johngardner.winloseordie-第43部分

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　'Coffee；'　Bond　whispered　to　himself；　〃can　insiantly　damage　your　health。'　He　was　outside；　sliding　the　gate　closed；　locking　it　and　removing　the　keys。
　He　went　through　the　outer　door　wiih　care。　There　was　nobody　in　the　passageway；　so　he　locked　the　door；　and　moved　along　the　passage　until　he　came　to　the　first　panion…way　which　he　went　up　at　speed。　He　had　one　great　advantage　over　the　Wrens：　one　of　the　first　things　any　officer　does　when　reporting　aboard　a　new　ship　is　to　make　certain　he　knows　the　lay…out；　and　the　best　and　quickest　route　to　follow　between　any　two　points。　Bond　had　spent　almost　an　entire　day　learning　the　passages；　bulkheads；　panionways　and　catwalks　of　Invincible。　He　knew　the　way　to　the　nearest　heads　which　had　ports　above　sea　level；　and　he　made　this　his　first　stop；　unscrewing　the　tugs　on　one　of　the　ports　and　hurling　the　key　to　the　cells　far　out　into　the　sea。
　He　moved　as　quickly　as　possible；　taking　great　pains；　stopping　from　time　to　time　to　listen　for　any　sign　of　life。　Wrens；　he　thought；　should　normally　be　identifiable　at　distance；　but　Clover　Pennington's　Wrens　had　obviously　been　subjected　to　special　training。　There　were　also　only　fifteen　of　them；　and　they　would　have　to　be　well　spread　out　across　the　ship。
　He　was　making　his　way　to　the　Crew　Room　in　the　for'ard　part　of　the　island；　at　main　deck　level。　He　moved　by　the　fastest　means；　by…passing　the　more　obvious　places　where　Clover　would　have　people　posted。　It　was　now　14。45；　so。　with　luck；　they　would　all　be　below　the　main　deck　and　off　the　island；　as　they　had　been　instructed。
　It　was　as　though　the　entire　ship　was　deserted；　for　he　saw　nobody　in　his　journey；　and　it　was　only　when　he　got　to　the　Crew　Room　that　he　realised　Clover　had　left　one　girl　on　deck；　though；　he　figured；　she　would　have　to　get　below　on　the　dot　of　three。
The　door　to　the　main　deck　was　open；　and　the　girl　had　her　back　Inwards　him。　It　was　the　tall；　tough　blonde　Leading　Wren　who　had　taken　him　to　the　cells；　and　it　was　obviously　her　turn　with　the　H　&　К　МР5　SD3。　She　held　it　as　though　it　was　her　child；　which　was　a　bad　sign　with　terrorists。　Women　of　this　persuasion　were　taughi　to　regard　their　personal　weapon　as　their　child：　and　that　was　not　just　terrorism　according　to　the　top　people's　espionage　novelist。　It　was　for　real。
　He　looked　around　the　Crew　Room　and　finally　found　a　G…suit　and　helmet　which　were　roughly　his　size。　Two…fifty　in　the　afternoon。　From　the　bulkhead　door　he　could　still　see　the　Leading　Wren；　and　behind　her　the　Sea　Harriers；　the　first　of　the　four　aircraft　right　on　the　ski…ramp；　with　one　machine　behind　it；　and　a　pair　of　others　parked　abreast。　They　were　all　obviously　ready　and　armed；　for　the　ribbons　hung　from　the　Sidewinders；　slung　under　the　wings。
　Standing　to　one　side　of　the　bulkhead；　his　hack　to　the　deck。　Bond　put　up　the　visor　of　his　helmet　and　whistled　loudly。
　There　was　movement　from　the　deck；　so　the　Leading　Wren　had　heard　and　been　alerted。　He　whistled；　shrilly　again；　and　heard　the　answerhig　footsteps　as　she　crossed　towards　the　Crew　Room　door。　The　footsteps　stopped；　and　he　could　imagine　that　she　was　standing；　uncertain；　the　H　&　К　tucked　into　her　hip　and　the　safety　off。
