mreilly.icestation-第27部分

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　He　said；　〃Anyway；　these　days；　nearly　all　elite　teams…the　French　Parachute　Regiment；　the　SAS；　the　Navy　SEALs…　nearly　all　of　them　carry　contingency　plans　just　in　case　they　fail　in　their　missions。　We　call　those　contingency　plans　'erasers'　because　that's　exactly　what　they're　designed　to　do：　erase　that　whole　team's　existence。　Make　it　look　like　that　team　was　never　there。　Sometimes　they're　called　cyanide　pills；　because　if　any　of　the　enemy　are　caught；　the　eraser　will　ultimately　act　as　their　suicide　pill。〃　
　〃So；　you're　talking　about　explosives；〃　Sarah　said。　
　〃I'm　talking　about　special　explosives；〃　Schofield　said。　〃Most　of　the　time　erasers　are　either　chlorine…based　explosives　or　high…temperature　liquid　detonators。　They're　designed　to　wipe　off　faces；　vaporize　bodies；　destroy　uniforms　and　dog　tags。　They're　designed　to　make　it　look　like　you　were　never　there。　
　〃Erasers　are　actually　a　relatively　recent　phenomenon。　No　one　had　ever　really　heard　about　them　until　a　couple　of　years　ago　when　a　German　sabotage　team　was　caught　in　an　underground　missile　silo　in　Montana。　They　were　cornered；　so　they　pulled　the　pin　on　three　liquid…chlorine　grenades。　After　those　things　went　off；　there　was　nothing　left。　No　soldiers。　No　silo。　We　think　the　Germans　were　there　to　disable　some　ballistic　nuclear　missiles　that　we　said　didn't　exist。〃　
　〃A　German　sabotage　unit。　In　Montana；〃　Sarah　said　in　disbelief。　〃Correct　me　if　I'm　wrong；　but　isn't　Germany　supposed　to　be　our　ally？〃　
　〃Isn't　France　supposed　to　be　our　ally？〃　Schofield　replied；　raising　his　eyebrows。　〃It　happens。　More　often　than　you　think。　Attacks　from　so…called　'friendly'　countries。　They　even　have　a　term　for　it　at　the　Pentagon；　they　call　them　Cassius　Ops；　after　Cassius；　the　traitor　in　Julius　Caesar。〃　
　〃They　have　a　term　for　it？〃　
　Schofield　shrugged　into　his　coat。　〃Look　at　it　this　way。　America　used　to　be　one　of　two　superpowers。　When　there　were　two　superpowers；　there　was　a　balance；　a　check。　What　one　did　the　other　countered。　But　now　the　Soviets　are　history　and　America　is　the　only　real　superpower　left　in　the　world。　We　have　more　weapons　than　any　other　nation　in　the　world。　We　have　more　money　to　spend　on　weapons　than　any　other　nation　in　the　world。　Other　countries　would　go　broke　trying　to　keep　up　with　our　defense　spending。　The　Soviets　did。　There　are　a　lot　of　countries　out　there…some　of　whom　we　call　friends…　who　think　that　America　is　too　big；　too　powerful；　countries　who　would　really　like　to　see　America　take　a　fall。　And　some　of　those　countries…France；　Germany；　and　to　a　lesser　extent　Great　Britain…aren't　afraid　to　give　us　a　little　push　either。〃　
　〃I　never　knew；〃　Sarah　said。　
　〃Not　many　people　do；〃　Schofield　said。　〃But　it's　one　of　the　main　reasons　my　unit　was　sent　to　this　station。　To　defend　it　against　any　of　our　'allies'　who　might　decide　to　make　a　play　for　it。〃　
　Schofield　pulled　his　parka　tight　around　himself　and　grabbed　the　handle　to　the　main　door　leading　outside。　
　〃You　said　you　wanted　to　ask　me　about　something；〃　he　said。　〃Can　you　talk　as　you　walk？〃　
　〃Uh；　yeah；　I　guess　so；〃　Sarah　said　as　she　quickly　grabbed　a　parka　off　one　of　the　hooks。　
　〃Then　let's　go；〃　Schofield　said。　
　
　
　
　Down　on　E…deck；　Libby　Gant　was　checking　the　calibration　on　a　depth　gauge。　
　She　and　Riley　were　on　the　outer　perimeter　of　the　deck　that　surrounded　the　pool。　It　had　been　a　good　forty…five　minutes　since　they　had　seen　a　killer　whale；　but　they　weren't　taking　any　chances。　They　stayed　well　away　from　the　water's　edge。　
