Page 215 (2/2)

"That wouldn’t trip the main! Look farther up the line!"

A brief silence; then Rand said, "Got it" He tapped a dial "Pressure’s flatlined on the starboard-side charger Must have shut down the syste on down there?"

He was strapping on his tool belt "Here," he said, tossing Rand the radio, "you talk to her"

Rand looked lost "What should I say?"

"Tell her to get ready to engage the props straight from the pilothouse"

"Shouldn’t she wait for the systeet on the electrical panel When I tell you, switch the system back over to the s are looking very fucking serious up here"

"Go," Michael told Rand

He raced aft, plugged in his lantern, dropped to his back, and wedged hiht It’s going to be the death ofsixtyairborne The tanker, last in the line, had failed to keep up The virals were close behind and hts

Peter yelled into the radio, "Everyone keep going! Don’t stop!"

They careened straight through the barrier Chase stamped the brakes and pulled to the side as the convoy roared past with inches to spare, pushing a wall of wind that buffeted the vehicle like a howling gale Peter, Chase, and Amy leapt from the cab

Where was the tanker?

It lu, engine roaring, traveling toward thean to accelerate Two virals were crouched on the roof of the cab Chase raised his rifle and squinted through the scope

"Ford, don’t," Peter warned "You hit that tank, it could blow"

"Quiet I can do this"

A bullet split the air One of the virals tu aim at the second when it dropped to the hood: no shot

"Shit!"

Froun blasts came in rapid succession; the windshield shattered outward into the roan of brakes The viral flopped backward into the conical glare of the truck’s headlights and disappeared beneath the front wheels with a wet burst