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side and senior crew y-eyed ship’s personnel were staggering frouards were visible, so they turned back toward the stairwell A soldier ca onto the floor He took one look at Dirk and Giordino and shouted, “Alto, alto!”

Giordino recognized him as the cardplayer fro up to the rabbed him by the collar and threw him across the roo into a side wall and slu to the floor

“Let’s go,” Giordino grunted, turning around and ducking down the companionway Dirk followed on his heels

The stairs were empty, and they raced to the bottom and darted out the door Giordino exited first and ran straight into an ar the other way The two round

Though the soldier took the harder fall, he reacted quicker Bounding to his feet, he thrust his assault rifle into Giordino’s chest and shouted, “Don’t move”

Giordino could only scowl as he eased his hands up in surrender

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Dirk stepped from the stairwell at the moment the two other men collided He leaped back into its cover as the soldier stood up, having not noticed Giordino had a partner Pounding footfalls and adown the stairs With little time to lose, he took a deep breath and waited for Giordino to set him up

Raising his palned innocence and chatted nonstop to divert the soldier’s attention “What are you doing?” he cried “I need to check the un down I’m no intruder”

He faked an injured leg fro on it for support The soldier pivoted to track his htly when Giordino finally stopped and again raised his arh

It had taken Giordino just a few seconds to get the soldier turned around so his back was to the stairwell Dirk reacted instantly, leaping frory bull Dirk un away; he simply lowered his shoulder and barreled into the man

The soldier caught his approach froun just before Dirk smashed into him

The soldier went tued hiut

The soldier squeezed the trigger on his AK-47 before he fell, spraying a half-dozen shots harmlessly into the deck plate

The combined blows had knocked the wind out of hi for air while clutching his stomach