mreilly.icestation-第78部分

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　The　squadron　leader　tried　to　raise　the　SEAL　team　again；　but　this　time　he　couldn't　get　through。　They'd　already　switched　over　to　closed…circuit　channels　for　their　assault　on　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　
　The　main　doors　to　the　station　exploded　inward　and　the　SEAL　team　stormed　inside　with　their　guns　blazing。　
　It　was　a　textbook…perfect　entrance。　The　only　problem　was；　the　station　was　empty。　
　
　Schofield　looked　at　his　depth　gauge：　1470　feet。　
　He　pushed　on　and　a　few　minutes　later；　he　emerged　from　the　narrow　shortcut　tunnel　and　found　himself　inside　a　wider；　ice…wafted　tunnel。　
　He　knew　where　he　was　instantly；　even　though　he　had　never　been　here　before。　
　On　the　far　side　of　the　underwater　ice　tunnel　he　saw　a　series　of　round　ten…foot　holes　carved　into　the　tunnel　walls。　Sarah　Hensleigh　had　told　him　about　them　before。　And　Gant　had　mentioned　them　as　well；　when　she　had　approached　the　cave。　The　elephant　seals'　caves。　He　was　inside　the　underwater　ice　tunnel　that　led　up　to　the　spacecraft's　cavern。　
　Schofield　breathed　a　sigh　of　relief。　Yes！　
　They　swam　out　into　the　underwater　ice　tunnel。　Beside　him；　Schofield　saw　Kirsty　let　go　of　Wendy's　harness；　saw　the　little　seal　dart　off　toward　the　surface。　Schofield；　Kirsty；　and　Renshaw　followed；　swimming　quickly　upward；　eying　the　holes　in　the　ice　walls　around　them　nervously。　
　Although　the　sight　of　the　holes　in　the　walls　made　him　uneasy；　Schofield　felt　fairly　certain　that　the　elephant　seals　would　not　attack　them。　He　had　a　theory　about　that。　So　far；　the　only　group　of　divers　to　have　approached　the　underwater　ice　cave　unharmed　had　been　Gant's　group…and　they　had　all　been　wearing　LABA　tanks；　low…audibility　breathing　gear。　The　other　groups　to　have　gone　down…the　scientists　from　Wilkes　and　the　British…hadn't。　And　they　had　been　attacked。　The　way　Schofield　figured　it；　the　elephant　seals　hadn't　been　able　to　hear　Gant　and　her　team　when　they　had　approached　the　cavern。　And　so　they　hadn't　been　attacked。　
　At　that　moment；　Schofield　caught　sight　of　the　surface　and　his　thoughts　about　the　elephant　seals　were　forgotten。　
　He　looked　at　his　depth　gauge：　1490　feet。　
　Then　he　looked　at　his　watch。　It　had　taken　them　all　of　eighteen　minutes　to　get　here。　Very　quick　time。　
　And　then　suddenly　a　low　whistle　cut　through　the　water。　
　Schofield　heard　it；　tensed。　
　He　saw　Wendy　hovering　in　the　water　above　him；　saw　her　body　whip　around　suddenly。　She　had　sensed　it；　too。　
　Suddenly　a　second　whistle　answered　the　first　and　Schofield　felt　his　heart　sink。　
　The　seals　knew　they　were　there。。。。　
　〃Go！〃　Schofield　said　to　Renshaw　and　Kirsty。　〃Go！〃　
　Schofield　and　Renshaw　broke　out　into　swift　strokes；　heading　for　the　surface。　Renshaw　was　closest　to　Kirsty；　so　he　just　pushed　up　against　her　LABA　tanks；　pushing　her　up　through　the　water；　forcing　her　to　swim　faster。　
　Schofield　looked　at　the　surface　above　him。　It　looked　beautiful；　glassy；　calm。　Like　a　smooth　glass　lens。　
　The　whistles　around　them　became　more　intense；　and　then　suddenly　he　heard　a　hoarse　bark　cut　across　the　underwater　spectrum。　
