tc.redstormrising-第45部分

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The　ship　was　moving　far　too　fast　to　stop。　The　soldiers　on　the　dock　could　already　see　that；　and　were　slowly　backing　up；　away　from　the　edge；　fearing　that　it　would　crumble　when　the　ship　struck。　Kherov　grunted　with　dark　amusement。　So　much　for　the　line　handlers。　Eight　hundred　meters。
〃All　back　full。〃
Six　hundred　meters。　The　ship's　whole　mass　shuddered　as　the　engines　fought　to　slow　her。　She　headed　into　the　berth　at　a　thirty…degree　angle；　her　speed　now　eight　knots。　Kherov　walked　to　the　engine　room　voice　tube。
〃On　my　order；　shut　down　the　engines；　pull　the　manual　sprinkler　handle；　and　evacuate　the　engine　spaces。〃
〃What　are　you　doing？〃　the　General　asked。
〃We　cannot　moor　to　the　quay；〃　Kherov　answered　simply。　〃Your　soldiers　don't　know　how　to　handle　the　lines；　and　many　of　my　seamen　are　dead。〃　The　berth　Kherov　had　selected　was　precisely　half　a　meter　shallower　than　his　ship's　draft。　He　went　back　to　the　voice　tube。
〃Now；　rades！〃
Below；　the　chief　engineer　gave　the　orders。　His　chief　machinist　cut　off　the　diesel　engines　and　ran　to　the　escape　ladder。　The　engineer　yanked　the　emergency　handle　for　the　fire…suppression　system　and　followed；　after　counting　heads　to　make　sure　that　all　his　men　had　gotten　out。
〃Rudder　hard　right！〃
A　minute　later　the　bow　of　JULIUS　FUCIK　rammed　the　quay　at　a　speed　of　five　knots。　Her　bow　crumpled　as　though　constructed　of　paper；　and　the　whole　ship　pivoted　to　the　right；　her　side　slamming　against　the　rocks　in　a　shower　of　orange　sparks。　The　impact　ripped　the　ship's　bottom　open　at　the　turn　of　her　starboard　bilges。　Instantly　her　lower　decks　flooded；　and　the　ship　settled　rapidly　to　the　bottom；　only　a　few　feet　below　her　flat　keel。　The　JULIUS　FUCIK　would　never　sail　again。　But　she　had　reached　her　objective。
Kherov　waved　to　the　General。　〃My　men　will　deploy　the　two　baby　tugboats　we　have　in　the　stem。　Tell　them　to　remove　two　barges　and　set　them　between　the　stem　and　the　end　of　the　quay。　My　men　will　show　you　how　to　secure　the　barges　properly　so　they　don't　drift　off。　Then　use　your　bridging　equipment　to　take　your　vehicles　off　the　elevator　onto　the　barges；　then　from　the　barges　to　the　quay。〃
〃We　can　do　this　easily。　Now；　rade　Captain；　you　will　see　my　surgeon。　I　will　brook　no　further　argument。〃　The　General　waved　to　his　orderly　and　both　men　assisted　the　captain　below。　There　might　still　be　time。

HILL　152；　ICELAND
〃You　decide　who　I　am　yet？〃　Edwards　asked　testily。　Another　really　annoying　thing　was　the　quarter…second　delay　caused　by　the　signal's　travel　time　to　and　from　the　satellite。
〃That's　affirmative。　The　problem　is；　how　do　we　know　it's　really　you？〃　The　officer　had　a　telex　in　his　hand　confirming　that　one　First　Lieutenant　Michael　D。　Edwards；　USAF；　had　indeed　been　the　met　officer　for　the　57th　FIS；　information　that　could　easily　have　been　in　Russian　hands　before　the　attack。
〃Look；　turkey；　I'm　sitting　here　on　Hill　152；　east　of　Hafnarfjordur；　okay？　There　is　a　Russian　helicopter　flying　around；　and　some　godawful　big　ship　just　docked　in　the　harbor。　It's　too　far　to　see　a　flag；　but　I　don't　figure　the　son　of　a　bitch　came　from　New　York；　y'know？　The　Russians　have　invaded　this　rock。　They　pounded　hell　out　of　Keflavik；　and　they　got　troops　all　over　the　place。〃
〃Tell　me　about　the　ship。〃
Edwards　locked　the　binoculars　to　his　eyes。　〃Black　hull；　white　superstructure。　Big　block　letters　on　the　side。　Can't　quite　make　it　out。　Something…Lines。　The　first　word　begins　with　an　L。　Some　kind　of　barge…carrying　ship。　There's　a　tugboat　moving　a　barge　around　right　now。〃
