tc.redstormrising-第131部分

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By　this　time　the　sonar　display　was　totally　confused。　Target　Sierra…2　had　picked　up　the　ining　fish　late；　but　was　racing　directly　away　from　it　at　full　speed　now。　Their　shot　at　the　other　Victor　was　still　running；　but　that　target　was　maneuvering　to　avoid　another　fish　from　Boston。　The　Alfa　was　at　full　power　heading　due　north；　another　Mark…48　in　pursuit。　Two　more　Russian　torpedoes　were　in　the　water　to　the　east；　probably　heading　after　Boston；　but　Chicago　didn't　have　her　sister　ship　on　sonar。　Five　submarines　were　racing　around；　four　of　them　chased　by　smart…weapons。
〃Sir；　I　have　another　decoy　deployed　on　Sierra…2。　Sierra…I　has　one　deployed　also。　Our　fish　is　pinging　on　…2。　Somebody's　fish　is　pinging　on　…1；　and　one　of　the　Russian　fish　is　pinging　at　zero…three…five…sir；　I　have　an　explosion　at　bearing　three…three…nine。〃
Dad　wanted　me　to　be　an　accountant；　McCafferty　thought。　Maybe　then　I　could　keep　all　these　damned　numbers　straight。　He　walked　over　to　the　plot。
The　paper　plot　wasn't　much　clearer。　The　pencil　lines　that　designated　sonar　contacts　and　running　torpedoes　looked　like　electrical　wire　dropped　at　random　on　the　chart。
〃Captain；　I　have　very　loud　machinery　noises　at　bearing　three…three…nine。　Sounds　like　something's　broke；　sir；　lots　of　metallic　noise。　Getting　some　air　noise　now；　he's　blowing　tanks。　No　breakup　noises　yet。〃
〃Left　full　rudder；　e　to　new　course　zero…one…zero。〃
〃We　didn't　kill　the　Victor？〃
〃I'll　settle　for　a　small　piece　of　him；　if　it　sends　him　home。　We'll　score　that　one　as　a　damage。　What's　going　on　with　the　other　two？〃
〃The　fish　after　Sierra…　I　is　pinging；　and　so's　Boston's…I　guess　it's　from　Boston。　〃
The　slight　abatement　of　the　confusion　lasted　ten　minutes。　The　second　target　put　her　stem　on　both　torpedoes　and　ran　northwest。　More　sonobuoy　lines　appeared　across　Chicago's　path。　Another　air…dropped　torpedo　was　detected　to　the　west；　but　they　didn't　know　what　it　had　been　dropped　on…just　that　it　wasn't　close　enough　to　worry　about。　The　torpedo　they'd　put　in　pursuit　of　the　second　Victor…class　sub　was　struggling　to　catch　a　target　running　directly　away　as　fast　as　it　could　go；　and　another　fish　was　angling　in　from　the　opposite　direction。　Possibly　Boston　had　fired　at　the　Alfa　too；　but　the　Alfa　was　racing　away　at　a　speed　almost　as　great　as　the　torpedo's。　McCafferty　reestablished　sonar　contact　with　Providence　and　continued　north。　Chaos　worked　in　his　favor；　and　he　took　maximum　advantage　of　it。　He　hoped　Boston　could　evade　the　torpedoes　that　had　been　launched　in　her　direction；　but　that　was　out　of　his　hands。
〃Two　explosions　bearing　zero…zero…three；　sir。〃　That　was　the　last　bearing　to　the　second　Victor；　but　sonar　detected　nothing　more。　Had　the　fish　killed　the　sub；　the　decoy；　or　had　they　homed　in　on　each　other？
Chicago　continued　north；　increasing　speed　to　ten　knots　as　she　zigzagged　through　the　sonobuoy　lines　to　increase　her　distance　from　the　injured　Providence。　The　attack…center　crew　was　emotionally　exhausted；　as　drained　as　their　captain　from　the　frantic　tracking　and　shooting　exercise。　The　technical　aspects　of　the　work　had　been　handled　well　in　pre…war　workups；　but　nothing　could　simulate　the　tension　of　firing　live　weapons。　The　captain　sent　them　in　pairs　to　the　galley　for　food　and　a　half…hour's　rest。　The　cooks　brought　up　a　platter　of　sandwiches　for　the　ones　who　couldn't　leave。　McCafferty　sat　behind　the　periscope；　eyes　closed；　head　back　against　something　metallic　while　he　munched　on　a　ham　sandwich。　He　remembered　seeing　the　cans　loaded　aboard。　The　Navy　had　gotten　a　good　price　earlier　in　the　year　on　canned　Polish　hams。　Polish　hams；　he　thought。　Crazy。
