cyclops-第67章
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〃I must warn you； Major。 We have a secret weapon。 You and your men will surely die。〃
〃A crude bluff； Mr。 Steinmetz。 I would have expected better from an American scientist。〃
Steinmetz corrected him。 〃Engineer； there's a difference。〃
〃Whatever；〃 said Leuchenko impatiently。 As a soldier； he was out of his element in wordy negotiations。 He was anxious for action。 〃It's senseless to carry this conversation any further。 You would be wise to send your men out and turn over the facility。 I'll guarantee your safety until you can be returned to earth。〃
〃You're lying； Major。 Either your people or mine will have to be erased。 There can be no losers left to tell the world what happened here。〃
〃You're wrong； Mr。 Steinmetz。 Surrender and you will be treated fairly。〃
〃Sorry； no deal。〃
〃Then there can be no quarter。〃
〃I expected none；〃 said Steinmetz； his tone grim。 〃You attack and the waste of human lives will be on your shoulders。〃
Anger rose within Leuchenko。 〃For one who is responsible for the deaths of nine Soviet cosmonauts； Mr。 Steinmetz； you're hardly in a position to lecture me on human life。〃
Leuchenko couldn't be certain； but he swore Steinmetz tensed。 Without waiting for a reply； he turned on his heels and loped away。 He looked over his shoulder and saw that Steinmetz stood there for several seconds before slowly reentering the lunar vehicle and driving back to the colony； trailing a small cloud of gray dust behind the rear wheels。
Leuchenko smiled to himself。 In two more hours； three at the most； his mission would be successfully achieved。 When he reached his men； he studied the layout of the craggy surface in front of the moon base through the binoculars again。 Finally； when he was satisfied there were no American colonists lurking amid the rocks； Leuchenko gave the order to spread out in loose formation and advance。 The elite Soviet fighting team moved forward without an inkling that Steinmetz's inventive trap was set and waiting。
After Steinmetz returned to the entrance of Jersey Colony's subterranean headquarters； he leisurely parked the lunar vehicle and shuffled slowly inside。 He took his time； almost feeling Leuchenko's eyes probing his every movement。 Once out of view of the Russians； he stopped short of the airlock and quickly stepped through a small side tunnel that gradually rose through the crater's interior slope。 His passage raised small clouds of dust that filled the narrow shaft； and he had to continually wipe his visor to see。
Fifty steps and a minute later he crouched and crawled into an opening that led to a small shelf camouflaged by a large gray cloth perfectly matched to the surrounding surface。 Another suited figure was lying on his stomach； gazing through the telescopic sight of a rifle。
Willie Shea； the colony's geophysicist； did not notice another presence until Steinmetz eased down beside him。 〃I don't think you made much of an impression；〃 he said with a bare hint of a Boston twang。 〃The Slavs are about to attack the homestead。〃
From the elevated vantage point Steinmetz could clearly see Major Leuchenko and his men advancing across the valley。 They came on like hunters stalking their prey； making no attempt to use the high ground of the crater's sides。 The loose shale would have made the going too slow。 Instead； they jumped across the flat ground in zigzag patterns； throwing themselves prone every thirty or forty feet； taking advantage of every boulder； every broken contour of the land。 An expert marksman would have found the twisting and dodging figures nearly impossible to hit。
〃Put a shot about ten feet in front of the point man；〃 said Steinmetz。 〃I want to observe their reaction。〃
〃If they're monitoring our frequency； we'll give away our every move；〃 protested Shea。
〃They haven't got time to hunt for our frequency。 Shut up and shoot。〃
Shea shrugged inside his lunar suit； peered through the crosshairs of his scope； and squeezed off around。 The gunshot was strangely silent because there was no air on the moon to carry the sound waves。
A puff of dust kicked up ahead of Leuchenko and he immediately dropped to the ground。 His men followed suit and stared over the sights of their automatic weapons； waiting expectantly for more fire。 But nothing happened。
〃Did anyone see where it came from？〃 Leuchenko demanded。
The replies were negative。
〃They're sighting for range；〃 said Sergeant Ivan Ostrovski。 A hardened veteran of the Afghanistan fighting； he could not believe he was actually in bat on the moon。 He swept a pointed finger over the ground about two hundred meters ahead。 〃What do you make of those colored rocks； Major？〃
For the first time Leuchenko spied several boulders scattered in a ragged line across the valley； stained with bright orange paint。 〃I doubt if it has anything to do with us；〃 he said。 〃Probably put there for some sort of experiment。〃
〃I think the fire came on a downward angle；〃 said Petrov。
Leuchenko took the binoculars from his hip pack； set them on the tripod； and carefully scanned the side and rim of the crater。 The sun was a blazing white but with no air to spread the light an astronaut standing in the shadows of a rock formation would be almost invisible。
〃Nothing shows；〃 he said finally。
〃If they're waiting for us to close the gap； they must be conserving a small supply of ammunition。〃
〃We'll know in another three hundred meters what kind of reception they've planned；〃 muttered Leuchenko。 〃Once we e under cover of the greenhouses we'll be out of sight of the cave entrance。〃 He rose to one knee and waved his arm forward。 〃Fan out and keep alert。〃
The five Soviet fighters leaped to their feet and scrambled on。 As they reached the orange rocks another shot struck the fine sand in front of them and they flung themselves prone； a jagged line of white figures； face visors flashing in the intense rays of the sun。
Only a hundred meters separated them from the greenhouses； but nausea was draining their energy。 They were as tough as any fighting men in the world； but they were bating space sickness in tandem with an alien environment。 Leuchenko knew he could count on them to go far beyond their limits of endurance。 But if they didn't force their way into the safe atmosphere of the colony within the next hour； there was little chance of them making it back to their landing craft before their life…support systems gave out。 He gave them a minute to rest while he made another examination of the ground ahead。
Leuchenko was an old hand at sniffing out traps。 He had e within a hair of being killed on three different patrols in ambushes laid by the Afghan rebels； and he had learned the fine art of scenting danger the hard way。
It wasn't what his eyes could see； it was what they couldn't see that rang a warning bell in his head。 The two shots didn't fit a wild pattern。 They struck him as deliberately placed。 A crude warning？ No； it had to mean something else； he speculated。 A signal perhaps？
The confining pressure suit and helmet irritated him。 He longed for his fortable and efficient bat gear； but fully realizing they could not protect his body from the frying heat and the cosmic rays。 For at least the fourth time the bile rose in his throat and he gagged as he forced himself to swallow it。
The situation was hellish； he thought angrily。 Nothing was to his liking。 His men were exposed in the open。 He'd been given no intelligence on the Americans' weapons except the reported rocket launcher。 Now they were under attack by small…arms fire。 Leuchenko's only consolation was that the colonists seemed to be using a rifle or maybe even a pistol。 If they possessed a full automatic firearm； they could have cut down the Soviets a hundred meters back。 And the rocket launcher。 Why hadn't they tried it before now？ What were they waiting for？
What bothered him most was the total lack of movement by the colonists。 The greenhouses； equipment； and small laboratory modules sitting around the entrance to the cave appeared deserted。
〃Unless you see a target；〃 he ordered； 〃hold your fire u
