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While Raven and Beth tended to the injured and frightened passengers in the back, Juan operated the PIG’s defensive systems, leaving Eddie to keep his eyes glued to the road. All Juan had overheard from the discussion behind him was that the people they’d rescued weren’t in the art field. They were scientists. Ph.D.s.
“The shimmy is getting worse,” Eddie said, straining to control the PIG. “I think we may be close to losing the other right rear tire if we keep up this speed.” The self-sealing tires were designed to withstand rifle fire, but the RPG explosion had caused far more extensive damage.
“This might not be the best time to install the spare,” Juan replied.
“Maybe they’ll let us call a tow truck.”
Juan heard the helicopter approaching and said, “No need. That must be the auto club arriving now.”
He looked up to see Salvador Locsin clearly visible in the front seat next to the pilot. He was focused on Juan with a nasty grin. He waved jauntily and mouthed the word Good-bye.
Then the rear door behind him slid open, revealing the spinning barrel of a minigun aimed directly at him.
“Stop!” Juan yelled.
Without hesitation, Eddie stood on the brake just as the minigun spat fire. Tracer rounds chewed into the road directly in front of the cab. The forward momentum of the chopper kept the gun’s operator from compensating fast enough to hit them. The PIG’s armor was stout, but it would be no match for the high-powered rounds.
In the side mirror, Juan saw that the smoke was lingering in the calm air.
“Back into the smoke!”
Eddie threw the gear into reverse and launched the PIG backward as the helicopter came around for a killing pass, but their view of it blurred as they were enveloped by the smoke.
“What now?” Eddie asked once they were concealed yet still moving backward slowly. “They may not be able to see us, but they could still hit us with a lucky shot.”
“And their friends won’t be far behind in that Humvee.”
“Too bad we don’t have any antiaircraft capabilities.”
At this point, Juan couldn’t see more than ten f
eet in front of him. “Believe me, I will be having a talk with Max about upgrades.” They did, however, have the mortars and guided rockets.
Juan looked at the steep mountainside that rose out of the smoke. The loose earth had to be soaked from the rain of the last few days.
“How about we give ourselves a little breathing space between us and that Humvee?”
He opened the roof hatch and used the targeting screen on the dashboard to aim the mortar at the steep hillside along the road between them and the pursuing Humvees.
Over his shoulder, he called out to the passengers, “Fire in the hole!” They looked at him in confusion until he mimed covering his ears. They followed his example, and he launched three mortar shells in quick succession, the thump of each reverberating through the PIG.
Juan couldn’t see the blasts as the rounds landed, but soon the ground shook as an avalanche of mud and rock tumbled down the hill in the distance.
“That sounds like it was plenty to cover the road.”
“And keep that Humvee and its RPGs off our back. Now to deal with this Locsin guy.”
The rockets that could be fired from drop-away panels on the side of the PIG were meant to be antivehicle weapons, and their guidance systems were minimal. They certainly couldn’t home in on a moving aircraft.
Juan could hear the helicopter out there waiting for them to emerge from the smoke. It was perpendicular to the road, hovering in place, providing a stable platform for its gunner. He wouldn’t miss a second time.
“Eddie, turn us to face the sound of the helicopter.”
Eddie raised his eyebrows but turned the wheel, and the truck began turning. “The road’s not much wider than the PIG’s length. There won’t be much room to maneuver and make an escape if things don’t go well.”
“Then I’d better not miss, but I think having another set of eyes out there will help.”
Juan launched one of their quadcopter drones. He maneuvered it until it was just above the smoke.
