tc.redstormrising-第91章

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ut　did　not　entirely　eliminate　the　problem　known　to　sailors　since　men　first　went　to　sea：　the　ocean　will　try　very　hard　to　kill　you　if　you　lack　the　respect　she　demands。　Clarke's　trained　eye　took　in　a　hundred　details　before　he　turned　back。
〃Looks　like　she's　riding　this　one　out　okay。〃
〃Hell；　I'd　settle　for　this　all　the　way　back；〃　Morris　said　after　finishing　off　his　coffee。　〃After　it's　over；　we'll　have　to　round　up　a　lot　of　merchies；　though。〃
Clarke　nodded　agreement。　Station…keeping　was　not　especially　easy　in　this　kind　of　weather。
〃So　far；　so　good；　Captain。　Nothing　big　has　e　loose　yet。〃
〃How　'bout　the　tail？〃
〃No　sweat；　sir。　I　got　a　man　keeping　an　eye　on　that。　Should　hold　up　nice；　'less　we　have　to　speed　up。〃　Both　men　knew　they　wouldn't　speed　up。　They　were　making　ten　knots；　and　the　frigate　couldn't　run　much　faster　than　that　in　these　seas　no　matter　what　the　cause。　〃Heading　aft；　sir。〃
〃Okay。　Heads　up。〃　Morris　looked　aloft　to　check　that　his　lookouts　were　still　alert。　Probabilities　or　not；　there　was　danger　out　there。　All　kinds。

STORNOWAY；　SCOTLAND
〃Andoya。　They　weren't　heading　for　Bodo　after　all；〃　Toland　said　as　he　pored　over　the　satellite　photographs　of　Norway。
〃How　many　troops　on　the　ground　do　you　think？〃
〃At　least　a　brigade；　Group　Captain。　Maybe　a　short　division。　Lots　of　tracked　vehicles　here；　lots　of　SAMs；　too。　They're　already　basing　fighters　at　the　airfield。　Be　bombers　next…maybe　there　by　now。　These　shots　are　three　hours　old。〃　The　Russian　naval　force　was　already　headed　back　to　the　Kola　Fjord。　They　could　reinforce　by　air　now。　He　wondered　what　had　happened　to　the　regiment　of　Norwegians　supposed　to　be　based　there。
〃Their　Blinder　light　bombers　can　reach　us　from　there。　Bastards　can　dash　in　and　out　at　high…mach　numbers；　be　bloody　difficult　to　intercept。〃　The　Soviets　had　launched　a　systematic　attack　on　the　RAF　radar　stations　arrayed　on　the　Scottish　coast。　Some　attacks　were　by　air…to…surface　missiles；　others　by　submarine…launched　cruise　missiles。　One　had　even　been　by　fighter…bombers　with　massive　jamming　support…but　that　one　had　been　costly。　RAF　Tornados　bad　killed　half　of　the　raiders；　mainly　on　the　return　leg。　Twin…engine　Blinder　bombers　could　deliver　their　heavy　bombloads　after　running　in　low　and　fast。　Probably　why　Ivan　wanted　Andoya；　Toland　thought。　Perfectly　located　for　them。　Easy　to　support　from　their　own　northern　bases；　and　just　a　little　too　far　for　fighter…bombers　in　Scotland　to　counterattack　without　heavy　tanker　support。
〃We　can　get　there；〃　the　American　said；　〃but　it　means　getting　half　our　attack　birds　loaded　up　with　buddy　stores。〃
〃No　chance。　They'll　never　release　them　from　the　reserve　force。〃　The　group　captain　shook　his　head。
〃Then　we　have　to　start　running　a　heavy　patrol　over　the　Faroes；　and　that　keeps　us　from　bothering　Iceland　too　much。〃　Toland　looked　around　the　table。　〃Don't　you　just　love　it　when　a　plan　es　together？　How　do　we　take　the　initiative　away　from　these　bastards？　We're　playing　their　game。　We're　reacting　to　their　actions；　not　doing　what　we　want　to　do。　That's　how　you　lose；　people。　Ivan's　got　his　Backfires　standing　down　because　of　this　front　moving　across　the　central　Atlantic。　They'll　be　flying　again　tomorrow　after　a　good　day's　rest；　gunning　for　our　convoys。　If　we　can't　hit　Andoya；　and　we　can't　do　much　about　Iceland；　what　the　hell　are　we　going　to　do；　just　sit　here　and　worry　about　defending　Scotland？〃
〃If　we　allow　Ivan　to　establish　air　superiority　over　us…〃
〃If　Ivan　can　kill　the　convoys；　Group　Captain；　we　lose　the　fucking　war！〃　Toland　pointed　out。
〃True。　You're　quite　correct；　Bob。　The　problem　is；　how　do　we　hit　the　Backfires？　They　appear　to　be　flying　directly　down　over　Iceland。　Fine；　we　have　a　known　area　of　transit；　but　it's　protected　by　MiGs；　laddy。　We'd　end　up　sending　fighters　to　battle　fighters。〃
〃So　we　try　something　indirect。　We　gun　for　the　tankers　they're　using。〃
The　fighter　pilots　present；　two　squadron　operations　officers　had　silently　been　watching　the　intelligence　types　talk。
〃How　the　hell　are　we　going　to　find　their　tankers？〃　one　asked　now。
〃You　think　they　can　refuel　thirty　or　more　bombers　without　some　radio　chatter？〃　Toland　asked。　〃I've　listened　in　on　Russian　tanker　ops　by　satellite；　and　I　know　there's　chatter。　Let's　say　we　can　get　a　snooper　up　there；　and　he　finds　out　where　they're　tanking。　Why　not　then　put　some　Toms　astride　their　flightpath　home？〃
〃Hit　them　after　they　tank　the　strike　 the　fighter　jock　mused。
〃It　won't　do　diddly　for　the　strike　today；　say；　but　it'll　hurt　the　bastards　tomorrow。　If　we　succeed　even　once；　then　Ivan　has　to　change　his　operational　pattern；　maybe　send　fighters　out　with　them。　If　nothing　else；　we'll　have　them　reacting　to　us　for　a　change。〃
〃And　perhaps　take　the　heat　off　us；〃　the　group　captain　went　on。　〃Right；　let's　look　at　this。〃

