Like a bizarre two…ton ballet dancer； Schofield's hovercraft did a plete lateral 180…degree spin right in front of Book's hovercraft and the two British hovercrafts。
In the cabin； Schofield quickly jammed the big vehicle into reverse and engaged the turbofan again。
Now he was travelling backward！
At eighty miles per hour。
In front of Book and the two British hovercrafts！
Schofield thrust his MP…5 out through the driver's side window and let rip with an extended burst of gunfire。
The front windshield of the left…hand British hovercraft exploded with bullet holes。 Schofield could see the men behind the windshield convulse as they were hit by the barrage of gunfire。
The shot British hovercraft immediately peeled away from Book's hovercraft and faded back into the distance。
Book was still in hell。
The British hovercraft to his left was gone now； but the one on his right was ramming him with renewed intensity。
The two hovercrafts careered across the flat expanse of ice； side by side； their engines roaring。
And then suddenly Book saw the side door of the British hovercraft open。 A thick black gun barrel protruded from it。
〃Oh； shit〃 Book said。
A puff of smoke appeared from the end of the gun barrel… it was an M…60 grenade launcher…and a second later the whole side door of Book's hovercraft suddenly exploded inward。
Wind rushed into the cabin。
They'd blown open the side of his hovercraft！
At that moment； a small black object flew in through the hole in the side of the hovercraft and clattered across the floor of the cabin。
Book saw it immediately。
It was a small black cylindrical object with blue numbers written along its side。 As it rolled across the floor of the cabin； it looked like an ordinary grenade； but as Book knew； it was a whole lot more than that。
It was a nitrogen charge。
The signature weapon of the SAS。
The most advanced grenade in the world。 It even had a tamper mechanism so that you couldn't pick it up and throw it back at the person who threw it at you。 Standard time delay： five seconds。
Get out of the hovercraft！ Book's mind screamed。
Book dived for the left…hand side of the cabin…the side furthest away from the British hovercraft…and reached for the door。 He slid it open fast。
Five。。。
Freezing Antarctic wind rushed at his face。 Slicing horizontal snow lashed his eyes。 Book didn't care。 Snow wouldn't kill him； and a fall from the hovercraft might。 But the nitrogen charge definitely would。
Four。。。 three。。。
Book dived out into the freezing wind and immediately jammed the sliding door shut behind him。 He lay flat against the top of the black rubber skirt that ran around the base of the speeding hovercraft。 His face was pressed awkwardly up against the outside of the windows of the cabin。 The screaming； speeding wind assaulted his ears。
Two。。。 one。。。
Book prayed to God that the reinforced Lexan glass windows of the hovercraft could withstand the…
The nitrogen charge went off inside the hovercraft。
Smack！
A wave of ice blue liquid nitrogen slapped hard against the glass right in front of Book's face。 Book instinctively jerked his head back。
He stared in amazement at the interior of the hovercraft's cabin。 Supercooled liquid nitrogen had splattered itself against every exposed surface inside the cabin。
Every exposed surface。
The whole of the inside of the window in front of him was dripping with gooey blue poxy。 Book sighed with relief。 The reinforced glass had held； just。
And then suddenly 。。。 craaaaack…！
Book pulled his head back just as the window…snap…frozen by the liquid nitrogen and contracting rapidly…broke out into a thousand spiderwebs。
〃Book！〃
Book spun and saw Rebound's hovercraft pull up alongside his own。 He could see Rebound through the windscreen； sitting in the driver's seat。
〃Get on！〃
Rebound's hovercraft nudged closer to Book's。 The side door of Rebound's hovercraft slid open。 The rubber skirts of the two hovercrafts touched briefly； then parted again。
〃Jump！〃 Rebound said； his voice loud in Book's earpiece。
Book tried to get to his feet。
〃e on！〃 Rebound said urgently。
Book tried to keep his eyes focused on the black rubber skirt of Rebound's hovercraft。 Tried not to look at the white streaks of snow racing by at eighty miles an hour beneath the two speeding hovercrafts。
And then out of the corner of his eye； he saw it。
Saw the black hovercraft materialize in the background behind Rebound's hovercraft。
Suddenly Book heard Rebound yell； 〃Get there； Scarecrow！〃 and then he saw the side door of the British hovercraft open。 Saw the Milan antitank missile launcher appear inside it。
And then Book saw the familiar puff of smoke and he saw the missile shoot out of its launcher and fly through the air toward him； its looping white smoke trail spiraling crazily behind it； and in that instant； in that moment； Book knew it was too…
〃Book！ For God's sake； jump！ Jump now！ Shit！〃
Book jumped。
Book flew through the air。
As he flew； out of the corner of his eye； he saw the British hovercraft explode as it was hit by an American Stinger。 But it had got its own missile off before it had been hit。 Book saw the white…tipped missile roll through the air toward him。
And then suddenly his hands came down hard on the black rubber skirt of Rebound's hovercraft and he forgot about the British missile as he scratched desperately for a handhold。
Just as his feet were about to hit the speeding ground； Book got a grip on a tie…down stud on the skirt of Rebound's hovercraft and he looked up just in time to see the British missile slam into the rear of his recently abandoned hovercraft and blow it to smithereens。
〃Have you got him？〃 Schofield said into his helmet mike。
Schofield was still racing along in front of Rebound's hovercraft…still travelling backward。 He could see Rebound's transport speeding across the ice plain behind him。
〃We got him；〃 Rebound replied。 〃He's inside。〃
〃Good；〃 Schofield said。
It was then that Schofield heard the gunfire。
His head immediately snapped left and he saw them。
It was the same British hovercraft that had blasted open the side of Book's hovercraft。 Only now it had a fearsome…looking general…purpose machine gun…or 〃Gimpy〃 as it is known…sticking out of its open side door。 The large heavy…duty machine gun was mounted on a tripod； and Schofield saw a three…foot tongue of fire flare out from its barrel as it emitted a deafening ungodly roar。
Rebound's hovercraft took the brunt of the machine gun's fury。 Sparks and bullet holes and cracks and puncture marks burst out all over it。
A thin line of black smoke began to rise up from the rear of Rebound's hovercraft。 The hovercraft visibly began to slow。
〃Scarecrow！〃 Rebound yelled。 〃We've got a serious problem here！〃
〃I'm ing！〃 Schofield said。
〃I'm hit bad and slowing down！ I need to off…load some weight so I can maintain my speed！〃
Schofield was thinking fast。 He was still traveling backward across the ice plain。 Rebound's hovercraft was off to his right； the British hovercraft off to his left。
At last； Schofield said； 〃Mr。 Renshaw 。。。〃
〃What？〃
〃Take the wheel。〃
〃What？〃 Renshaw said。
〃It's just like driving a car； only with a little less responsiveness；〃 Schofield said。
Renshaw stepped into the driver's seat； took hold of the steering yoke。
〃Now； shut your eyes；〃 Schofield said。
〃Huh？〃
〃Just do it；〃 Schofield said as he calmly raised his MP…5 。。。
。。。 and blasted the forward windshield of his own hovercraft！
Renshaw covered his eyes as shards of glass exploded out all around him。 When he opened his eyes again he had a pletely clear view of the two hovercrafts speeding along the ice plain 〃behind〃 him。
〃OK；〃 Schofield said； 〃pull us over in front of the black one。〃
Renshaw gently applied pressure to the steering yoke。 The hovercraft slid smoothly over to the left； so that it was in front of the black British hovercraft that was blasting away at Rebound's hovercraft。
〃All right；〃 Schofield said。 〃Hold it here。〃
Schofield