tc.redstormrising-第71章

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A　column　of　black　smoke　was　reaching　into　the　sky　from　the　direction　of　the　convoy。　Someone　else　had　just　gotten　his　first　kill。

USS　NIMITZ
Toland　had　never　seen　so　many　welding　torches　operating。　Under　the　supervision　of　the　executive　officer　and　three　damage…control　experts；　crewmen　were　using　acetylene　torches　to　cut　away　the　damaged　portions　of　Nimitz's　flight　deck　and　its　supporting　steel　beams。　What　had　been　bad　enough　became　worse　on　more　thorough　examination。　Six　of　the　enormous　frames　under　the　flight　deck　had　been　wrecked；　and　the　damage　extended　two　decks　below　that。　A　third　of　the　hangar　deck　was　burned　out。　Most　of　the　plane…fueling　network　and　all　of　the　ordnance　elevators　had　to　be　repaired。　CIC　was　gone；　and　with　it　all　of　the　puters　and　munications　needed　to　fight　the　ship。　The　arrester　wire　systems　would　have　to　be　fully　replaced。　The　main　search　radar　was　gone。　The　list　went　on。
Tugs　were　pushing　the　wounded　carrier　into　Southampton's　Ocean　Dock；　a　task　made　doubly　hard　because　of　the　ship's　induced　ten…degree　list。　Water　cascaded　from　the　carrier's　clifflike　hull　into　the　harbor　while　more　entered　the　bilges　below。　Already　a　senior　Royal　Navy　repair　expert　and　the　chief　of　the　Vosper　Ship　Repair　Yard　were　aboard；　reviewing　the　damage　below　and　cataloging　the　material　needed　to　enable　the　ship　to　operate　again。　Captain　Svenson　watched　the　messenger　lines　being　shot　off　to　handlers　who　would　secure　the　ship。　He　was　an　angry　man；　Toland　noted。　Five　hundred　of　his　men　known　dead；　another　three　hundred　wounded；　and　the　count　was　nowhere　near　plete。　The　most　grievous　losses　were　in　the　flight　deck　crews；　many　of　whose　shelters　had　been　immolated　by　the　two　Soviet　missiles。　They　would　also　have　to　be　replaced　before　Nimitz　could　sail　and　fight　again。
〃Toland；　you'll　be　heading　to　Scotland。〃
〃Excuse　me；　sir？''
〃The　air　wing　is　being　split。　The　fighters　and　Hawkeyes　are　going　north。　Ivan's　been　pounding　on　the　Brits'　northern　radar　line；　and　their　fighters　have　taken　a　beating　trying　to　help　the　Norwegians　out。　The　Tomcats　are　already　on　the　way；　and　we'll　be　loading　their　missiles　onto　the　dock　so　the　Brits　can　fly　them　north。　I　want　you　to　operate　with　the　fighter　teams　to　evaluate　what　Ivan's　up　to　with　his　Badgers；　and　maybe　help　our　guys　to　cull　off　some　of　the　bastards。　The　attack　birds　are　joining　the　NATO　tactical　air　reserve　for　the　present。〃
〃When　do　I　leave？〃　Toland　reflected　that　he　had　nothing　to　pack。　The　Kingfish　had　taken　care　of　that；　too。　His　first　order　of　business　was　to　cable　his　family　that　he　was　all　right。

