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o wish to leave you and your brave men behind。〃
〃And lose our dream of being the founding fathers of a brave new world？〃 Hugo said spiritedly。 〃I don't think so。〃
Karl motioned toward the digital clock mounted between the monitors。 〃Twenty…five minutes from now； we shall set the ice shelf detaching systems on automatic。 Then everyone in the control center will leave through the underground tunnel that leads to the worker's main dormitory safely beyond the battlefield。 From there； we'll take electric vehicles to the aircraft hangar。〃
〃We shall not fail；〃 said Hugo； with iron resolve。
〃Then good luck to you；〃 said Karl。 He solemnly shook Hugo's hand； before turning and stepping into the elevator that would take him to the control room above。
Cleary and the Lion team were only a hundred and fifty yards from the entrance of the control center when Garnet's voice came over his inter。 〃Wizard； this is Tin Man。 There's something wrong here。 。 。〃
In that instant； Cleary spotted the barricade blocking the road in front of the control center； saw the dark muzzles of guns propped on its crest。 He opened his mouth to shout； but it was too late。 A deafening volley laid down by the security guards exploded in front of the Delta Force from every direction。 The blasts from two hundred guns swamped and reverberated off the walls of the buildings； cutting the icy air with a deafening roar。
Garnet and his Marines were caught in the open and exposed； but they laid down a covering fire and took whatever cover they could find along the buildings。 Despite the ruthless fusillade； they continued advancing toward the power station； until Garnet recognized an ice barricade that was nearly impossible to distinguish against the white background until he was less than a hundred yards away。 His men began a counterfire； firing their Eradicator rifles' fragmentation missiles at the security guards behind the barricades。
In front of the control center； at almost the same moment； Cleary found himself facing the same type of ice wall and blistering fire that Garnet was experiencing。 Vulnerable to the heavy fire； the lead man on the left flank of the Delta Force caught bullets in a knee and thigh and he went down。 Moving flat on his stomach； Sharpsburg grabbed the wounded man by his boots and pulled him around the corner of the building。
Cleary ducked below a stairway leading into a small storehouse。 Shards of ice rained down on his shoulders as a stream of shells burst into the icicles hanging from the roof above him。 Then a shot struck his body armor square…on above his heart； sending him staggering backward； alive but with a pain in his chest as if someone were pounding it with a sledgehammer。 Sergeant Carlos Mendoza； who was the best shot of the team； lined up the crosshairs through the scope of his Eradicator on the Wolf security guard who'd shot Cleary and squeezed the trigger。 A black figure jerked up from the crest of the barricade before falling back and disappearing。 The sergeant then selected his next target and fired away。
More bullets slammed into the roof above Cleary； scattering ice slivers in a hundred different directions。 He saw too late that Wolf's security force was prepared and waiting for them。 The fortifications had been designed and constructed for just such an attack。 He painfully discovered that the lack of proper intelligence was killing them。 He also began to perceive that his attacking force was badly outnumbered by the defenders。
Cleary cursed himself for relying on untested information。 He cursed the Pentagon and the Central Intelligence Agency； who'd estimated the Wolf security force at no more than twenty to twenty…five men。 He cursed his lack of intuition； and in the heat of the moment he cursed himself for making the biggest mistake in his military life。 He had badly underestimated his enemy。
〃Tin Man！〃 he shouted into his microphone。 〃Report your situation！〃
〃I count sixty or more hostiles blocking the road in front of us；〃 Garnet's voice replied in a monotone； as steady as if he were describing cows in a pasture。 〃We are under heavy fire。〃
〃Can you force the issue and secure the power plant？〃
〃We are unable to advance due to extremely accurate fire。 These are not your garden…variety security people we're facing。 They know what they're doing。 Can you send a team to relieve the pressure； Wizard？ If we could band together in a flanking movement； I think we can take the barricade。〃
〃Negative； Tin Man；〃 replied Cleary。 He well knew that the Recons were the elite of the Marine Corps。 If they couldn't advance； nobody could。 〃We're also halted by heavy fire from at least eighty hostiles and cannot send support。 I repeat； I cannot spare men to support you。 Extricate as best you can and link up with Lion。〃
〃Understood； Wizard。 Withdrawing now。〃
With his Marines open and exposed； Garnet was frustrated to learn that he could expect no support； but had to retreat and find Cleary and Sharpsburg's Delta Force team through the maze of roads running through the facility。 He wasted no time in considering going against orders and continuing the assault。 Charging a barricade manned by three times his force across an open road was suicidal and would acplish nothing but the massacre of his mand。 He was left with no choice but to begin an orderly withdrawal； carrying out their wounded as they withdrew from the murderous fire。
Having advanced halfway around the control center； Jacobs and his SEALS were jolted by the thunder of conflict and the shocking reports from Cleary and Garnet。 He urged his men forward in hopes of securing the control center from the rear and removing the heat from teams Tin Man and Lion。 The SEALs were only a hundred yards from the control center building when two armored Sno…cats turned the corner ahead and opened fire on them。
Jacobs watched helplessly as two of his men were cut down。 Madder than hell； he held the trigger on his Eradicator rifle until the final round ejected from the clip； then his sergeant grabbed him by the collar of his parka and pushed him behind a trash bin before a barrage of counterfire could strike him。 A volley of fragmentation missiles from the SEAL team temporarily halted the Sno…cats； but they began to e on again。
The SEALs fought tenaciously as they executed their withdrawal up the road； using whatever cover they could find。 Then； unexpectedly； two more Sno…cats suddenly appeared at their rear and unleashed a torrent of fire。 Jacobs felt a knot form in his stomach。 He and his team had nowhere to go except into a narrow side alleyway。 He prayed they were not being forced into an ambush； but the alley looked clear for at least seventy yards。
As he ran after his men； hoping they could reach cover before the Sno…cats turned the corner of the alley and achieved a field of unobstructed fire； he reported to Cleary。 〃Wizard； this is Scarecrow。 We are under attack by four armored Sno…cats。〃
〃Scarecrow； do they carry heavy weapons？〃
〃None that show。 I make four hostiles with automatic weapons in each vehicle。 Our fragmentation missiles