tc.redstormrising-第14章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


hless　mob。　We　have　the　directive　from　STAVKA　to　make　examples　of　unruly　privates　and　restore　the　authority　of　our　NCOs。　It　is　fitting　that　if　privates　must　suffer　for　their　failings；　then　their　Colonels　must　suffer　too。　Theirs　is　the　greater　responsibility。　Theirs　is　the　greater　reward。　A　few　examples　here　will　go　a　long　way　to　restoring　our　army。〃
〃The　inspectorate？〃
〃The　best　choice；〃　Alekseyev　agreed。　That　way　blame　would　not　necessarily　be　traced　back　to　the　senior　manders　themselves。　〃I　can　send　teams　from　the　Inspector　General's　service　out　to　these　regiments　day　after　tomorrow。　Our　training　memoranda　arrived　in　all　divisional　and　regimental　headquarters　this　morning。　The　news　of　these　four　traitors　will　encourage　our　unit　manders　to　implement　them　with　vigor。　Even　then；　it　will　be　two　weeks　before　we　have　a　clear　picture　of　what　we　need　to　focus　on；　but　once　we　can　identify　the　areas　that　need　buttressing；　we　should　have　ample　time　to　acplish　what　we　need　to　acplish。〃
〃What　will　CINC…West　be　doing〃〃
〃The　same；　one　hopes。〃　Alekseyev　shook　his　head。　〃Has　he　asked　for　any　of　our　units　yet？〃
〃No；　but　he　will。　We　will　not　be　ordered　to　launch　offensive　operations　against　NATO's　southern　flank…part　of　the　continuing　maskirovka。　You　may　assume　that　many　of　our　Category…B　units　will　be　detailed　to　Germany；　possibly　some　of　our　'A'　tank　forces　also。　However　many　divisions　that　fool　has；　he'll　want　more。〃
〃Just　so　we　have　enough　troops　to　seize　the　oil　fields　when　the　time　es；〃　Pasha　observed。　〃Which　plan　are　we　supposed　to　execute？〃
〃The　old　one。　We'll　have　to　update　it；　of　course。〃　The　old　plan　predated　Soviet　involvement　in　Afghanistan；　and　now　the　Red　Army　had　a　whole　new　perspective　on　sending　mechanized　forces　into　an　area　occupied　by　armed　Muslims。
Alekseyev's　hands　bunched　into　fists。　〃Marvelous。　We　must　formulate　a　plan　without　knowing　when　it　will　be　implemented　or　what　forces　we'll　have　available　to　execute　it。〃
〃Remember　what　you　told　me　about　the　life　of　a　staff　officer；　Pasha？〃　CINC…Southwest　chuckled。
The　younger　man　nodded　ruefully；　hoist　on　his　own　petard。　〃Indeed；　rade　General：　we　will　do　our　sleeping　after　the　war。〃

