tc.redstormrising-第149章

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ecided　to　e　to　the　party。
Chicago　had　nibbled　the　odds　down　some。　For　the　past　few　hours；　fancy　footwork　had　killed　the　Victor　and　a　Grisha　and　damaged　a　Krivak；　but　the　situation　was　deteriorating。　The　Russians　were　mobbing　him；　and　he　would　not　be　able　to　keep　them　at　arm's　length　much　longer。　In　the　time　it　had　taken　him　to　localize　and　kill　the　Victor；　the　surface　groups　had　closed　five　miles　on　him。　Like　a　boxer　against　a　puncher；　he　had　the　advantage　only　as　long　as　he　kept　them　away。
What　McCafferty　wanted　and　needed　to　do　was　talk　with　Todd　Simms　on　Boston　to　coordinate　their　activities。　He　couldn't；　because　the　underwater　telephone　couldn't　reach　that　far　and　made　too　much　noise。　Even　if　he　tried　to　make　a　radio　broadcast；　Boston　would　have　to　be　near　the　surface；　with　her　antenna　up　to　hear　him。　He　was　sure　Todd　had　his　boat　as　deep　as　he　could　drive　her。　American　submarine　doctrine　was　for　each　boat　to　operate　alone。　The　Soviets　practiced　cooperative　tactics；　but　the　Americans　never　felt　the　need。　McCafferty　needed　some　ideas　now。　The　〃book〃　solution　to　the　tactical　problem　at　hand　was　to　maneuver　and　look　for　openings；　but　Chicago　was　essentially　tied　to　a　fixed　position　and　could　not　stray　too　far　from　her　sisters。　As　soon　as　the　Russians　understood　that　there　was　a　cripple　out　there；　they'd　close　in　like　a　pack　of　dogs　to　finish　Providence　off；　and　he　would　not　be　able　to　stop　them。　Ivan　would　gladly　exchange　some　of　his　small　craft　for　a　688。
〃Ideas；　XO？〃　McCafferty　asked。
〃How　about；　'Scotty；　beam　us　up！'　〃　The　executive　officer　tried　to　brighten　things　a　bit。　It　didn't　work。　So；　okay；　maybe　the　skipper　wasn't　a　Star　Trek　fan。　〃The　only　way　I　see　to　keep　them　off　our　friends　is　to　get　them　to　chase　us　awhile。〃
〃Go　east　and　attack　this　group　from　the　beam？〃
〃It's　a　gamble；〃　the　exec　admitted。　〃But　what　isn't？〃
〃You　conn　her。　Two…thirds；　and　hug　the　bottom。〃
Chicago　turned　southeast　and　increased　speed　to　eighteen　knots。　This　was　a　fine　time　to　find　out　how　accurate　our　charts　are；　McCafferty　thought。　Did　Ivan　have　any　minefields　set　here？　He　had　to　shut　that　thought　out。　If　they　hit　one；　he'd　never　know　it。　The　executive　officer　kept　the　submarine　within　fifty　feet　of　where　the　chart　said　the　bottom　was…actually　he　hedged；　keeping　fifty　feet　above　the　highest　bottom　marker　within　a　mile。　Even　that　would　do　no　good　if　there　was　an　uncharted　wreck。　McCafferty　remembered　his　first　trip　into　the　Barents　Sea。　Somewhere　close　to；　here　were　those　destroyers　sunk　as　targets。　If　he　hit　one　of　those　at　eighteen　knots　。　。　。　The　run　lasted　forty　minutes。
〃All　ahead　one…third！〃　McCafferty　ordered　when　he　couldn't　stand　it　anymore。　Chicago　slowed　to　five　knots。　To　the　diving　officer：　〃Take　her　up　to　periscope　depth。〃
The　planesmen　pulled　back　on　their　controls。　There　was　some　minor　groaning　from　the　hull　as　the　outside　water　pressure　relented；　allowing　the　hull　to　expand　an　inch　or　so。　On　McCafferty's　order　the　ESM　mast　went　up　first。　As　before　there　were　several　radar　sources。　The　search　periscope　went　up　next。
A　weather　front　was　moving　in；　with　a　rain　squall　to　the　west。　Fabulous；　McCafferty　thought。　There　goes　ten　percent　of　our　sonar　performance。
〃I　got　a　mast　at　two…six…fourwhat　is　it？〃
〃No　radar　signals　on　that　bearing；〃　a　technician　said。
〃It's　broken…it's　the　Krivak。　We　got　a　piece　of　her；　let's　finish　her　off。　I…〃　A　shadow　went　across　the　lens。　McCafferty　angled　the　instrument　up　and　saw　the　swept　wings　and　propellers　of　a　Bear。
〃Conn；　sonar；　multiple　sonobuoys　aft！〃
McCafferty　slapped　the　scope　handles　up　and　lowered　the　scope。　〃Take　her　down！　Make　your　depth　four　hundred　feet；　left　full　rudder；　all　ahead　full。〃
A　sonobuoy　deployed　within　two　hundred　yards　of　the　submarine。　The　brassy　sound　of　its　pings　reverberated　through　the　hull。
How　long　for　the　Bear　to　turn　and　drop　on　us？　On　McCafferty's　order　a　noisemaker　was　ejected　into　the　water。　It　didn't　work；　and　he　fired　off　another。　One　minute　passed。　He'll　try　to　get　a　magnetic　fix　on　us　first。
