tc.redstormrising-第140部分

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〃Tanks；〃　he　said　quietly。　〃Lots　of　'em。〃
〃Moving？〃
〃Don't　think　so。　Looks　like　they're　sitting　alongside　the　road　near　the　treeline。　Wait…missile…launch　warning！　SAM　three　o'clock！〃
Ellington　pushed　the　stick　down　and　to　the　left。　In　a　matter　of　seconds　he　had　to　dive　his　aircraft　one　way；　turn　his　head　the　other　to　see　the　ining　missile；　then　turn　back　to　make　sure　he　didn't　plow　a　furrow　in　the　dirt　with　his　fifty…million…dollar　aircraft。　All　he　saw　of　the　SAM　was　a　yellow…white　gout　of　flame；　and　it　was　heading　for　him。　As　soon　as　he　leveled　out；　he　wrenched　the　Frisbee　into　a　hard　right　turn。　In　the　back　Eisly　had　his　eyes　on　the　missile。
〃Veering　off；　Duke…yeah！〃　The　missile　leveled　out　at　the　treetops　behind　the　F19；　then　dipped　and　exploded　in　the　woods。　〃The　instruments　say　that　was　a　SA…6。　The　search　radar　is　one　o'clock　and　very　close。〃
〃Okay；〃　Ellington　said。　He　activated　a　single　Sidearm　antiradar　missile　and　fired　it　at　the　transmitter　from　a　range　of　four　miles。　The　Russians　were　slow　to　detect　it。　Ellington　saw　the　detonation。　Take　that；　Darth　Vader！
〃I　think　you're　right　on　how　they're　getting　us；　Duke。〃
〃Yeah。〃　The　Frisbee　was　designed　to　defeat　overhead　radars。　Something　looking　up　had　a　much　better　chance　of　detecting　them。　They　could　defeat　that　by　flying　very　low；　but　then　they　couldn't　see　as　well　as　they　wanted　to　see。　He　turned　for　another　look　at　the　tanks。　〃How　many　you　think；　Don？〃
〃Lots；　over　a　hundred。〃
〃Tell　'em。〃　Ellington　turned　back　north　while　Major　Eisly　made　his　report。　In　minutes　some　German　Phantom　jets　would　visit　the　tank　assembly　point。　That　many　tanks　sitting　still　probably　meant　a　fueling　point；　he　thought。　Either　the　fuel　trucks　were　already　there　or　they　were　en　route。　Fuel　trucks　were　now　his　primary　targets；　a　surprising　change　after　weeks　of　going　for　supply　dumps　and　moving　columns　。　。　。　What's　that？
〃Trucks　dead　ahead！〃　The　Duke　watched　the　enhanced　view　on　his　Head…Up　Display。　A　long　line　of　。　。　。　fuel　trucks；　traveling　in　a　tight　column；　blacked　out　and　moving　fast。　The　curved　metal　tops　made　the　identification　easy。　He　turned　the　fighter　again　to　circle　two　miles　from　the　road。　Eisly's　infrared　picture　showed　the　glow　of　engines　and　exhaust　piping；　hotter　than　the　cool　night　air。　It　was　like　a　procession　of　ghosts　down　the　tree…lined　road。
〃I　count　fifty　or　so；　Duke；　and　they're　heading　for　that　tank　park。〃
Five　thousand　gallons　per　truck；　Ellington　thought。　Two　hundred　fifty　thousand　gallons　of　diesel　fuel　。　。　。　enough　to　fill　every　tank　in　two　Soviet　divisions。　Eisly　called　that　one　in　also。
〃Shade　Three；〃　the　AWACS　controller　radioed　back。　〃We　have　eight　birds　en　route；　ETA　four　minutes。　Orbit　and　evaluate。〃
Ellington　did　not　acknowledge。　He　put　his　aircraft　right　down　on　the　treetops　for　several　minutes；　wondering　how　many　trees　had　Russian　soldiers　standing　nearby　with　their　SA…7　hand…held　missiles。
A　long　time　since　he'd　flown　over　Vietnam；　a　long　time　since　he'd　first　realized　that　random　chance　could　reach　up　into　the　sky　and　end　his　life　despite　all　his　skill。　His　years　of　peacetime　flying　had　allowed　him　to　forget　that…Ellington　never　thought　an　accident　could　kill　him。　But　one　man　with　an　SA…7　could；　and　there　was　no　way　to　know　when　he　was　flying　over　one　。　。　。　Stop　thinking　about　that；　Duke。
