tc.redstormrising-第104部分

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ight；　at　home；　and　uninjured。　Then　came　the　kids；　and　finally　the　knowledge　that　they　couldn't　arrange　a　flight　home。　All　the　airliners　were　either　ferrying　men　and　supplies　overseas　or　booked　solid　until　mid…August。　Ed　saw　no　sense　in　having　his　family　drive　all　the　way　from　Salinas　to　Kansas　City　to　wait　on　standby。　Good…byes　were　hard。
What　came　next　was　harder。　mander　Edward　Morris　donned　his　whites　and　from　his　wallet　took　a　list　of　family　calls　he　had　to　make。　They'd　all　been　officially　notified；　but　another　of　the　duties　that　came　with　mand　was　to　make　the　trips　himself。　The　widow　of　his　executive　officer　lived　only　half　a　mile　away。　A　good　man　with　a　barbecue；　the　XO；　Morris　remembered。　How　many　weekends　had　he　spent　in　their　backyard　watching　steaks　sizzle　over　charcoal？　What　would　he　tell　her　now？　What　would　he　tell　the　rest　of　the　widows？　What　would　he　tell　the　kids？
Moms　walked　to　his　car　and　was　mocked　by　the　license　plate；　FF…1094。　Not　every　man　got　to　carry　his　failure　around　with　him。　Most　were　fortunate　enough　to　leave　it　behind。　As　he　started　the　engine；　Morris　wondered　if　he'd　ever　be　able　to　sleep　without　the　fear　of　reliving　again　that　moment　on　the　bridge　of　his　ship。

ICELAND
For　the　first　time　Edwards　had　beaten　his　sergeant　at　his　own　game。　For　all　his　alleged　expertise　with　a　fishing　rod；　Smith　had　e　away　with　nothing　after　an　hour's　effort；　and　handed　the　rod　to　Mike　in　disgust。　Ten　minutes　later；　Edwards　landed　a　four…pound　trout。
〃Ain't　that　some　shit；〃　Smith　growled。
The　last　ten　kilometers　they'd　covered　had　taken　eleven　hours。　The　one　road　they'd　had　to　cross；　they　learned；　was　a　busy　one。　Every　few　minutes　a　vehicle　headed　north　or　south。　The　Russians　were　using　this　gravel　strip　as　their　principal　means　of　overland　travel　to　Iceland's　northern　coast。　Edwards　and　his　party　had　spent　six　hours　hiding　in　the　rocks　of　yet　another　lava　field；　watching　and　waiting　for　a　safe　time　to　cross。　Twice　they'd　seen　Mi…24　helicopters　patrolling　the　area；　but　neither　had　e　close。　They'd　seen　no　foot　patrols　either；　and　Edwards　had　concluded　that　Iceland　was　too　big　for　the　Soviet　force　to　control。　At　that　point　he'd　taken　out　his　Russian　map　and　set　to　analyzing　the　symbols。　The　Soviet　troops　were　concentrated　in　an　arc　extending　north　and　south　of　the　Reykjavik　peninsula。　He'd　radioed　that　into　Scotland；　spending　ten　minutes　describing　the　Russian　symbology。
Road　traffic　had　dropped　off　at　dusk；　allowing　them　to　cross　the　road　on　the　run。　They'd　found　themselves　without　food　in　another　area　of　lakes　and　streams。　Enough　was　enough；　Edwards　had　decided。　They　had　to　rest　again　and　began　fishing　to　get　themselves　some　food。　The　next　leg　of　their　journey　would　keep　them　well　clear　of　inhabited　areas。
His　rifle　and　other　gear　lay　next　to　a　rock；　covered　with　his　camouflage　jacket。　Vigdis　was　with　him。　She'd　hardly　left　his　side　all　day。　Smith　and　the　Marines　had　found　places　to　relax　while　their　lieutenant　did　most　of　the　work。
