tc.redstormrising-第50章

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Simon　took　the　microphone。　〃Roger；　Hunter　Leader；　the　runways　are　yours。　Scatter　Plan　Alpha。　Go　for　it！　Out。〃
Below；　canopies　were　ing　down；　chocks　were　pulled　away　from　wheels；　and　each　crew　chief　gave　his　pilot　a　smart　salute。　The　shriek　of　jet　engines　changed　to　a　roar　as　the　aircraft　started　to　roll　awkwardly　off　the　flight　line。
〃Where's　your　battle　station；　Mike？〃　Simon　asked。
〃The　met　building。〃　Edwards　nodded　and　headed　for　the　door。　〃'Luck；　guys。〃
Aboard　Sentry　Two；　the　radar　operators　watched　a　broad　semicircle　of　blips　converging　on　them。　Each　blip　had　〃BGR〃　painted　next　to　it；　plus　data　on　course；　altitude；　and　speed。　Each　blip　was　a　Tu…16　Badger　bomber　of　Soviet　Naval　Aviation。　There　were　twenty…four　of　them；　inbound　for　Keflavik　at　a　speed　of　six　hundred　knots。　They　had　approached　at　low　altitude　to　stay　below　the　E…3A's　radar　horizon；　and；　once　detected；　were　now　climbing　rapidly；　two　hundred　miles　away。　This　mission　profile　enabled　the　radar　operators　to　classify　them　instantly　as　hostile。　There　were　four　Eagles　on　bat　Air　Patrol；　two　of　them　with　operating　AWACS；　but　it　was　close　to　changeover　point　and　the　fighters　were　too　low　on　fuel　to　race　after　the　Badgers　on　afterburner。　They　were　directed　to　head　for　the　ining　Russian　bombers　at　six　hundred　knots；　and　could　not　yet　detect　the　Badgers　on　their　own　missile…targeting　radars。
Sentry　One　off　Cape　Fontur　reported　something　worse。　Her　blips　were　supersonic　Tu…22M　Backfires；　ing　in　slowly　enough　to　indicate　that　they　were　heavily　loaded　with　external　ordnance。　The　Eagles　here　also　moved　off　to　intercept。　A　hundred　miles　behind　them；　the　two　F…15s　kept　on　point　defense　over　Reykjavik　had　just　been　topped　off　from　an　orbiting　tanker　and　were　charging　northeast　at　a　thousand　knots　while　the　remainder　of　the　squadron　was　even　now　leaving　the　ground。　The　radar　picture　from　both　AWACS　aircraft　was　being　transmitted　by　digital　link　to　Keflavik's　fighter…ops　center　so　that　ground　personnel　could　monitor　the　action。　Now　that　the　fighters　were　rotating　off　the　ground；　the　crews　for　every　other　aircraft　at　the　air　station　worked　frantically　to　ready　their　birds　for　flight。
They　had　practiced　this　task　eight　times　in　the　past　month。　Some　flight　crews　had　been　sleeping　with　their　aircraft。　Others　were　summoned　from　their　quarters；　no　more　than　four　hundred　yards　away。　Those　aircraft　just　back　from　patrol　had　their　fuel　tanks　topped　off；　and　were　preflighted　by　the　ground　crews。　Marine　and　Air　Force　guards　not　already　at　their　posts　rushed　to　them。　It　was　just　as　well　that　the　attack　had　e　at　this　hour。　There　was　only　a　handful　of　civilians　about；　and　civilian　air　traffic　was　at　its　lowest。　On　the　other　hand；　the　men　at　Keflavik　had　been　on　double　duty　for　a　week　now；　and　they　were　tired。　Things　which　might　have　been　done　in　five　minutes　now　took　seven　or　eight。
Edwards　was　back　in　his　meteorological　office；　wearing　his　field　jacket；　flak　jacket；　and　〃fritz〃　style　helmet。　His　emergency　duty　station…he　could　not　think　of　his　office　as　a　〃battle〃　station…was　his　assigned　post。　As　if　someone　might　need　an　especially　deadly　weather　chart　with　which　to　attack　an　ining　bomber！　The　service　had　to　have　a　plan　for　everything；　Edwards　knew。　There　had　to　be　a　plan。　It　didn't　have　to　make　sense。　He　went　downstairs　to　Air…Ops。
〃I　got　breakaway　on　Bandit　Eight；　one…two　birds　launched。　The　machine　says　they're　AS…4s；〃　a　Sentry　controller　reported。　The　senior　officer　got　on　the　radio　for　Keflavik。

MV　JULIUS　FUCIK
Twenty　miles　southwest　of　Keflavik；　the　〃Doctor　Lykes〃　was　also　a　beehive　of　activity。　As　each　Soviet　bomber　squadron　launched　its　air…to…ground　missiles；　its　mander　transmitted　a　predetermined　codeword　that　the　Fucik　copied。　Her　time　had　e。
〃Rudder　left；〃　Captain　Kherov　ordered。　〃Bring　his　bow　into　the　wind。〃
A　full　regiment　of　airborne　infantry；　many　of　them　seasick　from　two　weeks　aboard　the　huge　barge…carrier；　was　at　work　testing　and　loading　weapons。　The　Fucik's　augmented　crew　was　stripping　the　falsework　from　the　aftermost　four　〃barges；〃　revealing　each　in　fact　to　be　a　Lebed…type　assault　hovercraft。　The　six…man　crew　of　each　removed　the　covers　over　the　air　intakes　that　led　to　the　engines　they　had　tended　with　loving　care　for　a　month。　Satisfied；　they　waved　to　the　craft　manders；　who　lit　off　the　three　engines　in　each　of　the　aftermost　pair。
