atlantis.found-第87部分

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he　clip；　then　his　sergeant　grabbed　him　by　the　collar　of　his　parka　and　pushed　him　behind　a　trash　bin　before　a　barrage　of　counterfire　could　strike　him。　A　volley　of　fragmentation　missiles　from　the　SEAL　team　temporarily　halted　the　Sno…cats；　but　they　began　to　e　on　again。
　　　　　The　SEALs　fought　tenaciously　as　they　executed　their　withdrawal　up　the　road；　using　whatever　cover　they　could　find。　Then；　unexpectedly；　two　more　Sno…cats　suddenly　appeared　at　their　rear　and　unleashed　a　torrent　of　fire。　Jacobs　felt　a　knot　form　in　his　stomach。　He　and　his　team　had　nowhere　to　go　except　into　a　narrow　side　alleyway。　He　prayed　they　were　not　being　forced　into　an　ambush；　but　the　alley　looked　clear　for　at　least　seventy　yards。
　　　　　As　he　ran　after　his　men；　hoping　they　could　reach　cover　before　the　Sno…cats　turned　the　corner　of　the　alley　and　achieved　a　field　of　unobstructed　fire；　he　reported　to　Cleary。　〃Wizard；　this　is　Scarecrow。　We　are　under　attack　by　four　armored　Sno…cats。〃
　　　　　〃Scarecrow；　do　they　carry　heavy　weapons？〃
　　　　　〃None　that　show。　I　make　four　hostiles　with　automatic　weapons　in　each　vehicle。　Our　fragmentation　missiles　have　little　effect　on　them。〃
　　　　　Cleary　crawled　under　a　stairway；　using　it　as　a　shield；　and　studied　his　map　of　the　mining　facility。　〃Give　me　your　location；　Scarecrow。〃
　　　　　〃We　are　moving　down　a　narrow　road　toward　the　sea　behind　what　looks　like　a　row　of　maintenance　shops　about　a　hundred　and　fifty　yards　from　the　control　center。〃
　　　　　〃Scarecrow；　go　another　fifty　yards；　then　bend　a　right　turn　and　advance　between　a　series　of　fuel　storage　tanks。　That　should　bring　you　close　to　the　front　of　the　control　center　from　a　side　road；　where　you　can　flank　the　hostiles　pinning　us　down。〃
　　　　　〃Roger　that；　Wizard。　On　our　way。〃　Then；　as　an　afterthought；　Jacobs　asked；　〃What　have　we　got　for　defense　against　the　armored　Sno…cats？〃
　　　　　〃Tin　Man　has　two　LAWs。〃
　　　　　〃We'll　need　four。〃
　　　　　〃The　man　carrying　the　other　two　went　missing　during　the　jump。〃
　　　　　〃Tin　Man　is　at　the　power　station；〃　Jacobs　said；　frustrated。　〃He's　not　facing　the　armored　cats；　we　are。〃
　　　　　〃I　ordered　him　to　withdraw　from　his　objective　because　of　overwhelming　concentrated　fire。　He　should　be　converging　with　Lion　shortly。〃
　　　　　〃Tell　him　to　load　up；　because　four　of　those　nasty　vehicles　will　be　right　on　our　tail　when　we　step　into　your　front　yard。〃
　　　　　Jacobs　and　the　SEALS　soon　circled　the　fuel　storage　tanks　without　encountering　organized　gunfire。　Frequently　glancing　at　his　map　of　the　facility；　he　led　his　men　around　a　long　wall　that　appeared　to　end　near　the　front　of　the　control　center。　It　seemed　like　perfect　cover；　as　they　rushed　to　outflank　the　security　guards　behind　the　barrier　who　were　blasting　hell　out　of　Sharpsburg　and　his　Delta　Force。　Hardly　had　the　SEALs　e　within　fifty　yards　of　the　end　of　the　wall　when　a　blaze　of　concentrated　fire　struck　them　from　the　rear。
　　　　　Unknown　to　them；　a　group　of　security　guards　had　rushed　through　an　underground　tunnel　and　appeared　from　a　building　behind；　a　tactic　that　was　happening　with　increasing　frequency。　Jacobs　saw　that　it　was　virtually　impossible　to　continue　on　his　flanking　maneuver；　so　he　took　his　men　along　the　path　of　least　resistance　and　led　them　down　a　street　strangely　free　of　hostile　gunfire。
