tc.redstormrising-第25章

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The　captain　wanted　to　be　mad；　but　the　man　had　warned　him；　hadn't　he？　Next　time　I'll　know　better；　he　thought。　〃Very　well；　take　it　in。〃
〃Thank　you。　I　am　sorry　about　the　uniform。　Don't　forget　to　have　it　cleaned。〃
The　captain　waved　to　a　private　and　walked　off。　The　soldier　unlocked　the　door。　The　driver　and　his　assistant　went　inside　to　get　a　two…wheeled　hand　truck。
〃I　warned　him；〃　the　driver　said　to　the　private。
〃You　certainly　did；　rade。〃　The　soldier　was　amused。　He；　too；　was　looking　forward　to　going　off　duty；　and　it　wasn't　often　that　you　saw　an　officer　get　caught。
The　driver　watched　his　assistant　load　the　cans　onto　the　hand　truck；　and　followed　him　as　he　wheeled　it　into　the　building　to　the　service　elevator。　Then　both　returned　for　the　second　load。
They　took　the　elevator　to　the　third　floor；　shut　the　power　off；　and　moved　their　loads　to　a　storage　room　directly　below　the　large　fourth…floor　conference　room。
〃That　was　good　with　the　captain；〃　the　assistant　said。　〃Now　let's　get　to　work。〃
〃Yes；　rade　Colonel；〃　the　driver　answered　at　once。　The　four　cans　of　carpet…cleaning　fluid　had　false　tops　which　the　lieutenant　removed　and　set　aside。　Next　he　took　out　the　satchel　charges。　The　colonel　had　memorized　the　blueprints　of　the　building。　The　wall　pillars　were　in　the　outside　ers　of　the　room。　One　charge　went　to　each；　fixed　to　the　inboard　side。　The　empty　cans　were　placed　next　to　the　charges；　hiding　them。　Next　the　lieutenant　removed　two　of　the　false…ceiling　panels；　exposing　the　steel　beams　supporting　the　fourth　floor　slab。　The　remaining　charges　were　attached　there；　and　the　ceiling　panels　replaced。　The　charges　already　had　their　detonators　attached。　The　colonel　took　the　electronic　triggering　device　out　of　his　pocket；　he　checked　his　watch；　and　waited　for　three　minutes　before　pressing　the　button　to　activate　the　timers。　The　bombs　would　explode　in　exactly　eight　hours。
The　colonel　watched　the　lieutenant　tidy　up；　then　wheeled　the　hand　truck　back　to　the　elevator。　Two　minutes　later；　they　left　the　building。　The　captain　was　back。
〃rade；〃　he　said　to　the　driver。　〃You　shouldn't　let　this　old　one　do　all　the　heavy　work。　Show　some　respect。〃
〃You　are　kind；　rade　Captain。〃　The　colonel　smiled　crookedly　and　pulled　a　half…liter　bottle　of　vodka　from　his　pocket。　〃Drink？〃
The　captain's　solicitous　attitude　ended　abruptly。　A　worker　drinking　on　duty…in　the　Kremlin！　〃Move　along！〃
〃Good　day；　rade。〃　The　driver　got　into　the　truck　and　drove　off。　They　had　to　pass　through　the　same　security　checkpoints；　but　their　papers　were　still　in　order。
After　leaving　the　Kremlin；　the　truck　turned　north　on　Marksa　Prospekt　and　followed　it　all　the　way　to　the　KGB　headquarters　building　at　2　Dzerzhinskiy　Square。

CROFFON；　MARYLAND
〃Where　are　the　kids？〃
〃Asleep。〃　Martha　Toland　hugged　her　husband。　She　was　wearing　something　filmy　and　attractive。　〃I　had　them　out　swimming　all　day；　and　they　just　couldn't　stay　awake。〃　An　impish　smile。　He　remembered　the　first　such　smile；　on　Sunset　Beach；　Oahu；　she　with　a　surfboard　and　a　skimpy　swimsuit。　She　still　loved　the　water。　And　the　bikini　still　fit。
〃Why　do　I　sense　a　plan　here？〃
〃Probably　because　you're　a　nasty；　suspicious　spook。〃　Marty　walked　into　the　kitchen　and　came　out　with　a　bottle　of　Lancers　Rosk　and　two　chilled　glasses。　〃Now　why　don't　you　take　a　nice　hot　shower　and　unwind　a　bit。　When　you're　finished；　we　can　relax。〃
It　sounded　awfully　good。　What　followed　was　even　better。

