tc.redstormrising-第74章

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n　change　if　they　find　out　ifs　costing　them　boats。　We　learned　that　lesson　ourselves　once。〃

USS　CHICAGO
McCafferty　had　his　own　contact。　They　had　been　tracking　it　for　over　an　hour　now；　the　sonar　operators　struggling　to　discern　random　noise　from　discrete　signal　on　their　visual　displays。　Their　data　was　passed　to　the　firecontrol　tracking　party；　four　men　hovering　over　the　chart　table　in　the　after　er　of　the　attack　center。
Already　the　crew　was　whispering；　McCafferty　knew。　First　the　yard　fire　before　they　were　missioned。　Then　being　pulled　out　of　the　Barents　Sea　at　the　wrong　time。　Then　being　attacked　by　a　friendly　aircraft　。　。　。　was　Chicago　an　unlucky　boat？　they　wondered。　The　chiefs　and　officers　would　work　to　dispel　that　thought；　but　the　chiefs　and　officers　held　it；　too；　since　all　sailors　believed　in　luck；　an　institutional　faith　among　submarines。　If　you're　not　lucky；　we　can't　use　you；　a　famous　submarine　admiral　once　said。　McCafferty　had　heard　that　story　often　enough。　He　had　so　far　been　devoid　of　luck。
The　captain　moved　back　to　the　chart　table。　〃What's　happening？〃
〃Not　much　in　the　way　of　a　bearing　change。　He　has　to　be　way　out　there；　skipper；　like　the　third　convergence　zone。　Maybe　eighty　miles。　He　can't　be　closing　us。　We　would　have　lost　the　signal　as　he　passed　out　of　the　zone。〃　The　executive　officer　was　showing　the　strain　of　the　past　week's　operations；　too。　〃Captain；　if　I　had　to　guess；　I'd　say　we're　tracking　a　nuclear　sub。　Probably　a　noisy　one。　Acoustical　conditions　are　pretty　good；　so　we　have　three　CZs　to　play　with。　And　I'd　bet　he　is　doing　the　same　thing　we　are；　patrolling　a　set　position。　Hell；　he　could　be　running　back　and　forth　on　a　racetrack　pattern；　same　as　us。　That　would　account　for　the　minimal　bearing　changes。〃
The　captain　frowned。　This　was　the　only　real　contact　he'd　had　since　the　war　started。　He　was　close　to　the　northern　border　of　his　patrol　area；　and　the　target　was　probably　just　on　the　other　side　of　it。　Going　after　it　meant　leaving　the　bulk　of　his　assigned　sector　unprotected
〃Let's　go　after　him；〃　McCafferty　ordered。　〃Left　ten　degrees　rudder；　e　left　to　new　course　three…five…one。　All　ahead　two　thirds。〃
Chicago　rapidly　turned　to　a　northerly　heading；　accelerating　to　fifteen　knots；　her　maximum　〃silent〃　speed。　At　fifteen　knots　the　submarine　radiated　only　a　small　amount　of　noise。　The　risk　of　counterdetection　was　slight；　since　even　at　this　speed　her　sonars　could　detect　a　target　five　to　ten　miles　off。　Her　four　tubes　were　loaded　with　a　pair　of　Mk…48　torpedoes　and　two　Harpoon　antiship　missiles。　If　the　target　was　a　submarine　or　a　surface　ship；　Chicago　could　handle　it。

GRAFARHOLT；　ICELAND
〃You're　early；　Beagle；〃　Doghouse　replied。
Edwards　was　sitting　between　two　rocks　and　leaning　back　against　a　third；　the　antenna　resting　on　his　knee。　He　hoped　it　was　pointing　in　a　safe　direction。　The　Russians；　he　figured；　were　strung　mostly　along　the　coast　from　Keflavik　to　Reykjavik；　well　to　the　west　of　the　direction　to　the　satellite。　But　there　were　houses　and　factories　below　him；　and　if　they　had　a　listening　post　down　there　。　。　。
〃We　had　to　get　here　before　it　got　too　light；〃　the　lieutenant　explained。　They　had　run　the　last　kilometer　with　the　rising　sun　behind　them。　Edwards　took　some　small　fort　in　the　fact　that　the　Marines　were　puffing　harder　than　he　was。
〃How　secure　are　you？〃
〃There　is　some　movement　on　the　road　below　us；　but　that's　a　good　ways　off；　maybe　a　mile。〃
〃Okay；　you　see　the　electrical　switching　station　southwest　of　you？〃
Edwards　got　out　his　binoculars　with　one　hand　to　check。　The　map　called　the　place　Artun。　It　held　the　main　electrical　transformers　for　the　power　grid　on　this　part　of　the　island。　The　high…voltage　lines　came　in　from　the　east；　and　the　feeder　cables　radiated　out　from　this　point。
〃Yeah；　I　see　it。〃
〃How　are　things　going；　Beagle？〃
Edwards　almost　said　they　were　going　great；　but　stopped　himself。　〃Lousy。　Things　are　going　lousy。〃
〃Roger　that；　Beagle。　You　keep　an　eye　on　that　power　station。　Anything　around　it？〃
〃Stand　by。〃　Edwards　set　down　the　antenna　and　gave　the　place　a　closer　look。　Aha！　〃Okay；　I　got　one　armored　vehicle；　just　visible　around　the　er　on　the　west　side。　Three…no；　four　armed　men　are　in　the　open。　Nothing　else　that　I　can　see。〃
〃Very　good；　Beagle。　Now　you　keep　watch　on　that　place。　Let　us　know　if　any　SAMs　show　up。　We　also　want　data　if　you　see　any　more　fighters。　Start　keeping　records　of　how　many　trucks　and　troops　you　see；　where　they're　heading。　Be　sure　to　write　things　down。　Got　that？〃
〃Okay。　We　write　it　all　down　and　report　in。〃
〃Good。　You're　doing　all　right；　Beagle。　Your　orders　are　to　observe　and　report；〃　Doghouse　reminded　them。　〃Avoid　contact。　If　you　see　enemy　troops　heading　in　your　direction；　bug　out。　Don't　worry　about　calling　in；　just　bug　the　hell　out　and　report　when　you　can。　Now　get　off　the　air　for　a　while。〃
〃Roger　that。　Out。〃　Edwards　repacked　the　radio。　It　was　getting　so　that　he　could　do　it　with　his　eyes　closed。
〃What　gives；　Lieutenant？〃　Smith　asked。
The　lieutenant　grunted。　〃We　sit　tight　and　watch　that　electrical　place　off　that　way。〃
〃You　s'pose　they　want　us　to　turn　some　lights　off？〃
〃There's　too　many　troops　down　there；　Sarge；〃　Edwards　replied。　He　stretched　and　opened　his　canteen。　Garcia　was　on　guard　atop　the　knoll　to　his　right；　and　Rodgers　was　asleep。　〃What's　for　breakfast？〃
〃Well；　if　you　got　peanut　butter　and　crackers；　I'll　trade　you　my　peaches　for　it。〃
Edwards　ripped　open　the　C…Ration　container　and　inspected　the　contents。　〃Deal。〃

