tc.redstormrising-第45部分

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s　over　the　air　intakes　that　led　to　the　engines　they　had　tended　with　loving　care　for　a　month。　Satisfied；　they　waved　to　the　craft　manders；　who　lit　off　the　three　engines　in　each　of　the　aftermost　pair。
The　ship's　first　officer　stood　at　his　elevator　control　station　aft。　On　a　hand　signal；　an　eighty…five…man　infantry　pany　plus　a　reinforced　mortar　team　were　loaded　into　each　craft。　Power　was　increased；　the　hovercraft　lifted　up　on　their　air　cushions　and　were　winched　aft。　In　another　four　minutes；　the　vehicles　were　resting　on　the　barge…loading　elevator　that　formed　the　stem　of　the　Seabee　vessel。
〃Lower　away；〃　the　first　officer　ordered。　The　winch　operators　lowered　the　elevator　to　the　surface。　The　sea　was　choppy；　and　four…foot　waves　lapped　at　the　Fucik's　bifurcated　stem。　When　the　elevator　was　level　with　the　sea；　first　one；　then　the　other　Lebed　mander　increased　power　and　moved　off。　At　once；　the　elevator　returned　to　the　topmost　deck　while　the　first　pair　of　hovercraft　circled　their　mothership。　In　five　more　minutes；　the　four　assault　craft　moved　off　in　box　formation　toward　the　Keflavik　Peninsula。
The　Fucik　continued　her　turn；　returning　to　a　northerly　course　to　make　the　next　hovercraft　trip　a　shorter　one。　Her　weather　deck　was　ringed　with　armed　troops　carrying　surface…to…air　missiles　and　machine　guns。　Andreyev　remained　on　the　bridge；　knowing　this　was　where　he　belonged；　but　wishing　he　were　leading　his　assault　troops。

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
〃Kef…Ops；　the　bandits　are　all　turning　right　back　after　launching　their　ASMs。　So　far　it's　been　two　birds　per　aircraft。　We　got　fifty…make　that　fifty…six　inbound　missiles；　and　more　are　being　launched。　Nobody　behind　them；　though。　I　repeat；　nothing　behind　the　bomber　force。　At　least　we　don't　have　any　paratroopers　headed　in。　Hunker　down；　guys；　we　now　have　sixty　inbound　missiles；〃　Edwards　heard　as　he　came　through　the　door。
〃At　least　they　won't　be　nukes；〃　said　a　captain。
〃They're　shooting　a　hundred　missiles　at　us…they　don't　fuckin'　need　nukes！〃　replied　another。
Edwards　watched　the　radar　picture　over　the　shoulder　of　one　of　the　officers。　It　was　eerily　like　an　arcade　game。　Big；　slow…moving　blips　denoted　the　aircraft。　Smaller；　quicker　blips　were　the　Mach…2　missiles。
〃Gotcha！〃　hooted　the　enlisted　radar　operator。　The　leading　Eagle　had　gotten　within　missile　range　of　the　Badgers　and　exploded　one　with　a　Sparrow　missileten　seconds　after　it　had　launched　its　own　missiles。　A　second　Sparrow　missed　its　separate　target；　but　a　third　appeared　locked　on　it。　The　first　fighter's　wingman　was　just　launching　at　yet　another　Russian。　The　Soviets　had　thought　this　one　out；　Edwards　saw。　They　were　attacking　from　all　around　the　northern　littoral；　with　lots　of　space　between　the　bombers　so　that　no　single　fighter　could　engage　more　than　one　or　two。　It　was　almost　like…
〃Anybody　check　the　geometry　of　this？〃　he　asked。
〃What　do　you　mean？〃　The　captain　looked　around。　〃How　e　you　aren't　where　you　belong？〃
Edwards　ignored　the　irrelevancy。　〃What's　the　chance　they're　trying　to　draw　our　fighters　out；　like？〃
