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Schofield tossed his helmet behind him。
The helmet flew through the air…it seemed to float for an eternity…and then it bounced on its dome and the pursuing hovercraft roared over the top of it。
Schofield guessed that the helmet must have bounced up into the forward fan of the hovercraft； because in that moment； in that sudden； shocking instant； the whole hovercraft just snapped over on itself and did a plete seventy…mile…an…hour cartwheel…it just flipped over on itself and came slamming down hard on its own cabin。 The battered hovercraft slid across the flat icy ground…on its roof； right behind Schofield…for about fifty yards before it ground to a halt and shrank into the distance behind him。
Schofield rolled back over onto his stomach。 His body bounced roughly on the hard； icy ground as it was dragged along behind the first hovercraft at phenomenal speed。 Tiny flecks of kicked…up ice assaulted his silver antiflash glasses。
Then he hit the black button on his Maghook…the button that reeled in the hook without demagnetizing it…and the Maghook began to reel itself in； drawing Schofield forward； toward the rear of the speeding hovercraft； until at last he reached the black rubber skirt。 The wind from the hovercraft's rear turbofan blasted his face； but Schofield didn't care。 He grabbed hold of a tie…down stud on top of the skirt and hauled himself up onto the hovercraft。
Five seconds later； he was standing in the open left…hand side doorway of the hovercraft。 He got there just in time to see the SAS mando slap Kirsty hard across the face and send her crashing to the floor。
〃Hey！〃 Schofield called。
The SAS man turned and saw him； and a sneer formed around his mouth。
〃Kirsty；〃 Schofield said； never once taking his eyes off the British mando。 〃Cover your eyes； honey。〃
Kirsty covered her eyes。
The SAS mando stared at Schofield for a long moment。 They just stood there； in the cabin of the speeding hovercraft； like two gunfighters facing off against each other on a deserted western street
And then in a sudden blur of movement the SAS man went for his gun。
Schofield went for his。
Both guns came up fast； but only one went off。
〃You can open your eyes now；〃 Schofield said as he stepped forward…over the body of the dead SAS mando…and bent down beside Kirsty。
Slowly； Kirsty opened her eyes。
Schofield saw the bruise forming around her left cheekbone。 〃Are you all right？〃 he said kindly。
〃No；〃 she said； tears welling in her eyes。 She pulled her asthma puffer out from her pocket and took two deep； sobbing puffs on it。
〃Me neither；〃 Schofield said； taking the asthma puffer from her and gulping down a couple of puffs himself before putting the puffer in his pocket。
Then he stood up and grabbed the steering vane of the British hovercraft。 As he drove； he popped the clip of his Desert Eagle and jammed in a fresh magazine。
Kirsty stepped up alongside him。 〃When you 。。。 when you went under the hovercraft；〃 she said； 〃I thought。。。 I thought you were dead。〃
Schofield jammed his pistol back into its holster and looked down at Kirsty。 He saw the tears in her eyes。
As he looked down at her； Schofield realized that he was still wearing his silver antiflash glasses。 He took the silver glasses off and crouched down in front of Kirsty。
〃Hey；〃 he said。 〃It's OK。 It's all right。 I'm not going to die on you。I am not going to die on you。〃 Schofield smiled。 〃I mean； hey； I can't die。 I'm the hero of this story。〃
Despite herself； Kirsty smiled。 Schofield smiled； too。
And then； to his surprise； Kirsty stepped forward and hugged him。 Schofield returned her hug。
As he held her； though； he heard a strange noise。 A noise that he had not heard before。
It was a loud； rhythmic； crashing noise。
Boom。
Boom。
Boom。
It sounded to Schofield like…
Like waves crashing on a beach。
With a sickening rush； Schofield realized where they were。 They were near the cliffs。 Their evasive maneuvers during the hovercraft chase had taken them out near the sheer three…hundred…foot cliffs that towered over the bay。 The loud； booming noise that he was hearing was the sound of the mountainous waves of the ocean smashing against the ice cliffs。
He was still holding Kirsty in his arms。 As he held her； though； something behind her caught his eye。
