〃I'll kill her； mate；〃 the mando said calmly。 〃I swear to fucking Christ； I'll paint the walls of this room with her brains。〃
〃Kirsty；〃 Schofield said as he calmly leveled his pistol at the SAS man's forehead while at the same time aiming his MP…5 at the other SAS mando's brain。
〃Yeah；〃 Kirsty said meekly。
Schofield said evenly； 〃Shut your eyes； honey。〃
Kirsty shut her eyes and the world went black。
And then suddenly she heard the double boom！ boom！ of guns being fired and she didn't know whose guns had fired and then she was falling backward； still in the grip of the SAS man who had grabbed hold of her to use as a shield。 They hit the floor hard and Kirsty felt the SAS mando's grip loosen。
She opened her eyes。
The two British soldiers were lying on the floor beside her。 She saw their feet； their waists； their chests…
〃Don't look at them； honey；〃 Schofield said； moving to her。 〃You don't want to see that。〃
Kirsty turned around and looked up at Schofield。 He picked her up and held her in his arms。 Then Kirsty buried her head in his shoulder plate and cried。
〃e on。 It's time to get out of here；〃 Schofleld said gently。
He quickly reloaded his weapons and grabbed Kirsty's hand； and the two of them left the mon room。
They raced around the curved outer tunnel； heading for the east passageway。 They turned the corner。
And suddenly Schofield stopped。
Mounted on the wall to his left he saw a large rectangular black partment。 Written across it were the words： fuse box。
The fuse box； he thought。 This must have been where the French cut the lights earlier。。。。
Schofield got an idea。
He spun where he stood and saw the door leading to the Biotoxin Lab behind him。 Next to it he saw a door marked：
STORAGE CLOSET。
Yes。
Schofield wrenched open the door to the storage closet。 Inside it； he saw mops and buckets and old wooden shelves loaded with cleaning agents。 He quickly reached up and grabbed a plastic bottle of ammonia from one of the shelves。
Schofield emerged from the closet and hurried over to the fuse box。 He yanked open the door and saw a series of wires； wheels； and power units inside。
Kirsty was standing farther down the east tunnel； looking out into the central shaft of the station。
〃Hurry up；〃 she whispered。 〃They're ing！〃
Schofield heard voices over his newly acquired headset：
〃…Hopkins； report…〃
〃…going after the girl…〃
〃…perimeter team； return to the station at once。 We have a problem here…〃
At the fuse box； Schofield quickly found the wire he was looking for。 He pulled back the sheath； exposed the copper wire。 Then he punched a hole in the plastic ammonia bottle with the butt of his gun and positioned it above the exposed strand of wire。 A small trickle of ammonia fluid began to drip slowly out of the bottle； down onto the exposed wire。
The drops of ammonia smacked rhythmically against the wire。
Smack…smack。 Smack…smack。
At that moment； in time with the rhythm of the ammonia drops hitting the exposed wire； every light in the tunnel… indeed； every light in the whole station…began to flicker on and off； like a strobe。 On。 Off。 On。 Off。
In the flickering light of the tunnel； Schofield grabbed Kir…sty's hand and took off toward the central shaft。 Once they got to the catwalk； they hurried up the nearest rung…ladder to A…deck。
Schofield strode around the A…deck catwalk； heading toward the main entrance to the station。 The station around him nickered black and white。 Darkness； light； darkness； light。
If he could just get to the British hovercrafts； he thought； he might be able to get away and get back to McMurdo。
There was movement everywhere。 Shouts echoed through the station as the shadows of SAS mandos raced around the catwalks in the flickering light； searching for Schofield。
Schofield saw that some of the British mandos had tried to put on night…vision goggles。
But night vision would be useless now。 With the station's lights flickering on and off； anyone wearing night…vision goggles would be blinded every time the lights came on…which was every couple of seconds。
They reached the main entrance passageway； just as an SAS soldier came bursting out of it onto the catwalk。 The SAS man collided with Schofield； and Schofield was almost bowled over the catwalk's railing。
The SAS man hit the deck； rose to his knees； raised his gun to fire； but Schofield let fly with a powerful kick that connected with the soldier's jaw and sent him crashing down to the catwalk。
Schofield was about to step over the downed soldier's body when suddenly he saw a large black satchel stretched over the man's shoulder。 He grabbed it； opened it。
He saw two silver canisters inside the satchel。 Two silver canisters with green bands painted around them。
Tritonal 80/20 charges。
Schofield frowned。
He had wondered earlier why the British would bring Tritonal charges to Wilkes Ice Station。 Tritonal was an extremely powerful explosive； usually used for demolition purposes。 Why would Barnaby have it here？
Schofield grabbed the satchel off the unconscious man's shoulder。
As he did so； however； he heard shouts ing from inside the entrance passageway。 Then he heard footsteps； and the click of safeties being removed from MP…5s。
The SAS mandos outside； the perimeter team。。。
They were ing back inside！
〃Kirsty！ Get down！〃 he yelled。 He spun quickly and brought both of his guns up just as the first SAS mando charged in through the main entrance of Wilkes Ice Station。
The first man went down in a hail of blood and bullets。
The second and the third learned from his error； and they entered the station firing。
〃Back inside！〃 Schofield yelled to Kirsty。 〃We can't go this way！〃
Schofield slid down the nearest rung…ladder with Kirsty on his back。
They hit B…deck。 A bullet pinged off the steel ladder next to Schofield's eyes。
Schofield heard more voices over his British headset：
〃…the fuck did he go…〃
〃…took the girl！ Killed Maurice； Hoddle； and Hopkins…〃
〃…saw him on A…deck…〃
And then Schofield heard Barnaby's voice。 〃Nero！ The lights！ Either get them on or get them off！ Find that fucking fuse box！〃
The station was in chaos； absolute chaos。 There was no steady light； just the terrible incessant flickering。
Schofield saw shadows on the other side of B…deck。
Can't go there。
He looked out over the central shaft； and in a flickering instant； his eyes fell on the retractable bridge on C…deck。
The bridge on C…deck。。。。
Schofield quickly checked his inventory。
One Glock pistol。 One MP…5。 Neither of which would be enough to take out twenty SAS mandos。
Schofield still had the satchel he had stolen from the SAS man who had e in from outside。 Two Tritonal charges were in the satchel。 He also had the two nitrogen charges he had liberated from the very first SAS mando he had killed after flying up out of the water on the Maghook。
〃All right；〃 he said； looking down at the narrow retractable bridge on the deck beneath him。 〃It's time to end this。〃
In the ghostly flickering light of the station； Schofield and Kirsty stepped out onto the retractable bridge on C…deck。
If anybody had seen them； they would have seen them walk right out onto the middle of the bridge； would then have seen him crouch down on one knee and do something to the bridge for several minutes。
And then； when he was done； they would have seen Schofield just crouch down next to Kirsty and wait。
A few minutes later； the British found the fuse box and the flickering stopped and the lights to the station came on again。 The station glowed white under its bright fluorescent lights。
It didn't take the SAS long to spot Schofield and Kirsty。
Schofield stood up on the bridge as the remainder of the SAS unit…about twenty men…adopted positions on the C…deck catwalk； surrounding him。 It was a strange sight…Schofield and Kirsty out in the middle of the shaft； standing in the center of the retractable bridge； while the SAS took up positions on the circular catwalk all around them。
The SAS raised their guns 。。。
。。。 just as Schofield held