tc.redstormrising-第135章

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　be　bashful　about　asking。〃
〃I　will　try　to　keep　out　of　your　way。〃
Morris　gave　the　man　from　Reuters　a　friendly　nod。　He'd　arrived　with　only　an　hour's　warning；　but　he　seemed　to　be　a　pro；　or　at　least　experienced　enough　to　have　all　his　gear　packed　in　one　bag。　He　took　the　last　available　bunk　in　officers'　country。
〃Your　admiral　said　that　you're　one　of　his　best　manders。〃
〃I　guess　we'll　find　that　out；〃　Morris　said。

35　…　Time　on　Target

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
The　first　two　days　went　well。　The　escort　force　sailed　first；　blasting　with　their　sonars　at　the　shallow　coastal　water　for　possible　submarines　and　finding　none。　The　merchant　ships　followed；　forming　slowly　into　eight　columns　of　ten　each。　The　twenty…knot　convoy　was　in　a　hurry　to　deliver　its　goods。　Covered　by　a　massive　umbrella　of　land…based　aircraft；　it　pressed　on　through　the　first　forty…eight　hours　with　only　minor　zigzagging　as　it　sailed　past　the　coast　of　New　England　and　Eastern　Canada；　Sable　Island；　and　the　Grand　Banks。　The　easy　part　was　behind　them　now。　As　they　left　coastal　waters　for　the　Atlantic　Ocean　proper；　they　entered　the　unknown　territory。
〃About　filing　my　dispatches　。　。　。　〃　Calloway　said　to　Morris。
〃Twice　a　day　you　can　use　my　satellite　transmitter　as　long　as　it　doesn't　interfere　with　official　traffic。　You　understand　that　your　reports　will　be　run　through　Norfolk　for　sensitive　information？〃
〃Quite　so。　Captain；　you　may　believe　me　when　I　say　that　as　long　as　I'm　here　with　you；　I　will　reveal　nothing　that　would　endanger　your　ship！　I　had　quite　enough　excitement　this　year　in　Moscow。〃
〃What？〃　Morris　turned　and　lowered　his　binoculars。　Calloway　explained　what　his　spring　had　been　like。
〃Patrick　Flynn；　my　opposite　number　from　Associated　Press；　is　aboard　Battleaxe。　Doubtless　drinking　beer；〃　he　concluded。
〃So　you　were　there　when　all　this　boiled　up。　Do　you　know　why　all　this　started？〃
Calloway　shook　his　head。　〃If　I　did；　Captain；　I'd　have　filed　the　story　long　ago。〃
A　messenger　appeared　on　the　bridge　wing　with　a　clipboard。　Morris　took　it；　read　through　three　messages；　and　signed　for　them。
〃Something　dramatic？〃　Calloway　asked　hopefully。
〃Fleet　weather…update　and　something　about　that　Russian　reconnaissance　satellite。　It　es　overhead　in　another　three　hours。　The　Air　Force　is　going　to　try　and　shoot　it　down　before　it　gets　to　us；　though。　Nothing　major。　You're　fortable；　I　presume。　Any　problems？〃
〃None；　Captain。　Nothing　like　a　nice　sea　voyage。〃
〃True　enough。〃　Morris　stuck　his　head　into　the　pilothouse。　〃General　Quarters；　Air　Action。〃
Morris　led　the　reporter　into　the　bat　Information　Center；　explaining　that　the　drill　he　was　about　to　see　was　to　make　sure　his　men　could　do　everything　properly　even　in　the　dark。
〃One　of　those　dispatches　give　you　a　warning？〃
〃No；　but　in　six　hours　we'll　be　outside　of　land…based　fighter　cover。　That　means　Ivan　is　going　to　e　looking　for　us。〃　And　it's　going　to　get　awfully　lonely　out　here　by　ourselves；　Morris　thought。　He　gave　his　men　an　hour's　worth　of　drill。　The　CIC　crew　ran　a　pair　of　puter　simulations。　On　the　second　one　an　enemy　missile　got　through　their　defenses。


LANGLEY　AIR　FORCE　BASE；　VIRGINIA
The　F…15　fighter　rolled　to　a　halt　just　outside　the　shelter　building。　The　crew　chief　set　the　ladder　next　to　the　aircraft；　and　Major　Nakamura　climbed　down；　already　looking　aft　at　her　scorched　airplane。　She　walked　over　to　examine　the　damage。
〃Don't　look　bad；　Major；〃　the　sergeant　assured　her。　A　fragment　from　the　exploding　rocket　motor　had　drilled　a　hole　the　size　of　a　beer　can　right　through　her　left　wing；　missing　a　fuel　tank　by　three　inches。　〃I　can　fix　that　in　a　couple　of　hours。〃
〃You　all　right？〃　the　Lockheed　engineer　asked。
〃It　blew；　fifty　feet　away；　and　it　just　blew　the　hell　up。　You　were　wrong；　by　the　way。　When　they　blow；　it's　pretty　spectacular。　Pieces　all　over　the　damned　place。　I　was　lucky　I　only　caught　one　of　them。〃　It　had　scared　hell　out　of　the　pilot；　but　she'd　then　had　an　hour　to　recover。　Now　she　was　just　mad。
〃Sorry；　Major。　Wish　I　could　say　more　than　that。〃
〃Just　have　to　try　again；〃　Buns　said；　looking　up　at　the　sky　through　the　hole。　〃When's　the　next　window？〃
〃Eleven　hours；　sixteen　minutes。〃
〃That's　it；　then。〃　She　walked　into　the　building；　then　upstairs　to　the　pilots'　lounge。　There　was　carpeting　on　the　walls　of　the　building　for　noise　absorption。　It　also　prevented　serious　injury　to　the　pilots'　fists。

