mreilly.icestation- 第12节

　
　SECOND　INCURSION　
　16　June　0930　hours　
　
　〃This　is　Scarecrow！　This　is　Scarecrow！〃　Schofield　yelled　into　his　helmet　mike　as　he　ducked　into　a　doorway　amid　the　cacophony　of　gunfire。　〃I　count　eight　hostiles！　I　repeat；　eight　hostile　objects！　I　call　it　as　six　military；　two　civilians。　Civilians　are　probably　concealing　weapons　for　use　by　the　mandos。　Marines；　do　not　show　prejudice！〃　
　Chunks　of　ice　rained　down　all　around　him　as　Latissier's　stream　of　bullets　impacted　against　the　ice　wall　above　him。　
　It　was　the　sight　of　the　crossbow　that　did　it。　
　Each　of　the　elite　military　units　of　the　world　has　its　own　characteristic　weapon。　For　the　United　States　Navy　SEALs；　experts　in　close…quarter　bat；　it　is　the　Ruger　pump…action　twelve…gauge　shotgun。　For　the　British　Special　Air　Service…　the　famous　SAS…nitrogen　charges　are　the　signature　weapon。　For　U。S。　Marine　Force　Reconnaissance　Units　it　is　the　Armalite　MH…12　Maghook；　a　grappling　hook　that　also　contains　a　high…powered　magnet　for　adhesion　to　sheer　metallic　surfaces。　
　Only　one　elite　force；　however；　is　known　for　carrying　crossbows。　
　The　Premier　Régiment　Parachutiste　d'Infanterie　de　Marine；　the　crack　French　mando　unit…known　in　English　as　the　First　Marine　Parachute　Regiment。　It　is　the　French　equivalent　of　the　SAS　or　the　SEALs。　
　Which　is　to　say　that　it　is　not　a　regular　force　like；　for　example；　the　Marines。　It　is　one　step　higher。　It　is　an　offensive　unit；　an　attack　team；　an　elite　covert　force　that　exists　for　one　reason　and　one　reason　only：　to　go　in　first；　and　to　go　in　fast；　and　to　kill　everything　in　sight。　
　Which　was　why；　when　Schofield　saw　Gant　lift　the　small　hand…held　crossbow…it　was　about　the　size　of　a　。44　Magnum…from　inside　the　food　can；　he　knew　that　these　men　were　not　scientists　from　d'Urville。　They　were　soldiers。　Elite　soldiers。　
　Cleverly；　they　had　anticipated　that　he　would　know　the　names　of　all　the　scientists　at　d'Urville；　so　they　had　appropriated　their　names。　To　add　to　the　illusion；　they　had　also　brought　with　them　two　actual　scientists　from　the　French　research　station…Luc　Champion　and　Henri　Rae…people　whom　the　residents　of　Wilkes　would　know　personally。　
　The　final　touch　was　probably　the　best　touch　of　all：　they　had　allowed　Luc　Champion；　one　of　the　civilians；　to　take　the　lead　when　the　Marines　had　arrived　at　Wilkes　Ice　Station；　bolstering　the　illusion　that　they　were　all　merely　scientists；　following　the　lead　of　their　superior。　
　That　the　French　had　taken　five　of　the　residents　of　Wilkes　Ice　Station…innocent　civilians…out　on　a　hovercraft　under　the　pretense　that　they　were　being　taken　back　to　safety　and　then　executed　them　in　the　middle　of　the　snow　plains　made　Schofield　furious。　In　a　detached　corner　of　his　mind；　he　conjured　up　a　picture　of　what　the　scene　must　have　looked　like…　the　American　scientists；　men　and　women；　crying；　pleading；　begging　for　their　lives　as　the　French　soldiers　moved　among　them；　leveling　their　pistols　at　their　heads　and　blasting　their　brains　all　over　the　inside　of　the　hovercraft。　
　That　at　least　two　French　scientists…Champion　and　Rae…　had　gone　along　with　the　French　mandos　made　Schofield　even　angrier。　What　could　they　have　been　promised　that　would　make　them　party　to　the　murder　of　innocent　academics？　
　The　answer；　unfortunately；　was　simple。　
　They　would　be　given　the　first　opportunity　to　study　the　spacecraft　when　the　French　got　their　hands　on　it。　
　
　Frantic　voices　shouted　over　Schofield's　helmet　inter。　〃…return　fire！〃　
　〃…clear！〃　
　〃…Samurai　is　down！　Fox　is　down！〃　
　〃…can't　get　a　fucking　shot…〃　
　Schofield　looked　out　from　behind　the　doorway　and　saw　Gant　lying　flat　on　her　back　on　the　catwalk　halfway　between　the　dining　room　and　the　main　entrance　passageway。　She　wasn't　moving。　
　His　gaze　shifted　to　Augustine　Lau；　lying　sprawled　out　on　the　catwalk　in　the　dining　room　doorway。　Lau's　eyes　were　wide　open；　his　face　covered　in　blood；　blood　that　had　sprayed　up　from　his　own　stomach　as　Latissier's　barrage　of　gunfire　had　assailed　him　from　practically　point…blank　range。　
