tc.redstormrising-第149部分

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　hadn't　smiled　at　all　since　May。　The　General　explained　to　him　for　the　first　time　why　this　was　true。　Five　minutes　later；　Sorokin's　hand　was　opening　and　closing　beside　the　arm　of　the　leather　chair；　about　where　his　pistol　holster　would　be　if　he'd　been　standing。
〃Major；　the　essence　of　a　soldier　is　discipline；〃　Alekseyev　concluded。　〃I　have　brought　you　here　for　a　reason；　but　I　must　know　that　you　will　carry　out　your　orders　exactly。　I　will　understand　if　you　cannot。〃

There　was　no　emotion　on　his　face　at　all；　but　the　hand　relaxed。　〃Yes；　rade　General；　and　I　thank　you　from　my　soul　for　bringing　me　here。　It　will　be　exactly　as　you　say。〃
〃e；　then。　We　have　work　to　do。〃
The　General's　car　was　already　waiting。　Alekseyev　and　Sorokin　drove　to　the　inner　ring　road　around　central　Moscow　that　changes　its　name　every　few　kilometers。　It　is　called　Chkalova　where　it　passes　the　Star　Theater　toward　the　Kursk　Railroad　Station。
The　mander　of　the　77th　Motor…Rifle　Division　was　dozing。　He　had　a　new　deputy　mander；　a　brigadier　from　the　front　to　replace　the　overaged　colonel　who　had　held　the　post。　They　had　talked　for　ten　hours　on　NATO　tactics；　and　now　the　Generals　were　taking　advantage　of　their　unexpectedly　extended　stop　in　Moscow　to　get　some　sleep。
〃What　the　hell　is　this！〃
The　77th's　mander　opened　his　eyes　to　see　a　four…star　general　staring　down　at　him。　He　jumped　to　attention　like　a　cadet。
〃Good　morning；　rade　General！〃
〃And　good　morning　to　you！　What　the　hell　is　a　division　of　the　Soviet　Army　doing　asleep　on　a　Goddamned　railroad　siding　while　men　are　dying　in　Germany！〃　Alekseyev　nearly　screamed　at　the　man。
〃We…we　can't　make　the　trains　move；　there　is　some　problem　with　the　tracks。〃
〃There　is　a　problem　with　the　tracks？　You　have　your　vehicles；　don't　you？〃
〃The　train　goes　to　Kiev　Station；　where　we　switch　lootives　for　the　trip　to　Poland。〃
〃I'll　arrange　transport　for　you。　We　don't　have　time；〃　Alekseyev　explained　as　though　to　a　wayward　child；　〃to　have　a　fighting　division　sit　on　its　ass。　If　the　train　can't　move；　you　can！　Roll　your　vehicles　off　the　flatcars；　we'll　take　you　through　Moscow；　and　you　can　get　to　Kiev　Station　yourself。　Now　rub　the　sleep　out　of　your　eyes　and　get　this　division　rolling　before　I　find　someone　else　who　can！〃
It　never　failed　to　amaze　the　General　what　a　little　screaming　could　do。　Alekseyev　watched　the　division　mander　scream　at　his　regimental　manders；　who　went　off　to　scream　at　their　battalion　manders。　In　ten　minutes　the　screaming　was　done　at　the　squad　level。　Ten　minutes　after　that；　the　tie…down　chains　were　being　stripped　off　the　BTR…60　infantry　carriers　and　the　first　of　them　rolled　off　the　back　of　the　train　for　assembly　in　Korskogo　Square　in　front　of　the　station。　The　infantrymen　mounted　their　vehicles；　looking　very　dangerous　in　battle　dress；　their　weapons　in　their　hands。
〃You　got　your　new　munications　officers？〃　Alekseyev　asked。
〃Yes；　they　have　pletely　replaced　my　own　people；〃　the　division　mander　nodded。
〃Good。　We've　learned　the　hard　way　about　munications　security　at　the　front。　Your　new　men　will　serve　you　well。　And　the　new　riflemen？〃
〃One　pany　of　veterans　in　each　regiment；　plus　others　spread　individually　throughout　the　rifle　panies。〃　The　mander　was　also　pleased　to　have　some　new　bat　officers　to　replace　a　few　of　his　less…well…regarded　subordinates。　Alekseyev　had　clearly　sent　him　good　ones。