〃Have　you　seen　any　Russian　troops？〃
Edwards　paused　before　answering。　〃No。　I've　just　heard　radio　reports　of　the　Marines　at　Keflavik。　They　were　being　overrun。　They've　been　off　the　air　ever　since。　I　can　see　some　people　on　the　dock；　but　I　can't　tell　what　they　are。〃
〃Okay；　we'll　be　checking　that　out。　For　the　moment　I'd　suggest　that　you　find　a　good；　safe　place　to　belly…up；　and　stay　off　the　air。　If　we　have　to　contact　you；　we'll　broadcast　on　the　hour；　every　even　hour。　If　you　want　to　talk　to　us；　we'll　be　here。　Understood？〃
〃Roger；　copy。　Out。〃　Edwards　switched　off。　〃I　don't　believe　this。〃
〃Nobody　knows　what　the　hell's　going　on；　Lieutenant；〃　Smith　observed。　〃Why　should　they？　We　sure　as　hell　don't。〃
〃Ain't　that　the　truth！〃　Edwards　repacked　his　radio。　〃If　those　idiots　would　listen　to　me；　we　could　have　some　fighter…bombers　here　to　blast　that　ship　inside　two　hours。　God；　but　she's　a　big　one。　How　much　equipment　can　you　Marines　load　in　something　that　big？〃
〃A　lot；〃　Smith　said　quietly。
〃You　think　they'll　be　trying　to　land　more　troops？〃
〃It　figures；　sir。　They　couldn't　have　hit　Keflavik　with　all　that　many…figure　a　battalion；　tops。　This　here's　a　pretty　big　rock。　I'd　sure　as　hell　want　more　troops　to　hold　it　than　that。　Course；　I'm　just　a　buck　sergeant。〃

HAFNARFJORDUR；　ICELAND
The　General　could　finally　get　to　work。　The　first　order　of　business　was　to　board　the　single　working　helicopter；　now　operating　off　the　dock；　its　pilots　delighted　to　see　the　ship　sunk　alongside　the　quay。　He　left　a　rifle　pany　to　secure　the　harbor　area；　sent　another　to　Reykjavik　airport　to　reinforce　that；　and　detailed　his　last　to　get　the　division's　equipment　moving　off　the　ship。　Then　he　flew　to　Keflavik　to　survey　the　situation。
Most　of　the　fires　were　still　burning；　he　saw。　The　aircraft　fuel　dump　nearest　the　base　was　ablaze；　but　the　main　storage　tanks　five　kilometers　away　seemed　intact；　and；　he　could　see；　were　already　guarded　by　a　BMD　assault　vehicle　and　some　men。　The　assault　regiment　mander　met　him　on　one　of　the　undamaged　runways。
〃Keflavik　air　base　is　secure；　rade　General！〃　he　proclaimed。
〃How　did　it　go？〃
〃Hard。　The　Americans　were　uncoordinated…one　of　the　missiles　hit　their　mand　post…but　they　did　not　give　up　easily。　We　have　nineteen　dead　and　forty…three　wounded。　We　have　accounted　for　most　of　the　Marines　and　other　security　troops；　and　we　are　still　counting　the　other　prisoners。〃
〃How　many　armed　troops　escaped？〃
〃None　that　we　know　of。　Too　early　to　tell；　of　course；　but　some　undoubtedly　died　in　the　fires。〃　The　colonel　waved　at　the　smashed　base　area　to　the　east。　〃How　is　the　ship？　I　heard　he　took　a　missile　hit。〃
〃And　we　were　strafed　by　American　fighters。　He's　tied　to　the　dock；　and　the　equipment　is　being　unloaded　now。　Can　we　use　this　airfield？　I…〃
〃Getting　that　report　now。〃　The　colonel's　radio　operator　handed　his　radiophone　over。　The　colonel　spoke　for　a　minute　or　so。　A　five…man　party　of　Air　Force　personnel　had　acpanied　the　second　wave　and　was　evaluating　the　base　facilities。
〃rade　General；　the　base　radar　and　radio　systems　are　destroyed。
The　runways　are　littered　with　debris；　and　they　tell　me　that　they　need　some　hours　to　sweep　them　clear。　Also　the　fuel　pipeline　is　broken　in　two　places。　Fortunately　it　did　not　bum。　For　the　moment　we'll　have　to　use　the　airport's　trucks　to　transfer　fuel。　All　of　them　seem　to　be　intact　。　。　。　they　remend　that　the　airlift　e　into　Reykjavik。　Have　we　secured　that？〃