〃Expensive　bait。〃　The　captain　dismissed　the　idea。　〃You're　saying　they　might　have　launched　their　ASMs　from　farther　out。　Maybe　they　don't　fly　as　far　as　we　thought。　Point　is；　those　missiles　are　ten　minutes　out　now；　the　first　of　them；　with　about　a　five…　or　seven…minute　delay　to　the　last。　And　not　a　Goddamned　thing　we　can　do　about　it。〃
〃Yeah。〃　Edwards　nodded。　The　Air…Ops/Met　building　was　a　two…story　frame　structure　that　vibrated　every　time　the　wind　hit　fifty　knots。　The　lieutenant　took　out　a　stick　of　gum　and　started　chewing　on　it。　In　ten　minutes　a　hundred　missiles；　each　carrying　about　a　ton　of　high　explosives…or　a　nuclear　warhead…would　start　falling。　The　men　outside　would　get　the　worst　of　it；　the　enlisted　men　and　the　flight　crews　trying　to　get　the　airplanes　ready　to　race　off。　His　assigned　job　was　merely　to　keep　out　of　the　way。　It　made　him　a　little　ashamed。　The　fear　he　could　now　taste　along　with　the　peppermint　made　him　more　ashamed。
The　Eagles　were　now　all　airborne；　racing　north。　The　last　of　the　Backfires　had　just　launched　their　missiles　and　were　turning　back　northeast　at　full　power　as　the　Eagles　raced　at　twelve　hundred　knots　to　catch　up。　Three　of　the　interceptors　launched　missiles；　and　they　succeeded　in　killing　a　pair　of　Backfires　and　damaging　a　third。　The　〃Zulu〃　fighters　which　had　scrambled　off　the　deck　could　not　catch　the　Backfires；　the　manding　controller　on　Sentry　One　noted；　cursing　himself　for　not　having　sent　them　after　the　older；　less　valuable　Badgers；　some　of　which　they　might　have　caught。　Instead；　he　ordered　them　to　slow　down；　and　had　his　controllers　vector　them　towards　the　supersonic　missiles。
Penguin　8；　the　first　of　the　P…3C　Orion　antisubmarine　warfare　aircraft；　was　rolling　now；　down　runway　two…two。　It　had　been　on　patrol　only　five　hours　before；　and　its　flight　crew　was　still　trying　to　shake　off　the　sleep　as　they　rotated　the　propjet　aircraft　off　the　concrete。
〃Tipping　over　now；〃　the　radar　operator　said。　The　first　Russian　missile　was　almost　overhead；　beginning　its　terminal　dive。　The　Eagles　had　hit　two　of　the　ining　missiles；　but　courses　and　altitudes　had　been　against　them；　and　most　of　their　Sparrows　had　missed；　unable　to　catch　the　Mach…2　missiles。　The　F…15s　orbited　over　central　Iceland；　well　away　from　their　base；　as　each　pilot　wondered　if　he'd　have　an　airfield　to　return　to。
Edwards　cringed　as　the　first　landed…or　didn't　land。　The　air…to…surface　missile　had　a　radar…proximity　fuse。　It　detonated　twenty　meters　off　the　ground；　and　the　effects　were　horrific。　It　exploded　directly　over　International　Highway；　two　hundred　yards　from　Air…Ops；　its　fragments　ripping　into　a　number　of　buildings；　the　worst　hit　being　the　base　fire　station。　Edwards　fell　to　the　floor　as　fragments　lashed　through　the　wooden　wall。　The　door　was　torn　off　its　hinges　by　the　blast　and　the　air　filled　with　dust。　A　moment　later；　at　the　Esso　facility　a　hundred　yards　away；　a　fuel　truck　exploded；　sending　a　fireball　towering　into　the　sky；　and　dropping　burning　jet　fuel　for　blocks　around。　Electrical　power　was　immediately　lost。　Radars；　radios；　and　room　lights　went　out　at　once；　and　battery…powered　emergency　lights　didn't　e　on　as　they　were　supposed　to。　