　When　she　came；　she　moved　quickly　and　was　inside　the　Crew　Room　almost　before　Bond　was　ready　for　her。　The　only　piece　of　luck　that　came　his　way　was　the　fact　that　she　moved　to　the　right　first；　which　is　normal　in　right…handed　people；　and　exactly　why　Bond　had　staked　himself　to　the　left；　from　her　viewpoint　on　the　main　deck。
　His　arm　went　around　her　neck。　This　was　one　of　those　times　when　it　did　not　pay　to　be　squeamish；　or　to　even　think　about　what　he　was　doing。　He　only　wished　that　it　had　been　the　psycho；　Deeley。
She　dropped　the　machine　pistol；　trying　to　claw　at　his　arms；　but　Bond　had　already　done　the　damage。　Left　arm　around　the　neck　from　behind；　push　in　hard；　reach　over　and　grasp　the　left　biceps　with　the　right　hand；　so　that　his　right　forearm　went　across　her　forehead。　Now　the　pressure：　fast；　very　hard；　and　lethal。　He　heard　the　neck　go；　and　felt　her　weight　in　sudden　death。　Then　　he　grabbed　at　the　H　&　К　and　ran　out　onto　the　deck；　slipping　ihe　H　&　К　to　Safe；　ducking　under　the　wings　of　the　aircraft　until　he　reached　（he　one　on　the　ski…ramp。　He　went　right　around　the　aircraft；　checking　all　control　surfaces　were　free；　nipping　（he　warning　ribbons　from　the　Sidewinders；　and　pulling　the　caps　off　the　front　of　the　Aden　gun　pods。
　The　generator　was　in　place；　plugged　in。　He　paused　for　a　second；　undecided。　He　could　leave　it　in　and　be　certain　that　he　could　start　the　engine　first　lime；　or　unplug　and　hope　to　hell　there　was　enough　charge　on　board。　If　he　took　the　first　option；　there　was　danger　in　the　iake…off；　with　the　generator　cable　still　attached。　He　took　the　second　way　and　unplugged　the　cord；　then　ran　around　the　aircraft；　climbing　into　the　cockpit。　As　he　lowered　himself　into　the　seat　he　imagined　he　could　hear　the　sound　of　another　aircraft。　He　clipped　the　straps　on　and　hauled　down　so　that　he　was　tighily　secured。　He　lowered　the　canopy；　and　pressed　ihe　ignition；　going　through　the　рге…take…off　drill　in　his　head。
　As　he　pressed　the　ignition；　so　there　was　a　huge　roar。　Flame　speared　up　from　somewhere　behind　him。　and　he　could　hear　the　heavy　thump　of　30mm　shells　hitting　parked　aircraft　and　the　deck　around　him。
　As　the　engine　fired；　so　（he　shape　crossed　directly　over　him。　A　Sea　Harrier；　very　low。　almosl　hugging　the　sea　as　it　did　a　tighl　turn；　pulling　a　lot　of　G；　to　circle　and　e　in　again。
　
　18
　
　In　at　the　Kill

He　did　not　really　know　if　this　was　a　full；　co…ordinated　attack　on　Invincible；　but；　in　the　last　seconds；　logic　told　him　exactly　what　it　was　…　the　fireworks　promised　by　BAST　if　the　15。00　hours　deadline　was　not　met。
　Take…off　check：　brakes　on；　flaps　OUT；　ASI　'bug'　to　lift…off　speed。　As　always；　the　aircraft　was　alive；　trembling　to　the　idling　of　the　Rolls…Royce　turbofan。
　Nozzle　lever　set　to　short　take…off　position　at　the　50〃　stop　mark；　throttle　to　fifty…five　per　cent　RPM；　brakes　off；　throttle　banged　into　fully　open；　and　there　it　was；　the　giant　hand　pressing　at　his　chest　and　face。
