mreilly.icestation-第19章

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　for　one　of　the　ladders　and　went　down　a　level。　What？　Oh；　fuck…〃　
　The　connection　cut　off。　Schofield　heard　a　scuffle。　
　〃Montana…〃　
　Suddenly　a　French　mando　stepped　out　onto　the　deck　in　front　of　Schofield　himself。　
　He　was　the　last　of　the　five　French　soldiers　who　had　fallen　into　the　pool；　the　only　one　of　them　to　e　out　of　it　alive。　He　looked　like　death　warmed　up…dripping　wet；　scowling；　and　mad　as　hell。　He　glared　at　Schofield；　then　raised　his　crossbow。　
　Without　missing　a　beat；　Schofield　drew　a　throwing　knife　from　a　sheath　strapped　to　his　knee　and　threw　it　underhanded。　The　knife　whistled　through　the　air　and　thudded　into　the　Frenchman's　chest。　He　dropped　instantly。　The　whole　thing　took　two　seconds。　Schofield　never　stopped　walking。　He　stepped　over　the　slumped　body；　retrieved　his　knife　and　the　dead　French　mando's　crossbow；　and　kept　moving。　
　He　spoke　into　his　helmet　mike　again：　〃Montana；　I　say　again；　are　you　all　right？〃　
　〃I　copy；　Scarecrow。　I'm　OK。　Revision　on　my　previous　count：　make　that　four　military　and　two　civilians。　Put　me　down　for　one　more　frog。〃　
　〃Put　me　down　for　one；　too；〃　Schofield　said。　
　Schofield　arrived　at　the　entrance　to　the　south　tunnel；　where　he　found　Gant　and　Rebound。　They　were　dragging　Mother　into　the　tunnel。　
　Schofield　saw　Mother's　leg　immediately。　A　bloody；　jagged　piece　of　bone　protruded　from　where　her　left　knee　should　have　been。　
　〃Put　her　somewhere　safe；　stop　the　flow；　and　give　her　a　hit　of　methadone；〃　he　said　quickly。　
　〃Got　it…；〃　Gant　said；　looking　up　at　him。　She　cut　herself　off　abruptly。　
　Schofield's　antiflash　glasses　had　been　lost　in　the　water　in　the　battle　with　the　killer　whales；　and　Gant　saw　his　eyes　for　the　first　time。　
　Two　prominent　vertical　scars　cut　down　across　both　of　his　eyes。　They　were　unmissable；　hideous。　Each　scar　stretched　downward　in　a　perfectly　straight　line　from　eyebrow　to　cheekbone；　scarring　the　eyelid　in　between。　
　Gant　winced　when　she　saw　them　and　regretted　it　as　soon　as　she　did　so。　She　hoped　Schofield　didn't　notice。　
　〃How　are　you　feeling；　Mother？〃　Schofield　asked　as　they　dragged　Mother　into　the　tunnel。　
　〃Nothing　one　good　kiss　from　a　fine…lookin'　man　like　you　wouldn't　fix；〃　Mother　growled　through　clenched　teeth。　Despite　her　pain；　she；　too；　saw　Schofield's　scarred　eyes。　
　〃Maybe　later；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　saw　a　door　set　into　the　tunnel　wall　ahead　of　them。　〃In　there；〃　he　said　to　Gant　and　Rebound。　
　They　opened　the　door　and　dragged　Mother　inside；　all　four　of　them　dripping　wet。　They　were　in　a　storeroom　of　some　sort。　Rebound　immediately　set　to　work　on　Mother's　leg。　
　Schofield　spoke　into　his　helmet　mike：　〃Marines；　call　in。〃　
　Names　came　in　over　the　inter　as　each　Marine　identified　him…　or　herself。Montana；　Snake；　and　Santa　Cruz。　All　up　on　A…deck。　
　Rebound　and　Gant；　E…deck。　They　called　in　formally　over　their　helmet　inters　even　though　they　were　standing　right　next　to　Schofield；　so　that　the　others　would　hear　their　voices　and　know　for　a　fact　that　they　were　still　alive。　Even　Mother　said　her　name；　just　for　the　record。　
　There　was　no　word　from　Book；　Hollywood；　Legs；　Samurai；　or　Ratman。　
　〃OK；　everyone；　listen　up；〃　Schofield　said。　〃By　my　count　these　bastards　are　down　to　four　now；　plus　the　two　civilians　they　brought　along　with　them　to　jerk　my　chain。　
　〃This　has　gone　far　enough。　It's　time　to　end　it。　We　have　a　numerical　advantage；　seven　against　four。　Let's　use　it。　I　want　a　flush　of　this　entire　facility　from　the　top　down。　I　want　these　assholes　pushed　into　a　corner　so　we　can　finish　them　off　without　losing　any　more　of　our　people。　All　right；　this　is　how　it's　gonna　happen。　I　want…〃　
　There　came　a　sudden　thunking　noise　from　above　him　and　Schofield　immediately　looked　upward。　
