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！
illed three German tanks before missiles began to drop them from the sky yet again。 Suddenly it became too much。 As Mackall watched； the Soviet force wheeled and retreated toward the hills； with the Germans in pursuit。 The counterattack was pressed to the limit； and Mackall knew that nobody did that as well as the Krauts。 By the time he had orders to move； the initial defense position was back in friendly hands。 The battle had lasted barely over an hour。 Two Soviet motor…rifle divisions had now been decimated on the road to Bieben。
The crewmen opened their hatches to let fresh air into the stiffing turret。 Fifteen empty cases rattled about on the floor。 The fire…control puter was out again； but Woody had killed another four tanks； two of them belonging to Soviet officers。 The troop mander came over to him in a jeep。
〃Three tanks damaged；〃 Mackall reported。 〃Have to drag them clear for repairs。〃 His face split into a wide grin： 〃They ain't never gonna take this town away from us！〃
〃Those Bundeswehr regulars made the difference。〃 The lieutenant nodded。 〃Okay； start getting your people reloaded。〃
〃Oh； yeah。 Last time I came back five rounds short。〃
〃They're thinning out the ammo issue。 It's not getting across to us as quick as we thought。〃
Mackall thought that one over and didn't like what he came up with。 〃Have somebody tell those Navy pukes that we can stop these bastards if they get their shit together！〃
USS PHARRIS
Morris had never seen Hampton Roads so crowded。 At least sixty merchantmen were swinging at anchor； with a beefed…up escort force preparing to take them to sea。 Saratoga was in also； her mainmast gone and a replacement being fabricated on the quay while repairs were under way for less visible damage from her near…miss。 Numerous aircraft circled overhead； and several ships had their search radars on lest a Soviet submarine sneak close inshore and launch cruise missiles into the mass of shipping。
Pharris was tied to the fueling pier； taking on fuel oil for her boilers and jet fuel for her helicopter。 The single ASROC she'd expended had already been replaced； as had the six chaff rockets。 Aside from that； the only thing that needed to be taken aboard was food。 Ed Morris handed his patrol report to a messenger who would deliver it to his squadron mander。 He would have gone himself； but there was no time。 They were scheduled to sail in another twelve hours。 This was another twenty…knot convoy； bound for the French ports of LeHavre and Brest with heavy equipment and munitions。
Morris had been given the fleet intelligence report。 If anything； matters had gotten worse。 Twenty NATO submarines were now staked out in the G…I…UK gap； trying to make up for the loss of the SOSUS line。 They reported killing a sizable number of Soviet submarines； but they also reported that some had gotten through； and for each known leaker； Morris was sure that there were four or five unknowns。 The first convoy had gotten virtually a free ride。 Those few Soviet submarines in the Atlantic at the time had been spread thin； and were forced to race noisily to their convoy targets。 No longer。 About sixty were thought to be in the Atlantic now； at least half of them nuclear…powered。 Morris thought over the numbers； what the Soviet inventory was； how many kills NATO claimed； and wondered if sixty was an optimistic assessment。
Then there were the Backfires。 The convoy would be taking a southerly routing； adding two full days to the crossing time but forcing the Soviet bombers to stretch to the limit of their fuel。 Also； thirty minutes before each satellite pass； the convoy would reverse course to a westerly heading in the hope that the Soviets would then vector their bombers and submarines to the wrong point。 A pair of carrier battle groups was at sea and would offer support if possible。 Clearly they wanted to spring a trap on the Backfires。 The carrier groups would be steaming an evasive path； trying to avoid satellite detection entirely。 Morris knew this was possible； an exercise in geometry； but it placed serious limits on the carriers' freedom of action…and having the carrier groups at sea would take up some of the antisubmarine patrol aircraft that the convoys depended on。 A promise； but then all life； and certainly any war operation； was a collection of promises。 Morris lit an unfiltered cigarette。 He'd broken the habit years before； but halfway through the outbound leg of his first war cruise he'd found himself at the ship's store purchasing a carton of tax…free 〃at sea〃 smokes。 The added hazard to his health； he judged； was no more than incidental。 Already nine destroyers and frigates had been sunk； two with all hands。
