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Rook and Rand faced off defensively。
〃Cool off；〃 Lunk told everyone。 〃There'll be plenty of time to scream at each other later。 But right now we gotta get back to the Alpha。〃
〃Kiss and make up；〃 Annie said to Rand as Lunk walked off。 〃Or at least shake hands。〃
〃Fine with me。〃 Rand shrugged and glared at Rook。 〃But maybe you should ask the lady with the chip on her shoulder！〃
Gradually； in single file； they began to work their way back to the river。 Rook and Rand opened a second front in their war when Rook insisted that something was following them and Rand called her paranoid。 Scott came down on them again and ordered Lunk to walk between them as a buffer。 And it was in this way that the three men managed to avoid the leeches。。。
Scott and Rand heard Annie's scream and turned around in time to see the descent of the mutant worm rain。 They dropped from the forest canopy； instantly attaching themselves to the two girls。
Lunk made a sound of disgust and backed away。 〃There's millions of them！〃
Annie was crying and stamping her feet。 Rook's face was contorted； her body shaking all over。 〃Do something！〃 she screamed to Rand； but he only smiled。 〃You creep！ Get these things off me！〃 She stood paralyzed； as if not knowing where to begin…on her arms； her neck； her face。。。Just then another leech dropped from the trees and landed on her forehead； Rook screamed and collapsed to the ground； wailing and kicking her feet in frustration。
〃Hold still；〃 Scott said； kneeling alongside her and pulling the leeches off Rook's arm。 But Rand stopped him before he had detached more than two or three。 He took Lunk's lit cigarette and touched the lighted end to one of the creatures。
〃Make things hot for them and they'll pop out on their own；〃 he explained as the leech dropped off； sizzling。 〃Pull them off and you end up leaving the sucker intact。〃 Methodically； he moved the cigarette from leech to leech。
〃I tell you； I get a real kick seeing city girls in the country〃 Rand told Scott while he labored。 〃They look so darn cute when they start screaming。〃 He smiled at Rook。 〃You should've seen yourself。。。〃
She made a face； averting her gaze from Rand's handiwork。 〃Can you blame me？ It's disgusting。〃 She shuddered。 〃I hate to break this to you； Daniel Boone； but there's something called civilization out there。 Maybe you've heard of it。〃
Rand snorted。 〃That's where you have crime and filth； right？〃
〃Better than slimy little blood…sucking tree leeches。〃
〃Sourpuss；〃 Rand said； standing up and moving over to Annie。 〃Any leech that gets a good taste of you is gonna swear off human beings forever。〃
Rook stood up； angry at first； then flashing an enigmatic； almost seductive smile。 〃We'll see。。。〃 she said； walking off into the bushes to check for leeches off limits to Rand's search。
They stuck to the forest this time rather than risk showing themselves in the open ground that bordered the river。 Two hours along they stopped to rest below the small falls of a tributary that fed the gorge。 Rand stripped a sapling of twigs and fashioned a fishing rod for himself。 He waded out to a rock midstream and cast in his line。 Scott and the others sat under the trees along the bank。
〃Hey； Rand；〃 Annie taunted him。 〃Do you really think you can catch anything with that funny…looking stick of yours？〃
Rand frowned while everyone had a good laugh。 〃Just you wait；〃 he told them。 〃I'm an expert； and if there's a trout anywhere in this river； it's mine。〃
It was a pleasant spot； full of water sounds； animal life； and cool shade stirred by a gentle breeze。 〃Almost makes you forget where you are；〃 Scott mused。
Rook nodded absently。 〃I know。 I'm starting to feel like we're at a Boy Scout picnic。〃
Rand meanwhile was addressing his would…be catch； when something small and mean hit him on the head。 He looked around and found Lunk crouched on the limb of an overhanging tree。 〃Hey； what's the idea？〃 Rand started to ask。
〃Invid。。。〃 Lunk said softly； cupping his hands to his mouth。
Scott； Annie； and Rook took to the cover of the brush。 Rand was looking around for a place to hide when he noticed the line stretched taut。 He grabbed hold of the anchored pole； ignoring Scott's orders to abandon the fish。 It had to be a five…pounder at least； and he wasn't about to let it go。 Even so； he could sense the ground…shaking approach of the Trooper。 He pulled hard and saw the rainbow break water； it was bigger than he had thought。 The Invid's cloven footfalls were increasing； Rand gave a mighty tug and brought the fish up。 But just then the line snapped。 At the same time the Trooper appeared through the trees。
Deciding it might behoove him to be the one that got away； Rand dropped the pole and dived from the rock。
Lunk was still in the tree； standing now； his back flattened against the trunk； when the Trooper passed。 A second Trooper lumbered into view an instant later。 Peering from the bushes； his H…90 raised； Scott saw that the two were headed toward the falls。 Rand was nowhere to be seen。
Unless one happened to be a fish。
Running short on breath when the first Invid hit the water； Rand had propelled himself downstream； hugging the rocky bottom； only to run into another pair of armored legs。 His lungs were on fire； threatening to implode； but surfacing wouldn't necessarily improve the situation any。 He swallowed hard； sensing a darkness creeping into the edges of his vision。。。
The two Troopers stopped in the middle of the river and swung their sensors through a 360…degree scan。 Concerned for Rand's safety； Scott ran from cover when the Invid had crossed the stream and moved off into the woods on the opposite bank。
Lunk dived in； and found his panion unconscious on the river bottom； arms still locked around the boulder he had hugged to keep himself submerged。 He brought him up and laid him facedown on the bank； then straddled him and carefully began to use his big hands to pump water from Rand's lungs。
〃Is he going to be all right？〃 Annie asked。
Scott nodded。 〃He just passed out。〃
Rand's color started to return； and he coughed up a few mouthfuls of water。 Softly； Rook called his name。
