johngardner.winloseordie-第19章

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　Plans　were　again　changed；　though　the　politicians　still　clung　to　the　name　TDC　as　opposed　to　aircraft…carrier。　Three　such　ships　were　missioned；　and　Ihe　success　and　lessons　learned　during　the　Falklands　War　had　made　for　even　further　alterations。　The　exercise。　Operation　Landsea　'89；　was　to　be　the　first　chance　for　Invincible　to　show　her　paces　following　＇he　extensive　refit；　which　included　new　armament；　electronics；　munications　and　the　12°　Harrier　ski…jump　which　had　replaced　the　original　7〃　ramp。
　The　Through　Deck'　principle　remained；　for　practically　ail　the　ship's　equipment　was　carried　below　decks；　apart　from　the　plexities　in　the　long；　almost　conventional　island　which　ran　along　the　centre　of　the　starboard　side　using　over　half　of　the　main　deck's　677　feet；　bristling　with　tall　antennae；　radar　dishes；　and　other　domed　detection　devices。　Most　of　the　information　required　in　the　island　was　accessed　from　electronics　buried　deep　below　the　flight…deck。
　Invincible　and　her　sister　ships　Illustrious　and　Ark　Royal；　were　powered　by　four　mighty　Rolls…Royce　TM3B　twin…shaft　gas　turbines；　designed　on　a　modular　principle；　making　maintenance　and　repair　an　easier　job。　Invincible。　Illustrious　and　Ark　Royal　were　quite　simply　the　largest　gas…turhine…powered　ships　in　the　world。
　Once　more　he　fell　the　slight　tremor　and　rise　under　his　feel。　Bond　sat　down　on　his　bunk；　took　out　the　Browning　and　began　to　clean　it。　Apart　from　the　Royal　Marine　detachment　on　board；　he　was　the　only　officer　who　carried　a　personal　hand…gun：　though　he　was　most　conscious　that　two　armed　marines　stood　only　a　few　feet　for'ard　of　his　cabin；　stationed　there；　on　the　port　side；　as　a　guard　on　the　series　of　cabins　that　would　be　used　by　the　visiting　VIP　brass；　and　already　partially　inhabited　by　the　Wren　detachment。
　As　he　sat　down；　so　there　was　the　tell…tale　click　all　sea…going　members　of　the　Royal　Navy　recognise　as　the　Tannoy　system　about　to　broadcast　either　one　of　the　many　routine　orders；　or　bugle　calls；　which　tell　off　the　time　in　a　similar　manner　to　the　religious　〃hours'　in　a　monastery。
But　this　was　not　a　normal　message。　'D'ye　hear　there！　D'ye　hear　there！　This　is　the　Captain。'　Throughout　the　ship。　Bond　knew　that　all　ranks　would　stop　everything　but　the　most　necessary　duties　to　listen。
　'As　you　all　know。〃　the　Captain　…　Rear…Admiral　Sir　John　Walmsley　…　continued；　'the　land；　sea　and　air　exercise　called　Operation　Landsea　'89；　will　mence　at　23。59　hours。　You　will　have　already　been　briefed　about　this　exercise　by　your　Divisional　manders；　so　you　know　it's　not　in　the　normal　run　of　similar　training　such　as　Ocean　Safari。　I　want　to　remind　you　that；　as　from　23。59。　we　will　be　operating　under　actual　rules　of　war　and　rules　of　engagement；　apart　from　using　the　big　bangs；　of　course。　This　message　is　to　be　relayed　to　all　other　ships　in　what　is　to　be　known　as　Taskforce　Kiev；　and　we　will　darken　ship　at　exactly　23。59。　You　are　also　aware　that　this　evening　we　will　be　receiving　aboard　three　very　senior　officers　and　their　staffs。　There　will　be　women　among　ihe　staffs；　and　there　is　a　detachment　of　Wrens　aboard　at　this　moment。　I　have　no　reason　to　repeat　what　your　divisional　officers　will　have　already　told　you。　though　I　will：　fraternisation　with　the　female　officers　and　ratings　aboard；　apart　from　normal　and　obvious　duties；　is　strictly　forbidden。　Anyone　either　attempting　to；　or　actually　fraternising　can　expect　the　harshest　possible　penalty。　Apart　from　that　。　。　。'there　was　a　long　pause：　the　Rear…Admiral　had　a　quirky　sense　of　humour；　'good　luck　to　you　all。'
