mreilly.icestation-第15部分

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　Legs　flailed　backward；　losing　his　balance　for　a　second；　before　turning　his　gun　back　toward　the　enemy　and　letting　loose　with　an　extended　burst　of　gunfire　that　would　have　woken　the　dead。　In　2。2　seconds　thirty　rounds　were　spent　and　that　clip　was　dry；　too。　Mother　grabbed　him　and　yanked　him　out　onto　the　catwalk；　away　from　the　tunnel。　
　Now　wounded　and　dripping　with　blood；　Legs　began　to　fumble　with　a　new　clip。　The　clip　slipped　through　his　bloody　fingers　and　fell　out　over　the　railing；　dropping　fifty　feet　through　the　air　until　it　splashed　into　the　pool　at　the　bottom　of　the　station。　At　that　point；　Legs　cut　his　losses；　tossed　his　MP…5；　and　pulled　out　his　Colt　。45。　Single　fire　from　here。　
　Schofield　and　Gant　continued　to　sweep　the　uppermost　deck　with　their　fire。　Gant　had　watched　as　Legs's　clip　dropped　all　the　way　down　into　the　pool；　had　watched　as　one　of　the　killer　whales　banked　upward　to　see　what　it　was　that　had　fallen　into　its　domain。　
　Mother　went　dry。　She　cut　the　empty　clip　and　reloaded　fast。　
　Schofield　watched　anxiously　as　the　three　of　them…　Mother；　Rebound；　and　Legs…moved　along　the　catwalk　between　the　west　and　the　north　tunnels　of　B…deck；　heading　toward　the　north　tunnel。　
　They　were　almost　there　when　suddenly　Buck　Riley　burst　out　from　the　north　tunnel　with　four　civilians　in　tow　behind　him。　
　Right　in　front　of　Mother；　Rebound；　and　Legs！　
　Schofield　saw　it　as　it　happened　and　his　jaw　dropped。　
　〃Oh；　Jesus〃　he　breathed。　
　This　was　a　disaster。　Now　four　of　his　people　were　out　in　the　open；　with　four　innocent　civilians！　And　any　second　now　the　French　would　appear　and　cut　them　to　ribbons。　
　〃Book！　Book！〃　Schofield　yelled　into　his　helmet　mike。　〃Get　out　of　there！　Get　off　the　catwa…〃　
　And　then　it　happened　and　Schofield's　horror　was　plete。　
　In　perfect　synchronization；　five　French　mandos　burst　out　onto　the　B…deck　catwalk。　
　Three　from　the　west　tunnel。　Two　from　the　east。　
　They　opened　fire　without　the　slightest　hesitation。　
　
　
　
　What　happened　next　happened　almost　too　fast　for　Schofield　to　prehend。　
　The　five　French　mandos　on　B…deck　had　just　pulled　off　a　perfect　pincer　maneuver。　They'd　flushed　Mother；　Rebound；　and　Legs　out　onto　the　catwalk　and　now　were　about　to　finish　it　off　by　firing　upon　them　from　both　flanks。　
　The　appearance　of　Buck　Riley　and　the　four　civilians　was　an　added　bonus。　It　obviously　hadn't　been　expected…when　they　had　appeared　out　on　the　catwalk；　all　five　of　the　French　soldiers　had　had　their　guns　firmly　trained　on　Mother；　Rebound；　and　Legs。　
　As　it　turned　out；　however；　they　never　got　a　chance　to　turn　their　fire　on　Riley　and　the　civilians　anyway。　
　The　three　French　mandos　who　had　emerged　from　the　western　tunnel　fired　first。　White…hot　tongues　of　fire　shot　out　from　the　muzzles　of　their　guns。　
　At　point…blank　range；　Legs；　Mother；　and　Rebound　were　all　hit。　Mother　in　the　leg；　Rebound　in　the　shoulder。　Legs　took　the　brunt　of　it…two　to　the　head；　four　to　the　chest…his　whole　body　being　a　shuddering　explosion　of　blood。　He　was　dead　before　he　hit　the　ground。　
　But　that　was　all　Schofield　saw。　
　Because　that　was　when　it　happened。　
　Schofield　watched　in　amazement　as；　at　the　exact　moment　that　the　French　mandos　on　the　western　side　of　the　station　fired　their　rifles；　two　enormous　fingers　of　fire　shot　out　in　both　directions　from　where　they　stood。　
