cc.vixen03-第62章

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　〃What　puzzles　me；〃　said　March；　〃is　why　Fawkes　is　only　using　the　turret's　center　gun。　He　seems　to　be　making　no　attempt　to　operate　the　other　two。〃
　〃He's　going　by　the　book；〃　said　Kemper。　〃Conserving　his　strength　by　firing　one　shell　at　a　time　for　effect。　He　got　lucky　on　the　second　shot　and　found　his　target。　Next　time　he　gets　the　range　you　can　bet　he'll　uncork　all　three　barrels。〃
　The　phone　in　front　of　Higgins　buzzed。　He　picked　it　up；　listened　for　a　moment；　his　expression　grim。　〃The　third　round　is　on　its　way。〃
　The　satellite　camera　pulled　back　to　show　a　two…mile　radius　around　the　White　House。　Everyone's　eyes　roamed　over　the　bird's…eye　view　of　the　city；　fearful　that　this　projectile　held　the　Quick　Death　organism　while　at　the　same　time　trying　to　guess　which　landmark　was　the　target。　Then　came　a　geysering　explosion　that　pulverized　a　fifty…foot　section　of　sidewalk　and　two　trees　on　the　north　side　of　Constitution　Avenue。
　〃He's　going　for　the　National　Archives　building；〃　the　President　said；　a　bitter　edge　to　his　voice。　〃Fawkes　is　trying　to　destroy　the　Declaration　of　Independence　and　the　Constitution。〃
　〃I　urge　you；　Mr。　President；　to　order　a　nuclear　strike　on　the　Iowa　at　once。〃　Higgins's　normally　reddish　coloring　had　turned　to　gray。
　The　President　looked　like　one　hunted。　His　shoulders　were　hunched　as　though　he　were　cold。　〃No；〃　he　said　with　finality。
　Higgins　dropped　his　hands　to　his　side　and　sat　heavily　in　his　chair。　Kemper　tapped　the　table　with　a　pencil；　quietly　mulling　something　over。
　〃There　is　another　solution；〃　he　said　slowly；　deliberately。　〃We　knock　out　the　Iowa's　number…two　turret。〃
　〃Knock　out　the　turret？〃　Higgins　said；　a　skeptical　look　in　his　eyes。
　〃Some　of　the　F…one…twenty　Specters　are　carrying　Satan　penetration　missiles；〃　explained　Kemper。　〃Am　I　right；　General　Sayre？〃
　Air　Force　chief　General　Miles　Sayre　nodded　in　agreement。　〃Each　aircraft　is　armed　with　four　Satans；　primed　to　gouge　their　way　through　three　yards　of　concrete。〃
　〃I　see　your　point；〃　said　Higgins。　〃But　the　accuracy？　Miss；　and　you　might　unleash　the　QD。〃
　〃It　can　be　done；〃　said　Sayre；　a　usually　taciturn　man。　〃As　soon　as　the　pilots　fire　the　missiles；　they　switch　guidance　control　to　the　ground　troops。　Your　people；　General　Higgins；　are　close　enough　to　the　Iowa　to　lay　a　Satan　within　a　two…foot　diameter。〃
　Higgins　snatched　the　phone　and　stared　at　the　President。　〃If　Fawkes　maintains　his　firing　schedule；　we　have　less　than　two　minutes。〃
　〃Go　for　it；〃　the　President　said　without　hesitation。
　While　Higgins　gave　instructions　to　the　forces　deployed　around　the　Iowa；　Kemper　consulted　a　file　on　the　ship's　construction。
　〃That　turret　is　protected　with　steel　armor　plating　seven　to　seventeen　inches　thick；〃　said　Kemper。　〃We　may　not　destroy　it；　but　we'll　sure　as　hell　stun　the　crew。〃
　〃The　SEALs；〃　said　the　President。　〃Can　they　be　warned　of　our　intentions？〃
　Kemper　looked　grim。　〃We　would　if　we　could；　but　there　has　been　no　radio　contact　with　them　since　they　took　to　the　water。〃
　Fergus　could　not　make　contact；　because　the　radio　had　been　shot　out　of　his　hands　by　a　machine　gun　deployed　on　the　Iowa's　citadel。　A　bullet　had　neatly　amputated　the　middle　finger　of　his　left　hand　before　biting　through　the　transmitter　and　his　right　palm。　The　backup　radio　was　also　gone；　strapped　to　the　belt　of　a　team　leader　who　took　a　hit　in　the　chest　and　now　floated　lifelessly　somewhere　downriver。
　Fergus　had　lost　six　men　out　of　his　original　party　of　thirty　while　boarding　the　Iowa。　They　had　climbed　the　sides　after　shooting　and　then　looping　small　lines　from　crossbows　across　the　ship's　stern。　These　were　attached　to　nylon　ladders；　which　in　turn　were　pulled　up　to　the　bulwarks。　The　SEALs　were　met　with　a　scathing　fire　when　they　reached　the　main　deck。　Individually　and　in　small　teams　they　began　pouring　a　return　fire　at　the　ship's　defenders。
　Fergus　became　cut　off　from　his　mand　and　was　pinned　down　behind　the　fantail　mounting　where　the　aircraft　crane　had　once　stood。　Frustration　overrode　the　pain　in　his　wounded　hands。　Time　was　running　out。　His　orders　were　to　secure　the　landing　pad　before　the　South　Africans　could　open　fire。　He　shouted　a　curse　as　the　burst　from　the　third　blast　rumbled　down　the　river　channel。
