Part 33 (1/2)
”No we can't, old son I sited those positions e Our only hope is to get into the second line of positions that I have prepared at the first waterfall” Then he shook his head sorrowfully, screwing up his eyes against the stinging raindrops ”You and this crazy old bastard,”
he turned his head to the Ras beside hirinned happily at hiain, and deliriously happy at the prospect
”How do you do?” he cackled, and punched Gareth's shoulder gleefully
”Could be better, old boy,” Gareth assured him ”Could be a lot better,” and they both ducked as the next shell ca low over their heads
”Those fellows are i Gareth observed mildly
”God knows they've had plenty of practice recently, ”Jake shouted, and Gareth rolled his eyes upwards to the heavy bruised cloud banks
”Let there be rain,” he intoned, and instantly the thunder cracked and the clouds lit internally with a brilliant electric burst of light
The splattering drops increased their te lances of rain
”Aorius Maryam from the turret above Gareth's head, and his voice was hushed with awe
”Nothing to it, my lad,” Gareth disclaimed ”Just a direct line to the top” Rain filled the air in a white teeainst the driving needles, and his black curls clung in a sodden mass to his scalp
Rain wiped out the e, so that Jake steered by instinct alone It roared against the racing steel hull, and closed down visibility to a circle of twenty yards
The Italian shellfire stopped abruptly, as the gunners were unsighted
Rain pounded every inch of exposed skin, striking with a force that stung painfully, snapping against their faces with a jarring impact thatfor what little cover there was on the exposed hull
”Good Lord, how long does this go on for?” protested Gareth, and he spat the sodden butt of his cheroot over the side
”Four orius ”It rains for four rinned wryly, and glanced across at the other ly froainst the driving raindrops and the thick mane of hair plastered to her shoulders and face Icy rain had soaked the silken sharn transparently to her body, and her fat little breasts showed through as though they were naked, bouncing to each exaggerated movement of the car
Suddenly the ures, all of the their weapons, they were running and staggering forward through the rain towards the ement to them as they sped past, and then translated quickly
”I have told them ill hold the enemy at the first waterfall they are to spread the word” And he turned back to shout again when suddenly with a startled oath Jake braked and swung the car violently to avoid a pile of human bodies strewn in their path
”This is where the Italian ap, and as if in confiruns off in the rain mist
Jake threaded the car past the piles of bodies and then looked around to
”Nohat the hell!” He realized they were alone ”That woman
That crazy woman,” and he braked, sla until the dark shape of Miss Wobbly looain
”No,” said Gareth ”I can't bear it” Vicky and Sara were out of the parked car, hurrying a over a wounded warrior and between theh the open rear doors of the cab Others, less gravely wounded, were li themselves aboard
”Come on, Vicky, ”Jake yelled
”We can't leave theet to the waterfall,” he tried to explain
”We've got to stop the retreat” But he ht not have spoken, for the toain
”If you help it won't take so long, ”she called obstinately, and Jake shrugged helplessly before cli down out of the hatch
Both cars were cra Harari, and the hulls were thick with those who still had strength to hold on, before Vicky was satisfied
”We've lost fifteen lanced at his pocket watch in the rain that still poured doith unabated fury
”And that could be enough to get us all killed, and lose us the gorge”
”It orth it,” Vicky told hiain the heavily burdened round on towards the nore the pitiful appeals of the wounded they passed They lay in huddles of rags soaked with rain and diluted pink blood, or they crawled painfully and doggedly on towards the , clawlike hands, hands as the two ap in the rain opened visibility to a ht slanted down to strike the cars like a stage light, glistening on the wet steel hulls
Ie of afro them in its soft white protective bosoe, and found that it was plunged into terrible confusion It had been heavily shelled and unned, and then the rain had turned it all into a deep muddy soup of broken flattened tents, and scattered equipment
Dead horses and human corpses were half buried in theor a lost child scurried through the rain
Spasround around the calimpses of Italian uniforlooh the rain and cloud and burst with sullen fury soe,” shouted Gareth ”Don't stop here,” and Jake took the path that skirted the grove of caht of the fighting on the slopes, crossed the Sardi River and plunged into the gaping orius shouted proudly
”They are holding the gorge We o to their aid”
”Our place is at the first waterfall ”Gareth raised his voice for the first tis up his guns We've got to get set at the first waterfall to have a chance” He looked back to where the other car should have been following theroaned
”No! Oh, please God, no”
”What is it? ”jake head popped out of the driver's hatch with alarain”
”Who ?” But Jake need not have asked
The following car had swung off the direct track, and was now stor for the old tented ca directly into the area where the heavy fighting was still rattling and crackling in the rain
”Catch her,” Gareth said ”Head her off” Jake swung off the track and went zigzagging up through the grove with the rear wheels spinning and spraying red ht run up the secondary track directly into the enest the trees and curtains of rain
Jake brought the car bellowing out into the ca The tents had been flattened and the whole area trodden and looted, cases of rations and clothing burst open and soaked with rain; thein the trees or lay half buried