　They　looked　like　twin　ets。　Two　seven…foot…tall　balls　of　fire　that　rocketed　around　the　circumference　of　the　B…deck　catwalk；　leaving　in　their　wake　a　wall　of　blazing　flames。　
　The　whole　of　the　B…deck　catwalk　disappeared　in　an　instant　as　the　spectacular　curtain　of　flames　shot　up　from　every　point　on　the　circular　metal　catwalk；　concealing　from　view　everybody　who　had　been　standing　on　the　deck。　
　For　a　full　second　Schofield　could　do　nothing　but　stare。　It　had　happened　so　fast。　It　was　as　if　somebody　had　laid　down　a　trail　of　gasoline　on　the　B…deck　catwalk　and　then　lit　a　match。　
　Then　it　clicked　and　Schofield　immediately　spun　around　to　face…　
　…the　air…conditioning　room。　
　And　in　that　instant；　it　all　suddenly　made　sense。　
　The　air…conditioning　cylinders　had　no　doubt　been　substantially　damaged　by　the　detonation　of　the　rocket　grenade　minutes　earlier。　Thus　punctured；　they　had　immediately　started　spewing　out　their　store　of　chlorofluorocarbons。　
　Highly　flammable　chlorofluorocarbons。　
　That　was　what　had　happened　when　Schofield　had　seen　the　two…meter　length　of　fire　spew　forward　from　the　muzzle　of　Gant's　machine　pistol　only　moments　earlier。　It　had　been　a　warning　of　things　to　e。　But　at　that　time　the　CFCs　hadn't　yet　filled　the　station。　Hence　the　small　two…meter　flame。　
　But　now。。。　now　the　amount　of　flammable　gas　in　the　station's　atmosphere　had　multiplied　considerably。　So　much　so　mat　when　the　French　had　opened　fire　on　the　Marines　on　B…deck；　the　whole　deck　had　gone　up　in　flames。　
　Schofield's　eyes　widened。　
　The　air…conditioning　cylinders　were　still　spewing　out　CFCs。　Soon　the　whole　station　would　he　contaminated　with　flammable。。。　
　The　horror　of　the　realization　hit　Schofield　hard。　
　Wilkes　Ice　Station　had　bee　a　gas　oven。　
　All　it　needed　was　one　spark；　one　flame…or　one　gunshot…　and　the　whole　station　would　spontaneously　bust。　
　
　Rivets　began　to　pop　out　of　their　sockets　on　B…deck。　
　Spot　fires　burned　all　over　the　B…deck　catwalk。　Agonized　screams　echoed　out　across　the　open　space　of　the　ice　station　as　soldiers　and　civilians　alike　lay　writhing　on　the　catwalk；　their　bodies　alight。　
　It　looked　like　a　scene　from　Hell　itself。　
　The　three　French　soldiers　on　the　western　side　of　the　station…the　ones　who　had　opened　fire　on　Mother；　Rebound；　and　Legs…had　been　the　first　to　go　up　in　flames；　the　gaseous　air　around　them　having　been　ignited　by　the　white…hot　tongues　of　fire　that　had　burst　forth　from　the　muzzles　of　their　guns。　
　The　twin　fireballs　had　immediately　shot　out　from　the　barrels　of　their　guns。　One　had　surged　forward　while　the　other　had　turned　on　them　and　rushed　with　all　its　fury　back　at　their　faces。　
　Now　two　of　those　French　soldiers　lay　on　the　deck；　screaming。　The　third　was　frantically　banging　himself　against　the　ice　wall　nearby　in　a　desperate　attempt　to　put　out　the　flames　on　his　fatigues。　
　Mother　and　Rebound　were　also　on　fire。　Beside　them；　Legs　was　already　dead。　His　motionless　body　lay　flat　on　the　catwalk　as　it　was　slowly　devoured　by　crackling　orange　flames。　
　Over　by　the　north　tunnel；　Buck　Riley　was　trying　to　smother　the　flames　on　Abby　Sinclair's　pants　by　rolling　her　over　on　the　metal　catwalk。　Beside　them；　Sarah　Hensleigh　slapped　frantically　at　a　cluster　of　flames　that　had　ignited　on　the　back　of　Kirsty's　bulky　pink　parka。　Warren　Cordon　just　screamed。　His　hair　was　on　fire。　
　And　then；　suddenly；　there　came　a　sickening　sound。　The　lurching；　wrenching　sound　of　bending　steel。　
　Riley　looked　up　from　what　he　was　doing。　
　〃Oh；　no；〃　he　moaned。　
　
　Schofield　also　looked　up　at　the　sound。　
