Before Montana could reply； Cruz turned back around to face his schematics。 He pulled some handwritten notes out from under them。
〃But I think I figured it out；〃 he said。 〃I was telling Fox about this before。 These notes I found say that the engineers at this hangar were working on some new kind of electronically generated stealth mechanism for the Silhouette； some kind of electromagnetic field that surrounded the plane。 But to generate this electromagnetic field they needed a shitload of power； something in the neighborhood of 2。71 gigawatts。 But the only thing capable of generating that kind of power is a controlled nuclear reaction。 Hence； the plutonium。〃 Santa Cruz nodded to himself； pleased。
He never noticed Montana stepping up quickly behind him。
〃I tell ya；〃 Santa Cruz went on； 〃this has been one seriously fucked…up mission。 Spaceships； French troops； British troops； secret bases； plutonium cores； ICG traitors。 Fuck。 It's just…〃
Montana's knife entered Santa Cruz's ear。 It went in hard and penetrated Santa Cruz's brain in an instant。
The young private's eyes went wide； then he fell forward and slammed down face…first on the desk in front of him。 Dead。
Montana extracted his bloody knife from Santa Cruz's skull and turned around…
…and saw Libby Gant standing in the doorway to the workshop； with a bundle of papers in her hands； staring at him in apoplectic horror。
Schofield keyed his helmet mike。 〃Gant！ Gant！ e in！〃
There was no reply。
Schofield glanced at his watch。
9：58 p。m。
Shit。 The break in the solar flare would be here in two minutes。
〃Gant； I don't know if you can hear me； but if you can； listen up。 Montana is ICG！ I repeat； Montana is ICG！ Don't turn your back on him！ Neutralize him if you have to。 I repeat； neutralize him if you have to。 I've gotta go。〃
And with that； Schofield raced upstairs and headed for the radio room。
Gant ran across the cavernous hangar with Montana in hot pursuit。 She sprinted past an ice wall just as a line of bullet holes erupted across it。
Gant unslung her MP…5 as she raced through the bulkhead doorway that led back to the fissure and the main cavern。 She fired wildly behind her。 Then she dived into the horizontal fissure and rolled through it just as Montana appeared in the bulkhead doorway behind her and let off another burst of gunfire。
Another line of bullet holes raked across the ice wall around Gant； only this time the line of bullet holes cut across the middle of her body。
Two bullets lodged in her breastplate。 One opened up a jagged red hole in her side。
Gant stifled a scream as she rolled through the fissure； clutching her side。 She clenched her teeth； saw the trickle of blood seep between her fingers。 The pain was excruciating。
As she rolled out of the fissure and into the main cavern； she saw the elephant seals over by the spaceship； and indeed； no sooner was she out of the fissure than she saw one of the seals lift its head and look over in her direction。
It was the male。 The big bull with its fearsome lower fangs。 It must have returned sometime in the last half hour； Gant thought
The male barked at her。 Then it began to move its massive body toward her； his bulging layers of fat rippling with every lumbering stride。
The bullet wound in Gant's side burned。
She crawled on her backside away from the fissure； keeping one eye on the approaching elephant seal and the other on the fissure itself。 A snail trail of her blood stained the frosty floor behind her； betraying her path。
Montana emerged from the horizontal fissure； gun first。
Gant was nowhere to be seen。
He saw the trail of blood on the floor； leading off to the right； around and behind a large boulder of ice。
Montana followed the trail of blood。 He quickly came round the ice boulder and let rip with a burst of gunfire。 He hit nothing。 Gant wasn't there。 Her MP…5 just lay there on the floor behind the ice boulder。
Montana spun。
Where the hell was she？
Gant saw Montana e back round the ice boulder and catch sight of her。
She was now sitting on the floor in front of the horizontal fissure； clutching at her side with both hands。 It had taken all of her strength…and both of her hands…to get to her feet and run back to the left…hand side of the fissure without spilling any more blood before Montana had emerged from the hole。 She had actually intended to go back in through the fissure； but she had only managed to get this far。
Montana smiled； walked slowly over to her。 He stood in front of her； with his back to the main part of the cavern。
〃You're a plete son of a bitch； you know that；〃 Gant said。
Montana shrugged。
〃It's not even an alien fucking spaceship； and you're still killing us；〃 Gant said； looking out into the cavern behind Montana。
〃It's not just the ship anymore； Gant。 It's what you know about the ICG。 That's why you can't be allowed to go back。〃
Gant looked Montana right in the eye。 〃Do your fucking worst。〃
Montana raised his gun to fire； but at that moment a bloodcurdling roar echoed across the cavern。
Montana spun just in time to see the big bull elephant seal e charging across the cavern toward him； roaring loudly。 The floor shook with its every booming stride。
Gant took the opportunity and rolled quickly back through the horizontal fissure behind her。 She fell in a clumsy heap to the floor of the tunnel behind the fissure。
The big seal loped across the cavern at incredible speed； covering the distance between the ship and the fissure in seconds。
Montana raised his gun； fired。
But the animal was too big； too close。
From inside the tunnel； Gant looked up and saw Montana's outline on the other side of the translucent ice wall above her。
And then suddenly…whump！…she saw Montana's body get slammed up against the other side of the translucent ice wall。 A grotesque star…shaped explosion of blood flared out from Montana's body as the big seal slammed him against the ice wall with thunderous force。
Slowly； painfully； Gant got to her feet and peered out through the horizontal fissure into the main cavern。
She saw the elephant seal extract his fangs from Montana's belly。 The long； blood…slicked teeth came clear of his wet suit and Montana just dropped to the floor。 The elephant seal stood over his prone body in triumph。
And then suddenly Gant heard Montana groan。
He was still alive。
Just barely； but…yes…definitely alive。 Gant then watched as the big seal bent down over Montana and ripped a large chunk of flesh from his rib cage。
Schofield strode into the radio room on A…deck on the tick of ten o'clock。 Renshaw and Kirsty came in behind him。 Schofield sat down in front of the radio console； keyed the microphone。
〃Attention； McMurdo。 Attention； McMurdo。 This is the Scarecrow。 Do you copy？〃
There was no reply。
Schofield repeated his message。
No reply。
And then suddenly： 〃Scarecrow； this is Romeo； I read you。 Give me a Sit…Rep。〃
Romeo； Schofield thought。 Romeo was the call sign of Captain Harley Roach； the manding officer of Marine Force Reconnaissance Unit Five。 Schofield had met Romeo Roach on a couple of occasions before。 He was six years older than Schofield； a good soldier； and a legend with the ladies… hence his call sign； Romeo。
What was more； he was a Marine。 Schofield smiled。 He had a Marine on the line。
〃Romeo；〃 Schofield said； relief sweeping over him。 〃Situation is as follows： we are in control of the target objective。 I repeat； we are in control of the target objective。 Heavy losses have been sustained； but the target objective is ours。〃 The target objective； of course； was Wilkes Ice Station。 Schofield sighed。 〃What about you； Romeo？ Where are you？〃
〃Scarecrow； we are currently in hovercrafts； in a holding pattern approximately one mile from the target objective… 〃
Schofield's head jerked up。
One mile。。。。
But that was right outside the front door。。。。
〃…and we are under orders to hold here until further instructed。 We have strict instructions not to enter the station。〃
Schofield couldn't believe it
There were Marines outside