按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
nother month before I was back working full time。 The members of the Defense Council had no wish to impede my recovery； and so young； ambitious Josef was called in to give KGB's official intelligence assessment。 As you might imagine； we have many schools of thought in the intelligence services…it is not like your precious engineering where all things are broken into neat little numbers and graphs。 We have to look inside the heads of men who often as not do not themselves know what they think on an issue。 Sometimes I wonder why we do not employ gypsy fortune…tellers 。 。 。 but I digress。
〃KGB maintains what we call the Strategic Intelligence Estimate。 This is a document updated on a daily basis which gives our assessment of the political and military strength of our adversaries。 Because of the nature of our work； and because of serious mistakes made in the past； we have three assessment teams who make the estimate： Best Case； Worst Case； and Middle Case。 The terms are self…explanatory； are they not？ When we make a presentation to the Politburo； we generally use the Middle Case estimate； and for the obvious reasons we annotate our estimates with data from the other two。〃
〃So when he was called in to give his assessment to the Politburo…〃
〃Yes。 Young Josef； the ambitious little bastard who wants my job as a wolf wants a sheep； was clever enough to bring all three with him。 When he saw what they wanted； he gave them what they wanted。〃
〃But when you returned； why didn't you correct the mistake？〃
Kosov gave his panion an ironic smile。 〃Misha； Misha； sometimes you can be most engagingly naive。 I should have killed the son of a bitch； but this was not possible。 Josef suffers from poor health； though he is not aware of it。 The time is not yet right；〃 Kosov said； as though discussing a vacation。 〃KGB is split into several factions at the moment。 Josef controls one。 I control another。 Mine is larger； but not decisively so。 He has the ear of the General Secretary and the Defense Minister。 I am a sick old man…they have told me this。 Except for the war I would have been replaced already。〃
〃But he lied to the Politburo！〃 Sergetov nearly shouted。
〃Not at all。 You think Josef is foolish？ He handed over an official KGB intelligence estimate drawn up under my chairmanship； by my department heads。〃
Why is he telling me all this？ He fears losing his post； and he wants support with other Politburo members。 Is that all？
〃You're telling me that this is all a mistake。〃
〃Exactly；〃 Kosov answered。 〃Bad luck and poor judgment in our oil industry…not your fault； of course。 Add some fear in the hearts of our Party hierarchy； some ambition in one of my subordinates； the Defense Minister's sense of importance； and outright stupidity on the part of the West； and here we are today。〃
〃So； what do you think we should do？〃 Sergetov asked warily。
〃Nothing。 I ask that you keep in mind； however； that the next week will probably decide the oute of our war。 Ah！〃 he exclaimed。 〃Look； my car has been repaired。 You may pull over here； Vitaly。 Thank you for the ride； Misha。 Good day。〃 Kosov retrieved his jamming device and stepped out of the car。
Mikhail Eduardovich Sergetov watched the KGB limousine pull away and disappear around the er。 He had played many power games in his life。 Sergetov's climb up the Party ladder had been more than an exercise in efficiency。 Men had stood in his way； and needed brushing aside。 Promising careers had been broken so that he could sit in this Zil automobile and aspire to real power in his country。 But never had the game been this dangerous。 He didn't know the rules； was not sure what Kosov was really up to。 Was his story even true？ Might he be trying to cover his own flanks for errors he had made and blame it all on Josef Larionov？ Sergetov could not recall ever meeting the First Deputy Chairman。
〃Straight to the office； Vitaly；〃 Sergetov ordered。 He was too deep in thought to worry about his driver's other activities。
NORTHWOOD； ENGLAND
Toland scanned the satellite photographs with great interest。 The KH…11 satellite had passed over Kirovsk four hours after the missile attack and the signals sent by real…time link to the NATO mand center。 There were three frames for each of the Backfire bases。 The intelligence officer took out a pad and started his tally； manding himself to be conservative。 The only aircraft he counted as destroyed were those with large pieces broken or burned off。
