johngardner.goldeneye-第1部分

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　His　head　seemed　to　explode。　　He　felt　the　great　roar　in　his　ears；　the　pounding　of　blood；　then　the　sensation　that　his　skull　was　riddled　with　holes。　　Fire　poured　through　the　holes；　from　his　ears　and　nostrils；　then　his　mouth。　　James　Bond　jerked　awake；　realising　several　things　at　once。　The　roar　came　from　two　Soviet　jets；　afterburners　guzzling　fuel　as　they　passed　overhead。
　
　He　recalled　that；　at　the　briefing；　they　had　said　military　jets　often　flew　low　over　the　mountains　heading　back　to　their　base　near　Russia's　oldest　sea　port；　Archangel。
　
　He　also　cursed　himself　for　falling　from　a　doze　into　a　deep　sleep。
　
　He　stretched；　trying　to　ease　his　aching　muscles；　then　moved　very　slowly　to　glance　at　his　watch。
　
　It　was　nearly　time　to　go　and　he　was　cold　and　suffering　from　cramps。　　He　listened　and　could　still　hear　the　jets　receding　but　no　sound　of　the　spotter　aircraft　which　used　the　airfield　far　below。
　
　The　spotter　plane　was　over　sixty　years　old　…　a　Fiesler　Storch　captured　at　Stalingrad　from　Hitler's　Luftwaffe。　　To　watch　it　would　be　like　seeing　an　old　Roman　ballista　on　the　electronic　battlefield　of　the　1980's。
　
　Wide　awake　now；　Bond　looked　around；　alert；　being　orientated。
　
　He　lay　at　the　top　of　a　high　ridge　within　the　bowl　surrounded　by　dark　hostile　mountains。　　To　his　right　was　the　long　man…made　lake　and　in　front　of　him　the　squat　concrete　guardhouse　blocking　entry　to　the　top　of　the　vast　dam　which　rose　some　eight　hundred　feet　from　the　valley　floor。
　
　Below　the　dam；　the　ground　was　a　mass　of　boulders　and　rocks；　but　he　knew　these　were　only　camouflage　for　they　were　cemented　into　almost　twenty　feet　of　bomb　proof　stressed　concrete　and　steel。　　Beneath　those　rocks　lay　the　target：　BioChemical　Processing　Plant　Number　One。
　
　In　spite　of　the　1972　convention；　the　Soviets　had　gone　on　making　biological　and　chemical　warheads　deep　under　the　earth　in　this　bleak　place。
　
　Until　now；　M　had　told　them；　the　manufacture　was　confined　to　known　horrors：　anthrax　and　a　number　of　nerve　and　more　conventional　gases；　but　now　the　place　was　being　retooled　to　produce　something　far　more　deadly　one　of　the　many　viruses　which　were　being　isolated　as　man　slowly　destroyed　the　world's　rain　forests。　　Within　a　couple　of　weeks；　the　underground　factory　would　be　capable　of　producing　a　biological　agent　which　was　the　stuff　of　nightmares：　a　fast…spreading　virus　capable　of　thinning　the　blood　of　its　victims；　rapidly　breaking　down　the　human　body　so　that　one　by　one　the　main　organs　would　shut　down。　　This　was　a　quick；　though　terrifying；　death。
　
　The　Soviets　at　least　had　to　be　slowed　down；　if　not　stopped　altogether　from　producing　warheads　and　bomblets　containing　this　catastrophic　agent。　M　had　been　clear　about　the　urgency。　　The　West　needed　time　to　work　on　some　form　of　immunisation；　and　it　was　down　to　James　Bond；　007；　and　his　old　friend　Alec　Trevelyan；　006；　to　get　the　job　done。
　
　You　are　my　two　best　men；'　the　Old　Man　had　said；　and　we're　all　aware　that　this　operation　gives　you　only　a　fifty…fifty　chance　of　return。　　But　I　have　no　other　option。
　
　The　place　must　be　destroyed　now。　　Another　few　weeks　and　it'll　be　too　late。〃　In　the　here　and　now；　Bond　turned　his　head　and　looked　down　into　the　valley；　reflecting　on　the　repulsive　nature　of　the　work　going　on　beneath　the　brutal　earth　in　this　godforsaken　bleak　area　in　the　far　north　of　the　Soviet　empire。
　
