tc.thebearandthedragon-第208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！


ng　the　day；　and　never　in　living　memory　at　night…unless　you　counted　the　battalion　mander　ing　back　drunk　from　a　mand…staff　meeting。
　Their　heads　twisted　slightly　when　they　thought　they　heard　something　strange；　but　the　four…bladed　rotor　on　the　Apache　was　also　designed　for　sound　suppression；　and　so　they　were　still　looking　when　they　saw　the　first　flash…
　…the　weapons　selected　were　the　2。75…inch…diameter　free…flight　rockets；　carried　in　pods　on　the　Apaches'　stub　wings。　Three　of　the　section　of　five　handled　the　initial　firing　run；　with　two　in　reserve　should　the　unexpected　develop。　They　burned　in　low；　so　as　to　conceal　their　silhouettes　in　the　hills　behind　them；　and　opened　up　at　two　hundred　meters。　The　first　salvo　of　four　blew　up　the　guard　shack　and　its　two　sleepy　guards。　The　noise　would　have　been　enough　to　awaken　those　in　the　barracks　building；　but　the　second　salvo　of　rockets；　this　time　fifteen　of　them；　got　there　before　anyone　inside　could　do　more　than　blink　his　eyes　open。　Both　floors　of　the　two…story　structure　were　hit；　and　most　of　those　inside　died　without　waking；　caught　in　the　middle　of　dreams。　The　Apaches　hesitated　then；　still　having　weapons　to　fire。　There　was　a　subsidiary　guard　post　on　the　other　side　of　the　building；　COCHISE　LEAD　looped　around　the　barracks　and　spotted　it。　The　two　soldiers　there　had　their　rifles　up　and　fired　blindly　into　the　air；　but　his　gunner　selected　his　20…mm　cannon　and　swept　them　aside　as　though　with　a　broom。　Then　the　Apache　pivoted　in　the　air　and　he　salvoed　his　remaining　rockets　into　the　barracks；　and　it　was　immediately　apparent　that　if　anyone　was　alive　in　there；　it　was　by　the　grace　of　God　Himself；　and　whoever　it　was　would　not　be　a　danger　to　the　mission。
　〃COCHISE　Four　and　Five；　LEAD。　Go　back　up　Crook；　we　don't　need　you　here。〃
　〃Roger；　LEAD；〃　they　both　replied。　The　two　attack　helicopters　moved　off；　leaving　the　first　three　to　look　for　and　erase　any　signs　of　life。
　
　Crook　flight；　also　of　five　Apaches；　smoked　in　just　ahead　of　the　Black…hawks。　It　turned　out　that　each　silo　had　a　small　guard　post；　each　for　two　men；　and　those　were　disposed　of　in　a　matter　of　seconds　with　cannon　fire。　Then　the　Apaches　climbed　to　higher　altitude　and　circled　slowly；　each　over　a　pair　of　missile　silos；　looking　for　anything　moving；　but　seeing　nothing。
　BANDIT　SIX；　Colonel　Dick　Boyle；　flared　his　Blackhawk　three　feet　over　Silo　#1；　as　it　was　marked　on　his　satellite　photo。
　〃Go！〃　the　co…pilot　shouted　over　the　inter。　The　RAINBOW　troopers　jumped　down　just　to　the　cast　of　the　actual　hole　itself；　the　〃Chinese　hat〃　steel　structure；　which　looked　like　an　inverted　blunt　ice　cream　cone；　prohibited　dropping　right　down　on　the　door　itself。
　The　base　mand　post　was　the　best…protected　structure　on　the　entire　post。　It　was　buried　ten　meters　underground；　and　the　ten　meters　was　solid　reinforced　concrete；　so　as　to　survive　a　nuclear　bomb's　exploding　within　a　hundred　meters；　or　so　the　design　supposedly　promised。　Inside　was　a　staff　of　ten；　manded　by　Major　General　Xun　Qing…Nian。　He'd　been　a　Second　Artillery　（the　Chinese　name　for　their　strategic　missile　troops）　officer　since　graduating　from　university　with　an　engineering　degree。　Only　three　hours　before；　he'd　supervised　the　fueling　of　all　twelve　of　his　CSS…4　intercontinental　ballistic　missiles；　which　had　never　happened　before　in　his　memory。　No　explanation　had　e　with　that　order；　though　it　didn't　take　a　rocket　scientist…which　he　was；　by　profession…　to　connect　it　with　the　war　under　way　against　Russia。
