Across the ridge

            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!”