tc.redstormrising-第150部分

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〃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　of　the　mand　vehicle　the　munications　officers　activated　the　divisional　radio　net　and　announced　an　explosion　in　the　Kremlin。　A　battalion　of　riflemen　under　General　Alekseyev's　personal　mand　was　going　in　to　investigate。
Alekseyev　was　already　moving。　Three　BTRs　ran　through　the　smashed　gate；　stopping　at　the　front　steps　of　the　Council　of　Ministers　building。
〃What　the　hell's　going　on　here？〃　Alekseyev　screamed　at　the　captain　of　the　Taman　Guards。
〃I　don't　know…you　can't　be　here；　you　are　not　allowed；　you　must…〃
Sorokin　cut　him　down　with　a　three…round　burst。　He　jumped　down　off　the　vehicle；　nearly　collapsing　on　his　bad　leg；　and　raced　for　the　building；　with　the　General　in　pursuit。　Alekseyev　turned　at　the　door。
〃Secure　the　area；　there　is　a　plot　to　kill　the　Politburo！〃　The　order　was　relayed　to　the　arriving　troops。　Taman　Guard　troops　were　running　across　the　open　spaces　from　the　old　Arsenal　Building。　A　few　warning　shots　were　fired。　The　Guards　wavered；　then　a　lieutenant　fired　a　full　magazine　from　his　rifle；　and　a　firefight　began　within　the　Kremlin　walls。　Two　bodies　of　Soviet　soldiers；　only　ten　of　whom　really　knew　what　was　happening；　began　exchanging　fire　while　members　of　the　Politburo　watched　from　the　windows。
Alekseyev　hated　Sorokin　for　taking　the　lead；　but　the　major　knew　whose　life　was　more　profitably　risked。　He　encountered　a　Guards　captain　on　the　second…floor　landing　and　killed　him。　He　kept　going　up；　with　Alekseyev　and　the　battalion　mander　behind；　remembering　the　diagram　of　the　building's　fourth　floor。　Another　soldier…this　one　a　major…was　there　with　a　rifle。　He　managed　to　get　one　burst　off；　missing　high　as　his　target　dove；　but　the　major　of　paratroops　rolled　clear　and　killed　him。　The　conference　room　was　only　twenty　meters　away。　They　found　a　colonel　of　the　KGB　who　held　his　hands　out　in　the　clear。
〃Where　is　Alekseyev？〃
〃Here！〃　The　General　had　his　pistol　in　his　hand。
〃No　more　Guards　alive　on　this　floor；〃　the　chekist　said。　He'd　just　killed　four　with　a　silenced　automatic　hidden　under　his　tunic。
〃Door。〃　Alekseyev　motioned　Sorokin。　He　didn't　kick　it　down；　it　was　unlocked；　and　led　into　an　anteroom。　The　double　oak　doors　beyond　led　to　the　Politburo。
Sorokin　went　through　first。
They　found　twenty…one　old　and　middle…aged　men；　mainly　standing　at　the　windows　watching　a　small　infantry　engagement　that　had　about　run　its　course。　The　Taman　Guards　stationed　throughout　the　Kremlin　grounds　were　not　organized　for　this　sort　of　assault；　and　had　not　the　smallest　chance　of　overwhelming　a　pany　of　experienced　riflemen。
Alekseyev　came　in　next；　holstering　his　pistol。
〃rades；　please　go　back　to　your　seats。　Evidently　there　is　a　plot　to　seize　the　Kremlin。　Fortunately；　I　was　just　arriving　for　my　appointment　when　this　column　of　troops　passed　by。　Sit　down；　rades！〃　the　General　ordered。
〃What　the　hell　is　going　on　here？〃　the　Defense　Minister　asked。
〃When　I　entered　military　school　thirty…four　years　ago　I　swore　an　oath　to　defend　the　State　and　the　Party　from　all　enemies；〃　Alekseyev　said　coldly。　〃Including　those　who　would　kill　my　country　because　they　don't　know　what　the　hell　else　to　do！　rade　Sergetov？〃　The　Petroleum　Minister　pointed　to　two　men。　〃You　rades　and　rade　Kosov　will　stay。　The　others　will　be　leaving　with　me　in　a　few　minutes。〃