KIROVSK；　R。S。F。S。R。
Unhampered；　the　Radar　Ocean　Reconnaissance　Satellite　continued　its　orbit；　and　on　its　next　pass　over　the　North　Atlantic　found　itself　looking　down　on　a　collection　of　nearly　a　hundred　ships　in　even　columns。　This　must　be　the　convoy　their　intelligence　reports　had　told　them　about；　the　Russian　analysts　decided…and；　they　noted　with　satisfaction；　it　was　out　in　the　open；　right　where　they　could　get　at　it。
Ninety　minutes　later；　two　regiments　of　missile…armed　Backfire　bombers；　preceded　by　Bear…D　search　aircraft；　lifted　off　the　four　airfields　around　Kirovsk；　topped　off　their　fuel　tanks；　and　headed　for　the　radar　gap　over　Iceland。

USS　REUBEN　JAMES
〃So　this　is　the　surprise　you　have　in　store　for　them？〃　Calloway　asked。　He　tapped　some　symbols　on　the　main　tactical…display　scope。
Morris　nodded　thoughtfully。　〃So　far　we've　sent　most　of　the　convoys　across　under　EMCON…that's　emission　control…with　their　radars　blacked　out　to　make　them　hard　to　find。　This　time　we're　doing　something　a　little　different。　This　is　the　display　from　the　SPS…49　radar…〃
〃That　black　monster　atop　the　pilothouse？〃
〃Right。　These　symbols　are　Tomcats　from　the　carrier　America。　This　is　a　KC…135　tanker；　and　this　baby　here　is　an　E…2C　Hawkeye　radar　bird。　The　Hawkeye's　radar　is　shut　down。　When　Ivan　shows　up；　he'll　have　to　close　to　see　what's　here。〃
〃But　he　already　knows；〃　Calloway　objected。
〃No；　he　knows　there's　a　convoy　around　here　somewhere。　That's　not　good　enough　to　launch　missiles。　All　he　knows　for　sure　is　that　there　is　one　operating　SPS…49　radar。　He'll　have　to　light　off　his　own　radar　to　see　what's　on　the　water。　If　Mr。　Bear　does　that；　we　see　him；　and　we'll　have　fighters　on　his　ass　so　fast　he'll　never　know　what　hit　him。〃
〃And　if　the　Backfires　don't　e　today？〃
〃Then　we'll　see　them　some　other　time。　The　Bears　talk　to　submarines；　too；　Mr。　Calloway。　They　are　still　worth　killing。〃

ICELAND
It　was　the　first　time　they'd　been　bored。　Edwards　and　his　party　had　been　terrified　often　enough；　but　never　bored。　Now　they　had　been　in　the　same　place　for　four　plete　days；　and　still　they　had　no　orders　to　move。　They　observed；　and　reported　minor　Russian　activity；　but　without　anything　substantive　to　do；　time　was　heavy　on　them。
〃Lieutenant。〃　Garcia　pointed　up。　〃I　got　airplanes　heading　south。〃
Edwards　got　out　his　binoculars。　The　sky　was　dotted　with　white；　fleecy　clouds。　There　were　no　contrails　to　be　seen　today；　but…there！　he　saw　a　flash；　a　reflection　off　something。　He　strained　his　eyes　to　identify　it。
〃Nichols；　what　do　you　think？〃　He　handed　the　glasses　over。
〃That's　a　Russian　Backfire；〃　Nichols　said　simply。
〃You　sure？〃
〃Quite　sure；　Leftenant。　I've　seen　them　before　often　enough。〃
〃Get　a　count。〃　Edwards　unpacked　his　radio。
〃I　only　see　four。　All　heading　south；　sir。〃
〃You're　sure　they're　Backfires？〃　Edwards　persisted。
〃I　am　bloody　sure；　Leftenant　Edwards！〃　Nichols　answered　testily。　He　watched　the　officer　turn　on　the　radio。
〃Beagle　calling　Doghouse；　over。〃　The　munications　station　was　a　little　slow　today。　It　took　three　calls　before　they　acknowledged。
〃Doghouse；　this　is　Beagle；　and　I　have　some　information　for　you。　We　see　Backfire…type　bombers　southbound　over　our　position。〃
〃How　do　you　know　they're　Backfires？〃　Doghouse　wanted　to　know。
〃Because　Sergeant　Nichols　of　the　Royal　Marines　says　he's　bloody　sure　they're　Backfires。　Four　of　them〃…Nichols　held　up　five　fingers　now〃　correction　five　aircraft　southbound。〃
〃Roger；　thank　you；　Beagle。　Anything　else　happening？〃
〃Negative。　How　long　do　you　expect　us　to　sit　on　this　hill；　over？〃
〃We'll　let　you　know。　Patience；　Beagle。　We　haven't　forgotten　you。　Out。〃

NORTH　ATLANTIC
Bears　advanced　in　an　oblique　line；　their　crews　scanning　the　air　with　their　eyes　and　probing　the　radar　and　radio　frequencies。　Presently　the　leading　Bear　detected　the　emissions　of　a　single　American　radar；　and　it　took　only　a　minute　to　identify　it　as　an　SPS…49　air…search　model　of　the　type　used　by　Perry…class　missile