　　　　　Only　eighty　yards　away；　Cleary　lay　flat　and　peered　through　his　binoculars；　searching　for　a　weak　spot　in　the　barricade　blocking　the　entrance　to　the　control　center。　He　found　none　and　realized　that；　like　Garnet's；　his　position　was　rapidly　being　untenable；　yet　he　was　determined　to　make　an　assault　on　the　control　center　as　soon　as　he　was　reinforced　by　the　Marine　Recon　Team；　and　the　SEALs　had　begun　their　flanking　attack　on　the　barricade。
　　　　　But　down　deep；　doubts　were　starting　to　form　as　to　whether　he　could　still　pull　the　coals　of　final　victory　out　of　the　fire。
　
　
　　　　　The　security　guards　were　waging　war　with　a　vengeance。　In　their　minds；　they　were　fighting　not　only　for　their　own　lives　but　for　the　lives　of　their　families　who　were　waiting　on　board　the　Ulrich　Wolf。　Hugo　himself　was　in　the　thick　of　the　fighting　in　front　of　the　control　center；　directing　his　forces　and　tightening　the　noose　on　the　American　assault　team。　His　arrogance　while　issuing　orders　reflected　his　supreme　confidence　and　optimism。　His　battle　strategy　was　going　exactly　as　he'd　planned　it。　Hugo　was　in　the　enviable　position　of　a　mander　who　could　dictate　the　terms　of　the　fight。
　　　　　He　was　flushing　his　enemy　into　one　concentrated　area　for　annihilation；　as　he　had　promised　his　brother　Karl。
　　　　　He　spoke　into　an　inter　mike　inside　his　battle　helmet。　〃Brother　Karl？〃
　　　　　There　was　a　moment　or　two　of　slight　static　before　Karl　responded。　〃Yes；　Hugo。〃
　　　　　〃The　intruders　are　contained。　You　and　Elsie　and　the　others　can　leave　for　the　hangar　as　soon　as　the　engineers　set　the　nanotech　systems　on　automatic。〃
　　　　　〃Thank　you；　brother。　I'll　soon　meet　you　at　the　aircraft。〃
　　　　　Two　minutes　later；　as　Hugo　was　ordering　his　two　remaining　armored　Sno…cats　to　charge　the　American　team；　a　security　guard　rushed　to　him　behind　the　barricade　and　shouted；　〃Sir；　I　have　an　urgent　message　from　the　aircraft　hangar！〃
　　　　　〃What　is　it？〃　Hugo　yelled　above　the　gunfire。
　　　　　But　in　that　instant；　Sergeant　Mendoza　squinted　at　the　head　behind　the　crosshairs　inside　his　sniper　scope　and　gently　pulled　the　trigger　of　his　Eradicator。　The　guard　dropped　dead　at　Hugo's　feet；　neither　hearing　nor　feeling　the　bullet　enter　his　right　temple　and　exit　the　left。　The　message　he　had　urgently　wished　to　report；　on　the　destruction　in　the　aircraft　hangar　by　a　strange　vehicle；　died　with　him。
　
　　　　　Garnet's　Marines　linked　up　with　Sharpsburg's　Delta　team　and　took　cover；　as　the　four　Sno…cats　withdrew　from　chasing　Jacobs　and　attacked　them　in　a　double　column　from　the　rear。　They　came　on　oblivious　to　the　two　antitank　weapons　aimed　at　them　by　the　Marines；　who　at　less　than　a　hundred　yards　couldn't　miss。　The　lead　Sno…cats　went　up　in　an　explosion　of　fire　and　flying　debris　and　bodies；　forming　an　effective　roadblock　that　prevented　the　remaining　vehicles　from　striking　the　already　beleaguered　Americans。
　　　　　Cleary　realized　quickly　that　the　reprieve　had　only　short…term　benefits　and　was　temporary。　It　would　be　only　a　question　of　time　before　the　security　guards　wised　up　to　the　fact　that　no　more　antitank　shells　were　being　fired　because　the　supply　was　exhausted。　Then　the　armored　Sno…cats　would　attack；　and　there　would　be　no　stopping　them。　When　Jacobs　and　his　team　hit　the　barricade　from　the　flank；　hopefully　the　advantage　would　swing　to　their　side。
　
