tc.redstormrising-第93章

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d　have　found　them　in　a　few　days　。　。　。　like　they'd　discovered　Sandy。　And　that；　Edwards　knew　all　along；　was　the　reason　he'd　killed　the　Russian　lieutenant　and　enjoyed　the　man's　slow　trip　to　hell。　A　pity　no　one　had　seen　fit　to　do　that
Smith　waved　to　him。　Edwards　rose　quietly　and　walked　over。
〃I　got　Garcia　on　guard。　I　think　we　better　go　back　to　being　Marines　after　all。　If　that'd　been　for　real；　we'd　all　be　cold　meat　by　now；　Lieutenant。〃
〃We're　all　too　tired　to　move　out　just　yet。〃
〃Yes；　sir。　The　lady　okay？〃
〃She's　had　a　tough　time。　When　she　wakes　up…hell；　I　don't　know。　I'm　afraid　she　might　just　e　apart　on　us。〃
〃Maybe。〃　Smith　lit　a　cigarette。　〃She's　young。　She　might　bounce　back　if　we　give　her　a　chance。〃
〃Get　her　something　to　do？〃
〃Same　as　us；　skipper。　You're　better　off　doin'　than　thinkin'。〃
Edwards　checked　his　watch。　He'd　actually　gotten　six　hours　of　sleep　before　all　this　had　happened。　Though　his　legs　were　stiff；　otherwise　he　felt　better　than　he　would　have　imagined。　It　was　an　illusion；　he　knew。　He　needed　at　least　another　four　hours；　and　a　good　meal；　before　he'd　be　ready　to　move。
〃We　won't　move　out　until　about　eleven。　I　want　everybody　to　get　some　more　sleep　and　one　decent　meal　before　we　head　out　of　here。〃
〃Makes　sense。　When　you　gonna　radio　in？〃
〃I　should　have　done　that　a　long　time　ago；　I　just　don't　want　to　climb　those　damned　rocks。〃
〃Lieutenant；　I'm　just　a　dumbass　grunt；　but　insteada　doing　that；　why　don't　you　just　walk　downstream　about　half　a　mile？　You　oughta　be　able　to　track　in　on　your　satellite　that　way；　right？〃
Edwards　turned　to　look　north。　Walking　about　that　far　would　lower　the　angle　to　the　satellite　as　well　as　climbing　。　。　。　why　didn't　I　think　of　that？　Because　like　any　good　Air　Force　Academy　graduate；　you　thought　in　terms　of　up…and…down　instead　of　sideways。　The　lieutenant　shook　his　head　angrily；　noting　the　sergeant's　sly　grin　before　he　lifted　the　radio　pack　and　heading　down　the　canyon's　rocky　floor。
〃You're　very　late；　Beagle；〃　Doghouse　said　at　once。　〃Repeat　your　status。〃
〃Doghouse；　things　are　just　terrible。　We　had　a　run…in　with　a　Russian　patrol。〃　Edwards　explained　for　another　two　minutes。
〃Beagle；　are　you　out　of　your　Goddamned　mind？　Your　orders　are　to　avoid；　repeat　avoid；　contact　with　the　enemy。　How　do　you　know　that　somebody　doesn't　know　you're　there？　Over！〃
〃They're　all　dead。　We　rolled　their　vehicle　over　a　cliff　and　set　fire　to　it。　We　made　it　look　like　an　accident；　just　like　on　TV。　It's　all　over；　Doghouse。　No　sense　worrying　about　it　now。　We　are　now　ten　klicks　from　where　it　happened。　I'm　resting　my　men　for　the　rest　of　the　day。　We　will　continue　our　march　north　tonight。　This　may　take　longer　than　you　expect。　The　terrain　is　rugged　as　hell；　but　we'll　do　our　best。　Nothing　more　to　report。　We　can't　see　much　from　where　we　are。〃
〃Very　well。　Your　orders　are　unchanged；　and　please　don't　play　white　knight　again…acknowledge。〃
〃Roger　that。　Out。〃　Edwards　smiled　to　himself　as　he　repacked　the　radio。　When　he　got　back　to　the　others；　he　saw　that　Vigdis　was　stirring　in　her　sleep。　He　lay　down　beside　her；　careful　to　stay　a　few　feet　away。

SCOTLAND
〃Bloody　cowboy…John　Wayne　rescuing　the　settlers　from　the　bloody　red　Indians！〃
〃We　weren't　there；〃　said　the　man　with　the　eye　patch。　He　fingered　it　briefly。　〃It　is　a　mistake　to　judge　a　man　from　a　thousand　miles　away。　He　was　there；　he　saw　what　was　happening。　The　next　thing　is；　what　does　this　tell　us　about　Ivan's　troops？〃
〃The　Sovs　do　not　exactly　have　an　exemplary　record　for　dealing　with　civilians；〃　the　first　man　pointed　out。
〃The　Soviet　airborne　troops　are　known　for　their　stern　discipline；〃　the　second　replied。　Formerly　a　major　in　the　SAS；　and　invalided　out；　he　was　now　a　senior　man　with　the　Special　Operations　Executive；　the　SOE…　〃Conduct　like　this　is　not　indicative　of　well…disciplined　troops。　That　may　be　important　later　on。　For　the　moment；　as　I　told　you　earlier；　this　lad　is　turning　out　very　nicely　indeed。〃　He　said　it　without　a　trace　of　smugness。