The　Royal　Air　Force　Tornados　swept　in　from　the　east。　The　lead　aircraft　dropped　his　cluster　bombs　in　front　of　the　column。　The　rest　swept　over　the　road　at　a　shallow　angle；　raining　the　bomblets　on　the　convoy。　Trucks　exploded；　sending　burning　fuel　high　into　the　air。　Ellington　saw　the　silhouettes　of　two　fighter…bombers　against　the　orange　flames　as　they　headed　west　for　home。　The　fuel　spread　out　on　both　sides　of　the　road；　and　he　watched　the　undamaged　trucks　stop　and　turn；　desperately　trying　to　escape　the　conflagration。　Some　were　abandoned　by　their　drivers。　Others　steered　clear　of　the　fire　and　tried　to　continue　south。　A　few　succeeded。　Most　bogged　down；　too　heavily　loaded　to　move　on　the　soft　earth。
〃Tell　'em　they　got　about　half。　Not　bad　at　all。〃
A　minute　later；　the　Frisbee　was　ordered　northeast　again。
In　Brussels　the　radar　signals　downlinked　from　the　ground…search　radar　aircraft　plotted　the　fuel　convoy's　path。　A　puter　was　now　programmed　to　perform　the　function　of　the　videotape　recorder；　and　it　traced　the　convoy's　movements　back　to　its　point　of　origin。　Eight　more　attack　aircraft　headed　toward　this　patch　of　woods。　The　Frisbee　got　there　first。
〃I　show　SAM　radars；　Duke；〃　Eisly　said。　〃I'll　call　it　one　battery　of　SA…6　and　another　of　SA…11。　They　must　think　this　place　is　important。〃
〃And　a　hundred　little　bastards　with　hand…held　SAMs；〃　Ellington　added。　〃ETA　on　the　strike？〃
〃Four　minutes。〃

Two　batteries　of　SAMs　would　be　very　bad　news　for　the　strike　aircraft　〃Let's　cut　those　odds　down　some。〃
Eisly　singled　out　the　SA…11　search/acquisition　radar。　Ellington　headed　towards　it　at　four　hundred　knots；　using　a　road　to　travel　below　the　trees　until　he　was　two　miles　away。　Another　Sidearm　dropped　off　the　airframe　and　rocketed　toward　the　radar　transmitter。　At　the　same　moment；　two　missiles　came　their　way。　The　Duke　applied　maximum　power　and　turned　hard　to　the　east；　dropping　chaff　and　flares　as　he　did　so。　One　missile　went　for　the　chaff　and　exploded　harmlessly。　The　other　locked　onto　the　fuzzy　radar　signal　reflected　from　the　Frisbee　and　wouldn't　let　go。　Ellington　jinked　up　hard；　then　pulled　the　aircraft　into　a　maximum…g　turn　in　hope　of　outmaneuvering　the　missile。　But　the　SA…11　was　too　fast。　It　exploded　a　hundred　feet　behind　the　Frisbee。　The　two　crewmen　ejected　from　the　disintegrating　aircraft　a　moment　later；　their　parachutes　opening　a　scarce　four　hundred　feet　off　the　ground。
Ellington　landed　at　the　edge　of　a　small　clearing。　He　quickly　detached　himself　from　the　chute　and　activated　his　rescue　radio　before　drawing　his　revolver。　He　caught　a　glimpse　of　Eisly's　chute　dropping　into　the　trees　and　ran　in　that　direction。
〃Fuckin'　trees！〃　Eisly　said。　His　feet　were　dangling　off　the　ground。　Ellington　climbed　up　and　cut　him　down。　The　major's　face　was　bleeding。
Explosions　thundered　to　the　north。
〃They　got　it！〃　Ellington　said。
〃Yeah；　but　who's　got　us？〃　Eisly　said。　〃I　hurt　my　back。〃
〃Can　you　move；　Don？〃
〃Hell；　yes！〃

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
The　dispersal　of　fuel　reserves　into　small　depots　had　reduced　NATO　attacks　on　them　nearly　to　zero。　The　resulting　sense　of　security　had　lasted　nearly　a　month。　The　attacks　on　tank　columns　and　munitions　stores　were　serious；　but　there　were　plenty　of　replacements　for　both。　Fuel　was　a　different　story。
〃rade　General；　NATO　has　changed　its　pattern　of　air　attacks。〃
Alekseyev　turned　from　the　map　display　to　listen　to　his　air…intelligence　officer。　Five　minutes　later；　his　supply　chief　came　in。
〃How　bad　is　it？〃
〃Overall；　perhaps　as　much　as　ten　percent　of　our　forward　supplies。　In　the　Alfeld　sector；　over　thirty　percent。〃