　　　　　In　Washington；　the　battlefield　reports　from　the　men　under　fire　made　it　evident　that　the　assault　force　was　in　deep　trouble。　It　was　being　more　obvious　by　the　minute　that　Cleary　and　his　men　were　being　shot　to　pieces。　The　President　and　the　Joint　Chiefs　could　not　believe　what　they　heard。　What　had　been　launched　as　a　daring　mission　had　turned　into　a　slaughter　and　a　disaster。　They　were　shocked　by　the　growing　realization　that　the　mission　had　failed；　and　that　the　entire　inhabited　world　was　in　jeopardy　of　vanishing；　a　nightmare　they　found　impossible　to　accept。
　　　　　〃The　aircraft　carrying　the　main　force；〃　the　President　said；　his　thinking　being　disoriented；　〃when。　。　。？〃
　　　　　〃They　won't　be　over　the　pound　for　another　forty　minutes；〃　answered　General　South。
　　　　　〃And　the　countdown？〃
　　　　　〃Twenty…two　minutes　until　the　currents　are　right　for　the　ice　shelf　to　break　off。〃
　　　　　〃Then　we've　got　to　send　in　the　missiles。〃
　　　　　〃We　will　be　killing　our　own　men　as　well；〃　cautioned　General　South。
　　　　　〃Do　we　have　another　option？〃　the　President　put　to　him。
　　　　　South　looked　down　at　his　open　hands　and　slowly　shook　his　head。　〃No；　Mr。　President；　we　don't。〃
　　　　　Admiral　Eldridge　asked；　〃Shall　I　alert　the　mander　of　the　Tucson　to　launch　missiles？〃
　　　　　〃If　I　may　suggest；〃　said　the　Air　Force　chief　of　staff；　General　Coburn；　〃I　think　it　best　that　we　send　in　the　Stealth　bombers。　Their　aircrews　are　more　accurate　in　guiding　their　missiles　to　a　target　than　an　unmanned　Tomahawk　launched　from　a　submarine。〃
　　　　　The　President　quickly　made　his　decision。　〃All　right；　alert　the　bomber　pilots；　but　tell　them　not　to　fire　until　ordered。　We　never　know　when　a　miracle　might　happen　and　Major　Cleary　can　force　his　way　into　the　control　center　and　halt　the　countdown。〃
　　　　　As　General　Coburn　issued　the　order；　General　South　muttered　under　his　breath；　〃A　miracle　is　exactly　what　it　will　take。〃
　
　　　　　Streets　ran　off　the　square　between　buildings　that　protruded　from　the　ice。　They　were　not　on　the　massive　scale　of　much　later　civilizations；　but　their　architectural　characteristics　were　unlike　any　Pitt　and　Giordino　had　ever　seen　in　their　travels。　There　was　no　telling　how　many　acres　or　square　miles　the　city　covered。　What　they　saw　was　only　a　fraction　of　the　magnificence　that　was　the　Amenes。
　　　　　Rising　up　from　one　end　of　the　square；　an　immense；　richly　ornate　structure　with　triangular　columns　supported　a　pediment　decorated　with　fleets　of　ancient　ships　in　relief　over　a　frieze　carved　with　intricate　sculptures　of　animals　mingling　with　people　wearing　the　same　dress　found　on　the　mummies　at　St。　Paul　Island。　The　basic　design　of　the　colossal　building　was　unlike　any　still　standing　from　the　ancient　world。　It　would　have　been　obvious　to　the　eye　of　an　architect　that　its　basic　structural　form　had　been　passed　down　through　the　millennia　and　copied　by　later　builders　of　the　great　temples　of　Luxor；　Athens；　and　Rome。　The　columns；　however；　were　triangular；　and　looked　foreign　when　pared　to　the　much　later　round；　fluted　Doric；　Ionic；　and　Corinthian　columns。
　　　　　A　large　entrance　yawned　beyond　the　columns。　There　were　no　stairs。　The　upper　levels　were　reached　by　gradually　sloping　ramps。　Spellbound；　Pitt　and　Giordino　exited　the　Snow　Cruiser　and　walked　past　the　columns。　Inside　the　main　chamber；　a　vast　corbeled　triangular　roof　soared　above　the　ice…covered；　rock…hewn　floor。　In　huge　niches　along　the　walls　were　stone　statues　of　what　must　have　been　Amenes　kings；　powerful…looking　creations　with　round　eyes　and　narrow　faces　carved　out　of　granite　rich　in　quartz　that　shimmered　as　they　walked　past　them。　Sculptured　heads　of　men　and　a　few　women　were　set　in　the　floor；　staring　upward　through　their　thin　coating　of　ice；　with　Amenes　inscriptions　engraved　above　and