mreilly.icestation-第24部分

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　Maybe　they　did。。。。　
　
　Schofield　stepped　up　onto　D…deck　with　his　Maghook　held　out　in　front　of　him　at　shoulder　height；　ready　to　fire。　In　his　other　hand；　he　held　the　dead　Frenchman's　crossbow。　
　Although　not　exactly　designed　for　accuracy；　the　Armalite　MH…12　Maghook　launcher　has　the　ability　to　shoot　its　magnetic　grappling　hook　quite　substantial　distances…over　a　hundred　feet。　
　Initially；　the　MH…12　Maghook　was　intended　for　use　in　urban　warfare　and　antiterrorist　operations…its　chief　purpose　was　to　provide　a　self…contained　rope　and　grappling　hook　that　could　be　used　for　scaling　the　sides　of　buildings；　or　providing　zip　lines　along　which　antiterrorist　units　could　slide　and　make　rapid　forced　entries。　
　That　being　the　case；　the　Maghook's　small　hand…held　launcher　had　to　have　the　power　to　shoot　its　hook　to　great　heights。　The　answer　was　a　state…of…the…art　hydraulic　launching　system　that　provided　4；000　pounds　per　square　inch　of　enhanced　vertical　thrust。　The　way　Schofield　figured　it；　if　he　fired　his　Maghook　at　an　enemy　soldier　from　a　distance　of　twenty　feet；　4；000　pounds　per　square　inch　of　thrust　had　to　have　some　chance　of　scoring　a　hit。　
　And　indeed；　as　Schofield　himself　had　discovered　in　the　pool　before；　at　close　range；　underwater；　a　Maghook　had　the　capacity　to　stun　a　seven…ton　killer　whale。　When　fired　at　a　one…hundred…and…eighty…pound　man　at　similar　range；　above　water；　the　Maghook　would　probably　crack　his　skull。　
　Thus　armed；　the　Marines　were　confident　that　they　could　handle　the　French　mandos'　crossbows。　
　So　the　plan　would　go　ahead。　
　Montana；　Snake；　and　Santa　Cruz　would　work　their　way　down　through　the　station　from　A…deck；　forcing　the　Frenchmen　down；　while　Schofield；　Gant；　and　Rebound　worked　their　way　up　from　E…deck。　They　would　hopefully　meet　halfway　and　the　rest　would　write　itself。　
　Schofield　and　Gant　had　departed　right　away。　
　Rebound　was　to　join　them　as　soon　as　he　had　stemmed　the　flow　of　blood　from　Mother's　leg　and　started　her　up　on　an　intravenous　line　of　methadone。　
　
　The　three　Marines　on　A…deck　began　their　attack。　
　They　moved　quickly；　using　a　textbook　three…man　flushing　formation　known　as　〃leapfrogging。〃　One　Marine　would　move　forward；　ahead　of　his　partners；　and　fire　his　Maghook。　Then；　while　he　reeled　his　hook　in　to　reload；　a　second　Marine　would　move　in　front　of　him…〃leapfrogging〃　him…and　fire　his　Maghook　at　the　enemy。　By　the　time　the　third　man　stepped　forward　and　fired；　the　first　man　was　ready　to　fire　again　and　the　cycle　continued。　
　The　two　French　soldiers　on　A…deck　responded　as　they　were　supposed　to…they　retreated；　hastened　away　from　the　rolling　wave　of　powerful　Maghook　fire。　They　hurried　for　the　ladders；　climbed　down　the　shaft。　
　However；　as　he　fielded　reports　from　Montana　about　the　French　soldiers'　movement；　Schofield　noticed　something　odd　about　their　evasive　maneuvers。　
　They　were　moving　too　fast。　
　In　their　retreat　down　the　shaft；　the　four　French　soldiers　had　pletely　avoided　the　destroyed　B…deck　catwalk　and　continued　straight　down　to　C。　