　Bond　smiled　to　himself。　The　entire　message　had　been　blandly　understated；　for　this　certainly　was　a　different　type　of　exercise；　if　only　for　the　strange　mixture　of　who　were　Red　Side；　and　who　were　Blue。　To　inject　an　even　deeper　than　usual　？fog　of　war'　some　units　of　the　NATO　powers　remained　in　their　real…life　situations；　while　others　were　split　in　half　…　some　Red　and　some　Blue。　For　instance　this　very　Taskforce　consisted　of　ships　of　the　Royal　Navy；　but　were　Red。　other　ships；　particularly　submarines　of　the　Royal　Navy；　were　Blue。
　Bond　had　read　his　own　sealed　orders；　after　ing　aboard；　and　had　sat　in　on　Walmsley's　briefing　to　the　Executive　Staff。
　The　Exercise　briefing　was　in　three　parts。　Political　situation；　current　strategic　situation　at　the　mencement　of　Landsea　'89；　objective　of　all　parties　involved；　with　an　accent　on　their　own　powerful　Taskforce　Kiev。
The　fictional　scenario　was　shrewd　and　plex：　shortly　before　Christmas　there　had　been　a　major　military　attempt　to　take　over　Chairman　Gorbachev's　ruling　power　in　the　USSR。　This　action；　spearheaded　by　high…ranking　officers　of　the　Russian　Army；　Navy　and　Air　Force；　coupled　with　some　ambitious　members　of　Ihe　Polithuro　…　all　disenchanted　with　Gorbachev's　glasnost　…　had　gone　off　；it　halt…cock；　bul　was　far　from　being　a　failure。
　The　bulk　of　the　military　power　remained　anti…Gorbachev　and　now　threatened　to　take　their　own　idealism　out　of　Russia；　and　draw　world　attention　to　the　changing　events　in　the　Soviet　Union；　by　engaging　the　NATO　powers　in　a　series　of　tactical　operations　designed　So　show　they　could　rattle　sabres　as　loudly　as　anybody。
　The　USSR　was；　as　Gorbachev　had　known　from　the　first；　heading　towards　a　huge；　possibly　catastrophic；　financial　and　economic　crash。　Gorbachev's　way　had　been　a　more　open　system　of　government　which　would　assist　in　his　begging…bowl　diplomacy。　The　military；　and　more　hawkish　members　of　the　regime　still　held　to　the　idea　that　one　could　bargain　only　from　power。　Glusnoxt　was。　to　them；　a　watered　down　version　of　a　great　political　ideology。　The　USSR　had　to　show　strength；　and。　they　argued；　the　only　way　to　get　help　from　the　class…ridden；　consumer…orientated　West　was　to　show　strength　and　ability。　They　wanted　to　threaten　the　West　…　blackmail　by　force　to　get　assistance。
　That　night；　elements　of　Red　Side…　representing　Soviet　forces　…would　cross　into　the　West；　and　start　aggressive　covert　military　operations　against　NATO　bases；　throughout　Europe。　These　actions　would　be　carefully　limited　and　controlled。　In　reality；　the　troops　would　be　members　of　the　United　Slates　Tenth　Special　Forces　Group　（Airborne）；　and　two　troops　of　Delta　Force…each　troop　consisting　of　four　four…man　squads。　The　choices　had　not　been　arbitrary；　for　the　units　bore　a　close　resemblance　to　the　Soviet　Airborne　Force；　which　does　not　e　directly　under　the　Red　Army　chain　of　mand；　and　highly　trained　Spetsnaz　…　'Forces　at　Designation'　…　who　e　directly　under　the　GRU　（the　elitist　Military　Intelligence）　and　are　also　known　as'diversionary　troops'。
　US　Air　Force　facilities　within　the　NATO　boundaries　could　provide　air　back…up　to　Red　Side　if　things　got　out　of　hand；　though　no　USAF　bases　in　the　UK　were　to　be　used。　The　Royal　Air　Force；　and　remaining　British　and　US　Forces　in　Europe；　would　act　as　their　real　selves；　as　would　United　States　Naval　forces。　They　would　be　Blue　Side　…　the　goodies　…　while　the　British　2nd　Parachute　Rcgimenl；　the　Special　Air　Service；　42　mando；　together　with　Taskforce　Kiev　would　be　Red　Side　…　the　baddies。
　At　23。59　hours　…　which　is　a　Naval　euphemism　for　midnight　…Taskforce　Kiev　would　be　approximately　fifteen　miles　off　the　Belgian　coast；　steaming　west。　The　Force　was　made　up　of　the　flagship。　Invincible；　six　Type　42　destroyers；　and　four　Type　21　frigates。