　Like　all　members　of　the　People's　Liberation　Army；　he　was　a　highly　disciplined　man；　and　always　mindful　of　the　fact　that　he　had　his　country's　most　valuable　military　assets　under　his　personal　control。　The　alarm　had　been　raised　by　one　of　the　silo…guard　posts；　and　his　staff　switched　on　the　television　cameras　used　for　site　inspection　and　surveillance。　They　were　old　cameras；　and　needed　lights；　which　were　switched　on　as　well。
　
　〃What　the　fuck！〃　Chavez　shouted。　〃Turn　the　lights　off！〃　he　ordered　over　his　radio。
　It　wasn't　demanding。　The　light　standards　weren't　very　tall；　nor　were　they　very　far　away。　Chavez　hosed　one　with　his　MP…10；　and　the　lights　went　out；　thank　you。　No　other　lasted　for　more　than　five　seconds　at　any　of　the　silos。
　
　〃We　are　under　attack；〃　General　Xun　said　in　a　quiet　and　disbelieving　voice。　〃We　are　under　attack；〃　he　repeated。　But　he　had　a　drill　for　this。　〃Alert　the　guard　force；〃　he　told　one　NCO。　〃Get　me　Beijing；〃　he　ordered　another。
　
　At　Silo　#1；　Paddy　Connolly　ran　to　the　pipes　that　led　to　the　top　of　the　concrete　box　that　marked　the　top　of　the　silo。　To　each　he　stuck　a　block　of　position　B；　his　explosive　of　choice。　Into　each　block　he　inserted　a　blasting　cap。　Two　men；　Eddie　Price　and　Hank　Patterson；　knelt　close　by　with　their　weapons　ready　for　a　response　force　that　was　nowhere　to　be　seen。
　〃Fire　in　the　hole！〃　Patterson　shouted；　running　back　to　the　other　two。　There　he　skidded　down　to　the　ground；　sheltered　behind　the　concrete；　and　twisted　the　handle　on　his　detonator。　The　two　pipes　were　blown　apart　a　millisecond　later。
　〃Masks！〃　he　told　everyone　on　the　radio　。　。　。　but　there　was　no　vapor　ing　off　the　fueling　pipes。　That　was　good　news；　wasn't　it？
　〃e　on！〃　Eddie　Price　yelled　at　him。　The　three　men；　guarded　now　by　two　others；　looked　for　the　metal　door　into　the　maintenance　entrance　for　the　silo。
　〃Ed；　we're　on　the　ground；　we're　on　the　ground；〃　Clark　was　saying　into　his　satellite　phone；　fifty　yards　away。　〃The　barracks　are　gone；　and　there's　no　opposition　on　the　ground　here。　Doing　our　blasting　now。　Back　to　you　soon。　Out。〃
　
　〃Well；　shit；〃　Ed　Foley　said　in　his　office；　but　the　line　was　now　dead。
　
　〃What？〃　It　was　an　hour　later　in　Beijing；　and　the　sun　was　up。　Marshal　Luo；　having　just　woken　up　after　not　enough　sleep　following　the　worst　day　he'd　known　since　the　Cultural　Revolution；　had　a　telephone　thrust　into　his　hands。　〃What　is　this？〃　he　demanded　of　the　phone。
　〃This　is　Major　General　Xun　Qing…Nian　at　Xuanhua　missile　base。　We　are　under　attack　here。　There　is　a　force　of　men　on　the　ground　over　our　heads　trying　to　destroy　our　missiles。　I　require　instructions！〃
　〃Fight　them　off！〃　was　the　first　idea　Luo　had。
　〃The　defense　battalion　is　dead；　they　do　not　respond。　rade　Minister；　what　do　I　do？〃
　〃Are　your　missiles　fueled　and　ready　for　launch？〃
　〃Yes！〃
　Luo　looked　around　his　bedroom；　but　there　was　no　one　to　advise　him。　His　country's　most　priceless　assets　were　now　about　to　be　ripped　from　his　control。　His　mand　wasn't　automatic。　He　actually　thought　first；　but　in　the　end；　it　wouldn't　matter　how　considered　his　decision　was。
　〃Launch　your　missiles；〃　he　told　the　distant　general　officer。
　〃Repeat　your　mand；〃　Luo　heard。
　〃Launch　your　missiles！〃　his　voice　boomed。　〃Launch　your　missiles　NOW！〃
　〃By　your　mand；〃　the　voice　replied。
　
