johngardner.winloseordie-第45部分

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ence　meetings。　I'd　stake　money　on　the　three　of　ihem　being　kept　in　（here；　possibly　wiih　a　guard　on　the　bulkhead　door。　But　it's　stilt　only　a　guess。　If　I'm　wrong　and　they're　being　held　somewhere　else；　then　it'll　go　wrong　and　I'll　lake　the　blame。'
　'But　you　believe　that's　our　main　target？〃　the　SBS　Major　nodded。
　'Yes。　We　have　to　take　the　risk。　The　quickest　way　down　is　through　the　Flight　Crew　Room　which　is　here。'　He　pointed　to　the　bulkhead　door　he　had　used　to　get　to　the　Harrier。　It　seemed　days　ago　now；　not　just　a　handful　of　hours。
　'So。　before　we　decide　on　tactics；　how　many　people　do　you　think　we　need？'　The　SBS　Major　was　putting　on　a　little　pressure；　and　Bond　knew　il。　Behind　the　dedication　of　elite　forces；　there　was　always　a　desire　to　be　in　at　the　kill；　to　take　credit。　They　were　really　in　the　hands　of　the　United　States　Navy；　so　Bond　had　to　make　a　very　careful　choice。　He　also　had　to　make　it　with　confidence　and　speed。
　They're　fourteen；　maybe　fifteen。　I　don't　think　we　have　to　go　by　the　odds。'　He　locked　eyes；　first；　with　the　US　Marines　Major　and　then　with　the　Royal　Marines　Major　from　the　Special　Boat　Squadron。　Ч　lead。　We　draw　up　the　main　plan　together。　I　want　five　of　your　Marines；　Major；　and　five　SBS；　Major；〃　turning　to　each　man　as　he　spoke。　They　both　nodded　solemnly。　〃As　for　weapons；　well；　there's　likely　to　be　killing　…　regretful；　but　I　see　no　other　way　…　and　I　think　some　of　that　killing's　got　to　be　silent。　Have　we　any　hand…guns　with　silencers？'
　It　was　Mike　Carter　who　answered。　'We　can　provide　Brownings　and　H　&　Ks　with　modified　noise　reduction　units。'
　'Right；'　Bond　nodded。　'Everyone　will　carry　either　a　Browning　or　an　H　&　K。　I　want　one　man　from　each　unit　to　be　armed　with　a　sub…machine…gun。　Any　H　&　К　MP5s。　Mike？'
'MP5s；　5Ks；　Uzis；　you　name　it；　we　got　it。'
　〃K…Bar　knives　for　the　US　Marines；　usual　Sykes…Fairbaim　for　SBS。　Flash…bangs？'　he　asked　Carter；　meaning　stun　grenades。
'Whatever　you　need。'
　'Two　each；　and　some　tear…gas　grenades。　We'll　go　in　with　masks　on。　Now；　the　actual　tactics；　and　here　we're　going　to　have　to　guess　a　lot。　We　have　to　ask　where　we　would　put　people　on　that　ship　to　keep　watch。　I　know　the　girl　in　charge；　and　she's　no　fool。　But　she'll　probably　act　predictably。'
'Then　she'll　let　some　of　the　girls　rest　for　pan　of　the　time；'　the
SBS　officer　ssu'd。
　'Maybe。　They'll　be　highly　stressed；　whatever；　and；　therefore；　more　dangerous。　I'd　say　she'd　only　let　three　of　the　girls　rest　at　one　time。　That　gives　her　eleven　…　twelve　with　Mr　Speaker；　and　1　really　don't　know　how　good　he'll　be　in　a　tangle。'
　'She'll　stay　on　duty　all　the　time？'　the　US　Marine　Corps　officer　asked。
　Bond　nodded；　with　a　smile；　'Clover　is　probably　able　to　keep　going　without　sleep　for　another　forty…eight　hours。　So；　if　you　were　her；　where　would　you　put　your　troops？〃
　They　talked　it　out　carefully；　using　logic；　then　going　back　and　looking　at　it　in　the　most　perverse　manner。　In　the　end；　they　decided　that　Bond　had　been　right　about　the　psycho　being　with　the　VIPs；　plus　a　guard　outside。　They　put　two　more　on　the　main　deck；　one　patrolling　for'ard　and　one　aft。　Two　on　the　bridge；　probably　armed　with　sub…machine…guns；　and　two；　similarly　armed；　in　Flight　Operations。　This　way　they　would　have　the　whole　main　deck　covered；　fore　and　aft。
