tc.redstormrising-第106部分

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hundred　eleven　hours　of　bat　time。〃
〃Vietnam。　You　said　you　were　there。〃　Morris　sipped　at　his　own。
〃Last　day；　last　tour。　Search…and…rescue　mission　for　an　A…7　pilot　shot　down　twenty　miles　south　of　Haiphong。〃　He　had　never　even　told　his　wife　this　story。　〃Saw　a　flash；　made　the　mistake　of　ignoring　it。　Thought　it　was　a　reflection　off　a　window　or　a　stream　or　something。　Kept　going。　Turned　out　it　was　probably　a　reflection　of　a　gunsight；　maybe　a　pair　of　binoculars。　One　minute　later　some　hundred…millimeter　flak　goes　off　around　us。　Helo　just　es　apart。　I　get　her　down；　we're　on　fire。　Look　left…copilot's　torn　apart；　his　brains　are　in　my　lap。　My　crew　chief；　a　third…class　named　Ricky；　he's　in　the　back。　I　look。　Both　his　legs　are　torn　off。　I　think　he　was　still　alive　then；　but　there　wasn't　a　damned　thing　I　could　do　about　it…couldn't　even　get　to　him　the　way　things　were…and　there's　three　people　heading　towards　us。　I　just　ran　away。　Maybe　they　didn't　see　me。　Maybe　they　didn't　care…hell；　I　don't　know。　Another　helo　found　me　twelve　hours　later。〃　He　poured　himself　another　drink　and　topped　off　the　one　for　Morris。　〃Don't　make　me　drink　alone。〃
〃I've　had　enough。〃
〃No；　you　haven't。　And　neither　have　I。　It　took　me　a　year　to　get　over　that。　You　don't　have　a　year。　All　you　got's　tonight。　You　gotta　talk　about　it；　Captain。　I　know。　Think　it's　bad　now？　It　gets　worse。〃
He　took　another　pull　on　the　drink。　At　least　it　was　good　stuff；　O'Malley　told　himself　He　watched　Morris　sit　there　for　five　minutes；　sipping　at　his　drink　and　wondering　if　he　should　just　go　back　to　the　ship。　The　proud　captain。　Like　all　captains；　condemned　to　live　alone；　and　this　one　was　lonelier　than　most。　He's　afraid　I'm　right；　O'Malley　thought。　He's　afraid　it　will　get　worse。　You　poor　bastard。　If　you　only　knew。
〃Run　through　it〃　the　pilot　said　quietly。　〃Analyze　it　one　step　at　a　time。〃
〃You　already　did　that　for　me。〃
〃I　have　a　big　mouth。　Has　to　be　for　my　feet　to　fit　in　it。　You　do　it　in　your　sleep；　Ed。　Might　as　well　do　it　when　you're　awake。〃
And；　slowly；　he　did。　O'Malley　coached　him　through　the　sequence。　Weather　conditions；　ship's　course　and　speed。　What　sensors　were　operating。　In　an　hour　they　were　three　quarters　of　the　way　down　the　bottle。　Finally　they　got　to　the　torpedoes。　Morris's　voice　started　to　crack。
〃There　just　wasn't　anything　else　I　could　do！　The　Goddamned　thing　just　came　in。　We　only　had　one　nixie　out；　and　the　first　fish　blew　that　the　hell　away。　I　tried　to　maneuver　the　ship；　but…〃
〃But　you　were　up　against　a　homing　torpedo。　You　can't　outrun　'em　and　you　can't　outturn　'em。〃
〃I'm　not　supposed　to　let…〃
〃Oh；　horseshit！〃　The　pilot　refilled　the　glasses。　〃You　think　you're　the　first　guy　ever　lost　a　'can？　Didn't　you　ever　play　ball；　Ed？　Hell；　there's　two　sides；　and　both　of　'em　play　to　win。　You　expect　those　Russian　sub　skippers　are　just　gonna　sit　there　and　say；　'Kill　me；　kill　me'？　You　must　be　dumber　'n　I　thought。〃
〃My　men…〃
〃Some　of　them　are　dead；　most　of　them　aren't。　I'm　sorry　some're　dead。　I'm　sorry　Ricky　died。　Kid　wasn't　even　nineteen　yet。　But　I　didn't　kill　him；　and　you　didn't　kill　your　men。　You　saved　your　ship。　You　brought　her　back　with　most　of　the　crew。〃
Morris　drained　his　glass　with　one　long　pull。　Jerry　refilled　it；　not　bothering　with　ice。
〃It's　my　responsibility。　Look；　when　I　got　back　to　Norfolk；　I　visited…I　mean；　I　had　to　visit　their　families。　I'm　the　captain。　I　gotta…there　was　this　little　girl；　and　。　。　。　Jesus；　O'Malley；　what　the　hell　do　you　say？〃　Morris　demanded。　He　was　sobbing；　near　tears；　Jerry　saw。　Good。
〃They　don't　put　that　in　the　book；〃　O'Malley　agreed。　You　think　they　would　have　learned　by　now。
〃Pretty　little　girl。　What　do　you　tell　the　kids？〃　The　tears　started。　It　had　taken　nearly　two　hours。
〃You　tell　the　little　girl　that　her　daddy　was　a　good　man　and　he　did　his　best；　and　you　did　your　best；　cause　that's　all　we　can　do；　Ed。　You　did　everything　right；　but　sometimes　it　just　doesn't　matter。〃　It　wasn't　the　first　time　O'Malley　had　had　men　cry　on　his　shoulder。　He　remembered　doing　it　himself　What　a　miserable　life　this　can　be；　he　thought；　that　it　can　bring　good　men　to　this。
Morris　recovered　a　few　minutes　later；　and　by　the　time　they　finished　the　bottle　both　men　were　as　drunk　as　either　ever　got。　O'Malley　helped　his　captain　up　and　walked　him　to　the　door。
〃What's　the　matter；　Navy；　can't　take　it？〃　He　was　a　merchant　seaman　standing　alone　at　the　bar。　It　was　the　wrong　thing　to　say。
It　was　hard　to　tell　from　the　baggy　flight　suit　that　O'Malley　was　a　man　of　considerable　strength。　His　left　arm　was　wrapped　around　Morris。　His　right　hand　grabbed　the　other　man　by　the　throat　and　dragged　him　away　from　the　bar。
〃You　got　anything　else　to　say　about　my　friend；　Dickweed？〃　O'Malley　tightened　his　grip。
The　reply　came　in　a　whisper。　〃All　I　meant　was　he　has　trouble　with　his　liquor。〃
The　pilot　released　him。　〃Good　night。〃
Maneuvering　the　captain　back　to　the　ship　was　difficult；　partly　because　O'Malley　was　also　drunk　but　mainly　because　Morris　was　on　the　point　of　passing　out。　That　had　been　part　of　the　plan；　too；　but　the　Hammer　had　cut　his　timing　a　little　close。　The　brow　looked　awfully　steep　from　the　pier。
〃What　seems　to　be　the　problem？〃
〃Good　evening；　Master　Chief。〃
〃Good　evening；　mander。　You　got　the　captain　with　you？〃
〃Sure　could　use　a　hand；　too。〃
〃You're　not　kidding。〃　The　chief　came　down　the　gangway。　Together　they　got　the　captain　aboard。　The　really　hard　part　was　the　ladder　up　to　his　stateroom。　For　this　another　sailor　was　summoned。
〃Damn；〃　the　youngster　observed。　〃The　old　man　really　knows　how　to　tie　one　on！〃
〃Takes　a　real　sailorman　to　know　how　to　get　blasted；〃　the　master　chief　agreed。　The　three　of　them　got　him　up　the　ladder。　O'Malley　took　it　from　there　and　landed　Morris　on　his　bunk。　The　captain　was　sleeping　soundly；　and　the　flyer　hoped　the　nightmare　wouldn't　e　back。　His　still　did。

