tc.redstormrising-第173章

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Two　hours　later；　Toland　was　aboard　a　plane　bound　for　Heathrow。

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
The　briefing　was　given　by　Marshal　Fyodr　Borissovich　Bukharin。　The　KGB　had　arrested　Marshals　Shavyrin　and　Rozhkov　the　day　before；　a　move　that　told　Minister　Sergetov　more　than　this　briefing　ever　would。
〃The　attack　west　from　Alfeld　has　bogged　down　due　to　poor　planning　and　execution　by　mander…in…Chief　West。　We　need　to　regain　the　initiative。　Fortunately　we　have　the　troops　available；　and　nothing　changes　the　fact　that　NATO　has　suffered　grievous　losses。
〃I　propose　replacement　of　the　Western　Theater　mand　staff　and…〃
〃Wait。　I　wish　to　say　something；〃　Sergetov　interrupted。
〃Make　your　point；　Mikhail　Eduardovich；〃　the　Defense　Minister　said；　his　annoyance　clear。
〃Marshal　Bukharin；　you　propose　plete　staff　replacement？〃　The　practical　consequences　to　the　replacees　was　unspoken；　Sergetov　thought；　but　plain　enough。
〃My　son　is　on　the　staff　of　the　Deputy　mander　West；　General　Alekseyev。　This　general　is　the　one　who　led　the　breakthrough　at　Alfeld；　and　the　one　at　R乭le！　He's　been　wounded　twice　and　had　his　helicopter　shot　down　by　enemy　fighters…after　which　he　mandeered　a　truck　and　raced　to　the　front　to　lead　yet　another　successful　attack。　He's　the　only　effective　general　we　have　that　I　know　of；　and　you　want　to　replace　him　with　someone　unfamiliar　with　the　situation…what　madness　is　this？〃　he　asked　angrily。　The　Minister　of　the　Interior　leaned　forward。
〃Just　because　your　son　is　on　his　staff…〃
Sergetov's　face　went　beet…red。　〃'Just　because　my　son；'　　you　say？　My　son　is　at　the　front；　serving　the　State。　He's　been　wounded；　and　barely　escaped　death　when　he　was　shot　down　at　his　general's　side。　Who　else　at　this　table　can　say　that；　rades？　Where　are　your　sons？〃　He　pounded　on　the　table　in　rage。　Sergetov　concluded　in　a　softer　voice；　wounding　his　colleagues　in　a　way　that　mattered；　really　mattered：　〃Where　are　the　munists　here？〃
There　was　a　brief　but　deadly　silence。　Sergetov　knew　that　he　had　either　ended　his　political　career　or　boosted　it　beyond　measure。　His　fate　would　be　decided　by　whoever　spoke　next。
〃In　the　Great　Patriotic　War；〃　Pyotr　Bromkovskiy　said　with　an　old　man's　dignity；　〃Politburo　members　lived　at　the　front。　Many　lost　sons。　Even　rade　Stalin　gave　his　sons　to　the　State；　serving　alongside　the　sons　of　ordinary　workers　and　peasants。　Mikhail　Eduardovich　speaks　well。　rade　Marshal；　your　evaluation　of　General　Alekseyev；　if　you　please？　Is　rade　Sergetov　correct　in　his　assessment？〃
Bukharin　looked　uneasy。　〃Alekseyev　is　a　young；　bright　officer；　and；　yes；　he　has　done　fairly　well　at　his　present　post。〃
〃But　you　wish　to　replace　him　with　one　of　your　own　people？〃　Bromkovskiy　didn't　wait　for　an　answer。　〃It　is　amazing；　the　things　we　learn　and　the　things　we　forget。　We　forget　that　it　is　necessary　for　all　Soviet　citizens　to　share　the　burden　together…but　we　remember　the　mistakes　made　in　1941；　arresting　good　officers　because　their　superiors　erred；　and　replacing　them　all　with　political　cronies　who　could　lead　us　to　disaster！　If　Alekseyev　is　a　bright　young　officer　who　knows　how　to　fight；　why　do　you　replace　him？〃
〃Perhaps　we　were　hasty；〃　the　Defense　Minister　admitted；　watching　the　mood　around　the　table　shift　dramatically。　I'll　get　you　for　this；　Mikhail　Eduardovich。　If　you　wish　to　ally　yourself　with　our　oldest　member；　it　is　fine　with　me。　He　won't　live　forever。　Neither　will　you。
〃That　is　decided　then；〃　the　Party　Chairman　said。　〃Next；　Bukharin；　what　of　the　situation　on　Iceland？〃
〃There　are　reports　that　some　enemy　troops　have　landed；　but　we　immediately　attacked　the　NATO　fleet。　We　are　waiting　now　for　an　assessment　of　the　losses　we　inflicted。　We　have　to　wait　for　satellite　reconnaissance　before　we　can　be　sure　of　that。〃　Bukharin　knew　only　what　Soviet　losses　were；　and　he　would　not　reveal　those　until　he　could　report　favorable　strike　results。

