tc.redstormrising-第164章

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ime　passed　more　rapidly　now。　The　captain　remained　seated；　forgetting　his　dignity　and　listening　to　reports　of　。　。　。　nothing。
McCafferty's　head　came　up。　He　checked　his　watch　and　realized　he'd　been　dozing　for　half　an　hour。　Five　more　hours　to　the　ice。　It　came　up　clearly　on　sonar　now；　a　low…frequency　growl　of　noise　that　covered　thirty　degrees　on　either　side　of　the　bow。
Where　did　the　Alfa　go？　McCafferty　was　in　sonar　ten　seconds　after　asking　himself　that　question。
〃What　was　your　last　bearing　on　the　Alfa？〃
〃Sir；　we　lost　him　three　hours　ago。　Last　we　had　him；　he　was　at　flank　speed　on　a　steady　northeasterly　bearing。　Faded　out　and　he　hasn't　e　back；　sir。　〃
〃What's　the　chance　he's　hiding　in　the　ice；　waiting　for　us？〃
〃If　he　does；　we'll　pick　him　up　before　he　picks　us　up；　sir。　If　he's　moving；　his　engine　plant　turns　out　a　lot　of　medium…　and　high…frequency　noise；〃　the　sonar　chief　explained。　McCafferty　knew　all　that；　but　wanted　to　hear　it　again　anyway。　〃All　the　low…frequency　ice　noise'll　ruin　his　chance　to　detect　us　at　long　range；　but　we　should　be　able　to　hear　him　a　good　ways　off　if　he's　moving。〃　The　captain　nodded　and　went　aft。
〃XO；　if　you　were　driving　that　Alfa；　where　would　you　be？〃
〃Home！〃　The　exec　smiled。　〃He　has　to　know　there　are　at　least　two　boats　out　here。　Those　are　awful　short　odds。　We　crippled　that　one　Victor；　and　Boston　probably　killed　the　other　one。　What's　he　going　to　think？　Ivan's　brave；　but　he's　not　crazy。　If　he　has　any　sense　at　all；　he'll　report　a　lost　contact　and　leave　it　at　that。〃
〃I　don't　buy　it。　He　beat　our　fish；　and　he　probably　beat　one　from　Boston；　〃　the　captain　said　quietly。
〃You　could　be　right；　skipper；　but　he　ain't　on　sonar。〃
McCafferty　had　to　concede　that　point。　〃We'll　be　very　careful　approaching　the　ice。〃
〃Agreed；　sir。　We're　being　paranoid　enough。〃
McCafferty　didn't　think　so；　but　he　didn't　know　why。　What　am　I　missing？
Their　fix　on　the　edge　of　the　icepack　was　old。　Currents　and　wind　would　have　moved　the　ice　a　few　miles　south　as　increasing　summer　temperatures　weakened　the　thick　white　roof　on　the　ocean。　Maybe　an　hour's　worth？　the　captain　wondered　hopefully。
The　plot　showed　Boston　fifteen　miles　to　the　east；　and　Providence　eight　miles　southeast。　Three　more　hours　to　the　ice。　Eighteen　nautical　miles；　maybe　less；　and　they'd　be　safe。　Why　should　there　be　anything　else　out　here？　They　can't　send　their　whole　fleet　after　us。　They　have　plenty　of　other　problems　to　worry　about。　McCafferty　dozed　off　again。
〃Conn；　sonar！〃　McCafferty's　head　came　up。
〃Conn；　aye；〃　the　exec　answered。
〃Providence　has　speeded　up　somewhat；　sir。　Estimate　she's　doing　ten　knots。〃
〃Very　well。〃
〃How　long　was　I　out？〃　the　captain　asked。
〃About　an　hour　and　a　half。　You've　been　awake　quite　a　while；　sir；　and　you　weren't　snoring　loud　enough　to　bother　anybody。　Sonar　is　still　blank　except　for　our　friends。〃
McCafferty　got　up　and　stretched。　That　wasn't　enough。　It's　catching　up　with　me。　Much　more　of　this　and　I'm　more　dangerous　to　my　own　crew　than　I　am　to　the　Russians。
〃Distance　to　the　ice？〃
〃About　twelve　thousand　yards；　near　as　we　can　make　out。〃
McCafferty　went　to　look　at　the　chart。　Providence　had　caught　up　and　was　even　with　him　now。　He　didn't　like　that。
〃Go　to　twelve　knots　and　e　right　to　zero…four…five。　He's　getting　too　eager。〃
〃You're　right；〃　the　exec　said　after　giving　the　proper　orders；　〃but　who　can　blame　him？〃
〃I　can。　What　the　hell　does　another　few　minutes　matter　after　all　the　time　it's　taken　to　get　this　far？〃
〃Conn；　sonar；　we　have　a　possible　contact　bearing　zero…six…three。　Sounds　like　machinery　noise；　very　faint。　Fading　out　now。　We're　getting　flow　noise　that's　blanking　it　out。〃
〃Slow　down？〃　the　executive　officer　asked。　The　captain　shook　his　head。
〃All　ahead　two…thirds。〃　Chicago　accelerated　to　eighteen　knots。　McCafferty　stared　down　at　the　chart。　There　was　something　important　here　that　he　wasn't　seeing。　The　submarine　was　still　deep；　at　one　thousand　feet。　Providence　still　had　her　tail　working；　but　she　was　running　close　to　the　surface；　and　that　made　trouble　for　her　sonar　performance。　Was　Boston　running　shallow；　too？　The　quartermasters　on　the　fire…control　tracking　party　kept　advancing　the　positions　of　the　two　American　subs　in　keeping　with　the　known　course　and　speed　of　each。　Chicago　rapidly　closed　the　distance。　After　half　an　hour　she　was　broad　on　Providence's　port　bow；　and　McCafferty　ordered　speed　reduced　to　six　knots　again。　As　the　submarine　slowed；　the　exterior　flow　noise　abated　and　her　sonars　returned　to　full　performance。