　Above　the　bluffs　he　could　see　the　Marine　helicopters　hovering；　wait…ing　impatiently　for　his　signal　to　land。　Warily　he　poked　his　head　around　the　crane　mount　and　peered　forward。　The　guns　perched　behind　steel…armor　plating　atop　the　main　bridge　temporarily　ignored　Fergus　and　concentrat…ed　on　his　men；　who　had　moved　forward　without　him。
　Cradling　his　automatic　weapon　in　one　arm；　Fergus　sprang　to　his　feet　and　sprinted　across　the　open　deck；　laying　down　a　curtain　fire。　He'd　nearly　made　it　to　cover　beneath　the　aft　turret　when　Fawkes's　men　repaid　his　attention；　and　a　bullet　tore　through　the　calf　of　his　left　leg。
　He　stumbled　a　few　steps；　fell；　and　rolled　under　the　bulk　of　the　dummy　turret。　The　new　wound　felt　as　though　it　were　burning　every　nerve　ending　in　his　leg。　He　lay　on　the　deck；　listening　to　the　gunfire　forward；　soaking　up　the　pain　as　two　Specter　jets　screamed　out　of　the　morning　sun　and　expelled　their　lethal　cargo。
　If　it　weren't　for　the　dull　ache　that　clutched　every　inch　of　his　body；　Pitt　would　have　sworn　he　was　dead。　Almost　regretfully；　he　pushed　the　gray　from　his　mind　and　forced　his　eyes　open。
　Then　he　ran　his　hands　over　his　legs　and　body。　The　worst　he　discov…ered；　besides　a　horde　of　bruises；　were　two；　possibly　three　cracked　ribs。　He　probed　his　head　and　sighed　gratefully　when　his　fingers　came　back　free　of　blood。　The　wooden　splinters　he　found　embedded　in　his　right　shoulder　puzzled　him。
　He　pushed　himself　to　a　sitting　position　and　then　rolled　to　his　hands　and　knees。　All　muscles　were　responding　to　mand。　So　far；　so　good。　He　took　a　deep　breath　and　wove　to　his　feet；　no　less　elated　at　the　ac…plishment　than　if　he'd　climbed　Mount　Everest。　A　patch　of　daylight　spilled　through　a　jagged　hole　several　feet　away　and　he　stumbled　toward　it。
　His　mind　slowly　began　to　hit　on　six　of　eight　cylinders　and　analyzed　why　he　hadn't　been　crushed　to　oatmeal　when　he　smashed　into　the　side　of　the　ship's　superstructure。　The　quarter…inch　plywood　panels　installed　to　replace　the　steel　bulkheads　had　broken　his　impact。　He'd　barreled　through　one　outer　partition　like　a　cannonball　and　made　a　healthy　dent　in　a　second　before　ing　to　rest　in　a　passageway　outside　the　officers'　wardroom。　So　much　for　the　mysterious　slivers。
　Through　the　haze　he　recalled　a　great　booming　sound　and　vibration。　The　sixteen…inch　guns；　he　figured。　But　how　often　had　they　fired？　How　long　had　he　been　out？　Sounds　of　small…arms　fire　rattled　from　outside。　Who　was　fighting　whom？　He　dismissed　the　thoughts　almost　as　they　occurred：　they　really　didn't　matter。　He　had　his　own　problems　to　solve。
　He　moved　twenty　feet　down　the　passageway；　stopped；　and　pulled　a　flashlight　from　one　pocket　and　a　folded　paper　containing　the　Iowa's　deck　plans　from　another。　It　took　him　nearly　two　full　minutes　to　pinpoint　his　exact　location。　Looking　at　the　maze　that　made　up　the　internal　arrange…ment　of　a　battleship　was　like　looking　at　a　cutaway　view　of　a　skyscraper　lying　on　its　side。
　Tracking　out　a　path　to　the　forward　shell　magazines；　he　moved　sound…lessly　along　the　passageway。　He　had　covered　but　a　short　distance　when　the　ship　rocked　under　a　barrage　of　solid　blows。　Dust　accumulated　during　the　Iowa's　long　years　in　mothballs　erupted　in　smothering　clouds。　Pitt　flung　out　his　arms　to　maintain　his　balance；　lurched；　and　grabbed　the　frame　of　a　door　that　had　opportunely　swung　open。　He　stood　there　choking　back　the　dust　while　the　tremors　subsided。
　He　almost　missed　it；　would　have　missed　it　if　an　indefinable　curiosity　hadn't　tugged　at　his　mind。　Not　a　curiosity；　really；　rather　an　incongruity　caught　within　his　peripheral　vision。　He　beamed　the　flashlight　on　a　brown　shoe…an　expensive；　handcrafted　brown　shoe…and　saw　it　was　attached　to　the　leg　of　a　black　man　stylishly　attired　in　a　business　suit　with　vest。　His　hands　were　tied　wide　apart　by　ropes　wrapped　to　overhead　pipes。
　
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　Hiram　Lusana　could　not　distinguish　the　features　of　the　man　standing　in　the　doorway　of　his　prison。　He　looked　large；　but　not　as　large　as　Fawkes。　That　was　all　Lusana　could　tell；　the　flashlight　in　the　stranger's　hands　bli