〃Alekseyev；　you　have　signed　your　own　death　warrant；〃　the　Minister　of　the　Interior　said。　He　reached　for　a　telephone。　Major　Sorokin　lifted　his　rifle　and　destroyed　the　phone　with　a　single　round。
〃Do　not　make　that　mistake　again。　We　can　very　easily　kill　you　all。　That　would　be　much　more　convenient　than　what　we　have　in　mind。〃　Alekseyev　waited　for　a　moment。　Another　officer　ran　into　the　room　and　nodded。　〃We　will　now　leave；　rades。　If　one　of　you　attempts　to　speak　to　anyone；　you　will　all　be　killed　immediately。　Two…by…two…start　moving！〃　The　KGB　colonel　who　had　just　set　off　his　second　Kremlin　bomb　took　out　the　first　group。
After　they　left；　Sergetov　and　Kosov　came　up　to　the　General。
〃Well　done；〃　said　the　Director　of　the　KGB。　〃Things　are　ready　at　Lefortovo。　The　men　on　duty　are　all　mine。〃
〃We're　not　going　to　Lefortovo。　A　change　in　plans；〃　Alekseyev　said。　〃They　go　to　the　old　airport；　and　after　that　I　helicopter　them　to　a　military　camp　manded　by　someone　I　trust。〃
〃But　I　have　it　all　arranged！〃
〃I'm　sure　you　do。　This　is　my　new　aide；　Major　Sorokin。　Major　Sergetov　is　at　that　camp　right　now；　making　final　arrangements。　Tell　me；　rade　Director；　does　Sorokin　look　familiar　to　you？〃
He　did　look　vaguely　familiar；　but　Kosov　couldn't　place　him。
〃He　was　a　captain…since　promoted　for　bravery…in　the　76th　Guards　Airborne　Division。〃
〃Yes？〃　Kosov　sensed　the　danger　but　not　the　reason。
〃Major　Sorokin　had　a　daughter　in　the　Young　Octobrists。　Seventy…sixth　Airborne　is　home…based　at　Pskov；〃　Alekseyev　explained。
〃For　my　little　Svetlana；〃　Sorokin　said；　〃who　died　without　a　face。〃　All　Kosov　had　time　to　see　was　a　rifle　and　a　white　flash。
Sergetov　leaped　out　of　the　way　and　looked　to　Alekseyev　in　shock。
〃Even　if　you　were　right　to　trust　the　chekist；　I　will　not　take　orders　from　one。　I　leave　you　with　a　pany　of　loyal　troops。　I　must　get　control　of　the　Army。　Your　job　is　to　get　control　of　the　Party　apparatus。〃
〃How　can　we　trust　you　now？〃　Agriculture　asked。
〃By　now　we　should　be　on　our　way　to　control　of　the　munications　lines。　All　will　be　done　in　accordance　with　our　plan。　They　will　announce　an　attempt　to　topple　the　government；　prevented　by　loyal　troops。　Later　today　one　of　you　will　appear　on　television。　I　must　go。　Good　luck。〃
Directed　by　their　KGB　guides；　the　motorized　battalions　headed　for　the　television　and　radio　stations；　and　the　main　telephone　exchanges。　They　moved　rapidly　now；　responding　to　emergency　calls　to　secure　the　city　against　an　unknown　number　of　counterrevolutionaries。　In　fact　they　had　not　the　least　idea　what　they　were　doing；　only　that　they　had　orders　from　a　four…star　general。　That　was　enough　for　the　officers　of　the　77th　Motor　Rifle。　The　munications　teams　had　done　well。　The　division　political　officer　appeared　at　the　Council　of　Ministers　building　to　find　four　Politburo　members　on　the　telephones　giving　orders。　All　was　not　as　it　should　be；　but　the　Party　men　seemed　to　have　things　under　control。　The　other　members；　he　learned；　had　all　been　killed　or　wounded　in　a　vicious　attack　by　the　Kremlin　Guards　themselves！　The　director　of　the　KGB　had　detected　the　plot　barely　in　time　to　summon　loyal　troops；　but　died　heroically　resisting　the　attackers。　None　of　this　made　much　sense　to　the　divisional　zampolit；　but　it　didn't　have　to。　His　orders　made　perfectly　good　sense；　and　he　radioed　instructions　to　the　divisional　mander。
