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Renshaw slipped the hovercraft into neutral； and he felt the big vehicle lose a little bit of speed。
〃OK；〃 he said。 〃Here we go。。。。〃
He yanked his steering yoke hard to the right。
The hovercraft immediately spun laterally on its axis and Renshaw yelled； 〃Aaaahhhhh！！〃 as the whole vehicle snapped around in a sharp one…eighty and then all of a sudden it was facing forward again and he swung the steering yoke back in the other direction and suddenly the vehicle was steady again and…good God…traveling forward。
Renshaw was stunned。 He jammed the hovercraft back into high gear。
〃Holy shit；〃 he said。 〃I did it！ I did it！〃
〃Mr。 Renshaw；〃 Schofield's voice said in his ear。 〃I've seen kids on snowbikes do better slingshots than that。 Now； if you don't mind； would you kindly shut up and get your ass over here。 Rebound needs our help。〃
Schofield's hovercraft came alongside Rebound's。
Both hovercrafts looked like hell。 Rebound's was pockmarked all over with bullet holes。 Schofield's had no front windshield。
The three remaining British hovercrafts circled all around them； cut across in front of them； swung in behind them。
Schofield brought his hovercraft closer to Rebound's； so that his open left…side door was directly opposite Rebound's open right…side door。
Schofield yelled； 〃OK！ Send two of your passengers over to me！ Renshaw'll be over in a second！ He can take two more！〃
〃Ten…four； Scarecrow；〃 Rebound's voice replied。
Schofield hit the cruise control button on his dashboard and hurried back into the cabin of the hovercraft。 He came to the open side door and looked across the gap between the two speeding hovercrafts。 He saw Book standing in the doorway of the speeding white hovercraft； eight feet away。 He had Kirsty with him。
〃OK！〃 Schofield yelled into his helmet mike as Rebound brought his hovercraft closer。 〃Send her over！〃
Book edged out onto the skirt of his hovercraft； gently bringing Kirsty with him。 The little girl looked scared to death as she stepped out into the freezing； speeding wind。
Schofield ventured out onto his own skirt； his arms outstretched。
〃e on； honey！〃 he called。 〃You can do it！〃
Kirsty tentatively stepped forward。
The ground raced by beneath them。
〃Reach out！ Reach out！ And jump now！〃 Schofield yelled。 〃I'll catch you！〃
Kirsty jumped。
A timid； little girl's jump。
Schofield lunged forward and clutched hold of her parka and pulled her inside the cabin of his speeding black hovercraft。
Once they were safely inside； he asked； 〃Are you OK？〃
As Kirsty opened her mouth to answer him； the whole hovercraft was rocked by a ferocious impact。 The two of them were both thrown against the frame of the open doorway。 Kirsty screamed as she fell out through the door； but Schofield threw out his hand and snatched her gloved hand just in time。
They'd been rammed from the right。 Schofield snapped round to see what had hit them。
Another British hovercraft。
Schofield pulled Kirsty back inside the cabin and braced himself for the next impact。
It never came。
Instead； the whole right…hand side of his hovercraft's cabin simply exploded inward。
Kirsty screamed and Schofield dived on top of her； shielding her from the flying debris。 He tried to peer out through the smoke to see where the British hovercraft was； to see what its owners were doing。
But he couldn't see the hovercraft。
He just saw smoke and haze。
And then； after a moment； Schofield heard the thud of feet landing on the skirt of his hovercraft and he felt a knot tighten in his stomach as he saw two wraithlike figures emerge from the smoke and enter his cabin with their guns raised。
The two SAS mandos emerged from the smoky haze。 Schofield was on the ground； covering Kirsty； totally exposed。
〃Scarecrow！ Duck！〃 Book's voice shouted loudly in his ear。
Schofield ducked and immediately heard the sharp whoosh！ whoosh！ of two bullets flying low over his head and the first SAS man dropped like a stone…shot by Book； from the other hovercraft。
The second SAS mando was momentarily startled； and that was all Schofield needed。 He sprang to his feet like a cat and tackled the SAS man and both men went flying against the dashboard of the hovercraft。
The ensuing hand…to…hand fight was all one…way traffic。
The SAS guy was all over Schofield。 One hit to his injured throat and Schofield couldn't breathe； another to the rib cage and Schofield heard one of his ribs snap。 He doubled over and the SAS man grabbed him by his collar and belt and hurled him out through the destroyed forward windscreen of the speeding hovercraft。
