tc.redstormrising-第86章

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Edwards　took　the　map　and　unfolded　it。　〃Damn；　ain't　that　nice！〃　The　map　was　covered　with　scribbled　markings。
〃We　got　another　set　of　binoculars；　a　radio…shame　we　can't　use　that！　Some　rations。　Looks　like　shit；　but　better'n　nothin'。　We　done　good；　skipper。　Bag　five　Russians　with　three　rounds　expended。〃
〃What　do　we　need　to　take；　Jim？〃
〃Just　food；　sir。　I　mean；　we　could　take　a　couple　of　their　rifles；　and　that'd　double　up　our　ammo　load；　y'know？　But　we're　already　loaded　pretty；　heavy…〃
〃And　we　aren't　here　to　fight　a　war；　just　to　play　scout。　Right。〃
〃I　think　we　oughta　take　some　clothes；　sweaters　and　like　that。　We　taking　the　lady　with　us？〃
〃Have　to。〃
Smith　nodded。　〃Yeah；　makes　sense。　Hope　she　likes　walkin'；　sir。　Looks　like　she's　in　decent　shape；　'cept　for　being　pregnant。　Four　months；　I'd　say。〃　
〃Pregnant？〃　Garcia　turned。　〃Rapin'　a　pregnant　girl？〃　He　muttered　something　in　Spanish。
〃Any　of　them　say　anything？〃　Mike　asked。
〃Not　a　word；　sir。〃　Garcia　answered。
〃Jim；　take　a　look　at　the　girl；　and　get　her　down　here。　Her　name's　Vigdis。　Easy　on　her。〃
〃Don't　worry；　sir。〃　Smith　went　upstairs。
〃The　lieutenant's　the　one　with　it　hanging　out；　right？〃　Garcia　nodded　and　Edwards　went　around　to　face　him。　He　had　to　remove　the　gag　and　blindfold。　The　man　was　his　own　age。　He　was　sweating。　〃You　speak　English？〃
The　man　shook　his　head。　〃Spreche　deutsch。
Edwards　had　taken　two　years　of　German　in　high　school；　but　suddenly　found　himself　unwilling　to　talk　with　this　man。　He　had　already　decided　to　kill　him；　and　he　didn't　wish　to　speak　with　someone　he　was　about　to　kill…it　might　bother　his　conscience。　Edwards　didn't　want　his　conscience　to　remember　this。　But　he　watched　the　man　for　a　minute　or　two；　examining　what　sort　of　person　would　do　what　he　had　done。　He　expected　to　discover　something　monstrous；　but　didn't。　He　looked　up。　Smith　was　leading　Vigdis　down　the　stairs。
〃She's　got　good　gear；　skipper。　Nice　warm　clothes；　her　boots　are　all　broke　in。　I　expect　we　can　get　her　a　canteen；　a　parka；　and　a　field　pack。　I'd　let　her　bring　a　brush　an'　girl　stuff；　sir。　I'll　get　us　some　soap；　too；　and　maybe　a　razor。〃
〃Way　to　go；　Sergeant。　Vigdis；〃　Edwards　said；　getting　her　attention。　〃We　will　be　leaving　soon。〃　He　turned　to　look　back　down　at　the　Russian：
〃Leutnant。　Wofur？　Warum？〃　What　for…why　did　you　do　all　this？　Not　for　me。　For　her。
The　man　knew　what　was　ing。　He　shrugged。　〃Afghanistan。〃
〃Skipper；　they're　prisoners；〃　Rodgers　blurted。　〃I　mean；　sir；　you　can't…〃
〃Gentlemen；　you　are　charged　under　Uniform　Code　of　Military　Justice　with　one　specification　of　rape　and　two　specifications　of　murder。　These　are　capital　crimes；〃　Edwards　said；　mainly　so　that　he　could　assuage　his　conscience　for　the　other　two。　〃Do　you　have　anything　to　say　in　your　defense？　No？　You　are　found　guilty。　Your　sentence　is　death。〃　With　his　left　hand；　Edwards　pushed　the　lieutenant's　head　back。　His　right　hand　flipped　the　knife　into　the　air；　reversing　it；　then　he　swung　it　viciously；　striking　the　man's　larynx　with　the　pommel。　The　sound　was　surprisingly　loud　in　the　room；　and　Edwards　kicked　him　backward。
A　terrible　thing　to　watch；　it　lasted　several　minutes。　The　lieutenant's　larynx　was　instantly　fractured；　and　its　swelling　blocked　his　trachea。　Unable　to　breathe；　his　torso　bucked　from　side　to　side　as　his　face　darkened。　Everyone　in　the　room　who　could　see　watched。　If　any　felt　pity　for　the　man；　none　showed　it。　Finally　he　stopped　moving。
〃I'm　sorry　we　weren't　faster；　Vigdis；　but　this　thing　won't　be　hurting　anyone　else。〃　Edwards　hoped　that　his　amateur　psychiatry　would　work。　The　girl　went　back　upstairs；　probably　to　wash；　he　thought。　He'd　read　that　after　being　raped　one　thing　women　wanted　to　do　was　bathe；　as　though　there　were　a　visible　stigma　from　being　the　victim　of　an　animal's　lust。　He　turned　toward　the　remaining　two。　There　was　no　way　they　could　manage　prisoners；　and　what　they　had　been　up　to　merely　provided　him　with　a　good　excuse。　But　these　two　hadn't　hurt　the　girl　yet；　and…