　There　were　a　total　of　five　panionways　leading　down　from　the　island　to　the　first　deck；　where　they　thought　the　VIPs　were　being　held。　'One　at　the　foot　of　each　panionway？'　Bond　asked。
　'Either　at　the　foot　or　nearby。'　the　SBS　officer　agreed。　The　USMC　Major　nodded。
　'We　can　probably　pinpoint　what　kind　of　defence　they've　got　on　the　main　deck；　even；　possibly　in　the　island　and　down　on　the　first　level。'　They　all　looked　up　as　Mike　Carter　suddenly　revealed　this　information。
　Bond　saw　it　at　once。　The　base；　he　suspected；　was　now　used　for　major　intelligence　gathering：　the　electronics　and　the　massive　golf…balls　had　told　him　that。　'You　can　scan　the　ship　for　us？'
　'We　can　try。'　Carter　tapped　a　pencil　against　the　table。　'We've　got　several　nice　four…fanned　P36s　here　stuffed　full　of　the　latest　reconnaissance　hardware。　We　can　do　a　recce　about　an　hour　before　you　go　in。　They　can　see　through　any　thing…and　it's　going　to　be　dark　tonight：　low　cloud。　We　should　at　least　get　a　clear　idea　of　where　the　sentries　are　posted　on　deck；　and　who's　in　the　island。'
　'I　wish　you'd　said　that　before；'　Bond　snapped。　'What'll　you　do？　Overfly　and　then　do　a　square　to　cover　all　sides'。''
'Something　like　that。　！　need　to　know　a　time。〃
　'Quarter　to　four　in　the　morning；　03。45。　Nice　and　dark。　Time　for　births　and　deaths。　Lowest　ebb　for　those　under　stress。　Okay？'
They　all　nodded。
　'See　whal　I　can　do；　then。'　Carter　left　and　they　began　getting　down　10　details。　Bond　asked　if　they　slill　had　the　panionway　down　to　a　boat　deck；　at　sea　level。
　They　took　it　up　after　clearing　the　mess　off　the　main　deck；'　the　USMC　man　said。　'That　Harrier　pilot　knew　what　he　was　doing。　They　said　fireworks　and　he　gave　us　the　Fourth　of　July。'
　'Or　Guy　Fawkes　day；'　the　SBS　officer　added；　not　wanting　the　Brits　to　be　left　out。
　？Well；　he　won't　do　it　again；'　Bond　said；　a　shade　huffily。　'Now。　down　to　cases；'
　They　went　into　the　operalion　in　great　detail；　covering　all　conlingencies：　agreeing；　disagreeing　and　finally　promising　on　one　or　two　matters。　When　they　had　the　whole　business　sorted　out；　Beatrice　asked　why　she　had　been　left　out。
　'You'll　be　in　Gibraltar；　my　dear。'　Bond　gave　her　a　long　look。　'When　we've　done　the　daring　rescue　bit；　if　we　succeed；　I'm　ing　to　join　you　…　providing　I'm　still　alive。　Then；　together　we're　going　to　finish　the　job　and　take　Baradj　in。'
'Dead　or　alive？'
　'Alive　if　possible。　Enough　folk　will　die　tonight；　and　I　am　slowly　ing　to　（he　conclusion　that　too　much　killing　is　bad　for　the　health。'
　'If　you　say　so。　James。　But　I　bel　Baradj　isn't　one　who'll　give　in　easily。'
　'Let's　get　this　little　show　out　of　the　way　first。'　Ignoring　the　others；　he　leaned　over　and　kissed　her　on　each　cheek；　then　on　her　lips。
The　P36　had　brought　back　some　very　pretty　pictures　with　its　sophisticated　equipment；　a　lot　of　which　relied　on　infra…red　which　picked　up　the　heat　of　human　bodies。