ICELAND
Edwards had learned to hate the rust…colored contour lines on his maps。 Each one announced a change of twenty meters。 He tried to work it out in his head； but got no further than sixty…five…point…six feet for every one of the Goddamned red…brown lines。 Sometimes the lines were spread apart by as much as an eighth of an inch。 Other times they were packed together tightly enough that the lieutenant half expected to find a sheer wall。 He remembered the one visit he'd had to Washington； D。C。； and the time he and his father had scornfully walked past the tourists lined up to wait for an elevator ride to the top of the Washington Monument； preferring to walk the five hundred feet up the square…spiral staircase to the observation deck。 They'd arrived at the top tired but proud。 He was now making that same climb about every ninety minutes； except this time there were no smooth； even steps； and no elevator awaited them at the top for a more relaxing trip down 。 。 。 and no taxi to the hotel。
They climbed ten contour lines…two hundred meters； or six hundred fifty…six feet…three hours after breaking camp； crossing； the map said； from the Skorradalshreppur second…order administrative division to the Lundarreykjadashreppur second…order administrative division。 There was no green highway sign to announce this； the Icelanders being bright enough to know that anyone who traveled out here lived here and needed no directions。 They were rewarded with two kilometers of fairly level terrain as they walked between a pair of marshes。 It was littered with rock and ash from what seemed to be an extinct volcano about four miles away。
〃Take a break；〃 Edwards said。 He sat down next to a three…foot rock so that he'd have something to lean against； and was surprised when Vigdis came over。 She sat down three feet away； facing him。
〃How are you today？〃 he asked。 There was life in her eyes now； Mike saw。 Perhaps the demons that had awakened her the previous day were now gone？ No； he thought； they'd never be pletely gone…but you had to be alive to have nightmares； and they would probably fade in time。 With time you could recover from anything； except murder。
〃I have not thanked you for my life。〃
〃We could not stand by and let them kill you；〃 he said； wondering if it was a lie。 If the Russians had simply killed all three people in the house； would he have attacked them or would he have waited and simply looted the house after they'd left？ It was a time for the truth。
〃I didn't do it for you； not only for you。〃
〃I do not understand。〃
Edwards took his wallet from a back pocket and opened it to a five…year…old photograph。 〃That's Sandy； Sandra Miller。 We grew up on the same block； all the way through school。 Maybe we would have gotten married someday；〃 he said quietly。 And maybe not； he admitted to himself。 People change。 〃I went to the Air Force Academy； she went to the University of Connecticut in Hartford。 October of her second year； she disappeared。 She was raped and murdered。 They found her a week later in a ditch。 The guy who did it…they never proved he killed Sandy； but he raped two other girls at the school…well； he's in a mental hospital now。 They said he was crazy； wasn't really responsible。 So someday the docs'll say he's cured； and they'll let him out； and Sandy'll still be dead。〃 Edwards looked down at the rocks。
〃I couldn't do anything about that。 I'm not a cop； I was two thousand miles away。 But not this time。〃 His voice showed no emotion at all。 〃This time was different。〃
〃You love Sandy？〃 Vigdis asked。
How to answer that one？ Mike wondered。 It sure did seem like that； five years ago； didn't it？ But would it have worked out？ You haven't exactly been celibate these last few years； have you？ But it hasn't been the same； either； has it？ He looked at the photograph taken three days before Sandy had been killed。 It had arrived in his box at Colorado Springs after her death； though he hadn't known it at the time。 Her dark； shoulder length hair； the tilt of the head； the impish smile that went with an infectious laugh 。 。 。 all gone。
〃Yes。〃 There was emotion in his voice now。
〃You do for her then； yes？〃
〃Yes；〃 Edwards lied。 I did it for me。
〃I do not know your name。〃
〃Mike； Michael。 Edwards。〃
〃You do this for me； Michael。 Thank you for my life。〃 There were the first beginnings of a smile。 She placed her hand on his。 It was soft and warm。
27 … Casualties
KEFLAVIK； ICELAND
〃At First we thought that they simply drove off the cliff road。 We found this in the vehicle。〃 The major of field police held up the top of a broken bottle