He　allowed　his　crew　to　go　off　battle　stations　an　hour　later。　Half　his　men　were　allowed　to　go　off　duty。　They　didn't　head　for　the　galley　and　a　meal。　They　all　preferred　sleep。　The　captain　knew　that　he　needed　it　at　least　as　badly　as　they。　After　we　get　to　the　ice；　he　promised　himself。　I'll　sleep　for　a　month。
They　picked　up　Boston　on　sonar；　a　ghostly　trace　on　the　sonar　screens　due　east　of　them。　Providence　was　still　aft；　still　cruising　along　at　six　knots；　and　still　making　too　much　noise　from　her　battered　sail。　Time　passed　more　rapidly　now。　The　captain　remained　seated；　forgetting　his　dignity　and　listening　to　reports　of　。　。　。　nothing。
McCafferty's　head　came　up。　He　checked　his　watch　and　realized　he'd　been　dozing　for　half　an　hour。　Five　more　hours　to　the　ice。　It　came　up　clearly　on　sonar　now；　a　low…frequency　growl　of　noise　that　covered　thirty　degrees　on　either　side　of　the　bow。
Where　did　the　Alfa　go？　McCafferty　was　in　sonar　ten　seconds　after　asking　himself　that　question。
〃What　was　your　last　bearing　on　the　Alfa？〃
〃Sir；　we　lost　him　three　hours　ago。　Last　we　had　him；　he　was　at　flank　speed　on　a　steady　northeasterly　bearing。　Faded　out　and　he　hasn't　e　back；　sir。　〃
〃What's　the　chance　he's　hiding　in　the　ice；　waiting　for　us？〃
〃If　he　does；　we'll　pick　him　up　before　he　picks　us　up；　sir。　If　he's　moving；　his　engine　plant　turns　out　a　lot　of　medium…　and　high…frequency　noise；〃　the　sonar　chief　explained。　McCafferty　knew　all　that；　but　wanted　to　hear　it　again　anyway。　〃All　the　low…frequency　ice　noise'll　ruin　his　chance　to　detect　us　at　long　range；　but　we　should　be　able　to　hear　him　a　good　ways　off　if　he's　moving。〃　The　captain　nodded　and　went　aft。
〃XO；　if　you　were　driving　that　Alfa；　where　would　you　be？〃
〃Home！〃　The　exec　smiled。　〃He　has　to　know　there　are　at　least　two　boats　out　here。　Those　are　awful　short　odds。　We　crippled　that　one　Victor；　and　Boston　probably　killed　the　other　one。　What's　he　going　to　think？　Ivan's　brave；　but　he's　not　crazy。　If　he　has　any　sense　at　all；　he'll　report　a　lost　contact　and　leave　it　at　that。〃
〃I　don't　buy　it。　He　beat　our　fish；　and　he　probably　beat　one　from　Boston；　〃　the　captain　said　quietly。
〃You　could　be　right；　skipper；　but　he　ain't　on　sonar。〃
McCafferty　had　to　concede　that　point。　〃We'll　be　very　careful　approaching　the　ice。〃
〃Agreed；　sir。　We're　being　paranoid　enough。〃
McCafferty　didn't　think　so；　but　he　didn't　know　why。　What　am　I　missing？
Their　fix　on　the　edge　of　the　icepack　was　old。　Currents　and　wind　would　have　moved　the　ice　a　few　miles　south　as　increasing　summer　temperatures　weakened　the　thick　white　roof　on　the　ocean。　Maybe　an　hour's　worth？　the　captain　wondered　hopefully。
The　plot　showed　Boston　fifteen　miles　to　the　east；　and　Providence　eight　miles　southeast。　Three　more　hours　to　the　ice。　Eighteen　nautical　miles；　maybe　less；　and　they'd　be　safe。　Why　should　there　be　anything　else　out　here？　They　can't　send　their　whole　fleet　after　us。　They　have　plenty　of　other　problems　to　worry　about。　McCafferty　dozed　off　again。
〃Conn；　sonar！〃　McCafferty's　head　came　up。
〃Conn；　aye；〃　the　exec　answered。
〃Providence　has　speeded　up　somewhat；　sir。　Estimate　she's　doing　ten　knots。〃
〃Very　well。〃
〃How　long　was　I　out？〃　the　captain　asked。
〃About　an　hour　and　a　half。　You've　been　awake　quite　a　while；　sir；　and　you　weren't　snoring　loud　enough　to　bother　anybody。　Sonar　is　still　blank　except　for　our　friends。〃