　There　was　a　long　silence。　
　Schofield　saw　a　line　of　fluorescent　lights　bolted　to　the　ceiling　above　him。　They　stretched　away　at　regular　intervals　down　the　southern　tunnel　to　his　right。　
　And　then；　at　that　moment；　as　Schofield　watched　them；　every　single　fluorescent　light　in　the　tunnel　went　out。　
　
　
　
　The　world　glowed　incandescent　green。　
　Night　vision。　
　With　his　scarred　eyes　masked　by　his　night…vision　goggles；　Shane　Schofield　climbed　up　one　of　the　rung…ladders　between　E…deck　and　D…deck。　He　moved　slowly　and　carefully；　deliberately。　He　remembered　Book　saying　once　that　wearing　night…vision　goggles　is　like　wearing　a　pair　of　low…powered　binoculars　strapped　to　your　head…　you　see　something　and　you　reach　out　to　grab　it；　only　to　find　that　it's　actually　a　lot　closer　than　you　think；　and　you　knock　it　over。　
　The　whole　station　was　cloaked　in　darkness。　
　And　silence。　
　Cold；　eerie　silence。　
　With　the　entire　station　filled　with　the　flammable　propellant　from　the　air　conditioners；　all　gunfire　had　ceased。　The　occasional　shuffle　of　movement　and　the　odd　low　whisper　of　someone　speaking　into　a　helmet　microphone　were　all　that　could　be　heard　in　the　pitch…darkness。　
　Schofield　surveyed　the　green…lit　station　through　his　night…vision　goggles。　
　The　battle　had　entered　a　new　phase。　
　Somehow；　one　of　the　French　mandos　must　have　managed　to　find　the　station's　fuse　box　and　turn　off　all　the　lights。　It　was　a　desperate　ploy；　but　a　good　one　nonetheless。　
　Darkness　has　long　been　the　ally　of　numerically　inferior　forces。　Even　the　advent　of　ambient…light　technology…night…vision　goggles　and　gun　sights…hasn't　diminished　the　average　military　tactician's　opinion　of　the　advantages　of　a　small　operation　carried　out　under　cover　of　darkness。　It's　a　simple　maxim　of　warfare…landed；　naval；　or　airborne…nobody　likes　to　fight　in　the　dark。　
　〃Marines；　stay　alert。　Watch　for　flashers；〃　Schofield　whispered　into　his　helmet　mike。　One　of　the　great　dangers　of　night…vision　fighting　is　the　use　of　stun　grenades；　or　〃flashers〃…　grenades　that　emit　a　sudden　blinding　flare　of　light　that　is　designed　to　temporarily　disorient　an　enemy。　Since　night…vision　goggles　magnify　any　given　light　source；　if　one　sees　a　flasher　go　off　through　a　pair　of　night…vision　goggles　blindness　won't　be　temporary。　It　will　be　permanent。　
　Schofield　peered　up　into　the　station's　central　shaft。　No　light　entered　the　station　from　outside　the　enormous　frosted…glass　dome　that　topped　the　wide　central　shaft。　It　was　June…　early　winter　in　the　Antarctic。　Outside；　it　would　be　twilight　for　the　next　three　months。　
　Blackness。　Total　blackness。　
　Schofield　felt　Gant's　weight　on　the　ladder　behind　him。　They　were　heading　up　the　shaft。　
　As　soon　as　the　lights　had　gone　out；　Schofield　had　immediately　ordered　his　team　to　〃go　to　green。〃　Then　he　had　outlined　his　plan。　
　It　was　no　use　playing　defense　in　a　darkened　environment　They　had　to　stay　on　the　attack。　Had　to。　The　team　that　would　win　this　battle　would　be　the　one　that　used　the　darkness　to　its　advantage；　and　the　best　way　to　do　that　was　to　stay　on　the　offensive。　As　such；　Schofield's　plan　was　simple。　
　Keep　the　French　on　the　run。　
　They　were　down　on　numbers。　Only　four　of　the　original　twelve　French　mandos　were　still　alive。　And　Montana　had　just　said　that　two　of　those　four　had　just　evacuated　A…deck。　So　they　were　also　split　into　two　groups　of　two。　
　But　most　important　of　all；　they　were　running。　
　Schofield's　team；　on　the　other　hand；　was　also　split；　but　in　a　much　more　advantageous　way。　
　Schofield　had　three　Marines　up　on　A…deck…Montana；　Snake；　and　Santa　Cruz…and　another　three　down　on　E…deck：　Gant；　Rebound；　and　himself。　
　If　the　Marines　up　on　A…deck　could　flush　the　remaining　French　mandos　down　through　the　station；　soon　those　French　soldiers　would　run　right　into　the　Marines　from　the　lower　decks。　And　then　the　Marines…a　force　of　superior　numbers；　attacking　from　two　flanks…would　finish　them。　