Schofield thudded against the forward hood of the hovercraft。 His body ached； he couldn't breathe。 He coughed up blood as he looked up…
…just in time to see the SAS mando reach for his holster and draw his service pistol。
At the sight of the gun； suddenly Schofield's breath came back to him and everything became clear。
Speeding hovercraft。
Man； gun。
Certain death。
His body aching； Schofield rolled forward； toward the rounded bow of the hovercraft。 The black rubber skirt dropped away in front of him。 The ground rushed by beneath it at seventy miles an hour。
You are going to die。。。。
Schofield found a handhold and quickly lowered his feet over the bow of the speeding hovercraft。 His feet touched the speeding earth and skipped up off the surface。
The SAS man in the cabin seemed to be amused by what Schofield was doing； and he paused for a fraction of a second as he leveled his automatic pistol at Schofield's head。
Schofield…his face bruised； his teeth bloody； his body bent over the inflated skirt at the bow of the hovercraft… looked up at the SAS mando and smiled。 He saw the SAS mando smile back at him： And then he saw him raise his gun a little higher。
At that moment； Schofield ducked his head beneath the skirt of the hovercraft。 He heard the gun go off； heard the bullet ping off the top of the skirt。
Schofield was hanging off the bow of the speeding hovercraft now； pressing his body against the inflated rubber skirt。 His feet were dragging on the ground as it rushed by beneath him at incredible speed。
Suddenly he heard a sound and he looked up and saw the SAS man standing above him； on the forward hood of the hovercraft； looking down at him； with his gun still in his hand。
And as the SAS mando raised his gun to fire； Shane Schofield knew there was only one thing he could do。 He released his grip on the inflated rubber skirt and disappeared under the bow of the hovercraft。
The sound of the turbofans was absolutely ear…shattering。
Schofield's helmet slammed down against the ground； and Schofield slid on his back underneath the hovercraft。
The rush of air and the deafening roar of the four turbofans above him was like being in a wind tunnel。 Schofield saw the inflated insides of the skirt； saw the rapidly rotating blades of the turbofans…
And then he shot out from underneath the speeding hovercraft； and the deafening roar of the turbofans was gone as he slid on his back across the flat； icy plain behind the hovercraft he had been standing on only moments before。
Schofield didn't waste any time。
He rolled onto his stomach as he aquaplaned across the ice； and in one swift movement he drew his Maghook from behind his back and looked up at the rear of the hovercraft as it sped away from him。 He raised the Maghook and fired。
The bulbous magnetic head of the Maghook flew through the air； its tail of rope unspooling wildly behind it。 The magnet thudded into the metal wall of the cabin just above the hovercraft's skirt and stuck； and Schofield was suddenly yanked forward behind the speeding hovercraft。
He was now being dragged across the ice plain behind the speeding hovercraft； like a nailing water…skier trying desperately to get back on his feet again。
And then abruptly the ground all around Schofield was raked with gunfire。
Schofield spun to look behind him。
A second British hovercraft was right behind him！
It was bearing down on him； as if it were about to trample him。
Schofield rolled onto his back…holding onto his Mag…hook's launcher with one hand…as he was dragged behind the first hovercraft。 With his free hand； he drew his Desert Eagle and fired back at the pursuing hovercraft。 The Desert Eagle boomed； ripped open several holes in the skirt of the speeding hovercraft。
But the hovercraft didn't slow down。
It was almost on him。
It only had to get over him and then slow down slightly； and then the hovercraft would lower itself and he would be chopped to shreds by the turbofans underneath it。
The turbofans underneath it。。。。
Schofield desperately searched his brain for something； anything； anything that he could use to…
His helmet。
Still being dragged behind the first hovercraft； Schofield quickly holstered his gun and yanked off his helmet。
He would have to get this just right。 It would have to be bouncing； bouncing high； so that it would get caught up in the fan blades of the pursuing hovercraft。
Schofield tossed his helmet behind him。
The helmet flew through the a