mreilly.icestation-第14部分

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ists　back　to　their　quarters　while　he　and　his　team　had　gone　to　meet　the　newly　arrived　French　hovercraft。　
　Schofield　stared　up　at　B…deck　in　horror。　
　The　French　had　flushed　them　all　into　one　place。　
　
　On　B…deck；　the　world　suddenly　went　crazy。　
　No　sooner　had　Riley　and　Hollywood　rounded　the　bend　in　the　ice　tunnel　than　they　were　confronted　by　the　frightened　faces　of　the　residents　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　The　instant　he　saw　them；　Riley　suddenly　remembered　what　B…deck　was。　
　The　living　area。　
　Suddenly　a　stream　of　submachine…gun　fire　raked　the　ice　wall　behind　him。　
　At　the　same　time；　Schofield's　voice　came　over　Riley's　helmet　inter：　〃All　units；　this　is　Scarecrow。　I　have　a　visual　on　five　hostile　objects　landing　right　now　on　the　B…deck　catwalk。　I　repeat；　five　hostile　objects。　Marines；　if　you're　on　B…deck；　look　sharp。〃　
　Riley's　mind　went　into　overdrive。　He　quickly　tried　to　remember　the　floor　plan　of　B…deck。　
　The　first　thing　he　recalled　was　that　the　layout　of　B…deck　differed　slightly　from　that　of　the　other　floors　of　Wilkes。　All　of　the　other　floors　were　made　up　of　four　straight　tunnels　that　branched　out　from　the　central　well　of　the　ice　station　to　meet　the　circular　outer　tunnel。　But　because　of　an　anomalous　rock　formation　buried　in　the　ice　around　it；　B…deck　didn't　have　a　south　tunnel。　
　It　only　had　three　straight　tunnels；　meaning　that　the　outer；　circular　tunnel　didn't　form　a　plete　circle　as　it　did　on　every　other　floor。　The　result　was　a　dead　end　at　the　southernmost　point　of　the　outer　circle。　Riley　remembered　seeing　the　dead　end　before：　it　housed　the　room　in　which　James　Renshaw　was　being　held。　
　Right　now；　though；　Riley　and　Hollywood　found　themselves　in　the　outer　tunnel；　caught　on　the　bend　between　the　east　tunnel　and　the　north　tunnel。　With　them　were　the　scientists　from　Wilkes；　who　had　obviously　heard　something　going　on　outside　but　had　dared　not　venture　beyond　the　immediate　vicinity　of　their　rooms。　Among　the　frightened　faces　in　front　of　him；　Riley　saw　a　little　girl。　
　Jesus。　
　〃Take　the　rear；〃　Riley　said　to　Hollywood；　meaning　that　part　of　the　outer　tunnel　that　led　back　to　the　north　tunnel。　
　Riley　himself　began　to　move　past　the　group　of　scientists；　so　that　he　could　take　up　a　position　in　view　of　the　east　tunnel。　
　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen！　Could　you　please　move　back　into　your　rooms！〃　
　〃What's　going　on？〃　one　of　the　men　asked　angrily。　
　〃Your　friends　upstairs　weren't　really　your　friends；〃　Riley　said。　〃There's　now　a　team　of　French　paratroopers　inside　your　station　and　they　will　kill　you　if　they　see　you。　Now　could　you　please　get　back　in　your　room。〃　
　〃Book！　Grenade！〃　Hollywood's　voice　echoed　down　the　corridor。　
　Riley　spun　to　see　Hollywood　e　charging　around　the　bend　toward　him。　He　also　caught　a　glimpse　of　a　fragmentation　grenade　bouncing　into　the　tunnel　twenty　feet　behind　him。　
　〃Oh；　fuck。〃　Riley　turned　instantly；　looking　for　cover　in　the　opposite　direction…in　the　east　tunnel；　ten　yards　away。　
