mreilly.icestation-第27部分
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Pete Cameron slowly shut his eyes。 It was another bum steer。 Just more indecipherable military gobbledygook。
The transmission ended and he turned and saw that Somerville was watching him eagerly。 Clearly； the SETI technician wanted something to e of his discovery。 He was a nobody。 Worse； a nobody out in the middle of nowhere。 A guy who probably just wanted to see his name in the Washington Post in anything other than an obituary。 Cameron felt sorry for him。 He sighed。
〃Could you play it again for me；〃 he said； reluctantly pulling out his notepad。
Somerville practically leaped for the REWIND button。
The tape played again and Cameron dutifully took notes。
It was ironic； Schofield thought； that Petard； the last French mando； should be killed by one of his own weapons。 Especially when it was a weapon that France had obtained from the United States by virtue of their alliance under NATO。
The M18A1 mine is better known throughout the world as the 〃Claymore。〃 It is made up of a concave porcelain plate that contains hundreds of ball bearings embedded in a six…hundred…gram wad of C…4 plastic explosive。 In effect； a Claymore is a directable fragmentation grenade…its lethality is dependent not on the force of its relatively small initial blast； but rather on the devastating fan…shaped spray of shrapnel that it emits。 If one sits behind a Claymore； one will not be harmed by its shrapnel blast。 If one is caught in front of it； one will be shredded to pieces。
The most well…known characteristic of the Claymore； however； is the simple instruction label that one finds embossed on the forward face of the mine。 It reads： THIS SIDE TOWARD ENEMY。
Or； in French； BRAQUEZ CE C？Té SUR L'ENEMMI。
If you ever found yourself looking at those words； you knew you were looking at the wrong end of a Claymore。
The two Claymores in the drilling room had been central to the French mandos' last…ditch plan to beat the Marines。 After it was all over； Schofield pieced together that plan：
They had sent someone down to the drilling room； ahead of the others。 Once there； that person had set up the two Claymores so that they faced the door。 The Claymores would then be connected to a trip wire。
Then； the other French mandos would pretend to retreat to the drilling room； deliberately allowing the Marines to follow them。
Of course； the Marines would know that the drilling room was a dead end； so they would think that the French； in their desperate attempt to flee； had run themselves into a corner； into a trap。
Surrender would be inevitable。
But as the Marines entered the drilling room to secure the French troops； they would break the trip wire and set off the two Claymores。 The Marines would be cut to ribbons。
It was an audacious plan。 A plan that would have changed the course of the battle。
And it was cunning； too。 It turned a full…scale retreat… hell； a total surrender…into a decisive counterattack。
But what Petard and the French had not accounted for was that one of the American soldiers might e upon their trap while they were setting it。
Schofield was proud of Rebound。 Proud of how the young Marine had handled the situation。
Rather than blow the lid on the French plan and continue with unpredictable hand…to…hand fighting； Rebound had coolly allowed the French to believe that their plan was still afoot。
But he had changed one thing。
He had turned the Claymores around。
That was what Petard had seen when Rebound had spoken to him in the drilling room。 He had seen those chilling words。
THIS SIDE TOWARD ENEMY。
Pointing at him。
Rebound had got the better of him。 And when Rebound stepped forward across the trip wire； it was to be the last thing that Petard ever saw。 The battle； at last； was over。
An hour later； the station's lights were back on and all of the bodies； French and American； had been found and accounted for。 At least； those bodies that could be found。
The French had lost four men to the killer whales； the Americans； one。 Eight other French mandos and two more U。S。 Marines…Hollywood and Ratman…had been found in various locations around the ice station。 They had all been confirmed dead。
The Americans also had two wounded； both quite seriously。 Mother； who had lost one of her legs to the killer whale； and； rather surprisingly； Augustine 〃Samurai〃 Lau； the very first Marine to have been gunned down by the French。
