mreilly.icestation-第58部分

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opped　open　and　he　saw　a　familiar　digital　timing　display　next　to　an　arm…disarm　switch。　Since　it　was　a　demolition　device；　a　Tritonal　charge　could　be　disarmed　at　any　time。　
　Twenty　seconds；　he　thought。　Just　enough　time　to　get　clear。　
　He　set　the　timer　on　the　Tritonal　charge　for　twenty　seconds　and　then　held　the　silver　canister　out　above　the　bulbous　magnetic　head　of　his　Maghook。　Immediately　the　steel　cylinder　thunked　down　hard　against　the　powerful　magnet　and　stuck　to　it；　caught　in　its　vicelike　magnetic　grip。　
　Schofield　was　still　running　hard；　sprinting　across　the　rugged　landscape　of　the　iceberg。　
　Then　he　came　to　the　edge　of　the　iceberg；　and　without　so　much　as　a　second　thought；　he　hit　it　at　full　speed　and　leaped　off　it；　out　into　the　air。　
　Schofield　flew　through　the　air　in　a　long；　wide　arc…hung　there　for　a　full　three　seconds…before　he　splashed　down　hard；　feetfirst；　into　the　freezing…cold　water　of　the　Southern　Ocean　one　more　time。　
　
　Bubbles　flew　up　all　around　him；　and　for　a　moment　Schofield　saw　nothing。　And　then　suddenly　the　bubbles　cleared　and　he　found　himself　hovering　in　the　water　right　in　front　of　the　gargantuan　steel　nose　of　the　French　submarine。　
　Schofield　checked　his　watch。　
　2：58：59　
　2：59：00　
　2：59：01　
　One　minute　to　go。　
　The　outer　doors　of　the　torpedo　tube　were　fully　open　now。　Schofield　swam　toward　it　The　torpedo　tube　opened　wide　in　front　of　him；　ten　yards　away。　
　This　had　better　work；　Schofield　thought　as　he　raised　his　Maghook；　with　the　Tritonal　charge　attached　to　its　head。　He　pressed　the　arm…disarm　switch　on　the　Tritonal　charge。　
　Twenty　seconds。　
　Schofield　fired　the　Maghook。　
　The　Maghook　shot　out　from　its　launcher；　leaving　a　thin　trail　of　white　bubbles　in　its　wake。　It　sliced　through　the　water　toward　the　open　torpedo　port。。。　
　。。。　and　hit　the　steel　hull　of　the　submarine　just　below　the　torpedo　port　with　a　loud　metallic　clunk！　The　Maghook…with　the　live　Tritonal　charge　attached　to　it…bounced　off　the　thick　steel　hull　of　the　sub　and　began　to　sink　limply　into　the　water。　
　Schofield　couldn't　believe　it。　
　He'd　missed！　
　Shit！　his　mind　screamed。　And　then　suddenly　another　thought　hit　him。　
　The　people　inside　the　sub　would　have　heard　it。　Must　have　heard　it。　
　Schofield　quickly　hit　the　black　button　on　his　grip　that　reeled　the　Maghook　in；　hoped　to　hell　that　it　got　back　to　him　before　twenty　seconds　expired。　
　Have　to　get　another　shot。　
　Have　got　to　get　another　shot。　
　The　Maghook　began　to　reel　itself　in。　
　And　then　suddenly　Schofield　heard　another　noise。　
　Vmmmmmm。　
　Off　to　his　left；　on　the　other　side　of　the　bow；　one　of　the　other　torpedo　doors　was　opening！　
　This　door　was　smaller　than　the　one　Schofield　had　tried　to　shoot　his　Maghook　into。　
　Smaller　torpedoes；　Schofield　thought。　Ones　that　are　designed　to　kill　other　subs；　not　whole　ice　stations。　
　And　then　with　a　sudden　whoooosh！　a　pact　white　torpedo　whizzed　out　from　the　newly…opened　torpedo　port　and　rolled　through　the　water　toward　Schofield。　
　Schofield　couldn't　believe　it。　
　They　had　fired　a　torpedo　at　him！　