〃Good；　get　your　division　formed　up　in　columns　of　regiments。　Let's　show　the　people　something；　rade。　Show　them　what　a　Soviet　Army　division　is　supposed　to　look　like。　They　need　it。〃
〃How　do　we　proceed　through　the　city？〃
〃I　have　gotten　some　KGB　border　guards　for　traffic　control。　Keep　your　people　in　proper　order；　I　don't　want　anyone　to　get　lost！〃
A　major　came　running　up。　〃Ready　to　move　in　twenty　minutes。〃
〃Fifteen！〃　the　mander　insisted。
〃Very　good；〃　Alekseyev　observed。　〃General；　I　will　acpany　you。　I　want　to　see　how　familiar　your　men　are　with　their　equipment。〃
Mikhail　Sergetov　arrived　early　for　the　Politburo　meeting；　as　was　his　habit。　The　usual　plement　of　Kremlin　guards　was　about；　one　pany　of　infantry　with　light　arms。　They　were　from　the　Taman　Guards　division；　ceremonial　troops　with　minimal　weapons　training…a　praetorial　guard　without　teeth；　like　many　ceremonial　units　they　practiced　parading　and　boot…shining　and　looking　like　soldiers；　though　at　Alabino　they　did　have　a　full　divisional　set　of　tanks　and　guns。　The　real　Kremlin　guardians　were　the　KGB　border　guards　and　the　division　of　MVD　troops　garrisoned　outside　Moscow。　It　was　typical　of　the　Soviet　system　that　there　would　be　three　armed　formations　loyal　to　three　separate　ministries。　The　Taman　division　had　the　best　weapons　but　the　least　training。　The　KGB　had　the　best　training　but　only　light　weapons。　The　MVD；　which　answered　to　the　Ministry　of　the　Interior；　was　also　short　on　weapons　and　trained　mainly　as　a　paramilitary　police　force；　but　they　were　posed　of　Tartars；　troops　of　known　ferocity　and　antipathy　toward　the　ethnic　Russian　people。　The　relationship　among　the　three　was　more　than　merely　plex。
〃Mikhail　Eduardovich？〃
〃Ah。〃　It　was　the　Agriculture　Minister。　〃Good　morning；　Filip　Moiseyevich。〃
〃I　am　worried；〃　the　man　said　quietly。
〃About　what？〃
〃I　fear　they…the　Defense　Council…may　be　thinking　about　atomic　weapons。〃
〃They　cannot　be　so　desperate。〃　If　you　are　an　agent　provocateur；　rade；　you　know　that　I've　been　told　this。　Better　that　I　should　know　now　what　you　are。
The　man's　open　Slavic　face　did　not　change。　〃I　hope　you　are　right。　I　have　not　managed　to　feed　this　country　for　once　to　see　someone　blow　it　up！〃
An　ally！　Sergetov　told　himself　〃If　they　put　it　to　a　vote；　what　then？〃　〃I　don't　know；　Misha；　I　wish　I　did。　Too　many　of　us　are　being　swept　away　by　events。〃
〃Will　you　speak　out　against　this　madness？〃
〃Yes！　I　will　soon　have　a　grandchild；　and　he　will　have　a　country　to　grow　up　in　even　if　it　means　my　life！〃
Forgive　me；　rade；　forgive　me　for　all　the　things　I　have　thought　of　you　before。
〃Always　the　early　bird；　Mikhail　Eduardovich？〃　Kosov　and　the　Defense　Minister　arrived　together。
〃Filip　and　I　had　to　discuss　fuel　allocations　for　food　transport。〃
〃You　worry　about　my　tanks！　Food　can　wait。〃　Defense　walked　past　them　into　the　conference　room。　Sergetov　and　his　patriot　shared　a　look。
The　meeting　came　to　order　ten　minutes　later。　The　General　Secretary　began　it；　immediately　turning　over　discussions　to　Defense。
〃We　must　make　a　decisive　move　in　Germany。〃
〃You　have　been　promising　us　one　of　those　for　weeks！〃　Bromkovskiy　said。
〃This　time　it　will　work。　General　Alekseyev　will　be　here　in　an　hour　to　present　his　plan。　For　the　moment；　we　will　discuss　the　use　of　tactical　nuclear　weapons　at　the　front　and　how　to　prevent　a　NATO　nuclear　response。〃
Sergetov's　was　one　of　the　impassive　faces　at　the　table。　He　counted　four　who　displayed　obvious　horror。　The　discussion　that　followed　was　spirited。