〃We figured a total force of about eighty…five aircraft。 Looks to me like twenty…one totally destroyed； and another thirty or so damaged。 The base facilities took a real beating。 The only other thing I'd like to know is how hard their personnel were hit。 If we killed a lot of crews； too…the Backfires are out of business for at least a week。 They still have the Badgers； but those birds have shorter legs； they're a lot easier to kill。 Admiral； it's a new ball game。〃
Admiral Sir Charles Beattie smiled。 His intelligence chief had said almost exactly the same thing。
LANGLEY AIR FORCE BASE； VIRGINIA
The F…15 interceptor streaked over the runway at a height of one hundred feet。 As she passed the tower； Major Nakamura threw her fighter into a slow roll； then turned around for a more sedate landing。 She was an Ace！ Three Badger bombers and two satellites！ The first female Ace in the history of the U。S。 Air Force。 The first Space Ace。
She rolled to a stop at the ready shelter； jumped off the ladder； and ran to the reception mittee。 The deputy mander of Tactical Air mand was red…faced with anger。
〃Major； if you ever pull something like that again I'll bust your ass back to doolie！〃
〃Yes； sir。 Sorry； sir。〃 She grinned。 Nothing was going to spoil today。 〃Won't ever happen again； sir。 You only make Ace once； sir。〃
〃Intelligence says Ivan has one more RORSAT ready to use。 Probably they'll think it over some before launching；〃 the General said； calming down somewhat。
〃Have they put any more birds together？〃 Buns asked。
〃They're working on two； and we might have them by the end of the week。 If we get them； your next target will be their real…time photo reconnaissance satellite。 Until then the RORSATs have highest priority。〃 The General smiled briefly。 〃Don't forget to paint that fifth star on the bird； Major。〃
NORFOLK； VIRGINIA
They would have sailed anyway。 The destruction of the Soviet RORSAT merely made it safer。 First came the destroyers and frigates； fanning out； looking for submarines under an umbrella of patrol aircraft。 Then the cruisers and carriers。 Last of all came the ships from Little Creek； Tarawa； Guam； Nassau； Inchon； and twenty more。 Over sixty ships in all； they formed into three groups and steamed northeast at twenty knots。 It would be a six…day trip。
USNS PREVAIL
Even at three knots she didn't ride well。 The ship was just over two hundred feet long； and she responded to every wave like a horse to a fence。 She had a mixed crew； not really Navy； not really civilian。 The civilians ran the ship。 The naval personnel ran the electronics gear。 The really amazing thing； everyone agreed； was that they were still alive。
Prevail was an adaptation of a blue…water fishing boat。 Instead of a trawl； she pulled a sonar array at the end of a six…thousand…foot cable filled with sonar sensors。 The signals received were pre…processed by onboard puters； then sent via satellite to Norfolk at a rate of thirty…two thousand bits of data per second。 The ship was driven by quiet electric motors； and her hull had been installed with the Prairie/Masker system to eliminate even her tiny amount of machinery noise。 Her topsides were made of fiberglass to reduce her radar signature。 In a very real sense she was one of the first Stealth ships； and despite the fact that she carried no weapon other than a rifle for dealing with sharks； she was also the most dangerous antisubmarine platform ever made。 Prevail and three sister ships were cruising the North Atlantic on the great circle route between Newfoundland and Ireland； listening for the telltale noise of a submarine in transit。 Two already had kills painted up on their bridges since each had an Orion patrol aircraft in constant attendance； and Soviet submarines had twice had the misfortune to approach one of them。 But their job was not to kill submarines。 It was to warn others of them； far away。
In the midships operations center of Prevail； a team of oceanographic technicians watched a bank of TV…type display tubes； while others worked up tracks of anything that might be close enough to be a direct threat。
A petty officer ran his finger down a fuzzy line on the display。 〃That must be the convoy from New York。〃
〃Yeah；〃 said the technician next to him。 〃And there're the folks who want to meet them。〃
USS REUBEN JAMES
〃At least we're not going to be lonely；〃 O'Malley observed。
〃You always have such a positive attitude？〃 Frank Ernst inquired。
〃Our Russian friends must have excellent intelligence。 I mean； your Air Force chaps did kill their satellite。〃 Captain Perrin set his coffee down on the table。 The five officers conferred in Morris's stateroom。 Perrin had flown over by helicopter from Battleaxe。
〃Yeah； so they know our position；〃 Morris said。 〃And they'll want to cut this bunch down to size。〃
The messa