　〃Fuck；〃　Sergeant　Connolly　said。　〃This　is　some　bloody　door！〃　The　first　explosive　block　had　done　nothing　more　than　scorch　the　paint。　This　time　he　attached　a　hollow…charge　to　the　upper　and　lower　hinges　and　backed　off　again。　〃This　one　will　do　it；〃　he　promised　as　he　trailed　the　wires　back。
　The　crash　that　followed　gave　proof　to　his　words。　When　next　they　looked　in；　the　door　was　gone。　It　had　been　hurled　inward；　must　have　flown　into　the　silo　like　a　bat　out　of…
　…〃Bloody　hell！〃　Connolly　turned。　〃Run！　RUN！〃
　Price　and　Patterson　needed　no　encouragement。　They　ran　for　their　lives。　Connolly　caught　them　reaching　for　his　protective　hood　as　he　did　so；　not　stopping　until　he　was　over　a　hundred　yards　away。
　〃The　bloody　missile's　fueled。　The　door　ruptured　the　upper　tank。　It's　going　to　blow！〃
　〃Shit！　Team；　this　is　Price；　the　missiles　are　fueled；　I　repeat　the　missiles　are　fueled。　Get　the　fucking　hell　away　from　the　silo！〃
　
　The　proof　of　that　came　from　Silo　#8；　off　to　Price's　south。　The　concrete　structure　that　sat　atop　it　surged　into　the　air；　and　under　it　was　a　volcanic　blast　of　fire　and　smoke。　Silo　#1；　theirs；　did　the　same；　a　gout　of　flame　going　sideways　out　of　the　open　service　door。
　
　The　infrared　signature　was　impossible　to　miss。　Over　the　equator；　a　DSP　satellite　focused　in　on　the　thermal　bloom　and　cross…loaded　the　signal　to　Sunnyvale；　California。　From　there　it　went　to　NORAD；　the　North　American　Aerospace　Defense　mand；　dug　into　the　sub…basement　level　of　Cheyenne　Mountain；　Colorado。　〃Launch！　Possible　launch　at　Xuanhua！〃　〃What's　that？〃　asked　CINC…NORAD。
　〃We　got　a　bloom；　a　huge…two　huge　ones　at　Xuanhua；〃　the　female　captain　announced。　〃Fuck；　there's　another　one。〃
　〃Okay；　Captain；　settle　down；〃　the　four…star　told　her。　〃There's　a　special　op　taking　that　base　down　right　now。　Settle　down；　girl。〃
　
　In　the　control　bunker；　men　were　turning　keys。　The　general　in　mand　had　never　really　expected　to　do　this。　Sure；　it　was　a　possibility；　the　thing　he'd　trained　his　entire　career　for；　but；　no；　not　this。　No。　Not　a　chance。
　But　someone　was　trying　to　destroy　his　mand…and　he　did　have　his　orders；　and　like　the　automaton　he'd　been　trained　to　be；　he　gave　the　orders　and　turned　his　mand　key。
　
　The　Spetsnaz　people　were　doing　well。　Four　silos　were　now　disabled。　One　of　the　Russian　teams　managed　to　crack　the　maintenance　door　on　their　first　try。　This　team；　General　Kirillin's　own；　sent　its　technical　genius　inside；　and　he　found　the　missile's　guidance　module　and　blew　it　apart　with　gunfire。　It　would　take　a　week　at　least　to　fix　this　missile；　and　just　to　make　sure　that　didn't　happen；　he　affixed　an　explosive　charge　to　the　stainless　steel　body　and　set　the　timer　for　fifteen　minutes。　〃Done！〃　he　called。
　〃Out！〃　Kirillin　ordered。　The　lieutenant　general；　now　feeling　like　a　new　cadet　in　parachute　school；　gathered　his　team　and　ran　to　the　pickup　point。　As　guilty　as　any　man　would　be　of　mission　focus；　he　looked　around；　surprised　by　the　fire　and　flame　to　his　north…
　…but　more　surprised　to　see　three　silo　covers　moving。　The　nearest　was　only　three　hundred　meters　away；　and　there　he　saw　one　of　his　Spetsnaz　troopers　walk　right　to　the　suddenly　open　silo　and　toss　something　in…then　he　ran　like　a　rabbit…
　…because　three　seconds　later；　the　hand　grenade　he'd　tossed　in　exploded；　and　took　the　entire　missile　up　with　it。　The　Spetsnaz　soldier　disappeared　in　the　fireball　he'd　caused；　and　would　not　be　seen　again…
　…but　then　something　worse　happened。　From　exhaust　vents　set　left　and　right　of　Silos　#5　and　#7　came　two　vertical　founta