　They　moved　fluidly；　in　a　swift　two…by…two　cover　formation…the　lead　two　men　covering　the　forward　flank；　the　rear　two　covering　their　pursuers　behind；　with　a　space　of　about　ten　yards　between　the　two　pairs。　
　Earlier；　Montana　had　reported　that　all　four　of　the　French　mandos　were　wearing　night…vision　goggles。　They　had　e　prepared。　
　They　continued　to　move　down　the　shaft　fast。　
　Schofield　had　expected　them　to　waste　time　in　the　tunnels　as　they　tried　to　adopt　a　defensive　position。　But　the　French　soldiers　seemed　to　have　other　ideas。　They　darted　into　the　C…deck　tunnels　only　for　so　long　as　it　took　the　Marines　pursuing　them　from　the　levels　above　to　join　them。　Then　suddenly　they　appeared　on　the　catwalk　again　and　made　for　the　rung…ladder　leading　down　to　D…deck。　
　At　that　moment；　Schofield　recalled　something　Trevor　Barnaby　had　once　said　about　strategy。　
　〃Good　strategy　is　like　magic；〃　Barnaby　had　said。　〃Make　your　enemy　look　at　one　hand　while　you're　doing　something　with　the　other。〃　
　〃They're　moving　for　the　southwest　ladder；〃　Montana's　voice　said　in　Schofield's　earpiece。　〃Scarecrow；　you　down　there？〃　
　Schofield　moved　forward　along　the　D…deck　catwalk；　the　world　green　before　his　eyes。　〃We're　on　it。〃　
　He　and　Gant　approached　the　southwest　corner　of　D…deck；　saw　the　rung…ladder　that　led　up　to　C…deck。　
　Schofield　spoke　into　his　mike。　〃Rebound；　where　are　you？〃　
　〃Finishing　up　now；　sir；〃　Rebound's　voice　replied　from　the　storeroom　down　on　E…deck。　
　〃Flanking　west；　Sarge；〃　the　voice　of　José　〃Santa〃　Cruz　said　over　the　inter。　
　Montana's　voice：　〃Keep　'em　ing；　Cruz。　Then　send　'em　down　to　the　Scarecrow。〃　
　On　D…deck；　Schofield　and　Gant　arrived　at　the　rung…ladder。　They　crouched；　leveled　their　weapons　at　the　empty　ladder。　They　heard　boots　stomping　fast　on　the　metal　catwalk　above　them；　heard　the　distinctive　snap…phew！　of　a　crossbow　being　fired。　
　〃They're　ing　to　the　ladder；〃　Santa　Cruz's　voice　said。　
　More　footsteps　clanged　on　the　metal　grating。　
　Any　second　now　。。。　
　Any　second。。。　
　And　then　suddenly；　clunk；　clunk。　
　What　the　hell…　
　〃Marines！　Eyes　shut！　Flasher　on　the　ground！〃　Santa　Cruz's　voice　yelled　suddenly。　
　Schofield　immediately　squeezed　his　eyes　shut　just　as　he　heard　the　stun　grenade　bounce　on　the　metal　deck　above　him。　
　The　stun　grenade　went　off…like　a　flashbulb　on　a　camera…　and　for　a　brief　instant　the　whole　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station　flared　white。　
　Schofield　was　about　to　open　his　eyes　when　suddenly　there　came　a　new　noise　from　his　right。　It　sounded　like　someone　doing　up　a　zipper　really；　really　fast。　
　Schofield　spun　right　and　opened　his　eyes；　and　his　green　world　streaked　laterally。　His　eyes　searched　the　empty　shaft；　but　he　saw　nothing。　
　〃Ah；　shit！〃　Cruz　said。　〃Sir！　One　of　them　just　went　over　the　railing！〃　
　The　zipping　sound　that　Schofield　had　just　heard　suddenly　made　sense。　It　had　been　the　sound　of　someone　rappelling　down　the　central　shaft　on　a　rope。　
　Schofield　froze　for　a　split　second。　
　Such　a　move　wasn't　a　defensive　move　at　all。　
　It　was　a　coordinated　move；　a　planned　move；　an　attacking　move。　
　The　French　weren't　actually　on　the　run。　