　Gant　and　Riley　were　checking　the　unit's　scuba　gear；　in　preparation　for　the　dive　that　would　be　made　in　the　station's　diving　bell。　
　They　were　alone　on　E…deck；　and　they　worked　in　silence。　Every　now　and　then；　Riley　would　wander　over　to　the　storeroom　in　the　south　tunnel　and　check　on　Mother。　
　Gant　put　down　the　depth　gauge　she　was　holding　and　grabbed　another。　〃What　happened　to　his　eyes？〃　she　asked　quietly；　not　looking　up　from　what　she　was　doing。　
　Riley　stopped　working　for　a　moment　and　looked　up　at　her。　When　he　didn't　speak　immediately；　Gant　raised　her　own　eyes。　
　For　a　while；　Riley　seemed　to　evaluate　her。　Then；　abruptly；　he　looked　away。　
　〃Not　many　people　know　what　happened　to　his　eyes；〃　he　said。　〃Hell；　until　today；　not　that　many　people　had　even　seen　his　eyes。〃　
　There　was　a　short　silence。　
　〃Is　that　why　his　call　sign　is　Scarecrow？〃　Gant　said　softly。　〃Because　of　his　eyes？〃　
　Riley　nodded。　〃Norman　McLean　gave　it　to　him。〃　
　〃The　general？〃　
　〃The　General。　When　McLean　saw　Schoneld's　eves；　he　said　he　looked　like　a　scarecrow　McLean　had　once　had　guarding　his　cornfield　back　in　Kansas。　Apparently；　it　was　one　of　those　scarecrows　that　had　two　slits　for　each　eye；　you　know；　like　a　plus　sign。〃　
　〃Do　you　know　how　it　happened？〃　Gant　asked　gently。　
　At　first　Riley　didn't　answer。　Then；　finally；　he　nodded。　But　he　didn't　say　anything。　
　〃What　happened？〃　
　Riley　took　a　deep　breath。　He　put　down　the　helium　pressor　he　was　holding　in　his　hand　and　looked　at　Gant。　〃Shane　Schofield　wasn't　always　in　mand　of　a　ground　Recon　Unit；〃　he　began。　〃He　used　to　be　a　pilot；　based　on　the　Wasp。〃　
　The　USS。　Wasp　is　the　flagship　of　the　United　States　Marine　Corps。　It　is　one　of　seven　Landing　Helicopter　Dockships　in　the　Corps；　and　it　is　the　battle　center　for　any　major　Marine　expedition。　Most　casual　observers　mistake　it　for　an　aircraft　carrier。　
　What　a　lot　of　people　don't　know　about　the　Marine　Corps　is　that　it　maintains　a　sizable　aviation　wing。　Although　this　air　wing　is　used　primarily　to　transport　troops；　it　is　also　used　to　support　ground　attacks。　For　this　purpose　it　is　equipped　with　lethal　AH…1W　Cobra　Attack　Helicopters…instantly　recognizable　because　of　their　skinny　shape…and　British…made　（but　American…modified）　AV…8B　Harrier　II　fighter　jets；　or；　as　they　are　more　widely　known　throughout　the　world；　Harrier　jump　jets。　Harriers　are　the　only　attack　planes　in　the　world　with　the　ability　to　take　off　and　land　vertically。　
　〃Schofield　was　a　Harrier　pilot　on　the　Wasp。　One　of　the　best；　so　they　tell　me；〃　Riley　said。　〃He　was　in　Bosnia　in　1995；　during　the　worst　of　the　fighting　there；　flying　patrol　missions　over　the　no…fly　zone。〃　
　Gant　watched　Riley　closely　as　he　spoke。　He　was　staring　off　into　space　as　he　recounted　the　story。　
　〃One　day；　late　in　1995；　he　got　shot　down　by　a　mobile　Serbian　missile　battery　that　Intelligence　said　didn't　exist。　I　think　they　found　out　later　that　it　was　a　two…man　strike　team　in　a　jeep　with　six　American…made　Stingers　in　the　backseat。　
　〃Anyway；〃　Book　said；　〃Schofield　managed　to　eject　a　second　before　the　Stingers　took　out　his　fuel　tanks。　He　came　down　bang　in　the　middle　of　Serb…held　territory。〃　
　Riley　turned　to　face　Gant。　
　〃Our　lieutenant　survived　for　nineteen　days　in　the　Serbian　woodlands…alone…while　over　a　hundred　Serbian　troops　swept　the　forest　looking　for　him。　When　they　found　him；　he　hadn't　eaten　in　ten　days。　