　It　was　then　that　he　saw　two　more　grenades　tumble　out　of　the　east　tunnel　and　e　to　rest　against　the　wall　of　the　outer　tunnel。　
　〃Oh；　really　fuck。〃　Riley's　eyes　went　wide。　There　were　now　fragmentation　grenades　at　both　ends　of　the　tunnel。　
　〃Get　inside！　Now！〃　Riley　screamed　at　the　scientists　as　he　began　to　throw　open　the　nearest　door。　〃Get　back　in　your　rooms　now。〃　
　It　took　the　scientists　a　second　to　grasp　what　Riley　meant；　but　when　they　did　get　it　they　immediately　dived　for　their　doorways。　
　Riley　hurled　himself　inside　the　nearest　doorway　and　peered　back　out　to　see　what　Hollywood　was　doing。　The　young　corporal　was　running　for　all　he　was　worth　down　the　curved　tunnel　toward　Riley。　
　And　then　suddenly　he　slipped。　And　fell。　
　Hollywood　went　sprawling…clumsily；　head　first…onto　the　frost…covered　floor　of　the　tunnel。　
　Riley　watched　helplessly　as　Hollywood　frantically　began　to　pick　himself　up　off　the　floor；　looking　anxiously　back　at　the　fragmentation　grenade　in　the　tunnel　behind　him　as　he　did　so。　
　Maybe　two　seconds　left。　
　And　in　an　instant　Riley　felt　his　stomach　knot。　
　Hollywood　wasn't　going　to　make　it。　
　Right　in　front　of　Hollywood…in　the　only　doorway　he　could　possibly　get　to　in　time…two　of　the　scientists　were　desperately　trying　to　get　into　the　same　room。　One　was　pushing　the　other　in　the　back；　trying　to　get　him　to　move　inside。　
　Buck　Riley　watched　in　horror　as　Hollywood　looked　up　at　the　two　scientists　and　saw　that　he　had　no　chance　of　getting　into　that　room。　Hollywood　then　swung　back　round　to　look　at　the　fragmentation　grenade　thirty　feet　down　the　curved　corridor　behind　him。　
　A　final；　desperate　turn；　and　Hollywood's　eyes　met　Riley's。　Eyes　white　with　fear。　The　eyes　of　a　man　who　knows　he　is　about　to　die。　
　He　had　nowhere　to　go。　Nowhere　at　all。　
　And　then；　with　thunderous　intensity；　the　three　grenades…　one　from　the　north　tunnel；　two　from　the　east…unleashed　their　anger　and　Riley　ducked　back　behind　his　doorway　and　saw　a　thousand　glistening　metal　shards　whip　past　him　in　both　
　
　
　
　Another　explosion　rocked　the　outside　of　the　thick　wooden　door；　and　a　new　Wave　of　metal　shards　slammed　into　it。　
　Schofield　and　Gant　were　at　the　back　of　the　room　on　C…deck；　taking　cover　behind　an　upturned　aluminium　table。　
　〃Marines；　call　in；〃　Schofield　said。　
　Voices　came　in　over　his　inter；　gunfire　rang　out　in　the　background。　
　〃This　is　Rebound！　I'm　with　Legs　and　Mother！　We　are　under　heavy　fire　in　the　northwest　quadrant　of　B…deck！〃　
　A　burst　of　static　suddenly　cut　across　Schofield's　earpiece。　〃…is　Book。。。　wood　is　down。　I'm　in。。。　quadrant…〃　Book's　voice　cut　off　abruptly；　the　signal　gone。　
　〃This　is　Montana；　Santa　Cruz　is　with　me。　We're　still　on　A…deck；　but　we're　pinned　down。〃　
　〃Lieutenant；　this　is　Snake。　I'm　outside；　approaching　the　main　entrance　right　now。〃　
　There　was　no　word　from　Hollywood。　And　Mitch　Healy　and　Samurai　Lau　were　already　dead。　Schofield　did　the　math。　If　all　three　of　them　were　dead；　then　the　Marines　were　down　to　nine　now。　
　Schofield　thought　about　the　French。　They　had　started　with　twelve　men；　plus　the　two　civilian　scientists。　Snake　had　said　earlier　that　he'd　killed　one　outside；　and　Schofield　himself　had　capped　another　one　upstairs。　That　meant　the　French　were　down　to　ten　men…plus　the　two　civilians；　wherever　the　hell　they　were。　