Sergetov　was　surprised　at　how　easy　it　was。　The　number　of　people　who　actually　knew　what　had　happened　was　under　two　hundred。　The　fighting　had　all　taken　place　within　the　Kremlin　walls；　and　while　many　had　heard　the　noise；　the　cover　story　explained　it　well　enough　for　the　moment。　He　had　several　friends　in　the　Central　mittee；　and　they　did　what　they　were　told　in　the　emergency。　By　the　end　of　the　day；　the　reins　of　power　were　shared　among　three　Party　men。　The　other　Politburo　members　were　under　armed　guard　outside　the　city；　with　Major　Sorokin　in　charge　of　their　care。　Without　instructions　from　the　Minister　of　the　Interior；　the　MVD　troops　took　their　orders　from　the　Politburo；　while　the　KGB　wavered　leaderless。　It　was　the　final　irony　of　the　Soviet　system　that；　headless；　it　could　not　save　itself。　The　Politburo's　pervasive　control　of　all　aspects　of　Soviet　life　prevented　people　now　from　asking　the　questions　that　had　to　be　asked　before　any　organized　resistance　could　begin；　and　every　hour　gave　Sergetov　and　his　clique　more　time　to　consolidate　their　rule。　He　had　the　aged　but　distinguished　Pyotr　Bromkovskiy　to　head　the　Party　apparatus　and　act　as　Defense　Minister。　Remembered　in　the　Army　as　a　missar　who　cared　about　the　men　he　served　with；　Petya　was　able　to　anoint　Alekseyev　as　Deputy　Defense　Minister　and　Chief　of　the　General　Staff。　Filip　Moiseyevich　Krylov　retained　Agriculture　and　acquired　Internal　Affairs。　Sergetov　would　be　acting　General　Secretary。　The　three　men　formed　a　troika；　which　would　appeal　to　their　countrymen　until　more　of　their　people　could　be　brought　in。　One　paramount　task　remained。

43…　A　Walk　in　the　Woods

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
There　is　no　more　natural　fear　than　of　the　unknown；　and　the　greater　the　unknown；　the　greater　had　to　be　the　fear。　SACEUR　had　four　intelligence　reports　side　by　side　on　his　desk。　The　only　thing　they　agreed　on　was　that　they　did　not　know　what　was　happening；　but　that　it　might　be　bad。
For　that　I　need　an　expert？　SACEUR　thought。
A　snippet　of　information　from　a　ferret　satellite　had　given　him　the　word　that　there　was　some　fighting　in　Moscow；　and　told　him　of　the　movement　of　troops　to　munications　centers；　but　State　television　and　radio　had　kept　to　a　normal　schedule　for　twelve　hours　until　a　news　broadcast　at　five　in　the　morning；　Moscow　time；　had　broken　the　official　word。
An　attempted　coup　d'？tat　by　the　Defense　Minister？　That　would　not　be　good　news；　and　the　fact　that　it　had　been　put　down　was　only　marginally　better。　The　monitoring　stations　had　just　heard　a　brief　speech　by　Pyotr　Bromkovskiy；　known　as　the　last　of　the　Stalinist　hard…liners：　maintain　calm　and　keep　your　faith　in　the　Party。
What　the　hell　did　that　mean？　SACEUR　wondered。
〃I　need　information；〃　he　told　his　intelligence　chief。　〃What　do　we　know　about　the　Russian　mand　structure？〃
〃Alekseyev；　the　new　mander…West；　is　evidently　not　at　his　mand　post。　Good　news　for　us；　since　we　have　our　attack　scheduled　in　ten　hours。〃
SACEUR's　phone　buzzed。　〃I　told　you　no　calls…go　ahead；　Franz　。　。　。　Four　hours？　Potsdam。　No　reply　yet。　I'll　be　back　to　you　in　a　little　while。〃　He　hung　up。　〃We　just　received　an　open　radio　message　that　the　Soviet　Chief　of　Staff　urgently　wishes　to　meet　with　me　in　Potsdam。〃
〃'Urgently　wishes；　Herr　General？〃
〃That's　what　the　message　said。　I　can　e　by　helicopter　and　they'll　provide　a　helicopter　escort　to　a　meeting　place。〃　SACEUR　leaned　back。　〃You　suppose　they　want　to　shoot　me　down　because　I've　done　such　a　great　job？〃　The　Supreme　Allied　mander　Europe　allowed　himself　an　ironic　smile。　
〃We　have　their　troops　massing　northeast　of　Hannover；〃　the　Chief　of　Intelligence　pointed　out。