　They　were　carrying　out　a　plan　of　their　own。　
　Make　your　enemy　look　at　one　hand　while　you're　doing　something　with　the　other。。。。　
　Like　a　chess　player　caught　in　check　a　second　before　he　intends　to　play　his　own　killing　move；　Schofield　felt　his　mind　start　to　spin。　
　What　were　they　up　to？　
　What　was　their　plan？　
　In　the　end　he　didn't　have　time　to　think　about　it；　because　no　sooner　had　he　heard　Santa　Cruz's　message　than　a　volley　of　arrows　thudded　into　the　ice　wall　all　around　him。　Schofield　ducked　and　spun　and　saw　Gant　dive　to　the　floor　behind　him；　and　then　he　spun　back　round　and　before　he　knew　what　was　happening　a　figure　slid　down　the　rung…ladder　in　front　of　him　and　Schofield　found　himself　standing　face…to…face　with　the　Frenchman　he　knew　as　Jacques　Latissier。　
　
　
　
　Rebound　was　crouched　over　Mother　in　the　storeroom　on　E…deck。　
　Mother　had　tough　veins；　and；　to　make　it　even　more　difficult；　Rebound　was　wearing　his　night…vision　goggles　as　he　tried　to　get　the　needle　into　her　arm。　He'd　missed　the　vein　on　his　first　four　attempts；　and　he　had　only　now　just　managed　to　get　the　IV　line　flowing　into　Mother's　arm。　
　The　IV　done；　Rebound　stood　up　and　was　about　to　leave　Mother　when；　strangely；　he　heard　the　sound　of　soft　footsteps　hurrying　down　the　tunnel　outside　the　darkened　storeroom。　
　Rebound　froze。　
　Listened。　
　The　sound　of　the　footsteps　faded　as　they　hurried　off　down　the　southern　tunnel　outside。　
　Rebound　stepped　forward　and　grabbed　the　doorknob　and　slowly；　quietly；　turned　it。　The　door　opened　and　he　peered　out　into　the　tunnel　through　his　night…vision　goggles。　
　He　looked　left　and　saw　the　pool。　Small　waves　lapped　against　the　sides　of　the　deck。　
　He　looked　right　and　saw　a　long；　straight　tunnel　stretching　away　from　him　into　darkness。　He　recognized　it　immediately　as　the　elongated　southern　tunnel　of　E…deck　that　led　to　the　station's　drilling　room。　
　Since　it　was　the　lowest　level　in　the　ice　station；　E…deck　housed　the　station's　drilling　room…the　room　from　which　the　scientists　dolled　down　into　the　ice　to　obtain　their　ice　cores。　So　as　to　maximize　the　depths　to　which　the　scientists　could　drill；　the　drilling　room　had　been　constructed　as　far　into　the　ice　shelf　as　possible…to　the　south　of　the　station；　where　the　ice　was　deepest。　The　room　was　connected　to　the　main　station　plex　by　a　long；　narrow　tunnel　that　stretched　for　at　least　forty　meters。　
　Rebound　heard　the　soft　footsteps　disappear　down　the　long　tunnel　to　his　right。　
　After　a　short　moment　of　pause；　he　raised　his　Maghook　and　ventured　out　into　the　tunnel　after　them。　
　
　Schofield　fired　his　Maghook　at　Latissier。　
　The　Frenchman　ducked　fast　and　the　grappling　hook　thundered　over　the　top　of　him　and　flew　through　the　rung…ladder　behind　him。　The　hook　looped　itself　over　one　of　the　rungs　and　knotted　itself　tight　against　the　ladder。　
　Schofield　threw　his　Maghook　down　and　raised　his　crossbow　at　the　same　time　as　Latissier　leveled　his　own　at　him。　
　The　two　men　fired　at　the　same　time。　
　The　arrows　whistled　through　the　air；　crossing　each　other　in　midnight。　
　Latissier's　arrow　slammed　into　Schofield's　armored　shoulder　plate。　Schofiel