The　local　bug　population　was　out　in　force　today。　His　sweater　kept　most　of　them　off　his　skin；　but　his　face　attracted　their　share。　He　tried　to　ignore　them。　Quite　a　few　bugs　had　found　their　way　to　the　surface　of　the　stream；　and　the　trout　were　going　after　them。　Every　time　he　saw　a　ripple；　he　cast　the　feathery　lure　toward　it。　The　rod　bent　again。
〃Got　another　one！〃　he　hooted。　Smith's　head　came　up；　shook　angrily；　and　went　back　down　in　the　bushes　fifty　yards　away。
Edwards　had　never　done　this　sort　of　fishing。　All　his　experience　were　in　his　father's　boat；　but　the　principles　were　pretty　much　the　same。　He　let　the　trout　pull　against　the　line；　but　not　too　much；　just　enough　to　wear　him　out　as　Edwards　worked　the　rod　up　and　down；　drawing　the　fish　upstream　and　into　the　rocks。　Suddenly　he　tripped　over　a　rock　and　fell　into　the　shallow　water；　managing；　however；　to　keep　his　rod…tip　high。　Struggling　to　his　feet；　he　stepped　back；　his　fatigue　pants　black　and　wet　against　his　legs。
〃This　is　a　big　one。〃　He　turned　to　see　Vigdis　laughing。　She　watched　him　work　the　fish　in　and　began　moving　toward　it。　A　minute　later　she　grabbed　the　leader　and　pulled　the　trout　clear　of　the　water。
〃Three　kilos；　this　one。〃　She　held　it　up。
At　age　ten　Mike　had　caught　a　hundred…pound　albacore；　but　this　brown　trout　looked　a　lot　bigger。　He　reeled　in　the　line　as　Vigdis　walked　toward　him。　Ten　pounds　of　fish　in　twenty　minutes；　he　thought。　We　might　just　be　able　to　live　off　the　land　yet。
The　helicopter　appeared　without　warning。　There　was　a　westerly　wind…it　had　probably　been　patrolling　the　road　to　the　east…and　the　aircraft　was　less　than　a　mile　away　before　they　heard　the　stuttering　sound　of　its　five…bladed　rotor　headed　right　toward　them。　〃Everyone　freeze！〃　Smith　yelled。　The　Marines　were　in　good　cover；　but　Mike　and　Vigdis　were　in　the　open。
〃Oh；　God；〃　Edwards　breathed。　He　finished　reeling　his　line　in。　〃Take　the　fish　off　the　hook。　Relax。〃
She　looked　at　him　as　the　helicopter　approached；　afraid　to　turn　around　toward　the　ining　chopper。　Her　hands　shook　as　she　worked　the　hook　free　of　the　wriggling　trout。
〃It's　going　to　be　all　right；　Vigdis。〃　He　wrapped　his　arm　about　her　waist　and　walked　slowly　away　from　the　stream。　Her　arm　pulled　his　body　close　against　hers。　It　came　as　a　greater　shock　than　the　Russian　chopper。　She　was　stronger　than　he'd　expected；　and　her　arm　was　a　heated　path　around　his　back　and　chest。
The　chopper　was　less　than　five　hundred　yards　off；　bearing　directly　at　them；　nose　down；　the　multibarreled　gun　trained　directly　at　them。
He'd　never　make　it；　Edwards　saw。　His　rifle　was　fifty　feet　away　under　his　camouflage　jacket。　If　he　moved　fast　enough　to　get　there；　they'd　know　why。　His　legs　were　weak　beneath　him　as　he　watched　death　approach。
Slowly；　carefully；　Vigdis　moved　the　hand　in　which　she　held　the　fish。　She　used　two　fingers　to　grab　Mike's　hand　at　her　waist；　moving　it　up　and　around　until　it　rested　on　her　left　breast。　Then　she　held　the　fish　high　above　her　head。　Mike　dropped　his　rod　and　stooped　to　get　the　other　trout。　Vigdis　followed　his　movements　and　managed　to　keep　his　left　hand　in　place。　Mike　held　up　his　fish　as　the　Mi…24　attack　helicopter　hovered　fifty　yards　away。　Its　rotor　tossed　up　a　circle　of　spray　from　the　surrounding　marsh。