　Not　far　from　Schofield；　in　the　tunnel　leading　to　the　main　entrance　to　the　station；　Buck　Riley　leaned　out　and　returned　fire　with　his　MP…5；　drowning　out　the　tinny　rat…a…tat　sound　of　the　French…made　FA…MAS　with　the　deep；　puncturelike　firing　sound　of　the　German…made　MP…5。　Next　to　him；　Hollywood　did　the　same。　
　Schofield　snapped　around　to　look　over　at　Montana；　huddled　in　the　entrance　to　the　western　tunnel。　〃Montana。　You　OK？〃　
　When　Latissier　had　opened　fire　a　few　moments　earlier；　Montana　and　Lau　had　been　the　closest　men　to　him；　standing　in　the　doorway　to　the　dining　room。　When　Latissier's　gun　came　up　firing；　Montana　had　been　quick　enough　to　duck　back　behind　the　doorway。　Lau　hadn't。　
　And　while　Lau　had　performed　what　infantry　soldiers　call　the　danse　macabre　under　the　brutal　weight　of　Latissier's　fire；　Montana　had　scrambled　back　along　the　catwalk　to　the　nearest　point　of　safety；　the　west　tunnel。　
　Schofield　saw　Montana　speak　into　his　helmet　mike　fifty　feet　away。　His　gravelly　voice　came　over　Schofield's　headset　〃Check　that；　Scarecrow。　I'm　a　little　shook　up；　but　I'm　OK。〃　
　〃Good。〃　
　More　bullets　slammed　into　the　ice　above　Schofield's　head。　Schofield　ducked　back　behind　the　doorway。　Then；　quickly；　he　peered　out　around　the　door　frame。　But　this　time　as　he　did　so　he　heard　a　strange　whistling　sound。　
　With　a　sharp　thwump；　a　four…inch…long　arrow　lodged　into　the　ice　barely　five　centimeters　from　Schofield's　right　eye。　
　Schofield　looked　up　and　saw　Petard　in　the　dining　room；　with　his　crossbow　raised。　No　sooner　had　Petard　fired　his　crossbow　than　Luc　Champion　hurled　a　short…barreled　submachine　gun　over　to　him　and　Petard　rejoined　the　battle　with　a　sharp　volley　of　gunfire。　
　Peering　around　the　door　frame；　Schofield　looked　quickly　over　at　Gant　again。　She　was　still　lying　motionless　on　the　catwalk；　halfway　between　the　dining　room　and　the　main　entrance　tunnel。　
　And　then　suddenly　her　arm　moved。　
　It　must　have　been　a　reflex　of　some　sort　as　she　slowly　regained　consciousness。　
　Schofield　saw　it　instantly　and　spoke　into　his　helmet　mike。　〃This　is　Scarecrow；　this　is　Scarecrow。　Fox　is　still　alive。　I　repeat；　Fox　is　still　alive。　But　she's　out　in　the　open。　I　need　cover　so　I　can　go　out　there　and　get　her。　Confirm。〃　
　Voices　came　in　like　a　roll　call。　〃Hollywood；　check　that！〃　
　〃Rebound；　check　that！〃　
　〃Montana；　check　that。〃　
　〃Book；　check　that；〃　Buck　Riley　said。　〃You're　all　clear；　Scarecrow。　Go！〃　
　〃All　right；　then；　now！〃　Schofield　yelled　as　he　broke　cover　and　scampered　out　onto　the　catwalk。　
　All　around　him；　in　perfect　unison；　the　Marines　whipped　out　from　their　cover　positions　and　returned　fire　at　the　dining　room。　The　noise　was　deafening。　The　ice　walls　of　the　dining　room　exploded　into　a　thousand　pockmarks。　The　bined　strength　of　the　assault　forced　Latissier　and　Petard　to　cease　firing　for　a　moment　and　dive　for　cover。　
　Out　on　the　catwalk；　Schofield　fell　to　his　knees　next　to　Gant。　
　He　looked　down　at　her　head。　The　arrow　from　Cuvier's　crossbow　had　lodged　in　the　forehead　guard　of　her　Kevlar　helmet；　and　a　narrow　stream　of　blood　ran　out　from　her　forehead　and　down　the　side　of　her　nose。　
　Seeing　the　blood；　Schofield　leaned　closer　and　saw　that　the　force　of　the　crossbow　had　been　so　strong　that　the　arrow　had　penetrated　Gant's　helmet。　Nearly　a　whole　inch　of　the　arrow　had　passed　through　the　Kevlar　so　that　now　its　glistening　silver　tip　was　poised　right　in　front　of　Gant's　forehead。　
　The　helmet　had　held　the　arrow　clear　of　her　skull　by　millimeters。　
　Not　even　that。　The　razor…sharp　point　of　the　arrow　had　actually　nicked　her　skin；　drawing　blood。　
　〃e　on；　let's　go；〃　Schofield　said；　even　though　he　was　sure　Gant　couldn't　hear　him。　The　Marines'　cover　fire　continued　all　around　them　as　Schofield　dragged　Gant　back　along　the　catwalk；　toward　the　main　entrance　passageway。　
　Suddenly；　out　of　nowhere；　one　of　the　French　mandos　popped　up　from　behind　a　hole　in　the　wall　of　the　dining　room；　with　his　rifle　raised。　
　Still　dragging　Gant；　Schofield　quickly　brought　his　pistol　up；　aimed　through　the　sights；　and　loosed　two　quick　rounds。　If　the　FA…MAS　sounded　tinny；　and　the　MP…5　sounded　like　puncture　noises；　then　Schofield's　I。M。I。　〃Desert　Eagle〃　automatic　pistol　sounded　like　a　cannon。　The　French　mando's　head　exploded