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
They　arrived　just　after　dark；　the　KGB　officers　in　battle　dress。　Alekseyev　was　working　on　deployments　of　newly　arrived　C　divisions　and　didn't　see　them　enter　CINC…West's　office。　Five　minutes　later　he　was　summoned。
〃rade　General　Alekseyev；　you　are　now　mander…in…Chief　of　the　Western　Theater　of　Military　Operations；〃　his　superior　said　simply。　〃I　wish　you　luck。〃
Alekseyev　felt　the　hair　rise　up　on　his　neck　at　the　General's　tone。　The　man　was　flanked　by　a　pair　of　KGB　colonels　wearing　the　standard　KGB　battle　dress；　camouflage　cloth　tailored　in　the　pattern　of　a　class…A　uniform；　the　〃State　Security〃　GB　emblem　shoulder　boards。　It　was　an　institutional　form　of　arrogance　that　suited　the　KGB　as　perfectly　as　the　look　on　the　colonels'　faces。
What　do　I　say？　What　can　I　do？　This　is　my　friend。
The　former　mander…in…Chief　of　the　Western　Theater　of　Military　Operations　said　it　for　him：　〃Good…bye；　Pasha。〃
They　took　the　General　out。　Alekseyev　watched　him　go；　then　stop　at　the　door。　He　turned　with　a　look　of　hopeless　fatalism　before　proceeding。　Alekseyev's　last　sight　was　of　the　General's　pistol　belt；　the　leather　flap　loose　over　an　empty　holster。　He　turned　away　and　saw　on　the　desk　a　telex　confirming　his　mand　status。　It　told　him　that　he　had　the　plete　confidence　of　the　Party；　the　Politburo；　and　the　People。　He　crumpled　it　and　threw　it　against　the　wall。　He　had　seen　the　same　words　on　the　same　form　a　few　brief　weeks　before。　The　recipient　of　that　message　of　confidence　was　now　in　a　car　heading　east。
How　long　do　I　have？　Alekseyev　summoned　his　munications　officer。
〃Get　me　General　Beregovoy！〃

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
SACEUR　allowed　himself　a　meal。　He'd　lost　ten　pounds　since　the　war　had　begun　by　subsisting　on　coffee　and　sandwiches　and　stomach　acid。　Alexander　had　manded　armies　in　his　teens　and　twenties…maybe　that's　why　he　did　so　well；　the　General　thought。　He　was　young　enough　to　stand　it。
It　was　working。　The　Cav　was　at　Alfeld。　The　Germans　were　firmly　in　control　of　Gronau　and　Bruggen；　and　unless　Ivan　reacted　quickly；　his　divisions　on　the　Weser　were　in　for　a　very　nasty　surprise。　The　door　to　his　office　opened。　It　was　his　German　intelligence　officer。
〃Excuse　me；　Herr　General；　I　have　an　naval　intelligence　officer　here。〃
〃Is　it　important；　Joachim？〃
〃Ja。〃　
SACEUR　looked　down　at　his　plate。　〃Show　him　in。〃
The　General　was　not　impressed。　The　man　was　dressed　in　his　shipboard　khakis。　Only　a　very　sharp　eye　could　see　where　the　creases　used　to　be。
〃General；　I'm　mander　Bob　Toland。　Until　a　few　hours　ago；　I　was　on　the　threat　team　with　Strike　Fleet　Atlantic…〃
〃How's　it　going　on　Iceland？〃
〃The　air　attack　on　the　fleet　was　chewed　up；　sir。　There's　still　the　submarine　problem　to　deal　with；　but　the　Marines　are　moving。　I　think　we'll　win　this　one；　General。〃
〃Well；　the　more　subs　they　send　after　the　carriers；　the　fewer　go　after　my　convoys。〃
That's　one　way　to　look　at　it；　Toland　thought。　〃Admiral；　we　captured　a　Russian　fighter　pilot。　He　es　from　an　important　family。　I　interrogated　him；　here's　the　tape。　I　think　we　know　why　the　war　started。〃
〃Joachim；　did　you　check　his　data？〃
〃No；　sir。　He　has　already　briefed　EASTLANT；　and　Admiral　Beattie　wanted　the　data　to　e　directly　to　you。〃
SACEUR's　eyes　narrowed。　〃Let's　hear　it；　son。〃
〃Oil。〃



41　…Targets　of　Opportunity

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
Three　copies　were　made　of　the　tape。　One　went　to　one　of　SACEUR's　intelligence　staff　for　a　separate　translation　to　be　checked　against　Toland's。　Another　was　taken　to　French　intelligence　for　electronic　analysis。　The　third　was　analyzed　by　a　Belgian　psychiatrist　who　was　fluent　in　Russian。　While　that　was　going　on；　half　of　the　intelligence　officers　at　NATO　headquarters　updated　all　their　information　about　Soviet　fuel　consumption　to　date。　CIA　and　other　national　intelligence　services　began　a　frantic　investigation　into　Soviet　oil　production　and　utilization。　Toland　predicted　the　oute　hours　before　it　came　in：　insufficient　data。　The　range　of　possible　conclusions　predicted　that　the　Russians　had　enough　fuel　for　several　months…or　had　already　run　out！
SACEUR　took　his　time　before　accepting　the　data　at　face　value。　Prisoner　interrogations　had　given　his　intelligence　people　a　wealth　of　information…most　of　it　patently　false　or　contradictory。　Since　supply　officers　naturally　lagged　behind　the　fighting　troops；　few　of　them　had　been　captured。　It　was　the　Air　Force　that　bought　the　story　first。　They　knew　that　enemy　fuel…supply　dumps　were　smaller　than