　asked　next。
　〃The　Chinese　silos　have　recently　been　upgraded　in　protection；　steel　armor　on　the　concrete　covers…shaped　like　a　Chinese　coolie　hat；　it　will　probably　deflect　most　bombs；　but　not　the　deep　penetrators；　the　GBU…27s　we　used　on　the　railroad　bridges…〃
　〃If　they　have　any　left　over　there。　Better　ask　Gus　Wallace；〃　the　Vice　President　warned。
　〃What　do　you　mean？〃　Bretano　asked。
　〃I　mean　we　never　made　all　that　many　of　them；　and　the　Air　Force　must　have　dropped　about　forty　last　night。〃
　〃I'll　check　that；〃　SecDef　promised。
　〃What　if　he　doesn't？〃　Jack　asked。
　〃Then　either　we　get　some　more　in　one　big　hurry；　or　we　think　up　something　else；〃　TOMCAT　replied。
　〃Like　what；　Robby？〃
　〃Hell；　send　in　a　special…operations　team　and　blow　them　the　fuck　up；〃　the　former　fighter　pilot　sugges