cussler.blueandgold-第52部分

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urprise　quickly　turned　to　terror；　and　they　scattered　like　leaves　before　the　wind。
　
　The　helicopter　pilot　was　leaning　against　the　chopper　smoking　a　cigarette　when　he　saw　the　monstrous　aircraft　bearing　down　in　his　direction。　He　jumped　back　into　the　helicopter；　where　he　was　faced　with　an　immediate　decision。　He　could　stay　where　he　was　and　be　rammed。　He　could　fire　his　rockets　or　guns　at　the　oning　wing　and　hope　that　his　hurried　shots　would　hit　the　slim　fuselage。　Or　he　could　head　for　the　sky。
　
　Austin　was　distracted　by　the　sound　of　a　giant　woodpecker　rapping　on　the　fuselage。　Zavala　thought　it　was　one　of　the　engines　falling　apart　and　was　only　partially　relieved　when　Austin　said；　〃They're　shooting　at　us。　Are　you　going　to　fly　this　rig　or　drive　it　all　the　way　to　Nome？〃
　
　Because　of　the　unusual　position　of　the　instrument　panel；　Zavala　could　not　see　all　the　gauges。　Aiming　for　the　helicopter　to　keep　the　plane　on　a　straight　line；　Zavala　shouted　at　Austin　to　call　out　the　air　speed。
　
　〃Forty！〃　Austin　yelled。
　
　Zavala　was　surprised　at　how　quickly　the　plane　accelerated；　despite　its　huge　mass　and　the　partially　deflated　tires。　He　had　to　maintain　a　firm　hand　on　the　controls　to　keep　the　nose　from　lifting。
　
　〃Sixty！〃
　
　The　landing　gear　hit　the　water　of　the　shallow　lake；　but　the　plane's　speed　continued　to　increase。
　
　〃Eighty！〃
　
　Even　as　Austin　called　out；　Zavala　felt　the　lightness　on　the　wheel　indicating　that　the　plane　was　near　takeoff　speed。
　
　〃One　hundred！〃
　
　Zavala　counted　to　ten；　then　pulled　back　on　the　wheel。　Both　men　practically　drove　their　feet　through　the　floorboards　as　they　pressed　on　imaginary　accelerators。　The　massive　plane　seemed　to　leap　into　the　air。　Zavala　had　assumed　that　they　would　easily　clear　the　helicopter；　but　once　the　plane　was　up　at　an　angle　all　he　could　see　was　blue　sky。
　
　The　helicopter　pilot　had　finally　chosen　a　course　of　action；　but　it　was　the　wrong　one。　He　mistakenly　assumed　that　the　huge　bat…shaped　aircraft　lumbering　across　the　permafrost　in　his　direction　would　hit　the　chopper　on　the　ground。　He　lifted　off　about　the　same　time　Zavala　got　the　wing　airborne。
　
　From　his　level　in　the　copilot's　seat；　Austin　had　a　clear　view　of　the　chopper　rising　into　the　path　of　the　flying　wing。　Unaware　of　the　impending　collision；　Zavala　had　been　concentrating　on　the　takeoff。　From　his　reading　Zavala　knew　that　the　wing's　rapid　acceleration　would　blow　the　covers　off　the　slow…moving　landing　gear。　The　gear　had　been　designed　for　slower…moving　propeller…driven　planes　and　took　too　long　to　retract。　Pilots　pensated　by　retracting　the　gear　while　the　plane　was　only　a　few　hundred　feet　off　the　ground　and　pulling　the　nose　up　at　a　fairly　steep　angle。
　
　If　not　for　the　unusual　maneuver　the　aircraft　would　have　collided。　Instead　they　missed　by　several　feet；　but　there　was　a　horrendous　metallic　crunch　as　the　landing　gear　grazed　the　whirling　rotors。　The　rotors　disintegrated；　and　the　helicopter　seemed　to　hang　for　a　moment　before　it　plummeted　back　to　the　ground；　where　it　exploded　in　a　ball　of　flame。　The　wing　wobbled　from　the　impact；　but　Zavala　got　it　back　under　control。　He　kept　climbing　before　he　leveled　off　at　five　thousand　feet。
　