For　a　terrified　moment；　Edwards　wondered　if　the　first　missile　really　might　have　been　a　nuke。　The　blast　had　rippled　through　his　chest；　and　he　felt　sudden　nausea　as　his　body　tried　to　adjust　to　the　sensations　that　assaulted　it。　He　looked　around　and　saw　a　man　knocked　unconscious　by　a　failing　light　fixture。　He　didn't　know　if　he　was　supposed　to　buckle　his　helmet　strap　or　not；　and　somehow　this　question　seemed　enormously　important　at　the　moment；　though　he　didn't　remember　why。
Another　missile　landed　farther　away；　and　then　for　a　minute　or　so　the　sounds　blended　into　a　series　of　immense　thunderclaps。　Edwards　was　choking　from　the　dust。　It　felt　as　though　his　chest　would　burst；　and　impulsively　he　bolted　for　the　door　to　get　fresh　air。
He　was　greeted　by　a　solid　wall　of　heat。　The　Esso　facility　was　a　roaring　mass　of　flames　which　had　already　engulfed　the　nearby　photo　lab　and　base　thrift　shop。　More　smoke　rose　from　the　enlisted　housing　area　to　the　east。　A　half…dozen　aircraft　still　on　the　flightline　would　never　leave　it；　their　wings　snapped　like　toys　from　the　blast　of　a　missile　that　had　exploded　directly　over　the　runway　crossroads。　A　smashed　E…3A　Sentry　burst　into　flames　before　his　eyes。　He　turned　to　see　that　the　control　tower　had　been　damaged；　too；　all　its　windows　gone。　Edwards　ran　that　way；　not　thinking　to　take　his　jeep。
Two　minutes　later；　he　entered　the　tower　breathlessly　to　find　the　crew　all　dead；　torn　apart　by　flying　glass；　the　tiled　floor　covered　with　blood。　Radio　receivers　were　still　making　noise　over　desk…mounted　speakers；　but　he　couldn't　seem　to　find　a　working　transmitter。

PENGUIN　8
〃What　the　hell　is　that？〃　the　Orion　pilot　said。　He　turned　his　aircraft　violently　to　the　left　and　increased　power。　They　had　been　orbiting　ten　miles　out　from　Keflavik；　watching　the　smoke　and　flames　rising　from　their　home　field；　when　four　massive　objects　passed　under　them。
〃It's　a…；〃　the　copilot　breathed。　〃Where…〃
The　four　Lebeds　were　moving　at　over　forty　knots；　bouncing　roughly　over　the　four…　to　five…foot　waves。　About　eighty　feet　long　and　thirty…five　wide；　each　had　a　pair　of　ducted　propellers　atop；　immediately　forward　of　a　tall；　aircraft…type　rudder　painted　with　the　Soviet　naval　ensign；　a　red　hammer　and　sickle　over　a　blue　stripe。　They　were　already　too　close　to　shore　for　the　Orion　to　use　any　of　her　weapons。
The　pilot　watched　incredulously　as　he　approached；　and　any　doubts　he　had　ended　as　a　30mm　cannon　fired　at　them。　It　missed　wide；　but　the　pilot　jerked　the　Orion　around　to　the　west。
〃Tacco；　tell　Keflavik　ASW　Ops　they　got　pany　ing。　Four　armed　hovercraft；　type　unknown；　but　Russian…and　they　gotta　be　carrying　troops。〃
〃Flight；〃　the　tactical　coordinator　reported　back　thirty　seconds　later。　〃Keflavik　is　off　the　air。　ASW　Ops　Center　is　gone；　the　tower　is　gone；　too。　I'm　trying　to　raise　the　Sentries。　Maybe　we　can　get　a　fighter　or　two。〃
〃Okay；　but　keep　trying　Keflavik。　Get　our　radar　lit　off。　We'll　see　if　we　can　find　where　they　came　from。　Get　our　Harpoons　lit　off；　too。〃

KEFLAVIK；　ICELAND
Edwards　was　surveying　the　damage　through　binoculars　when　he　heard　the　message　e　in…and　could　not　answer　it。　Now　what　do　I　do？