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ts workings and ran rapidly through the contingency plan he hoped they wouldn't have to resort to。 Fifteen minutes later； he was climbing up into one of the trees and Annie and Rook were back in the shelter。
Rand squirreled around a bit until he found a good place for himself in the upper branches； then cupped his hands to his mouth and shouted； 〃Help！ Help me； I'm hurt！〃 directing his false alarm along the trail that led to the base of the snowslide。 Rook and Annie heard his call and hunkered down in the shelter； peering out at the clearing through a narrow slot in the wall。 Soon they heard the sound of heavy footfalls； and a Trooper lumbered into the clearing； its blood…red scanner searching the trees。
Rand drew his H90 and reminded himself to remain calm。 He could see that the Trooper was following the footprints they had purposely left intact on the trail。
〃A little farther。。。〃 Rand encouraged； whispering to himself through gritted teeth。
The Invid took two more perfectly placed steps； which brought each of its cloven feet down into the trap's ring mechanisms。 Cables cinched and tightened； while others grew taut； straining at turnbuckles and activating pulleys that had been concealed high in the surrounding branches。 Elsewhere； poles and trees began to spring loose； groaning as they straightened up； released at last from their bowed bondage。 The Trooper's feet were pulled out from under it； and suddenly it was being hauled into the air； captive and inverted。
Grinning in delight； Rand moved out onto the branch to view the hapless thing's ascent。 But a moment later his smile was collapsing： the snare had been well engineered but underbuilt。 Either that or the lashed trees had seen too many seasons。 One after another they were beginning to splinter under the Trooper's weight； cables stretched and snapped； and pulleys were ripped from their moorings。 As the ship plummeted headfirst toward the snow； Rand armed his weapon and squeezed off four quick shots； only one of which connected。 But all that served to do was alert the Invid to his presence。 Before he could react； the Trooper's cannons came to life and discharged a blast that connected squarely with the trunk a few feet below his shaky perch。 The tree came apart； and Rand and the upper section were blown backward by the explosion。
He and the Trooper hit the ground at almost the same instant； both of them knocked senseless by their falls。 But the Invid was the first to stir。 As the Trooper rose slowly to its feet； Rook and Annie saw the ship's scanner wink into awareness。 Rand was still unconscious； facedown in the snow； one outstretched arm hooked around the base of the tree he had slammed into on his way down。 Annie began to scream。
Horrified； Rook watched the Invid take three forward steps and position itself over her fallen teammate。 She barreled out of the shelter； yelling for Rand to wake up； raising her blaster even as the Trooper was raising its claw。 She had to put five shots into the alien's back before it swung around； and when it did； it was clever enough to use its pincer as a shield。 Undaunted； Rook continued to fire until she saw those telltale globes of priming light form at the ship's cannons； then she spun around and hastily tried to retreat。 The Invid dropped her with a disc that threw her into a headlong crash。 She rolled over； struggling to regain her breath as the Trooper approached； uncertain if she should be thankful that the thing had let her live。 Suddenly she heard Annie's taunting voice close by and watched amazed as her diminutive friend began to pelt the towering ship with snowballs。
Rook raised herself and resumed fire； hoping to draw the Invid's attention before Annie succeeded in enraging it。 Rand had meanwhile e around and was contributing his own bursts； and together they somehow managed to send the Trooper to its knees。
〃Go； go！〃 Rand yelled； motioning Rook and Annie past him。
They both knew what he was up to and broke for the trail where Rand had rigged the second trap。 Rook turned around to see if he was following。
〃I'm right behind you！〃 she heard him yell。
And so was the Trooper； looming up over them and the trees； monstrous…looking in the moonlight； like the nightmare it was。
But it performed just as Rand had expected； stepping boldly along the path； unaware that one area held a special surprise。 And in a moment the Trooper was sinking to its waist through the snow； down into a pit that had been dug underneath the trail。
〃Cut your lines！〃 Rand shouted to the women。
Rook ran to the area he had indicated and drew her knife。 She severed the cables as he called out the numbers。 Instantly； sharpened logs swung down toward the trapped Trooper from the surrounding treetops。 Thrusters blazing against the pit's hold； the Invid dodged the first two and parried the third with its pincer targone； but the fourth punched through the ship's scanner and immobilized it。 The Trooper was lifted up out of the pit and sent flat on its back in the trail。 The sharpened log protruded out of its blood…red eye like a stake thrust into a vampire's heart。
〃God。。。we did it；〃 Annie said in disbelief。
Rook wiped sweat from her brow。 〃Too close this time； just too close。〃
〃Not bad。〃 Rand smiled； striding over to the bleeding ship。 〃A bit primitive perhaps； but I had confidence in it。
Rook scoffed at him。 〃Sure thing； Rand。 And I suppose almost getting yourself killed was part of the plan？〃
〃That's always part of my plan；〃 he told her。 〃Just to impress you a bit。〃
〃You're never scared？〃 Annie said； taken in。
Rook looked over at Rand； then down at Annie。 〃Only when no one's looking at him；〃 she told her。
Somewhat closer to the chute； Scott and Lunk were attempting to bring their own primitive plan into play。 They had skirted the edge of the woods； keeping themselves just above the tree line； then worked back toward the western buttress of the cirque。 As hoped； the Invid mander had split its forces…her forces； Scott was now telling himself…but two of the four Troopers had picked up their trail and were narrowing the gap。
The avalanche had touched off secondary slides in several of the tributary crevasses below the basin； and in one of these； an exposed grouping of moraine boulders perched precariously above the gully's narrow floor。 Scott thought that if they could lure the Troopers into the ravine； then somehow manage to loosen those boulders。。。
Lunk was skeptical； but he didn't see that there were any alternatives。 The VTs and Cyclones hadn't been pletely buried by the snow； but they couldn't even think about reaching them until they had cut the enemy down to size。 So he volunteered to go up top and see if he could pry some of the rocks free； while Scott set out to bait the two enemy ships。
Lunk had found what he considered to be a persuasive boulder that would force the entire group into a slide； and he had his shoulder to it when Scott entered the ravine at a run； the Troopers right behind him。 The lieutenant reached the end of the ravine and turned to fire a few shots at his pursuers； meant more to antagonize than to inflict any damage。 But more than that； Scott's short burst was aimed at