"We're here. What's the matter?"

"It's a trap... an ambush. We're breaking out. Tell the hovercraft to scatter...and you take off with them. We'll rendezvous at Point Delta!"

"Can I..."

"You can't! We're facing heavies! Run for it, now!" The thought of Lori's 20-ton Locustfacing Archersor the other heavies of the 3rd was chilling.

Grayson, Clay, and McCall formed their three ‘Mechs into a wedge with Grayson's Shadow Hawkat the point, the Riflemanbehind and to his left, and the Wolverineon his right. The rebel ‘Mechs clustered behind the three Gray Death machines, moving south in a shambling run punctuated by the bursts and mushrooming pillars of smoke marking the fall of incoming missiles. Dace's Phoenix Hawktook an LRM hit in one arm, and Sonovarro's Waspwas limping. The wedge slowed to allow Sonovarro to keep up.

Something moved in the woods dead ahead. Grayson triggered a burst of autocannon fire, shredding trees and tearing up great clumps of ground vegetation. It was a Crusader,the same one they'd faced that day below the walls of the University. Grayson recognized the patches of new armor where his autocannon fire had hit the enemy machine in the earlier battle.

The Kurita ‘Mech blocked the way to the south.

"Keep moving!" Grayson shouted; The Crusadercould only stop one of them if they all kept moving. A quick glance at his scanner readouts showed that the Archersto the north and east had closed in and were at the supply dump now. There were MAD readings from the ridge to the west, too—big ones. Grayson's computer identified a Marauderand a Warhammerat the crest of the ridge.

He fired his laser, smashing and clawing at the Crusader'supper torso. McCall's Riflemanadded a hail of laser and autocannon fire to the volley. The Kurita ‘Mech staggered back a step under the assault, but recovered quickly. Short-range missiles cleaved the air, smashing into Grayson's ‘Mech with savage accuracy. Next, the enemy ‘Mech's arms came up, and laser bolts hammered into Clay's Wolverine.The rebel ‘Mechs behind them wavered, their pilots uncertain. Warning lights rippled across Grayson's instrument boards.

The Archerswere closing rapidly from behind, and it would be only moments before the failed ambush at the ridge would re-form and sweep down on the struggling rebel band. At the moment, though, the three Gray Death ‘Mechs outweighed the Crusaderwith a combined 170 tons against its 65. If they hesitated, they were all doomed. If they forged ahead...

"All units!" Grayson yelled. "Charge!"

Autocannon fire chopped and shredded at the Crusader'storso. Laser pulses flashed across the narrowing range and seemed to sink into thirsty metal. Grayson triggered a salvo of five LRMs and saw four of the five shriek into the heavy ‘Mech's midsection.

All seven rebel ‘Mechs were running at full speed now. McCall yelled something unintelligible, a Scots curse or battle yell, Grayson guessed. His own head sang with battle thrill, an exultation that overrode his fear in a blinding surge. He triggered his Hawk's jumpjets and vaulted the final 50 meters to the Crusader,landing with a momentum that hurtled him squarely into the Crusaderat full speed.

The roar of colliding tons of metal momentarily drowned out the crash of explosions. The Crusader,already off balance in the withering fire from its opponents, went over backward in an ungainly sprawl. Unable and unwilling to check his Shadow Hawk'scharge, Grayson went down on top of it in a tangle of metal limbs and weapons.

Grayson's Hawkwas on its feet first, but he was too close to use his own weapons effectively. Instead, he kicked savagely with his ‘Mech's right leg as the Crusaderstruggled to rise. The heavier ‘Mech fell back once more. Grayson had an instant's warning as he saw the SRM pack covers set into the Crusader's legs pop open. He twisted aside as twelve SRMs streaked into the sky, narrowly missing him. Missile reloads dropped home into the empty tubes, but Grayson was already bringing his hand down on his ‘Mech's jump jet controls. Backpack rockets fired, a throaty roar arrested almost before it had begun as Grayson chopped off the power as quickly as he'd cut it on. The Shadow Hawkrose three meters, seemed to stagger in mid-flight, then dropped from the sky, a 55-ton sledgehammer that caught the prostrate Crusadersquarely in its already gouged and cratered chest.

Coolant fluid exploded in mist and steam. Miniature lightnings arced and stabbed from shorted circuitry cables and power leads. Armor tore, peeling back like shredded metal foil as he extracted the Hawk'slegs from the ruin of the larger ‘Mech's torso.

The other rebel ‘Mechs arrived at that moment, still running. Grayson brought his ‘Mech's leg back a second time. "For Piter," he said, and the leg snapped forward. From the looks of the Crusader'sruined head, he had no doubt that the pilot was already dead

The rebel ‘Mechs were outside the closing ring of ambushers now, racing south. Grayson's move had caught the enemy by surprise, and they seemed to be in confusion. The jaws of the trap had snapped shut—on thin air.

Grayson rapidly gave his orders. There was only desert to the south, untold thousands of hectares of Verthandi's most inhospitable terrain. They would have to work their way to the west and then north to make it to the rendezvous. The enemy did not seem to be pursuing them. Perhaps they could cut through the woods behind the ridge above Blackjack. The Kurita forces would not expect them to cut so close to the site of the failed trap. If there were other enemy units in those woods and swamps, they would be looking farther afield.

Clay called Grayson's attention to a rising column of smoke well to the west of the supply dump's location. 'Trouble, Captain. That could be our hovercraft convoy."

Cold fear took Grayson's heart, replacing the exultation that had gripped him during the hand-to-hand fight with the Crusader. Lori!He urged his Hawkinto a lurching run, ignoring the heat overload lights already beginning to wink and flicker on his board.

Lori must have been trying to shield the hovercraft in her charge when the Kurita ‘Mechs had burst down on her out of the woods to the east. Grayson saw the flaming wrecks of a trio of hover transports scattered across the clearing, but no sign of the others. Perhaps they'd made good their escape.

Lori's LocustWas on a low knoll, crouched hull down, its laser spraying the woods eighty meters away. The Locustwas hideously damaged, the left leg smashed and twisted, the radio antennae reduced to tangled wiring and blackened scars in the cockpit armor. Four Kurita ‘Mechs advanced from the east, a Griffin ,a Stinger,a Phoenix Hawk,and a Wasp.Those four were the recon lance for the 3rd Strike Regiment's A Company. While swinging west from the failed ambush to try to block the raiding force's retreat to the north, they must have stumbled into Lori and the hovercraft convoy.

Grayson hit his autocannon controls once, then savagely hit them again. A red indicator glared back at him from his console with baleful urgency. The autocannon was jammed in its mount, possibly destroyed. Whether the damage was the result of enemy fire or his collision with the Crusader,he couldn't tell. The loading mechanism stubbornly refused to feed. He checked his LRM packs, then triggered the controls, which slammed in his last reload for the long-range tubes.

"Quick time!" He struggled to keep the desperation out of his voice. "McCall, Clay! Rush them!"