Kabel
called to the back of the truck, “After we get through our priority is to
contact the group and tell them we’re safe and then try to make contact the
other group.”
With
gears grinding and tracks spinning we took off for Fire Point ridge. When we
got to the bend, we saw the green light beams from the Game trucks behind us;
now, we had no doubts, within seconds we would be in launcher range and at
their mercy.
“NOW!”
yelled Kabel at the top of her voice.
Her
scream was followed by a gaseous ejection as the grenades flew through the air
ahead of us. The first bounced on the crust for ten yards before bursting into
flames, the second grenade flew into the fireball created by the first and
burst into flames, as it flared in the heat the fragments spread a bright glow
across the crusty plates of the geysers.
“You
projected them in a low arc, Kabel,” Alanov commented, “how far ahead did they
explode?”
“The
arc had to be low and directly at our target as we had no time to spare with
the Game that near. I judged the range to be about forty metres ahead.”
“How
far do you think the Game are behind us?” Alanov asked.
Kabel
thought for a second or two and replied, “They’re about twenty metres behind us
and gaining; I know my plan was suicidal but this was our only hope.”
“It
was a case of Needs must as the devil
drives and we needed the devil then,” Freddy quoted from the gun turret.
Kabel
gave a quick laugh and said, “I couldn’t have put it better.”
“Or to use
another quote Necessity is the mother of
invention,” Pardraig commented from the driving seat.
The
truck moved smoothly across the crusty earth, as we did I could feel the heat
rising as the ground began to crumble under our tracks. I glanced back to try and
find our route across the plates and the ground was already burning the track
marks out.
The
truck broached the highest ridge and Kabel called out, “Okay, cut the throttle.”
Alanov
remarked, “Isn't this too soon!”
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