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Austin kicked both thrusters into lateral full speed and aimed for the back of the truck The suit accelerated slowly, then gathered ht overcame the forces of inertia and water resistance

He flew directly toward the truck like a bowling ball trying to pick off the last pin, praying that the diver would stay put He didn't want an eternity with Zavala re an accordion

His luck held The diver reure out how he could carry them off

Austin focused on the suit's widethe air tanks like a tortoise shell Daht vertical lift

Back on target

"Now!" Austin yelled, knowing there was no need to raise his voice

As he hurtled forward he brought his feet up like a boy ine himself on an invisible bobsled, but the best he could do with the metal joints that restricted his movement was to elevate his knees

Zavala orking feverishly The pincher jaws had nibbled away at so the truck

He was afraid of cutting through too soon At Austin's shouted command he put all the power of his shoulders, built up overdays, into the lopper's s long handles The center of the cable had soht resistance at first Then the beak-like blades cut through the re apart its prey

Austin fought to extend his feet straight out, but his ling the jewels Without the suit Austin would have popped his knee joints like a skier taking a backward spill, but the stiffness of the suit saved him The diver was launched forward as if he had been tossed by a Brahma bull and flew headfirst into the truck Austin bounced back and spun out of control

The other frantically tried to back out of the truck, but his thrusters were caught on a shelf frah space trying to figure out the thruster combination that would stabilize him

He heard Zavala call out: "Bombs away!"

With one cable cut the ar precariously off the wall at an angle, its headlights pointing alht down For an instant it seemed to Zavala, who had moved a safe distance away, as if the vehicle would stay that way Then the full weight of the truck proved toocable The restraint snapped, and the truck dropped away fro the auto with it the bones of its defenders, the jewels, and the struggling diver

The whole sequence involved only a few seconds The surviving diver had glimpsed Austin's attack and watched with astonishment as the truck disappeared, but he recovered quickly frohting off the dizziness when the bright light from the diver's flash exploded in his fare He nailed his down thruster, knowing that in the tiritted his teeth and braced hi pain he kneould cole, and he saw the other diver struggling wildly

Zavala!