　The　only　visible　sign　of　life　below　him　was　the　rough　runway　which　scarred　the　ground；　like　an　open　wound；　ending　only　about　thirty　feet　from　the　edge　of　a　long　gorge　which　ran　parallel　to　the　dam；　at　the　far　end　of　the　plateau　above　the　valley　floor。　　The　gorge　was　around　a　mile　wide　and　very　deep；　with　its　own　valley　floor。
　
　The　runway；　they　had　been　told；　was　one　of　the　two　ways　in　and　out　of　the　processing　plant。　　Workers；　security　troops　and　scientists　were　flown　in　and　out　using　an　old　Antonov　An…14　Bee　which　had　been　modified　and　given　a　VSTOL　（Very　Short　Take　Off　and　Landing）　capability。
　
　The　other　entrance　and　exit　was　by　a　crude　underground　railway；　cut　in　the　late　1960s　through　earth　and　rock；　enabling　personnel　and　product　to　be　linked　with　the　port　of　Archangel。　　The　rolling　stock　of　this　unsophisticated　transport　system　consisted　mainly　of　flatbed　cars　to　carry　products；　and　open　carriages　with　hardwood　seats　for　staff　and　troops。　　The　journey　from　Archangel　to　the　processing　plant　took　almost　twenty…four　hours　…　a　day　of　intense　disfort。
　
　Alec　Trevelyan　had　been　inserted　three　days　before　into　Archangel　itself；　and；　if　all　the　documents　were　in　order　and　nobody　had　questioned　his　cover；　he　should　by　now　have　made　the　long　underground　journey　into　the　processing　plant　itself。
　
　M　had　seen　it　as　a　two…handed　job。　　Trevelyan　was　to　get　in　and　provide　an　entrance　through　one　of　the　grilles　set　into　the　thick　roof；　close　to　an　air　conditioning　unit。
　
　Inside　he　was　also　charged　with　preparing　a　safe　zone　from　which　he　and　Bond　could　operate。
　
　Bond's　task　was　to　take　out　the　two　guards　at　their　post　on　top　of　the　dam；　then　to　carry　the　arms　and　explosives　down　to　Trevelyan。　　They　were　then　to　blast　the　secret　facility　to　hell　and　make　their　way　back　to　an　extraction　point　some　twenty　miles　east　of　Archangel。　　Nobody　concerned　had　any　doubts　as　to　the　near　suicidal　nature　of　the　operation。　Operation　Cowslip。　　Bond　gave　a　wry　smile　at　the　code　name；　thinking　it　singularly　inappropriate　for　what　they　were　to　do。　　There's　many　a　slip　twixt　cow　and　lip；　he　thought；　his　smile　broadening。
　
　Again　he　stretched　his　legs　and　arms。　　He　had　been　lying　in　this　position；　less　than　fifty　yards　from　the　guard　post；　for　over　seven　hours　after　being　parachuted　…　using　the　High　Altitude　Low　Opening　（HALO）　technique；　from　a　stealth　equipped　aircraft　…　eight　hours　before。　He　had　landed　short　of　his　DZ　and　it　had　taken　an　hour　to　climb　the　quarter　of　a　mile　up　the　rocky　incline　leading　to　the　small　outcrop　of　rock　which　would　give　him　access　to　the　guard　post
　
　The　post　was　simply　a　square；　concrete　and　steel　structure　perched　on　the　edge　of　the　dam's　top。　　There　was　a　window　and　door　on　Bond's　side　of　the　building；　and　he　knew　from　the　briefing　photographs　that　inside　there　was　room　for　the　two　permanent　guards　to　eat；　relax　and　sleep。
　
　He　also　knew　that　on　the　far　side　was　a　kind　of　enclosed　dog　pen　constructed　of　high　steel　bars；　with　a　sliding　electronic　gate　at　the　end　which　led　out　to　the　walkway　on　top　of　the　dam　itself。
　
　The　soldiers　who　manned　this　post　were　part　of　the　security　detail　on　permanent　assignment　to　BioChemical　Processing　Plant　Number　One。
　
　These　were　troops　drawn　from　the　KGB　Border　Guards　Department；　all　of　whom　had　undergone　special　extra　training　with　the　elite　Spetsnaz　troops。　　The　other　end　of　the　dam　needed　no　such　guards　as　it　abutted　straight　onto　a　sheer　rock　face。