　Schofield's　thoughts　returned　to　the　present。　He　looked　at　the　big　wooden　door　in　front　of　him；　covered　with　dozens　of　protruding　silver　spikes。　
　He　turned　to　Gant。　〃We　can't　stay　here。〃　
　〃I　kind　of　already　got　that　idea；〃　Gant　replied　deadpan。　
　Schofield　spun　to　look　at　her；　confused　by　her　reply。　Gant　didn't　say　anything。　She　just　pointed　over　his　shoulder。　
　Schofield　turned　around　and　for　the　first　time　really　looked　at　the　room　around　him。　
　It　looked　like　a　boiler　room　of　some　sort。　Anodized　black　pipes　covered　the　ceiling。　Two　enormous　white　cylinders…lying　on　their　sides；　one　on　top　of　the　other…took　up　the　entire　right…hand　wall　of　the　room。　Each　cylinder　was　about　twelve　feet　long　and　six　feet　high。　
　And　in　the　middle　of　each　cylinder　was　a　large　diamond…shaped　red　sticker。　On　the　sticker　was　a　picture　of　a　single　flame　and；　in　large　bold　letters；　the　words：　
　
　DANGER　
　FLAMMABLE　PROPELLANT　
　L…5　
　HIGHLY　FLAMMABLE　
　
　Schofield　stared　at　the　massive　white　cylinders。　They　appeared　to　be　connected　to　a　puter　that　sat　on　a　table　in　the　rear　corner　of　the　room。　The　puter　was　switched　on；　but　at　the　moment　the　screen　was　filled　with　a　Sports　Illustrated　Swimsuit　screen　saver：　a　buxom　blonde　in　an　impossibly　small　bikini　lying　provocatively　on　a　tropical　beach　somewhere。　
　Schofield　crossed　the　room　quickly　and　stood　in　front　of　the　puter。　The　sexy　woman　on　the　screen　pouted　at　him。　
　〃Maybe　later；〃　he　said　to　the　screen　as　he　hit　a　key　on　the　keyboard。　The　screen　saver　vanished　instantly。　
　It　was　replaced　by　a　colored　schematic　diagram　of　the　five　floors　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　Five　circles　filled　the　screen…　three　on　the　left；　two　on　the　right…each　one　prised　of　the　central　well　of　the　station　surrounded　by　a　larger　outer　circle。　The　outer　circle　was　connected　to　the　central　well　by　four　straight　tunnels。　
　Rooms　were　arrayed　both　between　the　outer　tunnel　and　the　central　well　and　outside　the　outer　tunnel。　Different　rooms　were　painted　different　colors。　A　color　chart　on　the　side　of　the　screen　explained　that　each　color　indicated　a　different　temperature。　The　temperatures　ranged　from　…5。4°　to　…1。2°　Celsius。　
　〃It's　the　air…conditioning　system；〃　Gant　said；　taking　up　a　position　by　the　door。　〃L…5　means　it　uses　chlorofluorocarbons　as　propellant。　Must　be　pretty　old。〃　
　〃Why　doesn't　that　surprise　me；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　walked　over　toward　the　door　and　grabbed　the　handle。　
　He　opened　the　door　a　crack…　
　…just　in　time　to　see　a　black　baseball…sized　object　e　rocketing　toward　him。　
　A　long　finger　of　white　smoke　traced　a　line　through　the　air　behind　it；　revealing　its　source：　Petard　up　on　A…deck；　with　a　FA…MAS　assault　rifle　equipped　with　an　underslung　40mm　grenade　launcher。　
　Schofield　ducked　just　as　the　gas…propelled　grenade　shot　through　the　narrow　gap　in　the　doorway　above　his　head；　banked　upward　slightly；　and　slammed　into　the　back　wall　of　the　air…conditioning　room。　
　〃Out！　Now！〃　he　yelled。　
　Gant　didn't　need　to　be