ICELAND
〃Doghouse；　this　is　Beagle；　and　what　the　hell　just　happened；　over？〃
〃Beagle；　I　am　authorized　to　tell　you　that　an　attack　was　just　made　against　Keflavik。〃
〃No　kidding；　guy。　A　B…52　just　crashed　right　on　our　Goddamned　hill。　Didn't　you　tell　anybody　that　I　reported　fighters？〃
〃Your　information　was　evaluated　as　unconfirmed　and　was　not　passed　on；　Beagle。　I　did　not　concur　in　that。　Continue　your　report。〃
〃I　saw　four；　repeat　four；　Soviet　single…seat　aircraft　with　a　twin…rudder　configuration。　I　can't　be　sure　of　the　type；　but　they　had　double　tails；　you　copy　that？〃
〃Twin　rudders；　copy　that。　Confirm　you　saw　four。〃
〃One…two…three…four；　Doghouse。　I　can't　arrange　them　to　parade　over　head。　But　if　you　send　bombers　in　here　unescorted　again；　mister；　don'　blame　me。〃
〃Any　survivors　from　the　crash　you　saw？〃
〃Negative。　No　'chutes；　and　no　way　anyone　would　have　survived　the　crash。　Saw　one　fireball　on　the　horizon；　but　I'm　not　sure　what　that　was。　How　did　the　Weasels　do？〃
〃Can't　say；　Beagle；　but　thanks　for　the　word　on　the　SAMs。〃
〃You　have　instructions　for　me？〃
〃Your　status　is　being　reevaluated　now。　We'll　be　back　on　the　hour。〃
〃Make　it　two；　fella。　We　have　to　move　some　before　the　bad　guys　send　a　patrol　this　way。　Out。〃　The　Marines　were　around　him；　weapons　ready；　alert　for　the　patrol　or　helicopter；　or　both；　that　had　to　be　heading　their　way。　Edwards　tore　off　the　headset　and　repacked　the　radio。　〃Great；　just　great；〃　he　muttered。　〃Let's　move　it；　people。〃
They　had　already　jogged　a　full　kilometer　from　their　former　home；　heading　due　east　into　the　uninhabited　wasteland　that　formed　this　part　of　the　island。　Smith　kept　them　on　slopes；　off　the　crests　and　hilltops　that　could　silhouette　them　against　the　clearing　sky。　There　was　a　lake　off　to　their　left；　with　many　houses　on　its　western　side。　They　had　to　be　careful　here。　There　was　no　telling　who　might　note　their　passing　and　inform　someone　of　it。　They　passed　under　the　main　power　transmission　lines　at　a　run；　angling　south　to　keep　a　crest　line　between　them　and　most　of　the　houses。　An　hour　later；　they　were　in　the　Holmshraun　lava　field；　an　incredible　collection　of　rocks　overlooking　Highway　1；　one　of　Iceland's　two　major　thoroughfares。　There　were　vehicles　on　the　road　heading　in　both　directions。　Many　of　them　carried　soldiers。
〃What　are　we　figuring　to　do　now；　sir？〃　Smith　asked　pointedly。
〃Well；　Sarge；　we　got　good　concealment　here。　Hell；　a　guy　fifty　yards　away　would　have　trouble　spotting　us　in　this　crap。　I　say　we　wait　for　it　to　get　a　little　dark　tonight　and　get　north　of　the　road。　Once　we　get　past　that；　the　population　thins　out…at　least　that's　what　the　map　says。　It　ought　to　be　fairly　safe　once　we　get　away　from　the　population　centers。〃
〃What　will　our　friends　on　the　other　side　of　that　radio　say　about　that？〃
〃I　guess　we　better　find　out。〃　Edwards　checked　his　watch。　He　was　nearly　two　hours　overdue。　Doghouse　was　annoyed　with　him。
〃What　kept　you　off　the　air？〃
〃We　just　moved　about　eight　klicks。　Maybe　you'd　prefer　we　waited　around　and　counted　the　Russians　picking　over　the　wreckage。　Listen　up；　we're　all　alone　here　and　that's　a　little　scary；　you　know？〃
〃Understood；　Beagle。　Okay；　we　got　orders　for　you。　You　have　a　map　of　the　area　you're　in？〃
〃That's　affirm；　a　one…to…fifty…thousand　one。〃
〃Okay；　they　want　you　to　move　to　Grafarholt。　There's　a　hill　there。　You're　supposed　to　find　a　safe　place　near　there　and　belly…up　for　further　instructions。〃
〃Hey；　Doghouse；　before　we　get　any　farther；　what　if　Ivan　starts　playing　DF　games　and　tries　to　track　us　down　from　our　radio　transmissions？〃
〃Okay；　about　time　you　asked　that。　The　radio　you　got　is　encrypted　UHF；　single…sideband。　That　means　it's　got　thousands　of　channels；　and　having　him　lock　into　one　is　not　real　likely。　Second；　you　have　a　directional　antenna。　When　you　transmit；　make　sure　there's　a　hill　between　you　and　them。　UHF　is　line…of…sight　only。　So　you　ought　to　be　safe　on　that　score；　too。　Happy？〃
〃It　helps。〃
〃How　soon　can　you　get　to　that　hill　for　us？〃
Edwards　looked　at　the　map。　About　seven　kilometers。　A　fortable　two…hour　walk　in　peacetime；　maybe　three　or　four　not　so　fortable　hours；　given　the　terrain　here。　They'd　have　to　wait　for　darkness；　detour　around　a　few　villages　。　。　。　and　there　was　that　one　other　little　thing　to　be　concerned　about　。　。　。　〃Twelve　hours；　minimum。〃
〃Roger；　understood；　Beagle。　Copy　twelve　hours。　That's　fine。　We'll　be　calling　for　you　then。　Anything　else　to　report？〃
〃Some　activity　on　the　road　below　us。　Several　trucks；　Army…type；　painted　green。　A　lot　of　personal　vehicles；　four…by…fours。　No　armored　stuff；　though。〃
〃Okay。　Take　your　time　and　play　it　safe。　Your　mission　is　to　avoid　contact　and　report。　We'll　be　here　if　you　need　us。　Out。〃
At　Doghouse　in　northern　Scotland；　the　munications　officer　leaned　back　in　his　swivel　chair。
〃The　lad　sounds　somewhat　rattled；〃　an　intelligence　officer　mented　over　his　tea。
〃Not　quite　SAS　material；　is　he？〃　another　asked。
〃Let's　not　be　too　hasty；〃　said　a　third。　〃He's　bright；　something　of　an　athlete；　and　he　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　escape　when　events　called　for　it。　Seems　a　bit　high…strung；　but　given　his　position　that's　understandable；　I　think。〃
The　first　pointed　on　the　map。　〃Twelve　hours　to　go　this　little　distance？〃　〃Across　hilly；　open　terrain；　with　a　whole　bloody　division　of　paras　running　about　in　lorries　and　BMPs；　and　with　a　sun　that　never　sets；　what　the　hell　do　you　expect　of　four　men？〃　demanded　the　fourth；　a　man　dressed　in　civilian　clothes　who　had　been　gravely　wounded　while　in　the　22nd　SAS　Regiment。　〃If　that　lad　had　any　sense；　he'd　have　packed　it　in　yesterday。　Interesting　psychological　profile　here。　If　he　manages　to　get　to　this　hill　on　time　for　us；　I　think　he'll　do　all　right。〃

USS　PHARRIS