26　…　Impressions

STENDAL；　GERMAN　DEMOCRATIC　REPUBLIC
The　flight　in　was　bad　enough。　They'd　e　in　aboard　a　light　bomber；　racing　in　at　low　level　to　a　military　airport　east　of　Berlin；　no　more　than　four　staff　members　to　an　aircraft。　All　had　arrived　safely；　but　Alekseyev　wondered　how　much　of　it　was　skill　and　how　much　luck。　This　airfield　had　clearly　been　visited　by　NATO　aircraft　recently　and　the　General　already　had　his　doubts　about　what　his　colleagues　in　the　Air　Force　had　told　him　about　their　ability　to　control　the　sky　even　in　daylight。　From　Berlin　a　helicopter　took　his　party　to　CINC…West's　forward　mand　post　outside　Stendal。　Alekseyev　was　the　first　senior　officer　to　arrive　at　the　underground　bunker　plex；　and　he　did　not　like　what　he　found。　The　staff　officers　present　were　too　concerned　with　what　the　NATO　forces　were　doing　and　not　concerned　enough　with　what　the　Red　Army　was　supposed　to　be　doing　to　them。　The　initiative　had　not　been　lost；　but　his　first　impression　was　that　the　danger　was　real。　Alekseyev　located　the　mand　operations　officer　and　started　assembling　information　on　how　the　campaign　was　going。　His　mander　arrived　half　an　hour　later；　and　immediately　took　Alekseyev　into　his　office。
〃Well；　Pasha？〃
〃I　have　to　see　the　front　at　once。　We　have　three　attacks　under　way。　I　need　to　see　how　they　are　going。　The　German　counterattack　at　Hamburg　was　repulsed；　again；　but　this　time　we　lack　the　forces　to　exploit　it。　The　northern　area　is　currently　in　stalemate。　Our　deepest　penetration　to　date　is　just　over　one　hundred　kilometers。　The　timetable　has　gone　pletely　to　hell；　losses　are　far　higher　than　expectedon　both　sides；　but　worse　for　us。　We　have　gravely　underestimated　the　lethality　of　NATO　antitank　weapons。　Our　artillery　has　been　unable　to　suppress　them　enough　for　our　forces　to　achieve　a　major　breakthrough。　NATO　air　power　is　hurting　us　badly；　especially　at　night。　Reinforcements　are　not　getting　forward　as　well　as　we　expected。　We　still　have　the　initiative　in　most　areas；　but　unless　we　achieve　a　breakthrough；　that　may　not　last　more　than　another　few　days。　We　must　find　a　weakness　in　NATO　lines　and　launch　a　major　coordinated　attack　soon。〃
〃The　NATO　situation？〃
Alekseyev　shrugged。　〃Their　forces　are　fully　in　the　field。　Further　reinforcements　are　ing　in　from　America；　but　from　what　our　prisoners　have　told　us；　not　so　well　as　they　expected。　My　impression　is　that　they　are　stretched　very　thin　in　some　areas；　but　we　have　not　as　yet　identified　a　major　area　of　weakness。　If　we　can　find　one；　and　exploit　it；　I　think　we　can　rupture　the　front　and　stage　a　multidivisional　breakout。　They　can't　be　strong　everywhere。　The　German　demand　for　forward　defense　pels　the　NATO　forces　to　try　and　stop　us　everywhere。　We　made　the　same　mistake　in　1941。　It　cost　us　heavily。　It　must　be　doing　the　same　to　them。〃
〃How　soon　do　you　wish　to　visit　the　front？〃
〃Within　the　hour。　I'll　take　Captain　Sergetov　with　me…〃
〃The　Party　man's　son？　If　he's　hurt；　Pasha　。　。　。〃
〃He's　an　officer　in　the　Soviet　Army；　whatever　his　father　might　be。　I　need　him。〃
〃Very　well。　Keep　me　posted　on　where　you　are。　Send　the　operations　people　in。　We　have　to　get　control　of　this　whorehouse。〃
Alekseyev　mandeered　a　new　Mi…24　attack　helicopter　for　his　reconnaissance。　Overhead；　a　flight　of　agile　MiG…21　fighters　guarded　the　General　as　the　helicopter　skimmed　low　over　the　treetops。　He　eschewed　the　seat；　instead　crouching　by　the　windows　to　see　what　he　could。　A　lifetime　of　military　service　had　not　prepared　him　for　the　destruction　that　lay　on　the　landscape　below　him。　It　seemed　that　every　road　held　a　burned…out　tank　or　truck。　The　major　crossroads　had　gotten　particularly　severe　attention　from　NATO　air　power。　Here　a　bridge　had　been　knocked　out；　and　immediately　behind　it　a　pany　of　tanks　waiting　its　repair　had　been　savaged。　The　charred　remains　of　aircraft；　vehicles；　and　men　had　transformed　the　neat；　picturesque　German　countryside　into　a　junkyard　of　high…technology　weapons。　As　they　crossed　the　border　into　West　Germany；　things　only　got　worse。　Each　road　had　been　fought　for；　each　tiny　village。　He　counted　eleven　smashed　tanks　outside　one　such　village；　and　wondered　how　many　others　had　been　pulled　off　the　battlefield　for　repair。　The　town　itself　was　almost　totally　destroyed　by　artillery　and　resulting　fires。　He　saw　only　one　building　that　looked　like　it　might　be　habitable