　Zavala　realized　he　had　forgotten　to　breathe。　He　puffed　out　his　cheeks　and　gulped　air　into　his　lungs　so　quickly　the　effort　made　him　dizzy。　Austin　asked　him　to　do　a　damage　check。　He　did　a　visual　inspection　of　the　plane　from　his　perch。　The　fuselage　was　riddled　with　bullet　holes。　Scraps　of　aluminum　continued　to　peel　off；　and　a　second　engine　was　starting　to　smoke。
　
　〃She　looks　like　a　wedge　of　Swiss　cheese；　but　she's　a　tough　old　bird。〃
　
　He　put　the　flying　wing　on　a　course　that　would　take　them　into　the　vicinity　of　Nome。　There　was　no　need　for　altitude；　and　he　kept　the　plane　at　a　few　thousand　feet。　After　a　while　he　started　laughing。
　
　〃What's　so　funny；　padre？〃　Austin　called　out　from　his　perch；　where　he　was　fiddling　with　the　radio。
　
　〃I　was　just　wondering　what　they're　going　to　say　when　we　e　tooling　in　all　shot　up　with　a　fifty…year…old　stealth　bomber。〃
　
　〃Simple。　We'll　say　we　were　flying　a　mission　and　were　kid　napped　by　a　UFO。〃
　
　Zavala　shook　his　head。　〃That's　almost　as　unbelievable　as　the　real　story；〃　he　said。　
　The　arrival　of　the　bullet…riddled　flying　wing　had　been　the　biggest　event　to　hit　Nome　since　the　original　Iditarod。　Word　of　the　odd　shaped　black　plane　that　had　landed　without　landing　gear　on　a　sheet　of　foam　had　spread　like　wildfire；　and　before　long　it　was　surrounded　by　curious　townspeople。　Austin　had　called　Sandecker　from　the　airport　to　report　his　findings　and　to　request　some　muscle　power。　Sandecker　got　in　touch　with　the　Pentagon　and　learned　that　a　Special　Operations　team　was　on　maneuvers　at　Elendorf　Air　Force　Base　outside　Anchorage。　The　team　was　ordered　to　fly　into　Nome。　After　Austin　briefed　the　Special　Ops　leaders　at　a　strategy　session；　they　decided　to　send　the　helicopter　ahead　to　scope　the　situation　out；　with　a　quick　followup　by　the　main　assault　force。
　
　It　was　something　of　a　coincidence　that　Austin　and　Zavala　returned　to　the　secret　blimp　base　in　a　Pave　Hawk　helicopter。　The　sixty…four…foot…long　aircraft　was　the　same　kind　of　helicopter　that　patrolled　Area　51；　the　top…secret　location　that　UFO　buffs　say　holds　alien　remains　and　a　spaceship　that　crashed　in　Roswell；　New　Mexico。　The　helicopter　had　e　in　alone　at　a　speed　of　a　hundred　and　fifty　miles　per　hour；　flying　low　over　the　tundra　to　avoid　detection。　As　it　came　up　on　the　base；　it　made　one　pass　over　the　water…covered　airstrip；　scouring　the　ground　with　its　motion　and　vibration　sensors。　Finding　no　signs　of　life；　the　chopper　went　into　a　wide　circling　pattern。　On　board　was　a　crew　of　three；　eight　heavily　armed　Special　Operations　troops；　and　two　passengers；　Austin　and　Zavala；　who　scanned　the　skies　expectantly。　They　didn't　have　long　to　wait。　A　fixed…wing　plane　appeared　from　the　direction　of　the　sea　and　passed　over　the　base。　The　four…engine　turboprop　bat　Talon　was　especially　designed　for　inserting　a　Special　Operations　Team　under　any　conditions。　Dark　objects　dropped　from　the　fuselage　and　within　seconds　blossomed　into　twenty…six　parachutes。　The　paratroopers　floated　down　into　the　low　hills　behind　the　flying　wing　hangar。
　
　The　helicopter　continued　to　circle。　The　plane　brought　in　the　first　contingent　as　part　of　a　one…two　punch。　If　the　initial　assault　group　ran　into　trouble　the　chopper　would　blast　the　opposition　from　the　air　with　its　twin　7。62mm　guns　and　land　the　backup　force　where　it　was　most　needed。
　
　Several　tense　minutes　passed。　Then　the　voice　of　the　team　leader　on　the　ground　crackled　over　the　chopper's　radio。
　
　〃All　clear。　Okay　to　e　in。〃
　