〃Sonar　contact　bearing　zero…nine…five！〃
The　plotting　team　ran　a　line　across　the　chart。　It　intersected　the　previous　bearing　line　。　。　。　almost　exactly　between　Boston　and　Providence！
McCafferty　bent　down　to　check　the　depth　there…nineteen　hundred　feet。　Deeper　than　a　688…class　sub　could　dive　。　。　。
。　。　。　but　not　too　deep　for　an　Alfa　。　。　。
〃Holy　shit！〃
He　couldn't　fire　at　the　contact。　The　bearing　to　the　target　was　too　close　to　Providence。　If　the　control　wires　broke；　the　fish　would　go　into　automatic　mode　and　not　care　a　whit　that　Providence　was　a　friendly。
〃Sonar；　go　active；　Yankee…search　on　bearing　zero…nine…five！〃
It　took　a　moment　to　power…up　the　system。　Then　the　deep　ba…wah　sound　shook　the　ocean。　McCafferty　had　meant　to　alert　his　rades。　He'd　also　alerted　the　Alfa。
〃Conn；　sonar；　I　have　hull…popping　noises　and　increased　machinery　noise　at　bearing　zero…nine…five。　No　target　on　the　scope　yet。〃
〃e　on；　Todd；！〃　the　captain　urged。
〃Transients；　transients！　Boston　just　increased　power；　sir…there　goes　Providence。　Torpedoes　in　the　water；　bearing　zero…nine…five！　Multiple　torpedoes　in　the　water　at　zero…nine…five！〃
〃All　ahead　full！〃　McCafferty　looked　at　the　plot。　The　Alfa　was　perilously　close　to　both　subs；　behind　both；　and　Providence　couldn't　run；　couldn't　dive；　couldn't　do　a　Goddamned　thing！　He　could　only　watch　as　his　fire…control　team　readied　two　torpedoes。　The　Alfa　had　fired　four　fish；　two　at　each　American　boat。　Boston　changed　course　west；　as　did　Providence。　McCafferty　and　the　exec　went　to　the　sonar　room。
He　watched　the　contact　lines　swing　left　and　right　across　the　screen。　The　thick　ones　denoted　the　submarines；　the　thinner；　brighter　lines　each　of　the　four　torpedoes。　The　two　aimed　at　Providence　closed　rapidly。　The　wounded　sub　was　up　to　twenty　knots；　and　made　noise　like　a　gravel　truck　trying　to　run。　It　was　clear　that　she'd　never　make　it。　Three　noisemakers　appeared　on　the　screen；　but　the　torpedoes　ignored　them。　The　lines　converged　to　a　single　point　that　blossomed　bright　on　the　screen。
〃They　got　her；　sir；〃　the　chief　said　quietly。
Boston　had　a　better　chance。　Simms　was　at　full　speed　now；　with　the　torpedoes　less　than　a　thousand　yards　behind。　He；　too；　deployed　noisemakers　and　made　radical　changes　in　course　and　depth。　One　torpedo　went　wild；　diving　after　a　decoy　and　exploding　on　the　bottom。　The　other　locked　on　Boston　and　slowly　ate　up　the　distance。　Another　bright　dot　appeared；　and　that　was　that。
〃Yankee…search　the　Alfa；〃　McCafferty　said；　his　voice　low　with　rage。　The　submarine　vibrated　with　the　powerful　sonar　pulses。
〃Bearing　one…zero…nine；　range　thirteen　thousand。〃
〃Set！〃
〃Match　and　shoot！〃
The　Alfa　didn't　wait　to　hear　the　ining　torpedoes。　Her　skipper　knew　that　there　was　a　third　sub　out　there；　knew　that　he'd　been　pinged。　The　Soviet　sub　went　to　maximum　speed　and　turned　east。　Chicago's　weapons　officer　tried　to　move　the　torpedoes　on　a　closing　course；　but　they　had　a　scant　five…knot　advantage　on　the　Alfa；　and　the　math　was　clear：　they'd　e　up　two　thousand　yards　short　at　the　end　of　their　fuel。　McCafferty　was　past　caring。　He　too　went　to　flank　speed　and　chased　after　her　for　half　an　hour；　ing　down　to　five　knots　three　minutes　before　the　torpedoes　ran　out　of　fuel。　The　flow　noise　cleared　off　his　sonars　just　in　time　to　hear　the　Alfa　decelerate　safely。
〃Okay；　now　we'll　try　again。〃　They　were　three　miles　from　the　ice　now；　and　Chicago　was　quiet。　The　Alfa　turned　west；　and　McCafferty's　tracking　party　gathered　data　to　pute　her　range。　The　turn　west　was　a　mistake。　He　evidently　expected　Chicago　to　run　for　the　pack　and　safety。
〃Conn；　sonar。　New　contact；　bearing　zero…zero…three。〃
Now　what？　Another　Russian　trap？〃
〃I　need　information！〃
〃Very　faint；　but　I　got　a　bearing　change；　just　moved　to　zero…zero…four。〃　A　quartermaster　looked　up　from　his　slide　rule。　〃Range　has　to　be　und