按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
〃Second； as an alternative should the United States be unwilling to allow reciprocal verification of arms reductions； we will permit another group of six officers to perform this service； these officers to be from a countryor countries…upon which the United States and the Soviet Union can agree within the next thirty days。 A team from such neutral countries as Sweden or India would be acceptable in principle to the Soviet Union。
〃Ladies and gentlemen； the time has e to put an end to the arms race。 I will not repeat all of the flowery rhetoric we've all heard over the past two generations。 We all know the threat that these ghastly weapons represent to every nation。 Let no one ever say again that the government of the Soviet Union has not done its part to reduce the danger of war。 Thank you。〃
The room suddenly fell silent but for the sound of motor…driven still cameras。 The Western press representatives assigned to their respective Moscow bureaus were among the best in their profession。 Uniformly bright； uniformly ambitious； uniformly cynical about what they found in Moscow and the conditions under which they were forced to work； all were stunned to silence。
〃Goddamn；〃 muttered Flynn after a full ten seconds。
〃One must admire your understatement； old boy；〃 agreed Reuters correspondent William Calloway。 〃Wasn't it your Wilson who spoke of open covenants openly arrived at？〃
〃Yeah； my granddad covered that peace conference。 Remember how well it worked out？〃 Flynn grimaced； watching the Foreign Minister depart； smiling at the cameras。 〃I want to see the handout。 Want to ride back with me？〃
〃Yes on both。〃
It was a bitterly cold day in Moscow。 Snow piles were heaped at the roadsides。 The sky was a frigid crystal blue。 And the car's heater didn't work。 Flynn drove while his friend read aloud through the handout。 The draft treaty proposal took up nineteen annotated pages。 The Reuters correspondent was a Londoner who had begun as a police reporter； and since covered assignments all over the world。 He and Flynn had met many years before at the famous Caravelle Hotel in Saigon； and shared drinks and typewriter ribbons on and off for more than two decades。 In the face of a Russian winter； they remembered the oppressive heat of Saigon with something akin to nostalgia。
〃It's bloody fair；〃 Calloway said wonderingly； his breath giving ghostly substance to his words。 〃They propose a builddown with elimination of many existing weapons； allowing both sides to replace obsolete launchers； both sides to reach a total of five thousand deliverable warheads； that number to remain stable for five years after the three…year reduction period。 There is a separate proposal to negotiate plete removal of 'heavy' missiles； replacing them with mobile missiles； but to limit missile flight tests to a fixed number per year…〃 He flipped that page and rapidly scanned the remainder。 〃Nothing in the draft treaty about your Star Wars research 。 。 。 ？ Didn't he mention that in his statement？ Patrick； old son； this is； as you say； dynamite。 This could as easily have been written in Washington。 It will take months to work out all the technical points； but this is a bloody serious； and bloody generous； proposal。〃
〃Nothing about Star Wars？〃 Flynn frowned briefly as he turned right。 Did that mean that the Russians had made a breakthrough of their own？ Have to query Washington about that 。 。 。 〃We got us a story here； Willie。 What's your lead？ How's 'Peace' grab you？〃 Calloway just laughed at that。
FORT MEADE； MARYLAND
American intelligence agencies； like their counterparts throughout the world； monitor all news wire services。 Toland was examining the AP and Reuters reports before most news bureau chiefs； and paring them with the version transmitted over Soviet microwave circuits for publication in the regional editions of Pravda and Isvestia。 The way items of hard news were reported in the Soviet Union was intended to show Party members how their leaders felt。
〃We've been down this road before；〃 his section chief said。 〃The last time； things broke down on this issue of mobile missiles。 Both sides want them； but both sides are afraid of the other side having them。〃
〃But the tone of the report…〃
〃They're always euphoric about their arms…control proposals； damn it！ Hell； Bob； you know that。〃
〃True； sir； but it's the first time that I know of that the Russians have unilaterally removed a weapons platform from service。〃
〃The 'Yankees' are obsolete。〃
〃So what？ They never throw anything away； obsolete or not。 They still have World War II artillery pieces sitting in warehouses in case they need them again。 This is different； and the political ramifications…〃
〃We're not talking politics； we're talking nuclear strategy；〃 the section chief growled back。
As if there were a difference； Toland said to himself。
KIEV； THE UKRAINE
〃Well； Pasha？〃
〃rade General； we truly have a man's work before us；〃 Alekseyev answered； standing at attention in the Kiev headquarters of the Southwest Theater。
〃Our troops need extensive unit training。 Over the weekend I read through more than eighty regimental readiness reports from our tank and motor…rifle divisions。〃 Alekseyev paused before going on。 Tactical training and readiness was the bane of the Soviet military。 Their troops were almost entirely conscripts； in and out in two years； half of whose uniformed service was occupied just in acquiring basic military skills。 Even the nons； the backbone of every army since the Roman legions； were conscripts selected for special training academies； then lost as soon as their enlistment periods ended。 For that reason； the Soviet military leaned heavily on its officers； who often performed what in the West was sergeants' work。 The professional officer corps of the Soviet Army was its only permanent； only dependable feature。 In theory。 〃The truth of the matter is that we don't know our readiness posture at the moment。 Our colonels all use the same language in their reports； without the slightest deviation。 Everyone reports meeting norms； with the same amount of training hours； the same amount of political indoctrination； the same number of practice shots fired…that is； a deviation of under three percent…and the requisite number of field exercises run； all of course of the proper type。〃