5　…　Sailors　and　Spooks

THE　CHESAPEAKE　BAY；　MARYLAND
His　eyes　squinted　painfully　at　the　horizon。　The　sun　was　only　half　a　diameter　above　the　green…brown　line　of　Maryland's　Eastern　Shore；　a　reminder；　if　he　needed　one；　that　he'd　worked　late　the　day　before；　gone　to　bed　later　still；　then　arisen　at　four…thirty　so　that　he　could　get　in　a　day's　fishing。　A　slowly　receding　sinus　like　headache　also　let　him　know　about　the　six…pack　of　beer　he'd　consumed　in　front　of　the　TV。
But　it　was　his　first　fishing　day　of　the　year；　and　the　casting　rod　felt　good　in　his　hand　as　he　gave　it　a　gentle　swing　toward　a　ripple　on　the　calm　surface　of　the　Chesapeake　Bay。　A　blue　or　a　rockfish？　Whatever　it　was；　it　didn't　nibble　at　his　Bucktail　lure。　But　there　was　no　hurry。
〃Coffee；　Bob？〃
〃Thanks；　Pop。〃　Robert　Toland　set　his　rod　in　its　holder　and　leaned　back　into　the　midships　swivel　chair　of　his　Boston　Whaler　Outrage。　His　father…in…law；　Edward　Keegan；　held　out　the　plastic　cup…cap　from　a　large　thermos　jug。　Bob　knew　the　coffee　would　be　good。　Ned　Keegan　was　a　former　naval　officer　who　appreciated　a　good　cup；　preferably　flavored　with　brandy　or　Irish　whiskey…something　to　open　the　eyes　and　put　a　fire　in　the　belly。
〃Cold　or　not；　damn　if　it　ain't　nice　to　get　out　here。〃　Keegan　sipped　at　his　cup；　resting　one　foot　on　the　bait　box。　It　wasn't　just　the　fishing；　both　men　agreed；　getting　out　on　the　water　was　one　sure　cure　for　civilization。
〃Be　nice　if　the　rock　really　are　ing　back；　too；〃　Toland　observed。
〃What　the　hell…no　phones。〃
〃What　about　your　beeper？〃
〃I　must　have　left　it　with　my　other　pants。〃　Keegan　chuckled。　〃DIA　will　have　to　manage　without　me　today。〃
〃Think　they　can？〃
〃Well；　the　Navy　did。〃　Keegan　was　an　academy　graduate　who　had　put　in　his　thirty　and　retired　to　bee　a　double…dipper。　In　uniform；　he'd　been　an　intelligence　specialist；　and　now　he　had　essentially　the　same　job；　which　added　civil　service　salary　to　his　pension。
Toland　had　been　a　lieutenant　（j。g。）　serving　aboard　a　destroyer　based　at　Pearl　Harbor　when　he'd　first　noticed　Martha　Keegan；　a　junior　at　the　University　of　Hawaii；　majoring　in　psychology　and　minoring　in　surfing。　They'd　been　happily　married　for　fifteen　years　now。
〃So。〃　Keegan　stood　and　lifted　his　rod。　〃How　are　things　at　the　Fort？〃
Bob　Toland　was　a　middle…level　analyst　at　the　National　Security　Agency。　He'd　left　the　Navy　after　six　years　when　the　adventure　of　uniformed　service　had　palled；　but　he　remained　an　active　reservist。　His　work　at　NSA　dovetailed　nicely　with　his　naval　reserve　service。　A　munications　expert　with　a　degree　in　electronics；　his　current　job　was　monitoring　Soviet　signals　gathered　by　the　NSA's　numerous　listening　posts　and　ferret　satellites。　Along　the　way　he'd　also　gotten　a　masters　in　the　Russian　language。
〃Heard　something　real　interesting　last　week；　but　I　couldn't　convince　my　boss　it　meant　anything。〃
〃Who's　your　section　chief？〃
〃Captain　Albert　Redman；　U。S。　Navy。〃　Toland　watched　a　bay…built　fishing　boat　motoring　a　few　miles　away；　her　captain　laying　out　his　crab　pots。　〃He's　an　asshole。〃
Keegan　laughed。　〃You　want　to　be　careful　saying　stuff　like　that　out　loud；　Bob；　especially　seeing　how　you　go　on　active　duty　next　week。　Bert　worked　with　me；　oh；　must　have　been　fifteen　years　ago。　I　had　to　slap　him　down　a　few　times。　He　does　tend　to　be　slightly　opinionated。〃
〃Opinionated？〃　Toland　snorted。　〃That　bastard's　so　friggin'　narrow…minded　his　scratch　pads　are　only　an　inch　wide！　First　there　was　this　new　arms　control　thing；　then　I　came　up　with　something　really　unusual　last　Wednesday　and　he　circular…filed　it。　Hell；　I　don't　know　why　he　even　bothers　looking　at　new　data…he　made　his　mind　up　five　years　ago。〃
〃I　don't　suppose　you　could　tell　me　what　it　was？〃
〃I　shouldn't。〃　Bob　wavered　for　a　moment。　Hell；　if　he　couldn't　talk　with　his　kids'　own　grandfather　。。。〃One　of　our　ferret　birds　was　over　a　Soviet　military　district　headquarters　last　week　and　intercepted　a　microwaved　telephone　conversation。　It　was　a　report　to　Moscow　about　four　colonels　in　the　Carpathian　Military　District　who　were　being　shot　for　gundecking　readiness　reports。　The　story　on　their　court…martial　and　execution　was　being　set　up　for　　publication；　probably　in　a　Red　Star　this　week。〃　He　had　entirely　forgotten　about　the　oil…field　fire。
〃Oh？〃　Keegan's　eyebrows　went　up。　〃And　what　did　Bert　say？〃
〃He　said；　'It's　Goddamned　about　time　they　cleaned　their　act　up。'　And　that　was　that。〃
〃And　what　do　you　say？〃
〃Pop；　I'm　not　in　Trends　and　Intentions…those　idiot　fortune…tellers；　but　I　know　that　even　the　Russians　don't　kill　people　for　jollies。　When　Ivan　kills　people　publicly；　he　does　it　to　make　a　point。　These　were　not　manpower　officers　taking　bribes　to　fake　deferments。　They　weren't　popped　for　stealing　diesel　fuel　or　building　dachas　with　pilfered　lumber。　I　checked　our　records；　and　it　turned　out　we　have　files　on　two　of　them。　They　were　both　experienced　line　officers；　both　with　bat　experience　in　Afghanistan；　both　Party　members　in　good　standing。　One　was　a　graduate　of　Frunze　Academy；　and　he　even　had　a　few　articles　published　in　Military　Thought；　for　God's　sake！　But　all　four　were　court…martialed　for　falsifying　their　regimental　readiness　reports…and　shot　three　days　later。　That　story　will　hit　the　streets　in　Krasnaya　Zvezda　over　the　next　few　days　as　a　two…or　three…part　story　under　'The　Observer's'　by…line…and　that　makes　it　a　political　exercise　with　a　capital　P。〃
The　Observer　was　the　cover　name　for　any　number　of　high…ranking　officers　who　contributed　to　Red　Star；　the　daily　newspaper　of　the　Soviet　armed　services。　Anything　on　the　front　page　and　under　that　by…line　was　taken　quite　seriously；　both　in　the　Soviet　military　services　and　by　those　whose　job　it　was　to　watch　them；　because　this　by…line　was　used　explicitly　to　make　policy　statements　approved　by　both　the　military　high　mand　and　the　Politburo　in　Moscow。
〃A　multipart　story？〃　Keegan　asked。
〃Yeah；　that's　one　of　the　interesting　things　about　it。　The　repetition　means　they　really　want　this　lesson　to　sink　in。　Everything　about　this　is　out　of　pattern；　Pop。　Something　funny　is　happening。　They　do　shoot　officers　and　EM's…but　not　full　colonels　who've　written　for