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He popped his release and the parachute collapsed before it could be caught by the wind He didn't bother to roll it up and hide it in the ice for later retrieval There was no time to waste The taxpayers would have to eat the lost chute

"This is Dillenger I'm down Home in on my position"

He pulled a plastic whistle froh it once every ten seconds while facing in a different direction for the first few minutes there was nobody to be seen

Then, slowly, the first of his ed toward hiress across the uneven surface of the glacier took theer had anticipated

Soon the others straggled in One man had suffered a broken shoulder, another had cracked an ankle His sergeant favored a wrist Dillenger suspected was broken, but the ht sprain, and Dillenger needed him too badly to write him off

He turned to the two injured men "You won't be able to keep up with the rest of us, but follow along in our tracks as best you can Just er nodded at his sergeant, Jack Foster "Let's rope together and eant

I'll take the lead"

Foster gave a brief salute and began checking the team

The going was treacherous across the broken ice surface, yet they er had no fear of falling into an open lead; the line around his waist was anchored to enough beef and brawn to lift a truck off the ground Twice he called for a brief stop to catch his bearings, and then they were off again

They crawled over jagged ice ridges and one open lead that all but defeated therapnel bit in the opposite side and the lightest rip Another ten one before the last man made it over

A sense of urgency er His tea farther and farther b

ehind the ti Giordino's unsolicited advice and doubling his estimated time from air drop to attack

He prayed the dive tea to death in the water beneath the Flanal Hollis and apprise the Colonel of his tardy situation, but there was no reply

The first faint traces of daere breaking behind hi desolation about it, a terrifying strangeness He could also see the faint gli of the fjordand suddenly he realized why there was a communications breakdown

Hollis could see the ship clearly noithout the infrared scope And if a hijacker with a keen eye had looked in the right direction, he'd have spied the shadows of the inflatable boats outlined against the dark gray water Hollis hardly dared breathe as the distance narrowed