tc.redstormrising-第180章

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ck　at　dusk　was　a　halfhearted　affair　executed　by　men　too　tired　to　advance　into　the　kill　zone。　He　could　hear　the　noise　behind　him　of　another　action　under　way。　The　Germans　west　of　the　town　were　under　heavy　attack。

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
〃General　Beregovoy　reports　a　heavy　counterattack　from　the　north…towards　Alfeld。〃
Alekseyev　accepted　the　news　impassively。　His　gamble　had　failed。　That's　why　it's　called　gambling；　Pasha
Now　what？
It　was　very　quiet　in　the　map　room。　The　junior　officers　who　plotted　the　movements　of　friendly　and　enemy　forces　had　never　talked　much；　and　now　were　not　even　looking　over　to　the　other　map　sectors。　It　was　no　longer　a　race　to　see　whose　forces　got　to　their　objectives　first。
The　word　you're　looking　for　is　gloom；　Pasha　The　General　stood　next　to　his　operations　officer。
〃Yevgeny　Ilych；　I　am　open　to　suggestions。〃
He　shrugged。　〃We　must　continue。　Our　troops　are　tired。　So　are　theirs。〃
〃We're　throwing　inexperienced　troops　against　veterans。　We　have　to　change　that。　We　will　take　officers　and　NCOs　from　the　A　units　that　are　off　the　line　and　use　them　to　beef　up　the　C　units　now　arriving。　These　reservists　must　have　experienced　bat　soldiers　to　leaven　their　ranks；　else　we　send　them　like　cattle　to　the　slaughter。　Next；　we　will　temporarily　suspend　offensive　operations…〃
〃rade　General；　if　we　do　that…〃
〃We　have　enough　strength　for　one　last　hard　push。　That　push　will　be　at　the　time　and　place　of　my　choosing；　and　it　will　be　a　fully　prepared　attack。　I　will　order　Beregovoy　to　escape　the　best　way　he　can…I　cannot　trust　that　order　to　the　radio。　Yevgeny　Ilych；　I　want　you　to　fly　to　Beregovoy's　headquarters　tonight。　He'll　need　a　good　operational　brain　to　assist　him。　That　will　be　your　assignment。〃　I'll　give　you　a　chance　to　redeem　yourself；　you　traitorous　bastard　Use　it　well。　More　importantly；　it　got　the　KGB　informer　out　of　the　way。　The　operations　officer　walked　off　to　arrange　transport。　Alekseyev　took　Sergetov　back　into　his　office。
〃You're　going　back　to　Moscow。〃

42　…　The　Resolution　of　Conflict

BRUSSELS；　BELGIUM
〃Amazing　what　a　pair　of　fives　can　do　。　。　〃
〃What's　that；　General？〃　his　intelligence　chief　inquired。　SACEUR　shook　his　head；　looking　at　the　map　with　confidence　for　once。　Alfeld　held　…a　couplet；　the　General　thought。　The　Germans　to　the　west　had　taken　a　murderous　pounding；　but　while　their　lines　had　bent；　they　hadn't　broken。　More　help　was　on　the　way。　A　tank　brigade　was　en　route　to　reinforce　them。　The　newly　arrived　armored　division　was　pressing　south　now　to　isolate　this　Russian　division　from　those　on　the　Weser。　The　farthest…advanced　Russian　divisions　had　shot　out　their　supply　of　surface…to…air　missiles；　and　NATO　air　power　was　blasting　their　positions　with　grim　regularity。
Aerial　reconnaissance　showed　the　open　ground　east　of　Alfeld　to　be　a　charnel　house　of　burned…out　tanks。　Reinforcements　were　heading　there　also。　Ivan　would　be　back；　but　skies　were　clearing　again。　The　full　weight　of　NATO　aircraft　was　ing　into　play。
〃Joachim；　I　think　we've　stopped　them。〃
〃Ja；　Herr　General！　Now　we'll　begin　to　drive　them　back。〃