　Schofield　spun　in　the　water；　looked　about　himself；　then　snapped　up　to　look　at　the　lens…like　surface　again。　
　And　at　that　moment；　the　lens　shattered。　
　
　Elephant　seals　plunged　into　the　water　from　every　side。　Others　roared　out　of　the　submerged　holes　in　the　walls　and　charged　at　Schofield　and　the　others。　Their　shrieks　and　barks　and　whistles　filled　the　water。　
　Kirsty　and　Renshaw　broke　the　surface　first；　right　near　the　edge　of　the　pool。　Renshaw…still　in　the　water…pushed　hard　against　the　underside　of　Kirsty's　tanks；　forcing　her　out　of　the　water。　
　Kirsty　stumbled　frantically　up　onto　dry　land；　slipped　and　fell；　flat　onto　her　face；　and　turned　just　in　time　to　see　Renshaw　get　one　arm　out　of　the　water　and　begin　to　haul　himself　out　when…yank…Renshaw　was　suddenly　wrenched　violently　under　the　churning　surface。　
　Kirsty　screamed　but　cut　herself　off　when　she　saw　an　enormous　shape　rise　up　out　of　the　water　in　front　of　her。　
　She　dived　away　from　the　water's　edge　just　as　one　of　the　elephant　seals　launched　itself　out　of　the　water　and　crashed　down　onto　the　ice　in　front　of　her。　Kirsty　staggered　and　stumbled　away　from　the　edge；　turned；　and　saw　that　the　giant　seal　was　loping　across　the　flat　floor　of　the　cavern；　chasing　her！　
　Kirsty　clawed　at　the　icy　ground；　lost　her　footing；　slipped；　and　fell。　
　The　elephant　seal　charged。　Kirsty　lay　sprawled　on　the　floor　of　the　cavern；　totally　exposed；　staring　up　at　the　gigantic　demon　bearing　on　her　and…　
　And　then　suddenly　boom！　the　elephant　seal's　face　exploded　in　a　fountain　of　blood　and　the　big　seal　went　crashing　headfirst　to　the　ground。　
　Kirsty　stared　in　awe　as　the　elephant　seal　dropped　to　the　floor；　revealing　behind　it：　Schofield；　hovering　in　the　pool　thirty　feet　away；　with　his　pistol　extended。　
　He　had　just　shot　the　seal　through　the　back　of　the　head！　
　Kirsty　almost　fainted。　
　
　Under　the　surface；　James　Renshaw　was　absolutely　panic…stricken。　
　One　of　the　seals　had　pulled　him　under　and　now　it　had　him；　had　his　foot　in　its　mouth！　
　Renshaw　looked　down　in　desperation；　and　then　suddenly　he　frowned。　The　seal　that　had　him　looked　smaller　than　the　others；　and　it　had　those　distinctive　lower　fangs　that　he　had　seen　on　the　larger　male　before。　
　A　juvenile　male？　Renshaw　thought。　
　And　then　another　thought　hit　him。　
　If　it's　young；　you　might　have　a　chance　to　get　out　of　this。　
　So；　with　his　spare　foot；　Renshaw　kicked　the　small　seal　hard　in　the　snout。　
　The　seal　instantly　squealed　with　pain　and　released　his　foot；　and　Renshaw　bolted　for　the　surface。　
　He　burst　up　out　of　the　water　a　second　later　and　saw　the　edge　of　the　pool　right　in　front　of　him。　Then　he　grabbed　the　nearest　rock　and　hauled　himself　out　of　the　water　just　as　another；　much　larger　seal；　probably　the　juvenile's　mother；　swept　through　the　water　behind　him　and　narrowly　missed　biting　his　feet　clean　off。　
　
　Schofield　was　swimming　madly　for　the　edge　of　the　pool。　
　As　he　swam；　he　caught　fleeting　glimpses　of　the　cave　around　him…he　saw　Kirsty　over　on　one　side　of　the　pool；　saw　Renshaw　over　on　the　other。　And　then　he　saw　the　the　ship；　the　big　black　ship；　standing　like　an　enormous；　silent　bird　of　prey　in　the　middle　of　the　massive　subterranean　cavern。　
