mreilly.icestation-第59部分
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Which was why Alison was not surprised to learn that the object of her search…the mysterious 1978 〃Preliminary Survey〃 by C。 M。 Waitzkin…was to be found at the Library of Congress。 If any library was going to have it； the Library of Congress would be it。
Alison waited at the Inquiries Desk as one of the library's attendants went down to the stack to get the survey for her。 The Library of Congress was a closed…stack library； which meant that the staff got the books for you。 It was also a non…circulating library； which meant that you were not allowed to take books out of the building。
The attendant was taking a while； so Alison began to browse through another book she had bought on the way to the library。
She looked at the cover。 It read：
THE ICE CRUSADE：
REFLECTIONS ON A YEAR SPENT IN
ANTARCTICA
DR。 BRIAN HENSLEIGH
Professor in Geophysics； Harvard University
Alison scanned the introduction。
Brian Hensleigh； it appeared； was the head of Harvard University's geophysics faculty。 He was into ice core research…a study that involved extracting cylindrical ice cores from the continental ice shelves in Antarctica and then examining the air that had been trapped inside those ice cores thousands of years before。
Apparently； so the book said； ice core research could be used to explain global warming； the greenhouse effect； and the depletion of the ozone layer。
In any case； it appeared that for the whole of 1994 this Hensleigh fellow had worked at a remote research station in Antarctica collecting ice core samples。
The name of that research station was Wilkes Ice Station。
And its location： latitude minus 66。5 degrees； longitude 115 degrees； 20 minutes； and 12 seconds east。
At that moment； the attendant returned and Alison looked up from the book。
〃It's not there；〃 the attendant said； shaking her head。
〃What？〃
〃I checked it three times；〃 the attendant said。 〃It's not on the shelf。 'Preliminary Survey' by C。 M。 Waitzkin； 1978。 It's not there。〃
Alison frowned。 This was unexpected。
The attendant…her name badge said her name was Cindy… shrugged helplessly。 〃I don't understand it。 It's just。。。 gone。〃
Alison felt a sudden rush of excitement as something occurred to her。
〃If it's not there； wouldn't that mean that someone is reading it right now？〃 she asked。
Cindy shook her head。 〃No； the puter says that the last time it was loaned out to anybody was in November 1979。〃
〃November 1979；〃 Alison said。
〃Yeah； spooky； huh？〃 Cindy looked about twenty years old； a college student no doubt。 〃I got the name of the borrower if you're interested。 Here。〃 She handed Alison a slip of paper。
It was a photocopy of a Request Form； similar to the one Alison herself had filled out to get the survey。
The Library of Congress obviously kept every form on file…probably for exactly this situation。
On the Request Form； in the box marked 〃Name of Person Requesting Item；〃 was a name：
O。 NIEMEYER
〃It happens；〃 Cindy the attendant was saying。 〃This Niemeyer guy probably liked it so much that he just walked out with it。 We didn't have magnetic tags on our books back then； so he probably just slipped out past the guards。〃
Alison ignored her。
She just stood there； entranced by the Request Form in her hand； by this twenty…year…old piece of evidence that had been sitting in a filing cabinet somewhere in the depths of the Library of Congress； waiting for this day。
Alison's eyes glowed as they stared at the words：
O。 NIEMEYER
Brigadier General Trevor Barnaby walked across the pool deck of Wilkes Ice Station。 He'd been in control of Wilkes Ice Station for a little over an hour now； and he was feeling confident。
Only twenty minutes ago he had sent a team of fully armed divers down in the station's diving bell。 But it would be at least ninety minutes before they reached the underground cave。 Indeed； the diving bell's cable was still plunging into the pool at the base of the station right now。
Barnaby himself was dressed in a black thermal wet suit。 He planned to go down to the underground cave with the second team…to see for himself what was really down there。
〃Well now；〃 he said as he saw Snake and the two French scientists handcuffed to the pole。 〃What have we here？ Why； if it isn't Sergeant Kaplan。〃 By the look on his face； Snake was obviously surprised that Barnaby knew who he was。
