mreilly.icestation- 第81节

　
　Schofield　lifted　Kirsty　out　of　the　water　and　up　onto　the　deck。　
　〃Are　you　OK？〃　he　said。　
　〃I　got　wet　again；〃　Kirsty　replied　sourly。　
　〃So　did　I；〃　Schofield　said　as　he　spun　around　and　saw　Trevor　Barnaby　swimming　frantically　for　the　diving　bell。　
　Schofield　looked　up　at　the　ice　station　above　him。　It　was　silent。　There　were　no　more　SAS　mandos　left。　It　was　only　Barnaby　now。　And　whoever　Barnaby　had　already　sent　down　to　the　cavern。　
　〃Get　a　blanket　and　stay　warm；〃　Schofield　said　to　Kirsty。　〃And　don't　go　upstairs　until　I　e　back。〃　
　〃Where　are　you　going？〃　
　〃After　him〃　Schofield　said；　pointing　at　Barnaby。　
　
　Trevor　Barnaby　surfaced　inside　the　diving　bell；　where　he　was　greeted　by　the　barrel　of　Schofield's　。45…caliber　Desert　Eagle　automatic　pistol。　
　James　Renshaw　gripped　the　pistol　with　both　hands；　pointed　it　at　Barnaby's　head。　He　was　holding　the　gun　so　tightly；　his　knuckles　were　turning　white。　
　〃Don't　fucking　move；　mister；〃　Renshaw　said。　
　Barnaby　just　looked　up　at　the　little　man　standing　inside　the　diving　bell。　The　little　man　was　wearing　some　really　old　kind　of　scuba　gear；　and　he　was　clearly　nervous。　Barnaby　looked　at　the　gun　in　Renshaw's　hand　and　he　laughed。　
　Then　he　brought　his　own　gun　up　from　under　the　water。　
　Renshaw　pulled　the　trigger　on　his　Desert　Eagle。　
　Click！　
　〃Huh？〃　Renshaw　said。　
　〃You　have　to　chamber　a　round　first；〃　Barnaby　said　as　he　raised　his　own　pistol　at　Renshaw。　
　Renshaw　saw　what　was　ing；　and　with　a　short　squeal　he　jumped　down　into　the　water　next　to　Barnaby…scuba　gear　and　all…and　disappeared　underwater。　
　Barnaby　climbed　up　into　the　diving　bell　and　made　straight　for　the　dive　controls。　He　didn't　waste　any　time。　He　blew　the　ballast　tanks　immediately。　The　diving　bell　began　to　descend。　
　
　Up　on　E…deck；　Schofield　saw　the　ballast　tanks　blow。　
　Shit；　he's　going　down　already；　he　thought　as　he　came　to　a　halt　next　to　one　of　the　rung…ladders。　He　had　planned　to　go　up　to　the　winch　controls　on　C…deck　and　stop　the　diving　bell　from　there…　
　And　then　at　that　moment；　there　came　a　monstrous　noise　from　somewhere　up　above　him。　
　Snap…twangggg！　
　Schofield　looked　up　just　in　time　to　see　the　cable　that　held　up　the　diving　bell…frozen　solid　by　the　liquid　nitrogen…contract　and　crack　for　the　final　time。　
　The　frozen　cable　snapped。　
　The　diving　bell　submerged。　
　Schofield's　mouth　fell　open。　Then　he　ran。　
　Ran　as　fast　as　he　could。　Toward　the　pool。　Because　now　this　would　be　the　last　trip　the　diving　bell　would　be　making　to　the　underwater　tunnel　and　it　was　the　only　way　to　get　to　the　cavern　and　if　Barnaby　were　to　get　there　and　the　Marines　down　there　were　already　dead；　then　the　British　would　have　the　spaceship　and　the　battle　would　be　lost；　and　Schofield　bad　e　too　fucking　far　to　lose　everything　now…　
　Schofield　hit　the　edge　of　the　deck　running　and　dived　high　into　the　air；　just　as　the　diving　bell　disappeared　under　the　surface。　
　After　penetrating　the　water；　Schofield　shot　downward。　
　And　then　he　swam。　Hard。　With　strong；　powerful　strokes；　chasing　the　descending　diving　bell。　
　Now　free　of　its　winch　cable；　the　diving　bell　began　to　sink　fast　and　Schofield　had　to　use　all　of　his　strength　to　catch　it　He　came　close；　reached　out；　and。。。　grabbed　the　piping　that　ran　around　the　exterior　of　the　diving　bell。　
　
　Inside　the　diving　bell；　Barnaby　holstered　his　gun　and　pulled　out　his　detonation　unit。　
　He　checked　the　time。　8：37　p。m。　
　Then　he　set　the　timer　on　the　detonation　unit。　He　gave　himself　two　hours；　enough　time　to　get　to　the　underground　cavern。　It　was　crucial　that　he　be　down　there　when　the　ring　of　Tritonal　charges　surrounding　Wilkes　Ice　Station　went　off。　
　Barnaby　then　pulled　his　Navistar　Global　Positioning　System　transponder　from　his　pocket　and　hit　the　transmit　button。　
　Barnaby　smiled　as　he　put　the　GPS　transponder　back　into　his　pocket。　Despite　the　loss　of　his　men　up　in　the　station；　his　plan…his　original　plan…was　still　on　track。　
　When　the　eighteen　Tritonal　charges　went　off；　Wilkes　Ice　Station　would　float　out　to　sea　on　a　newly　formed　iceberg。　Then；　thanks　to　Barnaby's　GPS　receiver；　British　rescue　forces…and　British　rescue　forces　alone…would　know　exactly　where　to　find　the　iceberg；　the　station；　Barnaby　himself；　and；　most　important　of　all；　the　spaceship。　