　But　Schofield　didn't　want　to　get　carried　away；　didn't　want　to　get　ahead　of　himself；　because　this　would　be　no　ordinary　battle。　
　The　fighting　would　be　different。　
　For　in　the　highly　flammable　gaseous　atmosphere　of　the　station；　neither　side　could　use　guns。　
　This　would　be　old…fashioned；　close…quarter　fighting。　
　Hand…to…hand　bat。　
　In　near　total　darkness。　
　In　other　words；　it　would　be　knives　in　the　dark。　
　But　as　he'd　thought　about　it　more　closely；　Schofield　had　suddenly　seen　a　problem　with　his　plan。　
　The　French　had　crossbows。　
　Schofield　had　looked　at　the　crossbow　he　had　taken　from　the　dead　French　mando　on　E…deck。　Since　it　didn't　create　a　spark　of　any　kind；　a　crossbow　could　be　fired　safely　inside　the　gaseous　atmosphere　of　the　station。　Schofield　tried　to　think　back　to　his　early　weapons　training　at　the　Basic　School　at　Quantico；　tried　to　remember　the　vital　stats　for　a　hand…held　crossbow。　He　remembered　that　the　standard　range　of　accuracy　for　a　small…size　crossbow　was　not　great；　about　the　same　as　that　for　a　conventional　six…shooter；　roughly　twenty　feet。　
　Twenty　feet。　
　Damn　it；　Schofield　thought。　Knives　would　be　useless　if　the　French　had　a　twenty…foot　safety　zone　around　themselves。　With　no　corresponding　projectile…firing　weapon；　the　Marines　wouldn't　stand　a　chance。　The　thing　was；　they　didn't　have　such　a　weapon。　At　least；　nothing　that　they　could　use　safely　in　the　station's　flammable　gaseous　environment。　
　And　then　it　occurred　to　Schofield。　
　Maybe　they　did。。。。　
　
　Schofield　stepped　up　onto　D…deck　with　his　Maghook　held　out　in　front　of　him　at　shoulder　height；　ready　to　fire。　In　his　other　hand；　he　held　the　dead　Frenchman's　crossbow。　
　Although　not　exactly　designed　for　accuracy；　the　Armalite　MH…12　Maghook　launcher　has　the　ability　to　shoot　its　magnetic　grappling　hook　quite　substantial　distances…over　a　hundred　feet。　
　Initially；　the　MH…12　Maghook　was　intended　for　use　in　urban　warfare　and　antiterrorist　operations…its　chief　purpose　was　to　provide　a　self…contained　rope　and　grappling　hook　that　could　be　used　for　scaling　the　sides　of　buildings；　or　providing　zip　lines　along　which　antiterrorist　units　could　slide　and　make　rapid　forced　entries。　
　That　being　the　case；　the　Maghook's　small　hand…held　launcher　had　to　have　the　power　to　shoot　its　hook　to　great　heights。　The　answer　was　a　state…of…the…art　hydraulic　launching　system　that　provided　4；000　pounds　per　square　inch　of　enhanced　vertical　thrust。　The　way　Schofield　figured　it；　if　he　fired　his　Maghook　at　an　enemy　soldier　from　a　distance　of　twenty　feet；　4；000　pounds　per　square　inch　of　thrust　had　to　have　some　chance　of　scoring　a　hit。　
　And　indeed；　as　Schofield　himself　had　discovered　in　the　pool　before；　at　close　range；　underwater；　a　Maghook　had　the　capacity　to　stun　a　seven…ton　killer　whale。　When　fired　at　a　one…hundred…and…eighty…pound　man　at　similar　range；　above　water；　the　Maghook　would　probably　crack　his　skull。　
　Thus　armed；　the　Marines　were　confident　that　they　could　handle　the　French　mandos'　crossbows。　
　So　the　plan　would　go　ahead。　
　Montana；　Snake；　and　Santa　Cruz　would　work　their　way　down　through　the　station　from　A…deck；　forcing　the　Frenchmen　down；　while　Schofield；　Gant；　and　Rebound　worked　their　way　up　from　E…deck。　They　would　hopefully　meet　halfway　and　the　rest　would　write　itself。　
　Schofield　and　Gant　had　departed　right　away。　
　Rebound　was　to　join　them　as　soon　as　he　had　stemmed　the　flow　of　blood　from　Mother's　leg　and　started　her　up　on　an　intravenous　line　of　methadone。　
　
　The　three　Marines　on　A…deck　began　their　attack。　
　They　moved　quickly；　using　a　textbook　three…man　flushing　formation　known　as　〃leapfrogging。〃　One　Marine　would　move　forward；　ahead　of　his　partn