It only lifted slightly off the river's rushing surface—maybe a foot o two at the most but it was enough.
With its initial target lost, the torpedo in the water immediately began searching for another, it found it in the Rigid Raider to Doogie's right.
NO sooner had the Goose lifted off the surface than that Rigid Raider was blasted out of the water by the shocking detonation Of the torpedo,
The Goose touched back down again, kicking up a shower of spray behind it,
The Mosquito above it saw what had happened and it powered f0aG ahead of the Goose - turning laterally in the air as it did so - so that it now flew backwards in font of the speeding Seaplane unleashing a savage burst of gunfire at it,
Doogie ducked under the dashboard. 'Da chopper!'; he yelled, 'Let's see how you like this!'
and with that he yanked his steering yoke hand to the left,
The Goose banked sharply—the tip of its pontoon-less left wing touching the surface again — cutting across the path of the surviving Rigid Raider!
The skipper of the Rigid Raider didn't react fast enough.
Like a missile shooting up into the sky, the Rigid Raider lifted completely out of the water as it rushed up the steeply- slanted wing of the Seaplane!
The assault boat raced up the reinforced wings of the Goose, its exposed silver hull screeching loudly as it shot along the seaplane's heavily banked wings, using them as a launching amp, and then—shoom!—the Rigid Raider launched itself off the end of the right-hand wing and out into the air beyond it where it smashed into the canopy of the Mosquito helicopter that was hovering in front of the sharply-turned Goose!
The Mosquito lurched backwards—reeling like a boxer punched square in the nose as the Rigid Raider ploughed into its bubble at incredible speed. Its canopy shattered in an instant and a split second later, the whole helicopter exploded into an enormous billowing fireball.
Doogie stared back at the carnage behind ; saw the blackened shell of the torpedoed Rigid Raider sg slowly into the water; saw the charred remains of the Mosquito and the other Rigid Raider crash down into the river with an enormous splash,
'Eat that you Nazi bastards,' he said softly.
Dazed, confused and possessed of one hell of a headache, William Race was marched at gunpoint out onto the rear deck of the Nazi command boat
Rene walked along beside ghoved orwafd by t exaotd.afiiy ugly Nazi Rade No though! of as *Ctafa,
N sn had h and Renee b@ subdued by Ctatetfa? up on th bow th big Nazi had called opon s om-fads at e o? nd of th starboard passageway o ?as their fi, en had mar&ed o captives down the passaway and out onto the rear helipad whe the ptise wte Bell Jet Ranger helicopter wa on e vefe of tang off
Anistaze saw them instantly, kicked open the side door of he helicopter,
'Bring 'em to me' he shouted.
Van Lewn was racing across the river's surface
of the flet
He at at the helm of the ?arab, shooting acfos fh@ five wif oly the eaf third o th boat's buiietShpd tOO4hig fh Water he sound of its in 40h0fpow egifieg thundering in his
He m ed m his gear to see the white Bell jet Ranger copter lift off from the gtem dek of the command boat.
Karl Schroeder was in a world of trouble.
His Rigid Raider was near the back of the fleet, shooting across the river's surface in between the last two Nazi Pibbers, being pummelled by their relentless fire.
Schoeder tried desperately to duck their bullets, but they were too close, too fast.
And then suddenly—smack-smack-smack—a line of bullet holes raked his Rigid Raider, cutting across his right leg, opening up three jagged red holes in his thigh.
He fell, clenching his teeth, stifling a scream.
Somehow he managed to get up on one knee and keep driving the boat, but it was no use, The Nazi Pibbers were all over him.
He looked forward, caught sight of what was left of the fleet—the command boat, the Scarab, the Goose seaplane and one of the helipad barges—speeding off into the distance a good hundred yards ahead of him.
He also saw the white Bell Jet Ranger helicopter as it flew away from the command boat; Only minutes earlier, he had seen Race and Renee get thrown into it.
At that moment, another wave of gunfire assailed Schroeder's boat, strafing a line of holes across his back, puncturing his bulletproof vest as if it were made of tissue paper. Schroeder roared in agony, fell to the deck.
And in that instant he knew he Was going to die.
His wounds burning, his nerve ends screaming, his entire body on the verge of going into shock, Karl Schroeder looked desperately about himself for anything he could use to take as many of the Nazis down with him as he could.
His gaze fell upon the kevlar box that he had seen earlier on the floor of the Rigid Raider. It was only now, however, thaf he saw that it had words stencilled on its side in English.
Slowly, Schroeder read the markings on the side of the kevlar box.