　They　would；　at　（he　start　of　the　exercise；　be　aware　that　they　had　been　shadowed　since　leaving　their　Russian　bases　…　their　main　opponents　being　their　own　Royal　Naval　colleagues；　the　submariners。　So。　Taskforce　Kiev　would　be　hard…pressed　to　make　their　dash　through　the　narrow　F；nglish　Channel；　around　the　Bay　of　Biscay；　heading　for　Gibraltar；　where　they　were　to　land　42　mando　and。　with　their　considerable　presence；　seal　off　the　Mediterranean。　All　this　was　a　calculated　risk。　Red　Side　did　not　believe　the　Western　forces　would　precipitate　matters　by　escalating　the　crisis。
　The　final　objective　of　both　sides　was　to　e　to　a　successful　cessation　of　hostilities；　not　allowing　actions　to　escalate　into　anything　more　than　a　tactical　show　offeree　and　guerrilla　warfare。　For　the　first　time；　politicians　of　the　NATO　powers　would　be　called　upon　to　make　true　political　decisions。　The　idea！　ending　would　be　the　withdrawal　of　all　Soviet　units；　and　a　move　to　the　bargaining　table；　where　Gorbachev's　future　…　indeed　the　future　of　the　Soviet　Union　…　would　he　thrashed　out。
　The　scenario　was　neat　and　interesting；　apart　from　one　facet。　Bond；　and　some　of　the　intelligence　chiefs；　already　knew　that　playing　games　with　real　army；　air　force　and　naval　units；　in　this　realistic　manner；　made　some　form　of　terrorist　intrusion　a　heady　temptation。　BAST　were　poised　for　some　specific　action　against　Invincible；　and　that　was　no　surprise　to　（H）7　when　he　thought　of　who　would　eventually　be　aboard　the　ship；　for　this　was　the　lightest　secret　of　all。　the　final　box　of　a　Chinese　puzzle　of　boxes。　This　last　secret　of　Landsea　'89　was　coded　Stewards'　Meeting；　and　this　was　Bond's　true　reason　for　being　in　charge　of　security　aboard　Invincible。　Already；　his　brushes　with　BAST　had　proved　they　were　a　ruthless　and　determined　organisation。　What　nobody　knew　was　their　size；　true　efficiency　in　a　critical　situation；　and　the　final　aims　of　their　possible　assault　on　invincible。
Bassam　Baradj；　most　recently　in　（he　guise　of　the　smooth　Toby　Lellenberg；　station　chief　of　Northanger。　was　the　only　person　who　could　have　＇old　Bond；　or　anyone　else；　the　real　truth　about　BAST：　its　strength；　and。　more　particularly；　its　true　aims。
　Baradj　was　certainly　all　the　things　the　many　dossiers　said　about　him　…　and　they　all　said　the　same　thing：　immense　wealth；　former　close　friend　of　Arafat；　ex…member　of　the　PLO；　no　photographs；　could　not　be　tied　into　any　known　terrorist　operation　in　the　past　twenty　years。　Indeed　that　was　the　sum　total　of　the　man；　apart　from　the　varied　number　of　descriptions　taken　from　a　variety　of　sources。
　True；　he　was；　as　they　suspected；　the　Viper　of　BAST；　on　the　back　of　which　rode　the　Snake；　the　Man　and　the　Cal。　If　it　had　been　possible　to　ask　any。　or　all；　of　these　last　three；　each　would　have　given　slightly　different　answers　ю　the　questions；　what　is　BAST？　what　are　its　true　aims？
　Only　the　short；　sleek　man　known　as　Bassam　Baradj　was　in　a　posiiion　to　give　the　correct　answers；　though　it　was　unlikely　he　would　do　so。　for　they　were　locked　tighlly　in　his　head。
　In　a　couple　of　words；。the　answers　were　Bassam　Baradj　and　Bassam　Baradj；　He　was　BAST　and　he　над　its　true　aim。　If　you　asked　the　further　question；　how　did　Baradj　gain　his　truly　immense　wealth'。'　it　was　plain　（o　see。　but　only　if　you　had　the　eyes　to　see　it。
　It　was　not　strictly　true　that　there　were　no　available　photographs　of　Bassam　Baradj。　There　were　many。　The　New　York　Police　Departmeni　had　several；　as　did　the　Los　Angeles　Police　Department；　and　Seattle。　Washington。　New　Orleans。　Paris　and　Scotland　Yard；　London。　Most　were　filed　under　F　…　for　Fraud；　and　they　carried　varied　names：　Bennie　Benjamin　aka　Ben　Brostov；　Vince　Phillips　and　Conrad　Decca：　and　those　were　only　for　starters　in　the　files　of　the　NYPD。
　Over　the　past　twenty　years　Baradj　had　gained　quite　a　reputation；　but　under　many　different　guises　and　modus　ope　г　and　i。
　Bassam　Baradj　had　been　born　plain　Robert　Besavitsky；　in　the　old　Hell's　Kitchen　area　of　New　York。　His　father。　Roman　Besavitsky。　was　of　mongrel　immigrant　siock。　part…Russian。　part…Rumanian；　with　a　strange　dash　of　Scottis