　The　Sea　Harrier　snarled　off　the　ramp。　Gear　'Up'…　ASI　'bug'　flashing　and　beeping：　nozzles　to　horizontal　flight；　flaps　to　IN。　The　HUD　showing　the　climbing　angle；　right　on　60°；　and　a　speed　of　f》40　knots。
　Bond　broke　left；　standing　on　one　wing　as　he　pulled　a　seven　G　turn；　the　nose　dropping　slightly；　then　ing　up　with　a　twitch　of　the　rudder。　One　thousand　feet；　and　to　his　right　he　saw　Invincible；　the　aircraft　and　helicopters　on　her　deck　ablaze。　Gas　tanks　going　up　to　produce　spectacular　blooms　of　fire；　and　the　other　aircraft；　low；　almost　down　to　the　water；　then　putting　her　nose　up　and　pulling　into　a　hard；　left　turn。
　Bond　reached　the　outer　edge　of　the　turn；　flipped　the　aircraft　into　a　right…hand　break；　harder　this　time；　his　left　foot　pushing　down　on　the　rudder　to　keep　level；　then　back　on　the　stick　to　gain　height　as　a　bleep　started　to　pulse　loud　in　his　headphones；　and　the　trace　on　the　radar　showing　another　aircraft　locking　on　behind　him　…　behind　and　above。
He　pulled　back　on　the　stick；　put　the　nose　towards　the　sky；　and　heard　the　rasping　noise　that　warned　a　missile　had　been　released。　His　mind　grabbed　at　the　recent　past；　and　the　missile　fired　at　him　near　the　bombing　range　close　to　the　Isle　of　Man。　That　could　have　only　been　an　AIM…9J　Sidewinder。　As　close　as　this；　a　superior　A1M…9L　Sidewinder　would　have　followed　him　to　impact。
　He　punched　out　three　Hares；　set　his　own　HUD　to　air…to…air　weapons；　and　flung　the　aircraft　onto　its　back；　easing　up　on　the　stick　and　feeling　the　red…out　as　the　horizon　disappeared　below　him　and　the　sea　came　rushing　up　to　meet　him　as　he　took　the　Harrier　through　an　inverted　roll。
　The　rasping　beep　disappeared；　and　the　horizon　came　up　again。　The　flares　had　done　their　job。　but　he　could　not　see　the　other　Harrier　and　he　was　down　to　2。000　feet　again。
　Turning　in　a　wide　full　360°。　Bond　searched　sky　and　sea　with　his　eyes；　flicking　to　and　fro　between　the　view　from　his　cockpit　to　the　radar　screen。　In　the　far　distance　Invincible'^　deck　was　still　littered　with　burning　aircraft；　and　he　thought　he　caught　sight　of　a　yellow　fire　bulldozer　being　handled　in　an　attempt　to　clear　the　deck　of　the　ravished　hulks　of　'planes　and　helicopters。　Then　he　caught　the　flash；　on　the　radar；　far　away；　thirty　or　so　miles　out　to　sea。　The　flashing　dot　began　to　wink　and　he　adjusted　his　course；　losing　height　and　slamming　the　throttles　to　full　power。　trying　to　lock　on　io　the　other　Sea　Harrier；　obviously　intent　on　making　its　getaway；　and　evading　chase。
　He　was　pushing　The　Harrier　to　its　outer　limits　of　speed；　making　a　shallow　dive　towards　the　sea　and　keeping　his　course　level　with　the　flashing　cursor　on　the　radar　screen。　Without　any　conscious　thought　he　knew　who　he　was　up　against：　knew　it　was　（he　Sea　Harrier　which　had　gone　missing　on　ihe　day　he　had　nearly　had　a　missile　up　his　six。　The　pilot　could　only　be　the　Spaniard；　though；　at　this　moment；　with　（he　sea　flashing　below　him　and　his　eyes　flicking　between　instruments　and　the　horizon；　he　could　not　have　named　him。
　In　seconds。　Bond　realised　he　was；　in　fact；　gaining　on　the　other　Harrier　which　was　about　twenty　miles　ahead　of　him　now。　He　armed　one　of　the　Sidewinders；　waiting　for　the　lock…on　signal；　for　he　might　soon　be　in　range。　Then　the　b