MOSCOW；　R。S。F。S。R。
〃Father；　General　Alekseyev　has　ordered　me　to　tell　you　that　he　does　not　think　it　possible　to　defeat　NATO。〃
〃You　are　certain？〃
〃Yes；　father。〃　The　young　man　sat　down　in　the　Minister's　office。　〃We　failed　to　achieve　strategic　surprise。　We　underestimated　NATO's　air　power…too　many　things。　We　failed　to　prevent　NATO's　resupply。　Except　for　that　last　counterattack　it　might　have　worked；　but　。　。　。　There　is　one　more　chance。　The　General　is　suspending　offensive　operations　in　preparation　for　a　final　attack。　To　do　this…〃
〃If　all　is　lost；　what　is　this　you're　talking　about？〃
〃If　we　can　damage　the　NATO　forces　sufficiently　to　forestall　a　major　counteroffensive；　we　will　hold　on　to　our　gains；　enabling　you…enabling　the　Politburo　to　negotiate　from　a　position　of　strength。　Even　this　is　uncertain；　but　it　is　the　best　option　the　General　sees。　He　asks　that　you　put　it　to　the　Politburo　that　a　diplomatic　settlement　is　necessary；　and　quickly；　before　NATO　recovers　its　strength　sufficiently　for　their　own　offensive。〃
The　Minister　nodded。　He　turned　in　his　chair　to　look　out　the　window　for　a　few　minutes　while　his　son　waited　for　a　response。
〃Before　that　is　possible；〃　the　Minister　said　finally；　〃they　will　order　Alekseyev's　arrest。　You　know　what's　happened　to　the　others　they　arrested；　don't　you？〃　It　took　his　son　a　moment　to　grasp　the　father's　words。
〃They　couldn't　have！〃
〃Last　night；　all　seven　of　them；　including　your　former　mander…in…Chief。〃
〃But　he　was　an　effective　mander…〃
〃He　failed；　Vanya；〃　the　elder　Sergetov　said　quietly。　〃The　State　does　not　suffer　failure　gladly；　and　I　have　allied　myself；　for　your　sake；　with　Alekseyev　。　。　。〃　His　voice　trailed　off。　I　have　no　choice　now。　I　must　cooperate　with　Kosov；　bastard　or　not；　consequences　or　not。　And　I　must　risk　your　life　also；　Vanya。　〃Vitaly　will　take　you　to　the　dacha。　You　will　change　into　civilian　clothes　and　wait　for　me。　You　will　not　go　outside；　you　will　not　allow　yourself　to　be　seen　by　anyone。〃
〃But　surely　you　are　being　watched！〃
〃Of　course。〃　His　father　smiled　briefly。　〃I　am　being　watched　by　officers　of　the　mittee　for　State　Security；　officers　of　Kosov's　personal　staff〃
〃And　if　he　plays　you　for　a　fool？〃
〃Then　I　am　a　dead　man；　Vanya；　and　so　are　you。　Forgive　me；　I　never　dreamed　that　something　like　this　would…you　have　made　me　very　proud　these　last　few　weeks。〃　He　rose　and　embraced　his　son。　〃Go　now；　you　must　trust　me。〃
After　his　son　left；　Sergetov　lifted　his　phone　and　dialed　KGB　headquarters。　Director　Kosov　was　out；　and　the　Petroleum　Minister　left　a　message　that　the　figures　Kosov　had　requested　on　oil　production　in　the　Gulf　States　were　ready。
The　meeting　requested　by　the　Minister's　use　of　the　code　phrase　took　place　soon　after　sunset。　By　midnight；　Ivan　Mikhailovich　was　again　on　a　plane　bound　for　Germany。

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
〃Director　Kosov　applauds　your　method　for　dealing　with　the　traitor。　He　said　that　killing　him；　even　accidentally；　would　have　aroused　suspicion；　but　now　that　he　is　safely　behind　enemy　lines　and　doing　his　duty；　they　will　be　certain　that　he　is　not　under　suspicion。〃
〃The　next　time　you　see　the　bastard；　tell　him　thank　you。〃
〃Your　friend　was　shot　thirty…six　hours　ago；〃　Sergetov　said　next。　The　General　snapped　to　rigid　attention。
〃What？〃
〃The　former　mander…in…Chief　West　was　shot；　along　with　Marshal　Shavyrin；　Rozhkov；　four　others。〃
〃And　that　fucking　Kosov　congratulates　me　for…〃
〃He　said　there　was　nothing　he　could　do　about　it　and　offers　his　condolences。〃
Condolences　from　the　mittee　for　State　Security；　Alekseyev　thought。　There　will　e　a　time；　rade　Kosov　。　。　。
〃I　am　next；　of　course。〃
〃You　were　right　to　have　me　float　your　rationale　for　future　operations　with　my　father。　He　and　Kosov　both　feel　that　for　you　to　propose　this　to　STAVKA　would　mean　your　instant　arrest。　The　Politburo　still　feels　that　victory　is　possible。　When　they　lose　that　belief；　anything　can　happen。〃
Alekseyev　knew　exactly　what　anything　meant。
〃Go　on。〃
〃Your　idea　to　put　experienced　troops　in　the　arriving　C　divisions　has　merit…anyone　will　see　that。　A　number　of　such　divisions　are　cycling　through　Moscow　every　day。〃　Sergetov　halted　to　allow　his　general　to　draw　his　own　conclusions。
The　General's　whole　body　appeared　to　shudder。　〃Vanya；　you　are　talking　treason。〃
〃We　are　talking　about　the　survival　of　the　Motherland…〃
〃Do　not　confuse　the　importance　of　your　own　skin　with　the　importance　of　our　country！　You　are　a　soldier；　Ivan　Mikhailovich；　as　am　I。　Our　lives　are　expendable　pawns…〃
〃For　our　political　leadership？〃　Sergetov　scoffed。　〃Your　respect　for　the　Party　es　late；　rade　General。〃
〃I　hoped　that　your　father　could　persuade　the　Politburo　to　a　more　moderate　course　of　action。　I　did　not　intend　to　incite　a　rebellion。〃
〃The　time　for　moderation　is　long　passed；〃　Sergetov　replied；　speaking　like　a　young　Party　chieftain。　〃My　father　spoke　against　the　war；　as　did　others；　to　no　avail。　If　you　propose　a　diplomatic　solution；　you　will　be　arrested　and　shot；　first　for　failing　to　achieve　your　assigned　objective；　second　for　daring　to　propose　political　policy　to　the　Party　hierarchy。　With　whom　would　you　be　replaced；　and　what　would　be　the　result？　My　father　fears　that　the　Politburo　will　lean　towards　a　nuclear　resolution　o