NORTHWOOD；　ENGLAND
〃Well；　mander？〃
〃Yes；　sir。　I　think　it'll　work。　I　see　most　of　the　assets　are　nearly　in　place。〃
〃The　original　plan　had　a　lesser　chance　of　success。　I'm　sure　it　would　have　got　their　attention；　of　course；　but　this　way　we　just　might　be　able　to　damage　the　force　severely。〃
Toland　looked　up　at　the　map。　〃The　timing　is　still　tricky；　but　not　very　different　from　that　attack　we　made　on　the　tankers。　I　like　it；　sir。　Sure　would　solve　a　few　problems。　What's　the　convoy　situation？〃
〃There　are　eighty　ships　assembled　in　New　York　harbor。　They　sail　in　twenty…four　hours。　Heavy　escort；　carriers　in　support；　even　a　new　Aegis　cruiser　with　the　merchants。　And　the　next　step　after　that；　of　course…〃　Beattie　went　on。
〃Yes；　sir。　And　Doolittle　is　the　key。〃
〃Exactly。　I　want　you　back　at　Stornoway。　I'll　also　be　sending　one　of　my　air　operations　types　to　work　with　your　chaps。　We'll　keep　you　informed　of　all　developments。　Remember　that　distribution　for　this　is　to　be　strictly　limited　to　the　personnel　involved。〃
〃Understood；　sir。〃
〃Off　with　you；　then。〃

