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！
〃It is tense； this mission； no？〃 Falcone replied。
〃It might be。 You never really know until you get there。〃
The Italian shrugged。 〃As with raids on mafiosi； sometimes you kick the door and there is nothing but men drinking wine and playing cards。 Sometimes they have machinapistoli； but you must kick the door to find out。〃
〃You do a lot of those？〃
〃Eight；〃 Falcone replied。 〃I am usually the first one through the door because I am usually the best shot。 But we have good men on the team there； and we have good men on the team here。 It should go well； Domingo。 I am tense； yes； but I will be all right。 You will see；〃 BIG BIRD ended。 Chavez clapped him on the shoulder and went off to see Sergeant…Major Price。
〃Hey； Eddie。〃
〃Do we have a better idea for the mission yet？〃
〃Getting there。 Looks like mainly a job for Paddy； blowing things up。〃
〃Connolly's the best explosives man I've ever seen；〃 Price observed。 〃But don't tell him that。 His head's swollen enough already。〃
〃What about Falcone？〃
〃Ettore？〃 Price shook his head。 〃I will be very surprised if he puts a foot wrong。 He's a very good man； Ding； bloody machine…a robot with a pistol。 That sort of confidence rarely goes bad。 Things are too automatic for him。〃
〃Okay； well； we've picked our target。 It the north… and east…most silo。 Looks like it's on fairly flat ground； two four…inch pipes running to it。 Paddy'll blow those； and then try to find a way to pop the cover off the silo or otherwise find an access door…there's one on the overhead。 Then get inside； toss a grenade to break the missile； and we get the hell out of Dodge City。〃
〃Usual division of the squad？〃 Price asked。 It had to be； but there was no harm in making sure。
Chavez nodded。 〃You take Paddy； Louis； Hank； and Dieter； and your team handles the actual destruction of the missile。 I take the rest to do security and overwatch。〃 Price nodded as Paddy Connolly came over。
〃Are we getting chemical gear？〃
〃What？〃 Chavez asked。
〃Ding； if we're going to be playing with bloody liquid…fueled missiles； we need chemical…warfare gear。 The fuels for these things… you don't want to breathe the vapor； trust me。 Red…fuming nitric acid； nitrogen tetroxide； hydrazine； that sort of thing。 Those are bloody corrosive chemicals they use to power rockets； not like a pint of bitter at the Green Dragon； I promise you。 And if the missiles are fueled and we blow them； well； you don't want to be close； and you definitely don't want to be downwind。 The gas cloud will be bloody lethal； like what you chaps use in America to execute murderers； but rather less pleasant。〃
〃I'll talk to John about that。〃 Chavez made his way back forward。
〃Oh； shit；〃 Ed Foley observed when he took the call。 〃Okay； John； I'll get hold of the Army on that one。 How long 'til you're there？〃
〃Hour and a half to the airfield。〃
〃You okay？〃
〃Yeah； sure； Ed； never been better。〃
Foley was struck by the tone。 Clark had been CIA's official iceman for close to twenty years。 He'd gone out on all manner of field operations without so much as a blink。 But being over fifty…had it changed him； or did he just have a better appreciation of his own mortality now？ The DCI figured that sort of thing came to everybody。 〃Okay； I'll get back to you。〃 He switched phones。 〃I need General Moore。〃
〃Yes； Director？〃 the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs said in greeting。 〃What can I do for you？〃
〃Our special…operations people say they need chemical…warfare gear for their mission and…〃
〃Way ahead of you； Ed。 SO told us the same thing。 First Armored's got the right stuff； and it'll be waiting for them at the field。〃
〃Thanks； Mickey。〃
〃How secure are those silos？〃
〃The fueling pipes are right in the open。 Blowing them up ought not to be a problem。 Also； every silo has a metal access door for the maintenance people； and again； getting into it ought not to be a problem。 My only concern is the site security force； there may be as much as a whole infantry battalion spread out down there。 We're waiting for a KH…11 to overfly the site now for a final check。〃
〃Well； Diggs is sending Apaches down to escort the raiding force。 That'll be an equalizer；〃 Moore promised。 〃What about the mand bunker？〃
〃It's centrally located； looks pretty secure； entirely underground； but we have a rough idea of the configuration from penetrating radar。〃 Foley referred to the KH…14 Lacrosse satellite。 NASA had once published radar photos that had shown underground tributaries of the Nile that emptied into the Mediterranean Sea at Alexandria。 But the capability hadn't been developed for hydrologists。 It had also spotted Soviet missile silos that the Russians had thought to be well camouflaged； and other sensitive facilities； and America had wanted to let the Russians know that the locations were not the least bit secret。 〃Mickey； how do you feel about the mission？〃
〃I wish we had enough bombs to do it；〃 General Moore replied honestly。
〃Yeah；〃 the DCI agreed。
The Politburo meeting had gone past midnight。 〃So； Marshal Luo；〃 Qian said； 〃things went badly yesterday。 How badly？ We need the truth here；〃 he concluded roughly。 If nothing else； Qian Kun had made his name in the past few days； as the only Politburo member with the courage to take on the ruling clique； expressing openly the misgivings that they'd all felt。 Depending on who won； it could mean his downfall； either all the way to death or simply to mere obscurity； but it seemed he didn't care。 That made him unusual among the men in the room； Fang Gan thought； and it made him a man to be respected。
〃There was a major battle yesterday between 34th Shock Army and the Russians。 It appears to have been a draw； and we are now maneuvering to press our advantage；〃 the Defense Minister told them。 They were all suffering from fatigue in the room； and again the Finance Minister was the only one to rise to his words。
〃In other words； a battle was fought； and we lost it；〃 Qian shot back。
〃I didn't say that！〃 Luo responded angrily。
〃But it is the truth； is it not？〃 Qian pressed the point。
〃I told you the truth； Qian！〃 was the thundering reply。
〃rade Marshal；〃 the Finance Minister said in a reasonable tone； 〃you must forgive me for my skepticism。 You see； much of what you've said in this room has turned out to be less than pletely accurate。 Now； I do not blame you for this。 Perhaps you have been misinformed by some of your subordinates。 All of us are vulnerable to that； are we not？ But now is the time for a careful examination of objective realities。 I am developing the impression that objective reality may be adverse to the economic and political objectives on whose pursuit this body has sent our country and its people。 Therefore； we must now know what the facts are； and what also are the dangers facing us。 So； rade Marshal； now； what is the military situation in Siberia？〃
〃It has changed somewhat；〃 Luo admitted。 〃Not entirely to our benefit； but the situation is by no means lost。〃 He'd chosen his words a little too carefully。
By no means lost； everyone around the table knew； was a delicate way of saying that a disaster had taken place。 As in any society； if you knew the aphorisms；