Rand straightened up with an energy that surprised all of them； knocking an unsuspecting Lunk backward into the river。 He looked around dazedly and dropped back to his knees exhausted。
〃Uh； the Invid are all gone；〃 Annie said。
〃Yeah； you can calm down； Superman；〃 Rook added。
Rand smiled thinly。
〃All right；〃 Scott said； extending his hand to Lunk and helping him to the bank。 〃Now that they're gone； we can get back to Lancer。 We can't be too far…〃
Rook saw Scott's eyes go wide。 She spun around and saw the reason for it： An enormous black bear； frightened and up on its hind legs； was breaking through the brush。 Scott had his weapon raised but froze as a bizarre giant tiger…striped spider dropped from a tree onto the weapon's barrel。 Scott winced and uttered a startled cry； reflexively loosing a bolt from the thing that whizzed past the bear's head。 Rook lunged for Annie as the animal's huge claw came down； narrowly missing her。 Lunk almost caught the backlash and rolled for cover。
Rand missed with two shots from his own weapon； and the bear's right paw connected with the blaster； sending him and the weapon flying in opposite directions。 Rand looked up into bared teeth and sharp claws； the face of furry black death。 He made his peace with the Creator and glimpsed a brilliant flash of white light。。。But when the smoke cleared； he found himself still alive and the bear gone…vaporized。
The only problem was that there was now an Invid ship overhead…and not one of the Troopers either； but one of the rust…brown Pincer units！
〃Well； I never thought I'd be happy to see you guys！〃 Rand said as he got to his feet； the smell of roasted meat in the air。 He joined the rest of the team in a jog for the woods。
The Invid rained fire down on them as they ran； steering them away from the safety of the trees and bringing one of the patrolling Troopers in on the action。 The team soon found itself cornered； fenced in on open ground by high…energy beams and annihilation discs。 But Scott heard a familiar sound cutting through the tumultuous roar of the Invid's death…rays。
It was Lancer； riding one of the abandoned Cyclones。
Lavender hair trailing in the wind； he leapt the mecha over a surprised Invid Trooper and landed it not more than fifteen feet from where the team stood huddled together。
〃All I had to do was ride to the sound of the guns！〃 Lancer yelled when the Cyclone had skidded to a halt。 〃What're you waiting for； Scott？ Climb on！〃
Scott offered a silent prayer to the gods who governed silver linings and threw himself onto the rear seat。 Lancer popped the mecha into a long wheelie that shot them through the legs of the bewildered Trooper。 But the Pincer ship chased them； loosing continuous disc fire from its treetop course。
Lancer kept the Cyclone in the woods for cover。 Scott saw that they were nearing the river gorge now and raised himself on the rear pegs in an effort to spot the Alpha。 Lancer took one hand from the controls and pointed。 〃At the foot of the cliff on the right！〃 he shouted over his shoulder。
Scott realized that the land dropped away sharply up ahead； but he couldn't discern just how high they were above the lower terrace。 Lancer was cutting their forward speed as they approached the ledge。 Scott leaned in to ask him how he planned to negotiate the jump。 But all at once Lancer threw his arms straight up and was gone。
Instinctively； Scott grabbed hold of the handlebar controls and saved the mecha from overturning。 He looked over his shoulder and saw Lancer squatting on the overhanging branch he had swung himself to； smiling and waving Scott off。 Scott was impressed。 It had been one heck of a gymnastic feat。 But neither of them was in the clear yet。 An Invid Trooper broke through the woods and began to open up with disc fire。 Lancer executed a Tarzan leap from the tree and disappeared into the undergrowth。 Scott lowered his head to the rush of the wind and goosed the cycle。 But the cliff face was close now； closer than he had realized； and an instant later he was sailing into blue skies above the treetops。 He lost the Cyclone and plummeted on his own； no one to catch him or take note of his alarmed cry。。。
Elsewhere； Lancer had worked his way back toward the rest of the team。 He literally ran into them not a mile from where he had put Scott in charge of the Cyclone。 They had three Invid Troopers behind them； devastating the forests with sporadic sprays of fire。 Lancer took the point and led them along the same path he and Scott had Cycloned not an hour before。 Twilight was giving way to darkness now； and Invid cannon sounds and annihilation discs lent a hellish atmosphere to the scene。
Once again the Troopers succeeded in boxing them in； and once again Rook； Lunk； Annie； and Rand yelled good…byes to one another while explosions rained leaves and forest carpet all over the place。 But Scott turned the tide。 He had survived his plunge into the trees and made his way to the concealed Veritech。 The Invid Pincer ship； as he explained later； was history。
Now the Alpha came tearing into the woods and took out the Trooper whose cannons were ranging in on the team。 Then Scott launched the VT straight up into the starry skies； reconfiguring to Battloid at the top of his booster climb and bringing out the mecha's rifle/cannon to deal with his pursuers。 Two more Troopers fell to the Alpha's storm； but a third managed to work its way in close enough to inflict a pincer swipe that brought Scott tumbling back to the woods。
The Trooper roared into a long sweeping turn and headed back in on the downed Battloid。 Inside； Scott shook himself to clear his head and ran through a rapid assessment of his options as he brought the techno…knight to its feet。 The mecha's external pickups brought the team's cries of warning into the cockpit； especially Annie's high…pitched： 〃Behind you； Scott！ Behind you！〃
Scott thought the Battloid through a quick about…face in time to see the approaching Trooper。 He reached for the launch…tube cover levers。 The Invid fired first； blazing discs spinning and twisting out of the cannon m