　He　scanned　the　catwalk　above　him　and　saw　a　series　of　triangular　steel　supports　that　fastened　the　underside　of　the　B…deck　catwalk　to　the　ice　wall。　
　Slowly；　almost　imperceptibly；　those　supports　began　to　slide　out　from　the　wall。　
　Under　the　intense　heat　from　the　fire　on　B…deck；　the　long　rivets　that　fastened　the　supports　to　the　wall　were　starting　to　heat　up。　They　were　melting　the　ice　around　them　and　were　now　starting　to　slide　out　from　the　wall！　
　The　rivets　began　to　expand…thwack！　thwack！　thwack！…　and　in　rapid　succession　began　to　crack　open　the　ice…cold　notches　of　their　steel　supports　and　fall　to　the　catwalk　below。　
　The　rivets　clanked　loudly　as　they　dropped　down　onto　the　C…deck　catwalk。　
　One。　
　Then　two。　Then　three。　
　Then　five。　Then　ten。　
　There　were　rivets　everywhere；　raining　down　on　the　C…deck　catwalk。　And　then　suddenly　a　new　sound　filled　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　The　unmistakable　high…pitched　squeal　of　rending　metal。　
　〃Oh；　shit；〃　Schofield　said。　〃It's　gonna　go。〃　
　
　B…deck　went。　Suddenly。　Without　warning。　
　The　entire　catwalk…the　whole；　flaming　circle…just　fell　away；　dropping　with　a　sudden　jolt；　taking　everybody　who　was　still　on　it　down　with　it。　
　Some　sections　of　the　catwalk　managed　to　stay　attached　to　the　ice　walls。　Their　fall　ended　abruptly；　almost　as　soon　as　it　had　begun。　They　ended　up　pointing　downward　at　a　forty…five…degree　angle。　
　The　remaining　sections　just　slid　out　from　the　ice　walls　and　dropped　down　into　the　central　shaft　of　the　station。　
　Nearly　everyone　who　had　been　standing　on　B…deck　dropped　with　the　collapsed　sections　of　catwalk…eleven　people　in　all。　
　A　tangled　mix　of　civilians；　soldiers；　and　three　broken　sections　of　metal　catwalk　sailed　down　the　central　shaft　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station。　
　They　fell　a　full　fifty　feet；　and　then　they　landed。　Hard。　In　water。　In　the　pool　at　the　bottom　of　the　station。　
　
　
　
　Sarah　Hensleigh　plunged　underwater。　
　A　stream　of　bubbles　shot　up　past　her　face　and　the　world　suddenly　went　silent。　
　Cold。　Absolute；　unforgiving　cold　assailed　all　of　her　senses　at　once。　It　was　so　cold　it　hurt。　
　And　then　suddenly　she　heard　noises。　
　Noises　that　broke　the　ghostly　underwater　silence…a　series　of　muffled　whumps　in　the　water　all　around　her。　It　was　the　sound　of　the　others　falling　into　the　pool　with　her。　
　Slowly；　the　curtain　of　bubbles　in　front　of　her　face　began　to　disperse；　and　Sarah　began　to　make　out　a　number　of　unusually　large　shapes　moving　smoothly　through　the　water　around　her。　
　Large　black　shapes。　
　They　appeared　to　glide　effortlessly　through　the　silent；　freezing　water…each　one　frightening　in　its　size；　as　large　and　as　wide　as　a　car。　At　that　moment；　a　wash　of　white　cut　across　Sarah's　field　of　vision　and　suddenly　an　enormous　mouth；　full　of　razor…sharp　teeth；　opened　wide　in　front　of　her　eyes。　
　Pure　fear　shot　through　her　body。　
　Killer　whales。　
　Suddenly　Sarah　broke　the　surface。　Gulped　in　air。　The　cold　of　the　water　meant　nothing　now。　One　after　the　other　huge　black　dorsal　fins　began　to　rise　above　the　choppy　surface　of　the　pool。　
　Before　Sarah　could　even　get　a　bearing　on　exactly　where　in　the　pool　she　was；　something　burst　up　out　of　the　water　next　to　her　and　she　spun。　
　It　wasn't　a　killer　whale。　
　It　was　Abby。　
　Sarah　felt　her　heart　start　again。　A　second　later；　Warren　Conlon　also　came　up　beside　her。　
　Sarah　spun　around　in　the　water。　All　five　of　the　French　soldiers　who　had　be