〃I'll　take　care　of　it；　sir；〃　Garcia　said　quietly。　The　private　was　standing　behind　the　kneeling　prisoners。　One　of　them　was　making　some　noise；　but　even　if　he　hadn't　been　gagged；　none　of　the　Americans　knew　a　word　of　Russian。　They　had　no　chance　at　all。　Garcia　stabbed　from　the　side；　sticking　his　knife　pletely　through　one　neck；　then　the　other。　Both　men　fell。　It　was　over　quickly。　The　private　and　the　lieutenant　went　into　the　kitchen　to　wash　their　hands。
〃Okay；　we　load　them　back　into　the　four…by…four　and　drive　it　back　to　the　main　road。　We'll　see　if　we　can　fake　an　accident　and　torch　the　vehicle。　Get　some　liquor　bottles。　We'll　make　it　look　like　they　were　drinking。〃
〃They　were；　sir。〃　Rodgers　held　up　a　bottle　of　clear　liquor。
Edwards　gave　the　bottle　a　brief　look；　but　shook　off　the　thought。　〃Figures。　If　I　guess　right；　these　guys　were　the　crossroads　guards　from　the　main　highway…or　maybe　just　a　patrol。　I　don't　think　they　can　guard　every　crossroads　on　this　island。　If　we're　just　a　little　lucky；　maybe　their　bosses'll　never　figure　out　we　were　involved　in　this。〃　A　long　shot；　he　thought；　but　what　the　hell？
〃Skipper；〃　Smith　said。　〃If　you　want　to　do　that；　we　gotta…〃
〃I　know。　You　and　Rodgers　stay　here　and　get　ready。　If　you　see　anything　else　we　can　use；　pack　it　up。　When　we　get　back；　we'll　have　to　haul　ass。〃
Edwards　and　Garcia　loaded　all　the　bodies　into　the　back　of　the　truck；　careful　to　sort　through　the　battle　gear。　They　unloaded　waterproof　parkas　whose　camouflage　pattern　was　almost　identical　with　their　own　and　a　few　other　items　that　wouldn't　be　missed；　then　drove　off　quickly　down　the　road。
Luck　was　with　them。　There　was　no　permanent　guard　post　at　the　crossroads；　perhaps　because　the　farm　road　led　nowhere。　The　Russians　had　probably　been　a　patrol　team；　and　had　chosen　the　farm　for　a　little　informal　R&R。　Two　hundred　yards　down　the　coastal　highway　the　road　paralleled　a　steep　cliff。　They　halted　the　vehicle　there　and　manhandled　the　bodies　into　the　seats。　Garcia　emptied　a　jerrican　of　gasoline　into　the　back　and　the　two　men　pushed　it　toward　the　edge　with　the　rear　hatch　open。　Garcia　tossed　a　Russian　grenade　into　the　back　as　it　went　over　the　edge。　Neither　man　wanted　to　admire　their　handiwork。　They　ran　back　the　half　mile　to　the　farmhouse。　Everything　was　ready。
〃We　have　to　bum　the　house；　Miss　Vigdis；〃　Smith　was　explaining。　〃If　we　don't；　the　Russians'll　know　for　sure　what　happened　here。　Your　mom　and　dad　are　dead；　ma'am；　but　I'm　sure　they'd　want　you　to　stay　alive；　Okay？〃
She　was　still　too　much　in　shock　to　offer　more　than　token　resistance。　Rodgers　and　Smith　had　cleaned　off　the　bodies；　and　moved　them　upstairs　to　their　own　bedroom。　It　would　have　been　better　to　bury　them；　but　there　just　wasn't　time。
〃Let's　get　moving；　people；〃　Edwards　ordered。　They　should　have　been　moving　already。　Somebody　had　to　be　ing　to　investigate　the　burning　truck；　and　if　they　used　a　chopper　。　。　。　〃Garcia；　you　watch　the　lady。　Smith　has　the　rear。　Rodgers；　take　the　point。　We　have　to　put　six　miles　between　us　and　this　place　in　the　next　three　hours。〃
Smith　waited　ten　minutes　before　tossing　his　grenade　into　the　house。　The　kerosene　he'd　spread　on　the　first　floor　went　up　at　once。

USS　CHICAGO
The　contact　was　a　lot　better　now。　They　had　classified　one　ship　as　a　Kashin…class　missile　destroyer；　and　her　propeller…blade　count　indicated　a　speed　of　twenty…one　knots。　The　leading　elements　of　the　Soviet　formation　were　now　thirty…seven　miles　away。　There　seemed　to　be　two　groups；　the　leading　formation　fanned　out　and　screening　the　second。　McCafferty　ordered　the　ESM　mast　raised。　It　showed　lots　of　activity；　but　he　expected　that。
〃Up　scope。〃　The　quartermaster　worked　the　operating　ring；　then　snapped　the　handles　into　place　and　stepped　back。　McCafferty　swept　the　horizon　quickly。　After　ten　seconds；　he　flipped　the　handles　up；　and　the　periscope　was　instantly　lowered　back　into　its　well。
〃It's　going　to　be　a　busy　day；　troops；〃　the　captain　said；　he　always　let　the　attack　center　crew　know　as　much　of　what　was　going　on　as　possible。　The　more　they　knew；　the　better　they　could　do　their　jobs。　〃I　saw　a　pair　of　Bear…Fs；　one　due　north；　the　other　west。　Both　a　good　way　off；　but　you　can　bet　they're　dropping　sonobuoys。　XO；　take　her　back　down　to　five　hundred　feet；　speed　five　knots。　We'll　let　them　e　to　us。〃
〃Conn；　sonar。〃
〃Conn；　aye；〃　McCafferty　answered。
〃We　got　some　pingers；