‘We’ve got to get away from that lot first!’ Eddie shot back, seeing three more men rush out of the hotel and pile into another super jeep. ‘Grab the grenade launcher and load it.’
She picked up the weapon. ‘How?’
‘There’s a hook in front of the cylinder — pull it and it’ll swing open. Get rid of the dead one inside and load the others. Turn the cylinder after you put each one in; it’s got a kind of clockwork spring that brings round the next grenade when you fire.’ He turned the heater controls to full. ‘Are there any coats or blankets back there?’
‘I think so,’ the shivering Olivia replied. ‘These jeeps usually have survival equipment in the trunk.’
‘I’ll look,’ said Nina, breaking off from her task to rummage through the super jeep’s cargo. There was indeed a blanket, which she passed to Olivia. The elderly woman accepted it gratefully and drew it tightly around herself. The redhead resumed loading the launcher, pausing as she glanced ahead. ‘Eddie, you’re going the wrong way!’ The other jeeps were off to their right, and heading away.
‘We’ll never catch up with them if we just follow that track,’ he said, guiding the 4x4 across the rippling snowfield. ‘They’re going around the lake; if we cut straight across it, we can get in front of them.’
‘You do remember we’re not in a boat, right?’
‘The lake’s frozen — it should hold us.’ He looked back at Olivia. ‘Shouldn’t it?’
‘I’m hardly the expert,’ she objected.
‘Maybe not, but you’ve been here before. Is it usually still frozen this time of year?’
‘I think so, but I’m not entirely—’ Her eyes widened in fear. ‘Look out!’
Eddie snapped his gaze back ahead — to see the snowy ground dropping out from under the jeep’s lights.
He stamped on the brake pedal, but it was too late to stop. The Toyota shot over a rise, bursting through a snow-bank and going airborne for a couple of seconds before pounding back down in another explosion of snow. The heavy-duty shock absorbers bottomed out with a tooth-jarring bang, then the truck bounced back up and slewed across a wallowing dip.
None of its occupants were wearing seat belts. Eddie managed to keep hold of the steering wheel, but Nina ended up sprawled over her grandmother. ‘What are you doing?’ Olivia shrilled. ‘Didn’t the army teach you to keep your eyes on the road?’
‘What road?’ Eddie replied. The super jeep was now angling up another steep rise, almost rolling over before he managed to point its nose straight up the incline. He glimpsed headlights in the rear-view mirror, closing fast. ‘Shit! Get down!’
Nina dropped flat, pulling the startled Olivia with her. Cracks of gunfire reached them over the engine’s roar. A round punched through the rear door with a flat thunk and hit the gear in the cargo area. Olivia gasped.
Another bullet glanced off the truck’s flank as Eddie made an evasive swerve. ‘The launcher!’ he yelled. ‘Is it loaded?’
The MGL had fallen into the rear footwell. Nina groped for it. ‘Yeah, but it’s not closed.’
‘Just swing it shut — it should lock.’
She did so. The cylinder snicked into place. ‘Okay, what do you want me to do with it?’
‘What do you think? Shoot those wankers!’
The super jeep crested another rise, scattering snow. The Mikkelssons’ jeeps briefly came back into view in the distance before the Land Cruiser dropped sharply down the other side. Nina yelped, then squirmed around and lowered her window. A freezing gale blasted in, clods of snow kicked off the front wheel’s chunky treads spattering her as she leaned out and tried to bring the bulky grenade launcher to bear.
The glare of the pursuing super jeep’s spotlights preceded its appearance over the crest, giving her a target. She took aim, waiting for it to appear…
It burst through the snow. She pulled the trigger — just as her own vehicle reached the foot of the slope and levelled out. The abrupt change of gradient threw off her aim. The grenade hit the ground twenty feet ahead of the jeep and blasted a crater out of the snow and frozen soil.
Anastasia looked around in surprise at the sound of an explosion — not from the burning hotel, but somewhere off to her left. For a moment she saw nothing, then a flare of lights marked the appearance of a super jeep over one of the moraine crests. Another surged into view behind it, clearly in pursuit. A flash of orange light was followed by the delayed boom of a second grenade blast.
She grabbed her jeep’s radio handset. ‘It’s them! They’re coming after us!’
Her father’s normally controlled voice was edged with anger. ‘I said we should not underestimate them!’
‘We can’t let them catch us.’ Her driver had put his UMP on the dash; she took it. ‘I’ll stop them.’
De Klerx came on the line. ‘Ana, no! It’s too dangerous. I can handle it.’
‘You’ve got to get my parents and the Crucible out of here, Rutger,’ she countered. ‘I’ll be right behind you.’
Sarah took the mic. ‘No, we should stay together. It’s safer.’
‘I can do it,’ she insisted. ‘Go after them!’ The driver obeyed, skidding the truck off the track into the deeper drifts beyond.
‘Anastasia!’ barked Mikkelsson. ‘Come back! You’ve got the other Crucible — we need both of them!’
The basketball-sized crystal was nestled in her lap. She glanced at it, then spoke into the radio again. ‘I won’t let you down, Pabbi,’ she said, before replacing the handset and taking the gun in both hands.
‘Be careful, Ana,’ said Sarah, but her daughter barely heard her, focused only on the lights ahead.
34
Nina was blinded by flying snow as the super jeep vaulted over another rise. ‘Damn it, Eddie, I missed again! Hold this thing steady!’
‘If I do, we’ll get shot!’ he shouted back. The other jeep crested in their wake, two men leaning out. Eddie swerved as one opened fire. The rear window exploded.
Nina flinched, then aimed the MGL again. The enemy driver swept his truck across to the other side of her super jeep, trying to block her line of fire. She pulled the trigger anyway, but the grenade went wide and exploded behind its target. ‘Son of a bitch!’
‘You’ve only got two shots left,’ Olivia cautioned.
‘Mom taught me to count, thank you!’
Eddie applied more power as the 4x4 started uphill once more. The snow was getting deeper, giving him an idea. ‘Nina, get back in!’ he called. ‘I’m going to try something.’
‘What?’ Nina asked as she retreated.
‘Depends what’s at the top of this hill! Just hold on really tight, both of you — and get ready to shoot when I say.’
‘Why am I not filled with confidence?’ muttered Olivia as Nina ducked down beside her.
More bullets struck the super jeep’s rear and blew out one of the tail light clusters. Eddie hunched as low as he could, still charging up the slope. Deepening snow swamped the jeep’s headlights, spray coming up over the bonnet and hitting the windscreen. He turned on the wipers. Black sky rose above the spotlit white glare. Almost at the top—
He switched off all the Toyota’s lights as they reached the crest.
The view ahead became nothing but darkness as they bounded over the summit. Eddie spun the wheel hard to the left as they landed, bringing the truck around in a barely controlled power slide back up the hill. ‘Get ready!’ he yelled to Nina.
She still had no idea what he was doing — until the second jeep exploded through the snow to their left, crashing back down into the drifts below. Eddie kept turning, coming about to complete a full circle and swing in behind it. The men inside were confused by their prey’s apparent disappearance… until the Yorkshireman switched the spotlights back on, pinning them in the merciless beams. ‘Now!’