按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
ast Theater。 He's pretty smart； serious professional。 Visited me at Fort
Irwin。 Caught on real fast； really hit it off with Al Hamm and the Blackhorse。 Our kind of soldier。〃
〃Well； sir； I guess he really is now； eh？〃
That's when the phone rang。 Diggs lifted it。 〃General Diggs。 Okay； put him through。 。 。 。 Morning； sir。 。 。 。 Just fine； thanks； and…yes？ What's that？ 。 。 。 This is serious； I presume。 。 。 。 Yes； sir。 Yes； sir； we're ready as hell。 Very well； sir。 Bye。〃 He set the phone back down。 〃Duke； good thing you're sitting down。〃
〃What gives？〃
〃That was SACEUR。 We got alert orders to be ready to entrain and move east。〃
〃East where？〃 the divisional operations officer asked； surprised。 An unscheduled exercise in Eastern Germany； maybe？
〃Maybe as far as Russia； the eastern part。 Siberia； maybe；〃 Diggs added in a voice that didn't entirely believe what it said。
〃What the hell？〃
〃NCA is concerned about a possible dust…up between the Russians and the Chinese。 If it happens； we may have to go east to support Ivan。〃
〃What the hell？〃 Masterman observed yet again。
〃He's sending his J…2 down to brief us in on what he's got from Washington。 Ought to be here in half an hour。〃
〃Who else？ Is this a NATO tasking？〃
〃He didn't say。 Guess we'll have to wait and see。 For the moment just you and the staff； the ADC； and the brigade sixes are in on the brief。〃
〃Yes； sir；〃 Masterman said； there being little else he could say。
The Air Force sends a number of aircraft when the President travels。 Among these were C…5B Galaxies。 Known to the Navy as 〃the aluminum cloud〃 for its huge bulk； the transport is capable of carrying whole tanks in its cavernous interior。 In this case； however； they carried VC…60 helicopters； larger than a tank in dimensions； but far lighter in weight。
The VH…60 is a version of the Sikorsky Blackhawk troop…carrier； somewhat cleaned up and appointed for VIP passengers。 The pilot was Colonel Dan Malloy； a Marine with over five thousand hours of stick time in rotary…wing aircraft； whose radio call sign was 〃Bear。〃 Cathy
Ryan knew him well。 He usually flew her to Johns Hopkins in the morning in a twin to this aircraft。 There was a co…pilot； a lieutenant who looked impossibly young to be a professional aviator； and a crew chief； a Marine staff sergeant E…6 who saw to it that everyone was properly strapped in； something that Cathy did better than Jack； who was not used to the different restraints in this aircraft。
Aside from that the Blackhawk flew superbly； not at all like the earthquake…while…sitting…on…a…chandelier sensation usually associated with such contrivances。 The flight took almost an hour； with the President listening in on the headset/ear protectors。 Overhead； all aerial traffic was closed down； even mercial flights in and out of every mercial airport to which they came close。 The Polish government was concerned with his safety。
〃There it is；〃 Malloy said over the inter。 〃Eleven o'clock。〃
The aircraft banked left to give everyone a good look out the polycarbonate windows。 Ryan felt a sudden sense of enforced sobriety e over him。 There was a rudimentary railroad station building with two tracks； and another spur that ran off through the arch in yet another building。 There were a few other structures； but mainly just concrete pads to show where there had been a large number of others； and Ryan's mind could see them from the black…and…white movies shot from aircraft； probably Russian ones； in World War II。 They'd been oddly warehouse…like buildings； he remembered。 But the wares stored in them had been human beings； though the people who'd built this place hadn't seen it that way； they had regarded them as vermin； insects or rats； something to be eliminated as efficiently and coldly as possible。
That's when the chill hit。 It was not a warm morning； the temperature in the upper fifties or so； Jack thought； but his skin felt colder than that number indicated。 The chopper landed softly； and the sergeant got the door open and the President stepped out onto the landing pad that had recently been laid for just this purpose。 An official of the Polish government came up and shook his hand； introducing himself； but Ryan missed it all； suddenly a tourist in Hell itself； or so it felt。 The official who would be serving as guide led them to a car for the short drive closer to the facility。 Jack slid in beside his wife。
〃Jack 。。。〃 she whispered。
〃Yeah；〃 he acknowledged。 〃Yeah； babe； I know。〃 And he spoke not another word； not even hearing the well prepared mentary the Pole was giving him。
〃Arbeit Macht Frei〃 the wrought…iron arch read。 Work makes free was the literal meaning； perhaps the most callously cynical motto ever crafted by the twisted minds of men calling themselves civilized。 Finally； the car stopped； and they got out into the air again； and again the guide led them from place to place； telling them things they didn't hear but rather felt； because the very air seemed heavy with evil。 The grass was wonderfully green； almost like a golf course from the spring rain 。 。 。 from the nutrients in the soil？ Jack wondered。 Lots of those。 More than two million people had met death in this place。 Two million。 Maybe three。 After a while； counting lost its meaning； and it became just a number； a figure on a ledger； written in by some accountant or other who'd long since stopped considering what the digits represented。
He could see it in his mind； the human shapes； the bodies； the heads； but thankfully not the faces of the dead。 He presently found himself walking along what the German guards had called Himmel Strafe； the Road to Heaven。 But why had they called it that？ Was it pure cynicism； or did they really believe there was a God looking down on what they did； and if so； what had they thought He thought of this place and their activity？ What kind of men could they have been？ Women and children had been slaughtered immediately upon arrival here because they had little value as workers in the industrial facilities that I。 G。 Farben had built； so as to take the last measure of utility from the people sent here to die…to make a little profit from their last months。 Not just Jews； of course； the Polish aristocracy and the Polish priesthood had been killed here。 Gypsies。 Homosexuals。 Jehovah's Witnesses。 Others deemed undesirable by Hitler's government。 Just insects to be eliminated with Zyklon…B gas； a derivative of pesticide research by the German chemical industries。
Ryan had not expected this to be a pleasant side…trip。 What he'd anticipated was an educational experience； like visiting the battlefield at Antietam； for example。
But this hadn't been a battlefield； and it didn't feel like at all like one。
What must it have been like for the men who'd liberated this place in 1944？ Jack wondered。 Even hardened soldiers； men who'd faced death every day for years； must have been taken aback by what they'd found here。 For all its horrors； the battlefield remained a place of honor； where men tested men in the most fundamental way…it was cruel and final； of course； but there was the purity of fighting men contesting with other fighting men； using weapons； but…but tha