〃Go　away；〃　Mike　rasped　through　his　grinning　teeth。
〃My　father　loves　to　fish；〃　the　senior　lieutenant　said；　manipulating　the　flight　controls　to　Hover。
〃Shit　on　the　fish；〃　the　gunner　snapped　back。　〃I　want　to　catch　one　of　those。　Look　where　that　young　bastard　has　his　hand！〃
They　probably　don't　even　know　what's　going　on；　he　thought。　Or　if　they　know；　they　have　sense　enough　not　to　do　anything　about　it　Nice　to　see　that　some　people　are　untouched　by　the　madness　that's　sweeping　the　world　。　。　。　The　pilot　looked　down　at　his　fuel　gauges。
〃They　look　harmless　enough。　We're　down　to　thirty　minutes　fuel。　Time　to　return。〃
The　chopper　settled　at　the　tail；　and　for　a　terrible　moment　Edwards　thought　it　might　be　landing。　Then　it　pivoted　in　midair　and　moved　to　the　southwest。　One　of　the　soldiers　riding　in　the　back　waved　at　them。　Vidgis　waved　back。　They　stood　there　as　it　flew　off。　Their　hands　came　down；　and　her　left　arm　held　his　tight　against　her。　Edwards　had　not　realized　that　Vigdis　didn't　wear　a　bra。　He　was　afraid　to　move　his　hand；　afraid　to　appear　to　make　an　advance。　Why　had　she　done　that？　To　help　fool　the　Russians…to　reassure　him；　or　herself？　That　it　had　in　fact　worked　seemed　unimportant。　The　Marines　were　still　concealed。　They　stood　there　quite　alone；　and　his　left　hand　seemed　to　burn　as　his　mind　stumbled　over　what　he　ought　to　do。
Vigdis　acted　for　him。　His　hand　slid　away　as　she　turned　to　him　and　buried　her　head　against　his　shoulder。　Here　I　am　holding　the　prettiest　girl　I　ever　met　in　one　hand；　Edwards　thought；　and　a　Goddamned　fish　in　the　other。　That　was　easily　solved。　Edwards　dropped　the　fish；　wrapped　both　arms　around　her；　and　held　on　tight。
〃Are　you　all　right？〃
She　looked　up　at　his　face。　〃I　think　yes。〃
There　was　only　one　word　for　what　he　felt　toward　the　girl　in　his　arms。　Edwards　knew　this　wasn't　the　time；　and　wasn't　the　place；　but　the　look　and　the　word　remained。　He　kissed　her　gently　on　the　cheek。　The　smile　that　answered　him　counted　more　than　all　the　passionate　encounters　of　his　life。
〃Excuse　me；　folks；〃　Sergeant　Smith　said　from　a　few　feet　away。
〃Yeah。〃　Edwards　disengaged　himself。　〃Let's　get　moving　before　they　decide　to　e　back。〃

USS　CHICAGO
Things　were　going　well。　American　P…3C　Orions　and　British　Nimrods　were　scouting　the　route　to　the　icepack。　The　submarines　had　been　forced　to　detour　east　around　one　suspected　Russian　submarine；　but　that　was　all。　Ivan　was　sending　most　of　his　boats　south；　it　seemed；　confident　that　the　Norwegian　Sea　was　under　his　control。　Another　six　hours　to　the　pack。
Chicago　was　drifting　now；　finished　with　her　turn　at　the　head　of　the　〃freight　train〃　procession　of　submarines。　Her　sonar　gear　searched　the　black　water　for　the　telltale　noise　of　a　Russian　submarine。　They　heard　nothing　but　the　distant　growling　of　the　icepack。
The　tracking　team　plotted　the　position　of　the　other　American　submarines。　McCafferty　was　glad　to　see　they　had　trouble　doing　so；　even　with　America's　best　sonar　equipment。　If　they　had　trouble；　so　would　the　Russians。　His　crew　looked　to　be　in　good　shape。　Three　days　on　the　beach　had　counted　for　a　lot。　The　be