They　had　been　almost　right。　There　were　three　guards　on　the　main　deck；　one　for'ard。　one　aft；　and　a　third　amidships。　They　also　knew　that　there　were　three；　not　two。　people　on　the　bridge；　and　two　in　Flight　Operations；　and　at　least　one　in　munications。　They　agreed　that　they　had　been　blind　to　that　one。　There　had　to　be　someone　in　munications。
　'Clover'11　be　the　third　bod　on　the　bridge；'　Bond　thought。　It　was　three　o'clock　in　the　morning；　and　they　were　all　galhered　by　two　mall　black　inflatables。　One　for　the　USMC　contingenl　and　one　for　the　SBS。　Bond　would　travel　with　the　SBS；　and　they　had　arranged　some　distractions　to　go　down　at　zero　hour；　03。45。　All　were　dressed　in　black　and　with　blackened　faces；　the　weaponry　slung　about　them　from　black　webbing　harnesses。
　They　made　their　approach　on　the　ship's　relatively　blind　side；　the　porl　quarter。　It　took　half　an　hour　of　steady；　quiet　paddling　to　bring　them　under　the　darkness　of　the　ship's　hull；　keeping　close　together；　only　parting　pany；　moving　fore　and　aft　once　they　reached　the　ship。
　The　men　in　both　inflatables　now　put　on　their　respirators；　and　readied　the　other　equipment；　waiting；　glancing　at　their　luminous　watches；　for　the　distraction　to　start。　The　first　huge　flash　and　thump　came　right　on　time　from　about　half　a　mile　away；　in　the　direction　of　the　other　members　of　the　Task　Force。　The　explosions　were　made　to　cause　maximum　glare　and　minimum　noise。　They　were　very　bright；　and　a　lot　of　magnesium　was　being　used　up。　The　US　marines　and　SBS　people　kept　their　eyes　down；　but　reckoned　that　nobody　either　on　the　open　deck；　bridge；　or　Flight　Ops　of　Invincible　eould　possibly　keep　their　eyes　off　the　flashes。
　There　was　hardly　any　sound　from　the　spring…loaded　launchers　which　fired　a　total　of　four　grappling　hooks；　each　wrapped　and　swaddled　in　sacking；　from　the　inflatabies。　Each　hook　had　heavy　knotted　rope　attached；　and　the　irons　thudded　up　onto　the　guard　rails　with　little　or　no　noise。　It　was　merely　luck　which　caused　the　irons　to　be　fired　at　the　same　time　as　another　of　the　explosions　out　at　sea。
Bond　was　the　first　tip　the　for'ard　rope。　He　knew　the　whole　invading　parly　could　make　it　to　the　main　deck　in　less　than　three　minutes；　so　he　moved；　at　speed；　but　silenlly；　keeping　low。　seeing　the　girl　on　watch　near　the　bows；　outlined　againsi　ihe　sky。　There　was　no　time　for　sentiment。　The　girl　would　kill　him　as　soon　as　look　at　him；　so　Bond　put　her　down　fast　and　efficiently；　using　the　blade　of　a　Sykcs…Fairbairn　knife；　taking　her　in　a　choke　hold　and　letting　the　blade　slice　through　the　side　of　her　neck；　at　the　prescribed　place。　She　went　down　without　a　sound。
　At　Ihe　same　moment；　the　other　two　girls　on　deck　watch　went　down　…　one　by　knife；　the　other　by　a　vicious　karate　chop　that　broke　her　neck。
　Bond　joined　two　of　the　SBS　men　who　were　standing　on　either　side　of　the　Crew　Room　bulkhead。　He　entered　first；　the　other　two　covering　him；　and　moved　through　into　the　passageway；　deep　inside　the　island；　turning　left　to　take　the　panionway　up　past　Flight　Operations；　then　along　the　catwalk　leading　to　the　bridge。
　They　reached　the　top　of　the　panionway；　and　were　about　to　move　on　to　the　catwalk　when　quick　clicking　footsteps　came