　
　The　pair　of　guards　were　changed　weekly；　making　a　tough　and　unpleasant　climb　up　a　set　of　wide　D…shaped　rungs　set　firmly　into　the　dam's　vertical　wall。　　For　a　second；　he　wondered　what　that　climb　would　be　like　in　the　bleakest　midwinter。　　Even　Bond　shuddered　at　the　thought；　then；　knowing　that　the　time　for　his　own　descent　was　nearing；　he　mentally　checked　off　the　equipment　he　carried。
　
　He　wore　a　specially　designed　wet　suit；　climbing　boots　and　a　long　parka。　The　wet　suit　and　parka　were　both　a　stone　grey　colour　and　contained　more　zippered　and　buttoned　pockets　than　you　would　find　in　a　poacher's　greatcoat。　　In　Bond's　case；　he　carried　equipment　wrapped　around　his　chest　under　the　parka；　and　a　long　pocket　containing　what　he　hoped　would　be　his　ultimate　salvation　ran　down　the　right　thigh　of　the　wet　suit。　Further；　a　broad　webbing　belt　was　clipped　around　his　waist
　
　At　least　four　pouches　were　threaded　onto　the　belt；　plus　a　webbing　holster　for　his　weapon　of　choice；　the　ASP　9mm；　loaded　with　ferocious　Glaser　ammunition　and　fitted　with　a　long　noise　reduction　cylinder。　　His　face　and　head　were　covered　in　an　insulated　ski　mask；　while　his　hands　were　protected　by　skin…tight　leather　gloves　which　kept　out　the　cold　without　reducing　his　ability　to　use　his　fingers　for　the　most　delicate　of　tasks。
　
　In　his　head　he　ticked　off　the　contents　of　the　pockets　and　pouches；　as　he　had　done　a　dozen　times　before　the　cold　and　fatigue　had　pushed　him　into　a　dangerous　sleep。
　
　As　he　went　through　the　items；　Bond　became　aware　of　noise；　the　splutter　and　buzz　of　the　Storch's　engine　far　away　below　on　the　edge　of　the　runway。　　It　was　the　first　signal；　for　the　old　spotter　aircraft　ran　regular　patrols　over　the　area；　its　pilot　making　sure　that　no　civilian　climbing　enthusiasts；　or　worse；　enemies　of　the　state；　had　made　their　way　just　a　shade　too　close　to　the　restricted　area。
　
　The　Storch　flew　a　pre…set　pattern　which　seldom　varied　and　took　around　twenty　minutes　to　plete。　　Its　final　manoeuvre　was　to　fly　low　across　the　lake；　passing　over　the　dam　at　its　midpoint。　　From　the　large　greenhouse　cockpit　the　pilot　would　scan　the　guard　post；　and　routine　security　required　that　one　of　the　KGB　Border　Guards　would　e　out　into　the　steel　cage　and　signal　an　all　clear'　to　the　aircraft。　　In　spite　of　the　fact　that　there　was　both　a　two…way　radio　and　a　telephone　in　the　guard　post；　this　was　the　kind　of　instruction　beloved　of　Colonel　Ourumov；　the　officer　in　charge　of　security。　　Arkady　Grigorovich　Ourumov；　a　senior　officer　of　the　KGB　Border　Guards；　was　well　known　to　Western　agents　such　as　Bond。　　It　was　said　of　him　that　his　view　of　security　was　so　paranoid　that　should　he　ever　get　his　way；　he　would　have　guards　watching　guards　watching　guards；　and　so　on　to　infinity。
　
　Below；　the　enigma　pitch　changed　on　the　Fiesler　Storch　as　it　began　its　take　off　run。　　Bond　slowly　rose；　flexing　his　limbs；　then　he　noiselessly　ran　towards　the　building；　flattening　himself　against　the　wall　to　the　right　of　the　grimy　window。　　As　he　did　so；　he　was　aware　of　the　aircraft　climbing　out　of　the　valley。
　
　Quickly　he　leaned　inwards；　peering　through　the　window。　　The　two　soldiers　sat　opposite　one　another　concentrating　on　a　chess　game。　　What　happens；　he　wondered；　if　they　miss　their　cue　by　not　signalling　to　the　plane？
　
　The　aircraft　noise　was　receding；　now　he　detected　another　change　of　engine　noise　and　an　increase　in　sound　as；　far　out　over　the　lake；　i