　
　The　diving　bell　fell　downward　through　the　water…fast…with　Shane　Schofield　clutching　onto　the　piping　on　top　of　it。　
　Slowly；　hand　over　hand；　Schofield　made　his　way　down　the　side　of　the　falling　diving　bell。　The　big　bell　rocked　and　swayed　as　it　careered　downward　through　the　water；　but　Schofield　held　on。　
　And　then；　at　last；　he　came　to　the　base　of　the　bell　and　swung　himself　under　it。　
　
　Schofield　burst　up　inside　the　diving　bell。　
　He　saw　Barnaby　right　away；　saw　the　detonation　unit　in　his　hand。　
　Barnaby　whirled　around　and　drew　his　gun；　but　Schofield　was　already　launching　himself　out　of　the　water。　Schofield's　fist　shot　up　out　of　the　water　and　slammed　into　Barnaby's　wrist。　Barnaby's　gun　hand　popped　open　in　a　reflex　and　the　gun　flew　out　of　it　and　clattered　to　the　deck。　
　Schofield's　feet　found　the　deck　of　the　diving　bell　just　as　Barnaby　crash…tackled　him。　The　two　men　slammed　into　the　curved　interior　wall　of　the　bell。　Schofield　tried　to　kick　Barnaby　away　from　him；　but　the　British　mander　was　too　skilled　a　fighter。　Barnaby　crunched　him　against　the　wall　and　let　fly　with　a　powerful　kick。　His　steel…capped　boot　connected　with　Schofield's　cheek；　and　Schofield　flailed　backward　and　felt　his　face　slam　up　against　the　cold　glass　of　one　of　the　portholes　of　the　diving　bell。　
　At　that　moment…and　for　just　a　split　second…Schofield　saw　the　glass　of　the　porthole　in　front　of　him；　saw　a　thin　crack　begin　to　form　in　the　glass　right　in　front　of　his　eyes。　
　But　he　didn't　have　time　to　ponder　that。　Barnaby　kicked　him　again。　And　again。　And　again。　Schofield　fell　to　the　deck。　
　〃You　never　give　up；　do　you；〃　Barnaby　said　as　he　lay　the　boot　into　Schofield。　〃You　never　give　up。〃　
　〃This　is　my　station；〃　Schofield　said　through　clenched　teeth。　
　Another　kick。　The　steel　cap　of　Barnaby's　boot　slammed　into　the　rib　that　Schofield　had　broken　during　his　fight　with　the　SAS　mando　in　the　hovercraft　earlier。　Schofield　roared　in　agony。　
　〃It's　not　your　station　anymore；　Scarecrow。〃　
　Barnaby　kicked　at　Schofield　again；　but　this　time　Schofield　rolled　out　of　the　way　and　Barnaby's　boot　hit　the　steel　wall　of　the　diving　bell。　
　Schofield　kept　rolling　until　he　came　up　against　the　metal　rim　of　the　pool　at　the　base　of　the　diving　bell。　
　And　then　suddenly　he　saw　it。　
　The　harpoon　gun。　
　The　harpoon　gun　that　he　had　taken　from　Little　America　IV。　It　was　just　lying　there　on　the　deck；　right　in　front　of　his　eyes。　
　Off…balance；　Schofield　reached　for　the　harpoon　gun　just　as　Barnaby　leaped　down　onto　the　deck　in　front　of　him　and　let　fly　with　a　brutal　side…kick。　
　The　kick　connected　and　Schofield　fell…harpoon　gun　and　all…off　the　deck　and　into　the　small　pool　of　water　at　the　base　of　the　diving　bell；　and　suddenly　he　found　himself　outside　the　falling　diving　bell！　
　The　diving　bell　plummeted　past　him　and　Schofield　reached　out　with　his　left　hand　and　caught　hold　of　a　pipe　on　the　side　of　it　as　it　rushed　past　him　and　suddenly　he　was　yanked　downward。　
　Schofield　kept　ahold　of　the　harpoon　gun　as　he　wrapped　one　of　his　legs　around　the　exterior　piping　of　the　falling　diving　bell。　He　could　only　guess　how　deep　they　had　fallen。　
　A　hundred　feet？　Two　hundred　feet？　
　He　peered　in　through　one　of　the　small　round　portholes　of　the　diving　bell。　This　porthole　also　had　a　thin　white　crack　running　across　it。　
　Schofield　saw　the　crack　and　suddenly　he　realized　what　it　was。　The　liquid　nitrogen　that　had　splattered　against　the　diving　bell　up　in　the　station　was　contracting　the　porthole's　glass；　weakening　it；　causing　it　to　crack。　
　He　saw　Barnaby　inside　the　diving　bell；　saw　him　standing　on　the　small　metal　deck；　saluting　at　Schofield；　waving　his　detonation　unit　at　him；　as　if　it　were　all　over。　
　But　it　wasn't　over。　
　Schofield　stared　at　Barnaby　through　the　porthole。　
　And　then；　as　he　looked　at　Barnaby　from　outside　the　diving　bell；　Schofield　did　a　strange　thing；　and　in　an　instant　the　smile　vanished　from　Barnaby's　face。　
　Schofield　had　raised　his　harpoon　gun…　
　…and　pointed　it