Page 21 (1/2)

The altireat risk and increased the throttle settings on the three reines

It was a useless gesture born of desperation The engines would burn their last few gallons of fuel at a faster rate and die sooner But Ybarra wasn't thinking logically He could not sit and do nothing He felt he had to perfor his own death

Five tor minutes passed as one The black sea reached up to clutch the aircraft

"I see lights!" Rubin blurted suddenly "Dead ahead!"

His eyes instantly flicked up and focused through the windshield "A ship!" he cried "It's a ship!"

Almost as he shouted, the plane roared over the polar Explorer,the radar mast by less than ten meters

The crew of the icebreaker had been alerted by radar to the approaching aircraft The e involuntarily ducked as the airliner, exhaust fro like an army of banshees, swept overhead toward the Greenland coast to the west

The roar filled the electronics coh a split dae at a dead run with Pitt and Giordino right behind hie as much as turned as the captain burst past the door Everyone was peering in the direction of the receding aircraft

"What in hell was that?" Knight demanded from the officer on watch

"An unidentified aircraft nearly ranmied the ship, Captain"

"Military?"

"No, sir I caught a quick glis as she flashed overhead She bore no s"

"A spy plane maybe?"

"I doubt it All her ere lit UP"

"A coested