34　…　Feelers

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
0700　hours　came　rather　early　for　Jerry　O'Malley。　He　had　the　lower　bunk　in　a　two…man　stateroom…his　copilot　had　the　upper…and　his　first　considered　move　was　to　take　three　aspirins　and　sit　back　down。　It　was　almost　funny；　he　thought。　〃The　Hammer。〃　He　felt　it　inside　his　head。　No；　he　corrected　himself；　he　had　his　dipping　sonar　in　there；　on　automatic　ping。　Still　and　all；　he　had　performed　something　remembered　from　his　youth　as　a　corporal　work　of　mercy；　and　that　helped　give　purpose　to　his　suffering。　He　gave　the　aspirins　ten　minutes　to　get　into　his　bloodstream；　then　went　forward　to　the　shower。　First　cold；　then　hot　water　cleared　his　head。
The　wardroom　was　full　but　quiet；　the　officers　assembled　according　to　age　into　little　knots　of　whispered　conversation。　These　young　officers　hadn't　faced　bat　before；　and　the　bravado　they　might　have　felt　on　leaving　San　Diego　some　weeks　before　had　been　replaced　with　the　sober　reality　of　the　task　at　hand。　Ships　had　been　sunk。　Men　they　knew　were　dead。　For　these　kids；　fear　was　a　more　terrible　unknown　than　the　technical　aspects　of　bat　for　which　they　had　been　trained。　He　could　see　the　question　in　their　faces；　only　time　would　answer　it。　They　would　learn　to　endure　it；　or　they　would　not。　bat　held　no　mysteries　for　O'Malley。　He　knew　that　he　would　be　afraid；　and　that　he　would　put　the　fear　aside　as　best　he　could。　There　was　no　sense　dwelling　on　it。　It　would　e　soon　enough。
〃Good　morning；　XO！〃
〃Morning；　Jerry。　I　was　just　going　to　call　the　skipper。〃
〃He　needs　his　sleep；　Frank。〃　The　pilot　had　disconnected　Morris's　alarm　clock　before　leaving　the　stateroom。　Ernst　read　O'Malley's　face。
〃Well；　nothing　we　really　need　him　for　till　eleven。〃
〃I　knew　you　were　a　good　XO；　Frank。〃　O'Malley　debated　between　bug　juice　and　coffee。　The　fruit　drink　this　morning　was　the　orange　kind…the　flavors　didn't　relate　to　any　particular　fruit。　O'Malley　liked　the　red　kind；　but　not　the　orange。　He　poured　some　coffee。
〃I　supervised　the　torpedo　loading　last　night。　We　cut　a　minute　off　our　best　time…in　the　dark。〃
〃Sounds　good　to　me。　When's　the　pre…sail　brief？〃
〃Fourteen　hundred；　in　a　theater　two　blocks　from　here。　COs；　XOs；　and　selected　others。　I　expect　you'll　want　to　e；　too？〃
〃Yeah。〃
Ernst's　voice　dropped。　〃You　sure　the　skipper's　all　right？〃　There　are　no　secrets　aboard　a　ship。
〃He's　been　on　straight　bat　ops　since　Day　One　of　this　fracas。　He　needed　to　get　a　little　unwrapped；　an　ancient　and　honored　naval　tradition〃…he　raised　his　voice…〃damned　shame　that　all　these　little　boys　are　too　young　to　partake　in　it！　Didn't　anybody　think　to　get　a　newspaper？　NFL　summer　camps　are　opened　all　over　the　country；　and　there　ain't　no　paper！　What　the　hell　kind　of　wardroom　is　this！〃
〃I've　never　met　a　dinosaur　before；〃　a　junior　engineering　officer　observed　sotto　voce。
〃You　get　used　to　him；〃　Ensign　Ralston　explained。

ICELAND
Two　days'　rest　was　just　what　the　doctor　ordered　for　everyone。　Sergeant　Nichols　could　almost　walk　normally　on　his　ankle；　and　the　Americans；　who　were　beginning　to　regard　fish　with　distinct　distaste　filled　up　on　the　extra　rations　the　Royal　Marines　had　packed　in。
Edwards's　eyes　traced　around　the　horizon　again。　The　human　eye　automatically　locks　onto　movement；　and　she　was　moving。　It　was　hard　not　to　look。　It　was　almost　impossible。　In　fact；　Edwards　told　himself；　it　was　impossible　to　stand　guard　and　not　look　around。　The　hell　of　it　was；　she　thought　it　was　funny。　Their　rescuers…Edwards　knew　better；　but　why　upset　her