McCafferty　got　up　and　stretched。　That　wasn't　enough。　It's　catching　up　with　me。　Much　more　of　this　and　I'm　more　dangerous　to　my　own　crew　than　I　am　to　the　Russians。
〃Distance　to　the　ice？〃
〃About　twelve　thousand　yards；　near　as　we　can　make　out。〃
McCafferty　went　to　look　at　the　chart。　Providence　had　caught　up　and　was　even　with　him　now。　He　didn't　like　that。
〃Go　to　twelve　knots　and　e　right　to　zero…four…five。　He's　getting　too　eager。〃
〃You're　right；〃　the　exec　said　after　giving　the　proper　orders；　〃but　who　can　blame　him？〃
〃I　can。　What　the　hell　does　another　few　minutes　matter　after　all　the　time　it's　taken　to　get　this　far？〃
〃Conn；　sonar；　we　have　a　possible　contact　bearing　zero…six…three。　Sounds　like　machinery　noise；　very　faint。　Fading　out　now。　We're　getting　flow　noise　that's　blanking　it　out。〃
〃Slow　down？〃　the　executive　officer　asked。　The　captain　shook　his　head。
〃All　ahead　two…thirds。〃　Chicago　accelerated　to　eighteen　knots。　McCafferty　stared　down　at　the　chart。　There　was　something　important　here　that　he　wasn't　seeing。　The　submarine　was　still　deep；　at　one　thousand　feet。　Providence　still　had　her　tail　working；　but　she　was　running　close　to　the　surface；　and　that　made　trouble　for　her　sonar　performance。　Was　Boston　running　shallow；　too？　The　quartermasters　on　the　fire…control　tracking　party　kept　advancing　the　positions　of　the　two　American　subs　in　keeping　with　the　known　course　and　speed　of　each。　Chicago　rapidly　closed　the　distance。　After　half　an　hour　she　was　broad　on　Providence's　port　bow；　and　McCafferty　ordered　speed　reduced　to　six　knots　again。　As　the　submarine　slowed；　the　exterior　flow　noise　abated　and　her　sonars　returned　to　full　performance。
〃Sonar　contact　bearing　zero…nine…five！〃
The　plotting　team　ran　a　line　across　the　chart。　It　intersected　the　previous　bearing　line　。　。　。　almost　exactly　between　Boston　and　Providence！
McCafferty　bent　down　to　check　the　depth　there…nineteen　hundred　feet。　Deeper　than　a　688…class　sub　could　dive　。　。　。
。　。　。　but　not　too　deep　for　an　Alfa　。　。　。
〃Holy　shit！〃
He　couldn't　fire　at　the　contact。　The　bearing　to　the　target　was　too　close　to　Providence。　If　the　control　wires　broke；　the　fish　would　go　into　automatic　mode　and　not　care　a　whit　that　Providence　was　a　friendly。
〃Sonar；　go　active；　Yankee…search　on　bearing　zero…nine…five！〃
It　took　a　moment　to　power…up　the　system。　Then　the　deep　ba…wah　sound　shook　the　ocean。　McCafferty　had　meant　to　alert　his　rades。　He'd　also　alerted　the　Alfa。
〃Conn；　sonar；　I　have　hull…popping　noises　and　increased　machinery　noise　at　bearing　zero…nine…five。　No　target　on　the　scope　yet。〃
〃e　on；　Todd；！〃　the　captain　urged。
〃Transients；　transients！　Boston　just　increased　power；　sir…there　goes　Providence。　Torpedoes　in　the　water；　bearing　zero…nine…five！　Multiple　torpedoes　in　the　water　at　zero…nine…five！〃
〃All　ahead　full！〃　McCafferty　looked　at　the　plot。　The　Alfa　was　perilously　close　to　both　subs；　behind　both；　and　Providence　couldn't　run；　couldn't　dive；　couldn't　do　a　Goddamned　thing！　He　could　only　watch　as　his　fire…control　team　readied　two　torpedoes。　The　Alfa　had　fired　four　fish；　two　at　each　American　boat。　Boston　changed　course　west；　as　did　Providence。　McCafferty　and　the　exec　went　to　the　sonar　room。
He　watched　the　contact　lines　swing　left　and　right　across　the　screen。　The　thick　ones　denoted　the　submarines；　the　thinner；　brighter　lines　each　of　the　four　torpedoes。　The　two　aimed　at　Providence　closed　rapidly。　The　wounded　s