　The　Maghook　returned　to　its　launcher　and　Schofield　quickly　pressed　the　arm…disarm　switch　on　the　Tritonal　charge…with　four　seconds　to　spare…just　as　the　torpedo　shot　past　his　waist；　its　wash　knocking　him　over　in　the　water。　
　Schofield　breathed　with　relief。　He　was　too　close。　The　torpedo　hadn't　had　time　to　get　a　lock　on　him。　
　It　was　then　that　the　torpedo　slammed　into　the　iceberg　behind　him　and　detonated　hard。　
　
　Renshaw　was　standing　on　the　edge　of　the　iceberg；　looking　down　into　the　water；　when　the　torpedo　hit；　about　twenty　yards　away。　
　In　an　instant；　a　whole　segment　of　the　iceberg　exploded　in　a　cloud　of　white　and　just　fell　away　into　the　ocean　like　a　landslide；　cut　clean　from　the　rest　of　the　massive　berg。　
　〃Yikes；〃　Renshaw　breathed　in　awe。　
　And　then　suddenly　he　saw　Schofield　surface　about　twenty　yards　out；　saw　him　gulp　in　a　lungful　of　air；　and　then　he　saw　the　lieutenant　go　under　again。　
　
　With　the　sound　of　the　torpedo's　explosion　still　reverberating　through　the　water　all　around　him；　and　a　large　slice　of　the　iceberg　plunging　into　the　water　behind　him；　Schofield　aimed　his　Maghook　at　the　torpedo　port　a　second　time。　
　2：59：37　
　2：59：38　
　2：59：39　
　Once　again；　he　pressed　the　arm　switch　on　the　Tritonal　charge…twenty　seconds…and　fired。　
　The　Maghook　shot　through　the　water　。。。　
　。。。　hung　there　for　a　long　time　。。。　
　。。。　and　then　disappeared　inside　the　torpedo　port。　
　Yes！　
　Schofield　quickly　pressed　the　button　marked　〃m〃　on　his　grip；　and　inside　the　torpedo　tube　the　magnetic　head　of　the　Maghook　responded　immediately　by　releasing　its　grip　on　the　silver…and…green　Tritonal　charge。　
　Then　Schofield　reeled　in　the　Maghook；　leaving　the　Tritonal　charge　inside　the　torpedo　tube。　And　then　he　swam。　Swam　for　all　he　was　worth。　
　
　Inside　the　torpedo　room　of　the　French　submarine；　the　world　was　deathly　silent。　A　young　Ensign　called　the　countdown。　
　〃Vingt　secondes　de　premier　lancer；〃　he　said。　Twenty　seconds　to　primary　launch。　Twenty　seconds　to　the　launch　of　the　eraser；　a　nuclear…tipped　Neptune…class　torpedo。　
　〃Dix…neuf。。。　dix…huit。。。　dix…sept。。。〃　
　
　From　the　iceberg　Renshaw　saw　Schofield　break　the　surface；　saw　him　swimming　frantically　through　the　water；　Maghook　in　hand。　
　The　French　Ensign's　count　continued。　〃Dix　。。。　neuf。。。　huit。。。　sept。。。〃　
　
　Schofield　was　swimming　hard；　trying　to　put　as　much　distance　between　himself　and　the　sub　as　he　could；　because　if　he　was　too　close　when　the　Tritonal　charge　went　off；　the　implosion　would　suck　him　right　in。　He'd　been　ten　yards　away　when　he'd　fired　the　Tritonal　charge。　Now　he　was　twenty　yards　away。　He　figured　twenty…five　and　he　would　be　OK。　
　Renshaw　was　yelling　at　him；　〃What　the　hell　is　happening！〃　
　〃Get　away　from　the　edge！〃　Schofield　yelled　as　he　swam。　〃Move！〃　
　
　〃Cinq　。。。　quatre　。。。　trois　。。。〃　
　The　French　Ensign's　count　never　got　beyond　〃three。〃　Because　at　that　moment…at　that　terrible；　stunning　moment…the　Tritonal　charge　inside　the　torpedo　tube　suddenly　went　off。　
　
　From　where　Renshaw　stood；　the　underwater　explosion　was　absolutely　spectacular；　and　all　the　more　so　because　it　was　unexpected。　