The　ship's　first　officer　stood　at　his　elevator　control　station　aft。　On　a　hand　signal；　an　eighty…five…man　infantry　pany　plus　a　reinforced　mortar　team　were　loaded　into　each　craft。　Power　was　increased；　the　hovercraft　lifted　up　on　their　air　cushions　and　were　winched　aft。　In　another　four　minutes；　the　vehicles　were　resting　on　the　barge…loading　elevator　that　formed　the　stem　of　the　Seabee　vessel。
〃Lower　away；〃　the　first　officer　ordered。　The　winch　operators　lowered　the　elevator　to　the　surface。　The　sea　was　choppy；　and　four…foot　waves　lapped　at　the　Fucik's　bifurcated　stem。　When　the　elevator　was　level　with　the　sea；　first　one；　then　the　other　Lebed　mander　increased　power　and　moved　off。　At　once；　the　elevator　returned　to　the　topmost　deck　while　the　first　pair　of　hovercraft　circled　their　mothership。　In　five　more　minutes；　the　four　assault　craft　moved　off　in　box　formation　toward　the　Keflavik　Peninsula。
The　Fucik　continued　her　turn；　returning　to　a　northerly　course　to　make　the　next　hovercraft　trip　a　shorter　one。　Her　weather　deck　was　ringed　with　armed　troops　carrying　surface…to…air　missiles　and　machine　guns。　Andreyev　remained　on　the　bridge；　knowing　this　was　where　he　belonged；　but　wishing　he　were　leading　his　assault　troops。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Kef…Ops；　the　bandits　are　all　turning　right　back　after　launching　their　ASMs。　So　far　it's　been　two　birds　per　aircraft。　We　got　fifty…make　that　fifty…six　inbound　missiles；　and　more　are　being　launched。　Nobody　behind　them；　though。　I　repeat；　nothing　behind　the　bomber　force。　At　least　we　don't　have　any　paratroopers　headed　in。　Hunker　down；　guys；　we　now　have　sixty　inbound　missiles；〃　Edwards　heard　as　he　came　through　the　door。
〃At　least　they　won't　be　nukes；〃　said　a　captain。
〃They're　shooting　a　hundred　missiles　at　us…they　don't　fuckin'　need　nukes！〃　replied　another。
Edwards　watched　the　radar　picture　over　the　shoulder　of　one　of　the　officers。　It　was　eerily　like　an　arcade　game。　Big；　slow…moving　blips　denoted　the　aircraft。　Smaller；　quicker　blips　were　the　Mach…2　missiles。
〃Gotcha！〃　hooted　the　enlisted　radar　operator。　The　leading　Eagle　had　gotten　within　missile　range　of　the　Badgers　and　exploded　one　with　a　Sparrow　missileten　seconds　after　it　had　launched　its　own　missiles。　A　second　Sparrow　missed　its　separate　target；　but　a　third　appeared　locked　on　it。　The　first　fighter's　wingman　was　just　launching　at　yet　another　Russian。　The　Soviets　had　thought　this　one　out；　Edwards　saw。　They　were　attacking　from　all　around　the　northern　littoral；　with　lots　of　space　between　the　bombers　so　that　no　single　fighter　could　engage　more　than　one　or　two。　It　was　almost　like…
〃Anybody　check　the　geometry　of　this？〃　he　asked。
〃What　do　you　mean？〃　The　captain　looked　around。　〃How　e　you　aren't　where　you　belong？〃
Edwards　ignored　the　irrelevancy。　〃What's　the　chance　they're　trying　to　draw　our　fighters　out；　like？〃
〃Expensive　bait。〃　The　captain　dismissed　the　idea。　〃You're　saying　they　might　have　launched　their　ASMs　from　farther　out。　Maybe　they　don't　fly　as　far　as　we　thought。　Point　is；　those　missiles　are　ten　minutes　out　now；　the　first　of　them；　with　about　a　five…　or　seven…minute　delay　to　the　last。　And　not　a　Goddamned　thing　we　can　do　about　it。〃
〃Yeah。〃　Edwards　nodded。　The　Air…Ops/Met　building　was　a　two…story　frame　structure　that　vibrated　every　time　the　wind　hit　fifty　knots。　The　lieutenant　took　out　a　stick　of　gum　and　started　chewing　on　it。　In　ten　minutes　a　hundred　missiles；　each　carrying　about　a　ton　of　high　explosives…or　a　nuclear　warhead…would　start　falling。　The　men　outside　would　get　the　worst　of　it；　the　enlisted　men　and　the　flight　crews　trying　to　get　the　airplanes　ready　to　race　off。　His　assigned　job　was　merely　to　keep　out　of　the　way。　It　made　him　a　little　ashamed。　The　fear　he　could　now　taste　along　with　the　peppermint　made　him　more　ashamed。
The　Eagles　were　now　all　airborne；　racing　north。　The　last　of　the　Backfires　had　just　launched　their　missiles　and　were　turning　back　northeast　at