〃Yes；　and　it　is　intact。　Any　hope　of　getting　information　from　the　American　aircraft？〃
〃Unfortunately　not；　rade。　The　aircraft　were　badly　damaged　from　ining　missiles。　Those　that　did　not　bum　of　their　own　accord　were　burned　by　their　crews。　As　I　said；　they　fought　hard。〃
〃Very　well。　I'll　send　the　remainder　of　your　two　battalions　with　your　equipment　as　soon　as　we　can　get　things　organized。　I'll　need　the　third　at　the　dock　for　the　moment。　Set　up　your　perimeter。　Start　the　cleanup；　we　need　this　airfield　operational　as　soon　as　possible。　Get　the　prisoners　together　and　ready　to　move。　We'll　be　flying　them　out　tonight。　They　are　to　be　treated　correctly。〃　His　orders　on　that　score　were　very　precise。　Prisoners　are　assets。
〃As　you　say；　rade　General。　And　please　get　me　some　engineers　so　that　we　can　repair　that　fuel　pipe。〃
〃Well　done；　Nikolay　Gennadyevich！〃
The　General　ran　back　to　his　helicopter。　Only　nineteen　dead。　He'd　expected　a　higher　number　than　that。　Taking　out　the　Marine　mand　center　had　been　a　real　stroke　of　luck。　By　the　time　his　Hip　returned　to　the　dock；　the　equipment　was　already　rolling　off。　The　ship's　barges　had　been　fitted　with　loading　doors　in　their　hulls；　like　miniature　landing　craft；　which　allowed　vehicles　to　roll　straight　out。　The　units　already　were　being　organized　on　the　dock　and　nearby　lots。　His　staff　officers　were　fully　in　charge　of　things；　the　General　saw。　To　this　point；　Operation　Polar　Glory　was　a　total　success。
When　the　Hip　landed；　it　refueled　from　a　line　draped　down　from　the　ship's　side。　The　General　went　to　his　operations　officer。
〃Reykjavik　airport　is　secure　also；　rade　General；　and　there　we　have　plete　fueling　facilities。　Is　that　where　you　want　the　airlift　to　e　in？〃
The　General　thought　about　that　one。　Reykjavik's　airport　was　a　small　one；　but　he　didn't　want　to　wait　until　the　larger　Keflavik　was　clear　to　bring　in　his　reinforcements。　〃Yes。　Send　the　code　word　to　headquarters：　I　want　the　airlift　to　begin　at　once。〃


HILL　152；　ICELAND
〃Tanks。〃　Garcia　had　the　binoculars。　〃A　bunch　of　'em　and　they　all　got　red　stars。　Heading　west　on　Route　4　1。　This　oughta　convince　'em；　sir。〃
Edwards　took　the　field　glasses。　He　could　see　the　tanks；　but　not　the　stars。　〃What　kind　are　they？　They　don't　look　like　real　tanks。〃
It　was　now　Smith's　turn。　〃That's　BMPs…maybe　BMDs。　It's　an　infantry　assault　vehicle；　like　an　amtrak。　Holds　a　squad　of　men　and　a　73…millimeter　gun。　They're　Russian；　that's　for　sure；　Lieutenant。　I　count　eleven　of　the　bastards；　and　maybe　twenty　trucks　with　men　in　'em。''
Edwards　broke　out　his　radio　again。　Garcia　was　right。　This　did　get　their　attention。
〃Okay；　Edwards；　who　do　you　have　with　you？〃
Edwards　rattled　off　the　names　of　his　Marines。　〃We　bugged　out　before　the　Russians　got　into　the　base。〃
〃Where　are　you　now？〃
〃Hill　152；　four　kilometers　due　east　of　Hafnarfjordur。　We　can　see　all　the　way　into　the　harbor。　There　are　Russian　vehicles　heading　west　towards　Keflavik；　and　some　trucks…we　can't　tell　what　kind…heading　northeast　towards　Reykjavik　on　Highway　41。　Look；　guys；　if　you　can　whistle　up　a　couple　of　Aardvarks；　maybe　we　can　kill　that　ship　before　she　unloads；〃　the　lieutenant　said　urgently。
〃I'm　afraid　the　Varks　are　a　little　busy　right　now；　fella。　In　case　nobody　told　you；　there's　a　shooting　war　in　Germany。　World　War　III　kicked　off　ten　hours　ago。　We're　trying　to　get　a　recon　bird　up　your　way；　but　it　might　take　awhile。　Nobody's　decided　what　to　do　about　you　either。　For　right　now；　you're