　It　was　instantaneous。　The　dark　shadow　under　the　surface　that　was　the　French　submarine　spontaneously　erupted　into　an　enormous　cloud　of　white。　An　immense　spray　of　water　fifty　feet　high　and　two　hundred　feet　long　shot　up　out　of　the　water　and　fell　slowly　back　down　to　earth。　
　
　From　water　level；　Schofield　saw　a　horde　of　monstrous　blue　bubbles　suddenly　begin　to　billow　out　from　a　gaping　hole　in　the　bow　of　the　submarine；　like　tentacles　reaching　out　for　him。　And　then　just　as　suddenly　they　began　to　retrace　their　steps　and；　with　terrifying　force；　the　bubbles　shot　back　in　toward　the　submarine　and　Schofield　suddenly　felt　himself　getting　sucked　back　toward　the　sub。　
　Implosion。　
　At　that　moment；　the　massive　French　sub　collapsed　in　on　itself　like　a　great　big　aluminium　can　and　the　suction　from　the　implosion　ceased。　Schofield　felt　the　water's　grip　on　him　relax；　and　he　let　himself　float　to　the　surface。　The　submarine　was　gone。　
　A　few　minutes　later；　Renshaw　pulled　him　out　of　the　water　and　dragged　him　up　onto　the　iceberg。　
　Schofield　dropped　down　onto　the　ice…breathing　hard；　soaking　wet；　freezing　cold。　He　was　gasping　for　breath；　his　body　overwhelmed　with　fatigue；　and　at　that　moment…with　the　French　submarine　destroyed　and　himself　and　Renshaw　hopelessly　marooned　on　an　iceberg…the　only　thing　in　the　world　that　Shane　Schofield　wanted　to　do　was　sleep。　
　
　
　
　In　the　Capitol　Building　in　Washington；　D。C。；　the　NATO　conference　reconvened。　
　George　Holmes；　the　U。S。　representative；　leaned　back　in　his　chair　as　he　watched　Pierre　Dufresne；　the　head　of　the　French　delegation；　stand　to　speak。　
　〃My　fellow　delegates；　ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　Dufresne　began；　〃the　Republic　of　France　would　like　to　express　its　total　aid　unconditional　support　for　the　North　Atlantic　Treaty　Organization；　this　fine　organization　of　nations　that　has　served　the　West　so　well　for　almost　fifty　years　。。。〃　
　The　speech　dragged　on；　extolling　the　virtues　of　NATO　and　fiance's　undying　loyalty　to　it。　George　Holmes　shook　his　head。　All　morning；　the　French　delegation　had　been　calling　recesses；　stalling　the　conference；　and　now；　all　of　a　sudden；　they　were　pledging　their　undying　loyalty　to　the　organization。　It　didn't　make　sense。　
　Dufresne；　finished　speaking；　sat　down。　Holmes　was　about　to　turn　and　say　something　to　Phil　Munro　when　suddenly　the　British　delegate　to　the　conference…a　well…groomed　statesman　named　Richard　Royce…pushed　his　chair　back　and　stood　up。　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen；〃　Royce　said　in　a　very　articulate　London　accent；　〃if　I　may　beg　your　indulgence；　the　British　delegation　requests　a　recess。〃　
　
　At　that　very　same　moment；　directly　across　the　road　from　the　Capitol　Building　and　the　NATO　conference；　Alison　Cameron　was　entering　the　atrium　of　the　Library　of　Congress。　prised　of　three　buildings；　the　Library　of　Congress　is　the　largest　library　in　the　world。　In　fact；　its　goal　upon　its　founding　was　to　be　the　single　largest　repository　of　knowledge　in　the　world。　That　is　what　it　is。　
　Which　was　why　Alison　was　not　surprised　to　learn　that　the　object　of　her　search…the　mysterious　1978　〃Preliminary　S