The minigun on the front end of the Mil-8 threw a line of 12 mm slugs across the truck's path.

"L OOK OUT OOK OUT !" !".

The machine-gun fire cut across the road in front of them, forcing Kent to spin the wheel to the left to avoid it, bouncing off the narrow track they had been following and striking out overland, heading for the rocky outcroppings he'd spotted earlier.

There was no way they were going to outrun the helicopter. That much was obvious. Nor did he think that the truck could withstand repeat attacks, not with that chain gun mounted on the front of the chopper.

That left them only one option.

They were going to have to fight it out.

S ANTIAGO LAUGHED ALOUD ANTIAGO LAUGHED ALOUD as the truck carrying Davenport's men abruptly left the road and headed overland. Go on and run, he thought. You won't get far, that's for sure. as the truck carrying Davenport's men abruptly left the road and headed overland. Go on and run, he thought. You won't get far, that's for sure.

"Well?" Ransom asked.

Santiago shook his head. "They aren't stopping, sir."

"Then make them stop."

"Roger that."

Santiago turned to the gun controls once more.

T HE HELICOPTER MOVED AROUND HE HELICOPTER MOVED AROUND in front of the truck and hovered a short ways off, the chain gun sending another stream of slugs ripping through the air toward them. in front of the truck and hovered a short ways off, the chain gun sending another stream of slugs ripping through the air toward them.

Kent spun the wheel to the right this time, avoiding the majority of the gunfire. Still, more than a few slugs impacted against the side of the vehicle and st.i.tched a line along the roof, shattering the window and sending small bits of gla.s.s flying through the interior. Sunlight streamed in through the new holes and the smell of cordite filled the car.

"Everyone all right?" Kent shouted over the sound of the wind now whistling through the frame.

"I'm good, I'm good." Harris had a few small cuts on his arms and face from the flying gla.s.s, but that was nothing given what could have happened. He checked D'Angelo and breathed easier when he saw that their companion had escaped unscathed. A long stream of Mongolian came from the floor of the front seat, which both Kent and Harris took to mean Cukhbaatar was all right, as well.

"Where are they?" Kent asked, his eyes on the uneven terrain ahead of them, not daring to look away as he fought to keep them from inadvertently driving into a ditch or other obstacle.

"Left side," Harris replied.

Kent saw Harris's form suddenly fill his rearview mirror as the big man crossed to the other side of the vehicle, leaning over their wounded comrade.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Teaching them a lesson in predator-prey dynamics."

As the helicopter came back into view, Harris stuck the muzzle of his automatic rifle out the remains of the window and held the trigger down.

The stuttering roar of his weapon filled the car, drowning out his battle cry.

B ULLETS BOUNCED OFF ULLETS BOUNCED OFF the armored c.o.c.kpit of the helicopter, causing the pilot to swerve up and out of the line of fire before they could do any damage. The Mil-8 had been built to withstand much more firepower than what was currently being thrown at it, but when they had the sky to themselves, why take chances? the armored c.o.c.kpit of the helicopter, causing the pilot to swerve up and out of the line of fire before they could do any damage. The Mil-8 had been built to withstand much more firepower than what was currently being thrown at it, but when they had the sky to themselves, why take chances?

Santiago told the pilot to get behind the moving vehicle and keep moving from side to side as he sent stream after stream of 12 mm slugs in their direction.

He was enjoying this.

A ND SO IT WENT ND SO IT WENT . .

The chopper would make an attack run, Kent would do his best to avoid it and a little more of their vehicle would be obliterated as a result. By the fourth or fifth pa.s.s-Kent wasn't certain which it was as he'd already lost count-things were going from bad to worse inside the truck. Both he and Harris had minor gunshot wounds; he from a ricochet that carved a furrow past his left ear and Harris from a round that had gone straight through his foot. D' Angelo, on the other hand, was dead. A line of slugs had st.i.tched their way along that side of the vehicle and his body had jittered with the impacts while his blood had splashed over the other two men and the boy indiscriminately.

Kent estimated that they'd lost about fifteen percent of their engine power and a loud clanking noise was coming from under the hood somewhere. The rear tire on the pa.s.senger side had been shot out, as well, and they were now rolling along on what was left of the tread and rim.

The terrain wasn't helping them, either. All of the wild maneuvering Kent was doing was kicking up great clouds of dirt and dust, obscuring their view of both the road ahead of them and of the helicopter behind.

Then Harris leaned forward and said possibly the only thing that could make matters worse.

"That's it. We're out of ammunition."

Short of throwing their guns at their attackers, they now had no way of firing back.

D ESPITE ESPITE S S ANTIAGO'S OBVIOUS ANTIAGO'S OBVIOUS enjoyment playing with the fleeing vehicle, eventually Ransom had enough. It was clear at this point that there was no way they were going to stop, and even if they did, they obviously weren't going to give up without a fight. enjoyment playing with the fleeing vehicle, eventually Ransom had enough. It was clear at this point that there was no way they were going to stop, and even if they did, they obviously weren't going to give up without a fight.

It was time to be done with this and continue their hunt for Davenport and the rest of his men. Every minute they spent here meant the others were getting farther away.

Ransom pa.s.sed the order to Santiago to end it.

A S S K K ENT THREW THE VEHICLE ENT THREW THE VEHICLE into another series of wild maneuvers, all thoughts of driving into a ditch forgotten as he sought to avoid getting hammered by the helicopter's chain gun, he lost sight of the chopper. into another series of wild maneuvers, all thoughts of driving into a ditch forgotten as he sought to avoid getting hammered by the helicopter's chain gun, he lost sight of the chopper.

"Where did he go?" Kent shouted.

"I don't know!" Harris was frantically moving from window to window, trying to see through the haze of dust and smoke, searching vainly for their attacker but unable to find him, either.

"Well, find him, for heaven's sake! Before he finds us."

But it was already too late.

The helicopter popped up from behind a small rise to their left, hovering just a few feet off the ground, the rotors clearing the dust like a giant broom, giving them a clear view of their quarry. The gunner would have to be blind in order to miss, and unfortunately for the men in the truck, he was not.

The Gatling gun sang out and hundreds of slugs tore into the vehicle, shredding metal, plastic and human flesh on contact.

The truck continued forward for another few seconds before a stray slug punctured the fuel tanks and an explosion ripped through its frame, sending what was left of the vehicle bouncing end over end across the rocky landscape.

There was no way anyone could have survived the strike, but Ransom wanted to be certain so the gunner sent another round of slugs pulsing into the burning wreck.

When no one emerged after several long moments, Ransom gave the signal for them to move out, a smile of satisfaction on his face.

Behind them, the wreck burned brightly in the early morning sunlight.

28.

Unaware of what was happening to their comrades, Davenport and the rest of the team awoke the next morning to find a thin coating of snow covering everything in sight. It was less than half an inch deep, barely worth worrying about and certain to melt before the morning was over, but for Annja it was a reminder that their time here was limited. Winter was coming, and once it arrived, it would mean the end of their search for six long months or more.