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The Chinese drill was thorough； but predictable。 The two mand tracks were together。 The others were spread out； mainly in front of them； but one three hundred meters behind to secure their rear。 The crews of each track stayed together as a unit。 Each broke out a small petrol stove for cooking their rice…probably rice； the Russians all thought。 And they settled down to get four or five hours of sleep before waking； cooking breakfast； and moving out before dawn。 Had they not been enemies； their adherence to so demanding a drill might have excited admiration。 Instead； Buikov found himself wondering if he could get two or three of their BRMs to race up on the invaders and immolate them with the 30…mm rapid…fire cannons on their tracked carriers。 But Aleksandrov would never allow it。 You could always depend on officers to deny the sergeants what they wanted to do。
The captain and his sergeant walked back north to their track； leaving three other scouts to keep watch on their 〃guests；〃 as
Aleksandrov had taken to calling them。
〃So； Sergeant； how are you feeling？〃 the officer asked in a quiet voice。
〃Some sleep will be good。〃 Buikov looked back。 There was now a ridgeline in addition to the trees between him and the Chinks。 He lit a cigarette and let out a long； relaxed breath。 〃This is harder duty than I expected it to be。〃
〃Oh？〃
〃Yes； rade Captain。 I always thought we could kill our enemies。 Baby…sitting them is very stressful。〃
〃That is so； Boris Yevgeniyevich； but remember that if we do our job properly； then Division will be able to kill more than just one or two。 We are their eyes； not their teeth。〃
〃As you say； rade Captain； but it is like making a movie of the wolf instead of shooting him。〃
〃The people who make good wildlife movies win awards； Sergeant。〃
The odd thing about the captain； Buikov thought； was that he was always trying to reason with you。 It was actually rather endearing； as if he was trying to be a teacher rather than an officer。
〃What's for dinner？〃
〃Beef and black bread； rade Captain。 Even some butter。 But no vodka；〃 the sergeant added sourly。
〃When this is over； I will allow you to get good and drunk； Boris
Yevgeniyevich；〃 Aleksandrov promised。
〃If we live that long； I will toast your health。〃 The track was where they'd left it； and the crew had spread out the camouflage netting。 One thing about this officer； Buikov thought； he got the men to do their duty without much in the way of plaint。 The same sort of good radely solidarity my grandfather spoke about； as he told his endless tales of killing Germans on the way to Vienna； just like in all the movies； the sergeant thought。
The black bread was canned； but tasty； and the beef； cooked on their own small petrol heater； wasn't so bad as to choke a dog。 About the time they finished； Sergeant Grechko appeared。 He was the mander of the unit's #3 BRM； and he was carrying 。 。 。
〃Is that what I think it is？〃 Buikov asked。 〃Yuriy Andreyevich； you are a rade！〃
It was a half…liter bottle of vodka； the cheapest 〃BOAKA〃 brand； with a foil top that tore off and couldn't be resealed。
〃Whose idea is this？〃 the captain demanded。
〃rade Captain； it is a cold night； and we are Russian soldiers； and we need something to help us relax；〃 Grechko said。 〃It's the only bottle in the pany； and one slug each will not harm us； I think；〃 the sergeant added reasonably。
〃Oh； all right。〃 Aleksandrov extended his metal cup； and received perhaps sixty grams。 He waited for the rest of his crew to get theirs； and saw that the bottle was empty。 They all drank together； and sure enough； it tasted just fine to be Russian soldiers out in the woods； doing their duty for their Motherland。
〃We'll have to refuel tomorrow；〃 Grechko said。
〃There will be a fuel truck waiting for us； forty kilometers north at the burned…down sawmill。 We'll go up there one at a time； and hope our Chinese guests do not get overly ambitious in their advance。〃
That must be your Captain Aleksandrov；〃 Major Tucker said。 〃Fourteen hundred meters from the nearest Chinese。 That's pretty close；〃 the American observed。
〃He's a good boy；〃 Aliyev said； 〃Just reported in。 The Chinese follow their drill with remarkable exactitude。 And the main body？〃
〃Twenty…five miles back…forty kilometers or so。 They're laagering in for the night； too； but they're actually building campfires； like they want us to know where they are。〃 Tucker worked the mouse to show the encampments。 The display was green…on…green now。 The Chinese armored vehicles showed as bright spots； especially from the engines； which glowed from residual heat。
〃This is amazing；〃 Aliyev said in frank admiration。
〃We decided back around the end of the 1970s that we could play at night when everybody else can't。 It took a while to develop the technology； but it by…God works； Colonel。 All we need now is some Smart Pigs。〃
〃What？〃
〃You'll see； Colonel。 You'll see；〃 Tucker promised。 Best of all； this 〃take〃 came from Grace Kelly； and she did have a laser designator plugged in to the fuselage； tooling along now at 62；000 feet and looking down with her thermal…imaging cameras。 Under Tucker's guidance； the UAV kept heading south； to continue the catalog of the Chinese units advancing into Siberia。 There were sixteen ribbon bridges on the Amur River now； and a few north of there； but the really vulnerable points were around Harbin； well to the south； inside Chinese territory。 Lots of railroad bridges between there and Bei'an； the terminus of the railroad lifeline to the People's Liberation Army。 Grace Kelly saw a lot of trains； mainly diesel engines； but even some old coal…burning steam engines that had e out of storage in order to keep the weapons and supplies ing north。 Most interesting of all was the recently built traffic circle； where tank cars were unloading something； probably diesel fuel； into what appeared to be a pipeline that PLAA engineers were working very hard to extend north。 That was something they'd copied from America。 The U。S。 and British armies had done the same thing from Normandy east to the front in late 1944； and that； Tucker knew； was a target worthy of note。 Diesel fuel wasn't just the food of a field army。 It was the very air it breathed。
There were huge numbers of idle men about。 Laborers； probably； there to repair damaged tracking； and the major bridging points had SAM and FLAK batteries in close attendance。 So； Joe Chink knew that the bridges were important； and he was doing his best to guard them。
For what good that would do； Tucker thought。 He got on the satellite radio to talk things over with the crew up at Zhigansk； where General Wallace's target book was being put together。 The crunchies on the ground were evidently worried about taking on the advancing Peoples Liberation Army； but to Major Tucker； it all looked like a collection of targets。 For point targets； he wanted J…DAMs； and for area targets； some smart pigs； the J…SOWs； and then Joe Chink was going to take one on the chin； and probably； like all field armies； this one had a glass jaw。 If you could just hit it hard enough。
The Russians on the ground had no idea what FedEx was； and were more than a li