　And　then　suddenly　his　view　of　the　big　black　ship　was　obliterated　by　the　sight　of　the　big　bull　seal　rising　up　out　of　the　water　right　in　front　of　him！　
　The　big　seal　was　already　moving　fast　and　it　plowed　into　Schofield　at　phenomenal　speed　and　Schofield　gasped　as　he　felt　the　wind　get　knocked　out　of　him　and　he　went　under。　
　The　bull　seal　had　rammed　into　his　chest　with　its　long　lower　fangs。　Ordinarily；　Schofield　guessed；　this　would　have　been　enough　to　kill　any　would…be　victim；　since　the　big　seal's　fangs　would　pierce　the　victim's　chest　
　But　not　with　Schofield。　
　He　was　still　wearing　his　body　armor；　and　the　bull　seal's　fangs　had　lodged　in　his　Kevlar　breastplate。　
　The　elephant　seal　drove　him　downward；　pushing　against　his　chest。　Schofield　struggled；　but　it　was　no　use。　By　virtue　of　his　breastplate　he　was　practically　impaled　on　the　big　animal's　fangs。　
　The　seal　took　Schofield　down。　Down　and　down；　on　the　end　of　its　nose。　Bubbles　shot　out　from　its　heaving　mouth　as　it　expelled　vast　quantities　of　air　in　its　exertion。　
　Schofield　had　to　do　something。　
　He　reached　into　his　pocket；　searched　for　whatever　lay　in　there。　
　He　pulled　out　a　British　nitrogen　charge；　looked　at　it　for　a　second。　
　Oh；　what　the　hell；　he　thought　
　Schofield　quickly　pulled　the　pin　on　the　nitrogen　charge　and　ammed　the　live　grenade　into　the　open　jaws　of　the　big　elephant　seal。　
　Then　he　pushed　himself　off　the　big　animal's　fangs　and　the　seal　shot　past　him　in　the　water。　It　quickly　realized　that　it　had　lost　Schofield；　and　when　it　did；　the　big　seal　began　to　turn　around。　
　It　was　then　that　the　nitrogen　charge　went　off。　
　
　The　bull　seal's　head　exploded。　Then　it　imploded。　And　then　most　shocking　thing　of　all　happened。　A　wave　of　ice　shot　out　from　the　dead　seal's　body。　At　first　Schofield　didn't　know　what　it　was；　and　then　suddenly　he　realized。　
　It　was　the　liquid　nitrogen　from　the　charge；　expanding　through　the　water；　freezing　the　water　as　it　went！　Shit。　He　hadn't　counted　on　that！　The　wall　of　ice　shot　through　the　water　toward　Schofield；　constantly　expanding；　like　a　living；　breathing　ice　formation　growing　through　the　water。　
　Schofield　watched　it　with　wide　eyes。　If　it　enveloped　him；　he　would　be　dead　in　an　instant。　
　Get　out　of　here！　
　And　then　suddenly　Schofield　felt　something　nudge　against　his　shoulder　and　he　turned。　
　It　was　Wendy！　
　Schofield　grabbed　her　harness　and　Wendy　took　off　immediately。　
　The　wall　of　ice　behind　them　gave　chase；　expanding　through　the　water　at　phenomenal　speed；　building　upon　itself　at　an　exponential　rate。　
　Wendy　swam　hard；　pulling　Schofield　with　her。　She　was　small；　but　she　hauled　Schofield　through　the　water　at　incredible　speed。　
　The　ice　wall　closed　in　on　them。　
　Another　elephant　seal　swung　in　behind　them；　spying　an　easy　meal；　but　the　ice　wall　caught　the　big　seal；　enveloped　it　within　its　expanding　mass；　and　swallowed　it　whole；　froze　it　within　its　icy　belly。　
　Wendy　swam；　toward　the　surface；　deftly　avoiding　any　elephant　seals　that　tried　to　cut　across　her　path。　
　She