　The　Hawk　darted　in　over　the　scattered　wreckage　of　the　ski　plane　and　the　blackened　hulk　of　the　chopper　that　had　been　dispatched　by　the　flying　wing。　It　landed　directly　in　front　of　the　hangar　whose　massive　door　gaped　wide　open　like　a　patient　in　a　dentist　chair。　A　contingent　of　camouflage…clad　Special　Ops　troops　armed　with　M…16Al　assault　rifles　and　grenade　launchers；　each　man　a　killing　machine　of　formidable　power；　guarded　the　outside　while　another　squad　explored　the　hangar's　cavernous　interior。　The　helicopter　troops　poured　out　of　the　side　doors　as　soon　as　the　wheels　touched　the　ground　and　joined　their　rades。
　
　Then　the　two　NUMA　men　got　out　and　walked　into　the　hangar。　The　space　seemed　even　more　enormous　now　that　it　no　longer　housed　the　flying　wing。　Blackened　and　charred　debris　left　over　from　their　takeoff　was　scattered　throughout　the　hangar。　The　rear　walls；　which　had　felt　the　full　force　and　heat　of　the　jet…engine　exhaust；　were　scorched　and　the　paint　blistered。　They　picked　their　way　around　the　smoldering　rubble　and　went　directly　to　the　storeroom。　The　door　was　open。　The　canisters　were　gone。
　
　〃Empty　as　a　bottle　of　tequila　on　a　Sunday　morning；〃　Zavala　said。　
　
　　〃I　was　afraid　of　this。　They　must　have　brought　in　another　chopper。〃
　
　They　walked　outside　to　get　away　from　the　choking　smoke　inside　the　hangar。　The　Talon　had　found　a　flat；　dry　strip　of　land　and　was　landing　about　a　quarter　of　a　mile　away。　They　headed　to　ward　the　wreckage　of　the　helicopter；　hoping　it　could　provide　clues　to　the　attack。　Blackened　corpses　were　visible　in　and　around　the　charred　hulk。　The　officer　who　had　led　the　first　wave　came　over　and　shook　hands。
　
　〃I　don't　know　why　you　wanted　us　to　e　along；〃　he　said；　jerking　his　thumb　at　the　downed　chopper。　〃You　boys　did　fine　on　your　own。〃
　
　〃We　didn't　want　to　press　our　luck；〃　Austin　said。
　
　The　officer　grinned。　〃This　place　is　as　clean　as　a　whistle。　We　checked　the　underground　bunker　as　you　suggested。　Found　a　couple　of　dead　guys　at　the　bottom　of　the　shaft　you　told　us　to　watch　out　for。　You　know　anything　about　that？〃
　
　Austin　and　Zavala　exchanged　a　surprised　glance。
　
　〃Joe　and　I　set　up　a　little　tiger　trap　for　our　guests。　We　never　expected　it　to　work。〃
　
　〃Oh；　it　worked。　Remind　me　never　to　e　in　your　back　door　without　knocking。〃
　
　〃I'll　remember。　Sorry　you　had　to　go　through　all　this　trouble　for　nothing；〃　Austin　said。
　
　〃You　can　never　be　too　careful。　You　know　what　happened　on　Atka　and　Kiska。〃
　
　Austin　nodded。　He　knew　the　story　of　the　two　Aleutian　Is　lands　occupied　by　the　Japanese。　After　U。S。　troops　were　bloodied　in　the　invasion　of　one　island；　they　planned　a　massive　invasion　of　Kiska；　only　to　find　the　Japanese　had　quietly　slipped　away　the　night　before。
　
　〃The　same　thing　happened　here。　The　chickens　have　flown　the　coop。〃

　
　The　officer　surveyed　the　twisted　wreckage　again　and　let　out　a　low　whistle。　〃I'd　say　you　clipped　their　wings。〃
　
　Austin　shook　his　head。　〃Unfortunately　there　was　something　back　in　that　hangar　they　took　with　them。　Thanks　anyway　for　all　your　help；　Major。〃
　
　〃My　pleasure。　Drills　are　fine；　but　there　is　no　substitute　for　a　mission　where　people　might　actually　be　shooting　at　you。〃
　
　〃I'll　see　if　I　can　arrange　that　next　time。〃
　
　The　officer　smiled　a　tight　smile。　〃From　the　looks　of　that　old　bomber　you　brought　into　Nome；　I'd　say　you're　probably　a　man　of　your　word。〃
　
　With　that　operation　a　bust；　Austin　and　Zavala　accepted　the　offer　of　a　ride　to　Elendorf；　where　they　might　be　able　to　catch　a　flight　to　Washington。　When　the　planes　stopped　at　Nome　to　re　fuel；　Zavala　volunt