〃As prescribed in our training manuals；〃 the Colonel General noted。
〃Naturally。 Exactly…too damned exactly！ No deviation for adverse weather。 No deviation for late fuel deliveries。 No deviation for anything at all。 For example； the 703rd Motor…Rifle Regiment spent all of last October on harvesting duty south of Kharkov…yet somehow they met their monthly norms for unit training at the same time。 Lies are bad enough； but these are stupid lies！〃
〃It cannot be as bad as you fear； Pavel Leonidovich。〃
〃Do we dare to assume otherwise； rade？〃
The General stared down at his desk。 〃No。 Very well； Pasha。 You've formulated your plan。 Let me hear it。〃
〃For the moment； you will be outlining the plan for our attack into the Muslim lands。 I must get into the field to whip our field manders into shape。 If we wish to acplish our goals in time for the attack west； we must make an example of the worst offenders。 I have four manders in mind。 Their conduct has been grossly and undeniably criminal。 Here are the names and charges。〃 He handed over a single sheet of paper。
〃There are two good men here； Pasha；〃 the General objected。
〃They are guardians of the State。 They enjoy positions of the greatest trust。 They have betrayed that trust by lying； and in doing so； they have endangered the State；〃 Alekseyev said； wondering how many men in his country could have that said of them。 He dismissed the thought。 There were problems enough right here。
〃You understand the consequences of the charges you bring？〃
〃Of course。 The penalty for treason is death。 Did I ever falsify a readiness report？ Did you？〃 Alekseyev looked away briefly。 〃It is a hard thing； and I take no pleasure in it…but unless we snap our units into shape； how many young boys will die for their officers' failings？ We need bat readiness more than we need four liars。 If there is a gentler way to achieve this； I don't know what that might be。 An army without discipline is a worthless mob。 We have the directive from STAVKA to make examples of unruly privates and restore the authority of our NCOs。 It is fitting that if privates must suffer for their failings； then their Colonels must suffer too。 Theirs is the greater responsibility。 Theirs is the greater reward。 A few examples here will go a long way to restoring our army。〃
〃The inspectorate？〃
〃The best choice；〃 Alekseyev agreed。 That way blame would not necessarily be traced back to the senior manders themselves。 〃I can send teams from the Inspector General's service out to these regiments day after tomorrow。 Our training memoranda arrived in all divisional and regimental headquarters this morning。 The news of these four traitors will encourage our unit manders to implement them with vigor。 Even then； it will be two weeks before we have a clear picture of what we need to focus on； but once we can identify the areas that need buttressing； we should have ample time to acplish what we need to acplish。〃
〃What will CINC…West be doing〃〃
〃The same； one hopes。〃 Alekseyev shook his head。 〃Has he asked for any of our units yet？〃
〃No； but he will。 We will not be ordered to launch offensive operations against NATO's southern flank…part of the continuing maskirovka。 You may assume that many of our Category…B units will be detailed to Germany； possibly some of our 'A' tank forces also。 However many divisions that fool has； he'll want more。〃
〃Just so we have enough troops to seize the oil fields when the time es；〃 Pasha observed。 〃Which plan are we supposed to execute？〃
〃The old one。 We'll have to update it； of course。〃 The old plan predated Soviet involvement in Afghanistan； and now the Red Army had a whole new perspective on sending mechanized forces into an area occupied by armed Muslims。
Alekseyev's hands bunched into fists。 〃Marvelous。 We must formulate a plan without knowing when it will be implemented or what forces we'll have available to execute it。〃
〃Remember what you told me about the life of a staff officer； Pasha？〃 CINC…Southwest chuckled。
The younger man nodded ruefully； hoist on his own petard。 〃Indeed； rade General： we will do our sleeping after the war。〃
5 … Sailors and Spooks
THE CHESAPEAKE BAY； MARYLAND
His eyes squinted painfully at the horizon。 The sun was only half a diameter above the green…brown line of Maryland's Eastern Shore； a reminder； if he needed one； that he'd worked late the day before； gone to bed later still； then arisen at four…thirty so that he could get in a day's fishing。 A slowly receding sinus like headache also let him know about the six…pack of beer he'd consumed in front of the TV。
But it was his first fishing day of the year； and the casting rod felt good in his hand as he gave it a gentle swing toward a ripple on the calm surface of the Chesapeake Bay。 A blue or a rockfish？ Whatever it was； it didn't nibble at his Bucktail lure。 But there was no hurry。
〃Coffee； Bob？〃
〃Thanks； Pop。〃 Robert Toland set his rod in its holder and leaned back into the midships swivel chair of his Boston Whaler Outrage。 His father…in…law； Edward Keegan； held out the plastic cup…cap from a large thermos jug。 Bob knew the coffee would be good。 Ned Keegan was a former naval officer who appreciated a good cup； preferably flavored with brandy or Irish whiskey…something to open the eyes and put a fire in the belly。
〃Cold or not； damn if it ain't nice to get out here。〃 Keegan sipped at his cup； resting one foot on the bait box。 It wasn't just the fishing； both men agreed； getting out on the water was one sure cure for civilization。
〃Be nice if the rock really are ing back； too；〃 Toland observed。
〃What the hell…no phones。〃
〃What about your beeper？〃
〃I must have left it with my other pants。〃 Keegan chuckled。 〃DIA will have to manage without me today。〃
〃Think they can？〃
〃Well； the Navy did。〃 Keegan was an academy graduate who had put in his thirty and retired to bee a double…dipper。 In uniform； he'd been an intelligence specialist； and now he had essentially the same job； which added civil service salary to his pension。
T