〃Gunnery Sergeant Scott Michael Kaplan；〃 Barnaby said。 〃Born： Dallas； 1953； enlisted in the United States Marine Corps at age eighteen in 1971； small arms expert； hand…to…hand bat expert； sniper。 And as of 1992； under suspicion by British Intelligence as a member of the American spy agency known as the Intelligence Convergence Group。
〃I'm sorry； what is it that they call you？ Snake； isn't it。 Tell me； Snake； is this a mon occurrence for you？ Does your manding officer often chain you to poles； leaving you at the mercy of the ining enemy？〃
Snake didn't say anything。
Barnaby said； 〃I would hardly have thought that Shane Schofield would be the kind of master to chain up his loyal squad members。 Which means there must be some other reason why he chained you up； n'est…ce pas？〃 Barnaby smiled。 〃Now； whatever could that reason be？〃
Snake still said nothing。 Every now and then； his eyes would steal a look at the diving bell's cable as it plunged into the pool behind Barnaby。
Barnaby turned his attention to the two French scientists。 〃And who might you be？〃 he asked。
Luc Champion blurted out indignantly； 〃We are French scientists from the research station Dumont d'Urville。 We have been detained here against our will by American forces。 We demand that we be released in accordance with international…〃
〃Mr。 Nero；〃 Barnaby said flatly。
A mountain of a man stepped out from behind Barnaby and stood next to him。 He was at least six…foot…five； with broad shoulders and impassive eyes。 He had a scar that ran down from the corner of his mouth to his chin。
Barnaby said； 〃Mr。 Nero； if you please。〃
The big man named Nero calinly raised his pistol and fired at Champion from point…blank range。
Champion's head exploded。 Blood and brains instantly splattered against the side of Snake's face。
Henri Rae； the second French scientist； began to whimper。
Barnaby turned to face him。 〃Are you French； too？〃
Rae began to sob。
Barnaby said； 〃Mr。 Nero。〃
Rae saw it ing and he screamed； 〃No！〃 just as Nero raised his gun again and a moment later the other side of Snake's face was splattered all over with blood。
In the pitch…darkness of the crawl space at the base of the elevator shaft； Mother snapped up at the sound of the gunshots。
Damn it； she thought。 She must have blacked out again。
Got to stay awake； she thought。
Got to stay awake。。。。
Mother stared at the clear plastic fluid bag she had brought with her。 It was connected by a tube to an intravenous drip that was stuck into her arm。
The fluid bag was now empty。
Had been for the last twenty minutes。
Mother began to shiver。 She felt cold； weak。 Her eyelids began to close。
She bit her tongue； trying to force her eyes open with the jolt of pain。
It worked for the first few times。 And then it didn't。
Alone at the base of the elevator shaft； Mother lapsed into unconsciousness。
Out on E…deck； Trevor Barnaby stepped forward； his eyes narrowing。 〃Sergeant Kaplan。 Snake。 You've been a naughty boy； haven't you？〃
Snake said nothing。
〃Are you ICG； Snake？ A turncoat？ A traitor to your own unit？ I bet the Scarecrow wasn't too pleased when he found out。 Is that why he chained you to a pole and left you here for me？〃
Snake swallowed。
Barnaby stared at him coldly。 〃It's what I would have done。〃
At that moment； a young SAS corporal came up behind Barnaby。 〃Sir。〃
〃Yes； Corporal。〃
〃Sir； the charges are being set around the perimeter。〃
〃At what range？〃
〃Five hundred yards； sir。 In an arc； like you ordered。〃
〃Good；〃 Barnaby said。 Soon after he had arrived at Wilkes； Barnaby had ordered that eighteen Tritonal charges be placed in a semicircular arc on the landward side of the station。 They were to have a special purpose。 A very special purpose。
Barnaby said； 〃Corporal； how long do you expect the laying of the charges to take？〃
〃Allowing for the drilling； sir； I'd say another hour。〃
〃Fine；〃 Barnaby said。 〃When they're all set； bring me the detonation unit。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 the corporal said 〃Oh； and； sir； there's one other thing。〃
〃Yes。〃
〃Sir； the prisoners who fell from the American hovercraft have just arrived。 What should we do with them？〃
Barnaby had already been told via radio of the soldier and the little girl who had fallen from one of the escaping hovercrafts and been picked up by his men。
〃Take the girl to her quarters。 Keep her there；〃 Barnaby said。 〃Bring the Marine to me。〃
Libby Gant was standing in a dark corner of the underground cavern； alone。 The beam of her flashlight illuminated a small horizontal fissure in the ice wall。
The fissure was at ground level； at the point where the ice wall met the floor。 It was about two feet high and stretched