10　…　Remember；　Remember

CROFTON；　MARYLAND
Toland　woke　to　hear　his　phone　ringing　in　the　dark。　He　was　still　dopey　from　the　drive　up　from　Norfolk　and　the　wine。　It　took　a　ring　or　two　for　him　to　react　properly。　His　first　considered　action　was　to　check　the　display　on　the　clock…radio…2：11。　Two　in　the　fuckin'　morning！　he　thought；　sure　that　the　ringing　was　caused　by　a　prank　or　a　wrong　number。　He　lifted　the　receiver。
〃Hello；〃　he　said　gruffly。
〃Lieutenant　mander　Toland；　please。〃
Uh…oh。　〃Speaking。〃
〃This　is　the　CINCLANT　intel　watch　officer；〃　the　disembodied　voice　said。　〃You　are　ordered　to　return　to　your　duty　station　at　once。　Please　acknowledge　the　order；　mander。〃
〃Back　to　Norfolk　right　away。　Understood。〃　Wholly　on　instinct；　Bob　rotated　himself　in　the　bed　to　a　sitting　position；　his　bare　feet　on　the　floor。
〃Very　well；　mander。〃　The　phone　clicked　off。
〃What　is　it；　honey？〃　Marty　asked。
〃They　need　me　back　at　Norfolk。〃
〃When？〃
〃Now。〃　That　woke　her　up。　Martha　Toland　bolted　upright　in　the　bed。　The　covers　spilled　off　her　chest；　and　the　moonlight　through　the　window　gave　her　skin　a　pale；　ethereal　glow。
〃But　you　just　got　here！〃
〃Don't　I　know　it。〃　Bob　stood　and　walked　awkwardly　toward　the　bathroom。　He　had　to　shower　and　drink　some　coffee　if　he　had　any　hope　of　reaching　Norfolk　alive。　When　he　returned　ten　minutes　later；　lathering　his　face；　he　saw　that　his　wife　had　clicked　on　the　bedroom　TV　to　Cable　Network　News。
〃Bob；　you　better　listen　to　this。〃
〃This　is　Rich　Suddler　ing　to　you　live　from　the　Kremlin；〃　said　a　reporter　in　a　blue　blazer。　Behind　him　Toland　could　see　the　grim　stone　walls　of　the　ancient　citadel　fortified　by　Ivan　the　Terrible…now　being　patrolled　by　armed　soldiers　in　bat　dress。　Toland　stopped　what　he　was　doing　and　walked　toward　the　TV。　Something　very　strange　was　going　on。　A　full　pany　of　armed　troops　in　the　Kremlin　could　mean　many　things；　all　of　them　bad。　〃There　has　been　an　explosion　in　the　Council　of　Ministers　building　here　in　Moscow。　At　approximately　nine…thirty　this　morning；　Moscow　Time；　while　I　was　taping　a　report　not　half　a　mile　away；　we　were　surprised　to　hear　a　sharp　sound　ing　from　the　new　glass…and…steel　structure；　and…〃
〃Rich；　this　is　Dionna　McGee　at　the　anchor　desk。〃　The　image　of　Suddler　and　the　Kremlin　retreated　to　a　er　of　the　screen　as　the　director　inserted　the　attractive　black　anchorperson　who　ran　the　night　desk　for　CNN。　〃I　presume　that　you　had　some　Soviet　security　personnel　with　you　at　the　time。　How　did　they　react？〃
〃Well；　Dionna；　we　can　show　you　that　if　you　can　hold　a　minute　for　my　technicians　to　set　up　that　tape；　I…〃　He　pressed　the　earphone　tight　into　his　ear。　〃Okay；　ing　up　now；　Dionna…〃
The　tape　cut　off　the　live　picture；　filling　the　entire　screen。　It　was　on　a　pause　setting；　with　Suddler　frozen　in　the　middle　of　a　gesture　to　something　or　other；　probably　the　part　of　the　wall　where　they　buried　important　munists；　Toland　thought。　The　tape　began　to　roll。
Simultaneously；　Suddler　flinched　and　spun　around　as　a　thundering　report　echoed　across　the　expanse　of　the　square。　By　professional　instinct　the　cameraman　turned　at　once　to　the　source　of　the　sound；　and　after　a　moment's　wobble；　the　lens　settled　in　on　a　ball　of　dust　and　smoke　expanding　up　and　away　from　the　strangely　modem　building　in　the　Kremlin's　otherwise　Slavic　Rococo　plex。　A　second　later　the　zoom　lens　darted　in　on　the　scene。　Fully　three　floors　of　the　building　had　been　stripped　of　their　glass　curtain　wall；　and　the　camera　followed　a　large　conference　table　as　it　fell　down　off　one　floor　slab　that　seemed　to　be　dangling　from　a　half　dozen　reinforcing　rods。　The　camera　went　down　to　street　level；　where　there　was　one　obvious　body；　and　perhaps　another；　along　with　a　collection　of　automobiles　crushed　by　debris。
In　seconds；　the　whole　square　was　filled　with　running　men　in　uniform　and　the　first　of　many　official　cars。　A　blurred　figure　that　could　only　be　a　man　in　uniform　suddenly　blocked　the　camera　lens。　The　tape　stopped　at　that　point；　and　Rich　Suddler　came　back　into　the　screen　with　a　LIVE　caption　in　the　lower　left　er。
〃Now；　at　that　point　the　militia　captain　who　had　been　escorting　us…the　militia　is　the　Soviet　equivalent　of；　oh；　like　a　U。S。　state　police　force…he　made　us　stop　taping　and　confiscated　our　tape　cassette。　We　weren't　allowed　to　tape　the　fire　trucks　or　the　several　hundred　armed　troops　who　arrived　and　are　now　guarding　the　whole　area。　But　the　tape　was　just　returned　to　us　and　we　are　able　to　give　you　this　live　picture　of　the　building；　now　that　the　fires　have　been　put　out。　In　fairness　I　really　can't　say　that　I　blame　him…things　were　pretty　wild　there　for　a　few　minutes。〃
〃Were　you　threatened　in　any　way；　Rich？　I　mean；　did　they　act　as　though　they　thought　you…〃
Suddler's　head　shook　emphatically。
〃Not　at　all；　Dionna。　In　fact；　more　than　anything　they　seemed　concerned　for　our　safety。　In　addition　to　the　militia　captain；　we　have　a　squad　of　Red　Army　infantr