Attached to the side of the British hovercraft's dashboard was a small partment； mounted on the wall。 Its door hung ajar。 Inside the partment； Schofield could see two silver canisters。 They were each about a foot long； and cylindrical in shape。 Each silver canister had a wide green band painted across its midsection。 Schofield saw some lettering stencilled onto the side of one of the silver canisters： TRITONAL 80/20。
Tritonal 80/20？ he thought。 Why on earth would the British bring that to Wilkes？
Tritonal 80/20 was a highly concentrated explosive poxy… a highly bustible liquid filler that was used in air…launched drop bombs。 Tritonal wasn't nuclear； but when it blew； it blew big and it blew hot。 One kilogram of the stuff… the amount contained in each of the canisters Schofield was now looking at…could level a small building。
Schofield released Kirsty gently； put his glasses back on； and moved toward the partment near the dashboard。 He pulled one of the silver…and…green canisters from it。
He came back to Kirsty。 〃Are you all right； now？〃
〃Yeah；〃 she said。
〃Good；〃 Schofield said； sliding the Tritonal charge into one of his long thigh pockets。 〃Because I really have to get back to…〃
Schofield never saw it ing。
The impact threw him off his feet。
His whole hovercraft lurched suddenly to the left。
He looked out through the gaping hole in the right…hand side of his speeding hovercraft and saw one of the two remaining British hovercrafts racing across the ice plain right alongside him！
It rammed them again。
Hard。
So hard； in fact； that Schofield felt his hovercraft slide sideways； to the left。
〃What the…〃 he said aloud。
He looked left and in a sudden terrifying instant he realised what they were doing。
〃Oh； no；〃 he said。 〃Oh； no。。。。〃
They were trying to ram him off the cliff。
Schofield began to wrestle with the steering vane of his hovercraft； but it was no use。
There was nowhere he could go。
With no room to move…no room to get a run…up…he just found himself shunting the speeding British hovercraft ineffectually。
The British hovercraft rammed them again； and Schofield snapped to look forward。 He saw the cliff edge racing by less than ten yards off to his left。 He caught a glimpse of tiny white…crested waves beyond it。 They were a long way down。
Then he looked out to his right； out through the hole in the side of his speeding hovercraft； and saw the black British hovercraft whipping across the ice plain beside him。 He saw it widen the gap between the two hovercrafts and then suddenly rush back in at them。
The two hovercrafts collided again and Schofield felt his hovercraft jolt farther toward the edge。
Five yards to go。
The two hovercrafts raced along the edge of the cliff top； three hundred feet above the churning white waves of the Southern Ocean。
Schofield was still watching the British hovercraft alongside him。
As it widened the gap between the two hovercrafts once more…like a boxer pulling his arm back in preparation for the next blow…suddenly Schofield saw another hovercraft materialize in the distance beyond the black British hovercraft。
He blinked。
It was the orange French hovercraft。
The orange hovercraft？ Schofield thought。
But the only person in that hovercraft was 。。。
Renshaw。
Schofield saw the gaudy orange hovercraft pull alongside the speeding British hovercraft。 Now there were three hovercrafts travelling side by side along the edge of the ice cliff！
Suddenly the British hovercraft rammed them again and ihe skirt of Schofield's hovercraft jutted out over the edge of the cliff。 Large chunks of snow were thrown off the edge。 They became tiny specks of white as they disappeared into the churning foam of the sea three hundred feet below。
〃e on。〃 Schofield suddenly grabbed Kirsty's hand。
〃What are we…〃
〃We're leaving；〃 he said。
Schofield pulled Kirsty over to the gaping hole in the right…hand side of his hovercraft。
He saw the British hovercraft pull away from them again； preparing itself for the killing blow。
Schofield swallowed。 He would have to time this just right。。。。
He drew his Desert Eagle pistol。
The British hovercraft rushed in toward them。
The two hovercrafts collided； and in that instant Schofield leaped across onto the skirt of the British hovercraft； pulling Kirsty with him。
They landed on the skirt of the speeding British hovercraft just as their own went careering off the edge of the cliff。 The empty hovercraft rolled through the air for an instant before it plummeted three hundred feet straight down。 It hit the water with a stunning impact and smashed into a thousand pieces。
Schofield and Kirsty never stopped moving。
They skipped across the roof of the British hovercraft； and as they did so Schofield pointed his pist