22…　Ripostes

USS　CHICAGO
The　submarine　slowed　to　reacquire　the　target。　She'd　run　deep　at　fifteen　knots　for　over　an　hour；　and　now　reduced　speed　and　came　up　to　five　hundred　feet；　right　in　the　middle　of　the　deep　sound　channel。　McCafferty　ordered　an　easterly　course；　which　allowed　the　towed…array　sonar…his　〃tail〃…to　bear　on　the　supposed　target　to　the　north。　It　took　several　minutes　before　the　array　was　straight　and　aligned　in　the　proper　direction　so　that　the　sonar　operators　could　begin　their　work　in　earnest。　Slowly　the　data　came　up　on　their　displays；　and　a　senior　petty　officer　plugged　in　a　set　of　headphones；　hoping　for　an　aural　detection。　There　was　nothing　to　detect。　For　twenty　minutes　the　screen　showed　only　random　noise　patterns。
McCafferty　examined　the　paper　plot。　Their　erstwhile　contact　would　now　be　exactly　two　convergence　zones　away　and　should　have　been　easily　detected；　given　known　water　conditions。　But　their　screens　showed　nothing。
〃We　never　did　have　a　classification。〃　The　executive　officer　shrugged。　〃He's　gone。〃
〃Take　her　up　to　antenna　depth。　Let's　see　what's　cooking　topside。〃　McCafferty　moved　back　to　the　periscope　pedestal。　He　could　not　fail　to　note　the　instant　tension　in　the　partment。　The　last　time　they'd　done　this；　they'd　nearly　been　sunk。　The　submarine　leveled　off　at　a　depth　of　sixty　feet。　Sonar　did　another　check　and　found　nothing。　The　ESM　mast　went　up；　and　the　electronics　technician　reported　only　weak　signals。　The　search　periscope　went　up　next。　McCafferty　made　a　very　quick　check　of　the　horizon…nothing　in　the　air；　nothing　on　the　surface。
〃There's　a　storm　to　the　north；　line　squall；〃　he　said。　〃Down　scope。〃
The　executive　officer　grumbled　an　inaudible　curse。　The　noise　from　the　storm　would　make　the　normally　difficult　task　of　finding　a　conventional　sub　motoring　along　on　battery　power　nearly　impossible。　It　was　one　thing　for　them　to　dart　a　short　distance　out　of　their　patrol　area　with　a　good　chance　for　a　kill。　It　was　another　to　leave　for　a　whole　day　looking　for　something　that　they　might　never　find。　He　looked　at　the　captain；　waiting　for　the　decision　to　be　made。
〃Secure　from　general　quarters；〃　McCafferty　said。　〃XO；　take　us　back　to　station　at　ten　knots。　Keep　her　deep。　I'm　going　to　take　a　nap。　Wake　me　in　two　hours。〃
The　captain　walked　a　few　steps　forward　to　his　stateroom。　The　bunk　was　already　folded　down；　unmade；　from　the　portside　bulkhead。　Instrument　repeaters　would　show　him　course　and　speed；　and　a　TV　set　could　show　him　whatever　the　periscope　might　be　looking　at；　or　a　taped　movie。　McCafferty　had　been　awake　for　about　twenty　hours　now；　and　the　added　stress　that　es　from　a　bat　environment　made　it　feel　like　a　week。　He　took　off　his　shoes　and　lay　down；　but　sleep　would　not　e。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
The　colonel　ran　his　hand　along　the　bomber　silhouette　painted　on　the　side　of　his　fighter。　His　f