Alekseyev　rode　with　the　division　mander　for　the　first　few　kilometers；　past　the　Indian　Embassy　and　the　Justice　Ministry。　The　latter　drew　an　ironic　look　from　the　General。　How　fitting　that　I　should　pass　that　building　today！　The　mand　vehicle　was　essentially　a　radio　with　eight　wheels。　Six　munications　officers　rode　in　the　back　to　allow　the　mander　to　run　his　division　right　from　here。　The　munications　officers　were　from　the　front；　and　loyal　to　the　bat　officers　who'd　brought　them　back。
Progress　was　slow。　The　bat　vehicles　were　designed　for　speed；　but　speed　also　made　for　breakdowns；　and　at　anything　over　twenty　kilometers　per　hour　the　tanks　would　tear　the　pavement　apart。　As　it　was；　they　motored　along　placidly；　attracting　small　knots　of　people　who　watched　and　waved　and　cheered　as　the　soldiers　passed。　The　procession　was　not　as　precise　as　one　of　the　parades　for　which　the　Taman　Guards　practiced　every　day。　If　anything　this　made　the　people　more　enthusiastic。　Here　were　real　soldiers　going　to　the　front。　KGB　officers　stood　along　the　route；　〃advising〃　the　officers　of　the　Moscow　Militia　to　let　the　division　pass…they'd　explained　the　reason；　the　foulup　in　the　eastern　rail　network；　and　the　traffic　policemen　were　only　too　happy　to　make　way　for　the　soldiers　of　the　Motherland。
Alekseyev　stood　up　in　the　gunner's　hatch　as　the　column　reached　Nogina　Square。
〃You've　done　well　to　get　your　men　to　this　level　of　training；〃　he　told　the　divisional　mander。　〃I　want　to　dismount　and　see　how　the　rest　of　your　troops　are　doing。　I　will　see　you　again　at　Stendal。〃　Alekseyev　told　the　driver　not　to　stop。　He　jumped　off　the　mand　vehicle　carrier　with　the　agility　of　a　young　corporal　and　stood　in　the　street；　waving　the　vehicles　past；　saluting　the　officers　who　rode　proudly　in　their　vehicles。　It　was　five　minutes　until　the　second　regiment　reached　him；　and　he　waited　for　its　second　battalion。　Major　Sorokin　was　in　the　battalion　mand　vehicle；　and　leaned　over　to　grasp　the　General's　hand　and　pull　him　up　off　the　street。
〃An　old　man　like　you　could　get　hurt　that　way；　rade　General；〃　Sorokin　warned。
〃You　young　buck！〃　Alekseyev　was　proud　of　his　physical　condition。　He　looked　at　the　battalion　mander；　a　man　newly　arrived　from　the　front。　〃Ready？〃
〃I　am　ready；　rade　General。〃

〃Remember　your　orders　and　keep　control　of　your　men。〃　Alekseyev　pulled　the　flap　loose　on　his　holster。　Sorokin　had　himself　an　AK…47　rifle。
He　could　see　St。　Basil's　now；　the　collection　of　towers　and　onion　domes　at　the　end　of　Razina　Street。　One　by　one　the　procession　of　vehicles　turned　right　past　the　old　cathedral。　Behind　him　the　soldiers　in　the　infantry　carriers　all　had　their　heads　up；　looking　at　the　sights。　This　was　the　oldest　model　of　the　BTR；　and　lacked　overhead　cover。
There！　Alekseyev　said　to　himself。　The　gate　built　by　Ivan　the　Terrible　that　led　right　to　the　Council　of　Ministers　building。　Just　through　the　gate　under　the　clock　tower。　The　time　was　ten…twenty。　He　was　ten　minutes　early　for　his　appointment　with　the　Politburo。
〃Are　we　all　crazy？〃　the　Agriculture　Minister　asked。　〃Do　we　think　we　can　gamble　with　atomic　arms　like　so　many　firecrackers？〃
A　good　man；　Sergetov　thought；　but　he　has　never　been　an　eloquent　one。　The　Petroleum　Minister　rubbed　sweaty　hands　over　his　trouser　legs。
〃rade　Defense　Minister；　you　have　led　us　to　the　brink　of　destruction；〃　Bromkovskiy　said。　〃Now　you　wish　us　to　leap　in　after　you！〃
〃It　is　too　late　to　stop；〃　the　General　Secretary　said。　〃The　decision　has　been　made。〃
An　explosion　gave　the　he　to　that　statement。
〃Now！〃　Alekseyev　said。　In　the　back　o