Snake came at him with a flurry of kicks and punches。 Schofield parried each blow with his cuffed hands and the two men parted and began to circle each other like a pair of big cats。
Schofield's mind raced。 Snake would want to get him onto the floor。 While he remained on his feet； he would be OK… because even with his hands cuffed； he could still parry any blow Snake threw at him。 But if they both went to the ground； it would be all over。 Snake would have him in no time。
Got to stay off the ground。。。。
Got to stay off the ground。。。。
The two Marines circled each other…on either side of the black drilling apparatus in the center of the room。
Suddenly Snake grabbed a length of steel from the floor and swung it hard at Schofield。 Schofield ducked； too late； and took a glancing blow to the left side of his head。 He saw stars for a second and lost his balance。
Snake was on him in an instant； launching himself across the room； tackling Schofield hard； driving him back against the wall。
Schofield's back slammed into a power switch on the wall and instantly； across the room； the vertical plunger on the drilling machine suddenly whirred to life and began to spin rapidly。 It emitted a shrill； roaring sound like that of a buzz…saw。
Snake threw Schofield to the ground。
No！
Schofield hit the ground hard and rolled immediately…
…only to find himself lying face…to…face with Jean Petard。
Or； at least； what was left of Petard's face after it had been ripped to shreds by the blast of the Claymore mines。
And then at that moment…in that fleeting moment…Schofield caught a glimpse of something inside Petard's jacket。
A crossbow。
Schofield reached desperately for the crossbow with his cuffed hands。 He got his hands around the grip； got ahold of it； and…
…then Snake crash…tackled him； and both men slid across the floor and slammed into the drilling machine in the center of the room。 The sound of the spinning plunger roared in their ears。
Schofield lay on his back； on the floor。 Snake knelt astride him。
And in a sudden instant； Schofield saw that he still had the crossbow in his hands。 He blinked。 He must have kept hold of it when Snake had crash…tackled him。
It was then that Snake hit Schofield with a pulverizing blow。
Schofield heard his nose crack and saw the blood explode outward from his face。 His head slammed back against the floor。 Hard。
The world spun and for a fleeting instant Schofield blacked out。 Suddenly he felt a wave of panic…if he blacked out pletely； that would be the end of it。 Snake would kill him where he lay。
Schofield opened his eyes again； and the first thing he saw was the spinning plunger of the drilling machine hovering three feet above his head！
It was right over the top of him！
He saw the leading edge of the spinning cylinder…the sharply serrated leading edge； the edge that was designed to cut down through solid ice。
And then suddenly he saw Snake move in front of the plunger； his face contorted with anger； and then he saw Snake's fist e rushing down at his face。
Schofield tried to raise his hands in his defense but they were still cuffed together； pinned underneath Snake's body。 He couldn't get them up…
The blow hit home。
The world became a blur。 Schofield struggled desperately to see through the haze。
He saw Snake draw his hand back again； preparing for what would no doubt be the final blow。
And then Schofield saw something off to the right。
The switch on the wall that had started the drilling machine。 He saw three big round buttons on the switch panel。
Black； red and green。
And then； with startling clarity； the words on the black button suddenly came into focus。
LOWER DRILL。
Schofield looked up at Snake； saw the rapidly spinning plunger right above his head。
There was no way Schofield could shoot Snake with the crossbow； but if he could just angle his hands slightly； he might be able to。。。
〃Snake； you know what？〃
〃What？〃
〃I never liked you。〃
And with that Schofield raised his cuffed hands slightly； aimed his crossbow at the big black button on the wall； and fired。
The arrow covered the distance in a millisecond and。。。 。。。 hit the big black button right in its center…pinning it to the wall behind it…just as Schofield thrust his head clear of the drilling machine and the plunger； spinning at phenomenal speed； came rushing down into the back of Snake's head。
Schofield heard the sickening crunch of breaking bone as Snake's whole body was yanked violently downward…headfirst…by the weight of the plunger and then suddenly； grotesquely； the plunger； its shrill buzzing filling the room； carved right through Snake's head and a flood of thick red…and…gray ooze poured out from his skull and then with a final sprack！ the plunger popped out through the other side of Snake's head and continued on its way down into the ice hole beneath it。
Still somewhat dazed from the fight； Schofield rose to his knees。 He turned away from the hideous sight of Snake's body pinned underneath the blood…spattered drilling machine and quickly put the crossbow in his thigh pocket。 Then he spun and began looking about himself for any kind of weapon he could use…
His eyes fell instantly on the body of Jean Petard； lying on the floor nearby。
Still breathing hard； Schofield crawled over to it； knelt beside it。 He began rifling through the dead Frenchman's pockets。
After a few seconds； he pulled a grenade out from one of Petard's pockets。 It had writing on it： M8A3…STN。
Schofield knew what it was instantly。
A stun grenade。 A flasher。
Like the one the French mandos had used earlier that morning。 Schofield put the stun grenade into his breast pocket
The door to the drilling room burst open。 Schofield instantly fell back to the floor； tried to look tired； wounded。
Two SAS mandos stormed into the drilling room with their guns up。 Trevor Barnaby strode in behind them。
Barnaby winced when he saw Snake's body lying flat on the floor； face…down； with its head positioned underneath the large black drilling apparatus…plete with a gaping red hole right through the middle of it
〃Oh； Scarecrow；〃 Barnaby said。 〃Did you have to do that to him？〃
Schofield was still breathing hard； and he had tiny flecks of blood splattered all over his face。 He didn't say anything。
Barnaby shook his head。 He almost seemed disappointed that Schofield hadn't been killed by Snake。
〃Get him out of here；〃 Barnaby said quietly to the two SAS men behind him。 〃Mr。 Nero。〃
〃Yes； sir。〃
〃String him up。〃
Down in the cave； another battle was under way。
No sooner had the first SAS diver stepped out of the water than a second SAS man was up and standing in the shallows behind him。
The first SAS mando stormed out of the water； firing hard。 The second man followed him up； sloshing through the knee…deep water with his gun up when suddenly…whump！… he was violently yanked beneath the surface of the water。
The first mando…up on dry land and oblivious to the fate that had befallen his partner…snapped to his right and drew a bead on Montana； just as Gant bobbed up from behind her boulder and took him out from the left。
Gant turned； saw more SAS mandos surfacing in the pool with their sea sleds。
Then suddenly something else caught her eye。
Movement。
A large black object just slid out from one of the wide ten…foot holes in the ice wall above the pool and dropped smoothly into the water。
Gant's jaw dropped。
It was an animal of some sort。
But it was so huge。 It looked like 。。。 like a seal。 A great； big； enormous seal。
At that moment； another massive seal emerged from a second hole in the ice wall。 And then another。 And another。 They just slid out from their holes and splashed down into the pool； raining down on the team of SAS divers from every side。
Gant just watched them with her mouth wide open。
The pool was a broiling froth now； choppy and frothy。 Suddenly another SAS diver went under； replaced by a slick of his own blood。 And then abruptly the man next to him fell forward in the water as one of the enormous seals plowed into h