ICELAND
The　map　didn't　begin　to　show　how　hard　it　would　be。　The　Skula　River　had　carved　a　series　of　gorges　over　the　centuries。　The　river　was　high；　and　the　falls　generated　a　cloud　of　spray　from　which　a　rainbow　arched　in　the　morning　sun。　It　made　Edwards　angry。　He'd　always　liked　rainbows　before；　but　this　one　meant　the　rocks　they　had　to　climb　down　were　slick　and　wet。　He　figured　it　to　be　two　hundred　feet　down　to　a　floor　of　granite　boulders。　It　looked　a　lot　farther　than　that。
〃You　ever　do　any　rock　climbin'；　Lieutenant？〃　Smith　asked。
〃Nope；　nothing　like　this。　You？〃
〃Yeah；　'cept　we　mostly　practice　goin'　up。　This　here　oughta　be　easier。　Don't　worry　too　much　about　slipping。　These　boots　hold　pretty　good。　Just　make　sure　you　set　your　feet　on　something　solid；　okay？　And　you　take　it　nice　and　slow。　Let　Garcia　lead　off。　I　already　like　this　place；　skipper。　See　that　pool　below　the　falls？　There's　fish　in　there；　and　I　don't　think　anybody'll　ever　spot　us　down　this　hole。
〃Okay；　you　watch　the　lady。〃
〃Right。　Garcia；　lead　off。　Rodgers；　cover　the　rear。〃　Smith　slung　his　rifle　across　his　back　as　he　walked　to　Vigdis。
〃Ma'am；　you　think　you　can　handle　this？〃　Smith　held　out　his　hand。
〃I　have　been　here　before。〃　She　almost　smiled　until　she　remembered　who　had　brought　her　here；　and　how　many　times。　She　didn't　take　his　hand。
〃That's　good；　Miss　Vigdis。　Maybe　you　can　teach　us　a　thing　or　two。　You　be　careful；　now。〃
It　would　have　been　fairly　easy　except　for　their　heavy　packs。　Each　man　carried　a　fifty…pound　load。　The　added　weight　and　their　fatigue　affected　their　balance；　with　the　result　that　someone　watching　from　a　distance　might　have　taken　the　Marines　for　old　women　crossing　an　icy　street。　It　was　a　fifty…degree　slope　down；　in　some　places　almost　vertical；　with　some　paths　worn　into　the　slopes；　perhaps　by　the　wild　deer　that　throve　here。　For　the　first　time　fatigue　worked　in　their　favor。　Fresher；　they　might　have　tried　to　move　more　quickly；　as　it　was；　each　man　was　near　the　end　of　his　string；　and　feared　his　own　weakness　more　than　the　rocks。　It　took　over　an　hour；　but　they　made　it　down　with　nothing　worse　than　cuts　on　their　hands　and　bruises　somewhere　else。
Garcia　crossed　the　river　to　the　east　side；　where　the　canyon　wall　was　steeper；　and　they　camped　out　on　a　rocky　shelf　ten　feet　above　the　water。　Edwards　checked　his　watch。　They　had　been　on　the　move　continuously　for　more　than　two　days。　Fifty…six　hours。　Each　found　himself　a　place　in　the　deep　shadows。
First　they　ate。　Edwards　downed　a　can　of　something　without　troubling　to　see　what　it　was。　His　burps　tasted　like　fish。　Smith　let　the　two　privates　sleep　first；　and　gave　his　own　sleeping　bag　to　Vigdis。　The　girl　fell　mercifully　asleep　almost　as　quickly　as　the　Marines。　The　sergeant　made　a　quick　tour　of　the　area　while　Edwards　watched；　amazed　that　he　had　any　energy　left　at　all。
〃This　is　a　good　spot；　skipper；〃　the　sergeant　pronounced　finally；　collapsing　down　next　to　his　officer。　〃Smoke？〃
〃I　don't　smoke。　Thought　you　were　out。〃
〃I　was。　The　lady's　dad　did；　though；　and　I　got　a　few　packs。〃　Smith　lit　an　unfiltered　cigarette　with　a　Zippo　lighter　bearing　the　globe　and　anchor　of　the　Marine　Corps。　He　took　a　long　pull。　〃Jesus；　ain't　this　wonderful！〃
〃I　figure　we　can　spend　a　day　here　to　rest　up。〃
〃Sounds　good　to　me。〃　Smith　leaned　back。　〃You　held　up　pretty　good；　Lieutenant。〃
〃I　ran　track　at　the　Air　Force　Academy。　Ten…thousand…meter　stuff；　some　marathons；　that　sort　of　thing。〃
Smith　gave　him　a　baleful　look。　〃You　mean　I've　been　trying　to　walk　a　damned　runner　into　the　ground