　〃They　took　him　to　a　deserted　farmhouse　and　tied　him　to　a　chair。　Then　they　beat　him　with　a　wooden　plank　with　nails　stuck　into　it　and　asked　him　questions。　Why　was　he　flying　over　this　area？　Was　he　a　spy　plane？　They　wanted　to　know　how　much　he　knew　about　their　positions　because　they　thought　he　was　up　there　providing　air　support　for　U。S。　ground　forces　inside　Serb　territory。〃　
　〃U。S。　ground　forces　were　inside　Serbian　territory？〃　Gant　asked。　
　Riley　nodded　silently。　〃There　were　two　SEAL　teams　in　there。　Carrying　out　covert　surgical　hits　on　Serbian　leadership　positions。　Night　hits。　Good　hits。　They'd　been　causing　chaos　among　the　Serbs；　absolute　chaos。　They'd　be　in　and　out　before　anyone　knew　they　even　existed。　They'd　go　in；　slash　their　victims'　throats；　and　then　vanish　into　the　night。　They　were　so　good　that　some　of　the　locals　started　saying　they　were　ghosts　e　to　haunt　them　for　what　they　were　doing　to　their　own　people。〃　
　Gant　said；　〃Did　Scarecrow　know　about　them？　The　SEAL　teams　inside　Serb　territory？〃　
　Book　was　silent　for　a　moment。　Then　he　said；　〃Yes。　Officially；　Schofield　was　patrolling　the　no…fly　zone。　Unofficially；　he　was　sending　grid　coordinates　of　Serb　leadership　farmhouses　to　the　SEALs　on　the　ground。　It　didn't　make　any　difference　anyway。　He　never　said　a　word。〃　
　Gant　watched　intently　as　Riley　took　a　deep　breath。　He　was　building　up　to　something。　
　〃In　any　case；〃　Book　said；　〃the　Serbs　decided　that　Schofield　had　been　carrying　out　reconnaissance　for　the　SEAL　teams；　that　he　had　been　spotting　strategic　targets　from　the　air　and　transmitting　their　coordinates　to　men　on　the　ground。　They　decided　that　since　he'd　been　seeing　things　that　he　wasn't　supposed　to　be　seeing；　they　would　cut　his　eyes　out。〃　
　〃What？〃　Gant　said。　
　Riley　said；　〃They　pulled　a　razor　blade　out　of　a　drawer　and　they　held　him　down。　Then　one　of　them　stepped　forward　and　slowly　cut　two　vertical　lines　down　across　Schofield's　eyes。　Apparently；　as　he　did　it；　the　man　with　the　razor　blade　quoted　something　from　the　Bible。　Something　about　if　your　hand　sins；　cut　it　off；　and　if　your　eyes　sin；　cut　them　out。〃　
　Gant　felt　sick。　They　had　blinded　Schofield。　〃What　did　they　do　then？〃　she　asked。　
　〃They　locked　him　in　a　cupboard　and　they　let　him　bleed。〃　
　Gant　was　still　shocked。　〃So　how　did　he　get　out？〃　
　〃Jack　Walsh　sent　a　Recon　team　to　go　in　and　get　him；〃　Riley　said。　
　Gant's　ears　pricked　up　at　the　name。　Every　Marine　knew　of　Captain　John　T。　Walsh。　He　was　the　captain　of　the　Wasp；　the　most　revered　Marine　in　the　Corps。　
　Some　thought　he　should　have　been　mandant；　the　highest…ranking　officer　in　the　United　States　Marine　Corps；　but　Walsh's　history　of　disdain　for　any　kind　of　politician　had　prevented　that。　The　mandant　is　required　to　liaise　regularly　with　members　of　Congress；　and　everyone　knew…Walsh　more　than　anyone…that　Jack　Walsh　wouldn't　be　able　to　stomach　that。　Besides；　Walsh　had　said　he　would　rather　mand　the　Wasp　and　liaise　with　soldiers。　The　Marines　loved　him　for　it。　
　Riley　went　on。　〃When　Scott　O'Grady　got　lifted　out　of　Bosnia　on　8　June　1995；　they　put　him　on　the　cover　of　Time　magazine。　He　met　the　President。　He　did　the　whole　PR　thing。　
　〃When　Shane　Schofield　got　lifted　out　of　Bosnia　five　months　later；　nobody　heard　a　thing。　There　were　no　TV　cameras　waiting　on　the　deck　of　the　Wasp　to　photograph　him　as　he　stepped　off　that　helicopter。　There　were　no　newspaper　reporters　there　to　take　down　his　story。　Do　you　know　why？〃　
　〃Why？〃　
　〃Because　w