The　phone　rang　next。　It　was　the　general　whose　divisions　were　to　attack　Alfeld　in　five　hours。
〃My　fuel　is　gone！　The　convoy　was　attacked　and　destroyed　twenty　kilometers　from　here。〃
〃Can　you　attack　with　what　you　have？〃　Alekseyev　asked。
〃I　can；　but　I　won't　be　able　to　maneuver　my　units　worth　a　damn！〃
〃You　must　attack　with　what　you　have。〃
〃But…〃
〃There　are　four　divisions　of　Soviet　soldiers　who　will　die　if　you　do　not　relieve　them。　The　attack　will　go　as　scheduled！〃　Alekseyev　set　the　phone　down。　Beregovoy　was　also　short　on　fuel。　A　tank　could　have　enough　fuel　to　drive　three　hundred　kilometers　in　a　straight　line；　but　they　almost　never　traveled　in　a　straight　line；　and　despite　orders；　the　crews　invariably　left　the　engines　running　when　sitting　still。　The　time　needed　to　start　their　diesels　could　mean　death　if　a　sudden　air　attack　fell　on　them。　Beregovoy　had　been　forced　to　give　all　of　his　reserve　fuel　to　his　eastbound　tanks　so　that　they　could　hit　Alfeld　in　conjunction　with　the　westbound　C　divisions。　The　two　divisions　on　the　left　bank　of　the　Weser　were　essentially　immobilized。　Alekseyev　was　gambling　the　offensive　on　his　ability　to　reestablish　his　supply　routes。　He　told　his　supply　chief　to　get　more　fuel。　If　his　attack　succeeded　he'd　need　more　still。

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
The　transition　was　ridiculous…less　than　two　hours　from　Stendal　to　Moscow　by　jet；　from　war　to　peace；　from　danger　to　safety。　His　father's　chauffeur；　Vitaly；　met　him　at　the　military　airport　and　drove　at　once　to　the　Minister's　official　dacha　in　the　birch　forests　outside　the　capital。　He　entered　the　front　room　to　see　a　stranger　with　his　father。
〃So　this　is　the　famous　Ivan　Mikhailovich　Sergetov；　Major　of　the　Soviet　Army。〃
〃Excuse　me；　rade；　but　I　do　not　think　we　have　met　before。〃
〃Vanya；　this　is　Boris　Kosov。〃
The　young　officer's　face　betrayed　just　a　fraction　of　his　emotions　on　being　introduced　to　the　Director　of　the　KGB。　He　leaned　back　into　the　easy　chair　and　observed　the　man　who　had　ordered　the　bombing　of　the　Kremlin…after　arranging　for　children　to　be　there。　It　was　two　in　the　morning。　KGB　troops　loyal…thought　to　be　loyal；　Minister　Sergetov　corrected　himself…to　Kosov　patrolled　outside　to　keep　this　meeting　a　secret。
〃Ivan　Mikhailovich；〃　Kosov　said　genially；　〃what　is　your　assessment　of　the　situation　at　the　front？〃
The　young　officer　suppressed　a　desire　to　look　to　his　father　for　guidance。　〃The　success　or　failure　of　the　operation　hangs　in　the　balance…remember　that　I　am　a　junior　officer　and　I　lack　the　expertise　for　a　reliable　evaluation。　But　as　I　see　things；　the　campaign　could　now　go　either　way。　NATO　is　short　on　manpower　but　they've　had　a　sudden　infusion　of　supplies。〃
〃About　two　weeks'　worth。〃
〃Probably　less；〃　Sergetov　said。　〃One　thing　we've　learned　at　the　front　is　that　supplies　get　used　up　much　faster　than　expected。　Fuel；　ordnance；　everything　seems　almost　to　evaporate。　So　our　friends　in　the　Navy　must　keep　hitting　the　convoys。〃
〃Our　ability　to　do　this　is　seriously　reduced；〃　Kosov　said。　〃I　would　not　expect…the　truth　is　that　the　Navy　has　been　defeated。　Iceland　will　soon　be　back　in　NATO　hands。〃
〃But　Bukharin　didn't　say　that！〃　the　elder　Sergetov　objected。
〃He　didn't　tell　us　that　Northern　Fleet's　long…range　aircraft　were　nearly　exterminated　either；　but　they　were。　The　fool　thinks　he　can　keep　me　from　learning　this！　The　Americans　have　a　full　division　on　Iceland　now；　with　massive　support　from　their　fleet。　Unless　o