Mother was faring better than Samurai。 Since her wound was a localized one…confined to the lower extremity of her left leg…she was still conscious。 In fact； she still had full movement in all of her other limbs。 The flow of blood from the wound had been stopped； and the methadone took care of what pain there was。 The only enemy that remained was shock。 Thus it was decided that Mother would remain in her storeroom on E…deck； under constant supervision。 To move her might trigger a fit。
Samurai； on the other hand； was in a much worse state。 He was in a self…induced a； his stomach having been ripped to shreds by Latissier's barrage of gunfire at the very beginning of the battle。
The young Marine's body had responded to the sudden trauma in the only way it knew how…it had switched itself off。 At the time they found him alive； Schofield had marveled at the ability of the human body to take care of itself in the face of such extreme crisis。 No amount of methadone or morphine could have quelled the pain of that many gunshot wounds。 So Samurai's body had done the next…best thing： it had simply turned off its sensory apparatus and was now awaiting external help。
The problem was whether or not Schofield could provide that external help。
Anything greater than basic medical knowledge is rare in a frontline unit。 The closest thing such units have to a doctor is the team medic； who is usually a low…level Corporal。 Legs Lane had been Schofield's medic； and he was now deader than dead。
Schofield walked quickly around the A…deck catwalk。 He'd just e up from E…deck； where he had checked on Mother； and was now wearing a new pair of silver antiflash glasses。 Mother had given them to him。 She'd said that in her state； she wouldn't be needing them anymore。
Schofield poked his head around the dining room door。 〃What do you think； Rebound？〃 he said。
Inside the dining room； Rebound was working feverishly over Samurai's inanimate body。 The body lay flat on its back on a table in the center of the room。 Blood dripped off the edges of the table； forming a red puddle on the cold porcelain floor。
Rebound looked up from what he was doing。 He shook his head in exasperation。
〃I can't keep up with the blood loss；〃 he said to Schofield。 〃There's just too much internal damage。 His whole gut's been blown apart。〃
Rebound wiped his forehead。 A slick of blood appeared above his eyes。 He looked hard at Schofield。 'This is way out of my league； sir。 He needs someone who knows what he's doing。 He needs a doctor。〃
Schofield stared at Samurai's prone body for a few seconds。
〃Just do what you can；〃 he said； and then he left the room。
〃OK； people； listen up；〃 Schofield said。 〃We don't have much time； so I'm going to keep this short。〃
The six remaining able…bodied Marines were gathered around the pool on E…deck。 They all stood in a wide circle。 Schofield stood in the middle。
Schofield's voice echoed up through the shaft of the empty station： 〃This station is obviously a lot hotter than we originally thought。 I'm thinking that if the French were willing to take a chance to grab it； others will； too。 And whoever those others might be； by now they've had some time to get their shit together and prepare for a full…scale attack。 Have no doubt； people； if anyone else decides to hit this station they will almost certainly be better prepared and more heavily armed than those French pricks we just exterminated。 Opinions？〃
〃Concur；〃 Buck Riley said。
〃Same；〃 Snake said。 Book Riley and Snake Kaplan were the two most senior enlisted men in the unit。 It meant something that they both agreed with Schofield's assessment of the situation。
Schofield said； 〃All right； then。 What I want to happen now is this。 Montana。。。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃I want you to go topside and position our two hovercrafts so that their range finders are pointed outward； so that they cover the entire landward approach to this station。 I want maximum coverage； no gaps。 Trip wires aren't going to cut it anymore with this place； we use the range finders from here。 As soon as anyone es within fifty miles of this station； I want to know about it。〃
〃Got it；〃 Montana said。
〃And while you're up there；〃 Schofield said； 〃see if you can get on the radio and raise McMurdo。 Find out when our reinforcements are ing。 They should've been here by now。〃
〃You got it；〃 Montana said。 He hurried away。
〃Santa Cruz 。。。；〃 Schofield said； turning。
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃Eraser check。 I want this whole facility swept from top to bottom for any kind of eraser or delay switch； OK？ There's no knowing what kinds of little surprises our French friends left behind for us。 Got it？〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Santa Cruz said。 He broke out of the circle and headed for the nearest run