〃Rewind　the　tape。〃　The　duty　electrician　was　grateful　to　have　something　to　do。　The　video　record　of　his　five…second　periscope　exposure　showed　what　looked　like　the　remains　of　a　Krivak's　topsides。
〃Passing　three　hundred　feet。　Speed　twenty　and　increasing。〃
〃Scrape　the　bottom；　Joe；〃　McCafferty　said。　He　watched　the　tape　rerun；　but　that　was　only　to　have　something　for　his　eyes　to　do。
〃Torpedo　in　the　water　port　quarter！　Torpedo　bearing　zero…one…five。〃
〃Right　fifteen　degrees　rudder！　All　ahead　flank！　e　to　new　course　one…seven…five。〃　McCafferty　put　the　torpedo　on　his　stem。　His　mind　went　through　the　tactical　situation　automatically。　Russian　ASW　torpedo。…　sixteen…inch　diameter；　speed　about　thirty…six　knots；　range　four　miles；　runs　about　nine　minutes。　We're　doing…he　looked…twenty…five　knots。　It's　behind　us　So　if　he's　a　mile　behind　us　。　。　。　seven　minutes　to　cover　the　distance。　It　can　get　us。　But　we're　accelerating　at　ten　knots　per　minute　。　。　。　No；　it　can't。
〃High…frequency　pinging　aft！　Sounds　like　a　torpedo　sonar。〃
〃Settle　down；　people；　I　don't　think　it　can　catch　us。〃　Any　Russian　ship　in　the　neighborhood　can　hear　us；　though。
〃Passing　through　four　hundred　feet；　starting　level　out。〃
〃Torpedo　is　closing；　sir；〃　the　sonar　chief　reported。　〃The　pings　sound　a　little　funny；　like…〃　The　sub　shook　with　a　powerful　explosion　aft。
〃All　ahead　one…third；　right　ten　degrees　rudder；　e　to　new　course　two…six…five。　What　you　just　heard　was　their　fish　hitting　the　bottom。　Sonar；　start　feeding　me　data。〃
The　Russians　had　a　new　line　of　sonobuoys　north　of　Chicago；　probably　too　far　off　to　hear　them。　Bearings　to　the　nearest　Soviet　ships　were　steadying　down：　they　were　heading　right　for　Chicago。
〃Well；　that'll　keep　them　off　our　friends　for　a　while；　XO。〃
〃Super。〃
〃Let's　go　south　some　more　and　see　if　we　can　get　them　to　pass　us。　Then　we'll　remind　'em　what　they're　up　against。〃

ICELAND
If　I　ever　get　off　this　rock　alive；　Edwards　thought；　I'll　move　to　Nebraska。　He　remembered　flying　over　the　state　many　times。　It　was　so　agreeably　flat。　Even　the　counties　were　nice　neat　squares。　Not　so　in　Iceland。　For　all　that；　it　was　easier　going　than　they　had　enjoyed　since　leaving　Keflavik。　Edwards　and　his　party　kept　to　the　five…hundred…foot　elevation　line；　which　kept　them　at　least　two　miles　from　the　gravel　coast　road；　with　mountains　at　their　backs　and　a　good　long　field　of　view。　Up　to　now　they　had　seen　nothing　more　than　routine　activity。　They　assumed　that　every　vehicle　on　the　move　had　Russians　aboard。　That　probably　was　not　true；　but　since　the　Soviet　troops　had　appropriated　so　many　civilian　vehicles　there　was　no　way　to　tell　the　sheep　from　the　goats。　That　made　them　all　goats。
〃Enjoying　your　rest；　Sarge？〃　Edwards　and　his　group　caught　up　with　Smith。　There　was　a　road　half　a　mile　farther　ahead；　the　first　they'd　seen　in　two　days。
〃See　that　mountaintop？〃　Smith　pointed。　〃A　chopper　landed　on　it　twenty　minutes　ago。〃
〃Great。〃　Edwards　unfolded　his　map　and　sat　down。　〃Hill　1063…that's　thirty…five　hundred　feet。〃
〃Makes　a　nice　lookout　point；　don't　it？　You　suppose　they　can　see　us　from　there？〃
〃Ten　or　eleven　miles。　Depends；　skipper。　I　figure　they're　using　it　to　watch　the　water　on　both　sides。　If　they　have　any　brains；　they'll　keep　an　eye　on　the　rocks；　too。〃
〃Any　idea　how　many　people　they　have　there？〃　Edwards　asked。
〃No　way。　Maybe　nobody…hell；　they　might　have　been　making　a　pickup；　but　I　wouldn't　bet　on　it。　Maybe　a　squad；　maybe　a　platoon。　You　gotta　figure　they　have　a　good　pair　of　spotting　glasses　and　a　radio。〃
〃And　how　do　we　get　past　them？〃　Edwards　asked。　The　ground　was　mostly　open；　with　only　a　few　bushes　in　sight。
〃That's　a　real　good　question；　skipper。　Pick　our　routes　carefully；　keep　low；　use　dead　ground…all　the　usual　stuff。　But　the　map　shows　a　little　bay　that　es　within　four　miles　of　them。　We　can't　detour　around　the　far　side　without　running　into　the　main　road…can't　hardly　do　that。〃
〃What's　the　problem？〃　Sergeant　Nichols　arrived。　Smith　explained　matters。　Edwards　got　on　the　radio。
〃You　just　know　they're　on　the　hilltop；　not　strength　or　weapons；　right？〃　Doghouse　asked。
〃Correct。〃
〃Damn。　We　wanted　you　on　that　hill。〃　Now　there's　a　surprise；　Edwards　thought。　〃No　chance　you　can　go　up　that　hill？〃
〃None。　Say　again　no　chance　at　all。　I　can　thi